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Hand-Carved horse at the Silver Beach Carousel

We were out of town at a family gathering on January 2, so we missed the grand opening of the Silver Beach Carousel. But we can’t wait to make a trip over to see it-maybe later this week?

Check out this WSBT-22 story about the carousel, and follow the development’s progress on Facebook.

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It’s hard to believe we have finished three weeks of our Advent plans and it is only 3 days ’til Christmas! I don’t know who is more excited – me or my little ones (aka the Vikings). We started with such a long list and have completed most of them.

Playing in the "paper snow" at PAT party

It has been a whirlwind week again with some unexpected twists but the main goal remained – spending some time together as a family and building some traditions that the Vikings will hopefully remember fondly.

We started off Tuesday with a trip to the Berrien RESA for the Parents as Teachers (PAT) holiday get-together. These folks really know how to throw a preschooler-friend party!  While my two have “aged out” of PAT’s home visits and evaluations, they are thrilled to see us still coming to all their monthly play groups and this party.

On Wednesday, the kids and I stopped by to see our favorite local science teacher and donated as many AA and AAA batteries as we could afford to help him out in his classroom to keep all their calculators and gadgets running smoothly.

Red and green Rice Krispie treats are one of the Vikings’ favorites and we made those on Thursday evening.

On Friday, we celebrated “Daddy” finishing his finals at Lake Michigan College and went to the Family Night and family float time at the St Joseph/Benton Harbor YMCA. We ran out of time for the Scottish bannock bread but have the ingredients so we may do that next week.

Papa, Grandma, and the Vikings

Due to some unexpected family responsibilities on Saturday, we passed on all of the wonderful Southwest Michigan events going on (including the Lake Michigan Admirals game which we can highly recommend) and just stayed at home that evening, all four of us curled up on the couch watching a family movie.

After several phone calls back and forth from the Detroit area this week, my mom and step-dad decided to travel to Southwest Michigan and help us celebrate Christmas early. Most of our plans were thrown out the window so we could soak in the time with Grandma and Papa while they were here. So, Sunday night we spent eating a Christmas dinner and opening presents so no Polish star craft.  And, Monday we spent visiting as well so no cookie baking.

But, we’re back on track today and will be heading down to the Lincoln Township Library at 1pm to see Dr Seuss’s “The Grinch…” with Miss Lila.

Tomorrow, we will either stick to the original plans of making something for our local feathered friends. (Did you happen to see the article in the Saturday Herald Palladium by Barbara Mahany of the Chicago Tribune this past week on how to make “PB&J bird treats”?) Or, we will do one of the activities we’ve skipped – either the bannock bread or the Polish star.

And, on Thursday, we will wrap up with making a cake with candles and balloons and singing “happy birthday, Jesus”!

The last 24 days have passed in a flash but, as we complete the our fifth annual attempt at this Advent activity list, I’m hoping that the Vikings will remember the entire season of Christmas as a time we focus on “giving” time of ourselves to the family and others instead of only about the “getting” of Christmas day.

Beth blogs at Life With Two Little Vikings when she’s not thwarting invasions and pillaging from her three-year-old and five-year-old little raiders.

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St. Joseph is a perfect place to spend an afternoon shopping, with a nice selection of shops to choose from and plenty of restaurants and cafes where you can pop in and enjoy lunch or hot cup of cocoa. Twinkling lights, horse-drawn tours and a Santa house give the downtown an even more festive feeling. And even though the streets are usually bustling this time of year, you can always find a place to park and it never feels claustrophobic.  I’ll highlight some of my favorite shops in downtown St. Joe that feature great gift potential for kids. Hopefully you’ll be inspired to head down and finish your shopping there.

Crocheted hat, La Dee Da Children's Boutique. Look at that detail!

First, stop by La Dee Da Children’s Boutique at 314 State Street to pick up a unique gift for a baby or child in your life. The boutique features adorable, unique clothes, a selection of high-quality toys and gifts, nursery decor, cloth diapers, slings, skin products, and more. I squealed when I saw this too-cute-for-words crocheted hat ($29.99, made in the USA)–can you imagine that bit of adorableness on your baby’s head?

If you can’t make it downtown, try La Dee Da’s online boutique. You can also follow La Dee Da on Facebook for up-to-date information on new products and special events.

Forever Books, St. Joseph MI

Just one door down at 312 State St., be sure to stop into Forever Books. Featuring a great selection of kids’ titles from picture books through young adult, a nice fiction section and a good selection of new non-fiction as well, it’s easy to find something for any member of your family including the little ones. You’ll also find beautiful and unique journals, bookmarks, and other gifts for lovers of words. The staff is friendly and helpful and actually read the books they sell-and it shows. Make sure you get entered in the computer system when you check out, as frequent shoppers earn rewards (believe me, I know.) Remember: spending time in a local bookstore is a great way to nurture a love of reading in your kids!

The Toy Company in downtown St. Joseph, MI

If you can manage to bypass Chartreuse Art Gallery, the Chocolate Cafe, Perennial Accents (which will be offering kid’s cooking classes starting in March; see class schedule on website for details) and the rest of the State St. strip without using up all your shopping time, be sure to head down to The Toy Company at the north end of State St for a great selection of creative, high-quality toys including Playmobil, Groovy Girls, Thomas the Tank Engine, Rokenbok, PLAN, Melissa & Doug, Webkinz, and many surprises. We got our nine-month-old Clara her first “real” dolly from The Toy Company, an adorable soft rag doll made by Stephan Baby. Can’t wait until she opens it in just a few short days. That reminds me…time to get back to wrapping gifts. Have a wonderful holiday season in Southwest Michigan!

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This last week week in Southwest Michigan was a busy one for us. And, the weather didn’t make it any easier. Fortunately, there is  so much great family fun in this area that it was easy to modify our plans and still keep up with our goal of one family-related thing each day for our Viking family Advent activities.

Swedish Paper Hearts

Last Tuesday, our planning fell apart near the end of the day (as it is wont to do with two small children in the house), so we skipped walking downtown to visit St Joseph’s snowmen and settled for a great MOMS Club play date and a late family dinner. A family dinner like this is precious right now since my husband is working full time while going to school full time in the evenings so family dinners are a rare thing around here.

On Wednesday, we tackled making Swedish paper hearts. It was a bit of a “fail” craft-wise for the kids in its original form so I modified it to be easier for little hands. We eventually completed enough for my daughter’s kindergarten class and she’ll hand them out this Friday at school.

Thursday morning, we woke up to my daughter’s first snow day. So, we stayed home hunkered down from the cold and wind and didn’t get out for the hot chocolate ingredients.  But, we did spend most of the day (including momma who took “the day off”) snuggled under blankets watching cartoons.

Christmas Party at the Benton Harbor Library

To recover from the kids’ snow day cabin fever, Friday we arranged a cousin playdate and attended a family gym and swim activity at the St Joe/Benton Harbor YMCA.

Saturday morning should have been spent with my daughter dressing up as St Lucia but her papa has been sick all week so instead we headed downtown. Curious Kids can canceled the family craft but still had their Animals Alive program running.  Then, we hopped over the bridge and found our way to the Christmas party for kids at the Benton Harbor library.  This was the first time we checked out this facility and I have to say that their children’s library has got to be one of the best kept secrets is the area.  Finally, that night we were in the audience for First Church’s family Christmas program, Jingle Jam.

Sunday was actually St. Lucia Day but again Papa was too sick to visit. Instead, all four of us (again – a rarity due to my hubby’s schooling) attended a Christmas party at our former church. Safe Harbor.

St. Lucia

Finally. we had to miss the St Joseph school holiday concert at Mendel last night because the Vikings had their last week of swimming lessons which we didn’t want to miss. And, my daughter finally got to wear her Lucia crown…at school.

For the upcoming week, there’s some things to which that my little ones really look forward. This afternoon, if the weather cooperates, we will attend the holiday party thrown by Berrien County’s Parents as Teachers group.  These folks know how to throw a shindig for little ones and this will be the fourth one we attend down at the RESA building in Berrien Springs.

Wednesday will include another of the Vikings’ favorites: the red and green Rice Krispie treats in cut with cookie cutters into trees, stars, and other shapes.

On Thursday, we are hoping to fulfill part of a wish list for a local teacher. We have our favorite teacher we like to bless but there are plenty of others that have appeared repeatedly in the Herald-Palladium over the last 2 weeks.

We will start the day Friday cooking breakfast at my daughter’s school for their Christmas breakfast.  Then, in the afternoon, we will tackle a new recipe. Up til now, we’ve honored much of my husband’s Swedish heritage. So, in the interest of balancing the scales a bit, we will attempt to make Scottish bannock cake. Later that evening, we also will be checking out the YMCA’s Family Game Night to celebrate Daddy finishing another finals week!

On Saturday, we have a few choices so I’m not sure what we’ll end up doing. Right now, it’s a toss-up between going ice skating at the Howard Ice Arena, heading down to Barker Mansion in Michigan City to see their lights display, or taking in the Lake Michigan Admirals game.

Next Sunday, we will tip our hat to some more of my family’s heritage by attempting a Polish star craft.

Finally, with Christmas break in full swing, on Monday the kids and I will attempt a large Christmas cookie baking party.

There are so many other wonderful things to do in Southwest Michigan right now. Christmas cantatas all over, a “holiday bizarre” at the Livery, music and movies at the Box Factory – the list goes on and on. Please make it a point to seek out all the wonderful opportunities our area has to offer this Christmas and holiday season! Some places to look for ideas:

• Blue Star Highway
• Southwest Michigan Tourist Council

And be sure to check the Herald-Palladium as well as the calendar at the libraries and YMCA.

Beth blogs semi-regularly at Life With Two Little Vikings.

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This week offers several opportunities for music lovers in Southwest Michigan.

TONIGHT, Saturday, December 12: The Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra presents Amahl and the Night Visitors. Family matinee is at 3:30 PM, evening performance at 7:30 at the LMC Mendel Center mainstage.Tickets at www.smso.org, tickets $5 – $35.

Sunday, December 13: the Fairplain Presbyterian Church in Benton Harbor will present a Christmas concert featuring a choir and handbells. 7 PM, FREE and open to the public.

Thursday, December 17: Enjoy a Christmas concert with New York City Opera tenor Paul Mow and friends at Sarrett Nature Center. 7 PM, $15 adults, $5 children.

Have you finished your holiday shopping yet? Later this week we’ll be suggesting great local stores where you can find unique, high-quality gifts for your family–and support a southwest Michigan business owner, manufacturer or artisan. I’d love to hear your favorite local places to shop!

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The week coming up is pretty craft-heavy but, as far as my kids are concerned, that’s a good thing.

Today: if the weather holds, we’ll be taking an after-dinner walk to check out the snowmen sculptures in downtown St Joe.

Wednesday: In honor of my hubby’s heritage, we’re going to attempt Swedish paper hearts to hang on the tree!

Thursday: We are going to tackle making homemade hot chocolate mix and packaging it up for some of our favorite folks: our mail carrier, our neighbors, and pastor.

Friday: We will be attending the Family Fun Night at the St. Joseph-Benton Harbor YMCA. In addition (either Friday or Monday the 14th), my daughter will honor her Swedish heritage again by dressing up as St Lucia and taking treats to school.

Saturday: We will head down to Curious Kids Museum and take part in the Saturday family activity which, of course, includes lots of crafts! In the evening, we will also be attending our church’s Christmas program, Jingle Jam.

Sunday: This is actually St. Lucia day. Normally, my girl takes sweet treats to her papa and grandma and their daily coffee klatch at their nearby McDonalds. We still have to work this one out since it’s church morning, too. We will also be attending the Vikings’ cousins’ Christmas program across town.

Monday: Next Monday evening, we will hopefully be in the audience for the St Joe school holiday concert at the Mendel Center. Admission is free according to the flyer that came recently in the mail.

One final thing I wanted to share is that if you are interested in doing something like this, please notice how little it can actually cost. Last week, the only cost was the library’s fee for their “Sweet Shoppe.” And, this week’s only out-of-pocket cost is the ingredients for the hot chocolate.

Southwest Michigan has so many options for family-friendly fun. Please get informed in the areas that interest you and get out there to enjoy all this area provides!

Beth also writes at her bloggy home, Life With Two Little Vikings.

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As I write this, we just finished putting up the Christmas tree. And, for the first time in years, I had fun. Having little ones underfoot the last few years has stolen much of the peace, quiet, and contemplation (what are those things again??) involved in putting up the ornaments. But, that’s the wonderful thing about this activity – each year it starts as something a little different yet ends up something else entirely.

Last Tuesday, we made paper snowflakes. Nothing fancy but they now cover our front window and were (finally) met by some of their natural counterparts later in the week.

On Wednesday, we skipped the walk-in crafts at the Lincoln Township library because I forgot about midweek choir practice and kids’ activities at our church.

Fountain at the Bluff

After dinner Thursday evening, we attended the Great Start Parenting Coalition holiday party hosted at Fairplain Presbyterian. We had dinner (again) and crafts with other families from the St. Joe/Benton Harbor area. My little Vikings came home stuffed and happy holding more crafts than I thought could be legally possible to carry. Holly Wingard threw quite a party!

We bundled up and arrived at Light Up the Bluff Friday night just as the tree was lit up. It was beautiful and the fountain (my personal favorite) was gorgeous. After walking for a few, we wandered down State Street to get out of the wind. Good thing we did or we would have missed free samples of soups (clam chowder and a tomato bisque, I think) from Port 412. Can I just say…YUM!?

Saturday afternoon was a whirlwind of cold, canines, crafts, and candy! We attended the Reindog Parade then waddled our over-bundled selves to the Maud Preston/St Joseph library for their annual December family event. This year is was a sugar-saturated “Sweet Shoppe” made with frosting and a variety of candy, cereal, and cookies on a base of heavy-duty paper bowls.

Putting up the children's tree

Finally, as mentioned above, we got both the kids’ little Christmas tree and the full-size family tree up during the evening Sunday.

This coming week has tons of crafts – thankfully, not many of them at home! Check back tomorrow and I’ll have all the details.

Beth also writes at her bloggy home, Life With Two Little Vikings.

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Photo Credit: Paul Anderson

It’s official: December is here in Southwest Michigan, and with it come a huge selection of holiday-inspired festivals, performances, and other events. Here’s three that sound especially fun:

A Baby Changes Everything -  A Christmas Musical

The story of the nativity is told through music (including Christmas favorites as well as some new selections). Free, December 5 and 6 @ 7 PM at The Chapel Evangelical Free Church, 4250 Washington Ave, St. Joseph. Refreshments will be served after performances. Call 269-429-1041 or visit The Chapel’s website for more details.

Round Barn Winery Holiday Open House & Noir Nouveau Release
For wine lovers with little ones, the Round Barn Winery is a treat: a large, kid-friendly space that doesn’t take itself too seriously (but does put out some seriously good wine). Try the first wine from the 09 harvest, enjoy appetizers, do some shopping and meet Santa Claus. Saturday, December 5, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at the Round Barn Winery & Distillery, 10983 Hills Road, Baroda, MI. 
Santa Claus, Carols and Art, Saugatuck
Head to the downtown Saugatuck Center for the Arts to shop at the Winter Greenmarket featuring gifts, greenery and more from local artisans and farms (starting at 10 AM), participate in a community carol sing-a-long (11 AM), or listen to a costumed Dickens-esque chorale (12 – 2). Make your way outside at 1:00 PM to see Santa make his way into town during the traditional holiday parade, then come back to the Center for the Arts to meet the jolly old elf in person. The SCA opens at 10 AM and the fun continues until 3 PM.

If none of those options float your sleigh, there’s a detailed calendar at Blue Star Highway with a variety of other events. How will you spend your first December weekend?

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Photo credit: http://morguefile.com/creative/kakisky

This year is the fifth annual “Vikings family advent calendar” experience. Since Christmas 2005 when my now-kindergartner was 21 months old, we’ve tried to make the 25 days coming up to Christmas day special. I blogged about our experiences in 2006, 2007, and 2008. However, starting tomorrow, the 2009 event begins.

For 25 days, we try to do one thing per day to getting ready and/or enjoy each other’s company in what has become a too hectic, stressed-out season. With the economy being what it is in SW Michigan, we’ve been hit hard. It seems like every week a new financial twist and turn appears that we didn’t foresee. We’re hanging in but we are definitively more interested in the more simple (and frugal) ways to spend some quality time together.

Over the next few weeks, Meagan has asked me to share some of the things (free and otherwise) that we will be doing in the St. Joseph/Benton Harbor area as we walk through our 2009 “advent calendar.” Each Monday from now on, I’ll be posting a wrap-up of the previous week. And, on each Tuesday, I’ll post a quick list and explanation of what’s coming up in the next seven days. If you are interested now in seeing my full 25 day list, you can see it here at my bloggy home.

So, for December 1st through 7th, here’s what we’ll doing at the Viking Hus and around SW Michigan:

1 traditional paper snowflakes
2 walk-in crafts at Lincoln Twsp library 6-8pm
3 Great Starts Berrien County holiday party
4 Light Up the Bluff 7pm
5 Reindog parade /Maud Preston Library sweet shoppe ()
6 put up Christmas tree
7 wreaths from paper plates

I’ll do my best to document with photos all we accomplish but, for those of you with small children, you know how it goes! I’ll probably have my hands full keeping their little fingers out of trouble. – Beth

Please feel free to use this post as inspiration to create your own advent activity calendar! Even if you can’t make it out of the house for an outing every day, think about one simple, Southwest Michigan-inspired thing you can do each day to celebrate the season. For example, you could enjoy a cup of cocoa from the Chocolate Cafe in St Joseph while listening to holiday music. Please share your own ideas (or a link to your post or Facebook update) in the comment section.

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