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Issue Holiday Gift Guide wages and let the kids drop off the family donation. 25 Simple 10. Play Christmas tourist in a neighboring town. Pop in a local gift shop to check out holiday treasures. Walk Ways to along storefronts and look at window displays. Grab a sweet treat at a neighborhood bakery. Count Down 11. Pick a Secret Santa among family members and do something kind to Christmas for each other every day for a week. Reveal your Secret Santa identities in a BY LISA A. BEACH cookies-and-milk ceremony at the end. 12. Go on a nature hike and bring along As the holiday season approaches, a sprinkling confectioner’s sugar on top. to leave for forest critters, such whirlwind of activity ensues that leaves 3. Blow holiday bubbles outside by adding as handfuls of bird seed or pieces of Mommy & Me • Preschoolers families almost breathless by the end of red food coloring to one jar of bubbles peanut-butter-smeared bread. Boys Gymnastics • Camps December. Instead of rushing through the and green food coloring to another. 13. Cull through old toys, books, and Tumbling • Cheerleading month, be intentional about what you say For a crafty twist, blow the bubbles clothes to give to needy families. Take Recreational and Competitive Teams yes to. Rather than over-committing to too onto sheets of white paper and watch a the donated items together. Mention For more info call many activities that take you away from your Christmas color-burst emerge. 14. Ask each family member to choose PB Parenting & 561.868.0288 family, focus instead on infusing the holiday Play holiday decoration bingo by 4. a favorite cookie recipe, and then receive a FREE 6752 Lantana Rd Ste B • Lake Worth spirit into your family. driving around your community schedule a few baking sessions. trial class! Between Jog Road & Hagen Ranch Road checking out yard displays while Create an calendar, with 25 days of www.geniesgymnastics.com searching for Christmas items like simple, meaningful holiday activities that snowflakes, inflatable Santas, and focus on giving, family, friendship, and fun. Rudolph. Starting on December 1st, focus on one Secretly place a plant on a intentional, memory-making activity each day. 5. neighbor’s porch. 1. Play the Giving Game. Brainstorm ways 6. Make holiday S’mores by adding you can give to others without buying crushed candy canes to a classic S’more something (i.e., give a smile, a hug, a recipe for a festive spin on a classic helping hand, etc.). Post the list on the summertime treat. CHANGING THE DIRECTION OF CHILDREN’S LIVES fridge as a reminder. Each night, ask kids Allow your kids to decorate their 7. NOW ENROLLING FOR THE 2016-2017 SCHOOL YEAR SCHOLARSHIPS to share how they gave to others that bedroom doors for Christmas with ACCEPTED • Safe, Secure Environment • Promethean Boards and iPads day. Track everyone’s daily “gifts,” and at garland, ornaments, ribbons, etc. • Full Academic Curriculum for Interactive Education Technology John McKay the end of the week, whomever gave 8. Invite Grandma to a craft or baking day • Athletic Program • Hands-On Life Skills & Transition Program The Gardiner the most gets to choose a holiday flick at your house to ensure your holiday • Low Student-Teacher Ratio • Reduced/modified homework assignments Scholarship (formerly PLSA) to watch on family movie night. fun extends to other family members. • Blended Learning Tools • State standardized testing not required • Differentiated Instruction • Academic & Recreational Summer Programs Florida Tax 2. Adopt an international Christmas 9. Designate a “chores for charity” week. If • Strong Parent-Teacher Communication • Grades K-12 or up to age 21 Credit (FTC) tradition. The Swedes celebrate St. Lucia you normally pay your kids for chores, • Social Skills • After school activities Day on December 13, which focuses on ask them to donate their weekly WEST PALM BEACH St. Lucy being the light during the long, earnings (which you’ll match) to a 1950 Prairie Road • West Palm Beach, FL 33406 dark Scandinavian winters. Or adopt charity of their choice. If you don’t pay Tel: 561.642.3100 • Cell: 561.603.6154 the French tradition of making buche for chores, create a menu of special paid www.atlantisacademy.com de Noel, a traditional cake resembling jobs to choose from (i.e., raking leaves, a log. Decorate it with “snow” by washing windows, etc.). Pool everyone’s Atlantis Academy is proudly accredited by SACS and CASI, an accrediting division of AdvancED. 18 December 2016 | PB Parenting | Atlantis Academy does not discriminate against any applicant due to race, sex, religion or national origin.

AA-PBeach Ad 5x4.indd 1 8/19/16 12:21 PM Everyone helps research recipes, make chocolate stand, asking for donations 24. Mix up a batch of reindeer dust (red Gardens School of Technology Arts a list of ingredients, shop for supplies, to your favorite charity. and green glitter mixed with dried Educating Young Innovators for the 21st Century bake, clean up and eat the tasty results! 20. Take back an old-fashioned tradition oats) and sprinkle it on your front Open House 15. During your baking sessions, make and go Christmas caroling. Invite lawn so Rudolph and his flying, Jan. 31, 5:30-6:30 pm extra treats to share. Take a cookie neighbors to join in the fun, with hot antlered-gang can find your house on tray to your local fire department and chocolate and cookies back at your . K-8 Charter School Technology Infusion thank them for their service. Or divvy house to cap off the songfest. 25. Prepare a special treat for Christmas Creative Learning Tools up cookies into treat bags and deliver 21. No Snow in Florida? No problem! Let breakfast, whether it’s something Small School Environment them to a few neighbors. the kids have a flour fight outside and simple (such as fresh-squeezed 9153 Roan Lane • PBG Attend a community holiday event watch them giggle as they cover each orange juice and cinnamon toast) 16. 561.290.7661 (such as a concert, play, or parade) other in clouds of white. or something more indulgent (like and bring a lonely relative, friend or 22. Rewrite the lyrics to a favorite holiday mulled and a sausage-and- mysota.net neighbor with you. tune by putting your own’ family’s spin egg casserole). Let your kids sleep near the Christmas on it. (“On the twelfth day of Christmas, 17. With just a bit of intentional planning, you tree one night, nodding off to the soft my mother gave to me, 12 light sabers can slow down the pace of your holiday glow of tree lights, with holiday music dueling, 11 markers drawing, 10 dogs season and create a memory-filled month lulling them into a yuletide dreamland. a-barking….”) your kids won’t forget. 18. Create a new tradition, such as buying 23. Create a Christmas scavenger hunt a ornament that at home, using holiday items and Lisa Beach is a freelance writer, humorist and represents a special family moment decorations around the house. recovering homeschooling mom who lived to from this past year or allowing kids to Conclude with a family game night write about it. Check out her website at www. open one gift on Christmas Eve. after the kids put back their collected LisaBeachWrites.com and visit her humor 19. Instead of a lemonade stand, host a hot treasures. blog at www.TweeniorMoments.com.

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