WFMW — Magic Reindeer Food

When our son was about 2 years old, one of our neighbors gave him some magic reindeer food. Although we had never heard of this tradition, our son enjoyed it so much that we have continued it without fail each Christmas Eve. Just like many people leave milk and cookies for Santa, we also leave food for Rudolph, Donder, et al, and it is MAGIC no less. According to our neighbor, to help the reindeer find your house faster, just sprinkle a bit of magic food on your front lawn or even on your balcony. If you’ve been good, they will zero in on your house lickety-split and they will find new energy to visit the next house. On Christmas Eve, before your children go to sleep, have your children sprinkle the food. Our first year, I was ready early the next morning with my broom to sweep the food away from our small covered balcony, but the wind had blown it all away. Not one bit has ever been left over, especially now that we have a yard, but I’ve always been ready with my excuse that the reindeer must have been too full should the need ever arise. Just like my neighbor, you can also make them as gifts to young children. It’s inexpensive, easy and fast to make, yet it will bring a lot of joy and good memories to the children. Here’s the super easy recipe.

Magic Reindeer Food
1 pouch of instant oatmeal or about 2-5 tablespoons
1-2 teaspoons of shiny foil confetti (young children are especially attracted to the shiny foil and 1 teaspoon is a drop in the global environment, but if you have “green concerns,” you can use colored sugar sprinkles instead).
Mix the oatmeal and confetti and put it in the center of some plastic wrap, closing it with some curly ribbon to form a pretty pouch. Colored wrap makes it more festive. Hand one pouch to each child. Older kids will want to make it themselves. Children will sprinkle it with glee for the reindeer, loving not only the magic, but also the fact that they are caring for and feeding Santa’s reindeer.

For a list of all the Works For Me Wednesday participants, head over to Rocks in My Dryer.

If you missed any of my previous Christmas tips, just click below.

• Where’s Santa?
• Advent Calendar Chain — Easy Children’s Craft
• Every Cookie Recipe Imaginable
• Favorite Christmas Movies
• Using an Advent Wreath as a Devotional Tool
  
• Write a Santa Letter to Your Children
• Holiday Shopping List
• Holiday Decorating Tips and Ideas

If you missed any of my previous household tips, just click below.

• Ten Minute Recipe
• Egg Tip
• Bookcases at the Breaking Point?
• Organizing Household Binder
• Trading Card Storage
• Freezer Solution
• Large desk calendar inside guest closet
• Child’s haircut without tears
• Homemade bread stuffing
• Plastic colander bath toy drainer/holder
• Reuse plastic grocery bags in the car
• How to increase Web site traffic?
• 16 Blog/Web site tips
• Toy storage
• Every Cookie Recipe Imaginable
• Black Friday Holiday Shopping

Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium Opens Today — See It!

 

We had the chance to see a screening of this magical movie a few months ago when it was still a work in progress, and were bewitched by its wholesome entertainment with super acting, an empowering message of hope and its unpretentiousness despite special effects.

It could have been easy to bury the story or the very interesting characters with all the fancy, flashy special effects a la Star Wars. They did not throw in violence or sex or bad language to earn themselves a PG or better yet a PG-13 rating.

This movie is rated G, yet adults will enjoy it just as much as children because it is multilayered. On the surface, it’s about an old man (Academy and Golden Globe Awards Winner Dustin Hoffman) who turns over his toy store to his manager (Golden Globe Winner Natalie Portman — Padmé Amidala of Star Wars). If you look a little deeper, it’s also about friendships (also with Golden Globe Winner Jason Bateman of “Arrested Development” and introducing a talented 9-year old Zach Mills), living your dreams and finding the power or magic inside each of us. And if you look deeper yet, you’ll have a hard time finding a better treatment on the topic of death.

It’s about death, but it won’t make the bereaved cry. It won’t scare young children because it’s really about LIVING! The topic is that well-handled.

I wholeheartedly recommend this movie for the entire family from oldest to youngest. You’ll walk out of the theater with a smile on your face and a skip in your step.

You can view or download paper airplane directions from the official movie website. The PDF files are in the spirit of the movie. There are also educational materials at Walden Media.

Walden Media also made the movie adaptations of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” “Because of Winn-Dixie,” “Holes,” “Hoot,” and “How To Eat Fried Worms” — all winners in our family’s book. And be on the lookout for the upcoming (07/11/08) “Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D” with Brendan Fraser of “George of the Jungle” and “Mummy” fame. We saw the work-in-progress screening of this one, too, and this new story using the classic as a backdrop gets our family’s three thumbs way up.

Walden Media‘s site offers downloadable Educator Guides, coloring sheets, contests and sweepstakes for all their movies and books.

• Don’t know what NaBloPoMo and NaNoWriMo are? Read all about it here and here.

• Want to know why I’m participating in both? Click here.