St Nicholas (Father Christmas) is the historical Santa Clause. He was Bishop of Myra, Asia Minor (near modern Finke, Turkey) around the year 325 AD. HIs traditional feast day is December 6. There are several legends about him which are summarized below. All have the same basic theme: he was the ultimate anonymous gift giver. He also did not expect a return for his good … Continue reading The Progression of Santa Clause
Holidays are an important and stress time for many families. The focus of the holidays is to celebrate but often we become so busy with preparations that we forget their true meaning. Meeting everyone’s needs during the holidays, as well as bringing to life the picture we’ve painted in our own minds, can over-stress our bodies. Our bodies can be over-stressed both physically (e.g. overeating, … Continue reading Stress and the Holidays
Holiday Party Games: Word Game: How many words can your make from “Happy Thanksgiving”. Feather Game: Divide in teams (relay-style game). First person must try to keep a feather in the air by blowing it to designated spot. Player than passes it back to next player. First team finished wins. Lost Mittens: Everyone brings a pair of mittens. They turn them inside out and toss in … Continue reading Kid’s Korner: Holiday Party Games
Each family has different holiday traditions, throughout the years those traditions may be altered or change entirely due to marriage, babies, location. There are many different traditions that I enjoyed as a child and I plan on continuing as an adult with my family. My Christmas Holiday starts on Thanksgiving weekend. We always put up the Christmas tree, decorate the house and start the baking! … Continue reading Holiday Traditions
Holiday Gifts Made by Children: Paper mache` bracelets: Don’t let this scare you- it’s easy but a little messy. Fold a 1/2 sheet of newspaper into a width of about 1″. Form into a circle and tape with masking tape. Add more tape around to secure. Tear 1′ strips of newspaper. Using a mixture of glue and water, dip newspaper until wet and wrap around bracelet. Use … Continue reading Kid’s Korner: Holiday Gifts
Do’s: Let your genuine concern and caring show. Express your sorrow about the death and acknowledge your friend’s pain. Remember: sayings something is better than saying nothing. Be available to listen. The grieving person needs to express their thoughts and feelings about what has happened. They may long for the opportunity to go over all of the events that have occurred and express their feelings of loss. Offer to help … Continue reading How to Help a Friend who is Grieving
Thanksgiving is a time to ponder and be grateful for blessing that have enriched our lives. It’s a time to realize that the little things really do count! A moment of silence on a hectic day Children arriving safely home from school Sleeping through the night with an infant in the house The health of your family A spouse who loves us and supports our … Continue reading 22 Little Reasons to Give Thanks
After sweeping the kitchen floor, take a wet paper towel to “Spot Mop“. When squeezing out the last drops of Chocolate syrup for a glass of milk, pour a little milk directly into the bottle, shake, then pour! When an angry child says “I don’t love you, Mom”, try replying, “That’s okay, because I love you enough for both of us.” To discourage whining, try … Continue reading This Works for Me!
Purchase a THREE-RING BINDER with sheet spacer. When you find a recipe you want, cut it out and glue or tape it to papers. Organize by course, fruits, veggies, etc. This helps organize all your recipes. (Alison Seymour) Designs for CAKE DECORATING: Lay a stencil or a cookie cutter on top of icing, fill in with sprinkles or colored sugar crystals. Remove stencil. Treat your … Continue reading Kitchen Kapers
It is not your responsibility to get your children out the door on time. It’s theirs! Your only contribution is to complete your assigned tasks on time (making their lunch or combing their hair). As long as you are not hindering your child’s progress in the morning, you can not be blamed if they miss the bus or the carpool. Once a child realizes that … Continue reading How to Empower you Children to get to School on Time
ART with Angela DiCicco, The Italian Grandmama's Guide 