Tidings 2019 - PEI

A MARITIME GUIDE TO ALL THINGS HOLIDAY

Stella’s ready for Santa Go behind the scenes with our cover model

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HOLIDAY  201 9

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A MARITIME GUIDE TO ALL THINGS HOLIDAY

Holiday help at the ready

Tidings is published by SaltWire Network Custom Publishing President & CEO Mark Lever VP, Sales (N.S. & P.E.I.) Jennifer Zwicker

Giving back a Christmas tradition for some families

Director, Product Management Lindsey Bunin Editor & Project Manager Paula Bugden Senior Designer Peter Ross Customer Relations Specialist Meghan O’Neil Advertising Sales Shawn Patterson, South Shore/Yarmouth/Valley Scott MacQuarrie, Cape Breton Jennifer Zwicker, Halifax Danielle Johnson, Truro & Antigonish Colin Sly, P.E.I. Contributors Paula Bugden, Heather Laura Clarke, Sara Ericsson, Lesley Crewe, Christine Faour, Gina Bell Stock photos: 123RF DIY Photos: Heather Laura Clarke Copyright 2019. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of any article, photograph or artwork without expressed written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

2717 Joseph Howe Drive Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 2T2 Tel: 902-426-2811

EDITOR’S MESSAGE 4

18

Make the most of Christmas

ON THE COVER 5

Behind the scenes with Stella

CHRISTMAS ENTERTAINMENT 6

Must-watch holiday movies From classics to comedies, the options are endless for film fans

30 December fun for everyone

CHRISTMAS & COMMUNITY

HOLIDAY HUMOUR

12 Holiday help at the ready

26 Christmas chaos coming up Make marvellous memories amid the holiday hustle and bustle

Giving back a Christmas tradition for some families

DIY HOLIDAY PROJECTS

FESTIVE FOOD & DRINK

10 Planning a handmade holiday

8

Get creative with Christmas projects right at home

11 Waste not, want not How to have an eco-friendly, zero-waste Christmas

18 Get festive with felt ornaments Add a handmade touch to your Christmas tree this year

Prep your pantry Tips for holiday baking success

28 Share a slice of tradition Add a splash of friendship and a dash of fun the next time you make a fruitcake

29 Cheers to keeping it local Put a new twist on an old-fashioned cocktail A Maritime guide to all things holiday •

3

EDITOR’S MESSAGE

Make the most of Christmas I

t’s easy to get wrapped up (pun intended) in the hustle and bustle of visiting family and friends, coming up with the perfect gift ideas for those on your list and fitting some festive fun into your busy holiday schedule. What’s most important, however, is finding time to appreciate the little things that make this time of year special.

No matter how chaotic the holiday season can be, I always look forward to digging out decorations that hold a special place in my heart and home. In particular, my family has ornaments for each of our beloved dogs we’ve been privileged to have over the years. These ornaments are carefully displayed front and centre on our Christmas tree every year.

And then there’s the stretchy Santa ornament that clings to the Christmas tree branches. It looks odd and old, but the tree wouldn’t be the same without him. I’m not sure where he came from, but the stretchy Santa has earned his place.

My family also has an almost-life-sized Mrs. Claus that holds a basketful of candies. She was a handmade gift from my aunt years ago. Holiday visitors often comment on how cute Mrs. Claus looks standing in the corner of the room. Tilly, my parents’ black Labrador retriever, doesn’t agree and manages to get a few barks in every year when Mrs. Claus comes out of storage.

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• tidings 2019

There are many items I associate with Christmas, but it’s the memories that are tied to them that hold special meaning. One decoration I’ll treasure for as long as I’m living is a tabletop Victorian ballroom display with miniature dancers that move around on a dance floor. The little fireplace glows and classic Christmas tunes play.

It was one of the last gifts my grandfather gave me before he passed away. I adore it, but what I love most is how it reminds me of him. It’s a holiday centrepiece that can never be replaced.

However you choose to celebrate the holidays, whether you embrace your crafty side, look for new ways to have some festive fun or give back to your community, this year’s Tidings magazine has a variety of content to help you think outside the box — and beyond the pages.

Happy holidays to you and yours. ✱

Paula Bugden Editor, Tidings 2019

On the cover …

Stella the pup was a stellar choice for this year’s Tidings cover. Even though the photoshoot took place in mid-August, the French bulldog/pit bull showed up with a festive spirit and was ready for the spotlight. Stella’s human partner, Nicole Gnazdowsky, was on hand to assist and offer words of encouragement. The Tidings team wishes all pets a safe and happy holiday season.

A Maritime guide to all things holiday •

5

CHRISTMAS ENTERTAINMENT

Must-watch holiday movies From classics to comedies, the options are endless for film fans

By Sara Ericsson

THE CLASSICS

S

Miracle on 34th Street (1947) A man named Kris Kringle is the best Santa in town, but he’s put on trial after revealing he’s the real Santa Claus. The trial explores the good he’s done and whether people believe in him and Christmas.

it back, relax and enjoy a night at home this holiday season by watching your favourite festive movies or explore others you’ve yet to watch. With so much hustle and bustle leading up to Christmas, kicking up your feet in front of the TV is a great way to tune out of the chaos and tune into a classic. Here’s a list to get you started.

Don’t forget the popcorn!

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• tidings 2019

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) It’s a Christmas classic you can sing along to with Judy Garland as she navigates life and love and the prospect of a family move — meaning she may have to leave it all behind.

Christmas in Connecticut (1945) This enduring classic is all the proof you need to never lie on a job application. Things hit the fan, but it’s a resounding riot that has stood the test of time.

White Christmas (1954) This feel-good classic is an all-American hit about finding fame and love and saving the day for an old friend who is down on their luck — all of which happens with slick songs and dance moves.

CHRISTMAS ENTERTAINMENT The Polar Express (2004) This movie’s animation style received Bad Santa (2003) mixed reviews, but its gripping story of a Not suitable for children. This movie mystical train, its cross-continent voyage and is for those who like dark, non-traditional a boy who learned to believe ranks among Christmas humour. It involves a salacious thief the most unique takes on Christmas. playing Santa, a Santa-obsessed girlfriend, Ernest Saves Christmas (1988) plenty of stealing and an evil sidekick elf.

Ernest P. Worrell is a legend post-millenNational Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation nial audiences need to be introduced to. He (1989) tries to save Santa from getting arrested for Whether it’s the exploding cat, torpedo saying he’s the real deal. It’s campy and great, sled or Christmas lights mishap that makes so do yourself a favour and give it a go. you wheeze, this movie guarantees the most laughs of any Christmas movie around.

YOUNG AT HEART

COMEDIES

Home Alone (1990) He’s a smart-aleck kid with a knack for getting left behind and an endless supply of traps that never get old — and yes, that film in the background was made just for this movie.

UNDERRATED Mixed Nuts (1994) It’s the cult classic you’ve never heard of.

If you’ve seen a Steve Martin comedy, you know to expect shenanigans, but that still doesn’t prepare you for the ridiculous scenes this film delivers.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) Jim Carrey is a comedic genius in his portrayal of the self-loathing Grinch who, despite routine self-serving crankiness, can’t escape Cindy Lou Who’s Christmas joy.

The Best Man Holiday (2013) These friends are as interwoven as they come. They’ve overcome the romantic wire crossings and grown as people and, despite still hashing out past dalliances, they prove friendship and love always overcome.

Love Actually (2003) This compilation movie stands out amongst contemporaries like Valentine’s Day. Its sweet, quirky characters navigate relatable and overblown storylines — a combination that makes it a classic romantic comedy for the holidays. Not suitable for children.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) Rudolph is self-conscious about his red nose and his father struggles with his son’s difference. There are life lessons hidden within this movie and characters who’ll make you laugh, no matter your age.

The Holiday (2006) Two women looking for change switch homes and friends and find what they’re looking for in the other’s world. It’s light, easy and an all-around good movie, whether you’re into cheesy or not.

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) The Muppets hold a special place in people’s hearts, whether during their TV heyday or more recently on YouTube. Regardless, this sweet movie is among their best and should be on your holiday must-see list.

Elf (2003) Most people think of this as a comedy, but the awkward and innocent romance between characters Buddy and Jovie will melt your heart and make you cringe simultaneously. ✱

Do you love a good Christmas movie? Think you know them like the back of your hand? Let’s see if you can correctly answer these 15 questions.

Answers:

ROMANCE

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) This is the single-most important Christmas program people should watch.

From its life-pondering cast of kids, to its beautifully simple musical score and famed twig-like tree, this defines the holidays.

How well do you know your classics?

Which movie came out first?

1. Home Alone or National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation?

2. The Santa Clause or Jingle All The Way? 3. The Muppet Christmas Carol or The Nightmare Before Christmas?

4. Elf or The Polar Express?

5. Love Actually or The Holiday?

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) It’s considered a masterpiece and among the best animated films ever made. While the film’s artwork may look macabre, the story is anything but.

What’s the name of: 6. The elf played by David Krumholtz in The Santa Clause?

7. The Grinch’s dog in How the Grinch Stole Christmas?

8. Doris’s daughter in Miracle on 34th Street?

9. Kevin’s mother in Home Alone?

10. The two sisters in White Christmas?

Holiday movie quiz Random trivia 11. What toy is Howard desperately looking for in Jingle All The Way? 12. What does Clark hope to buy with his Christmas bonus in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation?

13. What musical instrument does Jack give Charlie in Jack Frost?

14. In which English county is Iris’s cottage located in The Holiday?

15. In what fictional city does the Gremlins movie take place?

1. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) 2. The Santa Clause (1994) 3. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) 4. Elf (2003) 5. Love Actually (2003) 6. Bernard 7. Max 8. Susan 9. Kate 10. Betty and Judy Haynes 11. A Turbo Man action figure 12. A pool 13. A harmonica 14. Surrey 15. Kingston Falls A Maritime guide to all things holiday •

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FESTIVE FOOD & DRINK

Prep your pantry Tips for holiday baking success

By Heather Laura Clarke

W

hen you’re getting ready to start your Christmas baking, it might feel like you need to steer an enormous cart down the baking aisle of the grocery store and grab one of everything. It doesn’t have to be that intense. From making a list (and checking it twice), to taking advantage of sales, here are a few tips on stocking up for a season of holiday baking.

PLAN AHEAD • Make a list of the recipes you plan to make and what ingredients they require.

Check to see what you already have on hand.

Weed out any expired items.

• Pick up one or two ingredients each week leading up to your Christmas baking sessions to keep your grocery bills more manageable.

• If you don’t bake much other than at Christmas, buy the smallest size of the ingredients you know you’ll never finish before they go bad (e.g. baking soda, baking powder and/or cocoa).

• Butter keeps well in the freezer, so buy more than you think you’ll need because it’s going to be in almost everything you’ll bake this time of year.

• Stock up on the basics when they go on sale. Vanilla extract is in almost every dessert recipe, such as cookies, squares, cakes and pies — not to mention frostings and glazes.

Look for deals on white and brown (golden) sugar. You’ll only need to buy icing sugar if you plan on frosting any cookies, cakes or brownies.

• Don’t forget the extras that might not be mentioned in recipes. If you’ll be making pies, for example, you’ll probably want vanilla ice cream for the side or whipped cream to dollop on top.

• When your pantry is well-stocked with the ingredients you need, make sure everyone else in the house knows what’s not to be touched. You don’t want someone accidentally polishing off your chocolate chips or the ice cream reserved for your apple pie.

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• tidings 2019

CHECK YOUR CUPBOARDS Before you start a Christmas baking marathon, it’s a good idea to clean out your old, expired ingredients first so you don’t accidentally mix in your new ingredients.

However, you don’t necessarily need to toss an ingredient just because you haven’t used it in recent months. Baking ingredients can last a lot longer than you’d think, which helps to cut down on those extra-high pre-Christmas grocery bills.

Here’s a rundown on how to check the ingredients in your cupboard to see if they’ll do the job this Christmas.

Baking soda: Put a spoonful of baking soda in a bowl and add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice. If it’s nice and fizzy, the baking soda is still effective. If it barely fizzles, it’s not going to have the power to puff those pastries.

Baking powder: If you think your baking powder might be too old, put half a teaspoon into a bowl and cover it with a quarter cup of boiling water. If it bubbles up, it’s still working. (If it’s no longer bubbly, remember that it makes a great abrasive cleaning scrub for sinks.)

Flour: Check the expiration date on the bag, but know that white flour is considered to be OK for a full year after that date if it’s kept at room temperature and even longer if it’s in your fridge or freezer. Whole-grain flour only lasts three months longer than its expiration date, since it contains more oil.

Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet chocolate chips usually last about two years, but you can tell they’ve gone off if they have a white coating or feel gritty.

Spices: Ground spices lose their potency after two or three years, so you may need to buy fresh allspice, cinnamon, cloves, ginger or nutmeg, depending on your recipes.

Sugars: Rock-hard brown or white sugar can be refreshed by dumping it into a microwave-safe bowl and nuking it in 20-second intervals, using a fork to break up the clumps.

(White sugar may require a light sprinkle of water to get it to soften up in the microwave.)

EASY BAKING HACKS If you’re in a rush or don’t like to bake, here are some holiday baking hacks that will have you strolling into the next Christmas party with a plate of homemade goodness in no time at all.

Cookies: Buy a tube of premade chocolate chip cookie dough and bake them yourself, being sure to undercook them by a minute or two for a chewy, tastes-like-homemade effect. If you really want to look fancy, stick some colourful chocolate candies in them before baking.

Pie: Buy a frozen pie crust — they come in sets of two — so all you have to do is pour in the filling, add the top crust and bake it. No messing around with pastry tools or overworking dough until it’s too tough. Frozen pie crusts are a miracle of the modern world.

Cake: Buy a cake mix, but don’t follow the directions exactly. If you replace the oil with melted butter and replace the water with milk and add an extra egg, the finished product will taste more like it was baked from scratch.

Brownies: Buy boxed brownie mix and live your best life.

Frosting: No shortcuts here, but you’ll never go back to the canned stuff once you’ve tried making your own. With icing sugar, butter, milk, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt, you’ll have a vanilla buttercream that’s so good, people will be licking their dessert plates. ✱

The Perfect Gi .

One Family, one customer at a time since 1979. www.centennialautogroup.ca

DIY HOLIDAY PROJECTS

Planning a handmade holiday Get creative with Christmas projects right at home EAST COAST MOMMY

By Gina Bell

T

he commercialism that comes with the holidays can be overwhelming, so the idea of trying to create a handmade holiday for my family is very appealing to me. I love adding old-fashioned, homemade elements to Christmas celebrations. Don’t you? It really is an inexpensive and heartfelt way of embracing the holiday season.

Today, I am sharing some of my favourite DIY tips and tricks with you. You don’t even have to be super crafty to do these. The perfect handmade holiday is about figuring out what you are good at and making an effort to share your talents with others.

If you enjoy cooking or baking, homemade food is a perfect way to celebrate.

Nothing says Christmas like the smell of a turkey or cookies baking in the oven.

Hosting a holiday meal is fantastic, but packaging up baked goodies and giving them to family, friends and neighbours is also wonderful. I especially love baking shortbread and gingerbread cookies during the holiday season, but any favourite treat is perfect for sharing.

If you’d rather not be in the kitchen, creating handmade gifts is another great option. Every year, I design and sew handmade felt ornaments to mail with my Christmas cards. They are light and flat, making them perfect for slipping into an envelope. This year, I lost my grandmother; in her memory, I am making special ornaments for my family members.

My English-born nanny loved a cup of

tea, so I am making teacup ornaments (with a heart on the front of each ornament made from material cut from her favourite blanket). The ornaments are easy and inexpensive to make, but I think my family and friends appreciate that they are gifts from my heart.

Kids can also get in on the handmade gift action. Family members love a handmade gift or card from a child. It works for friends and classmates, too. Magic reindeer food is easy for kids to make and it’s an inexpensive gift option. Kids can fill small cellophane bags with 1/3 cup of Cheerios, 1/4 cup of oats and one teaspoon of magic dust (a.k.a. coloured cookie decorating sugar). Add personalized tags and you’re good to go.

Handmade decor is another simple way to add a personalized touch to holiday celebrations. There are many DIY wreath options, but my favourite non-traditional DIY wreath is made from a picture frame.

Simply buy a basic frame from a thrift store, spray paint the frame bright red and use a

glue gun to attach a few hanging ornaments and a bow.

Wrapping pictures that are already hanging on the walls of your home is another easy handmade decor idea that anyone can do. Last year, I wrapped the pictures in my hallway with sparkly red paper and glittery gold bows. It’s a delightful way to make a big impact with very little effort.

I hope you take the time to add a few handmade elements to your Christmas celebrations this year. It really does make family and friends feel special to know that you’ve invested time and energy showing them you care during the holiday season. ✱ Gina Bell is a writer, content creator, mom of three and lover of all things Christmas.

She lives in Antigonish, N.S., with her husband and three sons and is constantly on the lookout for easy, inexpensive ways to make magical memories with her family. Follow her adventures at EastCoastMommy.com.

A fun filled Indoor Play Café!

410 Mt Edward Rd #10 10

• tidings 2019

Charlottetown

902.370.4386

thatfunplace.ca

DIY HOLIDAY PROJECTS

Waste not, want not How to have an eco-friendly, zero-waste Christmas

Contributed

The Tare Shop is a zero-waste, eco-friendly store and cafe in Halifax. Owner Kate Pepler founded the store after feeling the city was lacking in local options. Photo: Chris Muise

By Sara Ericsson

M

ost wrapping paper is not recyclable and many gifts can’t be returned.

This is only the start of why many people consider Christmas to be the biggest wasteproducing holiday around.

People are becoming more environmentally aware than ever and many are purchasing ethically sourced and locally made gifts as they search for ways to lower their carbon footprints. Such eco-friendly gifts are becoming more popular and have inspired another even more extreme approach to eliminating that footprint: zero-waste gifts.

Lenny Gallant is a reclaimed materials artist and owner of Birdmouse, a zero-waste art gallery and shop located in St. Georges, P.E.I. and says gift purchases of his zerowaste art pieces have soared around the holidays in the last few years. “What this offers is it’s repurposed, but it also holds meaning. It’s not waste — it’s whatever you want to make it,” he says.

A new mindset The gallery sells tree ornaments and birdhouse pieces Gallant designs and crafts using repurposed wooden parts and piano keys from old pump organs. It’s an art he

got into by accident when he said yes to one organ seven years ago. He has since disassembled and repurposed 37 more.

He reuses nearly 95 per cent of the organ in his art and thinks of crafting as a child with his parents — making art with buttons and other items around the house — as he builds his pieces, recalling how he was taught to make something from nothing.

“It’s an item that holds a story you can’t get anywhere else — a true-to-itself gift,” says Gallant. “I think that’s why people love buying these things and something that’s helping them think waste-free.”

Think before giving Halifax is home to a zero-waste-focused shop and cafe that is Nova Scotia’s first package-free bulk store. The Tare Shop is owned by Kate Pepler, who opened the store after discovering a lack of local waste-free options in Halifax. She sells package-free bulk food items and eco-friendly retail items that, if packaged, are sold in biodegradable packaging.

The Tare Shop also sells beeswax wraps, tea towels, reusable linen and cotton bags that Pepler says can all be used to wrap gifts in — “It’s like two gifts in one,” she says — secured with reusable materials like string or twine.

Lenny Gallant, Birdmouse artist and creator, salvages materials from old pump organs and repurposes them into art.

She says taking these steps is a good way to cut back on the waste produced around Christmas. She also says listening to those who say they don’t want a gift at all can be just as effective. “If someone says they don’t want anything or specifically asks for something, get them what they say. More meaningful and more memorable and less likely to get thrown out,” she says.

Living with less Pepler says people are often surprised at how easy it can be to reduce or eliminate such waste and that items to help them get started are often lying about their homes.

“Use newspaper you’ve found or something you already have at your house, without going out to purchase new stuff. You can even decorate brown paper bags with stamps from potatoes or apples. There is a lot you can do with very little,” she says.

Gallant feels hopeful that people buying into the idea of eco-friendly or zero-waste gifts will be inspired to lead lower carbonfootprint lives. And once someone begins such a life for themselves, they might just pay it forward — something both Pepler and Gallant say they hope happens when such a gift is given at Christmas. “That’s the bestcase scenario — that next Christmas they do that, too,” says Gallant. ✱ A Maritime guide to all things holiday •

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CHRISTMAS & COMMUNITY

Holiday help at the ready Giving back a Christmas tradition for some families

Photos contributed

Randy Holmes (a.k.a. Santa Claus), who’s with Santa’s Angels, visits a young boy.

By Sara Ericsson

The Santas who help out with Santa’s Angels in Charlottetown, P.E.I., definitely look the part and each give up their Christmas Day so they can help others.

Christmastime in Charlottetown Holmes got his start with Santa’s Angels With Christmas being known as the in 2012, when he was approached by charity season of giving, some are gifting their time founder and lifelong friend Kenny Zakem — and effort as they forgo their own holiday “the true angel,” says Holmes — who asked break to help others. him to volunteer as Santa.

Roseanna Boyd is a regular volunteer in Holmes set out to find the Santa suit Greenhill, N.S., and president of the Hants he now dons to deliver food, presents and County Christmas Angels Society, a charity everyday essentials to families who receive she was introduced to when she herself a little holiday help. The Christmas Day Roseanna Boyd is the president of the Hants needed help more than two decades ago as a County Christmas Angels Society and spends visits are often a surprise for the children, single parent who couldn’t afford Christmas. the holiday season helping others. She’s shown whose parents haven’t yet told them Santa here with K-Rock 89.3 radio host Darrin Harvey.

Randy Holmes is also a single parent and will be visiting them personally. gives up his Christmas Day, as he dons his “The surprises are definitely the best Boyd understands more than most what Santa Claus suit to bring presents to the part.

The kids just can’t believe that Santa it feels like to be a parent worried about doors of struggling families with Santa’s is coming to their house to hang out with providing Christmas for their children, as Angels in Charlottetown, P.E.I. them on Christmas,” says Holmes. He says she was faced with that challenge as a single Both have made it a Christmas tradition the number of visits grows each year and mother in 1994. As a single stay-at-home to volunteer to help families enjoy a holiday mother, Boyd headed fundraising campaigns that the charity’s budget is now around free of stress and full of joy. They both also $50,000 per year, meaning thousands of for her children’s school activities and agree helping is now what makes their people in the Charlottetown area can be frequent trips to the IWK Health Centre.

Christmas special. “It’s given my family a helped.

She joined the Hants County Christmas different outlook as we give back together.

He’s a single dad and says helping out Angels Society in 2016 and is now president.

Christmas is still exciting, but it’s different — means he misses Christmas Day each year, And even now that her fi nancial stress has it’s about something else. And I’m just so but he says his daughter, Abbigale, doesn’t eased, she remains extensively involved glad they enjoy giving back, too,” says Boyd. mind and even tagged along one year. He in the Hants County community and was gets emotional as he describes what it’s like recognized with a provincial award for it.

Helping out in Hants County to help kids enjoy Christmas.

“Fundraising was a necessity for us …

The Hants County Christmas Angels “Going in and seeing the kids can be and eventually that spread to Christmas, Society provides specific presents and gift too,” says Boyd, who believes that giving back mentally exhausting — some of the things, cards for presents or groceries to children gives people a better sense of what Christmas you see, have nothing. But it’s all worthwhile and their families who otherwise might not was about before it became commercialized. to see people enjoying Christmas who’d get a Christmas. “Every child deserves to wake up Christmas morning with some kind “If we volunteer, we realize we don’t need the otherwise not be able to,” he says. “I don’t mind giving up my Christmas if it means of gift and their parents deserve to feel relief expensive gifts and we see that the simplest I get to do this.” ✱ things can make people the most happy.” and get help with that,” says Boyd.

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A Maritime guide to all things holiday •

HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING

Three ideas for an untraditional Christmas party Mix it up with themes, food and more

A

14

re you planning a Christmas party this year but finding it hard to get excited about throwing the same old bash? Shake things up with one of these unconventional holiday party themes.

• tidings 2019

HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING

Sushi party Order a takeout platter of sushi, or better yet, make your own. Set up a sushi-making station complete with bamboo rolling mats, cooked rice, sheets of nori (dried seaweed used to wrap sushi rolls) and a variety of sliced fish, veggies and even fruit. Be sure to serve strawberry shortcake for dessert; it’s the traditional Japanese Christmas cake.

Masquerade party Leave your jeans and ugly Christmas sweaters in your closet and have your guests come dressed in their finest formal wear for a masquerade ball. Encourage everyone to wear a mask or you can have a mask-making station with plain masks and everything you can think of to decorate them, including glitter, feathers and markers. Be sure to snap photos of everyone in their fancy outfits and masks.

Twelve courses of Christmas This party is all about the food. Create, or have your caterer make, a 12-course menu complete with wine pairings.

To avoid getting too stuffed, take care to have each course be small.

Of course, there are other possibilities for your uniquely themed Christmas bash.

Motifs involving another era, a particular colour or a specific location are all feasible. Simply invoke your creativity and your Christmas shindig is sure to be the most unforgettable event of the season. ✱

A Maritime guide to all things holiday •

15

DIY HOLIDAY PROJECTS

Save two extra Christmas cards each year so you can glue them onto a page together — one showing the front and the other showing the back.

Scrapbooking the season A crafty way to treasure Christmas memories for years to come

By Heather Laura Clarke

I

’d been saying for years that I wanted to create dedicated Christmas scrapbooks.

You know, books that only contained a few pages per year and you could flip through every single family Christmas in one swoop.

I’d forgotten, apparently, that I stopped scrapbooking around the time my oldest child started crawling and never, ever picked it back up again.

Still, I was determined! I wanted to flip through nine years of kids-on-Santa’s-lapat-the-mall photos. That meant I had a lot of sorting to do, since I had to go back to Christmas 2010, when our oldest child was just six months old. Our oldest is now nine years old and we’re about to celebrate our 10th Christmas as a family, so I had nine years’ worth of digital photos to sort through.

I had some of the photos printed already, stuffed in various envelopes and tucked into folders, but I had to print most of them.

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It’s a long process, but it’s the hardest part — I promise. You don’t realize how many pictures you take of your children at Christmas until you’re trying to narrow it down to a dozen or so per year.

To keep my photos sorted by year, I made nine folders on my desktop (labelled 2010, 2011, 2012, etc.) before sending them to be printed. Some years had more mustprint photos than others and that was fine.

It’s all a matter of deciding which memories are the ones you really want to preserve — family gatherings, school Christmas concerts, happy faces opening presents, special meals, pets dressed up as reindeer, etc. For me, it was important to display our annual family Christmas card, our Santa photos and the kids in their matching Christmas Eve pyjamas.

Once my photos were printed, I spread out a few pieces of scrapbook paper and started grouping the photos together on the pages so I had a rough idea of how many pages I’d fill. I used between two and 10

pictures per page, depending on if I trimmed them or not.

When I was happy with the amount of photos and pages, I started cutting up the photos (if necessary) and gluing them onto the pages. If there was only a tiny part of the picture that was really special, I cut away the rest and saved the page space for something else. I sometimes cut circles around my kids’ cute little heads and glued them randomly onto the page. I had fun with it and didn’t get too picky about how things looked.

If you’ve saved copies of your family’s old annual Christmas cards or Christmas letters, I definitely recommend putting them to good use and adding them to your scrapbook. If you haven’t saved them, don’t worry; just put aside a copy each year going forward. (Save two copies if you’re saving a double-sided card or letter so you can display both sides in the book.) I loved seeing all of our photo-heavy Christmas cards one after another.

DIY HOLIDAY PROJECTS

How to maintain your Christmas scrapbooks

By Heather Laura Clarke nce you’ve done the hard work of going back through the years, printing pictures, organizing old cards and creating the books, maintaining the books going forward isn’t going to take much time at all.

Here’s a quick list of how to maintain your family’s Christmas scrapbooks just by adding a couple of pages each year.

• Put aside a copy of your family’s annual Christmas card (or two, if it’s double-sided).

• Save any Christmas cards your family receives and cut them up at the end of the season to save the best bits (e.g. pretty decals, metallic decorations and/or glittery snowflakes).

• Go through your camera roll and print out the very best photos from mid-December through New Year’s — ideally no more than four images for

Now, I had saved quite a few Christmas cards given to us from friends and family over the years, although I hadn’t done anything with them except shove them into a large freezer bag. I decided to cut them up so I could recycle them into decorations for the scrapbook pages — a sparkly snowflake here, a glittery tree there. No need to spend big bucks at the craft store on fancy scrapbooking embellishments when all of these lovely cards arrived in your mailbox for free.

I had plenty of decorations from cards alone, but you could also use Christmas wrapping

paper, flattened bows, pretty gift tags or pictures cut from catalogues.

My last step was writing out captions for the pages — by hand, as well as on the computer to print out — so anyone flipping through the book could see the year, our children’s ages, the locations of the photos and any other special details. I glued the captions onto the pages and liked how I could see, at a glance, whether my daughter was two or three in a particular photo without thinking twice.

I documented nine full Christmases and

O

every page you wish to add to your scrapbook.

• Glue the cards, photos and cutout decorations onto scrapbook paper.

• Write or print captions for the photos that require them and be sure to include the year, as well as the age of any children.

• Slip the new pages into the end of your scrapbook and you’re home free until next January!

haven’t even filled two full scrapbooks yet, so I hope to get 2010 through 2020 in these pretty black and gold polka-dot albums. So far, I’m planning to keep them on display year-round for people to flip through, but you could also tuck them away with the Christmas decor and only bring them out in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

Either way, I hope you decide to give these Christmas scrapbooks a try. You’ll love being able to easily look back at the special holiday memories you and your family have made together over the years. I know I have. ✱ A Maritime guide to all things holiday •

17

DIY HOLIDAY PROJECTS

Get festive with felt ornaments Add a handmade touch to your Christmas tree this year

By Heather Laura Clarke

S

ome of my favourite Christmas ornaments are the soft felt ones sewed by my mom and her friend back when I was a baby. Every year, I marvel at their tiny little stitches and how they’re still in perfect condition after so many years.

Meanwhile, most of our other ornaments look pretty rough. The plastic figurines have snapped-off limbs, the salt

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dough ornaments usually turn mushy after one season and we often smash a couple of bulbs at some point. Since I love to sew, I decided to try making my own set of felt Christmas tree ornaments. It’s something I wish I’d done when my children were smaller, since felt ornaments are much safer for babies and toddlers. Nothing to crack or shatter!

Felt is very inexpensive at craft stores and dollar stores and the only other

supplies you’ll need are a pair of scissors, an embroidery needle, embroidery floss and a bit of cotton stuffing. (You can buy stuffing, but I just cut open an old pillow I found in the very back of the linen closet.)

Are you ready to get crafty and create something with your hands (preferably while relaxing on the couch in front of a good show)? Here’s how to make your very own felt Christmas tree ornaments. ✱

DIY HOLIDAY PROJECTS DIY felt present ornament • • • • •

Pieces to cut out: Two red squares (one front, one back) Two skinny green rectangles for the ribbon One green bow (or two, to double up if you’d prefer) One tiny white rectangle (for the tag) One tiny red heart (to put on the tag)

Instructions: 1. Pin the skinny green rectangles of ribbon (one running horizontally and one running vertically) onto one red square and stitch them in place with green embroidery floss.

2. Place the green bow over the ribbon and stitch it in place.

3. Stitch the red heart onto the white tag and use red embroidery floss to stitch the tag onto the present. (I forgot this step and did it last, but it’s easier to do at this point.)

4. Stitch the front of the present to the back of the present around three sides.

Poke stuffing into the opening and stitch up the fourth side.

5. Sew a loop of embroidery thread onto the top of the ornament so it’s ready to hang.

DIY felt Christmas tree ornament • • •

Pieces to cut out: Two large green trees (one front, one back) Two small yellow stars (optional) Fifteen to 20 tiny multi-coloured triangles with the tips snipped off (for the light bulbs)

Instructions: 1. Thread an embroidery needle with green embroidery floss and stitch a meandering squiggly down the front of the tree.

This is the cord of the Christmas lights.

2. One by one, stitch each light bulb with co-ordinating thread so it’s connected to the cord. Do a mixture of pointing-up lights and pointing-down lights and try to space out similar colours.

3. Stitch the back of the tree to the front of the tree around the edges with green embroidery floss, making sure to leave a gap at the base to add the stuffing. Once your tree is nice and fluffy, stitch up the gap.

4. Optional: Stitch the two stars together with the top of the tree sandwiched in between.

5. Sew a loop of embroidery floss onto the top of the tree so it’s ready to hang on your actual Christmas tree.

A Maritime guide to all things holiday •

19

DIY HOLIDAY PROJECTS DIY felt star ornament • •

Pieces to cut out: Two large yellow stars (one front, one back) One smaller golden star (front accent)

Instructions: 1. Pin the small golden star to the front of the yellow star and stitch around the edge with yellow or gold embroidery floss. (You can also run decorative stitching around the small star, if you’d like.)

2. Stitch the front of the star to the back of the star most of the way around.

Poke stuffing inside the star and stitch up the gap.

3. Sew a small yellow or gold button to each of the five star points.

4. Sew a loop of yellow ribbon onto the top of the star so it’s ready to hang.

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• tidings 2019

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Using baker’s twine and miniature clothespins, you can easily clip up Christmas cards as they arrive.

Heather Laura Clarke photos

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DIY HOLIDAY PROJECTS

Christmas cards on display Decor, function go hand in hand with this DIY holiday project

By Heather Laura Clarke

W

hile I love all things digital, there’s one oldfashioned tradition I refuse to budge on. Without fail, our family mails out beautiful cardstock Christmas cards at the beginning of December.

Since our cards hit the mail nice and early, we receive a lot of cards back in return. At first, we tried hanging a long piece of ribbon across the doors that lead to our back deck and using red plastic clothespins to clip up the cards. It looked OK, except for the small detail that we couldn’t use the back door until January.

Last year’s solution was to hang the ribbon across the hutch in the dining room and display the cards that way. But every time we’d open the back door to let the dog out, gusts of wind would send the cards flapping and usually falling to the floor.

This year, I was determined to come up with a better way to display our Christmas cards. I designed a wooden Christmas tree card stand that we could stand up on a table in our kitchen or on the floor in our living room — far away from doors and drafts.

If you’re looking for a way to display your Christmas cards without an avalanche of them

Start by ripping a sheet of mediumdensity fibreboard (MDF) into 5.5-inch wide strips.

slipping off the front of your fridge, tipping off your entryway table or taking up space on your kitchen counter, here’s a rundown on how we created a DIY Christmas card tree.

• Taking a leftover piece of medium-density fibreboard (MDF) from another project, my handy husband used our table saw to rip it into 5.5-inch wide strips that would make up the tiers of our cartoon-like Christmas tree.

• We decided the longest, lowest tier of the tree should be 23.5 inches long. Then, he cut most of the additional strips two inches shorter than the tier below. (The second-lowest tier is 21.5 inches long, the thirdlowest tier is 19.5 inches long, the third tier down from the top is 17.5 inches long and the second tier from the top is 15.5 inches long.)

• Since we were making a sixtier tree and we wanted the top tier to be tiny, he cut that one to only measure 7.5 inches long.

• Once he had all six tiers cut, he set his mitre saw to a 45-degree angle and nipped off the end of each tier — giving them nice, sharp triangular ends for that classic Christmas tree look. (A 45-degree cut takes off quite a bit, so the lowest tier of the tree measures 23.5 inches

Cut six strips, each one two inches smaller than the last, and cut the ends at 45-degree angles.

long across the bottom, but just 12.5 inches long across the top.)

• Now, it was time for me to paint my tiers. I poured a little bit of royal blue paint into a cup of yellow paint and mixed a custom shade of Christmas tree green. I painted the front and back of each of the six tiers, giving the front two coats for perfect coverage.

• While I was painting, my handy husband worked on the back strip (the trunk of the tree) that would hold all six tiers together. He grabbed an old 2.5inch wide board and cut it down to 39 inches tall — a good height to hold all of the tiers with a nice gap between them.

• He built the tree’s stand from a foot-long scrap of thick two-by-eight lumber and routed out a groove in the middle so the trunk would rest nicely inside (with a bit of wood glue and an L-bracket on the back). Then, I stained both pieces a rich brown.

If you don’t have a router, I’d suggest just making a classic X-stand like folks did for Christmas trees they cut down years ago.

• Once the green paint was dry, I positioned the tiers along the trunk and used my finish nailer to secure them in place (each with about an inch gap between them).

• The tree was really coming

together, but it needed a star on top, of course. I printed out the shape of a star, cut it out and traced it onto a scrap of MDF. My handy husband cut it out with his band saw. After a single coat of warm yellow paint, I tacked it in place with my finish nailer.

• The last step was tying baker’s twine or thin gold rope around each tier — stapling it in place on the back, just so the knots would stay put — and adding tiny wooden clothespins to hold Christmas cards. Cards that open can be placed directly over the twine and flat cards can be easily clipped.

Route a groove to hold the tree’s trunk in the base.

Paint or stain each piece and use a finish nailer to secure the pieces onto the trunk.

This Christmas card stand cost us nothing to build, since we used scrap wood and leftover paint, but it would probably only cost $10 in lumber and a few bucks in dollar store paint, string and clothespins to make your own.

I love that it’s low enough for our children to easily add new cards as they arrive, especially since ripping open the envelopes is usually their job. It’s not blocking any doorways and the cards aren’t going to blow off, but we’re still able to admire the cards sent from our family and friends throughout the whole Christmas season. ✱

A Maritime guide to all things holiday •

23

HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING

Prepping what you can in advance will free you up to enjoy your holiday party guests.

Take the stress out of entertaining Step-by-step planning leads to holiday party success

W

hether you follow table etiquette to the letter or prefer to welcome your guests in a more casual manner, the key to low-stress entertaining is organization. If you want to be able to sit down with your guests instead of panicking in the kitchen, you need to do some advance planning and preparation.

First, come up with a menu and ensure you have all the ingredients on hand. The day of your dinner party is not the time to start running to the grocery store. Make

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a list of your tasks — housecleaning, food preparation, decorating — and break them down into steps, some of which can be completed in advance. Jot a step-by-step plan down on your calendar according to the time you have at your disposal and the priority of the task.

Putting up the Christmas tree and decorations can be done several days in advance, even if it seems a bit early. That will leave you with one less thing to worry about as the party approaches. Get bigger cleaning jobs

out of the way ahead of time, too. You can then do a last-minute touch up the day of the party.

Partially or completely prepare all of the dishes at least one or two days before your dinner party. Cook and freeze what you can for reheating just before serving. Many dishes can go in the freezer without losing flavour or consistency.

The more you do in advance, the more relaxed and in control you’ll feel as you prepare to greet your guests. ✱

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HOLIDAY HUMOUR

Christmas chaos coming up Make marvellous memories amid the holiday hustle and bustle ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

By Lesley Crewe

N

owadays, when I think of the word “Christmas,” my mind automatically conjures up the warring factions in Facebook land.

We have the people who happily post a cartoon of Olaf the snowman belting out, “Only 300 days until Christmas!” and the rest of the population screaming back, “No! Say it ain’t so!”

Christmas is an emotional time. Lots of holidays are special, but Christmas is the big enchilada. It makes itself known the minute our Halloween pumpkins roll off the front porch. It’s like a

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giant, pulsing machine, pushing us onward through November and gathering steam until we tear off that page in our calendars to reveal December.

DECEMBER. Suddenly, as if realizing it for the first time, instead of every year of our lives, it hits us that we only have three weeks to get four years’ worth of work done by Dec. 25. That’s three weeks and change! How the heck did that happen?

Now, obviously, I’m looking at this from a tired, grown-up woman’s perspective because tired, grown-up women are the ones, the general population somehow decided, who should

shoulder the burden of this wondrous occasion. Possibly because this same population deemed that shopping, giftwrapping, cooking and decorating are things we women just love to do on top of the other wondrous things we do in the run of a day, like working, raising kids and cleaning the house.

But I’m not going to leave men out of this equation. They also have their assigned duties at this time of year, risking life and limb to hang off a ladder and drape Christmas lights on rooftops and big trees in the front yard. They are also the ones stuck in the garage putting together bikes, train sets and

dollhouses late into the night on Christmas Eve. We moan about it endlessly, while we stand in store lineups overheating in our winter jackets, and yet, like lemmings hurrying toward the edge of a cliff, we all fall willingly over the side. We just have to do it.

Christmas is the chance for us to be together again and, as our families grow and spread out across the globe, we desperately need an occasion to guilt the people we love into coming home to spend time with us.

And we honestly think that’s what we want, until we’re in the middle of stuffing a turkey and an argument breaks out between

HOLIDAY HUMOUR

“Christmas is wonderful, but messy — kind of like life.”

— Lesley Crewe

eggnog swilling, longtime conservative Uncle Ernie and your die-hard liberal Auntie Joan, who’s hopped up on her third gin and tonic. Christmas is wonderful, but messy — kind of like life.

We have marvellous memories of being a kid, hanging up our stockings and leaving cookies and milk for Santa Claus and always a carrot for Rudolph. We remember not being able to get to sleep, almost sick with excitement about opening presents in the morning.

And then we have the notso-great memories of the first timewe couldn’t get home for Christmas, crying into our frozen

dinner in a studio apartment far, far away and our mom on the phone trying to make us feel better. And then there’s the first Christmas after you’ve lost someone. It’s heartbreaking.

You wish the whole day would just disappear and leave you alone. Everyone in the world is celebrating, except you.

Christmas can make happy people really happy and sad people really sad because it’s a day times a thousand.

Unfortunately, Christmas has become an industry of sorts. We now have whole weeks on television dedicated to Christmas movies. Why this is necessary, I’ll never know.

The script is the same every time: savvy, gorgeous, determinedly-single business woman goes home for the holidays and bumps into the nerd from high school, who’s now a gorgeous hunk and runs his own winery.

Sparks fly during the town hall Christmas carolling contest.

They fall into each other’s arms, while wearing ugly Christmas sweaters, and kiss under the mistletoe. Fade to black.

Despite all the nonsense that threatens to drown Christmas in a commercialized quagmire, the simple reason we are all nostalgic for this time of year is the only reason that matters.

It’s love. Love for our family.

Love for our friends and neighbours. Standing outside in the quiet of a winter’s night, with snow falling gently around us. Wishing for peace on Earth.

Christmas is “a thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.” ✱

Lesley Crewe is an author, columnist, screenwriter and humourist living in Cape Breton.

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FESTIVE FOOD & DRINK

Share a slice of tradition Add a splash of friendship and a dash of fun the next time you make a fruitcake ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

By Christine Faour

Y

ou either love them or hate them, but fruitcakes are here to stay, especially at Christmastime. I’ve been relatively neutral where fruitcake is concerned and I had never made one, even with my family history of fruitcakes: no-bake fruitcake, war fruitcake, boiled fruitcake, bottled fruitcake and the like.

So, when the invitation came for a fruitcake-making party last August, I decided to go and figure it all out. Our hosts would provide the place and the recipe and the guests would bring one or two ingredients each.

I was asked to bring currants and candied cherries, which I cut in half before the big day. Other guests brought ingredients such as candied peel, raisins, flour, brown sugar, nuts of various sorts and all of the things that make up a fruitcake. And there was rum — a lot of rum — for the cakes, of course.

We all gathered on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, while most people were busy gardening or at the beach. The recipe was set out on the counter and a powerful mixer sat at the ready. First, we mixed all of the dried and candied fruits together and poured in copious amounts of rum before warming it all up in the microwave.

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Meanwhile, the butter, flour and all of the other necessary ingredients were creamed in the powerful mixer. Since we were making a couple of batches at a time, the men were called in at this point to mix the batter with the boozy fruit, while someone sprinkled the mix with all the nuts.

While this was going on, parchment paper was being cut to the size of the many cake pans. Once the pans were lined with the parchment paper, they were then filled with the most wonderful smelling fruitcake batter. And they weren’t even baked yet!

Did I mention there was also a hired singer to entertain us while we worked? He sang folksy and popular songs, ones we had all heard at some time or another. When the first batch of cakes went into the oven, we all sat and listened, giving requests here and there. A couple of brave souls got up and sang with him.

As the afternoon wore on, with delectable scents coming from the kitchen, we sipped on our wine and sang up a storm. You could say we had a veritable fruitcake-making kitchen party.

At the end of the day, each of us went home with two fruitcakes wrapped in cheesecloth. The instructions were quite simple: every two weeks, give each cake a splash or two of rum and then cover them

again. From mid-August to Christmas is about 19 weeks, so that means nine feedings for each cake. I can’t wait to taste the fruits (pun intended) of our labour.

Our host had a cake that was made two years ago and we all had a taste. It was delicious. The rum keeps them well preserved, as it should. The day wasn’t just about making fruitcakes; it was about friendship, working on a project together and coming away with happy memories.

Making fruitcake is an art, a meditation and tradition. During our memorable afternoon, we heard the true story of a man whose grandmother used to make fruitcakes every year. Since her passing, each Christmas he makes fruitcakes according to his grandmother’s recipe. But that’s not all. Every year, he uses her tools and pans as well. The tradition continues.

As for me, I’m looking forward to eating my fruitcakes this Christmas and sharing them with friends and family. I’m also hoping I will be invited to the next annual fruitcake-making party. ✱ Christine Faour grew up in Newfoundland, where she spent many Christmases with her family in Corner Brook. She has brought her memories and traditions to Nova Scotia, where she now resides with her husband, Dave.

FESTIVE FOOD & DRINK

Cheers to keeping it local Put a new twist on an old-fashioned cocktail

A

s we lead into the holiday season, food cravings lean toward stews and braised meat dishes and liquids of choice are robust red wines, malty brews and bold, flavourful cocktails. While vinous desires for robust reds take us beyond Atlantic Canada, there’s no excuse to venture outside of the East Coast when selecting a beer or cocktail.

This holiday libation is an old-fashioned cocktail. The classic recipe calls for a sugar cube soaked in Angostura Bitters, whisky (Canadian rye or bourbon) and an orange peel. This holiday season, keep the ingredients local. Use East Coast spirits, bitters and maple syrup in place of the sugar cube.

Atlantic Canadian Old-Fashioned Ingredients: 2 oz Gunpowder and Rose Rum (Newfoundland) 1 tsp New Brunswick maple syrup 2 dashes Compass Distillers Aromatic Orange Bitters (Nova Scotia) 1/4 oz Anne of Green Gables Raspberry Cordial (Prince Edward Island)

Directions: Place rum, maple syrup and bitters in an ice-filled mixing glass. Stir for 15 seconds.

Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass.

Top with a splash of Anne of Green Gables Raspberry Cordial.

A Maritime guide to all things holiday •

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CHRISTMAS ENTERTAINMENT

December fun for everyone!

Here’s a list of holiday activities everyone can enjoy.

SUNDAY

1 Plan a holiday movie marathon for the month.

8 Design your own giftwrap using plain craft paper.

15 Spread holiday cheer and volunteer.

22 Build a gingerbread house.

29 Enjoy a winter walk.

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• tidings 2019

MONDAY

2 Bake up a batch of holiday cookies.

9

TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

3

Make snow angels.

23 Set up a hot cocoa or eggnog station.

30

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SATURDAY

7

Get crafty with Donate non- Make a holiday Plan a holiday- Check out a homemade holiday festival centrepiece perishable themed tree or event. from scratch. items to a local scavenger ornaments. food bank. hunt at home.

10

Cook up a Get cosy with a classic holiday pizza with red book. and green toppings.

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4

FRIDAY

17 Start a holiday scrapbook.

24 Prepare the perfect snack for Santa and reindeer.

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Write down Video chat with friends your wishes for and family far the new year! away.

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Write letters to Snap photos of Make your Santa with the snowy scenery. own miniature little ones. snowman.

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Make popcorn Decorate the Go on a sleigh string or silly Christmas tree. ride. things.

25 Christmas Day cheer!

26 Make Boxing Day brunch for the whole bunch.

27 Host a postChristmas party.

14 Visit a farmers market for local finds.

21 Donate to a local animal shelter or rescue.

28 Scout for ideal sledding spots.

GIVET GIFT GIVETHE OFGAMES This holiday season, give someone on your list Halifax’s most exciting sports entertainment with a

5

GAME FLEX PACK

ADULT................................................ $102.75 SENIOR/MILITARY* .....................$ 82.50 STUDENT* ........................................ $ 72.56 CHILD (12 & under) ........................ $ 33.75

Prices include tax and service charges. * with valid ID

ON SALE STA STARTING DEC. 3, 2019 ORDER YOUR GIFT ON HURRICANESSHOP.CA OR BUY IT IN PERSON AT 2717 JOSEPH HOWE DRIVE. FOR MORE DETAILS A Maritime guide to all things holiday CALL 902-377-3052 OR EMAIL INFO@HALIFAXHURRICANES.CA

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