OneTrueMedia.com

I found this website with a little bit of chance. It is a wonderful site where you can create photo/video montages. It is really easy, just upload photos or video, choose a theme, upload your own music and they will do the rest. The best part is it is completely free. I have created one to share with you. Let me know what you think...if you decide to create one share your thoughts on process.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Toys, Toys, Toys!

Now that the holidays are over I find myself swimming in toys. What to do with all these toys both new and old? Here are a few ideas we use. I have my kids count how many new toys they received for Christmas and that is how many toys they must donate. This is a great chance to not only clean out the toys but it teaches the children about donation and how there are children that aren't as blessed as they are. We like to donate to the local Children's Hospital (a place we know all too well)....but find a place that is near and dear to you. Most places that take donations for children will give a small tour of the center and show your children where their items will go. When we go to the Children's Hospital to make our donations my kids love to see all the children enjoying toys that have been donated. They feel much better about giving their toys away.

Share with us what you do with all the toys your children no longer play with.

Holiday Frugal

This year I have been asked by so many what to give when you are on a budget. I know that times are tough and we all still want to give a little to everyone we love. Here are a few ideas I thought I would share.

• Give a "Dessert-of-the-Month" gift certificate to your friends and family. Each month you can deliver a different home-baked goody. You could also make this a "Dinner-of-the-month." Who doesn't want a night off from cooking?
• Give $5 worth of scratch-off lottery tickets. My family loves this, they're fun and there's a possibility of winning lots of cash!
• Give a box of recipes. Someone gave this to me one year and I loved it! All of my favorite dishes from my dearest friend.
  
• Give time to your friends and family. Set up a date with you spouse, wine night with your girlfriends or game night with your kids.

Remember the holidays are special because you share them with people that are special to us not because of the "things" we receive. Like the great Dr. Seuss wrote, "And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons, it came without tags. It came without packages boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'til his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?"

Happy Holidays to all! May you make time to cherish these moments.

Glittering Tree Ornaments

Looking for fun activities while school is out for winter break. Make some holiday ornaments. You can find the templates for 10 beautiful ornaments at Women's Day. This is a fun and easy activity to do with your kids and they make a wonderful gift.

Handprint Menorah

This is one of my favorite activities that we do at my school when teaching our students about Hanukkah. The children make their own menorah. All you need is construction paper, paint and your little ones hands. You can decide if you want to "light" your menorah all at once or one for each night of Hanukkah.

Check out this cute little hair accessory. I found these sweet little flower clips while I was looking for bows for little girl. These flowers by Little Lesiw caught my eye. They are going to make her holiday outfit. The best thing about the clips is the price. You can get these little flowers for $5.95 each or a pack of 3 for $12.95. What a deal! What a great gift for the little princess in your life.

Please remember to share any great gift ideas you have found. Leave a comment or email me with your finds.

Woman's Day Chanukah Menorah

Happy Chanukah to all of you celebrating . Received several ideas again from Woman's Day and I thought I would share this beautiful menorah with you. I am thinking of making one as a center piece for our table. You can find all the details at Woman's Day.

Holidays?

During the holidays as a teacher and a mother I get a lot of questions about the different holidays children celebrate. It is a difficult question and for some a delicate subject. I enjoy talking to my own children about all of the holidays. I find that I learn something new every year along with them. I feel, by teaching your children about other peoples traditions and cultural/religious belief you are giving them the knowledge of acceptance and you expose them to the diverse world they live. Here are a few of my favorite stories I share with my kiddos.

• Christmas Around the World
  
• Light the Lights! A Story About Celebrating Hanukkah and Christmas
• My First Kwanza Book
• Night of the Moon: A Muslim Holiday Story
• Lighting a Lamp: A Diwali Story
• The Legend of the Poinsettia
  

These are just a few of the many books that are out there for you to share. I also have several activities that I do as well. I will try and post pictures soon. Please share your ideas for talking to your children about holidays.