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Inside this issue

Christmas Shopping Tips My Christmas List Puzzle

1

Stock Photo Contest Details Go Green This Season

2

Celebrate Family Literacy Day Pepsi Refresh Project

3

Bring Canada’s Food Guide to Life In Your Home

4

Parent Workshops Ravine Adventures Mom’s Time Out Program

5

Beat the Winter Blues Before They Beat You

6

Book Review Puzzle Solution

7

Dad’s: Three Important Tips about Bedtime Stories

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December 2010, Volume 1, Issue 2

Start Early! Help ease your budget by shopping little by little in the months leading up to Christmas. This way, you might not feel the financial crunch of the Christmas season and you will save time from shopping during the peak of the busy season.

Christmas Shopping Tips

Make a list! Shopping from a list saves you time and money. It also gives you a chance to take advantage of sale flyers because you know what you are looking for.

Shop Online! Online shopping has become more and more popular every year because there are several online discounts, no waiting lines and delivery to your door!

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Go Green this season! Idling: It's Time to Kick the Idling Habit Warming up a vehicle is the most common reason for idling. Moreover, we idle while we are stopped at railway crossings, waiting to park, running quick errands, stopping to talk to an acquaintance or friend and waiting in

line to get gasoline. The good news is that we can kick the idling habit by thinking about fuel efficiency every time we drive our cars. Here

are some basic tips for reducing the waste and environmental impacts caused by idling: Turn off the engine if the vehicle is going to

be parked for more than 60 seconds (except in traffic). Drive the vehicle to warm it up‚ rather than idling the engine. (On cold winter days, usually no more than two to three minutes of idling is enough warm-up time.) Use remote car starters wisely to avoid excessively long warm-ups. Use a block heater on cold winter days to warm the engine before starting it (ideally, the block heater should be turned on by an automatic timer 2 hours before starting).

Source: Natural Resources Canada

Stock Photo Contest

See your child’s face on family literacy materials around the province! The Balcarres Communities Literacy Network and the Regina Literacy Network want your pictures! What is a stock photo? We are looking for your pictures that display members of your family learning, reading and playing together to use in our publications. How do I enter? Email your photos to photocontest2010@sasktel.net. Please include the names of everyone in your photos and any other information about the activity that you would like to share! What could I win? Family Literacy Bags full of books and prizes! How long do I have to enter? You can enter every month! Winners will be notified at the beginning of every month!

Every photo is 1 entry. Enter as many times as you like!

(By entering your photo into this contest, you hereby give permission to the Balcarres Communities Literacy Network and the Regina Literacy Network to copy and distribute for our use.)

Paul Stallard and 4 month son, Jake

November 2010 Contest Winner!

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Celebrate Family Literacy Day Learning is fun! There are many ways to practice literacy together as a family - following a recipe, singing a song or playing a game are just a few ways to engage in literacy activities. All it takes is 15 minutes a day. The theme for Family Literacy Day 2011 is Play! Playing games that encourage literacy and numeracy - such as board games, card games and word games - is a great way for parents and children to practice their literacy skills and have fun. On January 27, 2011, join Canadians across the nation and Play for Literacy. Grab your family and play at home, participate in your community, or host an event at your organization!

Source: ABC Life Literacy Canada

For information on local events, go to www.rfln.ca under “Programs” and visit our “Family Literacy Day” link!

Support our work by visiting and voting on the

Pepsi Refresh Project! Our Project: “Reach out to children and parents in South SK with family literacy!” Project Summary:

The Balcarres Communities Literacy Network and Regina Literacy Network have joined forces once again through our Hand in Hand Community Literacy Plan to reach out to

children, parents and caregivers in South East Saskatchewan and provide inter-generational workplace family literacy and essential skills programming. This literacy outreach project will provide 2 sessions of programming per week for 26 weeks in Regina and surrounding areas. Funding would also provide for 4 full weeks of family day camps in the summer of 2011. What can we do with $25,000? 104 sessions & 4 weeks of family day

camps!

Help us by voting at: http://www.refresheverything.ca/reachouttofamilies

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Bring Canada’s Food Guide to life in your home!

Try to include four food groups for a meal or two food groups for a snack when planning a meal or snack at home. These are a few great examples as to how easy it is to eat healthy! Enjoy! Mixed Dishes Cabbage roll (ground meat and rice wrapped in cabbage topped with tomato sauce) = 1 grain + 1 vegetable/fruit + 1 meat. Serve with a glass of milk. Cabbage roll (ground meat and rice wrapped in cabbage topped with tomato sauce) = 1 grain + 1 vegetable/fruit + 1 meat. Serve with a glass of milk. Beef and macaroni casserole (made with macaroni and ground beef with a sauce) = 1 meat + 1 grain. Serve with cheese sticks and apple wedges. Macaroni and cheese (made with pasta, cheese and milk) = 1 grain + 1 milk. Add tuna and serve with carrot sticks.

Spaghetti with tomato sauce (made with pasta and a tomato sauce) = 1 grain + 1 vegetable/fruit. Serve with

meatballs and a glass of milk. Tacos in a bag (made with ground beef, salsa, grated cheese and lettuce with taco chips) = 1 meat + 1 limited food. Serve with vegetable sticks, rice, and a glass of milk. French toast (made with bread, eggs and milk) = 1 grain + 1 meat. Serve with fruit cocktail and cottage cheese.

Stew (made with meat, potatoes, carrots, and peas in gravy or sauce) = 1 meat + 1 vegetable/fruit. Serve with bannock and a glass of milk. Soups Tomato soup, vegetable soup or minestrone soup = 1 vegetable/fruit. Serve with a meat sandwich and a glass of milk. Potato soup = 1 vegetable/fruit + 1 milk. Serve with a meat sandwich. Chicken or beef noodle soup = 0 food groups. Make this soup with extra noodles and serve with cold meat and vegetables/dip and a glass of milk. Snack Foods Fruit smoothie (made with yogurt or milk and fruit) = 1 milk + 1 vegetable/fruit. Trail mix (made with nuts and dried fruit) = 1 vegetable/fruit + 1 meat. Ants on a log (made with celery, peanut butter and raisins) = 1 meat + 1 vegetable/fruit. Nachos with cheese and salsa = 1 milk + 1 limited food choice (nachos). The salsa is considered a condiment. Serve with snap peas. Source: Find the complete article and more information on meal planning and healthy eating on the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education website www.education.gov.sk.ca

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Menu Planning for the

Young Family Pre-Registration is Required

When: December 10th, 2010 Time: 9:00am - 11:00am

Raising Healthy Eaters

Pre-Registration is Required

When: December 10th, 2010 Time: 1:00pm - 3:00pm

Where: Regina Literacy Network (located inside Trinity Lutheran Church Hall) 1909 Ottawa Street, Regina, SK Cost: Free to attend (Covered by Regina Home Economics For Living Project, Inc.) To Register for either or both workshops, please contact the Regina Literacy Network, 569-1368, www.rfln.ca, or registrations@rfln.ca. Hosted by Regina Literacy Network and Balcarres Communities Literacy Network

Parent Workshops

Visit www.rfln.ca for literacy information in your area!

* Socialize

* Discuss your needs

* Think about your future

* Improve your skills

* Discover new

opportunities * Find your gifts

* Share ideas

* Create your story

Location: Wakayos Building, Balcarres Time: Wednesdays, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Dates: Begins January 12th For more information, contact the BCLN at 334-3630 or email bclnetwork@sasktel.net.

Open during the Christmas Holidays! December 26th, 2pm – 5pm December 17th – January 5th, 11am – 5pm

Regular Hours of Operation: Fridays, 3pm – 8pm Saturdays, 11am – 8pm Sundays, 2pm – 6pm Other times available by appointment. In case of severe weather, please call ahead to enquire if we are open.

Prices: Tubing only: $6.30/ person (4 & under free if accompanied by paying adult) Tubing and Hot Chocolate: $9.45 Tubing, Hot Chocolate and 2 Hot Dogs: $12.60 (Hot Chocolate

Kid’s Day Camps:

Dec. 30th & Jan. 5th Ages 5-12 11am – 5pm $26.50/child Snow Tubing, Hot Chocolate, Hot Dogs, Snacks & Games

Limit of 20 kids!

Registration is required!

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Beat the Winter Blues before they beat you! Is it a “Parenting Tip” or are they just great ways to spend “Family Time” during the winter?

You decide! If we must endure the winter cold, we might as well have fun! Being cooped up during

the winter affects our moods and often times as parents, we hear, “I’m bored!” Taking time to have fun as a family not only creates great family memories and stories to tell next year but also creates opportunities to share our values and prevents some of the hard parenting work we must deal with when our children become restless. What can we do outside? Lace up your skates! Check out the “free public skate” times at your local indoor rink on those colder days or visit an outdoor skating rink near your home. Dig out the ski pants, mitts and hats! Go to your local park or school and find a hill to go tobogganing on. Find the sand pails and shovels from the beach! How else can you build a snow fort on those days that the snow is perfect for sticking together? Locate a fresh patch of sticky snow! Whether you end up taking over the neighbour’s yard or you can find enough in your own, there are never too many snowmen on the block! Warm boots for a winter walk! Hunt

around the area searching for pinecones in the snow to make fun winter crafts with a bit of glue and some glitter. What can we do inside? Put on the mini gloves! Put a twist on regular games like Jenga or Uno with your mitts on! This is a sure invitation for laughter!

Snow cones are in season! Find some clean snow from the great outdoors (or shaved ice) and pour two tablespoons of warm maple syrup over one cup of snow. Get out the baking sheets!

Prepare mitten shaped sugar cookies and have everyone decorate these edible crafts with icing, sprinkles and small candies. Science fun in your kitchen! Have the kids fill cups of different sizes with snow and measure how full the cup is. Take a few minutes throughout the day to watch what is changing. Is the cup still full of snow? How much water is left behind? Finding ideas for winter fun to play outside or activities for in the house can be a click away—just visit your local library! Google is a great place to find new recipes and craft ideas. helping you beat the winter blues!

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Book Review “The Switch”, by Author Elmore Leonard

I have a theory if you are in the isles of a library, and can’t decide what to read, go with an Elmore Leonard novel. When I had completed my last novel “Under the Dome”, this is how I decided what to read next. This theory never disappoints.

Elmore Leonard, as an author in the genre of crime novels is the gold standard by which all others are measured. “The Switch” is a prequel to a novel he wrote 14 years prior to the novel “Rum Punch”. “Rum Punch” was

adapted into a movie directed by Quentin Tarantino called “Jackie Brown”. “The Switch” introduces us to mainstay characters Ordell Robbie and Louis Gara. Leonard’s plot for this novel is summed up succinctly. In “The Switch”, Ordell Robbie and Louis Gara hit it off in prison, where they were both doing time for grand theft auto. Now that they're out, they're joining forces for one big score. The plan is to kidnap the wife of a wealthy Detroit developer and hold her for ransom. But they didn't figure the lowlife husband wouldn't want his lady back. So it's time for Plan B and the opportunity to make a real killing with the unlikely help of a beautiful, ticked-off housewife who's hungry for a large helping of sweet revenge. One treat with a Leonard novel is the Protagonists and Antagonists are defined based on your perspective. There would be 6 characters in this novel, and all are flawed, pathetic, sympathetic, funny, and in short Losers. However they are lovable Losers and you root for them. What I enjoyed about “The Switch” is the simple, funny dialogue

between Ordell and Louis. It was fun to follow how they believe it will be so easy for to hatch this fool proof plan to extort 1 million dollars, but then come to the slow realization the man doesn’t want his wife back. From there the plan just comes apart, and they are left scrambling trying to recover. The final chapter has such a twist you are left thinking you can’t wait to find out what Ordell and Louis will get into next. The book to learn about that was written 14 years later, and it’s titled “Rum Punch”. Both novels do not disappoint.

Reviewed by Devin Malakoff, dad to Nicholas, Regina

Puzzle Solution (from page one):

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Learner Link is a monthly publication created through the “Hand in Hand, Community Literacy Partnership between the Balcarres Communities Literacy Network and the Regina Literacy Network.

Contact Us:

Hilary Dahnke, Executive Director Regina Literacy Network

306-569-1368

April Dahnke, Executive Director Balcarres Communities

Literacy Network 306-334-3630

Email: Learner Link at

learnerlink@rfln.ca

Dad’s: Three Important Tips About Bedtime Stories Like most fathers, you are probably always being asked for a bedtime story by your little ones. To help you make this night-time ritual even better, here are three things to know:

1. Don't just read stories to your kid. Learn how to tell a story. You do not need a huge collection of books on your shelf nor do you need to get every book from the library. Well before printed books were available for the common person, stories existed in traditions. You, too, can put down

the storybook, look into the eyes of your child and tell them stories. This is a great gift for both of you! You will pass on your personal and family values through storytelling techniques. Bedtime stories will come easily the more you practice and experience this no-book method. 2. Your storytelling will help your kids do better in school. Many parents are surprised that storytelling improves literacy. As well, this same creative process can help your kids do better in math. It is great to be able to help your child's future with such a simple process. Storytelling is so much more than just getting your kids to sleep at night. The energy of bedtime storytelling helps expand the mind of your child. Important reading skills such as imagination, prediction, building characters and more come from the process of hearing and creating stories. You do not have to be an education specialist to help your kids learn these types of skill so effortlessly. 3. There is a benefit for you, Dad. You are not just building up your child. You are helping yourself. Reading books or telling stories helps you to slow down and bond with your growing child. Is your day filled with just too much to do? That makes it all the more important for you to slow down and get close using a bedtime story. These moments

become memories. When your child is older and pushing against everything you say and do, you will be glad you have some positive memories to help you keep your cool. Take the time to tell a story. Slowing down might help your health, too. Why let the TV and the Web have all the attention of your child? Are you satisfied with the values they are learning from those sources? You should have your strong fathering voice in that mix. Tonight, turn off the media. Turn off your personal rushing around. Put the book down and engage your child in a powerful story, told from your heart. Author: Sean Buvala Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sean_Buvala