Dear Santa… I’m not a greedypants

Kristen Widenmaier November 19, 2012

I Want, I Need, I’ll Wear, I’ll Read

Found this on Pinterest the other day and I love it! It’s so easy, especially when you have littles, to end up going a bit nuts at Christmas. Without a clear plan, you can end up with way too much before you know it. Our two little guys are only just starting to make their own lists, but it’s still a great benchmark for us as parents to keep things in check. (Besides, they have grandparents on both sides who are going to spoil them up to their ears and I’d prefer to have a little space left in my house!)

For older kids that do make their own lists, having a guideline like this helps pare down the gimmies and force them to think about something other than just what the latest commercial convinced them they have to have. I especially like the idea of including reading material in the gift giving traditions – probably the teacher part of me, but it’s sooo important for reading to be viewed as enjoyable and not as a chore.

Actually, I think this is a good way for anyone to make their list. As adults, I think a lot of us have the opposite problem – we end up just asking for necessities and feel silly asking for something that is purely a want, or for setting aside time to read purely for pleasure. So, what is YOUR want, need, wear, and read?

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EMC News: Youngsters are elves for a day at Santa’s Workshop

Kristen Widenmaier November 16, 2012

Posted Nov 15, 2012 By EMC News

EMC News – Santa Claus will be coming to Perth in the annual parade on Dec. 1, but there will be some little elves hard at work that day as well.

Maple Key Day Camp will be hosting their fourth annual Santa’s Workshop for children ages four to 12, who will be busy elves for a day making gifts for their friends or family members.

“We set up a series of gift making stations, with supplies and a staff helper at each one,” says Kristen Widenmaier, owner and director of Maple Key Day Camp. “The kids get to go around to each one and learn unique crafts that can then be given as gifts.”

The elves are free to create at their own speed, moving from station to station to create their special gifts.

The day is rounded out with a few holiday games, a pizza lunch, snacks, ornament craft, and of course a gift wrapping and card making station.

What is an exciting day for the children is also great for parents. “Most of the parents take this opportunity to go Christmas shopping while the kids are with us,” Widenmaier says, “then they pick them up in time for the parade.”

Santa’s Workshop is being held on Saturday, Dec. 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Church in Perth. Spaces are still available, and advance registration is required. For more information please go to www.maplekeydaycamp.com or call (613) 464-2468.

Article originally posted on Perth EMC website

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A Better Advent Calendar

Kristen Widenmaier November 14, 2012

As soon as Halloween is over, the stores are swarmed with advent calendars. Winnie the Pooh, Dora, Ninja Turtles, you name it… all with those awful tasteless chocolates in them.

I’ve always loved advent calendars – even as a kid it was never really about the chocolate as much as the counting down to Christmas (ok…. maybe it was a little bit about the chocolate). But the store-bought ones are cheap quality, cheap tasting, and certainly don’t look very cute sitting out on the mantle. So I did a little browsing, and here are some goodies I found. Try making one of these with your family this year!

This advent calendar replaces the candy with holiday activities to do as a family.

This one is similar to the last, but a lot simpler to put together and you probably already have all the supplies in your house. A list of activities for this one too!

This advent calendar idea is so multipurpose – you can hang it as a garland, put them on the tree or scatter them all over the house. PLUS you can put just about anything in it (even books!) and it’s very reusable year after year.

If you are like me and are super crafty and actually have Mod Podge in your house, you might consider making this one (it DOES have printables!)

And because I’m all about doing more with less… an advent calendar made entirely from the recycle bin. Awesome!

And while you’re counting down to Christmas – don’t forget that Santa’s Workshop kicks off the countdown on December 1st.

What will you use as your advent calendar this year?

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Santa’s Workshop: A Play-By-Play

Kristen Widenmaier October 31, 2012

So, you’re interested in sending your kids to Santa’s Workshop, but you’d like a better idea of what it’s all about? Here’s a little play-by-play, courtesy of photos from our previous events.

Note: This play-by-play describes the FULL DAY version of our program. The half day version includes gift-making stations and ornaments as time allows, but will not include lunch or extra games/activities.