Save the Date!
Monday, December 4: The Forgotten Carols, Ogden at Weber State University.
Friday, December 8: Dickens' Christmas Festival at South Towne Exposition Center.
Saturday, December 9: Candlelight Christmas at This Is the Place Heritage Park.
Monday, December 11: GENTRI: The Gentlemen Trio Finding Christmas at Eccles Theater, Salt Lake City.
Friday, December 15: A Kurt Bestor Christmas at Eccles Theater, Salt Lake City.
Tuesday, December 19: Voice Male at Thanksgiving Point.
Thursday, December 21: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in Concert with the Utah Symphony
Friday, December 22: Mannheim Steamroller at Eccles Theater, Salt Lake City.
Saturday, December 30: The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses at Abravanel Hall.
Saturday, December 30: FitCon at South Towne Exposition Center.
Thursday, January 4: New Years Tale of different stories (in Russian) at Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center.
It was known in my family as the "Is that IT?" story, and it still embarrasses me. On Christmas morning 1975, after all of the gifts had been unwrapped, I scanned the floor and uttered the three words that no parent ever wants to hear at the holidays:
Is that IT?
Oy vey. Sorry, Mom and Dad.
It's the ultimate balancing act: You want to give your kids a joyous holiday, but you don't want to spend money you don't have, and you also don't want to overemphasize material things. Enter the KidsOutAndAbout Ultimate Shopping Strategy! Here it is in four easy steps:
1) Before you shop: For each child on your list, write down a list of his or her positive character attributes and what makes him or her unique. Here are some examples for my daughter: Creative, generous, practical, hard-working, guitarist, budding astronomer, makes great cakes, Marvel Universe, loves pillows.
2) Take that list and match each item with an idea for a gift that is within your budget. The gift list almost creates itself. Cross off some when it gets too large. Then shop deliberately from the list to the best of your ability.
3) When you wrap each gift, save a bit of extra wrapping paper to fold into a little card, and tape it to the outside. Inside the card, write the character trait the gift is designed to match.
4) On the Big Day, before each gift is unwrapped, encourage (or help) the recipient to read out loud what is written on the card. Once everyone sees the gift, talk about how appropriate it is for that person.
The Ultimate Shopping Strategy lets you shop (and parent) mindfully. It also shifts the focus from getting stuff to thinking of what's inside. It helps make kids more themselves.
Is that it? It's actually quite a lot. Give the Ultimate Shopping Strategy a shot and let me know how it works for you. 10 Tips to Help Special Needs Families Survive and Thrive During the Holiday Season
It’s that time of year again: holiday time with parties, overeating, and staying up late. The holidays can be overwhelming for anyone. When you have a child with special needs, who is more sensitive to changes in routine, this stimulation is amplified. Writer, blogger, and mother to a son with autism, Joanne Giacomini, offers her top 10 tips for surviving and thriving during the holidays when you have a child with special needs. Read the full article here.
Spread Holiday Cheer With Kids: Go Caroling in Your Neighborhood
Holidays can seem like an endless barrage of consumption. But you can make the season more meaningful by reclaiming the 500-year-old tradition of Christmas caroling. A not-particularly-musical mom who went caroling for the first time was surprised to find that she loved it: "everyone was happy to see us." Try it, and you’ll find that singing with your family, friends, and neighbors outside is the perfect antidote to modern overindulgence, and a great way to spread community with your neighbors. Get started with your celebration by finding our tips here.
