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7 days of Christmas elf antics!
Here are the places and activities Tinkles and Ginger have been up to over the 7 days since getting out of quarantine…
Day one – found sitting on the Christmas tree that they brought down from the attic! There was a letter from Santa and a gift for the kids hidden near by.
Day two – Tinkles and baby Ginger were found in the kitchen sitting on top of a tin Christmas tree they had made!
Day three – It took a bit longer to find the elves this morning, although they were hiding in plain sight! We eventually found them sitting in a photo frame on the mantlepiece.
Day four – Tinkles was doing the splits – there has been discussion whether she was using the weights for support or was lifting weights whilst doing the splits! Ginger was resting on top of a larger weight.
Day five – Ginger was lying in the cutlery drawer with the soup spoons, whilst Tinkles sat in the Lego garage.
Day six – It appears Tinkles was missing the North Pole as we found her wrapped in a Christmas tea-towel inside the fridge! Ginger, on the other hand, took much longer to spot in our popcorn container in the pantry. However, by the time the kids got home from school, she was sitting in a bowl of popped popcorn!
Day seven – Apparently Tinkles is now a bat…
What has your elf been up to so far this year?
Christmas acts of kindness
Christmas is such a good time for random acts of kindness – and of course, random acts count as good deeds for Santa to notice and earn a spot on his nice list!
As well as getting on Santa’s nice list, doing kind things for others is an important lesson for children.
What random acts of kindness can children be involved in for Christmas?
There are many things kids can do for others. It is up to your locality, family needs and interests, and your children’s ages and personalities as to what will work best for you. You may do one act a number of times or a different kindness every day, or something in between!
- at school, they can make the effort to sit with someone different at lunchtime or invite the quiet kids to come and play
- set a rule that everyone they see that day gets a smile, no matter what! A smile can make a huge difference to someone else’s mood and happiness
- sort through their toys, books and clothes then donate those they no longer need and want
- take them shopping to choose gifts to give to a wishing tree or similar
- get them involved in donating food to a shelter or charity giving to homeless – even a packet or pasta each into the box near the registers of many supermarkets lets them give
- kids can help fill and drop off a handbag of things for Sharing the Dignity (distributed to women who are homeless or escaping domestic violence)
- paint some kindness rocks and deliver them to neighbours’ letterboxes or in a local park, etc
- make and deliver Christmas cards to thanks people for their Christmas lights and decorations the kids enjoy
- leave bubble wands, yoyos or skipping ropes hidden at a park for kids to find
- pick up rubbish in your area
- get them to help an elderly neighbour do some chores
- if they have saved some money, encourage them to pay something forward or donate to an organisation they choose
- make homemade bon bons (include a note and may a hankie, chocolate, joke, or other small token) and donate to nursing home residents
- pay it forward (at the counter, pay for someone else’s coffee, lunch, groceries, petrol, haircut or whatever. You can make it random or let the kids choose someone who likes like they ned it. Someone this year paid for about 80 families’ laybys in a Bendigo toy store!)
An alternative way is to leave some coins in a vending machine or a parking metre - make gifts or cards to hand out to people in a nursing home
- give food/blankets to an animal shelter
- cook some treats for your neighbours, a nursing home or the local police or fire station
- volunteer at a library to read to little children to give parents a break – or play with them as many libraries have some toys or pencils out these days.
- tidy up some graves in a local cemetery or leave some flowers
- hand cards (maybe with a small gift, scratchie, or money inside) to strangers
or neighbours who could do with a boost- deliver a food hamper to an indigenous or immigrant centre or co-op
- write a positive note and leave it in a library book, letterbox, car windscreen or a sheltered seat for anyone to find
- leave some coins at a kids ride at the shopping centre so someone else can have a ride
- take some chocolates or flowers to the staff in the supermarket, pharmacy, or school office
- offer to play with neighbour or friends children so the parents can get some tasks done (like wrapping presents maybe!) If an adult is willing, you can make it a full babysitting offer and let the parents go out
- leave a card or gift at the letterbox for your postie
- help someone carry shopping to car or unload trolley
- donate blood – kids can’t do this yet but watching you do it is a lesson learned and sets up blood supplies for the future! Maybe they can find a way to encourage others to donate blood or do something nice for the nurses or donors
- give money to a busker – maybe a positive note as well
- spend some time with someone – a quick chat in a shopping centre or on the street could make a huge difference to someone lonely. And most people love having kids chat to them!
- have a card to give people serving you in shops and cafes to say thank you – ideally with a tip or treat inside to help compensate for their lost hours from COVID lockdowns
- get some vouchers for local cafes and the like, and pop them in some random letterboxes with a note or Christmas card – this is a lovely surprise for the recipients but also helpful for the businesses
drop a box of chocolates or a Christmas grazing platter into your local police, fire or ambulance station with a thank you message- give a local charity your Saturday afternoon
- make a food hamper for a family in need
- invite a single person round for dinner
- bring in your neighbours’ bins or pull some weeds out of their garden
- donate to give a sick child a Christmas Care Pack in hospital. Kids with cancer prepares these packs for $20 and you can add a personal message to the kids,
- support local businesses eg offer to do a letterbox drop of their flyers, give some online reviews
- support our defence forces by sending a care package to troops currently deployed away from home – the Defence Force stopped taking donations on 12 November this year, but the RSL is still accepting them.
- put a coin in a shopping trolley, or hand yours when you’re finished
- give a bunch of flowers to someone who looks stressed – mums with young kids come to mind!
- take some water or a snack to tradies working in the area, especially on a hot day
- hold the door open for others – let the kids stand there and do it for a number of people rather than just as you walk through. Add a smile to each person and it is a lovely, simple gift
- write positive messages on the footpath in chalk – I know it made me smile to see rainbows and similar on footpaths during lockdown.
collect some school resources for kids in need (individual kids locally or remote schools that struggle to have enough supplies) – kids can take left overs from their own pencil boxes, school left overs, ask neighbours and friends, ask stationery shops for donations, or buy new things.- visit some people in a nursing home, retirement village, rehabilitation centre or hospital (restrictions allowing) – possibly take some flowers, a home made picture or some cakes to share
- leave some baby wipes, nappies, a toddler book, or a treat in a parents room at a shopping centre
- have some cards or thank you notes ready to give to people delivering things to your house
- ask for charitable gifts instead of more toys – maybe an Oxfam card that gives a chicken to a poor family or a UNICEF card to help schooling Indigenous children, a donation to a charity, or sponsor a child
That’s 51 ideas to get you started, and I’d love for you to share more ideas in the comments!
A Christmas memory ~ Christmas book review
A Christmas Memory 
by Truman Capote
Perfection Learning, USA, 2000
(original 1956)
Age group
5-9 year olds, and above really
Format
36 page book
Whilst I have not read Breakfast at Tiffany’s, this Christmas book by the same author intrigued me so I got a copy and read it.
The story
Two cousins live together amongst unwelcoming relatives but make beautiful Christmas memories together.
My review
The story is surprisingly short (I ordered it online and was surprised at the thinness of it when it arrived!) but it is beautifully written and heart warming.
Written in the first person by a seven year old boy known as Buddy, it tells the tale of a simple life for Buddy and his sixty-something cousin. We do not get her name, nor Buddy’s real name in the story, nor do we get any background as to why they are living in this large house with other nameless relatives.
Their Christmas traditions are central to their lives – they work at making money all year to be able to buy fruitcake ingredients for some people they fancy (including Mrs Roosevelt!) – and they spend many hours preparing the fruitcakes, making gifts and decorations, and gathering a Christmas tree.
The book is full of love and warmth, even if their lives aren’t. There is the generosity of the scary Mr Haha, the friend’s longing to give Buddy something special, Buddy’s comfort when his friend gets in trouble, and their appreciation of spending time together. The story is not all happy, but it is peaceful and I finished it feeling good despite the sadness.
Very young children will not follow the story, and there are no pictures, but there is nothing inappropriate so the book can be read to all ages without concern.
The version of the book I read includes some exercises afterwards. Focussing on vocabulary and themes within the story, these are interesting to review or could start some family discussions. Or use it as a Christmas themed homework activity for older children!
Although originally published in 1956 in a magazine and then within Breakfast at Tiffany’s, this story has not dated or gone out of style. It is autobiographical so Buddy’s name is therefore Truman!) and his cousin is Miss Sook Falk.
Would I recommend A Christmas memory? Yes, this is a lovely story from Capote. And it is a quick read for those not wanting a long book.
Gifting money
Giving money as a gift can be very practical, but looks a bit boring.
Teenagers, people setting up a new life, someone moving away, being unable to shop easily (hello lock downs and remote living!) are all good reasons that giving money may be a suitable gift choice.
Making cash more fun!
Here are some ideas for making a money gift more fun…
- Add a sticker to the notes to create Santa dollars! With our plastic notes in Australia, a sticker should peel off easily enough (but you may want to test it!) for actually spending the money so it’s just a little extra cheer.
In the USA, Santa Dollars are accepted as legal tender – special Santa stickers are added to notes (and look like they are part of the note) and sold for a bit above their value so charities raise funds with a little Christmas fun. - Put it into an explosion box – these are boxes that basically form layers so it looks like a gift and is fun to open! They can be simple layers or fancier with messages and notes attached as well. You can buy them, make them from kits or make them from scratch.
- Create an origami box to make it a bit more personal and pretty.
- Put the money inside a frame as part of a display
- Fill a jar with lollies or chocolates, and pop the cash in the middle. If you can hold a secret, it may take them a while to realise the gift was more than the lollies!
Tip – you can use a toilet roll holder to keep the cash separate to the money
Idea – instead of a generic jar, you could fill a drink bottle or a vase instead so the ‘jar’ is also a gift. Or you could get a clear bauble and fill it with tinsel or lollies and the cash. - Hide the money in between the pages of a book – make sure the recipient is likely to read the book soon though! Or you could even cut out holes inside the pages to hide more money without bulging the covers
- If the money is for a specific theme (eg to help someone saving for a house or car, or to buy a new backpack or clothes), package the money in with something relevant. So wrap some dollar notes around a bottle of car polish, inside a pair of hiking socks, or in a bag from their favourite clothing shop.
What other ways can cash be presented as a fun gift?
Actually, we have a heap more ideas and will post them soon!
Blue Peter advent crown memory
I remember watching the TV show Blue Peter as a kid. That was in England – I’m not sure if you watched it in Australia.
I always knew it was almost Christmas when Blue Peter started lighting candle on the candle garland (or maybe it was called an advent crown?) It was made of metal coat hangers and tinsel, and so many kids I knew made one at least once!
If you would like to create an advent crown of your own, the Blue Peter site has the instructions.
Lighting the candles at school
When I was first teaching, the school had an advent crown which the Head would light during assembly.
One year she lit the candle nearest to her then reached to light one further away, setting her sleeve on fire in the process. She was TOTALLY unaware of what she had done!
The pianist leapt up and patted her sleeve fire out, only to be greeted by the Head saying indignantly, “Mrs ***** what on earth are you doing. Stop it!!!!”
Such was the children’s fear/love (or whatever it was) of the Head, not one of them laughed, gasped or did anything – unlike the staff who were biting their cheeks! True story – one of many!!!
December and summer have arrived!
It is the first of December and that means summer and Christmas!
We woke this morning to find a wreath on our door, with a Christmas mat in front of the door and the excitement that only December can bring!
Christmas elves
Do you think they giving us a hint by bringing the Christmas tree and decorations down and sitting on them? Of course, now we can’t put up the tree until tomorrow when they get off it!
Tinkles and Ginger are back out of quarantine!
There was also a letter from Santa and a gift for each of the children, including a silver bracelet for my daughter (the relevance of which is revealed below!!)
Advent calendars
Of course, it also means the start of advent calendars. This year, we have a simple chocolate calendar for my son (who also got a special gift) and a combination of calendars for my daughter. She is getting a bracelet advent calendar and a 12-day candle calendar – each candle has another element of her bracelet.
Strawberry condensed milk biscuits
With the glut of strawberries this year and their bright red colour, it seemed a good ingredient to try baking with this Christmas… I hope you enjoy these easy-to-make, no-egg strawberry biscuits.
Red & white summer Christmas biscuits
Ingredients
228g unsalted butter, softened
1 tin (395g) condensed milk – about 2 cups
4 teaspoons vanilla essence
2 cups plain flour
4 teaspoons bicarb soda (or baking powder will work)
3 drops red food colouring (optional)
225g strawberries
3/4 cup white chocolate chips/bits
3 tablespoons green sanding or sparkling sugar (optional)
Method
Cut up the strawberries into 6 to 8 chunks:
Turn on the oven at 160°C, and grease a biscuit tray.
Cream the butter until it is a light yellow colour.
Add the condensed milk and vanilla, then mix thoroughly.
Stir in the flour and bicarb soda.
Gently fold in the strawberries and chocolate chips. Then add in the food colouring and mix lightly so you get a marbled effect. Alternatively, to have all red biscuits, add in the food colouring before the strawberries and chocolate. And add more food colouring if you want brighter red biscuits!
Put tablespoons of biscuit dough onto the tray.
Sprinkle green sanding sugar over the biscuits to complete the Christmas colours. However, simple red and white biscuits are just as pretty if you don’t have any sanding sugar or don’t want the added sugar!
Pop them in the oven for about 10 minutes.
Cool on a baking tray for about 5 minutes.
I hope you enjoy these Christmassy biscuits! If they work out well, we’d love for you to share some photos.
The Lighthouse Keeper’s Christmas – Christmas book review
The Lighthouse Keeper’s Christmas
by Ronda Armitage
illustrated by David Armitage
Scholastic Ltd, London, 2014 (first 2002)
Age group:
Format: 32 page picture book
Have you read stories about Mr Grinling, the lighthouse keeper? It is a popular book and this Christmas addition to the series is welocme for many fans!
The story
Mr Grinling is about to retire from being a Lighthouse Keeper so he and his great-nephew George clean and decorate the lighthouse for Christmas, only to get trapped there by a storm.
My review
For those who have read about Mr Grinling the lighthouse keeper before, this is a lovely Christmas addition to the series started over 30 years ago. In all, there are 8 lighthouse keeper books by Ronda and David Armitage.
The pair write letters to Santa, even a last minute one which stuck to a window, and see a response. As an adult, I did wonder if it would be safe enough for Santa to visit the lighthouse in that storm, or if it perhaps would have been better to let George know they would get stockings when they go back to the mainland if Santa didn’t make it to the lighthouse.
Mrs Grinling discovers they are trapped and does her best to bring Christmas to them. Even the seagulls got into the spirit of Christmas by helping the Christmas lunch arrive at the lighthouse!
I can’t avoid mentioning there were some inconsistencies we noticed – one basket produced two roasts, a dish of vegetables, bonbons and more; Mrs G sent food over twice, but didn’t notice one load was lost so there was little food overnight (made it more exciting though!); the seagulls were altruistic for Christmas but mindless when they took lost food. Children won’t worry about these details and they didn’t detract from the story, but I did notice them.
Would I recommend The Lighthouse Keeper’s Christmas? Yes! This is a lovely story, with positive lessons, happy pictures and some Santa magic so I think it is great for many ages.
Elves are back… in quarantine!
They’re back! It’s one week to December and that means 7 day quarantine starts today!
Our elves, Tinkles and Ginger, arrived overnight and are isolating in our family room. They brought their own sanitiser, tissues and toilet paper, plus a sleeping bag to stay comfy.
Even though there are no COVID cases in the North Pole and our borders are opening up, Santa and our elves decided a quarantine period was still a good idea. Or maybe Tinkles and Ginger just wanted an excuse to spend another week watching us!
Obviously, quarantine is not an easy word so Tinkles struggled spelling it before giving up and writing they will be alone for 7 days! Here is her note:
“7 day quarantine (alone) then we play! Love Tinkles & Ginger”
Has your elf made an appearance for 2021 yet?
The crayons’ Christmas ~ Christmas book review
The Crayons’ Christmas 
by Drew Daywalt
Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
HarperCollins Children’s Books, Great Britain, October 2019
Age group
5-10 year olds
Format
32 page hardcover book
I have enjoyed reading The Day the Crayons Quit and the Day the Crayons Came Home, so I loved the idea of watching the crayons at Christmas as well – and I wasn’t disappointed!
The story
Duncan’s box of crayons are having fun in the lead up to Christmas and receiving letters and parcels. In each envelope for a crayon is something for readers to find and play with…
My review
Our crayon friends are enjoying December. They make Christmas cards, sing Christmas carols, put up Christmas decorations, wrap presents and even put on a Christmas play. All activities children may be doing at home and school as well, which makes it relatable for them to read. Although a day playing in the snow is not that common in Australia just before Christmas!
The envelopes and parcels include things like a paper crayon with clothes (this one made me laugh), a game board, some Christmas decorations to hang, and a dreidel.
I love the hidden bits of humour throughout the book and activities. For instance, in the Great Crayon Holiday Race, you could loose your wrapper, melt to underwear or have Picasso admire your artwork! Not to mention melting away from stress and an aged candy cane. I did cringe at a dad joke or two though…
There are actually a few reminders about being nice to each other as well – gaining moves in the game through being considerate, giving gifts, and sharing gifts.
The world tour map from some travelling crayons is, ah, interesting! Who knew the Great Wall of China was in Africa? But the continents are correctly labelled so it can be a useful map for discussions around the world and where landmarks actually belong.
{Spoiler alert} At the end, the crayons gave Duncan a special Christmas gift in the form of a Christmas tree pop up
Would I recommend The crayon’s Christmas? Yes, I heartily recommend this book for a range of ages as it is fun, made me laugh and has additional activities and surprises within. A great Christmas gift or addition to your Christmas bookshelf.
Deck the halls ~ Christmas movie review
A cold night called for a movie so we tried a Danny De Vito Christmas movie and had a few laughs.
Deck the halls
Movie duration: 1 hour 33 minutes
Movie made: December 2006
Buddy Hall (played by Danny De Vito) and his family move next door to a small town optometrist, Steve Finch (Matthew Broderick).
Steve is a quiet man who likes things just so. Steve is the local Christmas day, helping the ton run their Winterfest each year. Buddy is more extraverted and gets bored quickly.
Buddy’s daughters discover you can see houses on Google Earth – but buddy’s new house isn’t showing. So he reacts by adding some Christmas lights to his house so it becomes more visible! Of course, it becomes extreme and attracts a lot of attention to their street. Steve predictably doesn’t appreciate the lights nor the attention…
The house really was lit up, using 14,300 LED lights! They made a digital skin over the roof. Yet, the satellite still couldn’t pick up the house… 
There are a number of incidents between the two men, and they become very competitive including a Stephen Bradbury moment to amuse us Aussies! Their wives, meanwhile, become friends and get annoyed with their husbands’ behaviour. A family Christmas is now threatened for both Buddy and Steve.
Would I recommend Deck the Halls? There were some funny moments and some sweet bits. Despite the big names in the cast, it’s not the greatest Christmas movie but is fun to watch. And the ending is really pretty. In the words of my 11 year old, it was ok but not really a big plot to it.
Food Christmas wreath
I wanted to share the Christmas wreath I made last year.
I like bright colours, as you can probably tell, and love Christmas so I had a great time making this.
It is food themed so there are lots of gingerbread people and macaroons (shop bought decorations) with some candy cane twists, cherries and red, green and candy cane striped ribbons. I also added a red bell at the bottom. And, of course, the words Merry Christmas across the middle.
I am really proud of how it turned out – what do you think of it? I haven’t decided yet on my theme for this year – any ideas?
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