Thursday, December 3, 2015

Should We Give Our Kids Christmas Presents?

*Sigh*

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, but somehow (removing all religion from the equation, that is a whole new blog post) the gift-giving part has been diminished. Stampedes in Walmart, 2:00 am mall shopping, and the stress of advertised but unavailable tech toys blows the circuits of our Christmas sparkle.

That being said,there is something magical about decorating the tree with lights and ornaments with our loved ones. Making or purchasing presents for our near and dear and placing them under the tree is a lovely tradition. Giving a token of our feelings can bring us closer.

The wise men, or Magi, (okay, so I am touching on the religious side of it after all) brought presents to the manger. Signs of devotion and love.

Doing charity work during the holidays and getting your kids involved is a wonderful and important idea. It helps them to know how lucky they are, and how to help those that are in need. It also lets them them know that Christmas in not only about getting, but giving, too. My son helps with a small drive for St. Jude's hospital every year. We also collect canned goods and donate books, food, and Thanksgiving baskets to local charities. I recently read an article by a woman who wrote that she was not going to give her kids any gifts for Christmas this year. Instead they were going to do charity work. Another said they were giving their children the gift of experiences in lieu of toys, because they simply had too much stuff around the house.

I love my family and friends more than words can say, and on this one day a year this is how I choose to show them I love them.

Do they know I love them?

Of course. I spend time with them throughout the year doing things they like to do. I help them if they need me and they do the same in return--and not only during the holidays.

In my humble opinion, a gift of love at Christmastime is a wonderful thing. Try not to get hung up in the commercialism of the times, and choose and give with love and cheer. I will continue to give gifts as long as I am able because it is just one of the ways that I am able to tell people I love them.

xo

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Happy December! Our Favorite Christmas Movies

Welcome to the most wonderful time of the year!

The decorations right after Halloween were a bit too much for me, but now I am ready.

I was thinking of my favorite Christmas movies, and ELF is at the top of the list. Yep--the protagonist has his share of issues: being bigger than all the other Christmas elves, trying to find his real father, not quite fitting in, and being eternally and almost annoyingly optimistic--but though it all we are laughing and rooting for him. We do not have to sit through 85 minutes of depression to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel--or in this case at the top of the tree.

(Click above video for background music ;) )I also love A Charlie Brown Christmas. Believe it or not, that cartoon is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. I love the quiet of the Peanuts cartoons, and the problems they have. Charlie Brown knew the gang was going to give him a hard time about the tree--but he got it anyway. One of the best parts of the show is the gang dancing to Schroeder's piano playing before the rehearsal. Oh! The wild abandon. Plus, I think everyone in the world has mimicked at least one of those dances. And I think we can safely say that the music, written by Vince Guaraldi, may be one of the best scores EVER. For a cartoon, TV show, movie. Anything.

I also love How the Grinch Stole Christmas--the original cartoon version by Dr. Seuss. I am not a big fan of preachy or lessony stories--but this one is close to perfect. When the Grinch's heart grows three times I feel like mine does too. Plus, his little dog/ reindeer sidekick is one of the cutest pets depicted in a show.

I am happy December is here even though my son is almost 19. I will still be watching my favorite shows, cartoons included.

xo

P.S. Maybe I am the only one on the earth--but I do not like It's a Wonderful Life. Please don't hate me.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Downloadable Turkeys!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Since I won't be eating any turkey tomorrow I drew some that you can download and color--one for the big kids (and adults, let's be real) and one for the little ones.

For the little ones

For the older set, and adults.

Have a wonderful day!

xo

Monday, November 23, 2015

Kid Art, Creativity, and How-To Kitty

Pablo Picasso said, "We are all born artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up."

So true!

Children gain self-esteem and emotional fulfillment when they are allowed to create without judgement.

They do not have preconceived notions or endless loops of internal negativity to get in the way of their thinking.

If we foster the creativity in a child we are allowing them to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The Whole Child of PBS states: "The experiences a child has during their first years of life can enhance their creativity."

For all those parents out there that want to do art with their kids but think I do not have a creative bone in my body--maybe you do, but need a little help finding it.

Make it easy. Get some paper and some pencils, crayons, or paint and go for it. Don't worry about the result. Enjoy the moment and just go for it.

For those that need a bit of a nudge, here are some prompts:

* A lovely November morning
* A yellow bird
* A cup of tea
* A monster in the closet
* A rocket ship in space
* A new planet
* A flower no one has ever seen before
* Constellations in the night sky
* Your pet
* A pet you wish you could have
* A cool car
* Snow flakes with faces

Choose any of these items and draw one on a page, a few, or 50. Just have fun.

And here is a quick how-to for Kiki the Cat :) Show me your version when you are done!

xo

Kiki starts with two circles, kind of like a snowman, except the bigger one is for her head! (Only slightly bigger--mine almost look the same size and that is fine.) Draw lightly here because you will be erasing some of these lines later.

Now draw some VERY light guidelines on her face so you know where to put her eyes and nose.

Her face is looking right at us, so her nose will be right in the center, on the lower guideline.

Make the nose with just a tiny triangle, and then draw another short time down from the bottom point of her nose. Then draw the top of her mouth--it looks like two very shallow Us. Her eyes fit between the top and bottom guidelines. My Kiki will be looking to the right. (Her head is facing forward, but her eyes are looking off to the side.)

Lightly draw two triangles on her head for ears. If you draw them wide apart she will look calm, if you draw them more on top of her head she will look alert, or surprised.

Her front paws are just small ovals with the tops of the ovals erased. Her back paws are kind of like parenthesis with tiny cat toes. Her tail looks a bit like a large backwards C.

She's starting to look like Kiki now!

Now we can darken the lines and make her look fluffy. I also left some white spots in her eyes for highlights, and lines under her for a shadow. I also added some very light whiskers and I shaded part of her ears.

Voila! Kiki!

I will be adding more Kiki how-tos in the weeks to come.

I'd love to see what you draw!

Friday, November 20, 2015

Make This Adorable HAPPY BOX From a Cereal Box

Just a quick weekend post to show off this great craft from a cereal box by Craiftingeek!

You will need:

A cereal box

An Exacto knife

Glue

Decorative paper

Glitter and other crafty decorations

I thought this was great, and of course you can update it in whatever fashion you choose. Flowers, under the sea, holiday--the sky's the limit!

Have fun!

xo

Thursday, November 19, 2015

A Visit From a Deer

I was talking to a friend as I was driving home last week. I looked left and saw a deer approaching my car.

I slowed down, worried that he might run in front of me.

He didn't run out, in fact he walked right up to my window. I felt like he would have gotten in the car if I opened the door.

"He's literally inches from me," I said to my friend.

"Get the camera! Take a picture!" she said. I'm glad she did, I would have just stared at him.

I moved a bit and he started to walk away, but I was able to snap a few shots.

His mate started to run and hopped the fence, and he followed.

I felt like he had a message for me. My friend said it was a very special blessing.

I had to agree.

xo

Monday, November 16, 2015

My Book Shelves and The Shelfie Hop

I looked around this weekend and realized there is not one corner of my house that does not feature some type of books.

I have The Great Artists (van Gogh, Raphael, El Greco, etc.) under a coffee table, paperbacks (tons of Stephen King, 100 Years of Solitude) in a tiny bookcase in the living room, and hardcover biographies of Tim Burton, Kurt Cobain, Charles Addams and Edward Gorey in the armoire.

My son has floating shelves from MoMA that give his room a very modern look.

(I also realized he is more well read than I am at this point, and he is only 18. Kurt Vonnegut, Ulysses, Nabokov, Tolkien, Cormack McCarthy, and C.S. Lewis are few that he read in the last year.)

Buy MoMA Floating Book Shelves HERE

Some first editions (Bram Stokers Dracula), my book 100 Unfortunate Days, and other antiques sit between beautiful cut out tree books ends.

Buy cut tree bookends HERE

There are more books resting in piles on the floor, piled neatly on tables, and tucked into corners. I only posted four pix--I had to stop somewhere.

Just wanted to share.

xo