There is this notion that Christmas is synonymous with spending large sums of money. This makes people spend all their savings on things that have very little use which then puts them in a financial fix in the New Year. Fortunately, it is possible to have an enjoyable Christmas without spending fortunes. The following are a few pointers you should follow in your preparations.

1. The minimalist Christmas tree

You have to improvise when creating a minimalist tree. One way is by making one out of readily available materials. You can arrange bottles in layers so that they form concentric circles when viewed from above. You can then add other decorations like Christmas lights and homemade patterns to make it more beautiful.

Another way is by using a metal mold. This should be specially designed to look like a stripped tree so that you can add any decorations you might have. If you are skilled with metal work, you can build one yourself. Most people prefer to get the mold made; it is relatively cheap and it can be reused in subsequent Christmas holidays. Instead of buying expensive decorations, you can design a few using multicolored paper and lights. Doing the above will save you a lot of money and still give you the enjoyment that comes with having a well decorated Christmas tree.

2. The minimalist card

Instead of getting into the bandwagon of buying flashy Christmas cards that will be discarded on the 26th, you can either buy minimalist cards or design a few yourselves. If you decide to buy, you should use the internet to select the kind you want. It is very easy go get minimalist cards for families, individuals, children spouses etc. The best thing is that they cost very little and some are very well designed. You could also visit the local card shop to see if there are a few minimalist cards you can buy.

A better option is to design them yourself. This is because you can customize them to suite the recipient. For instance, you can have special messages for a spouse, your child’s card can have pictures of his favorite things etc. This is usually better because the sentiment attached causes recipients to hold on to them. Also, you will have fun designing them.

3. The minimalist gift

You should not get caught in the trap of who will spend the most money on gifts. There are many things you can do to keep the exchanging of gifts interesting and cheap at the same time. For instance, if you have a large family, you can make a system where one person buys a gift for one other person i.e. write all names of family members on pieces of paper and have everyone pick a name. Doing this will prevent everyone having to drain their savings on multiple gifts.

Another thing you could do is design gifts with sentimental value. For instance, you could create necklaces with customized pendants, t-shirts with meaningful graffiti etc. Minimalist gift ideas are only limited by the imagination.

In a nutshell, a minimalist Christmas can be fun and interesting without fortunes being spent or to much stress.

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With winter on the horizon, a fun family activity and kind deed would be to prepare your yard and garden for wildlife. Turning your yard into a wildlife sanctuary and habitat is not necessarily difficult and it is a great way to teach kids about their environment as well as help instill in them a love of animals. It helps to know some key things about the wildlife you want to attract and how to go about doing it. Here are some simple and efficient ways you can prepare your yard for winter wildlife.

Who’s Coming to Dinner?

Research the wildlife in your area. Your regional fauna is going to differ from that of other areas and it is a great family project to do some investigating and find out what animals frequent your particular area. Your library branch probably even has a special section for local wildlife, just ask! You might find that there are animals, particularly migrating birds, that only live in or leave your area during the winter. This step is actually rather important – many well-meaning people have upset migration patterns by putting food out in the fall for species of bird that should be leaving the area.

Put Out Food

Once you are knowledgeable about the types of wildlife in your region, you can provide the number one thing that they need in winter: food. It can get pretty scarce in winter and if your home becomes a sure bet for delicious food they will return time and time again. If you have deer in your area, corn is usually a big hit, as are apple peelings. Here is a list of other common winter wildlife and the foods that attract them:

* Juncos are gray and white birds that enjoy dried fruit, such as raisins and currants.
* Crows, squirrels, and certain woodpeckers enjoy corn.
* Mixed birdseed with peanuts tends to attract titmice and cardinals.
* Sunflower seeds (especially the black oil variety) are enjoyed by cardinals, chickadees, and many other wild birds.
* Suet attracts chickadees and squirrels.
* Peanuts tend to be a big hit with most wildlife, shelled or unshelled. Jays, deer, raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, and a host of other creatures love peanuts.
* Peanut butter is popular with raccoons.

Also make sure to select a bird feeder that is more likely to attract the type of birds you want. Some like stationary feeders only (that do not swing or rock) and others are fine with hanging ones. The window feeder above is a perfect way to view birds while they eat, from the warmth of your own home. Grab a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy “Nature TV” as a family.

Give Them a Home

Natural food sources are often cut down by homeowners in the interest of appearance (via pruning). But try leaving the shrubs and dry plants standing over the winter, and tidy up in early spring instead. The dried remnants of plants and shrubs provide shelter as well as food for winter wildlife.

A good Fall/Winter project might also be to construct homemade bird houses. A good book with birdhouse plans can be obtianed at the library or purchased. Easy to Build Birdhouses – A Natural Approach: Must Know Info to Attract and Keep the Birds You Want is a good choice. You can also purchase birdhouses at your local home improvement store or online. The bird nest pocket to the right is made of coconut fiber. Make sure you put yours where it is safe from predators and sheltered from wind and rain. Also, piles of logs and rocks make good shelters for chipmunks.

Water

During the summer, homeowners with an interest in wildlife nearly always think of water for their visitors. Sometimes, though, it’s easy to forget this vital resource in the winter. Providing water and preventing it from freezing will be much appreciated by your local wildlife – no matter what species.

If you have the money to spend, you might consider investing in a heated birdbath. Although it’s called a birdbath, other creatures enjoy drinking out of this liquid water source to. Alternatively, you can pour boiling water over the ice in your regular birdbath or reservoir periodically.

With a little effort, you can make your backyard and garden into a winter wildlife sanctuary in no time at all. Enjoy!

One thing many people don’t realize is that most local libraries host a wide variety of events throughout the year. Some of these events like the pre-school reading hour or tea parties for American Girls fans are aimed specifically for young children. Other events, such as their Summer Reading Programs, are aimed at elementary and middle-school aged children. For adults there is everything from job seminars to used book sales, and from fund raisers for specific charities to demonstrations on everything from paper-making to macramé. But in order to find out what is happening at your local library, you need to take a look at your library’s bulletin board.

It isn’t just about fun and games, however. For the serious researcher, the library also offers a broad range of features. First off are the librarians themselves. If you are faced with a research project, whether it is for school or for work or just something you are curious about and you don’t know where to start, you can ask a librarian for assistance. These trained professionals know all about research techniques. Better yet, they are familiar with all the resources that your local library has to offer.

If you are doing research on your own you can use the commuters catalog computers that will help you to determine if there are books about the subject you are looking for. If they are not in stock at your local library you can order them from an affiliated library through inter-library loan. If you are not finding sufficient books on the subject, most libraries also have a number of computers that are hooked up to the internet and are available for free public use. While time usage blocks are usually limited in order to give everyone a chance to use the computers, you can usually find what you are looking for in the time allotted, and you can also opt to have the material you find printed out. Which is another thing that local libraries have to offer.

In most libraries not only will you find printers hooked up to the internet computers (though it usually costs a small fee per page to print them), you will also find a large printer for use if you have a number of copies to make. Most libraries also have a fax service available (again for a fee) which you can pay to use to have documents faxed wherever you need them to go.

Of course, there are also the things that are available to check out of the library; things like books and ebooks, and Books on Disc, all the standard things that libraries have known for. But whatever you do, don’t limit yourself. The library can be a phenomenal resource if only you allow yourself to discover all that it has to offer!

Did you know many libraries allow you to borrow ebooks and read them on your Kindle or Nook? Ask your local library if they have this available!

Dancing with Ribbons and Scarves

Little kids LOVE to dance and it is just as fun with a group of preschoolers as with one. Pieces of cloth, play silks, ribbon, and scarves can be used to make a fun dance with lots of swirling and twirling. Groups can weave in and out of a circle of other kids and adults; a single preschooler and caregiver can enjoy dancing together around the room.

Check out popular kids albums for your music selection, and help the kids learn the words. Change the music from slow to fast and dance in a way that expresses the feelings conveyed in the music. This is not only a fun exercise; it’s educational!

Make Musical Instruments

All kinds of common household objects can be made into instruments. Here are some ideas.

* Cylindrical containers with plastic lids (such as those that hold oatmeal, cocoa, coffee, etc.) can be used as drums. Decorate them if you like.

* Cardboard tube rhythm instruments can be made by putting some dried beans inside the tube, then sealing the ends with wax paper secured with rubber bands.

* Shakers can be made by putting dried beans into empty bottles and capping them.

* Rubber bands can be stretched over and around various hollow containers and boxes to make “guitars.” Tissue boxes, plastic food containers, and so forth can all be used.

* Fill a series of drinking glasses with varying amounts of water and tap them to make various musical notes.

Bowling

Raid your recycle bin and get out the plastic bottles. Set them up at the end of a room or hallway, and roll a soft ball toward them to knock them over.

Make a House

Throw a blanket over a table or some chairs to make a playhouse. Bring a flashlight in, and furnish the house with play food, pillows, children’s furniture, and so forth.

Clean Out Something

Believe it or not, many preschoolers love to see what’s in a “junk drawer” or messy area around your home. Make it a game, and see if your preschooler can identify all the objects and sort them into shapes and colors.

Go Fish

Cut fish shapes out of card stock or construction paper. Slip a paper clip onto each fish’s “mouth.” Then, tie a kitchen magnet onto the end of a string and attach the other end of the string to a stick or rod. See how many fish you can catch with the magnet, which will adhere to the paper clips.

You should start by doing an Internet search for graveyards and cemeteries in your area. Google “historic cemeteries in ? state” and input your state. You can also search for haunted cemeteries and familiarize yourself with the lore and stories surrounding that spot so you share them with your kids. When I searched for graveyards local to me I found one that has a mysterious 5200 granite orb near one of the family plots. It is mysterious because the orb rotates and no one can explain why. Spooky huh?

Some of the most popular cemeteries in the US are as follows:

• St. Louis Cemetery, New Orleans
• Stull Cemetery, Kansas
• Garden of Hope Cemetery, Mississippi
• Resurrection Cemetery, Chicago
• Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens Cemetery Central, Fort Lauderdale
• Haunted Salem Cemetery , Ohio

Okay so maybe you are looking for FUN things to do instead of TV. Well, it may not be the most fun thing to do but it needs to be done and screen time, whether it be TV or computer, can get in the way of our duties. Do you need to step away from the computer screen and start a load of laundry?

Don’t we have enough to do already?! It seems like a never ending job and though it may be nice to zone out in front of the screen I guarantee you will feel much better with a clean house surrounding you.

We have mouths to feed, bottoms to wipe, and all manner of daily tasks that are non negotiable. Now we have to schedule in those deep cleaning tasks that get overlooked and hopefully make it fun and manageable. This awesome book written by a mom is a near perfect solution. My kids love charts and visual reminders of what they need to do and what they have accomplished and so do I! This ebook has charts you can print out detailing what needs done and when on a monthly calendar. It even has a checkbox list for each load of laundry you do or when you wipe down the bathroom. LOVE that!

If cleaning is a struggle you may want to look into this book.

Creating Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule

 Did you know that today is Walk on Stilts Day? Yes I have to say it is one of the lesser known “holidays” but how much fun would that be for a family to do?!

We’ve all seen performers walk on stilts as circuses and carnivals but have you ever tried it yourself? This could be the perfect not-so-run-of-the-mill hobby to take up. It would be a great conversation starter at school or work and the neighbors will have lots to gossip about. It might even be a good fitness activity. Why not?

Stilt-walking offers a truly elevating experience for kids and adults alike. It is challenging, old-fashioned fun that helps improve balance and coordination.

Get wooden stilts from Magic Cabin or metal/plastic ones from Amazon.

]]> http://www.insteadoftv.com/551/walk-on-stilts/feed/ 0 http://www.insteadoftv.com/546/teach-your-kids-to-play-golf/ http://www.insteadoftv.com/546/teach-your-kids-to-play-golf/#comments Thu, 09 Jun 2011 18:54:04 +0000 admin http://www.insteadoftv.com/?p=546 Golf has become a more popular sport in the last five or ten years. Kids are finding out that it is a great sport to play. Introduce your kids to it today.

Ever since Tiger Woods burst on the scene, young people have taken a different view of golf. It is not just for older players and older fans, but can be fun and challenging for the younger set. Golf schools in all neighborhoods filled up with young kids yearning to know about this new sport.

Golf can become a family affair. Spend time on the range on weekends with your kids and teach them how to play. Avoid the golf carts and walk the course instead. You can discuss your swing and strategy. Both parent and child will get a good workout with this relaxing sport.

Getting started

Many sports shops can offer you help to find clubs that will suit everyone in the family. If you want to cut costs, the kids can use one set of clubs, provided that they are about the same size. This gives them the opportunity to get used to the sport to see if they want to continue.

Take young kids to the putt-putt golf courses. Here, you can teach them the proper way to hold a club as they use the putter to get their ball in the hole. They will learn hand-eye coordination and ball position. Besides all of that, mini golf is a fun way to spend the afternoon together.

Take kids who are older to the driving range. Here they can learn how to hold the club, swing and hit the ball. Show kids the proper way to hold the club even though they are only on the driving range. In addition, guide them in the proper way to swing the club.

Muscles may be sore after the first few times at the driving range. The swing of a club works the upper body and the abdominal region. It is important to stabilize the core of the body so that you don’t injure your back as you swing. Young children are usually easier to teach because they have not picked up bad habits that can hinder their instruction.

Tips to have a Great Time

1. Let your kids make mistakes. They have to learn. Just let them play and correct as you need to. Their attention span is short so show first and then let them play.

2. Let them decide what and when they want to play. This allows them to take the game at their leisure and learn to like it more than if you make them go all the time.

3. Speak in their terms. Use words that they understand to get the point across.

4. Complement them when they do something good.

5. Enjoy the game. Play because you like it and they will too. They will learn in time.

Golf can be a great family sport. It teaches a variety of skills and also includes physical activity.

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There’s just something about the beat. It makes you want to clap your hands and move your feet. Kids are no different. They like to move to music as well.

Dancing is exercise that is fun. Kids don’t even think of it as exercise because they think of exercise as work. But, dancing lets them show off their moves. Parents, you have some moves of your own, remember? Show them off to your kids and get moving too.

Here are a few ideas for you to turn dancing into fun activities that you can do with your kids this summer.

1. Play virtual dance games – One of the hottest games is Just Dance for the Wii entertainment system. You can divide into teams or play as individuals. Using your Wii controller, imitate the moves done on the screen by the dancer to some of today’s favorite tunes. There are also oldies but goodies for the parents to enjoy. Whoever copies the moves the best gets the most points. It is good clean fun for the entire family. Everyone likes a challenge. Once you get started, you won’t want to stop until you drop to the ground. Xbox also has games for Kinect that let you have fun dancing with friends or your family.

2. Dance contest – There goes that competitive spirit again. Choose your favorite song. Each person gets a turn to show off their moves for the judges. For an added twist, let the judges choose the song you have to dance to. The winner gets bragging rights in the house. After the content, do a little dance tutorial so that everyone knows how to do the latest moves.

3. Take a dance class – One of the hottest dance crazes right now is Zumba fitness. Young and old alike can learn a variety of dance moves: hip-hop, Latin moves, salsa dancing and more. And, these moves are choreographed to some of the latest and most popular songs. Most gyms and recreational centers offer classes for a low price. Usually the first class is free so you can try it out. The entire family can have a blast. Don’t worry if you don’t get the moves, just keep moving.

4. Teach your kids to dance – If you have young kids, this is a great time to get them moving. You are never too young to appreciate and get involved in physical activity as a lifestyle. Start with playful games that you learned as a kid like Ring around the Rosy. Choreograph dances to kid songs like The Wheels on the Bus or Itsy Bitsy Spider.

Dancing is a fun way to get moving. This summer, share a few moves with your kids.