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DECEMBER 2015 NEWSLETTER

Holiday Bucket List

Host a holiday cookie baking day with your friends and share the cookies with your neighbors.

Walk through the holiday lights the Memphis Zoo Lights and take a ride on the Ferris wheel.

Watch a few holiday classics with the family by the fire like Home Alone, Polar Express, Elf, Miracle on 34th Street.

Donate toys to charity.

Take a tour of holiday lights and decorated community trees.

Go to the Germantown Holiday Pa-rade on December 12 at 2pm.

Send Christmas cards to soldiers.

Drive by Graceland to check out the manger.

Have a camp-out under the Christ-mas tree.

Visit the Peabody Hotel to see the decorated lobby.

Learn to make hot chocolate from scratch.

Surprise the neighbors with Christ-mas carols.

Take a ride through Starry Nights at Shelby Farms, rated one of the top 10 lighting displays in the country,

Make a batch of reindeer food.

Get crafty and make DIY gifts for your teachers and coaches.

Go to the Pink Palace and see the Enchanted Forrest.

Make a playlist of your favorite holi-day classics and have a dance party.

Participate in the Frozen Sing-A-Long with Elsa on the giant 3D screen at the Pink Palace.

Read a holiday class before bed.

Roast marshmallows in the fire to make holiday s’mores.

Decorate a gingerbread house.

Cut out your own snowflakes and hang them in your window.

Don’t forget to mail your letter to Santa!

Make the holidays magical by having some fun at home and around town during your winter break!

Not quite! Candy canes were

first made about 350 years ago

as plain hard sugar sticks. The

original candy was complete-

ly white and straight. In the

early days of Christmas trees,

candy and cookies were used

to decorate the trees. Then

a choirmaster at the Cologne

Cathedral in Germany bent the

sugar-sticks into canes to rep-

resent a shepherd’s staff. The

all-white candy canes were

given out to children during

the long-winded nativity ser-

vices. The clergymen’s custom

of handing out candy canes

during Christmas services

spread throughout Europe and

later to America. Sometime

around 1900s, the red stripes

appeared and then peppermint

and other flavors were added.

Ain’t that sweet?

Do Candy Canes Grow on Trees?

Top 10 Hottest Toy Crazes in HistoryEvery Christmas there’s one toy that seems to be at the top of almost every list, but some years there are toys that are in such demand

that they cause TopTenz.com has identified these popular toys as the top toys that have caused crazes and frinzied mobs of shoppers

at malls.Mr. Potato HeadIntroduced in 1952, this

was the first toy everadvertised on TV.

Holiday Trivia Test1. What did the traffic cop holler to Frosty?

2. Grinch stole presents from the residents of which town?

3. What does Ralphie from “Christmas Story” want for Christmas?

4. Who said “God Bless Us, Every One!”?

5. How many pipers piping did my true love give to me?

6. What charity has people ringing bells near grocery stores?

7. What singer had a Blue Christmas without you?

Giving Back Year Round

You don’t have to wait until the holidays to give back. Choose a charity and help a cause you sup-port throughout the year! Whether you want to feed, clothe and shelter those in need, prevent animal cruelty, support natural resources, or support other issues, there are many organizations supporting var-ied causes your parents can help you find. If you save 30-cents a day to accumulate $100 for the year, that will go a long way to support your cause! Talk with your parents, school, or place of worship to find out how you can get involved.

The Pet RockIntroduced in 1975, more than 5 million rocks were

sold in 6 months. Yes, rocks.

PongIntroduced in 1975, two

lines and a dot on a screen became the first home

video game.

AtariIntroduced in 1979, this

video system was consid-ered groundbreaking at

the time.

Cabbage Patch Dolls

Introduced in 1983 this doll was the most successful

new doll launch in history.

Game BoyIntroduced in America in 1991, more than 1 million

were sold during the Christmas season.

Tickle Me ElmoIntroduced in 1996, more

than 10 million Elmos have been sold to date.

FurbyIntroduced in Feb 1998 at a Toy Fair, all of the dolls sold out before production of the toy

actually began.

PlayStation 3Introduced in 2006,

PS3s were pre-selling for thousands of dollars online before they were

released.

Zhu Zhu PetsIntroduced in 2009, these

$10 robotic hamsters were selling for $250 on

eBay.

1. Stop! 2. Whoville 3. Red Ryder BB Gun 4. Tiny Tim 5. 11 6. Salvation Army 7. Elvis

“We elves try to stick to the four

main food groups: candy, candy

canes, candy corns and syrup.”

- Buddy The Elf