Christmas Movies for the Family to Enjoy

I just can’t get enough of watching Holiday movies this time of the year. I love having a large selection, even if I don’t get around to watching all of them, I can choose what fits my mood. Not everyone likes every Christmas movie but that’s okay because there are so many to choose from!

The movies above are perfect for the family, especially if you have children ages 8-12 but even I myself enjoyed Chilly Christmas and Elf-Man. Sure there were some corny parts but I could tell a preteen child would find it funny and I was able to look past those moments as the rest of the movie was entertaining or touching enough.  I did not watch The Dog Who Saved the Holidays but if you are a fan of the rest of the series, I’m sure your family would enjoy the latest one as well.

Chilly Christmas

In this movie, Bobby Cole and his dad and dog Chilly live in Sunshine Beach, California. Bobby’s dad is offered a job in New York City but Chilly is too rambunctious for a small apartment and Bobby is told they must find him a new home. Heartbroken, Bobby and his friends try to teach Chilly to be an indoor dog such as getting exercise using a treadmill and relieving himself in a  toilet. Meanwhile a dog napper is trying to get Chilly.

Bobby’s dad is played by Thomas Howell (E.T., The Extra Terrestrial, The Outsiders) and the dog napper is Tom Arnold (True Lies, “Roseanne,” A Christmas Wedding Tail.) The Chilly training is quite funny, even the few parts that were a bit much for me. The children in the movie did a great job and it was nice to see different “types” of children than you usually see in a movie. A non-Caucasian or African-American boy and a tomboyish girl round out the character of Bobby. The three children aren’t all the best of friends from the start either but grow to get along.  The actor playing the father could have been better. It just wasn’t as believable and it seemed like he was the brunt of the jokes too much. He became a comedy or movie extra more than a main character.

Overall though, it was a cute movie and once my children stop being scared of the littlest things, I will enjoy watching it with them.

Elf-Man

I must say I was apprehensive about this movie. It just seemed like it was going to be what I call “Stupid-Funny" which is something my husband enjoys but I don’t. However I ended up really enjoying this movie! Just like Chilly Christmas, there were a few spots that seemed over the top to me but I felt like a preteen would enjoy but the storyline was so great that it didn’t matter. Elf-Man actually wasn’t as much of a comedy as I thought it would be. The storyline was emotional and pulled you in. The humour came from the typical dumb bad guys that every movie seems to have.

The stars are dad Eric (Mackenzie Astin, The Facts of Life) and butcher Amy (Mirelly Taylor, LOST) plus the Elf (Wee Man) and the head robber (Jeffrey Coombs, Reanimator.)

I underestimated the movie and the lessons it left and I will be watching this movie with the rest of my family this year.

The Dog Who Saved The Holidays

I didn’t watch this one so I’ll leave you with a description.

“The fur-flying fun begins when the Bannister family, George (Gary Valentine, “King of Queens”), Belinda (Elisa Donovan, Clueless, “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch”) and their kids, Kara (Caitlin Carmichael, “iCarly,” “Dexter”) and Ben (Wyatt Griswold), jet off with their dog Zeus (voiced by Joey Lawrence, ABC Family’s “Melissa & Joey”) to celebrate the holidays at Aunt Barbara’s (Shelley Long, “Cheers”) stunning Malibu mansion. Aunt Barbara surprises them with a new puppy named Eve (voiced by Peyton List, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Something Borrowed) and the whole family is smitten except Zeus, who quickly learns the new pooch is not as innocent as she seems. Zeus decides to run away, but when he spots two familiar thieves, Ted (Dean Cain, “Lois & Clark” and The Dog Who Saved Christmas) and Stewey (Joey “CoCo” Diaz, The Longest Yard), breaking into the house, he knows it’s up to him and Eve to beat the bumbling burglars and save Christmas once and for all!”

So if the movies sound good to you, grab them this season and add to your holiday movie collection.

*Disclosure: I received the products mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Christmas Picture Book Advent Idea

When I was a kid we cut out strips of red and green construction paper and wrote things to do in December on them (like read a book, watch a Christmas movie, go for a walk, sing carols etc.) and then linked them together into a chain. Each day we took one off and did what it said.

I decided this year to do something similar with  my children but a bit different. I started it late but that’s okay, the kids can still count down to the big day. If you still don’t have an advent calendar, don’t think it’s too late. Just start as soon as you can!

Our advent calendar this year counts down the days with a good Christmas book everyday.

Step 1 – Prepare the Paper

Use a ruler to draw lines horizontally on the paper to guide you when you cut out the strips. We use red and green paper but you can use whatever you want. You will need 24 if you do this before December starts, otherwise, figure out how many days are left including Christmas Eve and that's how many you will need.

Step 2 – Gather Your Christmas Picture Books

Gather together your holiday picture books. I had more than enough for one a day. If you don’t, you can double them up, just space them out so you aren’t reading the same book twice in a row or hit the thrift store and get some more.

Step 3 – Write The Titles on the Strips of Paper

Try to keep them away from the edges. My first few were great, but the title of the second last visible one was so long I had to go near the edges. The reason for this is when they are taken off, part of the title may be ripped.

Step 4 – Cut the Strips Apart

Cut them all apart and mix them up. Get a stapler for the next step….

Step 5 – Assemble the Chain

Take one and make a circle and staple it closed with the ends overlapping just enough. Take another (opposite colour) and put it through the first and then staple. Repeat alternating the colours.

Step 6 – Hang Your Advent Chain Up

Each night, one of my children takes a link off and reads the book title and then tries to find it in our bin of Christmas books. This aids in their reading skills as well. BONUS!

I had so many books I made a couple with two books so they are surprised occasionally with two bedtime stories instead of one!

Enjoy!

Kirby Puckernut and the Christmas Surprise by Alicia Richardson

I love reading holiday books with my children as the holidays draw nearer. As a multi-faith household, we read books on Christmas and Hanukkah and I’m always looking for new ones.

Kirby Puckernut and the Christmas Surprise is about an elf  who is part of a trial run to bring elves into homes with children to spread Christmas spirit and act as a liaison between children and Santa Claus.

The book is long with many words per page but it’s a sweet story, a children’s drama of sorts because it has the part where you think, “Oh no, what’s going to happen now?.”

It’s different which is what’s best about it. It’s not just ANOTHER Santa visits the children book or the family decorates for Christmas book. It’s different. It sucked me in, like a good adult fiction book usually does but this is a picture book. I was hooked and waited on baited breath to read the next page.

Check out the Trailer:

Illustrator Don Seegmiller

The illustrations are beautiful, absolutely exquisite. Such detail! Did you view the trailer above? If so you must have seen what I mean. If not, please do watch it, so you can see the beautiful detail. 

Check out the Kirby Puckernet Facebook Page, especially in December for some fun colouring contests.

Buy the Book and Support a Cause

Also author Alicia Richardson is donating $1 from each book sold to Kenya Keys.

“Kenya Keys provides scholarships, builds schools and libraries, and creates leadership opportunities in an area where learning is as treasured as water. Kenya Keys has been helping African youth via educational outreach since 2005.”

Disclosure: I received the product mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Show Me Decorating: Holiday Tree Trimming Video

Becky and Kathy run Miss Cayce’s Christmas Store in Midland, TX where they sell Halloween Fall and Christmas merchandise.

Their success led them to form a sister business called Show Me Decorating which allows Becky, Kathy and their other sister Jennifer to:

“spread their passion for creating, inspiring and educating others to decorate like a professional.”

“Their mission is to “save the world” from ugly Christmas trees by supplying know-how and great product from their online shop that mixes with anyone’s own treasures to create magical memories for your family.”

The team has decorated many trees and home using their techniques including the 15’ tree at the State Capitol in Austin, Texas for many years running.

The instructional DVD was one of their first Show Me Decorating products. It goes over every step for decorating your holiday tree using the Show Me Decorating technique. If you’ve never decorated your own tree, you will find the first few steps helpful (picking a spot, measuring, putting the tree up.) However if you have put up a tree for years, you will find those steps obvious.

According to the sisters, the reason many of our holiday trees are boring is because they are one dimensional. We just place all our keepsake ornaments haphazardly on the tree with some lights and voila, boring.

The DVD comes with a small booklet that also goes over the steps again which are:

1. Tree
2. Theme
3. Ribbons
4. Balls
5. Florals
6. Bead Garland
7. Ornaments

There is definitely more to it than that but you’ll have to watch the video to see what it is. I found the advice helpful and it made me think of things I would never have normally used and made me think more about where I chose to place certain decorations.

Even the parts that seem familiar to me (the balls) are not. I don’t currently use balls on my tree but I did when I was a kid, until they all broke. Now a days you can get plastic balls that looks like glass and in all different shapes too. I don’t know if you can get the really big ones though anywhere except Miss Cayce’s Christmas Store. The big ones may look way too big at first but used properly, they add depth and colour.

You can see what is available at the Texas store or buy your own copy of the instructional DVD at Show Me Decorating.

How Do You Decorate Your Tree?

*Disclosure: I received the DVD mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Disney Junior Holiday Lineup December 2012 #disneyjunior

With December comes holiday specials and holiday themed episodes!

The first few Saturdays in December you can catch

• Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (Dec 1 11am)
• Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas (Dec 8 11am)
• Santa Buddies (Dec 15 11am)

plus December 29 11am, during the after Christmas boredom, your children can watch Secret of the Wings (a Tinkerbell movie.)

Throughout December your child will also want to watch for holiday and winter themed episodes of their favourite Disney Junior shows and especially, holiday specials and movies around the clock on December 24 and 25.

*Disclosure: No compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Tiny Prints Has Your Greeting Card Needs Covered for the Holidays

Holidays Means Greeting Card Time

If you’re like me and you like the idea of sending and receiving Holiday Cards but don’t like buying boxes of generic cards that you have to think of a message to write on it and write on EACH one, then creating and buying online cards for the holidays makes sense.

Last year I sent cards from Tiny Prints to family members. I looked through the designs, picked one I liked, uploaded photos of my children and then ordered them. They were sent directly to my house where I was able to hand them out or mail them out as needed.

This year, in addition to new designs for Christmas (Secular and Religious) and Hanukkah, Tiny Prints has new Premium Double Thick Matte Paper as shown in the short video below.

Premium Double Thick Matte Paper

Tons of Holiday Cards to Choose From

Tiny Prints has all kinds of Holiday Cards including photo cards like I mentioned where you can upload a photo of your family, your children or even your dog!

Check out the special offers page to see if there are any deals relevant to your needs!

DO YOU SEND OUT OR GIVE OUT HOLIDAY CARDS?

Unique Lifestyle Accessories, Gifts and Gadgets from Paramount Zone

Paramount Zone is UK based online store that carries interesting gadgets and gifts for everyone in your family from:

Like and Dislike Stamps

to a Sports Car Mouse

to a Secret Message Pen

There are techie gifts, cool gadgets, retro toys, electronics, magnets, more toys, games/puzzles and so much more.  No matter who you are shopping for, you will find something for everyone.

Paramount Zone has created special sections on their website to help you sort through their large selection of products to find just the right thing. Are you looking for christmas gifts for her? Perhaps you need christmas presents for kids. Or even more specific, christmas presents for a boyfriend.

There is even a gift finder which is like a search but you can input what type of person you are buying for (man, woman, child, brother, girlfriend, wife etc.) and their personality (couch potato, high flyer, Active, Gadget Geek etc.)

I found all sort of things that would be perfect for the people in my life, even the really hard to buy for ones. So if you have one of those in your family, Paramount Zone may be a good place to start.

Although they are located in the UK and offer free shipping within the UK, they will also ship to a few other countries in the world including Canada and the United States.

Keep in mind that prices are listed in £ and will be slightly different if you are not in the UK.

*Disclosure: I received compensation for my time writing this post. Opinions on the company are based on what I see, the product/service has not been tried. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Spotlight: Live Call With Santa with SantaSpeaking.com - Sponsor for #12DaysGalore

Would your child like to talk to Santa on the phone? It's possible!

SantaSpeaking.com offers live, interactive, personalized phone calls with Santa Claus.

"When Santa calls, he's a kind, generous and "jolly old soul" who knows your child's name, whether they've been naughty or nice, who their best friends are, and for that matter - what kind of grades they got on their last report card, or how they did on their latest dance recital."

You can get the call for one child or more than one and you can purchase a mini CD or MP3 recording of the call as well. The mini CD doubles as a tree ornament.

The company ensures that your child's call is safe. You can read about their practices here.

A Bit About the Company:

"Bob and Linda have both experienced the magic of believing in miracles, each having survived individual diagnoses of cancer. Linda was cured of colon cancer, and Bob is currently in long-term remission from pancreatic cancer. It is their hope that bringing the magic of Santa to you may also help bring about an end to this tragic disease, and thus, a portion of all net profits will be donated to the STAND UP TO CANCER organization."

Send your kids to visit Santa's Wonderland, a site for kids with Fun and Games, a Santa Tracker and the ability to email Santa. (make sure your speakers aren't too loud before you go there!)

How much a call costs depends on a few factors.

The pricing is determined by 2 things:
1. Type of call (single, extended, cd, no cd, etc.
2. The scheduled date of the call (prices go higher as it gets closer to Xmas.

See all the details here.

Buy It: Order your personalized call now!

Win It: Hurry there are only two days left to enter to win a live call (Single or Extended through 12/22) and CD during the 12 Days of Giveaways Galore (ends Dec. 6 11:59 PM EST)

*Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Did You Know Canadian Children Can Write to Santa and He Will WRITE BACK???

When I was a child I wrote to Santa and got a letter back! I remember how special I felt to get a letter addressed to me in the mail, and by Santa Claus himself!

Did you know that Canada Post helps Santa answer his mail? Here are some stats on the program:

• Celebrating 30 years as a national program helping Santa reply to his mail.
• Some 10,000 volunteers – postal elves – help Santa with this monumental task!
• Santa receives more than 1 million letters (1.225 million in 2010), and 43,000 emails every year!
o That’s 2,000 mailbags full of mail!
• Santa receives letters in more than 30 languages (including Braille) – he answers each one in the language it was written in!
• The Canada Post Santa Letter-writing Program is an employee-led volunteer initiative – employees give 190,000 hours of volunteer time – supporting literacy by encouraging children to write letters.• There have now been two generations of both letter writers and postal elves involved in this holiday tradition – children who wrote those first letters are now helping their own children write to Santa.
• To protect Santa’s mail, only Canada Post employees – current and retired – are allowed to handle Santa’s mail.
• Santa’s Corner – Santa’s online post office – is visited a quarter of a million times a season.

It's so EASY to write to Santa and and it's great practice for your child to learn how to address a letter, especially in this day and age of social media. A few more notes on the program:

• Santa has several versions of his letter (to ensure two children in the same house receive a different letter)• Santa also has a special ‘After Christmas’ letter he sends when a child’s letter is received too close to Christmas for a response to be delivered on time
• Information about the program is mailed to more than 3,000 libraries, 4,000 daycare providers and 9,000 schools.
• It takes a lot of paper (100% post-consumer recycled paper!) to manage Santa’s mail – 1.6 million pieces of letterhead and 1.7 million envelopes!
• SANTA’S ELVES, NEVER, EVER, SAY THEY ANSWER SANTA’S MAIL. THEY ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH, NOTING ONLY THAT THEY HELP SANTA ANSWER THE MAIL!

So How Do You Write to Santa?

Have your child write his or her letter and feel free to decorate the letter but no glitter please! Put the letter in an envelope and address it using the address below. Make sure you include your COMPLETE RETURN ADDRESS so Santa can reply.

SANTA CLAUS
NORTH POLE H0H 0H0
CANADA

I recommend having your children write real letters but if you wish emails can be sent to Santa at this  website:  http://www.canadapost.ca/santascorner


*Disclosure: I did not receive any form of compensation for this post. I shared the information because I wanted to. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

GIVEAWAY: 12 Days of Gifts Galore - $460 in Prizes Split in Two Winners (WW) #12DaysGalore

Welcome to 12 Days of Gifts Galore Giveaway Hop hosted by Tales From the Nursery, Formula Mom, and Mama on a Green Misson. There's over $5,000 in prizes offered to help you get the gifts you need this holiday season. After you are done entering our giveaway you'll want to check out everyone else's AND enter for a chance to win one of three GRAND prizes sponsored by Kudzoom! Each blog you stop and enter at will be another entry!

I have seven sponsors for this event which will make up 2 prize packs.

Prize Pack #1 - $200 - Year Subscription to Reading Kingdom - Open Worldwide

"The Reading Kingdom is more than a phonics program. It’s an online reading program for children ages 4 to 10 that teaches six skills needed for reading and writing success. Created by Dr. Marion Blank, one of the world's top experts in literacy, the reading system is beloved by parents and has helped thousands of kids to learn to read."  - Read My Review Here

Prize Pack #2 - ($240 to $260) - Gifts for Parents and Children - Open US/CAN (For you or use as a gift - if there is something your family can't use, share with a friend)

Mumoocie Memory Foam Body Pillow - $80 - Read My Review Here

Unique Design Good for Those Who Don't Like to Sleep Alone (Kids OR Adults)

PaperJamz Guitar - $40 - Review Coming Soon

Play the Guitar Like a Pro! 8+

Live Call with Santa (and CD) from Santa Speaking - $37.90 -  $59.90 - Spotlight Coming Soon

Your child will get a personalized call from Santa himself and a CD recording of the call to hear again and again and hang on the tree. Value depends on when you schedule the call and how many children you have. See the spotlight post for details.

Mommy MD Guides (Pregnancy/Birth and First Year) by Jennifer Reich - $26  - Read Review Here

My Very Merry Christmas Personalized Book by I See Me - $25 - Review Coming Soon

Lovable Labels Holly Jolly Gift Pack - Winner's Choice of Christmas Jewels or Santa's Pick - $25 - Review Coming Soon

To enter, please use the rafflecopter form below. If you don't know how to use it, see this rafflecopter guide. A copy of the giveaway rules are below and on the rafflecopter form. Entering the giveaway means you have read and agree to the rules. If you have any problems, email me callista83@cogeco.ca

NOTE: Only the first entry is mandatory. However there is a bonus 25 entries if you do all the single entries. The list of entries is fairly long because I wanted to give love to my sponsors. Entries are grouped by type/frequency.

GIVEAWAY RULES:
One Person Per Household. Prize Pack #1 Open Worldwide 18+, Prize Pack #2 Open to US/Canada 18+. Giveaway open until December 6, 2011 @ 11:59 PM EST. Odds of winning depend on number of valid entries received. Duplicate (accidental or not) entries will be deleted before a winner is picked and winner's entries will be verified. Winner will be selected using random.org on December 7, 2011 and will be contacted by email. Winner will have 3 days to claim their prize or their prize is forfeit and another winner will be chosen. For Prize Pack #1, I will ask for permission to forward your email to them and they will give you your year subscription. For Prize Pack #2, I will ask for permission to share your email address with Santa Speaking, I See Me Books and Lovable Labels so they can coordinate the details of your prize. I will provide your mailing address to Mumoocie, Paper Jamz and Mommy MD Guides. Contest Void Where Prohibited. This giveaway is not associated, nor sponsored by Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability.

Click Read More if you can't see the widget.

Help a Family In Need This Holiday Season

One Busy Moma is raising money to help a needy family this Christmas just like she has for the last 2 years.

A lot of people don't donate to causes because they feel they can't afford it or that they should only donate if they can donate a large amount but that's not true!

Even if you can only afford $1, it helps! 10 people donating $1 each is still $10, it all adds up. If you can donate more, great!

She is just barely half way to her goal and there are only 12 days left to donate so please go over there and donate!

UPDATE: Bloggers - Sign up to be a part of the Bloggers Giving Back Cash Giveaway Event. $10 for GFC, FB and Twitter and $6 of that is donated to the family while $4 is used for the prize. 


*Disclosure: I'm just sharing this because I believe in the cause, I even donated!  See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Do You Give Out Christmas Cards?

I have handed out Christmas Cards only ONCE in the past and I've never mailed out Christmas Cards. I like receiving them but it just seemed like a lot of work and it seems silly to hand out the same impersonal cards to everyone (Santa, Christmas Tree, Snowman etc.)

Now that I've discovered Tiny Prints' christmas cards however, I will be make sending out cards a yearly tradition. I love the designs and I can add photos of my children to make them personal!

There are so many different designs and with customization, you never have to give out boring cards again!

When viewing their available cards, you can filter the choices by how many photos can be added, theme, colour, price, card format and more.

I have three kids and a good photo of each of them separately so I'm planning on using one of these designs with three photos. I haven't decided yet though!


*Disclosure: I will be receiving cards from Tiny Prints in exchange for this post. Opinions are honest. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

It's Christmas Eve!!!

I thought I'd share with you a post I did last year around this time. It was connected to a contest which is no longer relevant so I've only copied the relevant portion. You can see the full original post here.

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• Telling your kids that Santa (or La Befana or the Magi or whoever) won't come unless they are asleep only does a little good because if the children are all excited (and who wouldn't be?) then settling down for a long winter's nap is not as easy as it looks. Here are some tips:
• Tire them out. Play outside or take them to an indoor play area and wear them out. Play games, read stories, do last minute decorating, sing carols, whatever you can think of. The more tired they are, the better they will sleep. If they are tired enough, they will fall asleep, even though they are anxious and excited.
• Have a hearty dinner and make sure it's something your kids will eat (even if it's Macaroni and Cheese or Peanut Butter sandwiches) and then follow that with a bath.
• If you put out cookies and milk and carrots or something similar do it before the next tip.
• After that, change into pajamas and watch a Christmas video followed by some Christmas stories. Doing quiet things before bed will help wind them down a bit. This will only work if they have been tired out first.
• Put them to bed the way you normally do and remind them that they are not to come out of their rooms until the sun comes up (at least.) Put on soothing music (perhaps Christmas carols without words) and turn off lights in the rooms near their room and stay quiet. If they think others are awake and partying they won't go to bed. Either be quiet till they fall asleep or go to another room further away.

Well I hope that helps, have a good holiday!

REVIEW: Jingle the Husky Pup Interactive Storybook & Story Buddy

*This is a cross-post between my two blogs. You will find the exact same post at SMS Book Reviews today. 


This is a Great Last Minute Gift Idea - if you still have more shopping to do like me!

When I saw this cute book-toy set in a Hallmark flyer, I thought it was the cutest idea and something every child would love. So I contacted them and they were nice enough to send one along for me to review.

This is the first Interactive Storybook from Hallmark but they have plans for future ones in 2011. The book is titled Jingle All the Way and as you read key phrases from the book, Jingle the Husky Pup responds with barks, whines and other doggy noises.

The stuffed dog is really cute, with a really big head that makes it top heavy and a cute little bell around it's neck. My kids love him. He looks just like he does in the book. When you are ready to read, you just press a button in his ear and he's ready to go. Turn him off when you are done to conserve batteries.

The story is a GREAT story. Although it mentions Christmas and you see some of Santa, it's more of a holiday book than a Christmas book. It teaches that everyone deserves a home, especially for Christmas.

An adult or older child should read this book as you have to speak clearly for Jingle to respond. If the words are stumbled over or there is too much background noise, Jingle may not respond properly.

KID TESTED!
I brought the story to our Spark/Brownie meeting and to playgroup to share. All 12 children total loved it. I was going to send it with my daughter to her JK class but didn't get around to it since she was sick one day but another teacher brought it in and her class of 45 loved it. At playgroup, the older kids listened attentively while the younger ones (under 2) zoned out of the story but perked up every time Jingle made a peep. If it wasn't for Jingle, the under 2s would have wandered off but they started to watch Jingle, anticipating that he would make a sound again. A few times Jingle barked when he wasn't supposed to or didn't bark when he was supposed to but that was because the classroom next door was unusually loud.

My only qualm... Jingle should have responded more. I think he should have had something to "say" on EACH page.

After you fall in love with Jingle, you may be interested to know Hallmark also has a Jingle the Husky Pup keepsake ornament, Jingle webcam greetings and an iphone/ipad app.

*Disclaimer: I was sent the product in exchange for a review. All reviews are honest and are not affected by how I acquired the item. For more information, see my Disclosure Policy.

REVIEW: Madeline's Christmas & Other Wintery Tales

Shout Factory Kids (2010)
110 minutes

Madeline is back for some fun holiday adventures. This video has five holiday episodes:

• Madeline's Winter Vacataion
• Madeline At the North Pole
• Madeline and Santa
• Madeline's Holiday With Mr. Grump
• Madeline And the Ice Skates

They were all cute but Madeline And The Ice Skates has a great lesson about not taking on too much at once. My kids prefer to watch all the episodes in a row but it's nice to have a few separate episodes if your child only has a little bit of TV time.

I meant to get this review up earlier so you'd have time to order it for Christmas. You should be able to find it at whatever local store you usually buy children's videos from. Merry Christmas!

Guest Article: 5 Steps to Cut Through the Holiday Crap

5 Steps to Cut Through the Holiday Crap

by Erika Oliver, MPA

     Whether you embrace the magic of Christmas, are kin to the Grinch, or fall somewhere in between, the holiday season brings many opportunities for both stress and joy. It’s easy to get caught up in the stress but often hard to tap into the joy. Holiday “crap” — obligations, deadlines, expectations — can make the season more stressful than joyful.  

     Don’t despair.  You can cut the crap and enjoy the season by choosing your perspective, deciding what you want to focus on, and taking action to avoid or relieve the holiday pressure. 

1.      Cut the crap by sharing 3 good things. Share three good things about the day or season before you even think about complaining. The most common words during the holiday season are “busy”, “stressed”, and “tired”. Throw the negative words into your mental back seat and replace them with words of gratitude.

2.      Cut the crap by revising, replacing or removing traditions that no longer serve you. A child asks his mother why they cut off the end the holiday ham and the mother says, “Because that’s the way my mother did it.” The child asks the grandmother, who says the same thing. When asked, the great-grandmother said, “Because the ham wouldn’t fit in the pan!” Maybe it’s time to recheck traditions and routines to be sure they still fit, have the same meaning as they did, or produce the intended results. If you are doing something that creates tension, cut the crap by revising, replacing or removing something that no longer serves you.

3.      Cut the crap by creating a holiday exit strategy. Prepare for a positive finish to the holiday season. Decide what experiences are important for you and how you want to feel when the season is over. If you don’t want to be tired, broke and stressed, then make a plan to end the season with energy, joy and financial well-being.

4.      Cut the crap by taking your eyes off your plate. Holiday negativity festers in a closed environment. Stress can cause us to isolate ourselves emotionally and physically, so cut the crap by reaching out. The holidays are the perfect time to take your eyes off your own plate and look to fill others.

5.      Cut the crap by dousing the flames of negativity.  Firefighters teach people to “stop, drop, and roll” if their clothes catch on fire. The same strategy works to cut the tendency to focus on the negative and miss the positive. When you feel tension, stop what you are doing, drop your negative feelings and roll into appreciation of the moment. Go back to step one and share three good things about the day, moment or season with someone to tap into the positivity of the season.

     Happy holidays to one and all.

Erika Oliver, MPA, is a communication coach, business consultant, and author of the award-winning Three Good Things: Happiness Every Day, No Matter What!, Three Good Things: A Coloring Book for Everyone! and Happy Crap: The Power of Positive Assumptions. A recovering pessimist, Oliver is now a Positive Approach Coach who helps people, teams, and organizations find their "happy." She uses the principles of detailed in her books to help people and organizations choose a positive approach. Learn more at http://www.erikaoliver.com

Make a Healthy Cracker House This Year

I'd love to say this idea was all mine but that would be lying. I got the idea from a Parenting Magazine. (At the moment I can't remember which one and I can't check as I don't own it. )

Instead of a Gingerbread house full of icing and candy, make a healthier version. So I bought some crackers, cream cheese and assorted dried fruits and vegetables, fruit leather and corn nuts and got to work. I could have also used nuts but I am bringing this to a school so I figured I'd better not. You can use fresh vegetables too.

There is no RIGHT way to do this, be creative! My crackers were short so I did a short double house. If anyone else has done something similar, please let me know!

Why not try making one of your own this weekend?

GIVEAWAY: You Can Make This Holiday Gift Pack

Entry Deadline Extended

With the holidays just around the corner, we thought it would be fun to showcase some quick and easy gift ideas you can give to friends, neighbors, co-workers, and oh yes…even your family! You can enter to win eBooks from www.YouCanMakeThis.com and learn some fun new techniques, tips, and ideas not only for the people on your list, but also creative ways to decorate your home!

You Can Make This has created a free download for some fun gift tags. Each of them coordinate with ideas found as part of the DIY Gift Giving Series videos that can be found at www.youcanmakethis.com/blog , as well as designs and patterns found at www.SWAKembroidery.com and www.YouCanMakeThis.com.

You can also enter to win hundreds of dollars in gift certificates just for watching the videos that are part of the DIY Gift Giving Series and answering a question on the You Can Make This blog!

To Enter the Giveaway:  

(Leave all entries as SEPARATE comments to be counted as seperate entries)

Leave a comment on this post. Make sure there is a way I can contact you. Either leave your email address or make sure your profile has a link to your email or your website has an easy to find link to contact you. (1 entry)

Optional:

1. Follow this blog with Google Friend Connect and leave another comment stating such. (if you already follow, just leave a comment)
2. Follow me on twitter (@callista83) and leave another comment with your twitter id. (Again, current followers, leave a comment too)
3. Whether you follow me on twitter or not, post the following message to your account and leave a comment with a LINK to that tweet. (only the first time will count):

"Enter to win You Can Make This Holiday Pack @callista83. Open Worldwide till Dec. 26/09 http://bit.ly/73WriF"

Getting Kids to Bed (and to Stay in Bed) on Christmas Eve

Telling your kids that Santa (or La Befana or the Magi or whoever) won't come unless they are asleep only does a little good because if the children are all excited (and who wouldn't be?) then settling down for a long winter's nap is not as easy as it looks. Here are some tips:

• Tire them out. Play outside or take them to an indoor play area and wear them out. Play games, read stories, do last minute decorating, sing carols, whatever you can think of. The more tired they are, the better they will sleep. If they are tired enough, they will fall asleep, even though they are anxious and excited.
• Have a hearty dinner and make sure it's something your kids will eat (even if it's Macaroni and Cheese or Peanut Butter sandwiches) and then follow that with a bath. 
• If you put out cookies and milk and carrots or something similar do it before the next tip.
  
• After that, change into pajamas and watch a Christmas video followed by some Christmas stories. Doing quiet things before bed will help wind them down a bit. This will only work if they have been tired out first.
• Put them to bed the way you normally do and remind them that they are not to come out of their rooms until the sun comes up (at least.) Put on soothing music (perhaps Christmas carols without words) and turn off lights in the rooms near their room and stay quiet. If they think others are awake and partying they won't go to bed. Either be quiet till they fall asleep or go to another room further away. 
  

Well I hope that helps, have a good holiday!

Thanks to St. Eve's Kids and TwitterMoms for the post idea. They are also hosting a contest if you get there soon and share your own 5 ideas for getting and keeping kids in bed on Christmas you might be able to win.

More about St. Eve's Kids and Drama U:

This year, celebrate the holidays in style with St. Eve Kids – a comfortably cute line of children’s sleepwear, loungewear and underwear. While parents will rejoice at the unseasonably affordable prices of St. Eve Kids, children will welcome the warmth of the plush fabrics and age-appropriate patterns.

A winter wonderland of maidens in snow globes, penguins parading, and bold and bright animal prints are just a few of the trend-right girls’ prints. Sports of all sorts and a fun favorite, dinosaurs, are features of the boys’ bold prints. Glittery, shaped buttons and other embellishments make bedtime a treat. Boys and girls alike will welcome a whole new world of playmates thanks to St. Eve Kid’s DramaU™ characters featured on the St. Eve Kid’s apparel. Meet Molly, Tommy, Tammy, Frankie, Johnny, Tweet, Shirley, Lulu, Peggy, Marky and Suzie - the bubbly characters, exclusive to St. Eve Kids, pop up on garments and make the perfect pals for kids bursting with personality and attitude.

Saving Time and Money During the Holidays

The holiday season is fast approaching. Are you ready?

I don't claim to be on top of things. I only have a few gifts bought and my house isn't even clean let alone decorated. However I have learned a few things here and there over the years.

Saving Money and Time

• Don't wait till the last minute. I mean it! Sometimes you mean to start shopping early but something comes up and you need to use that money for something else or you just forget or any number of other reasons. Don't let yourself give excuses. Pick something up with each paycheck starting in September.
• Put some thought into it. If you think about what to give your family and friends before you are in the store, you'll save time AND money. Last minute shoppers not only miss out on sales but also end up buying whatever is left instead of what their friend really wanted.
• Consider hand-made gifts. I can see you rolling your eyes you know. It doesn't have to be something knitted or drawn or cut and pasted although it can if that's what you are into. How about an offer to help someone with their scrapbooking? Perhaps homemade snacks or desserts. Coupons or gift certificates to do something for someone are good too. At the very least the gifts from your kids to others can be homemade instead of giving them your money so they can buy a gift for you.
• Designate a cleaning weekend BEFORE you want to do decorations. If you'd like to put up decorations next weekend, then this weekend clean the house. Tidy things up and make room for decorations. If you have kids, get them to help you as much as possible.
• If you are in charge of holiday dinner, get planning. What are you going to make? What ingredients do you need? What's already on hand? Make a shopping list and shop EARLY so that if you forget something, you aren't stuck last minute with no stores open. While you are there, stock up on basic household food essentials so you don't have to run to the store during the rush.
• Do you do cards? If the rest of your family doesn't do cards and aren't too old fashioned, try e-cards. If not, buy a large stack of cards, include a photo and sign your names. Address and fill envelopes and mass stamp and mail them.
  

Gift Ideas

• Gift Cards. Only give these to people who will use them right away. Many have inactivity fees. These are good for young people and those who are really hard to shop for. Don't forget some fast food places and coffee places have them too. These are especially good for teenagers.
• Electronic Picture Frame with slideshow of pictures. You can load them with pictures so they can unwrap, plug in (or put in batteries) and watch.
• Offer to pay for professional photos or buy a gift certificate for it. Many families never get around to picture taking because of money or it just gets put off. Help them with it.
• Books. As far as I'm concerned, books are a great gift. It can be hard though to pick the right one. If you don't know the person well, give a book store gift card. Maybe you can try chatting books casually one day and get some ideas. Check out book blogs for reviews and Buy Books for the Holidays.
• Appeal to the technical side. Cameras, laptops, computer software and more would be great gifts for many people. Check out Staples Holiday Savings.

Well I hope I've helped some. Have a great holiday season.

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