MomInTheKnow cooks up a few ideas for a happy, healthy new year.

Stay Up Late and Celebrate!

 

Five – Four – Three – Two – One!

The countdown is on to make plans to ring in the New Year!  Dancing? Dining Out?  House Party? Family Gathering?  There is no shortage of fun events and outings going on around town this year.  For me, a cozy New Year’s Eve at home with my family beats all. 

Kids love to create, celebrate and stay up late.  So I am giving them lots of options this year.  We are going to have a party in our own living room and whoop it up until the ball drops to ring in 2014. 

Create

Let kids decorate and personalize their own party hats and noisemakers with markers, glitter, and tissue.  Use plain paper cones or wide headbands for the hats.

Make a Memory Book or Time Capsule.  Give each child a photos of some their favourite 2013 memories.  Gather fun keepsakes and use an old jar or scrap book put them together.  Encourage kids to comment on photos and tag items with their memories. 

Create a special kids table.  Set up a fun kids table giving them a fun place to sit.  Decorate it with garland and other Christmas stuff you already have around.  

Decorate.  Add a little sparkle to your table by lighting a couple of sparklers as the countdown starts.

Celebrate

Bake a Wish Cake. This is a fun Greek tradition in which you bake a cake with a lucky coin or other trinket hidden inside.  The recipient of the coin is said to have good luck for the upcoming year.

Watch home movies and reminisce. Cuddle up with some popcorn and look over your favourite moments from the past year together. 

Dress up and have a dance party.  Kids love to dress up, so let them put on their best clothes, push the furniture back and have a dance party.  Make it even more fun by wearing boas, tutus, silly hats and glasses. 

Make Memory Books.  Provide each child with a small notebook and have them write and draw their memories from the year.

Talk about resolutions and what they mean.  Have kids write down what theirs are for 2013

Stay up Late

Celebrate Midnight in Another Country.  Let’s face it, some of our kids are just too young to make it until midnight.  Why not celebrate the New Year earlier in the day alongside another country in another part of the world.  If you are in CAnada for example, you could celebrate alongside Paris which would be 6:00 p.m  Oh La La.

Ring it In. Set all the clocks, alarms, and cell phones to go off at midnight.

Keep them Busy. Do hourly activities to help kids count down the time.   Write them on a slip of paper and put them inside of a balloon or envelope.  

Midnight Milk and Cookies Toast

Have a balloon drop at midnight.  You can make your own balloon drop using a drawstring garbage bag.  Till it with balloons and hang it upside down.  Then undo the drawstring at midnight and let the balloons shower down.

If you want to go out and about! Ignite a year of clebration at City Hall or Parliment #Canadas150 http://www.ottawa2017.ca/events/signature-events/new-years-eve-celebration/

Five – Four – Three – Two – One!

The countdown is on to make plans to ring in the New Year!  Dancing? Dining Out?  House Party? Family Gathering?  There is no shortage of fun events and outings going on around town this year.  For me, a cozy New Year’s Eve at home with my family beats all. 

Kids love to create, celebrate and stay up late.  So I am giving them lots of options this year.  We are going to have a party in our own living room and whoop it up until the ball drops to ring in 2014. 

Create

Let kids decorate and personalize their own party hats and noisemakers with markers, glitter, and tissue.  Use plain paper cones or wide headbands for the hats.

Make a Memory Book or Time Capsule.  Give each child a photos of some their favourite 2013 memories.  Gather fun keepsakes and use an old jar or scrap book put them together.  Encourage kids to comment on photos and tag items with their memories. 

Create a special kids table.  Set up a fun kids table giving them a fun place to sit.  Decorate it with garland and other Christmas stuff you already have around.  

Decorate.  Add a little sparkle to your table by lighting a couple of sparklers as the countdown starts.

Celebrate

Bake a Wish Cake. This is a fun Greek tradition in which you bake a cake with a lucky coin or other trinket hidden inside.  The recipient of the coin is said to have good luck for the upcoming year.

Watch home movies and reminisce. Cuddle up with some popcorn and look over your favourite moments from the past year together. 

Dress up and have a dance party.  Kids love to dress up, so let them put on their best clothes, push the furniture back and have a dance party.  Make it even more fun by wearing boas, tutus, silly hats and glasses. 

Make Memory Books.  Provide each child with a small notebook and have them write and draw their memories from the year.

Talk about resolutions and what they mean.  Have kids write down what theirs are for 2013

Stay up Late

Celebrate Midnight in Another Country.  Let’s face it, some of our kids are just too young to make it until midnight.  Why not celebrate the New Year earlier in the day alongside another country in another part of the world.  If you are in CAnada for example, you could celebrate alongside Paris which would be 6:00 p.m  Oh La La.

Ring it In. Set all the clocks, alarms, and cell phones to go off at midnight.

Keep them Busy. Do hourly activities to help kids count down the time.   Write them on a slip of paper and put them inside of a balloon or envelope.  

Midnight Milk and Cookies Toast

Have a balloon drop at midnight.  You can make your own balloon drop using a drawstring garbage bag.  Till it with balloons and hang it upside down.  Then undo the drawstring at midnight and let the balloons shower down.

If you want to go out and about! Ignite a year of clebration at City Hall or Parliment #Canadas150 http://www.ottawa2017.ca/events/signature-events/new-years-eve-celebration/

MITKs Ultimate List of Christmas Things to Do

2016 Edition

It’s that time of year again.  This city is alight with twinkling lights.  Festivals and craft sales are under way and Santa’s helpers are stationed in their ornate mall displays waiting for the enthusiastic children to visit, lists in hand.  It’s Christmas Time in the City. 

There is so much to do and see this time of year.  It’s hard to take it all in.  Once again, I have complied my annual list of Christmas Things to Do.  I hope you will enjoy the 2016 edition. 

Cumberland Museum Vintage Christmas Village of Lights

December 18 – 15  

$5.15 - $7.50 family rates available

Make a keepsake ornament for your own Christmas tree, decorate gingerbread men and take a nostalgic horse-drawn wagon ride through the illuminated village.

More information

Stanley's Christmas Village 
Stanley's Olde Maple Lane Farm 
November 26 – December 18

$12.50

Stanley’s Christmas Elves take you on a magical ride through the beautiful Christmas village farm with many magical Christmas themed stops along the way.

Families pick the time they'd like to depart and are whisked away by horse drawn ride to Ottawa's only Elf Village 
Stanley's Christmas Village

Alight at Night 
Upper Canada Village 
December 3 – January 2 

$10 children $14 adults

Bundle up for an evening stroll through this picture-perfect postcard setting!Close to one million lights adorn the heritage buildings, trees and fences of Upper Canada Village creating a one-of-a-kind magical backdrop for the annual Alight at Night Festival…a true winter wonderland!

Upper Canada Village website 

Christmas Adventure Park 
Ian's Christmas Tree Farm 

$10 per person (free if you are purchasing a tree)

November 24 – December 24

Lots of holiday fun for kids of all ages.  Cut your own Christmas tree, take a hayride, visit real reindeer or toboggan down a snow-covered hill.  There is just so much to do.  It is best to check the website to plan your trip.
Website

Christmas Tea at the Billings Estate National Historic Site 
2100 Cabot Sreet 
December 11 and 18, 2016  

$20 per person

Take some time to sit down and catch up with friends and family during this busy holiday season by enjoying a hot cup of tea and our popular scones and sandwiches.  Learn about the history of Christmas literary classics like ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and A Christmas Carol while taking in the sounds of Victorian carolers in our traditionally decorated historic house.

website

Christmas Lights Across Canada 
December 7 – January 7

Ottawa sparkles and shines during the Christmas season with Christmas Lights Across Canada. From early December to early January, thousands of colourful lights illuminate the National Capital Region’s winter landscape. The radiant event, which began nearly three decades ago, became such a hit that cities across Canada now participate in what’s become a national tradition.

website

25 Days of Giving

This is one of my favourite advent activities.  Over the years, we have brightened the lives of others during the Christmas season by putting the focus on giving, sharing, caring and love.  I know that , we have made the season of giving special for those around us.  There are families in our community in need, there are people who are lonely and there are friends who could use some cheer.  Plan you 25 days and show someone the love of a kind gesture this holiday season.  Here are a few ideas. 

1.  Make your Christmas countdown meaningful. Shop your neighbourhood #shoplocal
2.   Give Blood
3.  Sing Christmas Carols, play board games, or just visit with senior citizens at a nursing home.

4. Support the snowsuit Fund - some locations are accepting gently used and new snow gear - http://snowsuitfund.com/support-us/

5. Do a wagon food drive in your neighbourhood for your local foodbank
6. Particpate in the shoebox project - http://www.shoeboxproject.com/home.html
7. Bake some cookies for your neighbour, a friend, or a family who could use some home made holiday baking!

8. Hand out gloves and mittens to the homeless, or leave them on park benches.

9. Donate a new toy to Toy Mountain - http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/toy-mountain
10. Give yourself a treat -  go for a run or walk in the good outdoors, go to a yoga class,
11. Make some soup for your soul and share it with a friend. Great recipes using local produce at FoodlandOntario.ca
12. Put some change in the Salvation Army kettle.
13. Shovel your neighbours driveway.
14. Volunteer to wrap presents for someone who could use the help and company.
15. Help a furry friend.  Donate to the local animal shelter.
16. Make a call.  Reach out to someone that you have not heard from in a while. 
17. Make Christmas cards and bring them to the hospital to be handed out.
18. Give away your parking spot at the mall.
19. Wrap up some new Christmas pjs for a child in need.
20. Carry candy canes and give them out randomly.  Wish people a merry Christmas.
21. Offer to help an elderly neighbour put up Christmas lights.
22. Buy some new colouring books and crayons and leave in a hospital waiting room.
23. Bring hot chocolate to your bus driver.
24.Make someone smile.  Tell them a Chrismtas joke.  ?  Where do snowmen keep their money?
-  Beats me -  In a snow bank.
25. Give a teacher a bag of school supplies.

Smile at everyone you meet.
 
 
 
 
 

Happy Halloween

  Halloween is one of my absolute favourite holidays of the year.  I just love the costumes, the parties, the decorating and pumpkin carving and best of all the little trick or treaters.   Over the years, I have written countless blogs and appeared on various shows sharing some of my best ideas and inspiration with you.  This year, I have assembled some of my favourite blogs and updated my annual lists of pumpkin patches and events.  Look for me on this year on CTV Morning Live and Rogers TV for this year’s latest Halloween tips and tricks.