Carry the Warmth and Love of Christmas Throughout the Whole Year

The magic of Christmas brings out our best—our warmth, compassion, generosity, and sense of connection. We cherish this season because it helps us remember what truly matters: the love we share with others. But wouldn’t it be beautiful if we could carry that same spirit all year round? Here are some heartfelt ways to keep that Christmas warmth alive beyond the season.

• Embrace the Power of Small Acts of Kindness — Christmas reminds us to give, not just in big ways but through small gestures—smiling at strangers, lending a hand, or sharing a kind word. Make kindness a part of your routine by holding doors, complimenting others, or writing a thank-you note. Even the smallest acts can create a ripple effect, spreading warmth far and wide.
• Practice Gratitude Daily — At Christmas, we often reflect on our blessings, and it fills our hearts with gratitude. Why not extend that habit year-round? Start or end each day by noting a few things you’re grateful for. Keep a gratitude journal or make it a family tradition to share what you’re thankful for each week. This practice shifts your perspective, helping you stay anchored in positivity even when life feels challenging.
• Make Time for Family and Friends — Christmas brings us together with loved ones, often reminding us how much they mean to us. Don’t wait for a holiday to reconnect. Regularly reach out to friends and family, even if it’s just for a quick call or message. Plan monthly family dinners, game nights, or meet-ups with friends to keep those bonds strong throughout the year.
• Give Thoughtfully and Generously — Giving is at the heart of Christmas. To carry this spirit forward, look for ways to give your time, resources, or skills in meaningful ways. Volunteer, donate to causes close to your heart, or simply surprise someone with a kind gesture. Thoughtful giving doesn’t have to be grand; it can be as simple as sharing a homemade meal or offering to help a neighbor.
• Embrace a Spirit of Forgiveness and Understanding — During the holiday season, many of us let go of past grievances and come together with open hearts. Carry that spirit into the new year by being quicker to forgive, choosing understanding over judgment, and letting go of grudges. Not only does forgiveness bring peace to your relationships, but it also creates space in your life for new joy.
• Create Your Own Year-Round Traditions —   Christmas traditions bring warmth and connection, so why not invent new ones for the rest of the year? Set a day each month for a “kindness day” where you do something nice for someone, or celebrate “Gratitude Fridays” by sharing what you appreciate about a friend or family member. These traditions keep the Christmas spirit alive in fresh, personal ways.
• Stay Mindful and Present — Christmas has a way of slowing us down, helping us appreciate life’s simple pleasures. Keep this alive by practicing mindfulness: take moments to breathe deeply, enjoy nature, savor your coffee, and truly listen to the people around you. This grounded awareness brings the same peace and joy we often experience during the holidays.
• Keep the Spirit of Hope Alive — Christmas is a season of hope, a time when we believe in the goodness of people and the possibility of a brighter future. Carry that hope forward by staying optimistic, believing in your dreams, and spreading positivity. When challenges arise, remind yourself of the resilience and hope that Christmas instills, knowing that light always returns.

The warmth, kindness, and love we experience during Christmas can fill our lives year-round with a little intention. By practicing kindness, gratitude, connection, and mindfulness, you can keep the spirit of Christmas alive in your heart and share it with those around you. Remember, every day offers us a new chance to bring a little more light and love into the world. And that, in itself, is a gift worth celebrating every single day.

Positive Words Do Make A Difference!

With a new year upon us this is the perfect reminder to cherish the good that surrounds us with POSITIVE words and behaviors – and there is no better place to start than as a parent. Parenting is a balancing act that requires control – often tangling with the fine line of encouragement and exasperation. Positive words that you speak over your kids can help instill confidence and control in your WHOLE family in both the short term and long term.

Words spoken can become meaningless when they are not exhibited in an action. However, words alone do have great power – both positive and negative. We can all make a choice to speak in a positive way to everyone around us – especially to our children and all young ones that we encounter throughout the day. This behavior is one that they will begin to imitate – even though they may not recognize they are doing so.  You never know how the words of encouragement that you speak today will affect your kids to carry with them for the years ahead.

Be intentional in the morning – and set aside specific words that you are going to speak to kids. Write them down if you have to, or simply use your favorite word of encouragement that brings a smile to YOUR child’s face – over and over again.  The more you can follow up these words with actions of affirmation – the more power these words will have. Have fun and spread the kindness beyond your home – you’ll be amazed at the goodness that will follow!

Holiday Giving Is The Perfect Lesson In Love

The holiday season is the perfect time to teach our children the beauty of giving back to others. At a time when so many people are focused on getting something – why not take a moment to guide your children in the merit and blessing of giving!

Here are some ideas to help you get started:

Bake As A Family. Although having kids in the kitchen with mixers, cookie dough and measuring cups filled with powder may not be the most care-free option for a mother – this time together can be the best time for bonding and may even turn into a family tradition! As a family, deliver these cookies to your neighbors, your local fire and police station, and even have some packaged at the door for the frenzied postal and delivery drivers who are working hard to get your packages to you on time for the holiday season

Sponsor A Family. There are local organizations that can help you find a family that needs your help this holiday season. Include your children in buying gifts. Let them pick out what “they think”is the best gift idea – and you can supplement these choices with those that you believe are needed and will ensure the holiday is filled with joy for this family in need.

Help The Homeless. Even though this is the time of year when many organizations focus on the homeless community, you can pack gift bags for your family to hand out during your daily travels. Choose practical items such as socks, gloves, hats, snacks, water bottles, gift cards for food and some interesting items that will surprise them! This is something that can be done all year long – your kids will really enjoy doing this – and hopefully it will become a tradition with their own family.

Four Ways Your Child Can Help YOU Prepare For The Holidays!

The holidays can bring a lot of cheer to the home, but sometimes stress can enter the door now and then as well! The holiday activities tend to get a little tougher when the children are out of school. When there’s too much to do and not enough time, it’s time to get the whole family pitching in to lighten the load. Kids are often so excited and eager for the big day that they’ll gladly help with chores. We’d like to help you with some ideas to “de-stress as you prep” this Christmas season.

1. Clean Their Room
The holiday season is a time for entertaining family and friends. This is the perfect time to have your children clean their rooms, as well as clear out all clutter to make way for new toys. This chore includes the cleaning out closets, clearing out under the beds, and taking care of any items that are not being used. This task may require guidance from an older sibling or a parent. Use this as a time to encourage generosity, thankfulness, and let them choose to donate items to local shelters for families in need.

2. Create Christmas Cards
Now is the time to get out the art supplies! Gather the kids around a table and talk about all of the people in your lives that are so special and would love to have a personal card delivered. Encourage your youngsters to make holiday cards for their own sending to friends and family. If you have some pretty card stock or construction paper with markers and stickers – this can become quite an exciting “chore” for children of all ages. If this it too much – why not have your children help you stuff envelopes and give them a lesson on where a stamp is placed on an envelope as well as return address labels. This is something most kids don’t know, and will benefit from this teachable moment!

3. Create Gift Tags
A homemade gift tag makes every gift that much more special. Gather up your art supplies and show your kids hows to create a simple or fancy gift tag. You will need construction paper, kid-safe scissors, a hole punch, twine or ribbon, markers, stickers and even glitter (if you can handle the mess!) The gift tags can be cut into all sorts of shapes and sizes. Let their imagination go wild…You can never have too many gift tags!

4. Help With Light Cleaning
When you have company coming over, it can be fun to involve the whole family as a cleaning crew to prep the home for the new arrivals. Children of all ages can be given safe tasks for cleaning. In fact, even the littlest in the bunch will enjoy the task of putting things back where they belong. Let them help dust, sweep, wipe down counters, and straighten the pillows on the couch. With everyone working together to make the house tidy, you’ll get the work done faster. Kids usually enjoy pitching in to help with these important holiday chores, too.

When you include your children it not only lightens your own load, but it gets them involved and makes them feel like they are a part of the whole holiday process. There are many teachable moments when you work together, and when kids feel important and needed – the holidays get that much brighter!

How To Reduce Screen Time For Your Children

In a society where technology prevails, it can be tougher than ever to convince your child to voluntarily look away from the screen. This doesn’t just mean the television – most households now have multiple smartphones, ipads and laptops.

In a recent report by Common Sense Media, it was found that 42% of children 8 and younger have their own tablet devices, and spend an average of 2 hours and 19 minutes a day looking at screens. Tablets and phones can be great educational tools, but if used too often they can also disrupt sleep schedules and even impact expressive speech and the ability to recognize emotions. Here are the top ways to reduce screen time:

1. Set An Example: Though it may be tough moving away from screens yourself, it is one of the most impactful ways to reduce screen time for your child. Younger children learn by observing, and making an effort to put down your phone, computer or tablet will set a good example.
2. Create Rules and Follow Them: By setting rules for your child, they will begin to understand when it’s time for screens and when they have to step away. A good place to start can include: no television during dinner, no digital device with a screen before bed, and setting designated times that the kids can enjoy a device with a screen. Abiding by these rules may be harder on you than the child. Think about when you’re busy and you need to keep your child occupied — what do you do? Most of us send hand them a tablet, stream their favorite show and head off to do our chores. However, if you’ve set a rule for no screen time, it is important to stick to it.
3. Provide Alternate Activities: If your child is bored, they’re going to want to reach for a device for entertainment. Engage with them by going outside, playing games or reading books – you’ll create fond memories and a desire for other forms of fun!

Delayed Opening – Thursday 1/18/18

This is an important message regarding operations for Apple Tree Learning Centers for Thursday January 18th.

All Apple Tree Centers will operate on a 3 hour delay. We will open at 9am due to the freezing temperature and road conditions. Due to the delayed opening time we will only be serving lunch at 12pm and afternoon snack at 3pm tomorrow.

Academy classes K through 5th grade will be on a delay with a start time of 9:30am.

Child care is available for all public school students for an additional fee.

Sidewalks and parking lots have been salted; however, they are still icy and slippery from the below freezing temperatures. Please be careful and hold your child’s hand when walking in these areas to prevent falling.

We appreciate all your support and please be safe.

Sincerely,
Heidi Riden
CEO

DELAYED Opening – Monday, January 8th-Please Read

Our 2017-2018 School Supply List

Be sure to head out this weekend and save money on your school supplies.  Download the 2017-2018 School Supply List!

7 Ways To Keep Your Kids Safe At The Beach

This article was written by Patrick Quinn, Writer and co-founder of Life of Dad, the Social Network for Fathers
Patrick is an experienced lifeguard with great life experience in the perils of families in danger at the oceanfront.

Take a moment to review this very informative article for your families safety for this summer and all of those ahead:

When you go to the beach (or anywhere) with your kids, YOU are the first and most important line of defense when it comes to their safety. Gone are the days when the beach meant that you can sit in a chair and read a book, or take a nice nap in the sun. You now have to be constantly on guard. If your child is near the water, you need to be near the water too. If your child is in the water, you should be ankle-deep right behind them at the absolute minimum. A 10-second glance away could be all it takes. Consider the lifeguards a final option when all you have done to keep them safe has failed. Do not rely on them or anyone else when it comes to the safety of your kiddos.

Here is a list of things to run through before you head to big blue with the kids:

1. Know your swimming limitations. Please take note that I’m not saying “DISCOVER your limitations.” If you think the water might be too rough for you, then I assure you that you are right. Err on the side of caution always. Don’t put yourself into a dangerous situation, especially when you are with your kids.
2. Be especially cautious in unfamiliar waters. By most standards, I am an excellent swimmer. However, new bodies of water present new challenges that I might not know about and don’t want to discover when I’m in it. Always investigate the place you’re entering first. Ask locals, scope out potential problems and stay out if you’re unsure. If it’s a hot day and you see a delightful-looking area of water that is free of other swimmers, assume there is a reason for it. There might be a riptide, polluted waters or it might be off-limits for some other reason you are not aware of.
3. Recognize a Riptide. Riptides (sometimes called “undertows”) are channels of water that flow from the beach out to sea. You have all of these waves coming in and they have to go back out to sea somewhere. The water is pushed to the side by the waves that are behind it until it finds an exit. This is usually in a spot that’s deeper than the surrounding areas and when the water rushes out, it forms a channel and makes it even deeper. Take a second to watch the water before you go in. Is there a section of the beach where the waves just aren’t breaking? Does the whitewater that’s rolling in mysteriously disappear in a section? That is the deeper water. Waves break where the water gets shallow. If they aren’t breaking, it’s deeper there and you should move your kids somewhere well away from it because chances are, that’s the spot that’s pulling out to sea. What looks to you like the most serene patch of water can very well be the most dangerous. Also, don’t swim very close to jetties or piers. Riptides often form next to them as water is forced out to sea.
4. Know how to get out of a riptide. Riptides can be very scary if you’re in one. You swim and swim and swim towards shore, but either make no progress, or get farther and farther away. If you’ve never been in a riptide, imagine swimming to the end riptide-diagram of your pool, only you’re swimming uphill and the water is pushing you back. There is a very simple solution to this. Swim parallel to the shore, not towards it. The riptide might only be a few yards wide. Once you’re out of it, getting to shore will be relatively easy again.
5. Talk to the lifeguards before you go in. This is a surprisingly simple thing to do that most people overlook. When it comes to the ocean, they know more than you might ever know. They are the experts and you should respect that. Ask them where the safest place is for you and the kids. Have them point out dangerous spots (they’ll know where they are and where they form with changing tides). If you’re not a strong swimmer, let them know and ask them to keep a particular eye out for your children. If you show them that you are making an effort, they will make an effort for you as well.
6. Recognize when someone is in trouble. When someone is in desperate need of help, they cannot call out, they cannot scream. They simply go under. I’ll leave this quote from it here: “Children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.”
7. Assign a guardian when you are away. There are obviously going to be times that you can’t watch the kids. You might have to go to the bathroom or feed a parking meter. A mistake that many people (especially those in groups) make is assuming someone else is watching the kids. They are there with eight other adults, so someone is looking out while you’re away, right?? The problem that arises is that every other parent is also assuming someone else has their eyes on your kids. When you need to leave, assign someone specific to watch your children. Tell them “You are in charge of them until I come back. DO NOT STOP WATCHING THEM UNTIL THEN.” Be firm about it. If you don’t give someone this responsibility, you can’t assume that someone is going to just naturally take over.

So please take caution this summer. Watch your kids at the beach, at the pool, heck, even near the mall fountain. Once you know what to look for and what to look out for, you can spend time on the beach passing that knowledge on to your children. They will be safe while you’re with them and armed with the lessons you give them, they’ll be safe in the future when they are on their own.

 

 

Source:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/patrick-quinn/keeping-your-kids-safe-on-the-beach_b_5405820.html

‘Tis The Season To Have Some Fun With Candy Canes!

Candy Canes are a staple of the holiday season.

Check out this website with a alot of fun candy cane activities to keep you and your family busy this season.

Here is one of our favorite activities from the list to get you started!

Candy Cane Scented Playdough

It’s that time of year to make candy cane scented playdough! This activity can become YOUR family’s tradition to officially start off the holiday season.  Every time you and your kids make a new batch of this peppermint-scented playdough you will be amazed at how much more festive the holiday season becomes. Here are the ingredients to get you started:

Ingredients: