Holiday

The Night Before Christmas: A Holiday Tradition

The Night Before Christmas: A Holiday Tradition

Since my husband and I got married, I’ve been collecting various versions of The Night Before Christmas books. My collection includes everything from traditional Clement C. Moore versions to my latest addition, The Zombie Night Before Christmas, wherein H. Parker Kelley has added a ghoulish twist to the holiday classic. Let’s just say, Santa leaves the house with a craving for…um…people.

I’m a huge fan of Christmas, and if the hubz would let me, I’d start decorating in May. Seriously. It’s my season. When I started collecting The Night Before Christmas books, it was because I loved all the different versions, from size and shape to illustrations and themes. It’s like Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. There have been so many movies woven from his theme that I can’t help but watch at least five different ones every year.

Whenever I see a new version of my favorite Christmas poem, I want it, and my collection has grown to over 20 books. The cute thing is, my madness has turned into a Christmas tradition for my kids, too. Putting out my collection is as much a part of the holiday tradition as hanging the stockings above our TV with care.

My kids have grown to love the my books so much, that they each have their favorites and it’s become a tradition to read one every night during the Christmas season. They take turns picking one to read, and we take our time looking through all the pictures as we turn the pages. You’d think I’d be tired of the poem by now, but sharing something I truly love with my boys just makes me enjoy them more.

As they get older, I wonder how long they’ll still want to curl up with me and hear the same story again every night and if they’ll be doing the same thing with their children some day. I know that the book and lap time won’t have quite the same appeal when they’re teenagers, but I’m hoping the idea will stick. They may not read The Night Before Christmas to their kids every night in December, but maybe they’ll find a similar tradition of their own. Then when their kids come to spend time with me over the holidays, I can relive our nightly reading with them.

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Babies & Kids Blog

Inexpensive Holiday Gifts for Teachers

Inexpensive Holiday Gifts for Teachers

Giving gifts to your kids’ teachers and other people who make their school experience a happy and educational one is a nice way to say you appreciate everything they do. This isn’t a big blow to your holiday gift budget if you have one child with one teacher, but when you have multiple children in schools who have multiple teachers, aides, bus drivers and other specialists, the gesture can be rather expensive.

My husband and I don’t have a big budget for holiday teacher’s gifts, but we do like to do something for them. We don’t give presents to all the professionals that our children see every day, but we do make sure to send a little something to their main teachers and a few other key people who have really touched their lives.

Because we don’t have a ton of cash to spend on these gifts, we try to keep things simple and send a little token of our–and our sons’–appreciation. If you’re caught in a bind and would like to send some holiday cheer to the educators and staff who make your child’s school day a better one, but don’t have wads of dough sitting around collecting dust, consider some of these inexpensive holiday gift ideas.

Homemade crocheted gifts. I don’t personally have skills to crochet, but I know many parents who do. If you’re one of those talented men or women, this might be the right gift for you. Scarves, mittens and even lap blankets make beautiful, personal gifts.

Warm drinks in a pretty mug. You can either buy small individual cocoa mixes for each teacher or get a larger container and pour enough for a cup or two into a pretty baggy. Then set the baggy down into a pretty holiday mug. Tie on a bow and you’re done.

Ornaments. Most craft and big box stores have long aisles of individual ornaments. Choose a pretty one and put it in a cute little gift bag. It’s even more fun if you let your child choose the ornament and add a note explaining why he liked it for that person.

Book. Help your child choose a fun book to donate to the teacher’s classroom. It’s a cool way to give a gift and give back to the teacher, since many supplies in the class room are coming out of her pocket these days.

Giving holiday gifts to teachers and other school staff who help to mold your child’s mind and build their future is a nice way to say thank you. The presents don’t have to be big and expensive to make them feel appreciated.

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Babies & Kids Blog

Holiday Maternity Fashion: Funny Printed Tees

Holiday Maternity Fashion: Funny Printed Tees

One of the things I loved most when I was pregnant was indulging in cute maternity tops with funny quips about having a tiny bundle on board. Pregnancy is such a short, precious time in a woman’s life, it seems like a waste not to celebrate it with a touch of humor. After all, it’s not like there is a lack of humor in pregnancy anyway. You go in enchanted by the thought of some mystical pregnancy glow, and then reality–and gas–hits and you realize you have to be able to laugh, or you might just find yourself mortified for most of the day.

The trouble with fun printed maternity tees is that in stores, selections tend to be very limited–if they’re available at all. When it comes to holiday tees–and I’m a sucker for a cute holiday tee–it’s a rare occasion to find anything in the maternity section. You’d think that maternity stores would take more advantage of the season, but it would seem there are some Scrooges in their marketing departments. “Funny holiday t-shirts for pregnant women? Bah! Humbug!”

Still, I’m a determined mama, and when I want a humorous holiday tee, I’m gonna have a humorous holiday tee, especially if I’m going to be spreading Christmas cheer with swollen feet and random stray chin hairs (cyber five to all the stubborn mamas). So, I turned to the Internet, because I’m modern and stuff.

Wow! There are so many printed maternity shirts online. I was astonished. They had everything, from “Beware of the mistletoe…A kiss led to this!” to “Pregnant at Christmas: All day at the in-laws with no alcohol. H0-Ho-Freakin’-Ho,” so there’s really something for every Yuletide sense of humor.

If you’re not as cheeky–or, let’s face it, snarky–as I am when I’ve got a bun in the oven, there are also many simple, sweet and charming holiday maternity t-shirts available, too. You can choose an elegant bow wrapped around your baby waist or a little message announcing baby’s first Christmas.

Now that I’m in my 30s, I don’t wear printed tees very often. They just don’t “go” very well with crow’s feet. However, when it comes to Christmas maternity shirts, they’re simply ageless. If I were to rock another holiday season in the family way, you can bet I’d be decking my Christmas miracle out in a chuckle-worthy printed tee.

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Babies & Kids Blog

Forego Black Friday This Year and Create a Family Holiday

Forego Black Friday This Year and Create a Family Holiday

Black Friday is one week away, and usually about now I’m pouring over sales fliers and building a strategy to catch the best deals at a variety of stores. For some, the congested traffic, bloodthirsty shoppers and ridiculously long lines to get into stores and checkout lanes sounds like a nightmare, but to me, it’s a thrill. The energy and experience of Black Friday shopping is unique and I enjoy every last drop of it…usually.

This year, however, I’m not feeling it. With two out of my three boys in school and the third starting next year, I’m growing more and more aware of how precious each day with my family is. One day they’re in preschool, and the next they’re in college. At least, that’s how it feels anyway.

So, instead of the day after Thanksgiving being Black Friday—an exquisitely primal shopping experience — I’m proclaiming it Cooper Holiday Kickoff Day. It is to be a day of festivity and togetherness, and it’s going to be all ours. I’ve already informed the hubz that the computers will remain dormant that day, and we’re devoting every last second to our kids and each other. They deserve it , and frankly, so do we.

Rather than getting up before the crack of dawn to shiver in a line outside Kohl’s, I’m sleeping in…as long as the kids allow. Then we’re going to spend the day baking, putting up our tree, decorating, listening to holiday music, writing letters to Santa and watching sappy Christmas specials. Instead of fighting crowds and emptying my bank account, I’m going to indulge in a completely mellow, family-oriented Christmas extravaganza. And I can’t wait.

The holiday season is such a busy time of year between shopping, school events and parties. The hubz and I spend an outrageous amount of time divvying up weekends and the actual holidays themselves so we can please everyone we love. This year, I want a day that’s all about our little family of five. What better day than the Friday after Thanksgiving? Other than some rad shopping opportunities, it’s just another day on the calendar, except that none of us are expected to be anywhere else. No school. No work. No family gatherings. Just us.

I’m looking forward to our Cooper Holiday Kickoff Day. It’s going to be our own intimate family event that will hopefully become a tradition. We don’t have many more years ahead of us where the kids still believe in Santa Claus and they think peppermint cocoa is a treat of epic proportions. Sharing the day with them is better than any $ 5 cardigan in my book, and I know there’s a way better chance they’ll remember our little family holiday than anything I could be buying on Black Friday.

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Babies & Kids Blog

Byron’s Top Five Tips to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

1.  Decide that you’re not going to over eat. Once you give up trying to “be good” it can be a downward spiral. Stop eating when (or just before) you feel full.

2.  Stick to my guidelines of eating 3 meals a day without snacking. If you know you’ll be having a larger meal one day, eat just two meals that day. Daily Protein Plus makes an excellent breakfast on the day that you know you’ll be eating a larger meal later.

3.  Don’t overeat at holiday parties. My favorite trick is taking a heaping tablespoon of Fiber Helper or our new LeptiFiber, along with 3 Pine Nut Oil or a Leptin Control Pack just before going to a party.

4.  Avoid too much sugar. Sweets are on every corner this time of year. If you desire a dessert or cookies, eat it just after your meal. Don’t keep extra sweets around the house that will tempt you.

5.  If you get off track one day, get back on track the next day. It’s easier for your metabolism to bounce back after one day of eating more versus one week of eating more.

And one more…
If you know you’ll be eating more it’s a good idea to exercise more!

Happy Holidays!

Byron

Weight Loss Tips by Byron J. Richards

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