Category Archives: Family Fun

Keep the Family Occupied Until Gift Giving Starts

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15287057_SIn the hours before gift giving starts in your family, it can be difficult to keep little ones from going crazy with excitement. It’s smart to plan an activity or two to help tide them over until it’s time for presents. These suggestions may help.

Plan a pre-gift. The night before or the morning before opening presents, have one gift ready to open early. The best choice is a game, a puzzle or a couple of new movies, something that will keep everyone occupied for a few hours.

Schedule an event. A visit to a holiday light show, a family concert or even a drive to look at lights can bring the holiday into focus and take up time with restless family members. Look for holiday-themed events – there are plenty in every community at this time of year.

Bake cookies. Making a batch of sugar cookies with cookie cutters and colored frosting and decorations, followed by a cookie feast with milk can easily take up an afternoon. Also, you’re ready with cookies to leave for Santa. Have everyone choose their favorite cookie to give the jolly guy.

Stage a pajama party. With new PJs for everyone, a special DVD or two, and popcorn and favorite snacks all wrapped up in a big box to open and enjoy, you’re ready for an exciting evening that can keep everyone occupied till bedtime. Some of those cookies would be tasty here too.

Whatever you choose to do, planning the time before presents will make a much nicer holiday for everyone, particularly parents who may get tired of hearing, “Is it time yet?” every 20 minutes or so. And it gives you a chance to start some new holiday traditions with your family.

Doing For Others

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8243548_SFor most of us, this is a special time of year, with family gatherings, celebrations with friends, and decorations and food taking up our time and thoughts.

For some people, however, the holiday season is no pleasure. Lack of funds, family issues, or the loss of a loved one can make the holidays a challenge to survive rather than something to enjoy. Amidst your fun activities, this is a good time of year to add helping others to your holiday list. Here are a few suggestions.

Donate to a food bank or rescue shelter. With the economy still down, many people rely on this type of assistance and these services are stretched to the limit. By donating food and dollars, you can make a difference for people and families not as fortunate as yours.

When giving, think of holiday needs. Rather than digging through your pantry for those cans of olives no one wants to eat, shop for special holiday non-perishables, or donate a turkey at one of the local turkey drives.

Adopt a family: Many non-profit organizations have families of people in financial trouble that could use a hand. You generally get a list of ages and genders of family members, along with some things on their wish lists. It can be a fun family experience to shop for another family, choosing special things to make their holiday brighter.

Donate your time: Hospitals and nursing homes have rooms full of lonely people who would love a visit and maybe a few homemade cookies. Shut-ins often receive holiday meals, and by volunteering to deliver some you can brighten someone’s day with your visit. Often you are the only person they will see that day, so taking the time to chat and say cheering words can make a world of difference.

Take a few minutes to think about how fortunate you are, and then you may want to help others feel fortunate too.

The Easy Holiday Party

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20837992_SHoliday parties may be fun to attend, but do you find the idea of throwing one a challenge? Here are a few simple approaches to make your holiday party easy and fun for everyone, including you.

Go small: Don’t feel obligated to invite everyone you know. Select four to six of your favorite people and invite them for dinner. No need to decorate beyond what you normally do, and you can even order take-out for the meal. Remember, the goal is to get together and have fun.

Use a restaurant: Invite people to your favorite neighborhood restaurant, letting them know that appetizers and the first couple of drinks are on you. If you want, arrange a private room or reserve a preferred table. Choose a weekday so your group can stay as long as they like.

Semi-cater: Warehouse club stores and many grocery stores offer frozen appetizers and pre-prepared or customized party trays. Make your selection, balancing sweet and savory, indulgent and healthful, so there is something for everyone’s taste.

Ask friends to help: See if a couple of your close friends will come early to help you prep and set everything up for the party. They can also watch for empty cookie trays or veggie dips that need a refill. This gives you some time to enjoy your guests as well as managing the party itself.

Choose a theme: Focus the food on a couple of things such as wine and cheese or holiday cookies. Plan a project such as decorating the tree or going caroling. Build a gathering around a favorite holiday movie or television special and provide food that fits the movie’s approach. Keep it simple and it will be fun.

Above all, remember that the holidays are about coming together to enjoy each other’s company. Don’t worry about “getting it right.” Instead, plan a party that you will enjoy, and chances are your friends will enjoy it too.

Last Minute Gift Ideas

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11233821_SIt’s less than a week until everyone unwraps presents under the tree – are you finished with your shopping? If not, here are some gift ideas to make these next few days easier.

Shop non-standard stores: Department and discount stores are crazy busy this time of year. Instead, how about checking out gift boutiques in smaller shopping centers? Consignment and antique shops have a wonderful collection of gift possibilities and are much less crowded than other stores this time of year.

Give an experience: Tickets to a play or concert, or a gift-certificate for the play or concert of their choice, can be easily arranged online with minimal effort. If you make sure your choice suits the taste of the recipient, this can be a truly special gift.

Give a service: A day at a spa, a home cleaning service, or a catered meal at home can be a real treat for busy families. If money is tight, how about offering to chauffer the kids on their carpools for a couple of days to give parents a little time off, or babysitting to give them a chance to get away for an evening?

Gift certificates: This may seem like a lazy gift, but you can make it special. For example, give a teenager a set of gift certificates that add up to a nice date – movie tickets and dinner at a special restaurant for example. Others may prefer an iTunes gift certificate allows them to buy their own music online. Look for opportunities to encourage people to try a new restaurant that you particularly like – combine a gift certificate with a copy of the menu and write comments in the margin to indicate your favorite dishes.

If you’ve procrastinated, use your imagination instead of creating stress for yourself, and you may find that this year’s gifts are the best ever!

Gift wrap that grabs people

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23430917_SIt’s true that once unwrapping starts, the gift’s the thing. But until that moment, making the giftwrap something special adds to the excitement and allure of the holidays.

If you want your gifts to capture attention even before they’re opened, here are a few ideas to help your presents have a presence under the tree.

Go metallic: This is actually a very easy way to make your gifts eye-catching. This photo shows both gold and silver, but you may want to choose one or the other. Select one or two metallic papers, and two or three types of ribbon in a matching metallic finish. Vary the ribbons and papers to create a charming vignette of shiny gifts. Bring the bling to your holiday gifts.

Select a single look: Choose one pattern of gift wrap and a ribbon that works well with it, and wrap everything the same. Consider buying one of the wire-edged ribbons available at warehouse clubs this time of year, with many yards for under ten dollars. Having all your presents in the same design will create a signature wrap for you every year that people will look forward to seeing.

6245227_SGo for the unusual: If you have small gifts, wrapping them in money – either U.S. or foreign currency – makes an intriguing look. (Of course, you don’t have to use the Ben Franklin shown here – dollar bills will cover it.) Some people like to wrap gifts in the Sunday funnies. You can use wrapping that adds to the gift inside – for example a dishtowel can wrap a kitchen tool or a scarf can cover a new shirt.

If you let some of the creativity you used to pick out your gifts to choose the right wrapping choice, you may be surprised to see that your presents are appreciated even before they’re opened.

Decorating your tree inexpensively

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16590126_SIf you’ve just moved into your first home, you may want a special holiday tree but can’t rationalize spending lots of money to decorate it. If so, this blog is for you. Here are a handful of ideas to make your tree brilliant and special without investing much money.

Lights: These are often a loss-leader in stores during the holidays, so you can pick up a batch for a reasonable price. If you can, spend a bit more and get the LED lights – they are more expensive initially, but they use much less energy and last longer, so you will save money in the long run.

Ribbons: Your local warehouse store has a wonderful selection of holiday ribbons with 50 yards running under $10. Choose one that appeals to you and matches the mood you want to present and use it liberally as a garland. Notice the way the ribbon on the tree in this photo curls and curves – adding a lot of personality and style.

Edible decorations: Bake ginger cookies and hang them on your tree. Pick up a bag of foil-wrapped chocolate decorations at an import store to add glitz, and you can eat them later. A package of candy canes is reasonably priced and they add charm when hung on branches.

Make it yourself: Holiday gift-wrap can be cut into shapes and hung on your tree. Festive gift tags add color and personality. Check out Pinterest to see what other suggestions people have for handmade holiday decorations. You’d be surprised what you can do with a few supplies and nimble fingers.

Go old-fashioned: Ball ornaments are generally available in a wealth of colors at good prices. Be sure to get plastic or shatterproof if you have pets or children. Even a few of these scattered among the other decorations can make your tree feel finished. If you really want to kick it up a notch, consider tinsel to add the final touch of holiday bling.

Decorating a tree is really not about money. It’s about imagination, style and the joy of having your own tree you created in your new home.

Create a Holiday Light Plan

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22814191_SDo you like putting lights on your home for the holidays? Here are a few ideas for making a plan to create a lovely light display.

Measure your home. To ensure that you get enough lights to cover your roof line or porch or to go around your front windows, measure before you go shopping. When you buy your lights, look at the length of each strand rather than the number of lights. Double check to see how many light strands you can link safely.

Choose a color scheme. Do you want multi-colored lights everywhere? Or would all white or all blue lights suit your style better? Homes with different groupings of colors also look appealing. Make a plan while looking at your house rather than while standing in the store.

Start simple. You don’t have to completely decorate the house the first year. Start with outlining the roof and then light your trees or bushes over the upcoming years. Even a few lights make a nice show on a house.

Look for LED lights. LED lights burn cooler and are safer. You can link more of them together, making your options more flexible. And although they are pricier to buy, they are also less expensive to run, allowing you to decorate without a blow to your utility bill for the month.

Set your lights on a timer. With an inexpensive timer such as those designed to make your home look lived in when you’re out of town, you can set your lights to go on at dusk and turn off at an appropriate time such as 10 or 11 p.m. That way once your lights are up you don’t have to remember them every night. You have enough to think about during the holidays.

Step out to the street and enjoy. You worked hard to make your home look festive; take a minute to appreciate your efforts.

Planning your Holiday Shopping

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16854718_SIf you are one of those people who already finished your holiday shopping, then this blog is not for you. However, if you still have the bulk of it to finish, here are a few suggestions to help you get through the next few weeks.

Set a budget first. It’s tempting to go shopping and be casual about your spending, but by going over your planned spending amount for even a few gifts, you can end up with a larger bill at the end of the holiday than you expect.

Make a list, check it twice. Did you get Uncle Fred a pair of slippers last year? Have you picked up something for every niece and nephew? Track your gift buying so you know how much you have left to do this year.

Wrap as you go. Piles of unwrapped holiday gifts look like clutter in your home. Wrap them and you have a bunch of holiday decorations instead. If you have a tree, set them underneath. If not, choose a side table or corner as the present destination. Your life will also be easier if you don’t have a lot of gifts to wrap at the last minute.

Look for re-gift opportunities. That set of bath salts from Aunt Sophie that you have no use for may be perfect for your friend who loves baths. Re-gifting is fine as long as the gift is something the receiver would like to have.

Have fun. Don’t let the stress of the holiday stop you from enjoying the process. Take time to listen to the holiday music and admire the decorations. Pick gift wrap that you like so wrapping is a pleasure. Take a break and grab a hot chocolate. Yes, you may have a lot to do, but take a few moments to make this year’s holiday shopping special for you.

Children and Thanksgiving

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23849264_SThanksgiving is a family holiday and you can make sure everyone enjoys themselves by getting people involved.

Even small children can play a part when preparing for Thanksgiving. Start with simple tasks and build to more complex roles as your children get older and more able to contribute. Here are a few ideas.

Youngest children: Even a toddler can draw a Thanksgiving picture to put on the front door to welcome guests. Any crafts created in preschool or grade school can grace a table or buffet. Assign simple duties such as helping to set the table to make them feel a part of the day.

Grade-school children: How about assigning each child a side dish to help create? Go over the menu and ask which dish sounds like the most fun to make. You may want to pull in an adult who is not the primary chef in the house to help make the dish – giving them a chance to bond and contribute to the holiday. Children at this age could also be responsible for setting the table and creating a Thanksgiving centerpiece.

High school children: By this age, a teen can take over one or more dishes for the Thanksgiving table. You might want to have them help plan the menu – adding appetizers or a special dessert to go along with the pumpkin pie. If there will be younger children attending, ask your teenager to come up with activities to keep the small fry entertained and out of trouble before, during and after the meal.

Take the time when at the table to ask everyone what they are thankful for from the past year. You might want to discuss the topic in advance with younger children so that they have a chance to think about their answers.

Finally, involve the children in the clean-up. The more hands to help, the faster your whole family can relax and digest that incredible dinner!

Getting ready for Halloween – Tricks for Treaters

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22252022_STrick-or-treating is an exciting adventure for a child. To wear a costume and be someone or something else, to walk around in the dark and to get candy just for the asking seems like a dream. As the person handing out the treats, you can add to the excitement and adventure by making your house one of the fun ones on the block.

To start, you could wear a costume yourself. A witch handing candy out of a smoking cauldron (a little dry ice in water in a bowl at the bottom) makes for a more interesting experience. If you have a well-behaved dog, consider a costume for your puppy guaranteed to charm the little visitors.

Another approach involves creating a challenge to getting the candy. Using lights and artificial fog with maybe a few spider webs you can make the route to your door a bit scarier than the standard home entrance. Add one of those CDs that feature scary sounds, screams, moans and groans. Suddenly getting a piece of candy is more than just ringing a doorbell.

You can also move the candy event outside. You might conjure up a graveyard-looking space with lights and fake tombstones – purchased or made with Styrofoam boards and spray paint – and pull out that fog machine from last year to add to the atmosphere. If you sit in a chair in a spooky costume and don’t move until the children get close enough, just saying hello will startle them. You may want to have a default option for the very little ones, although often they are braver than their older brothers and sisters.

If you have children who are too old to trick or treat anymore, consider recruiting them to help create a Halloween experience for the neighborhood. It’s a good way to help them move on from the magic of being a child at Halloween by allowing them to help create magic for other children.

Yes, trick or treating by itself makes Halloween pretty exciting. But if you use your imagination and provide more than a piece of candy, you can also make a child’s Halloween special and memorable.