Cooperative Living November/December 2015 - 23

CAUGHT IN THE WEB by Laura Emery, Field Editor
'Twas Days Before Christmas
and All Through the House,
People Went Online
With Clicks of Their Mouse
For direct links
to suggested websites,
visit www.co-opliving.com.
It's All About the Kids
www.northpole.com
This is a great, interactive holiday
website for children of all ages.
With animated graphics and corresponding
sounds, there are 10 different
areas of interest for kids. They
include: Village, Workshop, Santa's
Den, Weather Station, Toy Shop,
Mailroom, Clubhouse, Reindeer
Barn, Kitchen and Elf Pal Academy.
In the Reindeer Barn, your child can
click on animated graphics within
the barn scene to go on different
adventures. These adventures
include reading holiday stories, or
having an elf read the story out
loud. You can even submit basic
information about your children and
have printable personalized stories
created for them. At the Elf Pal
Academy, you and your children
can enjoy educational activities such
as math riddles, learning letters, concentration,
sound recognition,
mazes, flashcards and word search
that combine learning with colorful
artwork. In the kitchen, you can take
a peek inside Mrs. Claus' cookbook
for delicious cookie, cake, pie,
candy and bread recipes. Or, kids
can chat with Santa's elves, Bonnie
and Bif, through ElfChat, and send
holiday cards to their friends, family,
and teachers.
Giving to Those in Need
www.allthingschristmas.com
/christmas-charity
Thanksgiving and Christmas are
synonymous with indulgence, as we
stuff ourselves with delectable
delights and fill our homes with gifts
galore. It's easy, during this time of
year, to forget that there are many
families who are struggling just to
put food on the table. Elaborate
parties and holiday gifts just aren't
in the picture for them. This year,
consider helping others in need by
donating to a charity. The AllThings
Christmas website has compiled a
pretty thorough list of top Christmas
charity projects. They include Angel
Tree, Save the Children, Operation
Christmas Child, Make a Wish
Foundation, Toys for Tots, and My
Two Front Teeth.
Holiday Safety
www.esfi.org/program/
holiday-safety-50
Each year, an average of 1,650
individuals are injured during fires
occurring around the holiday season.
These fires cause over $990
million in damage. According to the
United States Fire Administration
(USFA), there are simple life-saving
steps you can take to ensure a safe
and happy holiday. This website ―
November-December 2015/www.co-opliving.com
produced by the Electrical Safety
Foundation International ―has a
number of valuable fire safety and
prevention tips worth reading.
From the Heart,
Not the Wallet
deenyssimplejoys.blogspot.com
/2008/10/200-inexpensivefun-budget-friendly.html
If
you have to go cheap this year,
this is the way to do it! This blog has
a list of brilliant ways to be frugal,
while still honoring the spirit of the
holiday with humor and cheer.
Here are eight great inexpensive
gifts and corresponding notes to be
lovingly attached.
1. Plate of homemade cookies:
" Wishing you a wonderful holiday,
from your 'crummy' neighbors! "
2. Loaf of bread: " For being there
when you were 'kneaded,' for 'rising'
to the occasion, large or small.
No matter how you 'slice' it, you do
a terrific job loving others ―and
we love you! "
3. Snickers Candy Bar: " Don't
'snicker' ― just be glad you got
something! "
4. Jar of homemade jam: " Hoping
your Christmas is jam-packed with
cheer! "
5. Gourmet pasta with a bow and
wooden pasta spoon: " Have a
'pasta-tively' happy holiday! "
6. Candle (in holiday color or
scent): " Best Wishes for a bright
and beautiful Holiday Season! "
7. For the teacher in your life, try
stuffing Hershey's Hugs & Kisses
in a coffee mug with the following
note: " A teacher can't live by
apples alone. She/he needs
'hugs' too! Merry Christmas! "
8. Or, give a soup packet with
gourmet crackers in mug with the
following card: " Wishing you a
'Souper' Holiday Season! "
There are hundreds more of
these ideas at this website. It's
definitely worth a look!
In Good Fun
www.uglychristmas
lights.com
Take a few minutes and look
through the posted Christmas-light
photos here. Some will awe you;
others will make you laugh. The
website says it best: " This site is
here to show those houses where
the residents are likely celebrating
a happy holiday, but have no
sense of decency in how they
choose to celebrate. We will
show the garish, the ugly, the
weird. For your own sake, and
the sake of your neighbors, do
not try this at home. " 
21
FUSE/THINKSTOCK
http://www.co-opliving.com http://www.northpole.com http://www.allthingschristmas.com http://deenyssimplejoys.blogspot.com http://www.uglychristmas http://www.lights.com http://www.esfi.org/program/
Cooperative Living November/December 2015

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