1. Wear green. No, that small stripe in your shirt doesn’t count!  You need enough green for you to see a few feet away, maybe even something with some clovers on it.
2. Take a journey in you kitchen. Eat like the Irish all day long.  Start with a “full Irish breakfast”.  Items on this menu include bacon, sausage, fried eggs, black pudding, white pudding, fried tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms and potatoes, brown soda bread and a strong Irish breakfast tea.  Or keep it simple with steel cut oatmeal.  For lunch try a traditional Irish stew.  For dinner you can prepare the very popular corned beef and cabbage.  And perhaps some potato pie for dessert.
3. Play some music. Ireland has a long history with music, and many incredible styles have emerged.  Celtic, folk and traditional Irish songs might just get you in the St. Patrick’s Day spirit.  And they are super fun to dance to.
4. Get crafty. Common themes for St. Patty’s projects include rainbows, shamrocks and leprechauns.
5. Host a treasure hunt. Fill a pot or chest with kiddie treasure like candy, toys and games.  Hide it in a secure place.  Then leave trails and clues for kids to find it.  Once they hunt it down, they can all split the booty.

Materials:

• Large piece of cardboard
• Razor cutter or scissors
• A shoebox with a lid
• Craft glue
• Green paint
• Stickers, pre-made rainbows and other decoration
• Gold paint and/or glitter
• sticks, craft sticks or wooden skewers cut to these lengths, (2) 6-inch pieces and (8) 1-inch pieces
• small pot or container
• Shiny coins, jewelry, treasure or even Lucky Charms cereal
• Small pillow(s) or soft fabric to line the inside of your box

Instructions:

1. Cut a large shamrock shape out of the cardboard.  Make sure that it is big enough to house your shoebox with at least a 3-inch buffer all the way around.
2. Put shoebox lid in place on top of the shoebox.  Draw a 2×2 inch square on the lid next to the front edge.  Cut 3 sides of the square, leaving one edge in tact.
3. Center your hat or shoebox in the middle of the shamrock cutout.  Glue it down to the cardboard.
4. Paint shamrock, shoebox and lid green.  Decorate with gold paint, glitter, stickers and other decorations.
5. Fill your pot or container with coins, treasure, Lucky Charms or other goodies.  Reserve a few goodies to use as bait.  Place your pot on top of the shoebox lid.  Glue it in place if you are going to be moving your trap around.
6. Glue sticks or skewers together to assemble a ladder.  Lean the ladder against the shoebox, making sure that the top of the ladder lines up with the trap door.  Glue the top the ladder to the shoebox and the bottom of the ladder to your shamrock cut out.
7. Glue down a trail of goodies or coins that lead to your pot.
8. When a leprechaun follows your trail to the goody pot, he will climb up the ladder and fall through the trap door when he reaches the top!  Be sure to put something soft inside to cushion his fall.

1-Lion Book/Magazine Holder

Have a roaring good time making this cute and handy box with your kids.  This is a great way to contain smaller books on a large bookshelf or wall shelf.

Piggy Bank

Teach your child creativity and the value of a dollar with one fun craft.  You can wrap the box and lid together to ensure that the savings stay in there or you can wrap them separately for easy access and counting.

Puppet Theater

Let your kids role play for hours with this homemade theater box.  They can make puppets of their favorite characters or even themselves using photographs.

Play Mailbox

Kids love to get mail.  Make this little box and slip all of you junk mail in there like a real mailman.  Maybe once in a while you can even slip a sweet note int there.

Practice Shoe

This is a great craft to help your child practice their shoe tying skills.  It is easier for little hands to practice bigger, more handy laces.

(Image via Steve Polyak)

Valentine’s Day

1. Cupid’s Heart- This adorable heart-shaped card has a straw arrow going through it.  Classmates can open it up to read your child’s heartfelt message.
2. Hanging Heart Mobile- This valentine doubles as a design accent.  If you are a room mom, you could hang these on the wall or chalkboard as a decoration and the kids can grab them when the party starts.  After the party, students can hang this in their bedroom and think of your cool kid every time they see it.
3. Love Bug- Most Valentine stuff caters to girls.  These are great because they are valentines that little boy can get into.  Who knows more about bugs than little boys?
4. Love Scroll-Kids will feel like they are passing around mystic secrets with these fun scroll valentines.
5. Lollipop Flower- These valentines are sweeter than roses.  And they include a hidden treat.

Chloe Moretz,

“When I saw the photos from Haiti, I was so heartbroken, I cried,” she told JSYK.com. “It devastated me so much to think of these poor people that had their life and then it all just crumbled in front of them, literally.”

Moretz started Crochet for Haiti! with her brother Colin. They took their average everyday talent and turned it into a way to raise money for the Haitian relief efforts. The Moretz’s crochet creations include a crocheted heart necklace, little ducks and other animals, are available to order on their Facebook page. Every penny earned will benefit Haitian relief.

Take some time to click through what they have to offer: they are actually some really talented little kids.

A lot of help has been pouring in to help the citizens of Haiti, but much more is needed. Kids can often feel powerless in these situations because they don’t feel they have enough money to make a difference. Fund raising is always an option, and often kids can raise thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars if they really put their mind to it.

If your kids want to help, but just aren’t sure how, it’s as easy as finding something they are good at, or a service to provide, and asking people to donate. Kids can sell lemonade, mow lawns, walk dogs, make lanyards, make key chains or friendship bracelets, anything that other people can buy or donate for. It’s as easy as making a Facebook page, or even just making signs and posting up in the front yard, and get fund raising!

My luck ran out, though, when Special Agent Oso recently had a “secret mission” in which he helped the precocious “Brianna” construct a bird feeder by combining a snack and ground debris.  Someone should have done a better job at keeping this mission “secret” from my kids, because ever since they watched the episode, there has been a burning desire, and loud insistence that they too spread the bird love…and the peanut butter.  Here’s how you can do it too!

Materials

• Pine cone (preferably dry and not too dirty)
• Peanut butter (creamy works best, though crunchy is unarguably the tastiest)
• Bird seed
• Ribbon, twine or fishing line
• Butter knife for spreading

Pry the peanut butter jar from your hungry toddlers’ hands.  Spread the pine cone with peanut butter.  Sprinkle bird seed all over the pine cone, with a plate underneath to catch the extra seeds.  When the pine cone is adequately covered, roll the cone in the remaining seeds on the plate.  Tie the twine or fishing line around the top of the cone and hang it from a tree.

This is a family tradition you can do every year, and the best time to start is this New Years, with the end of a decade. Gather your family’s memories and make a time capsule each New Years Day to bury in your yard, and open them when your children are grown for a great family memory.

What you’ll need:

* A large empty coffee can with a lid
* A piece of construction paper
* Glue
* Packing Tape
* Scissors
* A piece of notebook paper
* Pen or Marker
* Memorabilia from the year

1. Wash and dry the can thoroughly. Wrap the construction paper around the outside, and secure with glue.
2. Let then kids go nuts decorating the outside of the can. Be sure to remind them to write the year on the can, so you can see which time capsule it is before you open it in the future.
3. When ready, have each family member place a small item that represents an important memory from the past year to them inside the can.
4. Write a list of everything in the can on the piece of paper, and what it represents. Let each family member write their own item’s description.
5. Place the list inside the can with the other items and seal the lid. Reinforce with tape so no moisture gets through the can over the years.
6. Pick a date to open all of the cans when your children are grown. It will be a day to remember when you dig up all of your time capsules and share your memories.

What do you include?

• Make sure your children don’t put anything inside of the box they will regret.
• If you are worried about preservation of important things, like ribbons or documents, make a copy of them to put in the time capsule to not risk it.
• Ideas of things to include: awards, newspaper clippings, photos, trinkets, toys, jewelry, letters, ticket stubs, report cards, hand prints, drawings, cards, school assignments.

If I were smart and cold-hearted, I would caution relatives and friends to just give us gift cards for Christmas.  Those I can neatly organize in my pocketbook.  But now that all the new “stuff” of Christmas is here, I brew a pot of extra strong coffee and get to work.  Here are some helpful guidelines to get you started too.

• Out with the old: The first step to making room for all of your new loot is to get rid of the old toys from last year or before.  My rule of thumb is that if my child hasn’t played with a toy in six months, they certainly aren’t going to play with it again.  I’ll unearth it, away from little grab hands that will suddenly decided it is their “most favoritest toy ever!” and put it in a pile to donate.
• Remember the season: Your child’s summer wardrobe may just be in their drawers still, like mine.  Use this as an excuse to store the warm weather clothes for the next in line for the spaghetti strapped sundress or to again get a box together of clothes to donate.  There’s no use in shoving the new velor track suit on top of the tank tops and shorts.  Believe me, I’ve tried.
• Enlist help: You’d be surprised at what your kids can help with, and they might be happy to be involved.  Assign each child a task, like finding space on the bookshelf for new books or just making a stack of the empty boxes under the tree.  Ask your spouse to take over a chore, like cleaning out the toy box while watching a Bowl Game.  Misery loves company and it also makes your load a little lighter.

Overall, try to remember that this chore only comes once a year, and the longer you put it off, the worse it is going to be.  Somehow opened Christmas presents in the hallway just aren’t as bearable in March.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1 package of cocktail bread, I prefer rye

Directions:

1. Preheat your broiler to med (about 450 degrees)
2. Mix cheese, mayo and onions together in a bowl.
3. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of the cheese mixture onto each slice of cocktail bread.
4. Place bread onto a cookie sheet and broil for 2-4 minutes.  Watch them carefully because they cook fast.
5. Remove from the broiler, cool slightly and enjoy!

When I became a teenager, my friends’ parents would gush about what a responsible and gracious young girl I was.  My extended family would rave to my cousins how loving I was to keep the lines of communication open, and what a polite young adult I was turning into.  Now, into my twenties, I realize on my own how nice it is to feel appreciated when you have gone out of your way to do something nice for someone, and to recognize it with that extra personal touch of a thank you card is a great way to make, keep and deepen relationships.

Aside from just being the right thing to do, it’s a valuable tool to teach your children when and how to say thank you.

If you don’t already have your children write thank you cards, this holiday is the best place to start.

The actual writing of the Thank You card will depend widely on how old your child is:

If they can only sign their name, or something close to it, it is best to write the thank you for them and have them sign the card.  It’s always sweet to write it as if you were them, saying, “Thank you so much for the toy truck this Christmas, Grandma.  I love playing with it!” and have your little boy sign underneath.  You can also have them draw a picture to include for more of their own personal touch.

For kids old enough to write, dictate to them a nice message to write in the card in their own handwriting, or if they want, let them go at it themselves. Tell them not to seal the envelope, however, because sometimes even in Thank You cards, your child will forget to write the words ‘thank you.’

Teens can be a bit more adult about it, so encourage them to elaborate.  Have them include how their holiday was, anything interesting that happened, and offer a well wish to the recipient hoping they had a great holiday, too.

A few thoughts:

Before writing the cards, first make a list of everyone that gave anything this year- even if it was ‘just’ a card.  This way no one is forgotten and everyone is recognized.

It’s also nice to follow up with a phone call to say thanks to relatives and close friends.  Let your child dial and thank the giver in person, so your child can hear how happy it makes them feel that they have been thoughtful enough to say thanks.  That warm feeling they get will have them saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ without prodding for the next few weeks.

My mother always taught me to never thank for ‘money’ always thank for the ‘the gift.’  It’s a personal decision, but gift makes it sound as if it had more value than just the dollar amount.

In addition, the cookie cutters make a great gift or gift topper for those in your child’s life.  One fun gift idea would be to make cookies shaped like the cutter of your choosing, put them in a clear cellophane bag, tie it up with a Christmas ribbon and attach your bedazzled cookie cutter.  If you just so happened to use that cutter before glittering it, so be it.

Materials:

• metal cookie cutters
• craft glue
• paint brush
• glitter
• Ziploc bags
• decorative ribbon

Put a generous amount of glitter in a Ziploc bag.  Paint craft glue all over a cookie cutter, inside and out.  Drop cookie cutter into the Ziploc bag and seal.  Shake the bag until the cookie cutter is covered with glitter.  Remove cookie cutter from bag and allow to dry for several hours or overnight.  Tie a decorative ribbon around the cutter to be hung on the tree or tied to a package.

Christmas tree ornaments are always a great way to represent memories, make new ones, and give a gift from the heart.

Your kids can get in on the action, and make their very own permanent Christmas tree ornaments to hang on the tree year after year, or to give to family members as sentimental gifts.

If your kids love to play with clay, they will love making these holiday ornaments.

What you need:

• Polymer clay in red, green and yellow, or any colors you like

• A cookie sheet

• Aluminum foil

• Rolling pin

• Holiday cookie cutters

• Corn starch

• Small paint brush

• Pencil

• Ribbon

1. Cover the cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Take paint brush and dust the inside of the cookie cutters liberally with corn starch.  This prevents sticking.
3. Knead all the clay so that it is soft and pliable, for easy working.  Take the rolling pin, and roll it smooth and evenly.
4. Take cookie cutters and press them into the clay.  Remove clay- this is the base of your ornament.
5. Lay the ornament onto the cookie tray.
6. This is where the decorating begins.  Take the left over clay, and using different colors, decorate your ornaments.  If you have a tree base, use other colors to make ornaments and a star on top, or put buttons and a carrot nose on a snowman.  Let the kids go wild- they don’t have to be perfect, as long as your kids think they are.
7. When they are finished, take the pencil and carefully push a hole through the top of your ornament, about 1/10 of an inch from the top.
8. If you can find a spot, use your pencil to lightly carve in the creator’s initials and the year the ornament was created.
9. Bake your ornaments according to the directions on the clay’s package- usually about 20 minutes in a 250 degree oven.
10. Once the ornaments have cooled, take some string or ribbon and thread it through the hole at the top, and secure with a knot.

1. Decorations- Candy canes are great at making it look a lot like Christmas.

• Hang them on the tree.
• String a row of candy canes across the top of an entryway or fireplace mantle.
• Make wreaths and centerpieces more unique by adding candy canes.
• Glue candy canes, curved side up and facing out, around the outside of an empty coffee can for an attractive candy cane vase.  Fill with red and/or white flowers and greenery for a festive table decoration.  You could also just hang candy canes on the side of a glass vase.
• Use candy canes in place settings for holiday dinners.
• Use mini canes as a festive pillow mint for overnight guests.

2.    Crafts- Candy canes are a staple in holiday craft making.  Here are a few favorites.

• Candy Cane Reindeer
• Candy Cane Mouse
• Candy Cane Sleigh

3.    Parting Gifts- Attach candy canes to leftover plates that you send home with guests as an after dinner mint.  You can also keep a pretty bowl full of candy canes in your entry way as a little treat for carolers and surprise guests.

4.    Education- Use candy canes to get kids attention during homework time.

• Use as counters for addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and even fractions.
• Use candy canes to teach your kids about Jesus.  Although there is some dispute about the origin of the candy cane.  Most historians agree that the crook and the stripes were added in remembrance of him.

It’s the same old story every year:  you spend bucket loads of money on adorable red and green wrapping paper with little flying reindeer on it, use maybe half and there it sits. Same with the Easter wrapping paper. And that whole roll of baby shower paper you bought for the only friend that will ever have a baby.

Quit wasting money when you can use all of that old wrapping paper, make it just as festive, and even more special by getting your kids into the mix.

So one side is wonderfully decorated for something that has nothing to do with the holiday this year.  The other side? White.  This is your children’s blank canvas.

Unroll the entire roll of wrapping paper over the top of a counter or dining room table, bring out a plate of cookies, and play some holiday tunes.  Then set the kids to work.

Let them decorate the wrapping paper anyway they want.  Here are some ideas to get them started:

• Break out the holiday cookies cutters and let them trace around them, and then filling in the details: a carrot nose on the snowman, a Santa suit on Santa and buttons on the gingerbread.
• Let them know who the gift is for so they can write special holiday greetings to your friends and family.  If you aren’t sure who you will use the paper for just yet, let them go nuts.
• Use anything you like: crayons, markers, poster paint, glitter (if you’re brave) stickers and stamps.
• Before you set your kids to work, sit down and make a list of everything that reminds them of the holiday: Santa, snowflakes, snowmen, lights, candy canes.  Encourage them to draw on the list for inspiration to get a wide  array of wrapping paper.
• Encourage them to use all of the paper.  Kids tend to draw scrunched and in the middle to sit on opposite sides and corners to make sure everything is filled.

Not only will you be able to use up all of your scrap wrapping paper, you will save money on not buying more, and you and your kids will have a great bonding activity on a snowy day to remember for a lifetime.

Materials:

• Brown construction paper
• White construction paper
• Red construction paper
• safety scissors
• glue
• black marker

Directions:

Trace your child’s foot and both hands on brown construction paper.  With scissors, cut out the tracings.  Glue hand cutouts to the back of the foot cutout to make “antlers.”

Cut a small red circle of paper out for a nose, and two white circles for eyes.  Use a black marker to color in eyes and draw a smile on your reindeer’s face.  Watching “Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer,” eating gingerbread men and sipping eggnog while crafting is optional, but highly suggested.

Gingerbread Men Ornaments

• 2 T. canola oil
• 3 T. unsweetened applesauce
• 3/4 c. organic sugar
• 1/4 c. molasses
• 1/4 c. almond milk
• 2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 t. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 t. cinnamon
• 1 1/2 t. ground ginger

Beat oil, applesauce, stevia and sugar together until well combined.  Incorporate molasses and almond milk and set aside.

Sift all dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.  Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet and mix well, but do not over mix.

Transfer dough to plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, preheated the oven to 350 degrees and rolled out the dough on a floured board.  Cut out our men and decorated them using red hots, raisins, etc.

Bake cookies for 8 minutes.  If you want to hang your men (and not just for having selective listening or leaving beard shavings in the sink), use a toothpick to poke a small hole in the top before baking.

Allow the cookies to cool completely.  Decorate with a simple icing made from water and confectioner’s sugar.  Use ribbons or ornament hooks to hang your men on your tree.

Just like those white collar execs, Santa gets most of the credit for what happens on Christmas Eve.  But in the big man’s shadow are his eight tiny reindeer that are out there hoofing it.  And they deserve a little gratitude too.  Here are a few reindeer recipes for your kids to show their thanks.  One is strictly for reindeer and the other one we can eat too!

Reindeer Glitter Trail Mix

Create a new Christmas tradition with this easy to make Reindeer food.  This is a fun activity for your own kids.  It is also a great addition to a gift basket or a cookie tin for a family with small children.

What you’ll need:

• Raw Oatmeal
• Glitter (any color)
• Snack-size baggies
• Ribbon
• Paper or cardstock
• Glue, optional

How to make it:

1. Pour about 1/8 cup of oatmeal in snack-size baggie. Add some glitter. Close baggie.
2. Attach with ribbon (or glue) to the front of the baggie the following message :
   On Christmas Eve, sprinkle this wonderful Reindeer Food on your lawn.  The shiny glitter will sparkle in the moonlight and the smell of oats will guide Rudolph to your home.

Reindeer Munchies

These are addictive and delicious.  You can leave a bowl of it out with Santa’s cookies or you can just make it as a snack and tell the kids that this is what reindeer eat!

Ingredients:

• 6 cups Crispix cereal
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 12 oz chocolate chips
• Powdered sugar (1/2 cup or more to taste)

Directions:

1. Melt chocolate chips on low. Once melted, add peanut butter, mixing well.
2. Once a little cool, pour over Crispix cereal. (Pretty much the same idea as rice krispie treats, but different ingredients).
3. Let sit for about 5 minutes and put the mixture into a ziploc bag that contains the powdered sugar and shake to cover the cereal.

This easy and cheap craft makes a great gift, or keep them for yourself for a unique addition to your Christmas tree or wreaths.

You can use your own Scrabble tiles, or if you don’t want to ruin a perfectly good game, you can head to a Goodwill or other thrift store to try and find a set.  Those usually have tiles missing anyway, so they cost just pennies, or some craft stores sell bags of tiles.

Here’s what you need:

A bunch of Scrabble tiles

A few Scrabble trays

Superglue or a hot glue gun

A small, handheld saw

Sand paper

Red ribbon

• If this is a gift, think of a special word that describes the intended recipient, or you can use holiday words, like “SANTA,” “NOEL,” “PEACE,” “LOVE,” etc.

• Place the letters on the tile holder and mark the holder on either side of the word with a pencil.  The holders are made to hold over 7 tiles, so if your word is shorter, you want to cut off the extra over hang.  If not, then you are luck because your ornament just got that much easier.

• If you do have to cut, take your saw and smoothly and safely saw away the extra bits of tray.  Sandpaper the sides smooth.

• Take your tiles and carefully glue them into the tray, just as they would sit if you were playing the game.

• Take a loop of red ribbon and glue it to the back of your word, securing the ribbon to the center of the tray.

• For extra decoration, you can add little bells or beads to the ribbon

Hang your Scrabble ornaments from your tree, or place a few different words on a plain door wreath to spice it up.  Extra points if you use the ‘X’!

1. Call Santa. This is a free Web site that helps kids and their parents.  Kids get to hear Santa’s message and tell him what they want which is great fun.  And parents get a recording of their child’s voice message emailed to them.  So not only do you get your child’s wish list discretely, but you also have a memento to embarrass them with in the years to come

2. Have Santa Call You. Many phone carriers offer this service free of charge this time of year.  If yours doesn’t, try www.christmasdialer.com.  They give you 1 free call from Santa and then charge 57 cents for each one after that.  If you don’t mind paying a few bucks, there are plenty of Web sites where you can buy a call, letter, etc from Santa.  Alternativly, if you have a relative who is good at disguising their voice (I knew my brother’s acting degree would come in handy some day) they can play Santa for you as long as your kids aren’t hip to caller ID.

3. Email Him. At this Web site your kids can fill out an email form and he will email them back.  Again all for free.

4. Send a letter. I like to have my boys write Santa a letter and then I tuck them away in their keepsake boxes.  But if your kids want to actually mail a letter you can do that too.  Check out this operation in North Pole, Alaska that will snailmail you back with a “nice list” and a letter from Santa.  The fee is $5 and a stamped, self-addressed envelope.  Or you can send it to one of the many US Post Offices that participate in “Operation Santa” to get a letter back for free. (Though there has been some controversy over this, it should, in fact, still work.)

Then, if all else fails, you could just go to the mall and sit on Santa’s lap. But in an age of iPhones, e-mails and GPS, there’s no need to sit on that smelly guy anymore.

Broke? Unemployed? Did you make the horrible decision to plan a move across town right smack in the middle of December and are just trying to make it through the holidays with your sanity and bank account intact?  Yeah, that last one is probably just me.

This might just be me, but I LOVE practical gifts.  Last year, my boyfriend got me a toaster oven.  The year before? A Swiffer Wet Jet. Romantic.  I also love cheap- mainly when giving, and not so much while receiving, but if you do it right, no one will be the wiser.

Because of my above loves, I also love The Dollar Store.  Sure, some of the stuff is crap, but you can get a lot of great finds for, you guessed it, a dollar.  Generally, why everything is so cheap is just because they don’t carry name brand items, don’t have fancy packaging or all the bells and whistles.  On their own, the products aren’t much, but if you group them together just right, you can give a whole lot for very little.

This holiday season, head to your local dollar store (or 99 cent store for you super savers) and find cheap, thoughtful gifts for everyone on your list.

The Clean Freak-

Who’s to say your floor cleaner has to have a shiny bald staring at you in order to clean up a mess?  Make a cool little gift basket for your favorite germaphobe.  Get a brightly colored bucket and fill it to the brim.  Include dish scrubbies, rubber gloves, toilet brush, some window, counter and multipurpose cleaner, paper towels, and washcloths and top it off with a little rubber ducky.  Viola! The gift of so-clean-you-can-eat-off-of-it.

The Crafty Kathy-

Oh man, the scrapbookers in your life will have a heart attack.  Get a plain wooden box, or little tote bag and fill it to the brim with stickers, colorful paper, scissors, glue, jewels and gems, picture frames, glitter, paint, confetti- the works.  All the inspiration will get their creative juices flowin’.

The Foodie-

Grab a big ol’ mixing bowl and fill it with every tool your baker or chef could ever need.  The cooking utensils are cheap, but get the job done- and variety at the dollar store is amazing.  You can get everything from knives, forks, whisks, spatulas, peelers, pizza cutters, and wooden spoons to oven timers, thermometers, oven mits and trivets.  You can even give the baskets a theme: pizza, coffee, breakfast, chocolate- anything.  Don’t forget to check out the condiment aisle, and throw in a measuring cup for for good measure. Ha! Sorry.

The Kids-

I did this one for my niece and nephew, who live across the country.  It ships well, because we all know shipping presents is usually more expensive than the gifts themselves and will allow you to give a lot, without paying for it.  Well, you have to pay a little bit- that’s called theft, people.

Pick out a kid friendly receptacle they can reuse- a bag, a basket, a backpack, cool box, etc. and just fill it up.  For girls, try hair accessories, scarves, nail polish, stickers, tiny trinkets, little perfumes, jewelry, and pencils.  Just try and cram as much stuff in their as possible.  For boys, try little cars, cards, water balloons, silly putty, crayons, bouncy balls, and pocket sized games.  The bag will be like Mary Poppins purse- the kids just keep pulling out more and more great things, and you didn’t pay anymore than a few dollars.

The Unique Fashionista-

so many accessories, so little time.  For that special person that always has to add their own personal flare to everything: backpacks, clothes, shoes, purses, a dollar store can be the source of great inspiration.  Pick up a tote bag, and fill it with fun accents.  Try fake flowers, puff paint, glitter, pins, patches, jewels and gems, beads and string.  But don’t forget the basics.  Be sure to pick up some plain flip flops, hats, scarves, and t-shirts, so they have a canvas to work with.

The best gifts are ones that are used over and over again and are the source of fun.  You know what it feels like when you buy your kid the present you think they will love, and they open it, say “cool,” play with it once and then it’s shoved into the back of the closet along with their list of chores.  Generally, those are the most expensive gifts, too.  Give people something to do, and I promise you, that’s the gift they will remember for many holidays to come.

I love traditions.  They are a great way to personalize the holidays.  They are like an insider secret between you and your family.  I think that they make family bonds stronger and memories richer.  But there are traditions that are done out of obligation, like say spending hours making Grandma’s inedible fruitcake.  And there are traditions that you do for the sheer joy they bring. Here are a few of those to work into your Thanksgiving this year.

1. Turkey hands.  Each year I trace my kids hands on construction paper and cut them out.  We make them into turkeys and write their name on them.  I pull their creations out every year and decorate the house with them.  It is fun to see how much their hands, and their artistic skills, have grown each year.
2. Donate. Whether it is your time, money or food, donating is a great way to show kids and adults alike how much they have to be thankful for.  If your Thanksgiving Day is packed with cooking and guests, head down to your local food bank, shelter or church a few days early.  This is great activity to do as a family to start the holidays with a thankful heart.
3. Get active.  When you are consuming a week’s worth of food in one day it is never a bad idea to squeeze in a little exercise.  Our family favorite is flag football.  We head out to the front yard after the parades and help the kids burn off some of their excited energy.  We also like to rake leaves and jump in.  Feel free to substitute with your favorite sport.  One family we know heads down to the park for a game of tennis.  While our neighbors just take an annual family walk.
4. Give Thanks.  This may seem like a given, but there are a lot of families that  don’t actually take time out to say thanks.  Here is a fun way to incorporate this into your family dinner.  Have each person write down what they are thankful for and put it in a designated bowl or bag.  Have the head of the table read them out loud and everyone has to guess who wrote it.
5. Get in the holiday spirit. Choose a movie that really puts you in the holiday mood and watch that same movie together every year after dinner.  Some families we know put up and decorate their Christmas tree together after dinner.

We made up this fun and creative craft that can also turn into a party game at your family gathering.  Here’s how to get started on your Sunflowers of Thankfulness.

Materials:

• paper plate
• markers
• construction paper
• scissors
• double sided tape, or Scotch tape rolled into loops
• hole punch
• yarn or ribbon

Draw a large petal shape on your construction paper.  If you are planning on using this game with guests, cut out a petal for each guest.

Cut the petals out with scissors.  Place a piece or loop of tape on the back of each petal.  Draw a circle with a brown marker in the center of your paper plate, to act as the center of your flower.

On each petal, have your child assist in coming up with things he/she is thankful for.

Affix petal to plate with tape, and continue until flower is full of petals.  In the alternative, have each of your guests write something they are thankful for on a petal as they enter for Thanksgiving dinner, and then affix it to the plate.

When the flower is completed, punch a hole in the top of the plate and run a ribbon through it.  Hang your Sunflower of Thankfulness for all to see the blessings to give thanks for this year!

A lifebook goes a step beyond scrapbooking.  With a scrapbook you document all of the big occasions–first tooth, first word, first haircut, etc.   A lifebook documents all of the small moments that you don’t really notice at the time.  Essentially a lifebook is a journal about your baby, to your baby.  You can write entries daily, weekly or even monthly about your experiences that you have had during that period.  This can include little tidbits like the song he couldn’t get enough of or how he giggled when you washed his feet at bath time. You can also include photos or even do photo documentation of things you want to jot down during the day.  If you are more inclined to do things in cyberspace, you can use lil grams–a website that helps you create virtual babybooks.

Traditionally, lifebooks were created for adopted and foster children to remind them of where they have been in their lives. But more and more biological parents are adopting this trend for similar reasons. As children get older, often a communication gap develops between them and their parents because they don’t understand each other.  When a teenager reads through their lifebook they can see how their mom(or dad) grew as a parent and perhaps get a better perspective of them. If nothing else, it will remind them how much you love them.  And when they are much older and having children of their own, they can read your baby experiences as they are going through the same thing.

It’s the simplest of ideas, yet it never fails to induce a little Thanksgiving spirit and a few laughs. 

I give you, KidGlue readers: 

Hand Turkeys!

Materials:

• A hand (if you don’t have one, you can borrow your child’s or a friend’s)
• Paper
• Scissors
• Crayons, Markers, or Finger Paints (If you’re feeling adventurous)
• Some idea of what a turkey might look like

Trace somebody’s hand on a piece paper.  Draw on a beak, legs, feet, and whatever that red dangly thing is that we simply call a “gobbler” in my family.  Color on feathers, eyes, gunshot wounds and whatever other detailing you would like your turkey to have.

Cut around the outside of the turkey if you would like to hang it in your window to scare your neighbors.

Name your turkey.  My turkey is called “NBC.“

My daughter’s is called “I Wish You Didn’t Have to Die.”

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tissue Paper Autumn Wreaths

This craft is great for kids of all ages, but can get a little messy with the little ones, so while safe, I would recommend saving it for kids ages 6+.

You will need:

A big ol’ pile for 1 in. x 1in. tissue paper squares in autumn colors (red, orange, yellow, and brown)

1 piece sturdy paper, like card stock ,poster board or cardboard

Scissors

1 ball point pen

1 bottle Elmer’s glue

A hole punch

Yarn

Directions

1.  Take your card stock paper and scissors, and cut the paper into a wreath shape, as big or small as you want it.  (Just remember: the bigger your wreath, the more tissue paper you will need.)

2.  Punch a hole in the top of the wreath and tie the yard in a loop through the hole to make a hanger.

3.  Put a little puddle of Elmer’s glue on some of the scratch card stock.

4.  Now the fun begins. Show your child how to do this a few times, and they’ll pick it up, no problem.  Take the butt of the ballpoint pen, (non-writing side) and place it in the center of a square of tissue paper.  Peel back the corners of the tissue paper and hold then in place against the pen with your fingers.  Don’t pull too hard or you will tear the paper.

5.  Dip the tissue paper covered end of the pen in the puddle of glue and then press to the wreath.  Hold for a 3 seconds, and pull the pen away.  The tissue paper should stay secured to the wreath with the corners sticking straight up.

6.  Continue all over the wreath, covering entire thing with tissue paper.  Hint: the closer together you put the tissue paper, the fuller your wreath will be and the more texture it will have.

7.  Optional:  Your child can decorate their wreath even further with more autumn supplies.  Have your child collect acorns to glue to the finished wreath, glue dried or fake berries all around, or even cover with glitter to give it some sparkle.

You can hang your child’s Autumn wreaths in windows to catch sunlight, on the back of doors, or on door knobs.  These wreaths are a great way to keep your kids entertained for hours and bring a little splash of Fall into your home.