November 25, 2014

Santa Letter Writing Program

November 25, 2014/ Kamerine

Do your kids write a letter to Santa or are they like mine and cut up the toy catalogs and say they want everything? This year, as part of our 25 activities in December, I'm going to help my 3- and 5-year old write a letter to Santa. It'll help focus them and hopefully show them they can WANT everything but they certainly can't HAVE everything! We'll be using the templates from Canada Post (on their website HERE) so that we include some info about the kids and not just a list of things they want.

Over 6000 elves are working away, answering every letter received before December 16th, in more than 30 languages... incredible! Watch the video to see more:

Some things to remember:

include your mailing address so your child will get a letter back
mail by December 16th
you don't need a stamp!

Santa's address: SANTA CLAUS NORTH POLE H0H 0H0 CANADA

Thank you to Canada Post for this wonderful program to keep the magic alive. Will your child be writing to Santa?

November 24, 2014

Real or Fake: The Lowdown on Christmas Trees

November 24, 2014/ Misty Pratt

I grew up in a family that always had a real Christmas tree. Every year we'd head over to the local Christmas tree lot (and I think we occasionally cut it down ourselves), and picked out the finest looking tree to fit in our low-ceiling family room. We also purchased that horrible tinsel stuff, and burned real logs in our fire place - soooo eco-friendly!!

I've never understood the need for plastic trees, but I recently heard that a plastic tree might be more environmentally friendly than chopping one down. Instead of packing away the saw, I decided to do some research to see whether this was true. Where better to find out about the green-ness of your tree than the David Suzuki website!

This Green Holiday Guide compares real Christmas trees with plastic ones. The verdict? Real Christmas trees are a more sustainable option than their plastic counterparts unless you plan on using your fake tree for 20 years or more OR you have to drive really far to find a real tree.

So I breathed a sigh of relief, and we'll plan our annual trip to a local Christmas tree farm to cut ours down (and let's be honest, the hot chocolate at the end of the trip is the best part). For me, there's nothing that beats that real tree smell! It even trumps the million pine needles that clog my vacuum every year!

Want to have even less of an impact on the environment? David Suzuki suggests purchasing a potted tree, an indoor pine, or starting your own Christmas tree farm. Also consider buying local, at a farm that minimizes pesticide use. Here's a great list of local tree farms around Ottawa - give them a call to see what their practices are like!

And if you must purchase that fake tree (I get it, I get it - sometimes they ARE easier!) than make sure it's a good one that you'll use for a loooong time. And avoid toxic PVC plastic if you can.

So what do you think? Real or fake?

November 23, 2014

Will Stroet Rocks!

November 23, 2014/ Misty Pratt

We had a fantastic time at the Will Stroet concert today, and really enjoyed his Backyard Band. The concert was bilingual, and included English, French and even some Spanish in the songs.

I liked how small the venue was, and the kids were able to run around and dance without worrying about crowding people in their seats. If I had one complaint, it's that it was too loud for little ears!

Another highlight was a mini-show from Rock the Arts, a local puppet company. It took me back to my Fraggle Rock days :) The girls were in stitches over the hilarious puppets!

We danced the afternoon away, and the girls were asleep by 7 p.m.!

November 17, 2014

My Letter to the Big Guy

November 17, 2014/ Misty Pratt

Santa is for everyone, right? The young, and the young at heart! Do you write a letter to Santa? Even just a quick one in your head? I dug up this gem from my blog several years ago, and it makes me laugh. With two young children to dress in snowsuits, I don't think I'll be making the same wish this year :)

Dearest Santa Claus,

When I was 12, I asked you to bring me an Ouija Board....and you did. Thank you for all of those terrifying nights spent with my girlfriends, contacting the dearly departed and causing the heads to break off of our parent's cherub angel figurine.

When I was 14, I asked you to bring me Blue Rodeo's Five Days in July CD....and you did. Thank you for allowing me to hear the most beautiful song in the world - Dark Angel. To this day, whenever I am sad, I only need to listen to this song to be lifted up (listen here).

When I was 24, I asked you to help me through a difficult time...and you did. 25 came, and I conquered my fears and moved on with my life.

When I was 28, I asked you to give me strength, and help me know how to raise a child we hadn't planned for. And you did...our little girl seems so grown up this Christmas, and we're feeling like proud parents who finally know what they're doing (sort of).

This year I'm 31. Life seems somehow more hectic and more stable, all at once. So what do I want for Christmas this year?

I've realized that wishing for world peace won't make it happen. I've realized that wishing for the Canadian Government to honour our Kyoto commitments won't happen. I've realized that wishing for our healthcare system to catch up to the research is going to take some time. And I've realized that I can't save everybody - that there will always be suffering in the world.

So I'm asking for something really simple this year. It's not too hard...a little moisture in the air. A temperature below 0 degrees Celsius....and a BIG, HUGE DUMP OF SNOW. I'm talking like 50cm. Preferably before Christmas Eve day; before my family travels all this way to visit us.

That's all I want for Christmas this year Santa Claus....can you help me?

Love,

Misty

November 13, 2014

Welcome back, Tag Along Toys! (Sponsor)

November 13, 2014/ Guest User

by Karen We're so excited to have Tag Along Toys back with us on Kids in the Capital. For a few reasons:

TOYS!
Patti Taggart, the owner, is so smart and fabulous with kids - her stores are amazing. (Yes, I said storeS - more on that soon.)
We get to talk about Frozen - and who out there does not have a little one who loves Elsa and Anna? (Okay, probably some do. I'm not one of them!)
Did I mention toys? (The gift-giving marathon is just around the corner!)

Before Patti started Tag Along Toys, she was an early childhood educator (ECE). She's still teaching other ECEs and using her knowledge to provide parents a place to go where their kids can get tools to play, be creative, and learn. I could spend hours just looking. I am not even kidding. I go to Tag Along regularly without Brandon so I can. ;)

Brandon-Elsa-Anna Now for some exciting news. Just 3 months ago, Patti opened up a second location for Tag Along at Blue Heron Mall on Bank Street. This weekend, she's invited the lovely Elsa and Anna to come to the store and hang out with your kids. My son turned into a little shy guy at the Kanata store last weekend when he saw them. :)