From ​the Darien Arts Center

​WREATH MAKING WORKSHOP
ERIKA CAPUTO
Adults | Wednesday 7-9pm, Dec. 2 | $70
Adults | Friday 7-9pm, Dec. 4 | $70

This new DAC holiday tradition returns with more dates scheduled. Come join us for a festive wreath making workshop and a ladies night out! Bring your friends! Wreaths and all materials will be provided. Participants are welcome to bring extra decorations to give their wreaths a more personalized look. Usher in the holiday season with this classic craft! BYO wine and refreshments.

http://www.darienarts.org/
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By Lisa Milbrand (she's amazing!)on REAL SIMPLE

The best gifts aren’t always the most expensive. In fact, free (or almost free) presents usually require a bit more thought, care, and creativity than a “saw this at the mall and thought of you” gift. Giving of yourself and your time and energy will definitely be appreciated by the recipient—and if you’re trying to save money or budget better, it’s a win-win.
Check out these 23 free gift ideas to consider for the holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, or any other gift-giving occasion. Even if you aren’t particularly crafty, you should be able to pull off something special and meaningful to celebrate your family member or friend without spending very much money.

1. Do something nice in their name. Spend some time volunteering for a charity or group that is especially meaningful for them. You can take a day to clean up trash on a park or beach, donate blood, or sign up for a shift serving others at a soup kitchen. It’s a totally free gift that will make you both feel great.
2. Create a 21st century mix tape. Craft a customized playlist to share with them. You can include songs that remind you of special memories or inside jokes from your past, or just create a playlist of new music you think they’ll love. If they’re old school, you can still burn a CD or put it on a cassette, or simply share it with them via Spotify or another streaming service.
   
3. Write down some wonderful moments with them. Remember that time? Make sure that they do, too. Write all of your favorite memories with them on small slips of paper, and place them in a pretty jar with a label like “Jar of Awesome.” Include some blank slips of paper so your recipient can continue the tradition with new memories as you make them. 
   
4. Re-gift wisely. Shop from home, literally. Odds are, you have something in your house that your friend or family member will love—whether it’s that vase your friend has always complimented, or a book you’ve finished that you know your sister will adore. Share generously. 
   
5. Cook them something tasty. Sure, you’ll have to spring for the ingredients, but who can turn down cookies or cake, a killer homemade granola, or another special treat?
   
6. Give them the gift of time. If there’s anything we’ve learned in 2020, it’s the importance of spending time with the people you really love. So make your gift a commitment to spend time with them, whether it’s a monthly date for tea and conversation or a special weekend away with far-flung friends.
   
7. Grow them something. A pretty plant always makes a lovely gift. (Just remember that you’ll need to start early if you’re growing from seed or bulbs.)
   
8. Write them some 'just in case' letters. Write a series of heartfelt letters to suit different occasions, and label them—“Read this when you’re feeling blue,” or “Read this when you have something to celebrate.” You’ll be there to send just the right message at just the right moment.
   
9. Plan a day of (free) fun. Give them a homemade gift card entitling them to a fully planned day of fun, whether you take your nephew on a tour of all the best local playgrounds or treat your mom to her favorite art museum (on free admission day).
   
10. Hand down your family's secret recipes. Does everyone want to know the secret to your chocolate chip cookies or does Grandma have a killer pasta sauce recipe? Write out your very best dishes on recipe cards or compile them into a booklet for the perfect gift for cooks.
    
11. Send them flowers. If you have access to a garden, you can DIY a bouquet of lovely blooms. Tie them with a ribbon or a piece of twine, and you’re good to go.
    
12. Make your own mix in a jar. Upcycle old pasta sauce jars and layer in all the dry ingredients for oatmeal cookies, hot chocolate, or another favorite treat.
    
13. Go old school with a pet rock. No need to spend for a “real” pet rock when there’s probably one waiting just steps outside your front door. All you need is a box and a link to one of the tongue-in-cheek care manuals online, and you’re in business.
    
14. Send a message to the future. Put together a time capsule and time stamp when it’ll be ready to open. This makes an especially nice (and free!) gift for the under-18 crowd. You can capture all of their current interests in passions so your tween niece will be able to look back at her K-POP obsession in a decade or so.
    
15. Print a favorite photo of them. Whether you make a copy of that pic of you and your BFF in full 90s grunge mode or a recent shot of a family vacation, the photo will likely find a place of honor in their home. (And odds are, you have an extra frame or two at home you can use for it.)
    
16. Create a video tribute. Celebrate them by compiling photos and asking other family members and friends to share their favorite memories and feelings about your recipient. Edit it together (we love Tribute for the ease of collaborating and editing), and you’ll have a priceless free gift for your loved one.
    
17. Showcase the family tree. Become the family genealogist and start Googling for details from the past. You can draw it out on paper and frame it for your history buff loved one.
    
18. DIY a family (or friend group) trivia game. Can everyone remember the name of your little brother’s imaginary friend, or which college roommate had the peach-and-mint color scheme? Write up the Qs and As and have a fun get-together to see who wins bragging rights. (If you’re feeling really creative, make up a full-on game with a board and playing pieces or a digital Jeopardy-style game.)
    
19. Give them some inspiration. If you have a pretty blank notebook at home, you can jazz up the cover and turn it into a gratitude journal for them. Use your best handwriting and adorn the pages with some inspirational messages (try a few famous positive quotes to get started).
    
20. DIY some art supplies. You can make play dough, slime, or even finger paints with some common ingredients you probably have at home right now.
    
21. Be their sitter. Coupons good for free house-sitting, pet-sitting, or babysitting would likely be welcome by any gift recipient.
    
22. Set-up a scavenger hunt. Great fun as a group gift, you can send your recipients around the house, around the block, or around town looking for a list of items or activities. (Bonus points if you use a theme, especially if it’s objects or places that are special to you—i.e, “Take a selfie in front of our first apartment building”).
    
23. Share some mementos. Put together a little book or box with some priceless artifacts—old ticket stubs, brochures, playbills, and other items from times you’ve spent together. For bonus points, include a short sentence or two about what you remember from every adventure.
    

Written By Lisa Milbrand  from REAL SIMPLE

This Christmas, it may be hard not to feel a little Grinchy. But before you say, “Bah, humbug,” and try to fast forward into the new year, look for ways to find some fun this holiday season. The coronavirus pandemic may mean your Christmas won’t look exactly the same as it usually does, but you can get creative and find some new ways to celebrate—and some of your ideas may be so good you’ll make some new traditions along the way.
Here’s how to make your Christmas special, even if concerns about COVID-19 mean you’ll have to celebrate the holidays away from your friends and family.

1. Prioritize the traditions that matter most to you. “Think about what is the essence of the holiday for you, so you can try to preserve it,” says happiness expert Gretchen Rubin, author of Happier at Home. “Even if you’re not doing everything you used to, you can set up the holiday decorations, if that’s really important, or make the special foods you love.”
2. Do your gift shopping and shipping early. Since more people will be shopping online to avoid the stores, shipping companies will be inundated—so you’ll want to shop and send gifts early to make sure they arrive right on time. (Check the USPS holiday shipping deadlines to make sure you’re on track.)
   
3. Trim a tree outdoors. Since you might be entertaining outdoors more than you usually do this time of year, this is the year to go overboard with decking out your deck or patio—and adorning an outdoor-friendly tree (or even a live Christmas tree in a planter) with LED lights and shatterproof ornaments is the way to go. (Tip: Use twist ties or florist’s wire to secure the ornaments to the tree, so they’ll stay put even in a stiff wind.) Maybe Santa could even leave some of the best outdoorsy Christmas gifts of the year, such as snowshoes, skis, or sleds, at the outdoor tree, too.
   
4. Make special memories. Yeah, you and your household members may be a little tired of each other right now, but think of fun ways to help set the holiday season apart. Create a little advent calendar with festive activities for each day, rather than a treat. Your Christmas activities don’t have to be elaborate—it could just be drinking hot cocoa together wearing Santa hats or watching one of the best Christmas movies on Netflix—but it’ll help make the season brighter.
   
5. Find ways to make the most of your time with loved ones.  To keep everyone as safe as possible, your best bet is following CDC recommendations and avoiding indoor get-togethers. (An outbreak of COVID is the Christmas gift that no one wished for.) And that means if you live in the northern part of the country, your time together will probably need to be briefer (and chillier) than you’d probably like. Zoom fatigue is real, though: If you can, make events in-person and outdoors, even if it means a quick chat while everyone’s bundled up. When gathering in person outdoors, consider keeping celebrations to the daytime hours, when it might be a little bit warmer and more comfortable to spend time outside. Look for outdoor activities that can be socially distanced and keep you active, like sledding or snow-fort making. And don’t forget to serve hot foods and drinks to help keep everyone toasty. Do your Secret Santa or white elephant gift exchange around an outdoor picnic table or fire pit; for ugly sweater competitions, strategize layering options so you can show off your light-up sweater and stay warm at the same time.
   
6. Spread some joy! If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s how much the people in our lives mean to us, so go ahead and spread some happiness where you can. Write down how much the people you love mean to you and send it out to them. Make Christmas cookies and leave some with your friends and neighbors—or drop off pizza or other treats at a local nursing home, hospital, or fire department to brighten the lives of the people there.
   
7. Remember that what's different may make this holiday more special! You may not remember exactly what happened at the holidays from year to year, but when something this different happens, it'll stick out. "Things that go wrong often make the best memories," Rubin say. "This exceptional holiday season will probably be more memorable because it's so different. We just have to find a way to make the most of it." 
   
   
   

From Connecticut Children's Medical Center - great resource!

By: Amy Adolfo Signore, PhD, MPH and Emily Wakefield, PsyD
This year has been difficult to say the least. With the holidays approaching – and the challenges and uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic still ongoing – you may be wondering how to help your child cope with the disappointment of things being different this year.
Connecticut Children’s pediatric psychologists join the blog with advice.
(We’ve grouped suggestions by age, but tips for younger children apply to older children and adults alike.)


       0-3 years old: Focus on quality time during the holidays – and don’t worry about the details.

• Children this age will not be able to recall detailed memories of holidays past and will not recall the events of this year in the future.
• It’s okay to keep things very simple for children this age in terms of celebrations and explanations.
• All children benefit from having quiet-down time to feel love and attention from parents. With social distancing and quarantine measures in place, this is the perfect season to indulge kids with affection. 
  4-6 years old: Create new, quarantine-approved holiday traditions.
• Establish traditions within your immediate family – make holiday decorations, make a home-made gift, cook a special meal.
• Instead of in-person visits with friends, family or even Santa, consider fun ways to have a video interaction, write letters or make cards.
• Don’t punish children for having a negative reaction to holiday changes this year. Tell them that it’s okay to feel sad, disappointed or angry.
• Find the positive and teach positive self-talk. For example, “Since we don’t have to travel, we get extra time to relax and play at home.” 
  6-12 years old: Help your child cope with holiday blues – and build resilience for the future.
• At this age, children understand the precautions that need to be taken due to COVID-19.
• Validate their feelings of disappointment and sadness about changes to their holiday traditions: It’s normal and OK to feel angry, frustrated or sad.
• Remember that helping children overcome disappointment helps them build resiliency.
• Ask them for their ideas about how to make the holiday special.
• Teach fun relaxation strategies – try yoga for the first time, or practice slowly breathing in and out the scent of a favorite treat, lotion or candle. 
  13-18 years old: Ask, listen and encourage COVID-safe holiday activities.
• Ask teens how they are feeling.
• Let them know you are there if they need to talk.
• Listen! Often, teens just want someone to listen and not solve the problem for them.
• Offer perspective on the situation by looking at the big picture.
• Allow them a sense of control by giving them choices – maybe to have friend over on a different day to celebrate the holiday, or allow them to plan a special activity.
• Encourage positive social activities to honor the holiday season, such as how to volunteer in a socially distanced way.  
  ​Parents and caregivers: Manage your own disappointment about this holiday season.
• Allow yourself to feel sad, worried or angry.
• Do something to nurture yourself.
• Adjust your expectations.
• Look at the big picture.
• Children take cues from their parents. If you maintain a positive, festive and calm demeanor, your kids will pick up on that and do the same.
• In addition to finding ways to understand and support the feelings of your kids, you can also find creative ways to celebrate the holidays despite the pandemic. We’ve included a few suggestions in the Related Links below.
  ​
  Let this be your guide to finding all the hope, peace, joy and sense of renewal that a traditional holiday season brings.
  Related Links
• 14 Ways to Have a Safe Halloween During COVID-19, Even in Quarantine
• 8 Ways to Celebrate a Virtual Thanksgiving During COVID-19
• For Happier Holidays in Quarantine, Practice Gratitude This Thanksgiving
• Tips and Tools to Support Your Child’s Mental Health

From Connecticut Children's Medical Center - check them out!

With coronavirus numbers on the rise across the country, your family may be preparing for a different Thanksgiving this year – no trip to grandma’s house, no overflowing dinners with extended family and friends.
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If you’ll be celebrating virtually with loved ones who aren’t in your quarantine group, here’s how can you make it special.

         Before

1. Plan a shared experience. No matter the distance, you’ll feel close on the big day if you share the same rituals. Have your child come up with ideas for all five senses, and spread the word to everyone on the virtual guest list: For example, plan to light the same scent of candle or prepare the same fragrant dish, and create a shared playlist to use as background music.
2. Create connection with meal prep. Thanksgiving meal may be the hardest time for your child to be apart from family members who aren’t in your quarantine group, like grandparents. So focus on the steps that come before eating, which are easier to bond over from a distance: Schedule calls for family members to help your child brainstorm the holiday menu and make a shopping list. Ask for a loved one’s favorite recipe, and video chat while you and your child test it out. (Bonus: These are great ways to get your child involved in the kitchen!)
3. Send Thanksgiving care packages. Mail or drop off treats and supplies to help guests feel part of the fun. Since you can’t crowd around one table to split a pumpkin pie, maybe you and your child bake pumpkin muffins and drop them off on doorsteps, or make matching centerpieces for everyone to display on their holiday tables. 
   During
4. During your Thanksgiving video chat, have your child host “opening” and “closing ceremonies.” Your child might want to kick things off with a song or prayer, and wrap up with a round of jokes or the latest Tik Tok dance. With old traditions on hold, the possibilities are endless. 
5. Try a new twist on a pot luck. Since you’ll all be dining as separate households, a traditional pot luck is out the window. But you can still ask every person to “bring” something to contribute – like a brief toast or favorite family photo to share virtually.
6. Try a gratitude bowl. Have all the households in your extended family start this process a few weeks before Thanksgiving. Each day, each person writes something they’re grateful for on a slip of paper and adds it to their household bowl. During your Thanksgiving virtual event, take turns reading aloud. 
   ​After
7. Keep the fun going! Once your Thanksgiving Day “program” has ended, you can prop your device up somewhere central with video chat for any loved ones who want to stay connected, or have your child send occasional text updates on the day’s events – from the big turkey reveal to lounging in comfy clothes while you digest.
8. Make Thanksgiving resolutions. This can be part of your virtual get-together, or just a quiet conversation with your child to close out the day. What would your child like to learn, try, or do more of by Thanksgiving next year? This is a nice way to remind kids (and all of us) that we all have a lot to look forward to on the other side of this pandemic.

From Connecticut Children's Medical Center

The holidays are a magical time, especially for kids. But this year, the pandemic is forcing families to rethink how they make that magic happen. With Thanksgiving approaching, and Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa next in line, how can you keep your family safe from COVID-19 while still making this year special?

To help, Connecticut Children’s is kicking off a weekly series of ideas to inspire and delight your kids this holiday season – even in quarantine.


#1 HOLIDAY PHOTO CONTEST If you start this one now, you can reveal photos as part of your Thanksgiving virtual celebration – and even have plenty of time to print cards to send as your actual holiday greetings!

Step 1. Decide the ground rules for your holiday photo contest.

• Deadline: Pick a day in the next couple weeks if you want to share on Thanksgiving, or a date later in the season to time with Hanukkah or Christmas or another celebration.
• How to submit: Decide if you’ll have each participating household email their holiday photo, post to a social media feed or use a shared board like kudoboard.com.
• Theme: Select a specific theme (like characters from a favorite Christmas or Hanukkah special), or just aim for general holiday cheer.
• How the winner will be decided: If this is a group decision, will each household get one vote, or each individual?
• The prize: “Bragging rights” count.
• The big reveal: Make a plan to share photos and vote on a winner. This could be everything from a virtual event to a simple email.

Step 2. Create a holiday photo “tip list.” Thanks to social media, lots of older kids and teens already know how to take a great photo – but to help everyone in your extended family succeed, consider writing out a tip list. Feel free to borrow ours:

• Camera placement: Find a secure spot to prop your camera (or phone) that’s eye level with the group. You may need to move a table into position with a chair, stool or stack of books on top.
• Lighting: Position everyone near a bright window or arrange lamps to shine on the group from the front or side (not behind or directly overhead). Even better? Take photos outdoors in soft lighting.
• Background: Remove any distracting items so the focus is on your smiling (or silly) faces.
• Props: What says Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or winter cheer to your family?
• Perseverance: Try different poses and take lots of pictures until you find the one you like best.

Step 3. Announce the holiday photo contest to family and friends. Record a quick video of your child announcing the contest. For example: “Get ready for your close-up! This Thanksgiving/Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/holiday season, I hope you’ll join our photo contest! Check out the rules and tips. And say CHEESE!”
Attach the video to an email or social media message to your extended family and friends. Include the rules (Step 1) and tip list (Step 2). How can they say no?

Step 4. Let your child be your art director! When it comes to your household’s photo submission, the best way to make the experience special for your child is to involve them every step of the way. This means saying yes to even their silliest suggestions. Sure, maybe your idea of a “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Hanukkah” family photo never involved Halloween costumes from years past or everyone wearing handmade cardboard hats – but it’s sure to bring your child lots of joy. And that’s the whole point, isn’t it?
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Have a safe and happy holiday season!