I'm back! I took a vacation for myself last week. Like many other vacationing moms near the holidays, my days were spent cooking, preparing, and cleaning from the big Thanksgiving feast!
I did enjoy the change of pace for a while. Not that I could stay away from the newsletter for long. I was finding out about too many wonderful things to keep it all to myself.
For instance, Lisa J. won the LEGO KidsFest tickets for this weekend. There are still spaces available for all of the sessions, though Saturday is, predictably, selling out more quickly. Use code MACKID11 to save $2 on each ticket you buy. Congrats, Lisa J.!
If you are heading to LEGO KidsFest this weekend, then wander by the Macaroni Kid booth for a free activity. I'll be there all day on Sunday and would love to break up the long day by meeting people from our towns.
Just as one giveaway ends, another begins for Disney on Ice at the XL Center. I was given a family four pack for one of you lucky readers to win and you can choose any of the shows to attend. That's pretty good! The shows are in January but I'm going to award the tickets before Christmas and right in the middle of Hanukkah. That sounds like a pretty good gift to me.
We also have a discount and giveaway for Holiday cards from Stationary Market. I love when I receive well made cards with joyful kids on them! Though I am not usually sentimental, I love keeping those photo cards. Facebook is nice for updates, but sometimes I like to have something a bit more tangible.
I had a special request for some sing-along holiday events for a mom and her little one who loves to sing. Can anyone help me find something so E.T. doesn't have to strain her throat by singing anymore? Southbury's tree lighting is promising some singing out loud. The Ridgefield Chorale is having a Holiday Concert on the 4th inviting families to join in. The CH Booth Library in Newtown is having Francine Wheeler in to entertain kids ages 2-5 with a holiday sing-along on December 15th. The Hartford Symphony is hosting a family-oriented Holiday sing-along with a visit from Santa on December 10th. If you know of any others, please leave a comment!
Along with the fantastic LEGO KidsFest, there are Christmas activities galore. Both Woodbury and Bethlehem are having town-wide Christmas festivals. Tree lightings are also on the agenda this weekend. There are many more activities in the calendar (updated regularly!) and in the weekend picks and highlights.
If you are planning some quiet evenings, then some cooking, crafting, and Adventing may be just the thing! In this issue, we have a recipe for apple latkes. We have a craft that is, literally, for the birds when you make birdseed ornaments. For the younger kids, a cheaper, more involved, and less chocolaty way to measure the days until Christmas (or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, or any other thing) using a reliable paper chain.
If you look at the ad spots to the right, you may notice a little something from Santa for your kids. A friend of my daughter's started this unique offering last year. She loved seeing how excited the kids were to receive the letters and has decided to do it again. Clicking the ad will take you to her site where you can see a sample and learn a little more about how it all started.
Here are the quick links to the weekend's calendar listings:
I hope each of you has a wonderful weekend. I would just love it if you did some relaxing on my behalf because I won't be off my feet from today until Monday.
