Here we go...fasten your seat belts

Shopping and wrapping and parties and baking and decorating....oh my! Sometimes you get tired just looking at your to-do list. How will I fit in quiet, snuggly reading times with my kids amidst all this hustle and bustle? Well I am going to give you oodles of tips and fun activities plus some great book reviews and websites to help you weave literacy into the season. Fear not....Santa's reading elf is here to help you.

First of all when you are out and about and looking for stocking stuffers keep your eye-balls peeled for word-related things to stuff in that hanging stocking. There are many things on the market that are small and just what the doctor ordered to add some knowledge and word fun into your child's pile of toys, candy etc. Keep a look out for puzzle books, colouring books, small-sized (mini) books that you can tuck in, a personalized calendar for 2012, a city map (usually free for the asking), magnetic poetry, any kind of word game books. You can also get personalized toothbrushes or personalized just about anything to shove into that space.
Next decorate your home with picture books. Haul out those precious treasures from last year, add some new titles for this year and line them up your staircase, pile them on your coffee table or stack them in your bathroom. Put a string on your finger to remember that after Christmas most of these holiday books will be on sale, half price or less, so be sure to get out there and pick up some titles for next year.
Buy a box or two of Christmas cards so you and the kids can sit down and send some off to family and friends. It is important to teach your child the proper way to write out a card, address an envelope and show where to place the stamp. On your next outing have your child stick those cards in the mailbox....and off they go!
These things will get you started and get your head into your "Christmas space" for this year. Make this time of the year so special, so festive and celebrate like you may never see another Christmas together again. Always, always, always wrap everything you do in love and success will be yours. Beautiful, positive memories will last a lifetime and you can make that happen when your children are small.