With the holiday season upon us, it is difficult to NOT get caught up in the crazy frenzy of holiday shopping.  However, I came across a great idea for teaching children about the act of giving of themselves.  This is perfect for children because not only do they give something to someone they love, but they find the joy of creating that gift.

Have everyone in your family draw names from a bag.  In our family, we’re doing just the four of us, but it would be wonderful to get the grandparents and other extended family involved in this, too!  The name you draw is the person for which you will create a gift.  Here are some simple ideas that kids can do for gift-giving:

• dressed-up coat hangers: have children wrap colorful ribbon around coat hangers to create a beautiful and unique gift.
• beaded bookmarks: string beads onto yarn and knot at the ends for a lovely way to mark your reading place.
• magnets for mom: print off different letters and/or words in a variety of colors and fonts from your computer.  Cover both sides of the paper with contact paper, cut out, and attach a self-sticking magnet to the back.  Or, find extra photos and create photo-magnets!
• for the gardener: choose a packet of favorite seeds and present them in a hand-painted pot.
• Old standbys: using clean, recycled material, kids can create virtually anything: a pencil holder out of a tin can, a new mail basket out of a plastic milk jug, a colorful paperweight by painting a pretty rock, and even a set of pretty holiday coasters by covering old greeting cards with contact paper.

Here’s a wonderfully simple way to focus on helping others as the holidays approach.  All you need is a large jar and some sort of item to use as a “counter”.  In our house, we used dried pinto beans.  Pennies would also be a good counter, or even pebbles.

One of my husband’s and my main goals as the holidays approach is to teach our children about the gift of giving of ourselves.  We do this by focusing on ways to be helpful without being asked and without fanfare or reward.  The focus is on the act of kindness.  To reinforce this lesson, we set a large jar on the kitchen counter along with a shallow dish with a supply of dried beans in it.

Each time one of us (children and adults alike) was helpful to another family member, a friend, a neighbor or even a stranger, we moved a bean from the dish into the jar.  Over the next several weeks, we watch the number of beans in the jar grow.  We also talk about being helpful on Sundays when we are all dining together.  We share ideas of how to be helpful and come up with new ways to help and try out during the upcoming week. 

These small acts can be something simple, such as helping a schoolmate at the water fountain or aiding in a search for a lost toy or item.  Or, it can be something larger, such as helping with the dishes when it isn’t even your turn, or cleaning up your room without being told.  Regardless, everyone is on his or her honor to help “fill the jar”. 

On Christmas Eve, after the kids go to sleep, “Santa” comes to our house and replaces the beans with something a bit more festive, such as chocolate candies or jellybeans.  There are usually “a few more” than there were beans.  After all, Santa’s a very giving person as well!  It helps tie in this wonderful lesson we want our children to learn with the fun of Christmas.

This is a great idea to try year-round.  Once the jar is filled, the family can trade it in for something special, such as a trip to the movies or an ice-cream night.  If using pennies, trade in the pennies for folding change and use that for the special reward!

I know it is hard to believe, but here comes Christmas!  And, with the dawn of the holiday season looming in front of us, it is time for me to get busy on our traditional ornament purchase.

Each year, since the birth of our first son, we purchase an ornament for each child, one that suits their year.  For my older son’s first Christmas, it was an engraved silver cradle (he was 4 months old at the time).  For his second, a glass yellow duckie, just like a bathtub duckie that he loved to chew on and play with.  The following Christmas brought a snowman ornament as we experienced our first snow that year, and then came the line of baseball Santas, soccer Santas, football Santas - whatever the sport du jour was for the year.

With my second son, we honored his first Christmas with the same silver cradle, engraved with his name and birthday.  Each subsequent Christmas brought items similar to his brother’s: a Santa ornament, a tricycle ornament, and last year, a puppy ornament.  Each year marked with a special ornament to help spark those memories of some wonderful occurrance during the year.

It is a tradition in our family, this ornament-of-the-year bit that we’ve started.  And, it makes for a wonderful collection.  Collections can be just about anything.  When I was born, my grandmother started an add-a-pearl necklace for me: each year, she added a pearl until I was eighteen.  When I got married, I wore those pearls with my wedding dress.  It is a sentimental and irreplacable collection of memories of my grandmother as well as memories of each year that the pearls mark. 

What special items, if any, do you collect for your child?  Baseball cards?  Photographs?  Ticket stubs from events?  Share with us some of your favorite ideas for remembering those fleeting childhood days with your children.

From all of us at Wonderbrains, we wish you and your family a peaceful and joyous holiday season.

This is a great treat for Christmas morning - or any other morning for that matter!  It is easy and fun (and messy), so be sure everyone gets involved in creating it!

1.25 c sugar
1T cinnamon
3 cans biscuits
1 stick butter, melted
1.5 lbs powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla

Cut biscuits into fourths.  Mix 1/2 cup sugar with cinnamon.  Put mix on biscuits.  Drop biscuits into well greased bundt pan.  Mix melted butter with 3/4 cup sugar and pour over biscuits.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Drizzle with a powdered sugar icing you can create with the powdered sugar, vanilla and a little water if needed. 

Our church is offering up a wonderful ministry this holiday that literally anyone can do on their own.  Try out a few of the recipes posted on here and you’re on your way to a new holiday tradition.

Our church is creating small bundles of cookies (2-3 in each bundle) to hand out on Christmas Eve.  The idea is to take them and deliver the bundles to those that are working that evening - the pharmacist, the policeman, the convenience store worker, the grocery clerk, the hospital staff, the fireman.  It is a way to spread a little holiday cheer (no matter what holiday that person celebrates) at a time that they probably don’t get to celebrate much.

And, think of the wonderful message this relays to our children - that it is better to give than to receive, and while the cookies might be yummy, someone else may enjoy them as well.  And that is a wonderful lesson to learn this holiday season.

This is a great little, light cookie that is perfect for dessert, snacks, and even breakfast!  It is very easy for kids to make, yet tastes like it came from a commercial bakery.  It is sure to be a favorite with everyone!

2 T butter, melted
2/3 c sugar
1.5 t ground cinnamon
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, 9 x 10.5 inches, thawed.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil.  In a small mixing bowl, combine 1/3 c sugar and cinnamon.  Stir until blended.  Sprinkle some of the remaining 1/3 c sugar on a work surface.  Unfold the thawed puff pastry on top of the sugar with one of the short sides facing you. Generously sprinkle more sugar on top of the puff pastry, and spread to cover.  Using a rolling pin, roll out the pastry, continuing to sprinkle with sugar as you roll.  Roll out to 10×16 inches.  Brush the melted butter onto the pastry.  Then sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Press it down evenly.  Starting from a long side, roll up the pastry, jelly-roll style, stopping just before the end.  Press the edge to seal the seam.  Cut the roll into 1/2 inch slices, placing about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.  Bake each batch 12-14 minutes.  Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before moving them to cooling racks.

This is a terrific recipe for children to help with!  It requires no baking, yet it is yummy-sweet and delicious all the same!  We love to make these each December and hand them out to our neighbors.

2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup milk
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a saucepan, mix sugar, cocoa, margarine, milk and salt.  Heat and bring to a boil; boil for one minute.  Add teh remaining ingredients.  Mix well.  Working quickly, drop by teaspoonful onto waxed paper.  Allow to cool before removing from waxed paper.  Makes about four dozen cookies.  Can be stored at room temperature in a sealed container.

Note: the peanut butter is optional.  It will, though alter the consistency of the cookies and makes them stiffen quicker, so be ready to quickly drop onto waxed paper! Enjoy!