Huh. Color me ignorant. I had no idea that Halloween was considered the most dangerous holiday for kids. Thinking about it some more, it makes sense. Trick-or-treating in the dark, the pointy costume props, the costumes themselves which are easy to trip on, the possibility of injury is staggering. Children have a higher chance of getting hit by a car on Halloween than any other night of the year. The number of injuries caused by plastic swords, pitchforks, and other Halloween props increases ER visits on Halloween more than any other night.

I guess my child’s tame roaming at the local mall for her first Halloween years has kept me in a bubble. She’s two so that was ok, but as she gets older I know she’ll want to do the street trick-or-treating with friends.

Keeping Our Children Safe on Halloween

• Supervision. It shouldn’t matter whether they’re 1 yr. old or 11 yrs. old. We as parents, should be around to supervise them especially if they are trick-or-treating in the streets. If your preteen argues that it’s uncool, just cite the statistics and explain you’re doing your job as parents in keeping them safe. In other words, you don’t care if it’s “uncool”!

• Preventative Measures. Discuss safety tips with your kids before you go out. Impress upon them the importance of being aware of their surroundings. It’s never too much to repeat the adage of stop, look, and listen to them.

• Avoid Poorly Lit Streets. There’s nothing more risky than trying to cross a dark street with several kids in tow. Stick to familiar and well-lit streets. You and your kids will be familiar with your surroundings, and you’re able to see them better – and see better overall- as well.

• Choose Appropriate Costumes. Rethink bulky costumes they can trip over easily. Have them try their costume on at home and see how they handle it. The trial run allows you to modify any sources of possible injury. You can tell them they can use a prop at home for pictures but that you will carry it for them when they’re out trick-or-treating. This gives them the proper range of motion without having to worry about them poking themselves or someone else. Click here for tips on picking out age appropriate Halloween costumes for you baby or toddler.

• Indoor Venues. A church, an indoor mall, even schools sometimes put together Halloween events for kids. This is a nice alternative that offers candy, games, and other prizes, without having to be out in the element, and on the streets.

• Ration the Halloween Candy. It’s definitely prudent to have your kids bring all their candy at home where you can inspect their loot to make sure its safe. Aside from safety, you can ration their candy too so they don’t get themselves a tummy ache. I usually let my child choose their favorite candy from their loot, then take the rest to work/school in a candy jar at a prominent place. That way, we don’t give their dentist any more work than they have too and I don’t end up getting tempted as well.

If you are vigilant, and safe, Halloween can remain the happy memory it’s supposed to be for years to come.

Babies and toddlers love figuring out how things work. Right now, zippers are king of the toys in my house.

Daycare baby likes undoing zippers. It’s part peekaboo game, and part investigating how things work, and part finding interesting things behind the zipper. I learned quickly to wear something under any shirt that had a zipper in it when out in public with her. I have a zip-up bag that used to contain toy blocks but I can put anything in it and zip it up, and she’s always excited to unzip it and find a spoon or toy car or some goldfish crackers in it.

My toddler has a pair of pants with a zipper pocket and I reserve them for days when we ride in the car, because he can unzip the pocket, put a little toy in, zip it up, unzip it, get it out, repeat repeat repeat. He’s just getting the fine motor skills to attach the two ends of a zipper together and do his jackets up. I’m almost sad that it’s summer and there’s no need for zip-up winter boots and coats.

There are lots of toys and dolls on the market to teach little ones how to dress themselves with zippers and snaps and buttons – I like this cute monkey from Alex toys, although real world clothes work just as well for learning. Daycare baby is a ready-made dress-up doll for my toddler, when they are both in the right kind of co-operative mood. Otherwise I’m happy to volunteer to have my hoodie zipped and unzipped.

So both of my little ones are getting plenty of entertainment, developing motor skills, and learning real world skills from zippers.

In a fortuitous coincidence, just as I was thinking how nice zippers are, I discovered that one of our lesser observed holidays, National Zipper Day is April 29. For real! It’s the 96th anniversary of Gideon Sindback patenting his invention. I don’t know if he had kids, but if he did, his babies probably loved playing in his house.

Of course, there are a million ways to celebrate the holiday of love. But kids don’t need a million things, and I haven’t got a million bucks. So here are my Top 10 Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day with kids:

1. Say “I love you” all the time.
2. Even if it can’t all happen on the same day–February 14–make time for each of your children alone. Even if it just 30 minutes in their bedroom, nothing says “I love you” like one-on-one time doing something they enjoy.
3. Learn about the real St. Valentine and why we celebrate him. This is a great way to reinforce your values. For some, it also emphasizes religious beliefs.
4. Buy a large heart-shaped cookie cutter and use it all day. In the morning, coat it with non-stick cooking spray and pour pancake batter into it to make heart pancakes. At lunch, use it to cut out the middle of sandwiches. For dinner, cut heart-shaped biscuits.
5. Cook together. It could be as elaborate as breakfast in bed for Daddy, or as simple as baking a brownie mix. Whatever the recipe, kids love to be in the kitchen with a parent.
6. Don’t give roses, plant a rose bush. In many parts of the country, February is a good month to plant bare-root roses. Enjoy them for many Valentine’s Days to come!
7. Encourage your children to be loving to others, no strings attached. Volunteer at a soup kitchen or engage in a similar community outreach program.
8. Remind children that loving relationships are two-way. Help them spend time to make and send personal greeting cards for loved ones. But be sure to start early! Trying to make a bunch of beautiful Valentines at the last minute is sure to take the love out of them.
9. Start a new tradition. That could mean something different for every family. One year, I was short on money and time. I took my 3-year old son to Party City and bought him a red foil heart balloon for 99 cents. He insisted we get one again every year. A tradition was born! Little kids love rituals. And though older kids may insist they are “stupid” or at best unnecessary, these traditions are the things we remember as adults.
10. Say, “I love you” again!

Last year, on New Year’s Eve, my family resolved to never travel at Christmas again. That lasted almost a year.

OK. Maybe I should be more specific. We drove 1700 miles one-way. Halfway there, we encountered icy roads and had to cancel a hotel reservation. Annoyed, we dealt with our online reservation system (who can withdraw funds immediately but take two weeks to refund them), and found a new place. Then, on the way back, the same thing happened again. But it was New Year’s Eve and we swore off holiday travel, knowing that flying would have been just as big a problem since the airports were canceling all their flights.

It was an easy resolution to keep since the holidays roll around only once a year. We almost made it all year without breaking the vow. But then Christmas came again. We justified the break by the fact that we were traveling west instead of east, and only 500 miles one way. And instead of being pregnant, we were dragging along an almost-nine month old baby.

That was the first mistake. A couple weeks prior, I tried to “train” her to sleep in other places by using a pack & play. Well, it was a nice sentiment, but she wasn’t buying it. So, for three nights, she barely slept at all, and I’m not exaggerating. Naps were a *little* better. I intended to catch up on a little shut-eye, but with family around that I don’t see often, I really just wanted to be with people. That was, after all, the reason we broke our old resolution. (And it didn’t help my ego that my husband’s cousin has a baby that is only 6 months old who sleeps 12 hours straight through every night! I know it’s an individual thing, but it still made me jealous.)

And then on the way home, we were going to caravan home with my in-laws who live in town with us. But my husband felt compelled to do some last-minute car maintenance, so they took off an hour ahead of us. Lucky for us, since they got turned around on the highway, 150 miles out of town… It wasn’t ice this time, but a rockslide caused by melted snow from the previous week’s winter storm. And in the mountains, there aren’t alternate routes. So they came back while we scoped out the options in town. The short story is that FOUR hours into the trip, we finally were able to leave town! And we still faced another 8 hours with a baby in the car.

All that to say, I REALLY mean it this time when I resolve never to travel again at Christmas. For that matter, maybe I’ll never travel again with a baby.

It’s the biggest holiday of the year. And it comes with lots of fun and presents, cheers – and calories. I don’t want to dampen your Christmas spirits but there’s no denying it – we tend to feast and fatten ourselves during the holiday season. But cheer up. We need not deprive ourselves of the goodies that Christmas brings. Health experts give us some tips on a healthy holiday diets for us and for our family – with out taking the fun out of the party.

At home

Get yourself a couple of those low-calorie, cholesterol-free recipe books. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends The Best Healthy Soul Food Recipes cookbook. In addition,

• Load on the vegetables
• For meat, the lean type is preferable; for poultry, go for the light breast mean and take it easy on the thighs and the skin.
• Pan drippings are fat traps, use fat-free liquids instead such as wine, low-sodium tomato juice or lemon juice for basting.
• Slim down the gravy. If you have to use the drippings (it just tastes better, let’s face it), then chill the dripping first and then remove the fat.
• Go for the cranberry sauce. Check out its health benefits here.

At a party

• Go for a variety of food – in small portions.
• At the buffet, go for the sushi and the veggie cuts. However, take it easy on the dips and the salads.
• Take it easy on the wraps and the dim sum. You never know what’s inside.
• If you are sure it’s reduce-fat cheese, then go for it. Otherwise leave the cheese alone.
• Water is still the healthiest drink you can get. If you have to drink alcohol (it has calories, too!), then go for red wine – in moderation. But keep in mind, drinking alcohol while pregnant or even while breastfeeding is a bad idea!

At the supermarket

• Check for products with the AHA heart-check mark. A product carrying this mark “has been screened and verified to meet the AHA’a certification criteria to be low in saturated fat and cholesterol for healthy people over age 2.“
• Check out nutritional facts on the packaging. This US FDA resource: How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label can help you out.

There may be nothing quite as thoughtful as a handmade gift. My mom and youngest sister are sewing many Christmas gifts this year. Last year, my mom made me the cutest flannel nightshirt; it was red with little cups of steaming hot cocoa on it, and extra-roomy for my then pregnant belly.

Another year, my sister created the most amazing velvet Christmas tree skirt for us and my mom made us an adorable angel tree-topper. This year, when it was time to take out the decorations, baby got a hold of the angel and pulled off much of her curly, blonde hair and halo. Fortunately, I was able to fix her!

Most years, the boys and I make handmade ornaments for family members. With such a tight budget this year, handmade ornaments would be perfect, but things are much busier with baby in the picture and we haven’t gotten around to it. Last year, we made beaded candy cane ornaments, which are very easy to make:

bend craft wire in the shape of a cane
thread beads, alternating red and white (be sure to tie a knot at the bottom so your beads don’t slip right off)
then tie a festive ribbon around the middle.
You can add a standard wire hanger or a simple loop of wire for hanging.

We made similar wreath-shaped ornaments, using wire shaped in a circle, green beads in alternating light and dark green, and a bow.

We also made a couple of different ornaments from inexpensive Martha Stewart kits I bought from Michael’s. Her line of craft supplies and kits are great—I highly recommend them for any holiday, birthday or just for fun.

There’s still time for making simple projects such as these; people always appreciate the thoughtfulness and time spent, especially when little kids’ fingers did the work!

I’m looking forward to seeing the amazing things my mom and sis are crafting this year. I also love the handmade gifts the kids make in school.

Gifts made with love, “especially for you” are always the ones I treasure most. Do you have any handmade treasures you’ve received over the years? Are you making any gifts by hand this year?

For preggy moms who are panicking on how they’re gonna don their supermom apron when it won’t even fit over their expanding belly, forget about it.  The Christmas party you’re hosting, the numerous presents you’ve wrapped, the baking marathons you’re planning, it’s ok to take it easy or say no them.

Remember that you’re energy may not be up to the same gear you’re used to.  You’re probably tired more often, and may even be getting less sleep if the little one’s kicking up a storm in vitro.  This is not the time to over-reach and over-stress.  How can you dial down the flurry of activities this season often brings?

• Organize a pot luck party instead of keeping up the tradition of having everything home-made by you.  Your guests will understand, and if anyone gripes about the missing favorite dish you ALWAYS cook, remember that it’s a compliment.  Smile and say “next year, maybe”.   If they really annoy you, don’t invite them next year .  You may want to stick to ONE dish courtesy of you this year.
• If you know your family won’t rise to the occasion of bringing edible food to the potluck, cater.  Call up your favorite restaurant and have them cater the dinner.  Yes, it may be more expensive, but you’ll have your feet up right before the guests arrive instead of running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off.
• Ask for help.  If you do want to stick to a feast, ask your friends, grandma, mom, aunt, to help out in the kitchen.  Same goes for gift-wrapping those hundreds of presents, running errands, trimming the tree.  They would most likely be delighted to help you.
• Pace yourself with the shopping.  Or buy the presents online.  Don’t try to get all the shopping done in one day.  If you have a pretty short list and think you should get it done in one day, go on a weekday.  Whatever you do, don’t shop without drinking plenty of fluids, taking a rest once in a while, and eating right.
• Make sure you keep your sanity-maintaining routines.  Whether it’s prenatal yoga, meditating, scrapbooking, girls night out; take the time to nurture yourself.  Your needs don’t stop because it’s the holidays.
• Keep up with the nutritious meals and snacks.  It may be tempting to eat all those sweets that seems readily available in bowls dispersed at work, at your friends’ and family’s home, and the ones your baking.  But always keep in mind that you’re eating for two, and that the second person is counting on you to make good decisions regarding what they take in.

The number one rule of all this holiday season is to HAVE FUN.

Week 2’s winner was Ryan Patrick !
Runner-up: Gabriella and Giovanni
Runner-up: Mika Lynn

Thanks to all the babies (and their parents) who participated in this weeks round.

From now until January 14 we will be accepting entries for January’s contests. January’s theme is Winter Fun!

The contest is free so enter your babies picture today! Or just vote for your favorite. (Anyone can vote)

At the end of each preliminary week one (1) winner is chosen and will be awarded a prize package. The winners of each preliminary round (3 total), as well as two (2) runner-ups from each round are automatically entered into the Final Round. The winner of the final round is awarded the Grand Prize.

Round 1: 1st through 7th
Round 2: 8th through 14th
Round 3: 15th through 21st
Final Round: 22nd through last day of the month

Click Here for more information.

We have never been in the habit of using credit cards to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. We’ve given more when we had more, and given nothing when we had nothing. As my father said to us during our last Christmas with him, “Your presence is my present.” But most of us know it’s really FUN to give our kids Christmas gifts, and it’s really hard to see just a present or two under the tree.

But the pinch is being felt all around the world this year, and even the North Pole has had to cut back. Malls and other spots where St. Nick usually pops up can’t afford the $125 an hour commanded by the gents with real beards (who knew they made so much?). The Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas–an honest to goodness real union–says bookings are down about half of their usual number this year. Many Santas are commuting long distances to find work. And even when Santa does show up for portrait sessions, many consumers just can’t afford little luxuries like that this holiday season.

Like I said, in my home, we’ve had our ups and downs when it came to gifts. There was a year I gave my husband a new razor and a pair of long underwear; our son got a couple matchbox cars and a new big box of crayons. It’s going to be another one of those years. We’ll be forced to put into practice what we say we really value–time together as a family and celebrating the significance of the religious holiday. Because, in my home as in many others, Santa has been RIFfed this year.

The baby, of course, doesn’t give a hoot about presents. She’ll be delighted by all of the bright paper she can chew and the curling ribbon she’ll try to strangle herself with (see my post about her dangerous obsessions. Thankfully, we had already planned ahead buying a couple things for our son (who turns 12 TODAY), but that book and CD is all he’ll get. And I’m just about finished making homemade gifts for my extended family. It’s a challenge to find things to make that people will use and appreciate, but that’s a post for another day. We won’t be buying gifts for each other this year, nor for my husband’s office mates or for our friends and neighbors. Yet I don’t think the holiday will suffer.

Looking back, no one in my home was disappointed in “The Year of the Razor.”And this year, I don’t think my friends will be offended that they don’t “get” anything. Maybe we all need a lean year to help us remember that it isn’t about the gifts. Maybe we should put the man in red on a long-term leave of absence.

We’re just starting to get ready for the holidays in our house. The cards have been chosen, the gifts ordered or purchased, and the menu is planned. Unfortunately, there is still an inordinate number of projects that need to be done before we can truly be merry. While our daughter is still too young to be involved in much of the preparations, we try to include her in as many ways as we can. We’ll park her in the high chair next to the kitchen counter or table, so she can watch me fuss around the kitchen and bake bread and cookies, or she “helps” me to wrap gifts by playing with some papers and ribbon, or “helps” her dad while he puts together yet another new toy for her or her little brother to play with.

Next year we’re looking forward to having her more actively participate in all the holiday preparations. For those with older children, here are some holiday treats your little ones can be involved in making this holiday season:

• Build a gingerbread house. Do yourself a favor and purchase one of those all-in-one kits at the store, or buy it online, so you don’t have to mix frosting or bake the gingerbread yourself. Most come with the pieces already cut out and ready to be put together.
• Make buckeyes. These are quintessential holiday treats and very easy to make. Find the recipe here.
• Bake sugar cookies. Another holiday tradition in many homes, sugar cookies are easy to make and fun to decorate. In fact, they can be as elaborate or as simple as you like – simply frost and coat with colored sugars or shapes, or pipe frosting on the cookies for a more detailed look.
• Make chocolate-covered pretzel sticks. This one is easy for little hands to do. Simply dip pretzel sticks in melted chocolate and let sit on lightly greased waxed paper to dry.
• Make fruit kebabs. These are great low-fat treats and easy to make. Cut up slices or cubes of your favorite fruits – apples, oranges, pears, grapes, pineapple, etc. – and stick them on bamboo skewers. Provide yogurt for dipping, or eat them as is.

As we carry down from the attic and unpack the decorations and ornaments from Christmases past, my husband and I reflected on some holiday family traditions we had each celebrated as children and that we wish to continue with our family together. With our first baby’s arrival at the beginning of last year, she’s now old enough to start to understand what the holidays are about. And now, with a new baby just days from entering the world, we’re ready to go all out to make the season extra special.

We both had memories of baking cookies in the kitchen with our mothers and grandmothers, putting up and decorating the Christmas tree and sharing steaming mugs of spiced cider, but neither of us has any lasting keepsakes of these holidays, except for some old photographs and a few holiday cards.

Because of this, we decided to set our own holiday traditions for our children that will give them lasting keepsakes that they can hold onto and take with them. When my husband and I first began dating, we would select a tree ornament each holiday that would commemorate the past year. Sometimes it’s silly (a Christmas pickle ornament – a German tradition), sometimes it’s serious (a key to symbol the purchase of our first house), but it is always something that’s meaningful to us as a couple.

We’ve now extended this tradition to our children. Upon our daughter’s birth, we began to buy two ornaments for the tree – one to celebrate her, and one for us. On the year of her first Christmas, we purchased a cross to symbolize the blessing we had received, as well as a small silver frame in which we put our first family portrait. This year, we will have two babies at Christmastime, so we will choose three new ornaments – one for us as a family and one for each of our children. They will all hang on our Christmas tree each year, and, when our daughter and son all both all grown up and on their own, we’ll pack them up and pass them on to the two of them. That way, they will each have with them a collection of meaningful ornaments that they can hang on their own trees. We think it’s a great way to start a new tradition and to give our children something to symbolize all the love and joy that they have shared with us.

Do you have any new traditions you’ve started since becoming parents?

Week 1’s winner was Marek Barrie !
Runner-up: Ethan Cole
Runner-up: Cassidy Veralyn

The Grand Prize winner was Thomas George !

Thanks to all the babies (and their parents) who participated in this weeks round.

From now until December 14 we will be accepting entries for December’s contests. December’s theme is Christmas & Holidays!

The contest is free so enter your babies picture today! Or just vote for your favorite. (Anyone can vote)

At the end of each preliminary week one (1) winner is chosen and will be awarded a prize package. The winners of each preliminary round (3 total), as well as two (2) runner-ups from each round are automatically entered into the Final Round. The winner of the final round is awarded the Grand Prize.

Round 1: 1st through 7th
Round 2: 8th through 14th
Round 3: 15th through 21st
Final Round: 22nd through last day of the month

Click Here for more information.

I truly believe that the Holidays are for kids.  I remember as a young child, we had lots of good family traditions that sends me to Nostalgia Lane every time I remember them.  From going to bed and being woken at midnight to let me know that Santa was there at the house leaving the presents!  Did I want to catch him?  Me and my brother and aunt (1.5 year older than me) would run to catch him but of course, we were always a few seconds too late.

Then there was the new outfits for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.  The New Year’s Eve outfit would have polka dots to bring lots of prosperity for the new year, and I’d always match with my aunt.

The menu rarely changed from year to year, and the same comforting faces showed up for the festivities. Christmas is a terrific time to spend time with family.

As we grew older and moved away, these traditions were sort of lost as well.  I still have a good time during the holidays, but that sense of expectation, of tradition is missing.  And it’s something I want to start with my daughter. It’s important to me because much like I had such great memories of childhood holidays, so too do I wish for my daughter to have the same.

• Buy her a new ornament for each year.
• Get a monogrammed Santa stocking hung up for her.
• Get Christmas decorations up as soon as the calendar hits the first day of December.
• Make Santa come alive for her.
• Teach her the Christmas songs I learned and loved as a child.
• Watch Christmas parades…I have never been to on! This is one I can start as a tradition with my child.
• Generally make the holidays the best time filled with warmth, comfort, and love.

Happy  Holidays!

We’ve become a military family recently. It was unexpected but after really looking at the special position being offered to my husband, who knows many different languages, we had to go for it. Daddy will be here for Christmas, but on the cusp of the New Year, he’ll be leaving for boot camp.

I am trying to focus on the quality time we are blessed to have before he leaves. I plan to take lots of videos of him and our little girl playing together so I can play them over and over for our daughter while he’s gone. She just loves watching videos of herself. I’m sort of glad she’s still too little for his absence to affect her much, but I know somehow it still will, as he is a very hands-on dad.

I’m not looking forward to it, but I’m lucky to have him for Christmas this year. I’m not so sure that’ll happen next year, as he may be in Iraq. How do other families do it? Military or non-military, when the other parent is away for such an important time of the year, there is surely something lacking. Even now, despite my best attempt to get into the Christmas spirit, I am still “off”.

All I know is that I’ve got to keep a chin up and a cheerful attitude, so that my daughter can feel how special this time is. I must impart to her that even when Dad’s away, he’s with us in spirit.

Enjoy the holidays everybody, and cherish your loved ones. Not everyone spends their Christmas with friends and family. And some of them spend it in enemy territory.

Most American children know the Christmas story, or at least the legends surrounding the celebration-i.e., Jesus and/or Santa Claus and his reindeer. But while you go about your Christmas preparations, you may want to also inform your kids about other holidays celebrated this season-or at least be prepared to answer their questions. For me, I had to take a crash course when my then-five year old son and I were in the post office one holiday season. He saw some Kwanzaa stamps and wanted to know what that was. I didn’t really know, so I had to look it up. And while I was at it, I also decided to learn about Hanukkah.

If you are a non-religious family, studying the cultural and religious practices of others is still a great way to learn about the world around you. For Christians, it can serve as a platform from which to reinforce your own faith, values, symbols and celebrations.

Kwanzaa, a cultural holiday celebrated by some African Americans from December 26 to January 1, was initiated in 1966 and may be observed in addition to faith-based holidays.

The name ‘Kwanzaa’ comes from a Swahili phrase meaning “first fruits”. Based on African harvest celebrations, the holiday serves to introduce and reinforce seven principles of African culture. In English, they are:

• Unity
• Self-determination
• Collective work and responsibility
• Cooperative economics
• Purpose
• Creativity
• Faith

Each day of the week long festival includes a family gathering, a re-dedication to one of the seven principles, and the lighting of one more of seven candles. Celebrants enjoy a feast on December 31 and a Day of Meditation on January 1, intended as a time to recommit to all the values that Kwanzaa celebrates.
All of the objects and decorations used in Kwanzaa festivities are highly symbolic, especially the colors: black (representing the people), red (representing the blood of their struggle) and green (representing the hope of the future). Gifts given to children are often handmade, and are supposed to be books or cultural symbols, an intentional rejection of other commercialized holidays.

Chanukah, or Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day holiday observed by Jewish people, beginning on the 25th of Kislev (December 21st-29th, 2008). Some Messianic Jews also celebrate the birth of Jesus, but rarely does a religious Jewish family recognize Christmas.

Hanukkah, meaning “dedication”, commemorates a successful coup in 165 BC against Antiochus Epiphanes, who had defiled the Temple and prohibited the Jews from observing their religion. A small band of rebels finally recaptured Jerusalem, and the Temple was rededicated-on the 25th day of Kislev.

Upon reentering the temple, they found only enough purified oil to burn the eternal light for one day (ritual purification of the oil takes seven days), but “a great miracle happened there”-the oil burned for eight days, thus, the traditional explanation of the eight days of Hanukkah.

Jewish families give gifts and money, pray blessings, eat foods fried in oil, play the dreidel game, and light one more candle on the menorah, a candelabra with 9 candles (eight to remember the miracle, and the ninth—the servant candle-to light the others).

When you tell your children about Kwanzaa and Hanukkah, it’s also a good time to make sure your children know why your family celebrates the way it does. Maybe you can tell them this year about the real St. Nicholas, or where the twelve days of Christmas came from. Why do we have Christmas trees? What’s the reason we give gifts? Why do some people celebrate Christmas on January 7? It’s easy to skip over the symbols and traditions of Christmas, and unfortunately, our children often learn more details about customs foreign to them.

Above all, don’t forget to enjoy the holiday however you like best. It should not be a burden, but a delight. And a terrific way to spend time with family and loved ones.

I remember one particularly difficult holiday season when my ex and I had both lost our jobs and found out that we would have to move from the place we were renting. This would have been hard enough to handle, but the fact that we had 4 children and that the holidays were approaching made the situation even more desperate.

That year, the Salvation Army helped us out financially and they also bought the kids Christmas gifts. I felt very humbled by the whole thing, and yet so very grateful too.

This year, when we were shopping, I saw the familiar red kettle at our local Walmart. The Salvation Army worker standing at the kettle was singing his own jazzed up version of the Christmas carols and ringing the bell loudly. My son stopped and clapped and danced alongside the kettle for a while! I gave him some change to put in the kettle and he was so thrilled! The man stopped his singing and said, ?God bless you child. Have a most wonderful Christmas.? Then he went back to singing and ringing his bell, and we continued on to the store.

I was surprised to learn that the Salvation Army is also using other methods to boost donations. In Atlanta, GA and Columbus, OH, donors can use cell phones to text $5 to the Salvation Army. Text the letters TSA to 90999 in Atlanta; in Columbus, text KETTLE to 90999.

The Online Red Kettle program allows anyone to set up a virtual kettle on their website and gather donations from friend, family, and website visitors. Facebook members can add widgets to their pages to solicit donations too. You can also follow the Red Kettle Campaign progress on Twitter. Of course, you can always go old school and donate in person like we did.

In 2007, the Salvation Army helped 29 million people in the United States alone with over $118 million it received from the Red Kettle Campaign. This year, requests for help have increased and officials are hoping to be able to help as many people as possible.

Do you think using social networking like Twitter and Facebook is a good way to increase donations? Would you donate via these methods? Have you every donated to a cause via texting?

Last Thanksgiving wasn’t this complicated. This year, there’s me, my son, my boyfriend, his three kids, his ex-wife, her boyfriend, his ex and his kids, boyfriend’s dad, his girlfriend, boyfriend’s mom, her boyfriend, then there’s my ex-husband. (That sentence simplified: many divorced couples, new relationships, many kids from broken homes, not everyone is on civil terms yet) Can you imagine this is going to be awkward? Although I miss my family, I’m kinda glad they live on another continent right now! Currently, there is no plan as to which kids are going to be at who’s house, with which one of their parents, and who is going to be cooking?

While it’s always bad when families break up, some of the worse times can be during the holiday season. It hurts to remember past, happy Thanksgivings that will never happen again. Or it reminds everyone of dreadful holidays filled with fighting. The holiday season is presented to us as filled with magic and wonder, and cute children’s movies with loving parents and happy homes, and children are asked what they want, what they wish for, and as well as a Nintendo Wii and skinny jeans they really wish their mom and dad could both be with them.

When I was a kid, I remember being shuttled between two or three different houses on Christmas day (and most other holidays) so all the relations, grannies, aunties etc.. could be visited because everyone insisted they had to see people on Christmas Day (or else.)

My son is just a toddler so I’m glad he’s too young to have memories of horrendous Thanksgiving days. This is my first Thanksgiving as a single mom and I know that this year is going to be difficult, and probably for a few more years to come.

I found this page of tips for single moms at Thanksgiving, and most of the advice can apply equally to dads too. It reminded me that although it’s going to be hard over the holidays, the reason for this holiday is giving thanks. And I’m so, so thankful that I have people that I love and care about, we can afford to make dinner, we have a cute, warm little apartment, and most importantly, that I have a wonderful healthy son who I love more than anything. I can’t even begin to express how thankful I am for him.

We’ll get through Thanksgiving day. At least it will be interesting, and maybe there will even be some fun moments.

Wishing everyone a happy, safe, and fun Thanksgiving!

When I began my parenting career, I was in the camp that said, ‘Trick-or-treating is at best dangerous, and at worst, evil.’ I once gave a speech in school about why Christians shouldn’t celebrate Halloween. Of course, that was also a time when we were more concerned about trying to figure out what our music said backwards than we were worried about what we could plainly hear forward! All that to say, my practices as a parent when it came to Halloween were well-intentioned, but misguided.

Lots of families have very good reasons why they do or do not celebrate any particular holiday. I’m not about to tell them they should do otherwise. But I have, in the last almost-11 years, changed my own mind about trick-or-treating. And here’s why: my reasons before were bad.

First of all, yes, there may be terrible people out there who use that night to prey on innocent children and perform sacrifices to evil spirits. But if I stayed indoors every time I heard about someone doing something unspeakable and dangerous, I would never leave my house. And I would cower in fear every New Year’s Eve.

More importantly, I no longer am convinced it is the devil’s holiday. All Hallows Eve is the night before a Catholic celebration to honor all of the saints. But cultures all over the world have stories about the dead. When immigrants came to the United States, they brought these traditions with them. Trick-or-treating as we know it is a combination of all of them.

Across places and times, including Ireland, China, Egypt and Mexico, people believed that souls needed food to nourish them on their journey to heaven. So homeowners left out meals for them, lest the wandering spirits become angry and play a bad trick on their home. Add into the mix a European belief from the Middle Ages. They were terrified of these lost souls who wandered the earth looking for new bodies to possess. So they lit fires in the cemeteries and disguised themselves to scare away the souls. (It may seem like a bad thing to recreate, but it’s the same reason why we have bridesmaids at weddings?)

Anyway, poor people started putting two and two together. They would disguise themselves, go to a neighbors door, and ask for “soulcakes”. The beggars promised to pray the lost souls into heaven if they received the food. If not well, then, let’s just say the ’souls’ would return that night and play a trick on the homeowner. Pretty soon, people started sending their children to beg. Housewives gave them food but the kids were expected to perform a song or dance.

Trick-or-treating began in immigrant neighborhoods in the US in the early 1900s. After a story appeared in the October 1947 Jack and Jill, the tradition spread. Radio shows the following year featured it, and when Disney created a 1952 cartoon about it, trick-or-treating was here to stay.

But besides the fact that my history was wrong and my fears are at bay, there are a couple of positive reasons to participate in trick-or-treat night. Perhaps most importantly, it brings communities together. In an age when people can live in a house for five years and not know their neighbors names, kids have the gall to show up and ring my doorbell. Eegads! The little brats want candy. But take a moment and you just might learn that a few bucks worth of Hershey bars will give you the opportunity to meet their parents, learn their names and exchange phone numbers. Maybe the next day you can wave and greet them by name. That’s why we don’t even have a ‘harvest festival’ at my church.

Good reason #2 to get out there and have your children shill for tooth-decayers! It’s fun. And I’m willing to put my name on the line to say your kids won’t turn to the dark side because of it.

Halloween is just around the corner, and along with those ghosts and goblins and delicious treats are potential hazards for our kids. While all parents make every effort to ensure that their kids are safe, Halloween night can be an especially hazardous time. Not only can an ill fitting costume cause trips and falls, but parents also have to worry about safety while trick or treating, especially once night falls.

While it can be tempting to just keep the kids inside and give them candy you bought yourself (at least you know where it came from and that it?s safe!) there are some precautions you can take to ensure that your kids stay safe on Halloween night.

• Dress your child appropriately. Make sure your kids are dressed not only in costumes that fit their bodies and aren?t constricting or difficult to move in, but that they can also see clearly. In addition, take the weather into consideration ? sometimes an extra layer underneath the costume is necessary, or perhaps part of the costume can be removed if it?s too warm.
• Avoid choking hazards. For babies and toddlers, select costumes that do not contain any buttons or other small parts that can be easily removed and pose a choking hazard. Especially if it?s dark outside when you are trick or treating, you may not notice right away if a small piece comes off of your child?s costume and finds its way into his or her mouth.
• Carry a flash light. Especially if you live in a rural area without street lights, carry a flash light ? and make sure you use it! Especially on Halloween, there may be stray items on the sidewalk or on driveways; with a flash light, you can see them before you or your child trips over them.
• Choose an age appropriate costume. While an elaborate costume that might have zippers or snaps on it may look adorable on your little one, it can be a hassle getting them in and out of it ? especially for the very young. Choose an age appropriate costume for safety, as well as to make any diaper changes or potty breaks easier for everyone.
• Stay in your neighborhood. While the stories of razor blades in candy are mostly urban legends, staying within your neighborhood ? and sticking to homes where you know the families ? can be the safest way to trick or treat.

There is a new crispness to the air. As we gather our fall jackets from the closet and begin to think about where we left last winter?s scarves and mittens, it?s time to start thinking about Halloween. It?s a great chance to get the kids together and do some fun family activities, like hay rides and visits to the apple orchard to pick apples, and stopping at the cider mill on the way home for some hot cider and donuts.

And what fall day would be complete without a visit to the pumpkin patch? Visit a local pumpkin patch if you can for the freshest pumpkins and the best selection. What?s more, it?s a blast letting the kids run around the patch and choose their own pumpkin.

Once you get those pumpkins home, the real fun starts. Turn up the Halloween music, whether spooky or fun, and spread some newspapers, because it?s going to get messy. Clean out and carve the pumpkins on a picnic table outdoors if the weather permits.

You?ll need:

• A marker or felt-tipped pen to draw on your design before you begin cutting. Consider drawing it out first on a piece of paper, cutting on the lines, and then tracing it onto the pumpkin.
• A serrated knife, to cut out a hole in the bottom of the pumpkin from which you can scoop the insides out.
• A long-handled spoon to scoop out the seeds from inside the pumpkin.
• A small carving knife to cut out your design (for children old enough).
• A bowl for the seeds and other pumpkin innards.

Be sure to pick out the seeds ? roasted up, they make a healthy and delicious snack. Just take 2 cups of raw pumpkin seeds and toss with about 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Spread the seeds on a cookie or baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes at 300 degrees. Salt to taste, and serve.