Having some family fun around Christmas is great for bonding and releasing some of the end-of-year pressures we all face.

I started a list of fun ideas when posting about making family happy at Christmas, but here are some more ideas:

1. perform for each other – play music, sing songs, do skits, etc where the aim is the entertainment rather than be sensible or polished
2. set challenges for each other – who can be silent for the longest, avoid touching wood or metal, stand on one leg, hold their breath longest, etc
3. spend an evening without power – see how creative everyone gets when there is no computer or TV
4. cook together
5. tell stories
6. read books out loud
7. play in a playground – parents, too!
8. get outside and play cricket, chasey or whatever game takes your fancy
9. have a picnic in a park or at the beach – even better, have a picnic somewhere special to your family
10. watch a movie outdoors – various parks offer this now or try setting up your own in the front yard!
11. look through photo albums or home movies – remember people and events you share as a family. Take it further and create scrapbooks or albums together
12. do impersonations – start with relatives and move onto celebrities

The emphasis is on fun so let everyone be a bit silly – in fact, you could almost make that the only rule (you must have fun and be silly!)

What other things could families do for fun? What does your family do to relax together?

So what sort of Christmas tree do you have in your house? Did you think about it or just go with habit or the first option?

I LOVE the smell and atmosphere of a real pine tree in the house, but I feel terrible cutting down a tree for a few weeks’ pleasure. So here are my thoughts on which type of tree is ‘best’.

An artificial tree is good because:

• doesn’t kill a real tree
• cheaper than buying a tree every year
• doesn’t droop or go brown over December
• no mess (pine needles can be a pain to clean up)
• fire-retardant so safer
• often on sturdy stands which may be safer than a tree held in a bucket by a few bricks
• easy to access – most big shops sell them and you can even order them online!
• it is lighter to move around – and easier when folded – than a real tree

Most people with a family probably like the idea of doing things together and enjoying the Christmas season as a united celebration. Yet it isn’t always easy to do, especially as kids grow older.

I think a key to making Christmas a family event is to include each person’s values and ideals. That probably means taking the time to discover what each person’s values actually are, of course, and then working together to incorporate those things.

For many Australians, Christmas Day is a whirlwind of opening gifts, visiting people and having huge meals before travelling to the next event. Yet what are the little things that actually matter to you and your family? Maybe it’s the tradition of opening gifts on Mum and Dad’s bed or having fresh fruit for breakfast, perhaps it’s singing carols together or having quiet time between gift-giving and dealing with lots of other people, and so on.

Plan at least one important thing for each person into your Christmas Day FIRST and then fit in other things. This way, everyone feel included and can look forward to part of Christmas Day.

Be willing to discuss new idea, too, and accept that some old traditions may not suit any more (what was cute for  a 2-year-old may be embarrassing or boring for a 14-year-old).

Throw in some extra fun, too, as part of the lead up to Christmas – and maybe in the days afterwards. Make things more relaxed, having everyone at home without guests or the need to dress up, and do family things – play board games, sing karaoke, do a jigsaw, play charades, make paper chains, watch a movie, give each other massages or play ‘truth or dare’.

Building some family Christmas memories will make Christmas fun and probably reduce some of the stress Christmas can cause.

Inspired by Jess and Sam’s post about making Lego ornaments for Christmas, I looked up some sites I know offer patterns for other Christmas ornaments. If you want to make ornaments or are looking for a gift for a crafty person, try:

Needlework Boutique (based in Melbourne)

A design by Krista Lynn (I like the Santa one!)

Modern Teaching Aids (mainly aimed at groups but you could just make heaps of them as gifts!)

Just stitching - kids and adults (check out their hints & tips, too)

Christmas crafting and other craft books from Double Day books

Paint Christmas balls (adjust the materials and do all sorts of balls)

Any other suggestions?

Unfortunately. none of the above really cater for a summer Christmas and there is a lot of snow featured. If you know of some crafty patterns that suit an Aussie Christmas, please let us know!

The postmarking machine at the North Pole has stopped working, just when they have the most letters to mail across the world!

While repairs or an alternative is being worked on, every letter will be manually processed and an Elf written postmark will be used to ensure the mail is not delayed. Maybe these hand marked envelopes will become collectors items and treasured more highly than the usual postmarks!

Last year we were in Bendigo leading up to Christmas and saw some awesome lights. Not only did they look good – they actually danced in time to music on the radio!

Good enough that we’re planning to drive to Bendigo specifically to see these lights this year!

Address was 11 Greenfield Drive Epsom (north of city centre from memory).

At Fort Worth in the USA, schools are not allowed to have Santa and gifts in classrooms – decorations are only allowed if ‘part of the curriculum’ and parties only if for educational purposes.

Keeping distractions (like an actual visit from Santa) out of class time – absolutely sensible and reasonable.

Keeping gifts out because they might have to include a religious message? Santa is not truly part of any religious Christmas. Surely if a child chooses to give a gift with a religious message that is the child’s choice? And the child may give a religious message to friends aside from a gift or Christmas card anyway. I am against religion in state schools (so yah Fort Worth for keeping the two separate) but don’t see that Santa and gifts need to be banned – just ban religious images and stories in the classroom.

Just let the kids have a bit of fun and enjoy the magic of Santa and Christmas – why stop them just because some adults are scared of religious connections causing trouble?

Very glad my kids are allowed to have Santa and Christmas at school – could do without excessive gift giving but that’s another topic altogether! How would you feel if your kids had this stuff banned? How would you have felt as a kid without Santa and cards allowed at school?

Having 5 kids, I know about babies and how to care for them I also know how tiring a new baby can be – especially for people who are learning who to do the practical things as well as coping with the physical and emotional aspects of new parenthood.

So after reading Marissa’s story of loving the babysitting voucher, I thought I would share some gift ideas for new parents as family and friends often want to help but have no idea how…

There are 2 concepts – one is to give them some pampering to refresh them and remind them they are people beyond parents – but I’m just going to give ideas for helping them as parents.

• a bag of nappies – most cloth using parents will still use disposables for holidays or big outings
• a subscription to a nappy wash service
• a basket of items such as baby wipes, baby shampoo, laundry detergent, clothes pegs, baby socks/tights and cleaning cloths
• vouchers – think of babysitting, cooking a meal, cleaning the house, doing some clothes washing, buying groceries, mowing the lawn and weeding. For an even bigger gift, give them a collection of vouchers…
• photo frames and albums are always good – but modern alternatives may be gift vouchers from a printing service or spending some time putting their photos into folders (on their computer or an online service)
• look ahead and give the baby gifts for winter  - not only does it save them going out in the cold, I always found that I got so many summer clothes many weren’t used much and winter was expensive
• for very new parents, maybe get with some others and buy a high chair or booster seat (like a high chair for when they’re out) – or give them money/voucher towards it
• ask what they need! Radical idea really to ask but it’s better to ask before giving more singlets (despite what many say, you can have too many singlets!), grosuits and bottles. If they have everything practical they want, look to the child’s next stage and maybe give some infant/child cutlery and crockery, car organisers or training pants
• money or store vouchers may not seem an exciting gift but it is a practical way to help new parents who may be struggling with the extra expenses and less income
• find a way to help them communicate with the outside world – top up their prepaid phone credit, pay for membership at an online parenting site or a play group, teach them how to use Facebook, advice on a good phone plan, etc
• give some music – it can make life easier (such as music that calms a baby), provide enjoyment for parents and child (and music is good for baby’s development), and it’s something that is often left off new parents’ shopping list

‘Twas the night before Christmas; there wasn’t a sound.
Not a possum was stirring; no-one was around.
We’d left on the table some tucker and beer,
Hoping that Santa Claus soon would be here;

We children were snuggled up safe in our beds,
While dreams of pavlova danced ’round in our heads;
And Mum in her nightie, and Dad in his shorts,
Had just settled down to watch TV sports.

When outside the house a mad ruckus arose;
Loud squeaking and banging woke us from our doze.
We ran to the screen door, peeked cautiously out,
snuck onto the deck, then let out a shout.

Guess what had woken us up from our snooze,
But a rusty old Ute pulled by eight mighty ‘roos.
The cheerful man driving was giggling with glee,
And we both knew at once who this plump bloke must be.

Now, I’m telling the truth it’s all dinki-di,
Those eight kangaroos fairly soared through the sky.
Santa leaned out the window to pull at the reins,
And encouraged the ‘roos, by calling their names.

‘Now, Kylie! Now, Kirsty! Now, Shazza and Shane!
On Kipper! On, Skipper! On, Bazza and Wayne!
Park up on that water tank. Grab a quick drink,
I’ll scoot down the gum tree. Be back in a wink!’

So up to the tank those eight kangaroos flew,
With the Ute full of toys, and Santa Claus too.
He slid down the gum tree and jumped to the ground,
Then in through the window he sprang with a bound.

He had bright sunburned cheeks and a milky white beard.
A jolly old joker was how he appeared.
He wore red stubby shorts and old thongs on his feet,
And a hat of deep crimson as shade from the heat.

His eyes – bright as opals – Oh! How they twinkled!
And, like a goanna, his skin was quite wrinkled!
His shirt was stretched over a round bulging belly
Which shook when he moved, like a plate full of jelly.

A fat stack of prezzies he flung from his back,
And he looked like a swaggie unfastening his pack.
He spoke not a word, but bent down on one knee,
To position our goodies beneath the yule tree.

Surfboard and footy-ball shapes for us two.
And for Dad, tongs to use on the new barbeque.
A mysterious package he left for our Mum,
Then he turned and he winked and he held up his thumb;

He strolled out on deck and his ‘roos came on cue;
Flung his sack in the back and prepared to shoot through.
He bellowed out loud as they swooped past the gates-
MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, and goodonya, MATES!’

I just found some instructions for making some really cool Christmas ornaments. They are even ‘green’ ornaments as you can pull them apart in January and use the bits many times before recreating ornaments next Christmas if you wanted to.

SO check out these Lego ornaments instructions and have some fun decorating your house this Christmas! Great entertainment for the kids and the whole family could work together on these.

Just loving that I found these!

We spend Christmas Eve doing silly things as a family! It started when our kids were little but we all love it so it’s kept going – our kids are now grownup and bring along boyfriends and wives, too. The new comers find it a bit strange at first but soon they’re hooked – it’s a lovely way to relax before the big day and it really gets us feeling good and happy to be together.

A lot of it is just silliness that follows when you laugh a to but some things we do are:

• think up lots of reindeer names for Santa or give each other reindeer names
• tie pillows around our tummies and say ho ho ho a lot
• someone usually finds something silly at a discount shop and we all take turns wearing it and acting to suit – so we get snooty with a feather boa or have a twang with a cowboy hat
• read out spoonerisms (where parts of words are swapped around in a story e.g. Santa’s sleigh skies through the fly)
• having staring competitions
• sing silly songs (like ‘next verse, same as the first, a little bit louder and a little bit worse’)
• tell tall tales where one person starts the story and stops mid sentence for someone else to continue on

I found it challenging to have a little boy when I first became a parent – he was enthusiastic and energetic, and I had a lot to learn. Between my nervousness and his exuberance, my son wasn’t babysat very much except by my parents so I didn’t get out much.

For his second Christmas, my cousin gave me an awesome present. She had written out a voucher for a night’s babysitting!

It was such a thoughtful gift – she’s often given thoughtful gifts but this one was a stand out and probably kept me happy many times leading up to and after the actual night we used the voucher. It helped that she was experienced with kids and is so calm that trust was easy.

This is my thank you to my cousin, plus a little hope that someone else could give a similar gift to new parents they know – it could make such a huge difference to them and its cheap, too!