Tips for Surviving the Holiday Crunch

It’s crunch time.  There are long lines at the mall.  The parties have started.  There is a still a long list of people you need to buy for and even longer list of things to wrap. What’s a mom to do?

I have put together some of great last-minute time saving ideas to help you through these last few days of the Christmas rush.  Please feel free to add anything I have missed. 

• Shop in stores that offer gift-wrapping services, so you don’t have to do it yourself.
• Use professional delivery services to send out gifts - even within the city. It’s economical, reliable, and saves you time.
• Keep your menus simple. Prepare a few signature home-cooked meals, and order the rest from your favorite restaurant or caterer.
• Get everyone in the family involved in decorating your home. It may not look picture perfect or polished, but everyone gets to join in on the fun, and it makes for great memories.
• Give gifts that are easy to wrap, such as books that need only to be tied with a ribbon and a card. Or give plants and herbs in nice terracotta pots. These gifts are not expensive, and don’t need to be wrapped.
• Don’t shop with your kids - they slow you down.  Instead, shop with your friends. They can give you great advice during indecisive moments.
• Bring a huge bag to stuff all your purchases into - it’s easier to carry just one bag, and you help save the environment, too.
  
• It’s easier and faster to stuff gifts inside gift bags, instead of wrapping each one.  
• If you are unable to buy gifts for everyone on your list, hand out personalized gift vouchers, such as “free movie and popcorn,” redeemable anytime.
• Despite the Christmas rush, try to find the time to do a quick workout or exercise. It will give you an energy boost and will help end your day on a high note.
• Teach your children to focus on what they intend to give this Christmas rather than on what they will receive. This will change the way they view Christmas and will teach them to quickly respond to people in need.
•  Discuss your holiday schedule with the kids. Show them a calendar, and tell them your planned activities. They are also enjoying their holiday from school and conflict may arise when they don’t get to do what they expected to do during their break. The rushed home life and endless parties can be very stressful for kids, so giving them a heads-up will help them manage their own expectations.
  
• Identify the tasks your kids can help out with during the holidays. The kids can wrap their own gifts (Don’t sweat the crumpled wrapping or uneven tape!) and label them. Older kids can help deliver gifts to neighbors by walking or riding a bike. Giving baked goodies? Ask them to help in the preparations and packaging. 

Chocolate Gluten Free Entertaining options in Ottawa

By Prianka Tiwari

Holiday entertaining can be daunting even at the best of times. Add to the hustle and bustle of shopping and planning family events, the need to be a nutritionist and know what to serve when your celiac friend arrives. Shelves are increasingly full of Gluten free products but finding a certified good one can be quite a challenge. Fear not! Entertaining and food specialist Korey Kealey has a few options from store bought, the quick and simple, to the semi-homemade knock your socks off chocolate  desserts to make your holiday entertaining as easy as 1-2-3.

Kealey recommends for the time crunched but has to entertain on the drop of a dime type (you know who you are!)  to check out The Natural Food Pantry's private label "the gluten free bakery" products. Korey says "They are simple and phenomenal! The double chocolate cupcake will rival every specialty store in the city at half the price! Dress it up with sprinkles or interesting candy toppings...be sure to check the ingredient lists of the candy toppers that you choose to ensure a gluten free option!" 



Double chocolate crunchy crisps will have guests swarming and not just the Gluten free followers. "Trust me" says Kealey "I put these beside a fabulous caramel square as the gluten free option and there wasn't a piece leftover"



Double Chocolate Crisps 

Makes: 12 pieces

Prep time: 10 minutes

Refrigeration time: 20 minutes

1 pkg. (120g) enerjive™ Chocolate FIX snack crisps, broken in half or large pieces

3 oz dark chocolate pieces

Line a tray with parchment paper.

Melt chocolate in small deep bowl; dunk enerjive crisp half way shaking off excess chocolate, use a spoon to assist; place on parchment lined tray.

Repeat with remaining pieces and refrigerate until hard, about 20 minutes.

Finding the right recipe and obscure ingredients to make gluten free brownies is a challenge with many tasting like chalk, or worse. Kealey notes "Purest Natural Products has a humble looking chocolate brownie package with a killer finished product! Make a couple batches in advance, slice and freeze. Take it up a notch; the ooey, gooey delicious brownie is perfect for making Cake Pops. After baking, break up the brownies and form into balls, insert a stick, chill, dunk, dunk....serve…gorgeous.



Christmas Brownie Pops 

Prep time: 10 minutes

Baking time: 30 minutes

Assembly time: 10 minutes

Refrigeration time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla

1/2 cup melted butter

1 bag Purest chocolate brownie mix

6-8 oz white chocolate pieces

1/4 cup crushed candy canes or Red and green sprinkles

Bake brownies according to directions on package; let cool slightly about 25 minutes, then break into pieces; form 2 tbsp into a tight ball. Insert lollipop stick, repeat with remaining brownies. Refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. 

Melt white chocolate and carefully dunk cake pop then dunk in sprinkles, lay on parchment...add additional sprinkles if desired, repeat with remaining cake pops, refrigerate until firm.

Tip: Be cautious not to loosen stick when dunking...support with a spoon.

Product Find:

Double Chocolate Cupcakes: Natural Food Pantry locations. Billings Bridge, Westboro, Kanata



enerjive(tm) Chocolate FIX Quinoa 

Snack Crisps at Farm Boy and Natural Food Pantry Rainbow Foods or online www.enerjivefood.com



Purest Natural Products Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix at Farm Boy or www.purestnaturalproducts.com 



Chocolate Gluten Free Entertaining options in OttawaBy: Prianka Tiwari
Holiday entertaining can be daunting even at the best of times. Add to the hustle and bustle of shopping and planning family events, the need to be a nutritionist and know what to serve when your celiac friend arrives. Shelves are increasingly full of Gluten free products but finding a certified good one can be quite a challenge. Fear not! Entertaining and food specialist Korey Kealey has a few options from store bought, the quick and simple, to the semi-homemade knock your socks off chocolate  desserts to make your holiday entertaining as easy as 1-2-3.
Kealey recommends for the time crunched but has to entertain on the drop of a dime type (you know who you are!)  to check out The Natural Food Pantry's private label "the gluten free bakery" products. Korey says "They are simple and phenomenal! The double chocolate cupcake will rival every specialty store in the city at half the price! Dress it up with sprinkles or interesting candy toppings...be sure to check the ingredient lists of the candy toppers that you choose to ensure a gluten free option!" 

Double chocolate crunchy crisps will have guests swarming and not just the Gluten free followers. "Trust me" says Kealey "I put these beside a fabulous caramel square as the gluten free option and there wasn't a piece leftover"
Double Chocolate Crisps 
Makes: 12 piecesPrep time: 10 minutesRefrigeration time: 20 minutes
1 pkg. (120g) enerjive™ Chocolate FIX snack crisps, broken in half or large pieces3 oz dark chocolate pieces
Line a tray with parchment paper.Melt chocolate in small deep bowl; dunk enerjive crisp half way shaking off excess chocolate, use a spoon to assist; place on parchment lined tray.Repeat with remaining pieces and refrigerate until hard, about 20 minutes.

Finding the right recipe and obscure ingredients to make gluten free brownies is a challenge with many tasting like chalk, or worse. Kealey notes "Purest Natural Products has a humble looking chocolate brownie package with a killer finished product! Make a couple batches in advance, slice and freeze. Take it up a notch; the ooey, gooey delicious brownie is perfect for making Cake Pops. After baking, break up the brownies and form into balls, insert a stick, chill, dunk, dunk....serve…gorgeous.











Christmas Brownie Pops Prep time: 10 minutesBaking time: 30 minutesAssembly time: 10 minutesRefrigeration time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:2 eggs1 tsp pure vanilla1/2 cup melted butter1 bag Purest chocolate brownie mix6-8 oz white chocolate pieces1/4 cup crushed candy canes or Red and green sprinkles
Bake brownies according to directions on package; let cool slightly about 25 minutes, then break into pieces; form 2 tbsp into a tight ball. Insert lollipop stick, repeat with remaining brownies. Refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Melt white chocolate and carefully dunk cake pop then dunk in sprinkles, lay on parchment...add additional sprinkles if desired, repeat with remaining cake pops, refrigerate until firm.Tip: Be cautious not to loosen stick when dunking...support with a spoon.
























Product Find:Double Chocolate Cupcakes: Natural Food Pantry locations. Billings Bridge, Westboro, Kanataenerjive(tm) Chocolate FIX Quinoa Snack Crisps at Farm Boy and Natural Food Pantry Rainbow Foods or online www.enerjivefood.comPurest Natural Products Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix at Farm Boy or www.purestnaturalproducts.com 

Candy Counts!

By Mary Taggart

Mark Holleron for Ottawa At Home MagazineOf course, Christmas is for children…I know that and as the mother of four I have honoured that sentiment throughout the holiday season for years and years…and years…but, never at the expense of my décor. 

My children are older now, but even in the toddler years I refused to sacrifice my decorating style to let the children’s tastes dictate our holiday look! Don’t get me wrong, our home is always festive and full of Christmas cheer, it just isn’t done in a homemade crafty way! 

I don’t deny the traditional fun that stringing popcorn and cranberries for garlands brings to family togetherness. I just don’t like the look of them… In our home there are always two Christmas trees. One sits on the main floor, decorated with coordinated ornaments, ribbons and clear lights. The other, found in the basement, where a craft table is set with ongoing opportunities for creating, is an evolution of eclectic merriment! The basement provides the harmony that balances my more sophisticated decorating style with the children’s desire to showcase their own style.

The main floor of our home always offers a base of tasteful holiday décor, but layered beneath the tasteful is fun and whimsy so that children embrace the look too. This is done with ease and simplicity all thanks to one of the most wonderful elements of the season…food!

Does food count as décor? Oh yes it does! Food and the holiday season go together like red and green! Think candy cane, nuts, gingerbread, gumdrops and bonbons’! 

Come the first of December I keep a never ending supply of candy in dishes scattered around the house, vases are not only filled with flowers but candy canes too! Nutcrackers are whimsical tools placed next to nut filled baskets and our kitchen table sports a homemade ginger bread house as a centerpiece unlike the dining table that showcases a more formal floral display.

Decorating for the holidays with taste and style, while appealing to a child’s spirit is all about striking a balance to embrace the whimsy and play with spirited elements in appropriate amounts. It’s all about personal taste when determining just what that amount is. For some there is a high tolerance for crafty child friendly décor, for others that level is low and that is where the beauty of a basement or a designated ‘free style’ room becomes very appealing! 

Mary Taggart is Editor in Chief of Ottawa At Home magazine www.ottawaathome.ca 

Holiday Events and Things to Do

PARADES

Help Santa Toy Parade

November 23rd, 2013
Time: 11:00 a.m. 

 Parade Route Below

Help Ottawa firefighters collect toys for those in need.  The Help Santa Toy Parade of lights is a tradition in Ottawa.  Local firefighters walk the route collecting toys from spectators. 

Starts at National Archives on Wellington Street, heading east on Wellington until Bank. The parade turns right, continuing south on Bank Street then turns left on Laurier Avenue. It heads east on Laurier until Elgin Street, where it ends near City Hall.

http://www.toyparade.org/ 

Here are some great tips for enjoying the parade 

• Don't underestimate the crowds.
• Arrive early if you want a good spot.
• Be prepared for long waits.
• Check the weather forecast before you head out.
• Have a plan with your kids in case you get split up.

Here is a link to a list of other Santa Claus Parades in Eastern Ontario

TREES AND LIGHTS

Christmas Lights Across Canada

December 5, 2013 to January 7, 2014.

Downtown Ottawa

Each year, Canada’s Capital Region glows with thousands of holiday lights during Christmas Lights Across Canada. The magic begins with an illumination ceremony on Parliament Hill. Join us on December 5 for an evening that is sure to enchant the entire family.  

More information 

Alight at Night Festival

Thursdays to December 6 to 18

Nightly December 19 - January 4
Check website for hours

Upper Canada Village

Over a HALF-A-MILLION lights adorn the heritage buildings, trees and fences of Upper Canada Village creating a one-of-a-kind magical backdrop for its annual Alight at Night Festival…a true winter wonderland!

More information 

THEATRE AND MUSICALS

Handel’s Messiah

December 17 - 18

NAC Southam Hall

A sensational blockbuster since its premiere in 1742, Handel’s most beloved composition remains just as popular to this very day. The timeless classic has become a holiday tradition full of memorable choruses, including the awesome “Hallelujah” chorus. Combining thunderous power with gentle tenderness, this deeply moving work will inspire and uplift as a brilliant cast of vocalists, a magnificent choir, and the NAC Orchestra combine for majestic performances of Handel’s most adored oratorio.

 More information

 

The Nutcracker

December 14 & 15
Centrepointe Theatre

Re-discover the classic that warms the hearts of young and old alike: a holiday tradition that has showcased the magic of the season for years. The joy of dance comes alive with the show that audiences flock back to again and again: The Nutcracker, A Canadian Tradition, and its holiday magic.

More information 

VISIT SANTA

Rideau Center

details

Carlingwood

details

Bayshore

details

St. Laurent

details

Place D’Orelans

details

OTHER FUN STUFF

Personalized Video Message from Santa 

This is not just for Ottawa residents but we wanted to share it with all of you because it is a really neat idea and our children LOVED it. You can even send it to an adult if you think they have been "naughty" 

http://magicsanta.ca/homepage.html

Write a Letter to Santa 

Santa Claus 
North Pole 
HOH OHO 
Canada 
Don't forget to put your return address on your letter so he can write you back

Mayor’s 12th Annual Christmas Celebration

Saturday, December 7, from 3:00 p.m to 7:00 p.m.  

Ottawa City Hall - 110 Laurier Avenue West

This fun-filled celebration will include ice skating on the Rink of Dreams, hot chocolate, roasting marshmallows and horse-drawn wagon rides on Marion Dewar Plaza. Inside City Hall meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, decorate a gingerbread cookie in Santa’s bakery, have your face painted, and enjoy live performances. Enjoy special treats from BeaverTails and Lindt!

 More information 

Santa Paws

Bring your favourite furry friend to pose with Santa in the annual Santa Pet Pics fundraiser. All proceeds go to help the animals at the Ottawa Humane Society!

More information dates and times 

Trees of Hope Event

Chateau Laurier

Tis the season when Fairmont Château Laurier decks the hall with over 25 Christmas Trees during the hotel's annual Trees of Hope Event, designed to raise money for the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario.  Corporations participate by decorating trees and in turn these beautiful creations are place throughout the public spaces of the hotel for the entire festive season. This is an event that captures the true spirit of Christmas, by combining the beauty and imagination of the teams, paired with the gift of giving for a wonderful cause.  From November 267th until January 4th, guests and visitors can view the trees and vote for their favourite Corporate Tree as part of the People's Choice Awards

More information 

Give to Give Hope

Guest Blog by Judy Lincoln of 10,000 Villages

This week’s theme in the 30 Days of Giving Challenge is “HOPE.”  It is unfortunate to think that, at this time of year, HOPE is all that some people have.  This week, I am here to challenge you to provide hope for those in need – in our community and abroad.  Each day throughout the week, I will be posting ideas and challenges to my Facebook and Twitter followers to encouraging the community to Give to Give Hope. 

The following Guest Blog comes Judy Lincoln of 10,000 Villages.  I am inspired by her words of hope and by the work on the organization that provides hope for so many. 

Judy's Blog

There are so many days where it is humbling to work for an organization that is celebrating 65 years of empowering artisans. Every day it is humbling to work with volunteers who are committed to ensuring we are here for another 65!

Ten Thousand villages began with an idea when Edna Ruth Byler, a Mennonite Central Committee worker, brought several pieces of embroidery home from impoverished women in Puerto Rico in 1946. She showed them to friends and neighbours who placed orders for more and the pieces soon became popular. Fair Trade had been born! Within three years she had sold $30,000 worth of women’s handicrafts. 

The flourishing project eventually moved out of Byler's basement and became known as SELFHELP Crafts. Thousands of loyal customers and volunteers have helped to build this program into the strong alternative trading organization that, in 1996, became Ten Thousand Villages.

In October, the 48 stores across Canada celebrated Fair Trade and our founder, the phenomenal Edna Ruth Byler. She was a forward thinking woman, who saw that employment for women could change their lives.

Today, many women in Bangladesh are changing their lives with Sacred Mark, one of the producer groups that work with Ten Thousand Villages.  They produce these small bars of soap that will do more than just clean your hands–they will show you the true effort it takes, and the results of such effort, to become a clean person.

The women of the Sacred Mark organization have changed their lives, from surviving their involvement in the Bangladeshi sex trade to choosing to earn a living by making soap instead. Importantly, these strong women are provided with a safe and respectful working environment to make products that cleanse hands around the world. Each bar of soap is packaged and sealed with the individual finger print of the artisan who created it, making each one unique and important.

Sacred Mark is one of the organizations which is under a program named “Pobitra.” Founded by Mennonite Central Committee, this program has since been passed on to be run by the Bangladeshi people.

Pobitra seeks to help the poor and unemployed inhabitants of Bangladesh, in the hopes of leading them to a better and safer way of living. These women participate in an eight-month-long training session, which not only educates them in art of soap-making, but also in literacy and peace, human rights, health and hygiene, and mental health. The graduates commit to starting a new stage in their lives, with a different goal and a different means of living. They are seen as being reborn into this new life.

Buying a Fair Trade product supports the women working at Sacred Mark and many more like them around the world.  Fair Trade gifts are a great way to celebrate the holiday season and there many items under $10 that can truly make a difference including the soaps of Sacred Mark. 

---

Ten Thousand Villages has two locations in Ottawa, 371 Richmond Road (Westboro) and 1174 Bank Street (Old Ottawa South). With over 100 local volunteers, we are proud to be working with a common goal of creating opportunities for artisans to earn a living, and to tell their stories in the National Capital Region. 

You can follow us on Twitter, Facebook or our blog. 

To shop online and find stores across Canada, visit: www.TenThousandVillages.ca