6 ways to keep the kids occupied during winter break... Winter break can be very enjoyable for the first few days… but once the kids start to get bored, things can go downhill fast. Here are some ideas to keep your kids occupied during their time off:

Go Sledding: If you live in a climate that gets snow, bundle the family up for a day of sledding. Many towns have hills in parks that are free to use for sledding. If you want a bigger adventure, head to a ski resort and enjoy their large hills. You will have to pay admission, but you will be in for a much bigger thrill ride.

Handmade thank you cards: You can keep your child busy for an afternoon AND teach them some manners by encouraging them to create handmade thank you cards for the gifts they received over the holiday season.

Have an indoor picnic: Pretend it’s summer for a day and throw an indoor picnic. Throw a blanket on the living room floor and serve sandwiches and other picnic foods. For an extra dose of fun, turn the heat up and have your kids put on their summer shorts and tank tops!

Throw a family slumber party: One night after dinner, have the whole family change into their pj’s, throw some blankets on the floor, pop some popcorn, and watch movies till you fall asleep.

Field Trip: Take the kids to a museum during their break for a lesson in art, science, or history.

Clean house: If your children received an abundance of holiday gifts, this is the perfect time to clean out their rooms and donate the toys and clothes they’ve outgrown to charity.

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and a Happy New Year!

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Everyone loves getting Christmas gifts that come from the heart. What shows this better than gifts made by hand? While this may make some people panic at the thought of trying to make something arts and crafts, it really isn't that hard to make a nice gift for someone.

An excellent gift for a new bride in the family would be a cookbook of all the family favorites. Add some stories and maybe old photos of family gatherings to go along with the recipes. Put together some dry mixes of some of the recipes to get her started. Wrap it in a nice apron, maybe even one that belonged to a relative.

For kids, a great gift that can be added to is a Dress Up Kit. Get an old suitcase or two and fill it with old clothes that you don't wear anymore. Include hats and shoes. Now and then, add more items to the box. Ask other relatives to contribute to it as well. If you have pictures of family members wearing the clothes, print them out and decoupage them on the outside of the suitcase and then coat with a clear finish.

Do you have a flower garden during the year? Save the petals, dry them and make your own potpourri. You could buy cinnamon sticks to add another scent and texture. Put it in small containers or mesh bags. Everyone likes to snuggle up with a soft blanket on a cold evening. You can make a blanket and never sew or crochet a stitch. Purchase a piece of fleece the size that you want your blanket (the clerks at the store can help you figure out the right amount). Simply cut fringe in about two inches from all the edges about an inch apart. You can either let the fringes hang loose, or tie knots to make a pattern around.

Homemade cookies, fresh from the oven, are a great treat. A lot of people just don't have the time to make them. You can make a frozen cookie kit. Mix up a batch of their favorite cookies. Roll them out into balls and flatten them slightly. Flash freeze them by putting them on wax paper on a cookie sheet until they are solid. Remove them from the sheets and place them in a freezer bag. Bake for two to three minutes more than the normal time or until golden brown. They can be baked in small batches, even in the toaster over, or all at the same time.

Another nice handmade gift could be writing a poem for a family member. Poems don't even have to rhyme. Print it out in a nice font or in calligraphy if you know how, and put it in a nice frame. It's a gift someone will treasure for years to come. You can have kids help write one for different family members. An easy poem type project is to take someone’s first name, write it along the left margin and then think of a word associated with that person for each letter. For example, Sue could be Sweet, Upbeat and Energetic or Bob could be Brave, Outgoing and Baseball.

No matter what your homemade Christmas gift, be sure to include lots of love in the making and it will sure to be a hit with it's recipient.

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