Sunday December 18th, 2011 Holidays

Holidays are drawing nigh and one of the most precious gifts that comes with them is time spent with family and friends. Trying out new activities for the first time and returning to familiar ones also rank high. The Thunder Bay Public Library (TBPL) County Park and Brodie branches are keeping their doors open throughout the holidays for you to come in and browse whatever strikes your fancy. Amongst our new titles are books that offer some fun and original holiday ideas. Waverley and Mary J.L. Black branches will be closed for the holiday period. Visit our Web site for a complete list of Holiday hours.

DINNER CHEZ MOI: THE FINE ART OF FEEDING FRIENDS is by Laura Calder, one of Canada’s most charming Food Network hosts. Calder claims that dinner parties should never be stuffy and difficult ordeals rather, as they are in her world, simply cooking for and eating with people you love.



I'M DREAMING OF A GREEN CHRISTMAS: GIFTS, DECORATIONS, AND RECIPES THAT USE LESS AND MEAN MORE, by Anna Getty, an environmental advocate, writer, TV personality, chef, mother, and organic living expert. Getty helps families reduce their carbon footprint with panache and tradition using such ideas as serving organic appetizers and giving gifts of pinecone wreaths.

CLUTTER REHAB: 101 TIPS AND TRICKS TO BECOME AN ORGANIZATION JUNKIE AND LOVE IT! by Laura Wittmann features easy and fun organizing tips that eliminate stress, save time, and let you take control of your home. Getting rooms in order before Christmas may even help when it comes to finding space for new things later on.


A YEAR OF LIVING GENEROUSLY: DISPATCHES FROM THE FRONT LINES OF PHILANTHROPY by Lawrence Scanlan is a personal exploration of generosity by one of Canada's well known journalists. Of course volunteering is personally rewarding any time of year however the holidays naturally present a number of opportunities for children and adults to volunteer together.

Sometimes teachers assign homework or projects over the Christmas break. Even if there is no homework per se, there are always science fair projects or presentations to start thinking about. HOW TO TUTOR YOUR OWN CHILD: BOOST GRADES AND INSPIRE A LIFELONG LOVE OF LEARNING WITHOUT PAYING FOR A PROFESSIONAL TUTOR by Marina Koestler Ruben, a tutor herself, shows you how to approach your child's out of school enrichment.

UNPLUGGED PLAY: NO BATTERIES, NO PLUGS, PURE FUN by Bobbi Conner devotes an entire book to games and activities that are fun to play and require nothing but you. Hundreds of battery-free, screen-free, chirp-and-beep-free games that stretch the imagination and create lasting memories.


Read a book together…THE BOOK OF (HOLIDAY) AWESOME by Neil Pasricha could easily become a holiday tradition. He reminds us that not only can holidays be fun-filled in themselves, but there is also more to celebrate than we realize. From Christmas and Hanukkah to Kwanzaa and beyond he shows us why and how holidays can be awesome. Plugging in the Christmas lights from last year and having them all work, having just enough wrapping paper to cover a gift with that tiny scrap leftover from last year and knowing that Kwanzaa is worth more Scrabble points than Hanukkah or Christmas. All good.

And as always you can go to the TBPL website 24/7 for books and more ideas to consider and celebrate. Visit the virtual display for more seasonal selections on Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, decorations, cooking, baking, gift wrapping, music, movies and a section specially designed for children. Now that, to quote Mr. Pasricha, is awesome. Happy Holidays.

Caron E. Naysmith