Holiday Magic - December 2016

DECEMBER 2016

A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers

Folsom Symphony Guest Artist Alexandra Schenck, Holiday Cheer – December 3 and 4, 2016 Mezzo soprano Alexandra Schenck is from Southern California and is a recent graduate of the prestigious Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. Recent engagements include her debut with the Macau Music Festival as Siebel in Gounod’s Faust, Olga in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin with the Aspen Music Festival, Dorabella in Mozart’s Così fan tutte with Oberlin in Italy, and the Mother in Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors for Intimate Opera of Pasadena.

This season she made her role debuts as Charlotte in Massenet’s Werther and Ciesca in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi for AVA. Additional roles at AVA have included Siebel in Gounod’s Faust, Zulma in Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri, Lorina in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Dulcinée in Massenet’s Don Quichotte, and Dorabella in Mozart’s Così fan tutte.

This summer Alexandra will reprise the role of Dorabella in Mozart’s Così fan

tutte at the world renowned Merola Opera Program in San Fransisco.

Prior to entering AVA, she attended California State University, Long Beach where she sang Le Prince Charmant in Massenet’s Cendrillon, Komponist in Ariadne aud Naxos, Sesto in La Clemenza di Tito, Giuletta in Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffmann,Prosperina in Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, and Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro.

Concert performances include Mozart’s Requiem with the Bucks County Symphony Orchestra and Hänsel in Humperkinck’s Hänsel und Gretel with the Philadelphia Sinfonia.

Alexandra has received grants from the Gerda Lissner Foundation, the Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation, was a semi-finalist in the Loren Zachary Competition, and the Grand Prize Winner in the Pasadena Opera Guild’s Young Artist Award.

River City Chorale Directed by Richard Morrissey Presents

The Many Gifts of Christmas

Hear a wonderful variety of Christmas music exciting new songs as well as beloved favorites.

Begin the season with us!

Friday, December 2 7:30 pm First Baptist Church of Fair Oaks 4401 San Juan Ave. Fair Oaks

Saturday, December 3

Sunday, December 4

7:30 pm Faith Presbyterian Church 625 Florin Road Sacramento

4:00 pm St. Mark’s Lutheran Church 7869 Kingswood Dr. Citrus Heights (Near Sunrise Blvd.)

Advance tickets $15.00 At the door $20.00

RiverCityChorale.org or call 3315810

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Holiday Magic • November 2016 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • To advertise, call 916-429-9901

Sponsored by

To advertise, call 916-429-9901 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • November 2016 • Holiday Magic

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Holiday Magic • November 2016 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • To advertise, call 916-429-9901

Holiday Living Made Easy With so much on our plates between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, the holiday season can be hectic. Fortunately, there are many ways to save time and make the holiday season more manageable.

• If you don’t have plastic clips to hang lights around windows and to the eaves of your home, inexpensive clothespins will work just as well. If you’re concerned about the color of the wooden clips, paint them holiday hues before stringing the lights.

• Put a bath mat, rug-side down and rubberside up, beneath your Christmas tree stand.

This allows you to spin the tree as you hang lights and ornaments without damaging the floor underneath. It also makes it simple to undress the tree once the season is over. Use a tree skirt to hide the mat.

• Squeeze artificial tree portions into concrete form tubes. First wrap the tree portions in twine and then slip them into the concrete sleeves. Each tube can be stowed in attic or garage rafters, freeing up precious space.

• Use empty squirt bottles to make baking and cooking easier. Pancake and cookie batters can be squirted from the containers for less mess.

• Store one or two strings of lights in a plastic shopping bag to keep the strands from getting tangled. Hang the bags from a hook in a garage or stack them in a storage bin.

• Use plastic zip ties to attach garland and lights to bannisters. They’re easy to assemble and will not damage the bannisters.

• A paper towel holder can be screwed to the wall in a craft room to neatly hold spools of ribbon. Simply pull the length you need from the spool and cut for easy decorating.

• Mount a tree stand to a piece of wood with screws or glue. This prevents spills from reaching the floor while stabilizing the tree.

• Old maps make interesting gift wrap and are a nice change of pace from commercially produced paper or newsprint.

• Wrap duct tape or another type of sticky tape around your hand. Pat over fallen pine needles that accumulate around the tree. In hard-to-reach areas, wrap the tape around a broom or a floor sweeper.

• When traveling for the holidays, use a brightly colored suitcase or flashy tape to make your suitcase stand out from others at the airport.

• Place hardened brown sugar in a baking dish, cover it with a moist paper towel and either microwave it on high for 20-second intervals or place it in a 300 F oven for five minutes. This will soften the sugar, making it easier to use the sugar to prepare your favorite holiday cookie recipes.

• Save plastic bread ties, which can be used to make tags for the wires on certain devices.

Such ties also can be used to organize decorating components and to keep your place on a roll of tape.

• Measure the inside of your picture window and construct a wooden frame to its dimensions. Staple holiday lights to the frame and then easily slip the frame in and out of place each year.

• Hang a live wreath or some boughs of evergreen in your home to give it that fresh pine scent if you have an artificial tree. • Colorcode storage containers so you can easily find holiday decorations in the attic or basement.

• Pack for a holiday excursion using a collapsible clothing storage hanger for closets.

Fold clothes on each fabric shelf and then collapse it into your suitcase. When you get to your destination, unfold and hang it in a closet so all of your clothes will be at the ready.

Make the holidays even more enjoyable with a variety of timesavers and clever tips.

Holiday travel tips Millions of people travel to visit family and friends each holiday season. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday period, the number of trips to and from a destination 50 miles or more away rises by 23 percent compared to the average number for the rest of the year.

While many people look forward to reunions with family and friends come the holiday season, long-distance holiday travel can take both a physical and financial toll. But there are ways to enjoy holiday travel and maybe even save some money at the same time.

• Be flexible with your travel dates. Holiday travelers who are flexible with regard to their travel dates may be able to avoid traffic or long lines at the airport. The BTS notes that people traveling between 50 and 99 miles away from home are most likely to travel on

Thursday and return on Saturday.

So those making short trips who want to avoid traffic may actually benefit by driving home on Sunday after leaving home on Friday rather than traveling on Thursday and Saturday. The BTS notes that travel days are spread out almost equally among people who travel 100 miles away from home or more, so the day travelers choose may not matter as much as the time of day they choose to travel.

Flights during off-peak hours, for example, may help travelers avoid long check-in and security lines at airports.

• Be flexible with airports. Air travelers who are flexible with regard to their departing and arriving airports may be able to save time and money. Small airports might not boast the shopping and dining amenities of large airports, but small airports have less flights and, as a result, tend to experience

less flight delays, saving travelers time. Small airports also may not charge as much for overnight parking as large airports. When considering flights from various airports, factor in the cost of parking and transportation to and from each airport. A flight that takes off at your ideal travel time but costs more than the alternative might actually save you money if you can save on transportation and parking.

• Book early flights. Early flights may be less likely to be delayed than flights in the afternoon and evening. The later into the day your flight departs, the more likely that departure might be affected by delays or inclement weather at other airports and in other cities. Waking up early might not be ideal for everyone, but check-in and security lines tend to be short in the early morning hours as well.

Those lines get longer as morning

becomes afternoon and afternoon becomes evening.

• Save money with package deals.

Holiday travel is expensive, as airlines and hotels recognize the holiday season is peak travel season. Package deals from sites such as Orbitz® combine flight and hotels into one price, and such deals may even include rental cars.

Travel bundles can save travelers considerable amounts of money.

Compare the prices when booking each individually to the price of a package deal, and choose the one that best suits your budget.

Savvy men and women can save both time and money by employing a handful of strategies when booking holiday travel.

To advertise, call 916-429-9901 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • November 2016 • Holiday Magic

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2620 Capitol Avenue † 446-2513

You are invited to Trinity Episcopal Cathedral to celebrate the Christmas Spirit!

Music lessons and other gifts of service do not require a great deal of natural resources, making them ideal eco-friendly gifts.

Trinity Cathedral strives to be a cathedral for all people. Regardless of your faith background or current spiritual beliefs, Trinity Cathedral is available to you as a place of spiritual and community connection. The Cathedral endeavors to live out the baptismal promise of our faith, where we pledge to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.

At Trinity Cathedral, you will find that pledge embodied not only in a welcoming atmosphere, but a commitment to serve those in need.

Saturday, December 17th at 7:30 pm A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

Please join the Cathedral Choir and Cathedral Choristers for our traditional service of Lessons and Carols. The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is a service celebrating the birth of Jesus through readings and music. *An offering will be taken to benefit the River City Food Bank*

Saturday, December 24th Christmas Eve at the Cathedral

Christmas Eve is a big deal at Trinity Cathedral! We have four services and a concert to choose from.

3:00 pm there will be a Family Service with a Children’s Pageant – All children can participate, no rehearsal needed. Childcare is available during the service.

5:00 pm is a Family Service and Children’s Pageant -- All children can participate, no rehearsal needed. Childcare is available during the service.

8:00 pm is a Rite Two Solemn High Mass with incense. Music will be sung by the Cathedral Choir. (Only hypoallergenic incense is used) 10:30 pm “Christmas Day” a concert by the Cathedral Choir conducted by Canon David Link, organist & choirmaster.

11:00 pm “Midnight Mass” – A beautiful service with fragrant greens, candlelight, and traditional Christmas hymns. *A reception will follow each service. Please bring finger food to share*

Sunday, December 25th

Christmas Day at the Cathedral There will be one service at 10:00am with Holy Baptism and Christmas Eucharist. A simple service with Christmas Carols.

For more information please go to the Trinity website: www.trinitycathedral.org A-

Eco-friendly gift ideas for ‘green’ giving Giving eco-friendly gifts is now easier than ever before. As more and more people are conscious of reducing their impact on the planet, the demand for environmentally conscious products and services has grown.

Choosing earth-friendly gifts is not only generous, but gift-givers also can rest assured they’re doing their part to safeguard natural resources for future generations. The following are some gift ideas for the eco-conscious people on your holiday shopping list.

Locally made products

Locally made products make great holiday gifts. Such gifts are not produced halfway around the world, meaning they don’t contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming like products that need to be flown or driven across the globe. Craft fairs and artisan shops are good sources for locally made gifts, which also are a great way to support businesses in your community.

Gifts of service

A massage or music or tutoring sessions are examples of gifts of service. These gifts do not require much use of natural resources, and recipients find their personal nature very thoughtful.

Gifts of service also can include tasks you do yourself for the gift recipient, rather than paying another person to handle. For example, teach a senior member of your family how to navigate their new smartphone or agree to help them shop for groceries.

Recycled goods

When many people think of recycling, they tend to picture piles of discarded plastic bottles, glass jars and aluminum cans. While the end product of many of these recycled pieces is new cans, bottles and jars, recycled materials also can be turned into new and unique pieces. Trivets and spoon rests made from recycled and melted wine bottles make for clever and attractive gifts. Recycled fire extinguishers have been turned into vases, and you can even find bike parts that have been used to make wind chimes and belts if you know where to shop.

Natural gifts

Natural gifts are among the most environmentally friendly ones you can give. Foodies may appreciate an herb-growing kit that enables them to experiment with freshly picked basil or thyme in the kitchen, while tree-growing kits and flower seed packets are nice stocking stuffers for budding gardeners. Offer to purchase a living Christmas tree for a relative, so that he or she can plant the evergreen after the holidays have come and gone.

Antiques

New, shiny gifts are not the only ones that have appeal. Gifting a sentimental piece of family history is an earth-friendly way to share the holidays. Pass down a cherished piece of jewelry or, if you do not have anything in your own collection, browse antique shops for items that have interesting histories.

The holiday season is often a time of excess, but giving doesn’t have to be detrimental to the environment. Givers can seek out earth-friendly gifts and share even more this time of year.

Holiday Magic • November 2016 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • To advertise, call 916-429-9901

To advertise, call 916-429-9901 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • November 2016 • Holiday Magic

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S CHUMACHER C ERAMICS Christmas Show and Reception

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! December 3rd & 4th: 11am - 5pm Regular Gallery Hours: Through January 1st Sat & Sun: 11am - 5pm

(916) 744-1062 36530 Riverview Drive, Clarksburg

SchumacherCeramics.com

Schumacher Ceramics Artist Statement

Bob and Sonya Schumacher Opened their art gallery in the summer of 1995. Both were full time ceramic artists. Bob focused on hand thrown sinks and handmade tile. Sonya’s focus was high quality thrown porcelain and whimsical and thought provoking ceramic sculpture.

Through the years, both have found teaching positions, guiding students about the many possibilities in the ceramic medium. Bob is a professor at Sacramento City College as well as San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton. Sonya is teaching at Lodi High School in the ceramics Department.

Today, they both work out of their home studio in Galt, Ca. making hand thrown ceramic ware and sculpture, which is available in their gallery of twenty one years in Clarksburg, Ca. Business hours are, 11-5 Saturdays and Sundays. You can reach them at (916) 744-1062, and through their website at schumacherceramics.com.

Their 22nd Annual Christmas Holiday Show will be December 3rd and 4th , from 11-5pm.

There will be live music, finger food and other refeshments.

Holiday Arts & Craft Show

December 3-4 10 am-5 pm Regional Artists Gift Shop

s

arts center 5330B Gibbons Dr. Carmichael, CA 95608

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Holiday Magic • November 2016 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • To advertise, call 916-429-9901

Sacramento Symphonic Winds Come one come all to this family holiday concert entitled “The Gift of Melody” at the Crowne Plaza Sacramento Northeast. The Sacramento Symphonic Winds is a 60-piece adult symphonic band conducted by Music and Artistic Director Timothy M. Smith. Celebrating beautiful melodies and inspired melodic invention, selections will include Chester by William Schuman, Russian Christmas Music by Alfred Reed, three unique settings for band of the plainchant, Divinum Mysterium by Swearingen, Wallace and Stamp, and more! Visit our web site at <http://www.sacwinds.org> More info: Concert: Sacramento Symphonic Winds, a 60-piece symphonic band Concert Title: “The Gift of Melody” Date/Time: Sunday, December 11, 2016, 2:30 pm. Doors open at 2 pm Location: Crowne Plaza Sacramento Northeast, 5321 Date Ave., Sacramento, 95841 (On Date just north of Madison east of I-80 interchange) https://www.google.com/maps/place/Crowne+Plaza+95841 Tickets at the door: General Admission $15; Student(11-17)/ Senior (65+) $10; Children 10 and under Free Contact ph. 916-489-2576, www.sacwinds.org <http://www.sacwinds.org>

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To advertise, call 916-429-9901 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • November 2016 • Holiday Magic

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4th Annual “La Pastorela de Sactown” PIONEER CONGREGATIONAL UCC Holiday Musical Returns to Historic 2700 L STREET / SACRAMENTO, CA 95816 Crest Theatre on Dec. 17-18

Songs of

Season

DECEMBER 3

SATURDAY 7:00PM Presenting some of Sacramento's most talented artists who will lift your heart, inspire your soul and fill you with joy to last throughout the holiday season.

Tickets available at www.brownpaperticket.com or the Pioneer Box Office at 916-443-0032 $20 advance / $25 door Children 10 and under free

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(Sacramento, CA) The Latino Center of Art and Culture, Sacramento’s non-profit Latino art and cultural center, presents the 4th Annual “La Pastorela de Sactown,” a wildly popular holiday musical for kids and adults alike.

WHAT: 4th ANNUAL LA PASTORELA de SACTOWN DATES: SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17 - SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2016 LOCATION: CREST THEATRE, 1013 K STREET, SACRAMENTO, CA 95816 8 PM, DECEMBER 17, 2016 (Pre-show Posada Procession 7 PM at Mayhuel Restaurant, 12th & K Sts.) 3 PM, DECEMBER 18, 2016 (Pre-show Posada Procession 2 PM at Mayhuel Restaurant, 12th & K Sts.) TIX: $15-Adults, $5- Children under 12 CREST BOX OFFICE: 916-476-3356 TIX available at Crest Box Office www. crestsacramento.com and at the LCAC, 2700 Front St., Sacramento Event Info: 916-446-5133 / larazagaleria@ gmail.com, www.LRGP.org “La Pastorela de Sactown” is a modern bilingual musical theatre reenactment of Mexico’s traditional Christmas pageant. Hilarious, satirical, poignant, moralistic and romantic, it timelessly speaks to the days we live in.

The transformation of the three shepherds from the traditional Pastorelas in Mexico into contemporary recognizable figures (a state senator (Jr.), an office worker (Flora) who loves to shop and

a landlord (Campos) so determined not to lose his culture that he refuses to speak English) is pure commedia dell’ arte. The three must repent their sins and face their moral dilemmas, so as to work together to help the Mary and Joseph characters find shelter. The finale, with the epic battle between Lucifer (Carlos Kandia) and St. Miguel (Christina Castro) has sold out audiences erupting into boos and cheers.

Written by Joan Holden (Long-time San Francisco Mime Troupe writer), the lively play brings together professional actors and community players. Exciting and funny songs amplify the visual power of the show, which uses low-tech magic to great effect. Sacramento’s popular Victor Contreras and Nagual are the house band. The play’s music and lyrics are by Eduardo Robledo (a long-time member of El Teatro Campesino). Directed by Wilma Bonet, an award-winning veteran of Latino theater.

Read this compelling 2015 testimonial from a New Yorker in the audience: ”Lucifer and the Arch Angel fought their final battle on wooden horses that lifted them right up over the heads of the audience which made it feel too close for comfort in a good way - like the outcome of the fight really mattered and you couldn’t look away… At the end, when the undocumented family (Mary, Joseph and the Baby Jesus) came up on stage with the procession of actors and singers and other children, there were tears in my eyes. Why? Because the play really succeeded in making me feel that it is a sin - in the only sense of that word that I actually believe in - not to take care of other people, not to protect the weakest among us.”

Holiday Magic • November 2016 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • To advertise, call 916-429-9901

rT Revere cour r Care Memory

Art Crafted Especially

By Our Own Revere Court Residents

Sending Holiday Cheer & Warm Wishes for the New Year!

From Your Friends at Revere Court

7707 Rush River Drive • www.RevereCourt.com • 916-392-3510

LIC 347001338; 347001342

To advertise, call 916-429-9901 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • November 2016 • Holiday Magic

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Holiday Magic • November 2016 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • To advertise, call 916-429-9901

To advertise, call 916-429-9901 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • November 2016 • Holiday Magic

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Holiday Magic • November 2016 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • To advertise, call 916-429-9901

Plan a day to shop local fairs, shops and stand Autumn is tailor-made for getting out of the house to enjoy the great outdoors. With crisp temperatures perfect for strolls or sightseeing and breathtaking scenery awash in bright autumnal hues, autumn landscapes make for the ideal backdrop for weekend plans, including shopping excursions.

Fall is a great season to enjoy festivals, farmer’s markets and craft fairs, as merchants look to liquidate inventory before they prepare for the rush of the upcoming holiday season.

Cities, towns, hamlets, and everything in between will host their share of open markets and more with great deals to be had, and fall is an ideal time to visit local shops and stands.

Fresh produce

Farms big and small are bursting with produce come the fall.

You can find the last vestiges of summer crops mingling with the first fruits of autumn. Grab the last of tomatoes and start thinking ahead to apples, squashes, lettuces, and grapes. You can even get an early start on pumpkin season — both for cooking and carving.

Stock the car with reusable tote bags and scour the farmer’s markets for seasonal finds. Chances are you also might pick up some extra treats, such as fresh honey or canned jams.

Food finds

As plants are harvested, many items are turned into delicious treats. No autumn shopping excursion is complete until you smell a fresh-baked apple pie or some apple cider doughnuts. Corn breads and fritters, cranberry snacks and wines from nearby wineries also are easy to find in autumn.

These items make welcome additions to your own pantry, or bring a freshly made treat to a friend or family member’s home when paying a visit.

Also, don’t miss the food-related festivals that pop up on community calendars in the fall. From garlic to potatoes to pumpkins to cheeses, many seasonal items are on display. You also can sample these foods in interesting applications and make a day of gathering recipes and supplies to enjoy later.

Visit a local market this fall and you will likely go home with plenty of fresh foods and unique items.

Crafts, jewelry and décor

Include a trip to a craft fair, where local vendors come together to display and sell their wares, on your weekend schedule. Handcrafted items make thoughtful and unique gifts, which can be tucked away for giving later in the year.

Booths at these types of events tend to be diverse. Spend the day strolling town squares or closed-off city centers, and you may find some hand-fashioned jewelry or home-crafted artisanal soaps. Those eager to enhance their homes’ décor may find unique items like painted signs, knit afghans and much more.

Shopping local shops, farms and fairs is a great way to enjoy the fresh autumn air while supporting local businesses.

Creative ways to reuse Christmas cards Roughly 1.6 billion Christmas cards, including boxed cards, are purchased in a given year. That’s quite a lot of cards to address and mail, and many festive greetings for recipients to read and display.

With so much money and effort put into sharing Christmas greetings, some people may wonder how they can prolong the merriment offered by these cards. Here are some creative ways to put Christmas cards to new use once this holiday season has come and gone.

• Make your own gift tags.

Christmas card stock is the perfect medium to turn into gift tags for presents. Cut the cards into squares or rectangles or use a stencil to create whatever shape you desire. Then use a hole punch to create a space for ribbon or another tie. Use the tag to dress up gifts with something more unique than self-stick tags.

• Get magnetized. All it takes is a scissor, some glue and sheets of magnet for a decorative and fun craft project. Turn favorite

Christmas cards into mementos that can be saved year after year, which also will dress up refrigerators or other magnetic surfaces.

This idea works well for photo greeting cards as well.

• Make Christmas card ornaments. Use the cards to create uniquely shaped ornaments for the tree. Cards can be turned into block shapes and hung with ribbon. Another idea is to punch out circles or ovals from the cards and tile them on a foam egg to look like a multicolored pine cone. Explore your creative side and decorate your tree at the same time.

• Create greeting card garlands.

Display cards by stringing them together and hanging them from the mantle or another prominent area. If cards are too large, punch out large circles from the cards and then attach those disks to heavy thread.

• Decorate your packages. Instead of overspending on preprinted gift bags, make your own. Buy plain bags in a solid color and then em-

Holiday greeting cards can be recycled into gift tags, ornaments or even framed to stretch out their usefulness.

bellish them with cutout patterns or pictures from Christmas cards.

• Frame favorite cards. Make greeting cards a permanent part of holiday decor by framing the most decorative ones you receive. Use these frames year after year and

put them on display with other holiday decorations.

• Make a wine bottle gift tag. Use a 11⁄4-inch hole punch to create an opening for the neck of a wine bottle on a piece of folded card stock. Glue a greeting card to the

portion of the card stock that will lay flush with the wine bottle and you have a decorative wine tag.

• Shred older cards for confetti.

Fill gift boxes or bags with homemade confetti made from recycled Christmas cards.

To advertise, call 916-429-9901 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • November 2016 • Holiday Magic

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Make a child’s first holiday special

Thoughtful gifts can make this first holiday season one of joy for new children in the family.

A baby’s life is filled with milestones. First smiles, first steps and first words are just a few of the moments parents will treasure.

A baby’s first holiday season is another special time to cherish. Shoppers seeking gifts to make a baby’s first holiday special have many clever, cute and functional items to choose from. Several of these gifts can become keepsakes to be tucked into memory boxes for growing kids to look at later in life.

• Christmas pajamas: What better way to await for the arrival of Christmas than in a pair of snuggly pajamas? Send pajamas ahead of Christmas Day so that new parents will have plenty of adorable photo opportunities as their baby boy or girl tears open the gifts. Stores stock several different fun and festive prints, or look into pajamas that can be personalized.

• Photo print package: Photography packages can involve the entire expanding family and will catalog special moments in time. Purchase studio or on-location time with a private photographer, or use one of the popular photography chains found in malls and department stores.

• Personalized framed print: Commemorate the first holiday season with your child by getting a print made with his or her name and age. Leave a space on the print so that the child’s parents can customize it even further with their son or daughter’s footprints. Include a matted frame and childsafe ink or paint to complete the gift.

• Keepsake ornament: Some families embrace the tradition of adding a new ornament to their Christmas trees each year. Purchase an ornament for the new baby with the year so he or she can join in the tradition.

• Crochet or knit blanket: Crafty individuals can make a blanket that the newest addition to the family can enjoy during the chilly days of winter.

These blankets often become treasured keepsakes that may be passed down throughout the family or kept tucked away for kids so they can give them to their own children once they start their own families.

• Rocking horse: Babies don’t wait long before they start to run around and climb. A classic rocking horse makes for a fun baby gift, and rocking horses come in many different styles. If you are the family carpenter, you can even purchase some unfinished wood from a craft store and then make this into a homemade gift your favorite little guy or gal will always cherish.

• Piggy bank: Foster good saving habits by gifting a personalized piggy bank. Get kids off on the right foot by depositing a few dollars into the bank before giving the gift.

A new baby brings many changes and fun experiences. Gift-givers can make a baby’s first holiday season one filled with joy and whimsy with creative gift ideas.

Many uses for leftover Halloween candy Halloween is certainly known for the spooky decorations that adorn homes and for the creative costumes children put on to canvas the neighborhood. But for many youngsters, Halloween is all about the candy.

In just a few hours, trick-or-treaters can accumulate a substantial amount of assorted chocolates, confections and other sweet treats.

Once everyone has had their fill of their favorite items, candy often gets relegated to a giant bowl on the kitchen table, where it beckons each resident who passes by.

Rather than submitting to the call of the candy and sacrificing your dental health as a result, enterprising individuals can repurpose that leftover Halloween candy.

Incentives

Parents can store extra candy to use as rewards for good behavior. Many parents use sweet treats as rewards for children learning to potty train. Rewarding older children for a job well done cleaning up their rooms or as a special treat for scoring a good grade on a test also can be a way to put the candy to good use.

Gingerbread houses

Christmas is just two months after Halloween. Put candy into sealable baggies

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and use it come the holiday season when building gingerbread houses. You will have a variety of different candies from which to choose and won’t have to purchase anything new in order to decorate your creations.

Advent calendars

Halloween candy can be saved to make an Advent calendar. This calendar traditionally counts down to Christmas, revealing a date and a sweet treat behind each door.

Instead of purchasing a ready made Advent calendar, families can get together and make one for a family craft as a way to recycle Halloween candy.

Goody bags

Candy is a crowd-pleaser, and leftover candy can be used in goody bags doled out at birthday parties. Keep the candy well-sealed to store away until it is needed to fill goodie bags. Add a few trinkets that tie in with the theme of your party, and you’re all set.

On a similar note, leftover candy can be used to stuff a pinata for a party. Pinatas are available in many different themes and styles, making any occasion ripe for a piñata.

Leftover Halloween candy can be put to many different uses after the holiday has come and gone.

Baking

Cookies, brownies and cake bars taste even better with peanut butter cups, chips and chocolate candies baked inside. Some candy can be frozen for later use in baked goods. Baked goods can be enjoyed by the family or used for bake sales for schools and other organizations.

Donations

Hospitals, doctors’ offices and nursing homes may appreciate donations of candy for staff and visitors. You can visit differ-

ent places to see if they would appreciate a candy donation.

Adult beverages

Hard candies can be used to add some flavor to adult beverages. Let the candy sit in the alcohol for a few hours and the candy will dissolve. Use a coffee filter to strain out any candy remnants.

There are many different ways to put Halloween candy to use so it doesn’t go to waste or end up ruining teeth and waistlines.

Holiday Magic • November 2016 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • To advertise, call 916-429-9901

To advertise, call 916-429-9901 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • November 2016 • Holiday Magic

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Holiday Magic • November 2016 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • To advertise, call 916-429-9901

-41.)&> *3(-&392*39 *T S REALLY FUN SHOPPING HERE

Panama Pottery has your unique holiday gifts!

It's NEVER Been more important to support your small businesses than NOW!

Shopping hours - Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm

4421 24th Street • 916.452.7181 Panamapotterysacramento.com • since 1813 •

To advertise, call 916-429-9901 • A special advertising section of Valley Community Newspapers • November 2016 • Holiday Magic

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