Christmas traditions: Finding a balance between giving and receiving this holiday season

When I think of the word tradition, all I can think of are the actors from this year’s production of Fiddler on the Roof screaming “TRADITION! Tradition.” The honest truth is that I’ve never been a stickler for tradition but I do make one very big exception during the holiday season.  After all, what more is a tradition than something to look forward to, year after year, Christmas after Christmas!

Of course Christmas traditions vary the world round. While in some countries, knowing that each family is celebrating the same way is a tradition in itself, the beauty of Christmas in Canada lies in the understanding that each person has a unique way to ring in the holiday season. Moving away from its religious roots (to what is, I’m sure, the chagrin of church goers everywhere), these traditions are based primarily on memorable moments passed on from generation to generation and celebrated with friends, or family… or both!

Needless to say, going to church remains of the most celebrated traditions of the holiday season; from the Christmas greetings exchanged with a smile, to the singing of Christmas hymns, church going can be a peaceful and joyous experience even for those of us who don’t practice. For many who don’t share in the Christian faith however, Christmas has become not only a time to celebrate the birth of Christ, but a time to revere in the warmth and charity of mankind.  In fact, one of the most touching traditions trending in recent years is the putting aside of time during the days leading up to Christmas to volunteer as a family at a food bank, or hand out food to those in need. Other families have taken to giving donations as presents, buying each other a goat that has been sent to a family in need on the other side of the world, or dropping off gifts to terminally ill children on Christmas day.

As a new parent, thinking ahead to what kind of Christmases I want to share with my growing family, I can’t help but think what an incredible example traditions like this are during what many consider a holiday characterized by greed and overindulgence. That being said, I’m not going to put a charitable donation in my daughter’s name during the years where Santa is supposed to be climbing down the chimney and scattering gifts around the tree. So, I guess the best any parent can do is to try and strike a balance of sorts. Christmas doesn’t need to be all about the presents, but assuming you don’t shower your kids with gifts on a regular basis, giving them a present or two come Christmas won’t turn them into spoiled brats or bestow upon them a sense of entitlement that wasn’t already planted. In fact, showing gratitude around a dinner shared with loved ones is one of the best ways to teach your kids just how lucky they truly are, the whole year round.

Blog written by Arden Jobling-Hey: new mom, momstown Milton member, travel fiend, freelance writer and blogger at www.thefriendlygiraffe.com.

"O" is for Ornaments at our Post Alpha-Bits Sponsored Alphabet Play Program

Since it's December and Christmas is quickly approaching, we decided to have some fun with the Letter "O" at our momstown Milton Alphabet Play Program sponsored by Post Alpha-Bits Cereal!

The first thing that came to mind was Ornaments so we quickly got to work making colourful bow wreathes and "O" chains that we could decorate the tree with. The links helped the kids practice their hand - eye coordination and we incorporated some ABBA patterning to work on colour recognition.

 

While we were busy making our crafts, Post Alpha-Bits Cereal was made available for the kids to munch on. It was a great snack to have on hand for hungry tummies and with 9 essential nutrients plus an excellent source of Iron and Thiamin, the mamas were happy to let their kids have as much as they desired.

After all that hard work and snacking, it was time to get up and get active! We played a game of "over and under"  and the kids had a blast jumping over me and then crawling under my legs. We also practiced "open" and "shut" by doing jumping jacks. A great way to reinforce opposites with these eager, busy learners.

Congrats to our lucky little lady who won a box of Post Alpha-Bits Cereal to add to her pantry at home. I know what she'll be having for breakfast tomorrow!

Join momstown Milton next month when we host another Alpha-Bits Play Program focused on the letter "P"!

Saving Money for the Holidays

I have recently have gone back to work from the best year of my life being at home with my little girl, but like most new moms I now have to worry about a whole bunch of expenses I did not have to worry about before. We now have to pay for our child care provider, diapers, clothing, medication, an education savings account and of course the holidays… that being said my husband and I wanted to sit down and figure out how to make next Christmas less stressful in terms of money. We also did something similar to this for our wedding years ago. We sat down and figured out how much money we needed for the holidays as we have a HUGE family, and lots of gifts to buy for nieces, nephews, parents, friends, our little one of course and if there is money left over gifts for each other. You can try one of these methods and feel free to alter it to best suit for your family based on what you want to or need to spend.

 

The first method is finding out what you want/ need to spend and saving what you need per week to achieve your goals. So if you have 20 people to buy for and you spend $50.00 a person, then you would need to save $1000.00 for next Christmas. An easy way to save following this method is by taking the $1000 and divide it by 52 weeks, so you would put away $19.23 every week until Christmas. Ways to put away money are simple… start a money jar or envelope where you put them out of site and forget about them. Start an additional bank account where you automatically transfer the $19.23 every week and you do not access it until Christmas. You could also throughout the year add money if you happen to have a month with extra savings.

 

Recently I was online browsing Trusper (a great APP) and I saw another method of saving money which is similar in the sense that you put money away every week but instead of dividing what you need by weeks, you put money away in the dollar increment as it is for the week in the year.  Take a look at the chart below for a guideline:

 

Week 1 - $1	Week 12 - $12	Week 23 - $23	Week 34 - $34	Week 45 - $45
Week 2 - $2	Week 13 - $13	Week 24 - $24	Week 35 - $35	Week 46 - $46
Week 3 - $3	Week 14 - $14	Week 25 - $25	Week 36 - $36	Week 47 - $47
Week 4 - $4	Week 15 - $15	Week 26 - $26	Week 37 - $37	Week 48 - $48
Week 5 - $5	Week 16 - $16	Week 27 - $27	Week 38 - $38	Week 49 - $49
Week 6 - $6	Week 17 - $17	Week 28 - $28	Week 39 - $39	Week 50 - $50
Week 7 - $7	Week 18 - $18	Week 29 - $29	Week 40 - $40	Week 51 - $51
Week 8 - $8	Week 19 - $19	Week 30 - $30	Week 41 - $41	Week 52 - $52
Week 9 - $9	Week 20 - $20	Week 31 - $31	Week 42 - $42
Week 10 - $10	Week 21 - $21	Week 32 - $32	Week 43 - $43
Week 11 - $11	Week 22 - $22	Week 33 - $33	Week 44 - $44

It is the same idea where you put the money in a jar or envelope out of site or in an additional bank account that you set up for gifts. By next Christmas you will have saved $ 1378.  If you have more money at the beginning of the year vs. the end, you could always reverse this method where you start week 1 with putting away $52.00 and work lower every week.

 

Keep in mind momstown  Milton always provides wonderful discounts at stores as well as amazing support for holiday savings tips in terms of making your own gifts. You could always make some homemade ornaments, art, cookies etc.… there are lots of ideas and support when you make it out to one of the local momstown events. I know from experience there are a lot of events and support through momstown Milton.

 

I am a huge believer of out of site out of mind, so if you can put this money away and forget about it in terms of not touching it, you can definitely make the holidays less stressful in terms of money. Also if there is ever a week you are having a hard time with the amount to put away, double up the next week or if you are using the chart above on the small amount weeks – add some extra. Just don’t keep putting off until the next week or the next week because then you will be stressed out trying to make up the amount and chances are you won’t be able to catch up.

I am starting the chart method as of January 1, 2014. I just need to figure out if I will be saving starting at $1.00 or $52.00. I will make it my resolution as well to relieve a bit of stress and added pressure the holidays bring. Who knows if it works out, maybe I will adapt this means of saving for our house fund or a vacation fund as well.
 

 Happy Savings and Merry Christmas all!

 

Written by Jacqueline Bellmore-Kinney,momstown Milton Member and Mom to a beautiful little girl!

momstown Milton moms enjoyed "La Nuit De Noel" at our Scholastic French Tales for Tots

Our momstown Milton moms and tots enjoyed listening to Madame Gergereau read  "La Nuit De Noel" by Barbara Reid at our Scholastic Sponsored French Tales for Tots Program this month.

We started off with a simple Santa craft where the little ones had to assemble Santa's face. As they reached for each part ( les yeux, le nez, la bouche, le visage, etc..)  the moms reinforced the item in French and had their child repeat the word back to them.

 Once the craft was completed we gathered around to listen to the story. The kids were very excited to talk about Père Noël and what happens in their homes La Nuit De Noel. Madame Gergereau engaged the children by asking lots of questions and then helped them pronounce key words en français.

Once the story was read we had a special visitor come to our program! Yes - the Big Guy himself - Mr Potato Head! The kids could hardly contain themselves and they were happy to assist in putting him all back together again. I would call out a part in French and then the child who had the item was allowed to come up and place it back on. The kids jumped up with delight as their item was called out and at one point we had a swarming of exited little people yelling out body parts! 

We had one happy little lady who won her very own copy of our featured book "La Nuit De Noel" by Barbara Reid thanx to Scholastic Canada!

Join us  at our momstown Milton early literacy programs weekly as we focus on key learning concepts in a fun and interactive way! At a cost of only $45 per year it's well worth the membership! Hope to see you soon.



"Never Let You Go" Sponsored by Scholastic is a Must Read

Our lucky group of mamas and tots got a wonderful treat on Wednesday at momstown Milton Books for Babes. Our lucky bunch got to hear Patricia Storms’ adorable book Never Let You Go thanks to our generous friends at Scholastic Canada. This book was especially touching to our Mamas getting ready to return to work as the book is about never letting your little one go and being there for them no matter what. The book also teaches our little ones that although sometimes their Mamas are not always with them like when they are playing with their friends, or drawing a picture or even going to the bathroom they are always there for them.

 

 

The book’s illustrations leave you warm and fuzzy as the message of the story highlights a little ones growing independence and the never ending and undeniable love us Mamas have for our little bundles of sunshine. The bond between mother and child is so important and such a special bond that it lasts a lifetime even when you are not together.

This book definitely put a smile on the faces of our Mama’s and their little tots and I think brought a little tear in the eyes of those knowing in a few weeks they were headed back to work.

Miss Tracey read the book and led a sing-a-long where the group sang You are my Sunshine and I Love You.

 

You are my Sunshine

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away

I Love You

I love you You love me
We're a happy family
With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you.
Won't you say you love me too
I love you You love me
We're best friends like friends should be
With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you.
Won't you say you love me too
I love you You love me
We're a happy family
With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you.
Won't you say you love me too
I love you You love me
We're best friends like friends should be
With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you.
Won't you say you love me too

 

Thanks to Scholastic Canada one lucky babe and Mama got to take home a copy of Never Let You Go, congratulations Kate and Victoria!

 

 

Written by Jacqueline Bellmore-Kinney, momstown Milton Member and mom of an adorable baby girl.

The Top 5 Tips for Surviving Holiday Shopping

It’s that wonderful time of year again, the holiday season.  The lights are shining bright, the decorations are up, and everyone is getting into a festive mood.  That is, until its time to complete that holiday shopping.

When we think of holiday shopping, the first things that come to mind are parking hassles, long line-ups, and unpleasant shoppers.  This all builds up and results in stress, frustration and anxiety. While its is highly unlikely that we can eliminate all of these emotions from the holiday shopping experience, there are ways that we can make this time of year a bit more manageable.

Tip #1 – Do as much online shopping as you can 

There is a growing trend of online shopping during the holiday season.  From books and electronics, to toys and clothes, almost everything can be found online.  Retailers often offer free shipping during this time of year, so you can complete your holiday shopping from the comfort and convenience of your own home,  You can compare prices at different stores at the click of a mouse, and you can often customize gifts to make them a bit more personal. 

However, there are some items that most individuals might not be comfortable buying online, and would rather have some tactile interaction with the item before purchasing.  So, the next stop is your local shopping mall. But it doesn’t have to be a completely stressful experience.

Tip #2 – Make a list and check it twice

When heading out to the stores for your holiday shopping, your best bet is to be prepared.  By making a list of family and friends you have to shop for, and pairing those names up with the items you would like to purchase, your holiday shopping experience won’t seem as overwhelming.  There is nothing worse than going to the mall and being bombarded with signs and stores and line-ups, and not knowing what you need to buy. 

By making a list (and sticking to it as closely as possible) you can plan your trip to the mall (and save time and money along the way).  By researching those items online before you go, you are well ahead of the game when you arrive at that packed mall.

Tip # 3 – Plan your mall visit at the right time

Trying to head to the mall after work or on a busy Saturday is probably more trouble than its worth.  Sure, it’s nice to imagine that you can spend one Saturday afternoon at the mall and get all of your shopping complete.  The reality is, however, that about a thousand other people had that exact same thought.  So instead of zipping through your list, you are stuck waiting for parking, waiting in line-ups, and waiting to use the restroom! 

So plan your mall visits at off-peak times.  Take advantage of the extended holiday hours that most malls and stores offer. There are usually not a lot of holiday shoppers at 9pm on a weekday, or first thing Sunday morning.  Early mornings and late nights are your best bet to get your holiday shopping completed as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Tip # 4 – Always go shopping on a full stomach

We often rush to the mall when we have some free time to do our holiday shopping.  Usually we don’t think of eating before we leave.  The mentality usually is to grab something quick from the food court, or wait until we get home.  But there is nothing worse than being stuck in a one hour line up to get that must-have toy of the season, while starving for just one bite of mall pizza. 

Eating before you leave will ensure that you are fueled up and ready to battle those holiday crowds.  By eating healthy and filling your stomach with good calories, you will be in a better state of mind and have more energy to complete your shopping. Not to mention the lines at the food court can be as long as the lines in most stores.

Tip # 5 – Shop with a partner

Whether it’s your spouse, best friend, sibling or parent, shopping is always better in pairs.  In theory, it seems that going solo is easier as you don’t have to wait around for anyone, and you can get in and out of the mall as quickly as possible. However, that is not always the case.  Having a partner to share the shopping with can really lighten the load.

When there are two people working together, shopping can be a case of divide and conquer.  Each person can hit opposite ends of the mall and work their way to the middle, or one person can shop while the other can stand in that impossibly long line –up snaking around the store.  And there are more hands to carry all of those shopping bags!  In this case, two heads (and sets of hands) are really better than one.

Following the tips above won’t eliminate all of the stress associated with holiday shopping, but it will help to decrease the anxiety and frustration that are so commonly associated with this festive time of year.  As always, you will have to pack your patience and just remember, the holidays won’t last forever.

Happy Shopping and Happy Holidays

Written by Shikha Sharma, momstown member and Community Manager of momstown Milton.

Festive Party Drinks for the Holiday Season

The holidays are the perfect time to share a drink with the ones you love, but it is so much more fun when we can offer our little ones a kid friendly version.  I have been trying to figure out the perfect cup of cheer to serve this year and I couldn’t choose just one so I am going to share with you 4 options for our cute little kiddies and their parents and friends. Keep in mind it is the holidays, so these may not be so friendly on your waistline ;)

I am starting with some warm drinks to keep us cozy throughout the cold and snowy weather.

Hot Caramel Apple Cider: Makes 5 x 8 oz. mugs

24 oz. Apple Cider

4 oz. Vanilla Vodka

8 oz. Butterscotch Liquor

5-6 x cinnamon stick

Cinnamon Sugar for Garnish – to rim mugs 

In a stock pot pour in the apple cider with 1 x cinnamon stick  - heat to warm’

Once warm add in the butterscotch liquor and the vodka and warm off the heat.

Remove cinnamon stick

Rim coffee cups with cinnamon sugar (mixture of cinnamon and white sugar)

Add the cider and put in 1 x cinnamon stick in each mug for garnish

Drink warm

Kid Version:  Makes 4 x 8oz mugs

24 oz. of Apple Cider

Whipped Cream

Butterscotch or caramel sauce to drizzle

Cinnamon Sugar for Garnish- to rim mugs

4 cinnamon sticks 

Warm 24 oz. of Cider on the stove or in the microwave. Once heated pour cider into rimmed mugs, add whipped cream on top and drizzle with butterscotch sauce – you can buy a butterscotch or caramel sauce for ice cream sundaes. Garnish with cinnamon stick

 

Hershey’s Hot Chocolate (www.hersheys.com): 5 x 8oz servings

3/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract

4 cups of Milk

1/3 Cups of Hot Water

Dash Salt

¼ Cup of Hershey’s Cocoa or any other Cocoa (such as Frys)

½ Cup of Sugar

Stir together the sugar, cocoa and salt in a medium saucepan, stir in the water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil and stir for 2 minutes. Add Milk, stirring constantly, heat to serving temperature. DO NOT BOIL. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Beat with whisk until foamy. 

Adult Version: To each 8 oz. serving add 1 -2 oz. of your favourite liquor

 

Suggestions:

Baileys Irish Cream

Chocolate Liquor

Butterscotch Liquor

Kahlua

Godiva Chocolate Liquor

Peppermint Schnapps 

You can do 1 – 2 oz. of one thing or mix a couple such as Baileys and Kahlua or Godiva and Peppermint.  Add Whipped Cream and Marshmallows

 

Kid Version:

Crush Candy Canes in a ziplock bag (put candy canes in a large ziplock bag and crush with a meat tenderizer or large soup can until candy canes are close to a powder form)

Rim the mugs with the crushed candy cane.

Add the hot chocolate

Top with Whipped Cream

Add small marshmallows or a couple of small ones and 1 large one that you have drawn on the face of a snowman with edible marker to make it look like the snowman has melted.

I have also added some cold drinks for Christmas Day and the days following spent with family and friends. 

Christmas Morning Mimosas: Adult Version:

 

2 x cartons or bottles of good quality Orange Juice

2 x Bottle of Brut Champagne or Sparkling Wine

Grenadine

Raspberries to Garnish 

Pour equal parts of OJ and Sparkling Wine (or champagne) in a champagne flute

Drizzle grenadine so the colour turns pink

Garnish with a few raspberries

Kid Version:

1 x carton of OJ

1 x large bottle of 7Up

Grenadine

Raspberries for Garnish

Plastic Champagne flute or plastic wine glass

Equal Parts – OJ and 7 UP drizzle with Grenadine (heavier on the grenadine than in the adult version). Garnish with a few raspberries - optional

Sugar Cookie Milkshake Martini: Makes 6 Milkshake Martinis

2 x Crushed Sugar Cookies for Garnish

2 x Cups of Vanilla Ice Cream

1 x Cup Milk

1 x tsp Vanilla

8x oz. of Vanilla Vodka

4 x oz. of Butterscotch Liquor

4 x oz. of Baileys

Shaved Chocolate and Cinnamon for Garnish

In a blender combine Ice Cream, Milk and Vanilla – Blend to the milk shake consistency. Add the Vodka, Butterscotch Liquor and Baileys. Blend to a less thick consistency.

Rim Martini Glass with crushed sugar cookies. Pour in Milk shake Martini Mix. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon and shaved chocolate. Add a cute cut red and white straw to look like a candy cane.

Kid Version

2 x Crushed Sugar Cookies for Garnish

2 x Cups of Vanilla Ice Cream

1 x Cup Milk

1 x tsp Vanilla

Whipped Cream

Chocolate syrup for garnish 

In a blender combine Ice Cream, Milk and Vanilla – Blend to the milk shake consistency. Rim Martini Glass with crush sugar cookies. Pour in Milk shake. Garnish with Whipped Cream and with a drizzle of chocolate syrup. Add a cute cut red and white straw to look like a candy cane. 

I hope you enjoy these cocktails with your family and friends. I know I will be trying them out this holiday season. I am hoping that next year maybe we can add a momstown Milton event where we can make some of these delicious cocktails on our Moms Night Out – obviously with taxi’s lined up to take us home unless we drink the kiddie versions. Please if you drink over the holidays, choose to drink responsibly as our safety is most important this holiday season!

 

Written By Jacqueline Bellmore-Kinney, momstown Milton Member and Mom to a beautiful little girl.