Rekindling the Christmas Spirit: A Dad’s Guide

Ah, Christmas. The time of year when the air is filled with the scent of pine, the sound of jingle bells, and the sight of… teenagers rolling their eyes at your festive enthusiasm. If you’re like me, a dad trying to keep the Christmas spirit alive, you might have noticed that things change as your kids grow older. Gone are the days when they were thrilled by a visit to Santa or a simple string of lights. Now, everything feels a bit more procedural, like we’re all just going through the motions. But fear not. Here are some tips to shake things up and find that elusive holiday magic again.

Rediscovering the Magic: The Best Toys of the 1980s

Growing up in the 1980s was a unique experience, especially when it came to toys. It was a decade filled with innovation and creativity, where every toy seemed to open a new world of adventure and imagination. If you were like me, the arrival of the Sears Wish Book marked the beginning of the holiday season, and it was our guide to the most coveted toys of the year.

The Sears Wish Book was more than just a catalog; it was a gateway to endless possibilities. It was like everything you wanted all packed into one book. For kids today, this was our iPad. I remember spending countless hours flipping through its pages, dreaming about the toys that I would put on my Christmas list to Santa. Among these, Star Wars and G.I. Joe action figures were always at the top.

Holiday Themed Q and A

Merry Christmas everyone. Hope you get to spend some time with family and friends and that Santa is good to everyone. It has been a few weeks since I last…

I Think We Are All Ready For Christmas

No more trips to the store please. I think we now live in Bayers Lake (which is where all the stores are for those who don’t live here).

Today we went out for a few more things and I think we are done. The only trip left is one of the most important, the Christmas Eve run to the liquor store.

We need beer and wine to fully enjoy the week I think.

It was feeling like we would never get caught up. Last week I was definitely worrying about getting everything done. But short of wrapping gifts, I think we made it.

Video: Heineken Carol Karaoke

Ah the holidays. A time for celebrating with family and drinking beer while singing carols. Wait? Really? Sure why not.

You know what beer I prefer when belting out the classics?

Heineken.

It is one of my favourite beers and if I have enough of them, I would probably sing whatever Christmas jingle you requested.

If you want to see other beer fans sing a few songs, Heineken gave a few lucky strangers the chance to brave the crowd and belt their favourite holiday carol in front of thousands of strangers.

Now that would take 24 beers for me to do.

HRM Parent – A Dad’s Life: Christmas Lights

My latest post for HRM Parent was all about how this year my Christmas decorating duties are pretty much all outside. Katie is taking on the indoor decorating and I felt like I needed to give myself some therapy by writing about it.

I wanted to add that since the post was written, the inside of the house has been getting more Christmas like by the day and the outside of the house now has lights.

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So please go and read this month’s installment of A Dad’s Life.

If Only You Could Open The Whole Advent Calendar At Once

Says our son Harrison.

Opening only one at a time? That is just crazy.

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Yes, as of yesterday, we started up the annual tradition that is so popular among households with kids. The calendar with pieces of chocolate each day.

This year, my wife really went all out as the chocolate in Lindt. Maybe she was hoping Harrison would not like the creamy, rich chocolate and she could have it for herself? No chance, he loved his first taste.

Our tradition has formed into opening each day after dinner. We kind of use it as a bribe to eat dinner. Hey, whatever works right.

How To Prepare Your Family For Christmas

This is a guest post by James Smith.

Christmas is one of the most popular events in the calendar year. It commemorates the birth of Jesus, and is observed by millions of Christians and non-Christians worldwide. It is a time to celebrate and generally spread good cheer. Although it is a joyful season, it can be quite hectic for the family, and if you do not prepare in advance, the meaning of the season may be lost. Below are some tips on how to prepare your family for Christmas.

Plan for Christmas together

As a family, you can start planning for Christmas as early as January. Decide if you want to go on holiday, visit friends and family locally or just stay at home. If you decide to go on holiday, choose the destination and set the dates. If you decide to stay at home, agree on what the family will do on that day.

Start saving at the beginning of the year

After the family has agreed on what to do on Christmas, come up with an estimated budget. Once you have the budget, encourage the whole family to start saving some cash weekly. The cash can be put in one jar or each member of the family can save in their own jar. When you save together, Christmas becomes something to look forward to.

Winning Christmas Like A Dad

This is the first post since we celebrated Christmas and it took a few days to build up the energy to do so.

Gifts have been played with, garbage has come and gone and the fridge is full of leftovers and booze. Sounds about right.

This year was also the first Christmas with the two boys.

Harrison (3) is at the perfect age to truly love Christmas and he did so with gusto this year. Giving and receiving gifts, the kid was on fire and hardly slept or ate.

He is back at preschool today which is part of the reason I have time to post.

Seeing that true, unadulterated love of Christmas in a kid’s eyes is what did it for me this year. He was speechless with excitement at certain points.

He listened for Santa, remembered who got him what and did not have one meltdown or misbehaving moment. Blessed.