Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Wonderful details and fun light and sound effects
Cons: Price (but
totally worth it)
The Bottom Line:
Wonderful details
Made better by lights, music
Really worth the price
No Reason to Check Your List Twice. You'll Want This Great Series Starter
I am a collector. You
tell me something is part of a series, and I immediately take notice. Since I've started collecting Hallmark
ornaments, that has become my downfall.
I collect enough series that I decided I was not going to start any new
ones in 2011. So far, I've bought the
first in two new series and plan to start a third as well. (I'm not touching the fourth. Really!)
One of those new series is connected to Hallmark's new
Wonder and Light Cord. While they may be
using new technology to power the ornaments in the Once Upon a Christmas
series, Checking It Twice incorporates lots of nostalgic and artistic touches.
This is a cord that you can string on your Christmas
tree. There are a number of special
outlets (most of the time 7) that you can then connect your specially marked
ornaments to. This cord gives them the
power they need to light up and, when a button is pressed, play music while
leading the others in a light show. They
are lots of fun, which is a shame because they are also some of Hallmark's more
expensive ornaments.
So, what does this particular ornament look like? The main focus is Santa sitting in a
chair. He's wearing red pants but he's
got a white shirt and slippers on. On
his lap is a big book with the names of the good kids, and he's in the process
of checking it with a feather pen. Okay,
so the pen itself is really plastic, but it looks great. At his feet is a Labrador
puppy laying on a pillow. On the table
next to him are a lamp and a plate of sugar cookies.
This is bigger than your average ornament. All the pieces sit on a circular base that is
four inches across. Santa's head is
about 5 inches high. But this allows you
to notice so many more details. The
chair, for example, is very ornately decorated.
This is one ornament you won't mind if it turns around.
For those who have been collecting Keepsake ornaments for a
long time, this is a fun treasure hunt.
The puppy I mentioned is the same puppy from the popular Puppy Love
series entry a few years back. Both the
chair and table were part of a studio signing piece from about 10 years
ago. Around the base are decorations
based on several other popular series.
The only one I recognize and own are the sugar cookies, which are
miniature versions of the first ornament in the Season's Treatings series.
The big base is flat, so you can display this ornament on a
mantle or table if that's what you want to do.
The bottom of the base is also where you'll find the 1 in a Christmas
tree, a marking Hallmark uses to show this is the first in a series. The hook for hanging the ornament is in
Santa's left shoulder. The ornament
hangs forward and to one side a little bit, but it's not too bad. What you will notice is how heavy this
ornament is. You'll definitely want to
find a sturdy branch to hang it on.
But what about the sound and light aspect? Well, I'm glad you asked. When the ornament is plugged in, the base
flashes red and green. A light also
comes on the book with the list of names.
The only light that constantly stays on is the lamp on the table. To start the music and light, press the
button in front of the puppy. When you
press the button, you get a show that lasts about a minute. Santa talks about how he'll need a bigger bag
for all the presents to take to the good kids for the first 10 seconds, and the
rest of it is an upbeat instrumental version of "Santa Claus is Coming to
Town" with bells as the percussion instrument. It's really fun to listen to. The lights on the ornament blink on and off
in time to the music. The other
ornaments that are connected to the same cord this ornament is on also flash
their lights, although it's not really connected to what this ornament
does. And Santa's voice? It's a warm, friendly bass. I can't imagine them finding a better Santa.
Because of all these elements, the ornament retails for
$30. Plus you need to buy the cord
separately for around $6. (Again, you
can plug multiple ornaments into the cord.)
This isn't a cheap ornament, but I find it worth it.
And check out the rest of the Once Upon a Christmas series.
Original Price: $29.95
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