Fun for the Family

By Leslie Sausage

Plastic bottle wrapping is the perfect gift-wrapping idea for children’s gifts. This is a great way to recycle some clear plastic soda or water bottles instead of a using gift bag. For a fun idea, mail the bottle with a gift or party invitation inside. (more…)

By Anna Stewart

The season is upon us in all its tinsel, lights and full color ads. Do you feel excitement or exhaustion, dread or delight — or all of the above?

The days between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day creates fathers frantic for the red Power Ranger, mothers who never bake, sweating and cursing in the kitchen till 2 in the morning and kids who “need” every toy on TV they see. It’s enough to make a grown woman cry. (more…)

By Gina Ritter

Christmas crackers were first created in 1847 as a festive British party gift for adults. They are made from pretty paper wrapped around cardboard; when pulled by the ends so that the wrapper is broken, the friction causes a piece of paper inside called a cracker snap (which is treated with an explosive chemical called silver fulminate) to make a noisy pop. Original crackers contained a balloon, small hat, a gift and a joke, but they’ve evolved to contain many themed items. (more…)

Question: Are Christmas tree lights covered in lead — and are they hazardous? I am not normally paranoid, but I just read an article on how the presents under the Christmas tree get covered in lead dust … (more…)

By Christine Climer

Congestion, wheezing, coughing and sneezing are definitely not on your child’s wish list — but somehow, they always seem to be delivered just in time for Christmas. Holiday decorating can be a huge challenge if your child suffers from respiratory allergies. The good news is that you can deck the halls and still avoid allergy triggers this Christmas. (more…)

By Waverly Fitzgerald

The connection between Christmas and present-giving is fairly recent. In earlier times, people gave small symbolic gifts at Christmas time, gloves, pins, a coin, flowers, candy, a clove-studded orange or sugar-coated figs. These were usually New Year’s gifts, small tokens to indicate wishes for luck or prosperity during the coming year. (more…)

Are we there yet? Road trips with kids are definitely one of life’s experiences. If you’re traveling by road this holiday season with a car full of kids (or even one), these tips will help you keep the kids entertained while helping you keep your sanity in the process. (more…)