And so the adventure begins…

January Simply Family/Simply Parties by Jackie

It’s Cool to Care : Continue to have the giving spirit beyond the holidays. Take a box or two of food to a local food bank. Maybe you have some winter gear that is still in great condition but has been outgrown. Donate items such as boots, jackets, snow pants, hats and mittens to a local shelter, church, or school.   “In a world where you can be anything, be kind”

Happy to be Healthy : Have discussions about healthy foods and how eating impacts the way we feel greatly. Find a recipe the entire family is interested in trying and have fun in the kitchen cooking together. Here’s 3 wonderful websites full of nutritional information. http://superhealthykids.com/resources

 http://letsmove.obamawhitehouse.archives.gov

http://choosemyplate.gov

Homemade Pizza- Make your dough from scratch or by pre-made, shape into hearts, or create faces with toppings. A fun book to read on pizza night is Pete’s a Pizza by William Steig. My son who is now 25, received this as a gift when he was just a little guy and it’s been a favorite of many in our home since.

Hummus and veggies– http://pintsizedtreasures.com/quick-and-healthy-hummus-great-way-to-get-kids-to-eat-raw-veggies/

Omelettes- http://superhealthykids.com/perfect-veggie-omelettes/

Fruit Plate with Peanut Butter Dip–http://cookingclassy.com/peanut-butter-fruit-dip/

Family Fun : Movie Night– Some movie picks for January are Frozen (PG), Snow Buddies (G), Happy Feet I and II (PG), Snow Day (PG), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (PG) Throw on your cozy pajamas and pop some corn! Check out these cute snowman popcorn cups perfect for a winter movie night. Or how about after watching Frozen, make some homemade play dough– mix 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup salt, 2 tablespoons cream of tartar, 1 tablespoon oil. Add blue food coloring to 1 cup boiling water. Combine flour/salt mixture and water together. Knead until well combined. Add glitter if you’d like. Some people are glitter people, others are not.

Game Night- How about some card games? If you have a deck of cards, you’ll never get bored. Crazy 8’s Go Fish Rummy SlapJack http://todaysparent.com/family/activities

Hooray for the Holidays : Happy New Year! Talk about what it means to make a New Year’s resolution. Set some goals and dreams for the year ahead. This can be done as a family and also individually. Perhaps even make a 2019 vision board. This can be done by using old magazines, pics off the internet, or drawings. Find pictures and words of inspiration. For example, maybe your family is planning on an upcoming vacation, you could find a photo of that destination. Or maybe a goal is to read more or learn a new instrument, finding or drawing books and music would be fitting. A piece of poster board and some glue sticks do the trick. Put on as much as you’d like and display it somewhere throughout the year so you can be inspired and motivated! Talking about goals and dreams will lead right into the importance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr Day Books–

Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. MLK, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport

I Have A Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. paintings by Kadir Nelson

My First Biography Martin Luther King Jr. by Marion Dane Bauer

National Geographic Kids Martin Luther King Jr Level 3 by Kitson Jazynka

A great website to check out –http://pbsparents.org Search for Martin Luther King, Jr. and you will find many articles including videos, books, and crafts. I find this an EXCELLENT resource.

I Have a Dream craft-

Home Helpers : Start a coin jar. Try and put any loose change you get throughout the month in the jar. At the end of the month, add it up and use it for a special activity for the family, donate it to charity, save it toward a vacation or something the household needs, or just keep on adding each month to use at the end of the year. Trying to teach kids the value of money can be difficult in today’s digital world, here’s a website/blog with some helpful tips. http://daveramsey.com/blog/how-to-teach-kids-about-money

Add a globe or world map in your home this month if you don’t already have one. “We are all connected”

Mind Matters: Get your brain working out with some crossword puzzles, word finds, or sudoku. These books can be found most anywhere and last for quite awhile. Keep them easily visible with a pen or pencil handy. Offer a few for different levels of ages.

Winter Wonders: Get outside! If you’re lucky enough to have snow, build a snow fort or snow animals. Take a walk and look for animal tracks. Here’s a pretty cool winter craft- Make crystal snowflakes. A couple children’s books I recommend are Annie and the Wild Animals by Jan Brett and The Very Best Bed by Rebekah Raye.

Read On! : Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson – use a large box and poke holes in the top, then place a string of lights on. Make it a cozy “cave” for kiddos to go in and read.

The Mitten by Jan Brett bake mitten shaped sugar cookies, a fun activity for toddlers/preschoolers is to sort mittens

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder Use Lincoln logs, pretzel sticks, or graham crackers to build log cabins, for the pretzels and crackers use a little frosting or pb.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis Make paper snowflakes

and my absolute favorite, Winter Waits by Lynn Plourde

Here’s a few yoga poses to try in between your reading- These poses came from the book Yoga for you and your child by Mark Singleton

Parent’s Corner : Hydrate your skin! Make a hydrating facial mask- The cocoa dream hydration mask is delightful! And remember the best thing you can wear is a smile! http://marieclaire.com/beauty/how-to/a2830/best-homemade-face-masks/