Welcome to the Love Santa Blog

We share lots of Christmas related ideas, recipes and crafts in the Love Santa blog. You are welcome to comment or submit your own Christmas stories, too.

Aussie Christmas images

Nov 24, 2011 |

Leading on from last week’s post about warm vs cold Christmas images, what are your favourite Aussie images?

Baby playing with Christmas Gumtree tinsel

The majority of Christmas cards with an Australian theme are cartoons of Santa with a surfboard or looking like a swaggie or have an iconic animal in a Santa’s hat. They’re usual cheerful and fun, but do you like them?

I think it would be nice to have a bigger range of Aussie Christmas images we could choose from each year. How about some decorated gum trees or people sitting in a park to celebrate Christmas? Love Santa letters don’t show snow, and some are very Australian (Koalas or white boomers pulling a sleigh for example).

So what Aussie Christmas images have you seen and liked? If you can, share them with us so we can all see what is on offer.

Santa’s recipes

Nov 23, 2011 | ,

girl Christmas cookingSanta understands that it can take a very long time for Christmas Eve to actually arrive when you’re little so after he signs his letters Love Santa, he turns the page over and writes a bit more.

As well as being fun, Santa loves kids cooking and learning useful skills – especially if some is left out as Santa’s snacks!

Santa’s recipe

Back in 2009, this is part of what Santa wrote on the back of some letters:

I travel a lot on Christmas Eve and it is really special when I arrive to find something made by children just for me. These apricot balls are very yummy – and if you make enough, you could wrap some in cellophane to give as gifts as well as leaving some for me!

For this recipe, you will need: 400g condensed milk, 250g Marie biscuits, 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice, 1 cup desiccated coconut, 1 cup chopped dried apricots, ¾ cup chopped pecan or cashew nuts (optional)

What to do:

Mix everything together.

Roll into balls

Roll the balls in extra coconut, sprinkles or sesame seeds if you want

Put the balls in the fridge to set – you can even freeze them!

These apricot balls are very yummy so why not try them while you’re waiting for Santa and his letter to arrive? If you have made anything Santa has suggested, from a recipe or a craft, let us know how it turned out!

And don’t forget to look for many Santa snack recipe ideas here in our blog!

* Photo courtesy of 123rf

Christmas carols

Nov 21, 2011 |

Carolling isn’t a big deal in Australia but we certainly learn carols at school and enjoy Carols by Candlelight in various parks. And there is something special about being together, singing fun songs and listening to a combined voice.

There are traditional carols, fun (children’s) carols and even local variants of carols (such as an Aussie 12 days of Christmas). Some evoke an emotional feel while others bring a smile (like Santa kissing Mummy last night).

So what is your favourite Christmas carol? If that questions is too hard – what is your favourite type of carol?

Where do you like to sing Christmas carols?

Christmas preparation traditions…

Nov 18, 2011 |

I don’t know if you’d call it a Christmas tradition really but every November I spend the third weekend preparing for Christmas – that’s this weekend for 2011.

I don’t do other things that weekend and get the kids out of the house as much as possible (my parents take them on the Saturday every year) so I can concentrate on my to do list:

  1. sort all the loose socks – pairs get put away and most others go in the rag bag or a charity bag

    Putting away books

    There’s a certain satisfaction having books lined up neatly 🙂

  2. empty the kitchen pantry and put things back neatly, noting what things can be used in the next week or so to clear more space. Anything not likely to be used gets put into a charity bag (often there’s a box at school around now to collect them)
  3. empty the fridge and freezer. Again, things go back in neatly after I review what’s there and plan the next week’s menu accordingly
  4. tidy the cupboards and shelves in the lounge room – putting people’s stuff back in their room and other things into the rubbish or charity bags. What’s left is put in neatly
  5. I sort my then toys, too. Pulling aside things they’ve grown out of (usually that means moving on to the next child) and removing broken things (to repair where feasible, throw out otherwise)
  6. If I have any time left (which I never do!), my plan is to sort through clothes drawers to remove anything to small or too worn.
Cleaning the house in November gives me mental and physical space to enjoy (and survive!) December!Click To Tweet
image of Santa, baubles and red stockings on a dark background

Even Santa has to deal with lost socks!

This really is about Christmas, not just a spring cleaning, as it gives me space for Christmas things (stocking up on food stuffs for Christmas events and places for new gifts to be stored after Christmas) and also gives me some mental space and energy to cope with December and the whirlwind it always becomes in our house. Of course, it also makes tidying the house easier during December when we have more visitors so that helps, too.

 

I don’t do normal housework for the weekend and only give the emptied cupboards and fridge a cursory clean as I go – I focus on the stuff rather than cleaning and find I can get through a lot.

I’m not a clean freak (at no other time of the year do I do housework stuff for more than an hour at a time!) but I find this really sets us up nicely for Christmas so thought I’d share the idea for others to use. And now I am psyched up, my glass of wine is finished so I’m off to find all loose socks in the house…

 

Images courtesy of 123rf.com

Types of advent calendars

Nov 17, 2011 |

In the past, my kids have had those commercial cardboard advent calendars with cheap and nasty chocolate inside. I’ve always wanted to do something better but it gets to 1 December and I haven’t set anything up so back we go to the easy but meaningless commercial stuff.

Advent calendar graphic

twenty-four surprises is the fun of an advent calendar!

There’s still a good chance I won’t do better this year but at least I’m thinking about it ahead of usual…

I know you can put chocolates in envelopes (one for each day) or stick little bags on a page instead, but I want a little more exciting than that. I’ve heard of good ideas in the past but nothing is coming back when I need it to. So what advent calendar ideas do you have? Which ones have worked well?

 

 *Image courtesy of iguanasbear, 123rf 

Warm Christmas images

Nov 17, 2011 |

Decorating a gum tree for Christmas in Australia

A young boy stretching to decorate a gum tree is part of an Australian summer – not a cold Christmas!

From Christmas cards to movies to wrapping paper, we see images of Christmas that have snow-covered trees, snowmen, Santa in a sleigh, reindeer, open fires and icicles.

Occasionally, and increasingly so, we see images of a warmer Christmas although most are cartoon-like – have you ever seen a Christmas card showing a tree in sunshine or with summer-clothed people around it?

Let’s face it – the entire Southern Hemisphere is in summer for Christmas – it’s not just Australia and New Zealand having warm Decembers – so why should our imagery be limited to half the world’s experience of Christmas?

Do you look for more relevant images when choosing Christmas cards and wrappings? Maybe the lack of snow in Love Santa letters is important to you?

What do you use as backgrounds in Christmas photos or scrapbooking pages?

Making Christmas paper chains

Nov 16, 2011 | ,

When I was 6 or 7, my mum and me took a whole day making Christmas paper chains. Mum cut strips from magazines and stuff. Then we stuck them together looped through each other to make our chains.

Pile of paper chains made from cut up junk mail

Paper chains made from junk mail are colourful and cheap!

It really was all day we did it, so we had a huge pile of chains at the end 🙂 When we hanged it up, it went all around our lounge room two times and dangled down beside the door on both sides too!

I loved that day with my mum. And we loved seeing those chains hanging up for weeks. So that’s my favourite Christmas memory.

It’s also my idea of what people can do with kids for fun in December 🙂

Finding Christmas values

Nov 15, 2011 |

Last week we raised the question of what does Christmas mean to you and the idea that we each have values associated with Christmas.

Model mobile phone showing Christmas message of goodwill to all

A Christmas display from Maldon (July 2015) featuring a message of goodwill to all

Those values are what can make us have a miserable Christmas if they are not met – many of us feel that Christmas is a terrible time to be alone because we value family and relationships at Christmas time and others couldn’t imagine Christmas without going to Church on Christmas Eve/Day.

Like any other values, we develop our values around Christmas from our own experiences so our values can be different even from the people we love most – couples often have different traditions and expectations about Christmas.

And like many other values, we often don’t consciously think about what our Christmas values are.

So here are some ideas for finding your own Christmas values and ideals:

  1. sit somewhere quietly, close your eyes and dream of a perfect Christmas. Then note down the important features of that day
  2. spend some time looking at old photos and remembering the great bits of Christmas past
  3. deliberately spend some time with those old photos and memories thinking about the not-so-great Christmases (or parts of Christmas) – what are the common features of those less-happy memories?
  4. think about your usual values and how they fit with different aspects of Christmas. For example, if you are a minimalist or charitable person, maybe the excess of food and gift giving makes you uncomfortable or as a non-religious person you don’t like going to Church for Christmas with your family.
  5. over the last few Christmases, what worried or stressed you the most? What things made you feel better and calm?
  6. answer this question thoughtfully – if you could only do four things to celebrate Christmas this year, what would they be?
Write down your answers, look for common ideas and you will start to see what is truly important to you. Some things will be very specific (e.g. having a glass of fresh orange juice in front of the tree before opening presents) and others more general (e.g. sharing the gift buying with a partner or children).
Writing down a list of values and ideals will help you remember them and be able to share them.

How will you ensure Christmas meets your value and needs this year?

Encouraging active kids

Nov 11, 2011 |

Children dressed in CHristmas costumes running in a parkk

Encouraging children to run and play is a good aim

We’ve all heard that too many Aussie kids are becoming sedentary and over weight, even obese.

While Christmas is a time for fun and pleasure, it can also be used to encourage new values and lifestyles, such as helping kids be more active.

Active Christmas gifts

The choice of active-inspiring gifts will depend on the child’s age and current activity levels, but here are some gift suggestions that encourage doing rather than sitting.

  • wheeled transport – a bike, scooter, inline skates or skateboard are all popular and require kids to move and be in the fresh air
  • put a swing up in your yard or on the veranda
  • a skipping rope and set of elastics
  • toy or inflatable bowling pins and ball
  • a ball or bat and ball set
  • swimming pool toys
  • outdoor accessories (hat, sunscreen, water bottle) – good filler type gifts that can be effective if you choose well (e.g. a Toy Story hat and Cars branded sunscreen will be proudly used by my 3-year-old)
  • sand pit toys – if you don’t have a sand pit (which is itself a gift idea!) that’s a good excuse to head to a beach or park
  • gardening tools – toy ones or scaled real ones so they can help you
  • a bucket of chalk they can use outside on the concrete – and run chalk chases if they’re old enough
  • equipment for a kitchen – set it up in a cubby or a corner of the verandah. Their imaginations will get them moving more than you may think
  • a family pass to the zoo, local pool, a water park or even an indoor playground
  • a voucher for some classes – gymnastics, dance, circus, tennis, cricket, yoga, skating. etc
  • materials to build something like a billy cart, cubby, garden box or wagon
  • play dough, clay or other material that needs manipulation
  •  electronic games that go with a Wii board or XBox Kinetics (think Wii Fit, sports and dancing games)
  • a kite
  • things  for blowing bubbles

What else can you add to this list?

What does Christmas mean to you?

Nov 9, 2011 |

Put aside the outside definitions of Christmas (including what close family and friends would say) and consider what Christmas means to you personally.

What is important to you, what are the values of Christmas and the holiday season?

Is it about the birth of Christ, being with family, having a special meal with loved ones, giving thoughtful gifts, giving service to others, being social and seeing many people, or is it a break from the everyday?

Knowing what Christmas means to you and what you want from Christmas can be liberating – it can mean:

  1. making sure you get that important thing so Christmas is not a disappointment for the next 12 months
  2. being able to ignore some of the other pressures and expectations to concentrate on what you really want to
  3. a clear idea when discussing plans with family – if everyone has a clearer view, discussions are simpler and compromises easier
  4. set some real priorities
So why not spend the time thinking about what Christmas means to you? Share your ideas and any thoughts that help you clarify your Christmas values, too.

Kids’ thank you gifts

Nov 9, 2011 |

I have 3 kids, all at school and various clubs and groups, so there are a few special people I’d like the kids to thank at Christmas time. I know that most of these people are paid but it is for the extra effort and care beyond their job that I appreciate – and its good for the kids to say thanks even if the teachers are paid to be there.

But I just can’t afford much so spread across 13 or 14 adults, it leaves very little. Does anyone have suggestions of nice gifts they’ll appreciate (beyond the thought!) that are inexpensive?

And I feel I should spend more on my daughter’s Joey Scout leaders because they actually are not paid for what they do. Nothing I do could pay for a fraction of their time but they deserve something special. Is it right to spend very little on the other to spend more on the wonderful volunteers?

Should Christmas gifts have a purpose?

Nov 3, 2011 |

When choosing gifts for your children, do you put a lot of intellectual thought into it, or just grab an easier option (like what the kids are nagging for!)?

In an ideal world, I think we should have a purpose in mind for the gifts we give our children.

For example, we may decide it is important to encourage activity rather than sedentary lifestyle so we chose (predominantly at least) gifts to suit that lifestyle value. Or maybe healthy eating is important to you so you give dried fruit instead of lollies and healthy cook books rather than chocolate ones!

Instead of overall values, maybe the purpose of for gifts would suit each child and help with things they need to develop (maybe Scrabble for someone struggling with reading, jigsaws for those not skilled in problem solving or Pictionary or Cazoo for kids who need more communication skills).

As much fun and pleasure as kids derive from opening the gifts at Christmas, surely we should keep the big picture in mind and choose gifts that lead the child in directions we like?

Mind you, I am not saying give kids presents they’ll hate – let them enjoy Christmas and we want them to use the purposeful gifts. Just find a compromise – don’t give an inactive kid a bike but perhaps give an electronic game that involves moving or a scooter for getting to and from school.

What do you think? Is it better to choose gifts with a purpose, that support your goals and aims as parents (grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc)?

If not completely about purpose, what proportion of their gifts would you like to have a purpose?

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