Wishing everyone a
Want to do something fun for Christmas this year? Here are 10 of the best Christmas games to play with family or at the office according to Lifescript.com and PartyGameIdeas.com.
1. Night Before Christmas Memory Game
Type the story from the book on a sheet of paper, but leave some blanks every so often.
(e.g. "When what to my ______________ eyes should appear, but a ________________ sleigh and ___________ tiny reindeer").
Have your guests fill in the blanks to the story. Then collect the results and review. The person who gets the most right should get a gift or prize, but then have some fun and have the person who got the most wrong read the story and stop at every blank, where the host can add in the funniest answer from the group. This way everyone can get a laugh out of the answers. Best for groups under 20 people.
2. Santa’s Hat
You can start this game as guests enter the party. As each person enters the room, hand them a Santa hat and instruct them to keep it on until they see you take yours off. Once everyone is wearing a hat, mingle and engage in conversation until everyone starts to forget about the game. Once your guests are distracted, quietly remove your hat and wait to see who catches on and does the same. The last guest to have his hat on is the loser, and can be the one to start the next round.
3. North Pole Two-by-Two
A perfect ice-breaker for all ages, Two-by-Two is a loud game that will get everyone laughing. The rules are simple enough for even the youngest guest to understand. Everyone stands in two parallel lines facing each other. Each person in one line is given a piece of paper with a “North Pole” animal on it. Matching pieces of paper are given to each person in the opposite line. After being given a few minutes to think, at the word “go,” everyone acts like their assigned animal – flapping their wings, stomping their hooves, waddling like a penguin – and tries to find their “mate” on the opposite side of the room. The main rule to this game is no talking!
4. Make a Rack (for Reindeer, that is!)
In this game, teams are given a paper bag with the following items:
- One unused pair of pantyhose, a five-inch hole cut in the tummy panel, and feet cut off
- Red ribbon and a red bow
- 14 small balloons
Put five minutes on the clock. One member of the team volunteers to be the reindeer. She slips the pantyhose on her head, with face showing through the hole that has been cut in the tummy panel. The team blows the balloons up and slips them through the open end of the pantyhose until they resemble antlers. The ribbon is used to close the hole and decorate the antlers; the bow can be used on the nose for a Rudolph effect. The team that makes the best antlers within the five-minute time period wins.
5. Gift Wrap Twins
This is a game for teams of two, regardless of age. Each team stands side by side, and has their inside hands tied together. The person on the left has his right hand tied to the left hand of the person next to him. Each team is given a box, wrapping paper, ribbon, scissors and tape. With only one hand each, they have to completely wrap the package and tie it with a bow. The team that wraps the package correctly and quickest wins.
6. Right and Left Gift Game
This game requires some preparation, but can be really funny to play. The host has to write a story that is a few minutes long and contains the words “left” and “right” many times.
Here is an example:
Mr. Right said that his left hand was hurting.
“Your right hand?” said Mrs. Right.
“No, my left hand,” said Mr. Right.
All of the party participants stand in a circle, holding a small wrapped gift. These can either be small gifts that each person has brought, or wrapped party favors. As the host reads the story, each time the words “right” and “left” are read, the players pass the gift they are holding in that direction. When the story is done, the player gets to keep the gift he or she is holding.
7. Fast Unwrap
You will need:
- One prize wrapped in many layers of gift wrap or newspaper
- One Santa or elf hat
- One pair of gloves or oven mitts. The bigger and bulkier the better!
- One die. You can use two dice if there are a lot of people.
Set the wrapped prize in the center of the room. Participants gather in a large circle around the gift. The first person rolls the die. If she rolls anything but a six, she quickly passes the die to the person on her left. If she does roll a six, she runs to the gift, puts on the hat and gloves, and begins opening the prize one layer at a time. The next person who rolls a six jumps into the center, takes the hat and gloves and continues the unwrapping. The person who unwraps the last layer of paper gets to keep the prize.
8. Burst the Balloon
Divide the group into two teams. One team has a red balloon tied to their ankles and the other team gets a green balloon tied to their ankles. At the word “go,” the players scramble to try to pop the other team’s balloons. When a player’s balloon is popped, he is out, and has to sit on the sidelines until the game is over. The last team with an unpopped balloon wins.
9. Gift Swap
The adult version of the Secret Santa game has a twist at the end. After number one has chosen a gift and unwrapped it, number two chooses and unwraps a gift. Number two can then choose to swap gifts with number one. Each guest then chooses a gift and decides to swap until all of the guests have a gift and a chance to swap. At the end of the game, number one can choose to swap with any of the other guests.
10. Christmas Carol Pictionary Relay
Team members race to receive the name of a Christmas Carol which they must get their team to recognize and then sing. The first team to have all team members complete the task wins. Based on the number of Christmas Carols you come up with not all players may get a chance to draw out the name of a song. The goal is however that everyone would have a turn. (Adjust game as needed.)
Divide group into teams. Each team sends one person up to the host who gives them the name of a Christmas carol. Then the person returns to group and in the manner of Pictionary tries to get the group to guess the name of the carol by DRAWING ONLY. As soon as the group knows the song, they must sing it as a group until the host gives the thumbs up sign (10 – 20 seconds). Once they get the thumbs up, the team sends a new person for another song. Play continues until one group completes all their songs.
Here are some Christmas Carols to get started. Remember there cannot be any duplicate carols.
- Jingle Bells
- Deck the Halls
- Here Comes Santa Claus
- Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer
- Silent Night
- Joy to the World
- Away In a Manger
- We Wish You A Merry Christmas
- Up On the Housetop
Do you have an excellent game to play that wasn't mentioned above? Tell us about it.
Today is National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day and commemorates the sixty-eighth anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The events of that day would become a seminal event in American history. America lost some of her innocence that day. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt rightly called this a "day that will live in infamy". Archives play a role in our remembrance of Pearl Harbor and World War II. The image is a broadside created in 1942 by Allen Sandburg issued by the Office of War Information in Washington D. C., and is courtesy of the U. S. Naval Historical Center. The quotation is from Lincoln's Gettysburg address.
The National Archives (NARA) has digitized many of the images and documents related to Pearl Harbor and World War II. By searching NARA's Archival Research Catalog (ARC) for digital copies at: http://arcweb.archives.gov/arc/action/BasicMultimediaSearchForm one can find images of the attack and its aftermath. Included are the familiar images and those of battleships that had rolled upside down due to damage being righted. Documents include the famous Air Raid Pearl Harbor X This is not a drill radio message. The Library of Congress American Memory Today in History page http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec07.html
has numerous links to documents and sources. These sources include man on the street interviews that were conducted on December 8, 1941 to capture the public's initial reaction to the bombing. The Library of Congress also has a Veteran's History Project that preserves oral history interviews with World War II veterans' and those of latter wars .
The Oregon State Archives has on online exhibit that features the experience of the Willamette University football team at Pearl Harbor http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/exhibits/pearl/football.htm . The team was in Hawaii to play a post-season game. They had played the previous day and were waiting for a sightseeing tour of the island when the attack occurred. I will not tell the whole story, but the team was inducted into the Army and placed on sentry duty, and did make it back to Oregon.
So as we remember those who gave all today remember to search the archives for their stories.
The Trogdon HouseYeah! It is almost break time. I'm very excited for the time off. I thought I would post a list of ten things that I consider a must "to do" over the Thanksgiving break. Please post a comment and share your feedback and ideas on how you plan to enjoy the holiday!
Post a comment and share your ideas on how to celebrate Thanksgiving!
There are too many links to list in this brief blog, but I will mention a few. In the most requested box on the home page listed above are links to military records where a person can request a copy of the DD Form 214 report of Separation and other records electronically, by fax, or mail. Clicking on the genealogy/getting started link takes you to a wealth sources at the National Archives many of which are searchable online including the Dawes Rolls Index and Final Roll for those researching their Native American ancestry.
Hope these tips will help you and if you have any questions contact me at: spurr@tarleton.edu
Tarleton's Old AuditoriumI'm not keen on turkey and dressing, but I do love a good holiday! I found this really interesting website about Thanksgiving. From the History News Network, take a look at 10 Myths about Thanksgiving.
Follow the link above and find out about all the myths! If you have an idea or something to say about Thanksgiving, please post a comment and share!
Use these steps to obtain a corrected printing of the APA Publication Manual 6th edition:
NOTE: The free APA Publication Manual replacement offer
On Monday, November 16, from 5:30 to 6:30 Career Services and the Dick Smith Library will hold a joint presentation on using LinkedIn and Twitter to aid your job search. The presentation will be held in the Library Instruction Classroom # 139, which is on the main floor next to the Student Lounge.
The Cannon4a. Use after-Christmas sales to stock up on wrapping paper, cards, etc.
4b. Consider a Restaurant.com certificate. They sometimes have 60-90% off sales, which means you can score a $20 certificate for $2. Caveat: These certificates often require a minimum purchase amount from the diner--they may have to spend $30 or more dollars before applying the certificate. For more information, go to Restaurant.com.
For other gift-giving tips, see this entry on the "Get Rich Slowly" blog.
Technolust
5a. Before running out to buy the latest gadget, consider selling your outdated items (cameras, cell phones, etc.) on eBay first. Don't have an eBay account? Ask a friend or loved one who does to help you out--and give them part of the profit. Put the proceeds towards your new item.
5b. Better yet, calculate the cost of buying the gadget for the first two years and consider down-sizing. Example: an iPhone can cost between $2,000-2,500 in the first two years (depending on the phone model and your calling/data plan). By contrast, an iPod Touch (which has many of the same apps) costs only a few hundred dollars....or less, if you get a refurbished model.
Wardrobe
6. Before buying any new clothes, prune your wardrobe. Check for duplicates. How many pairs of black pants do you really need?
7. Don't buy retail: Have a clothing swap with a good friend who is your size, or try thrift stores and eBay.
Food and drink
8. Love Starbucks holiday drinks? Consider making your own gingerbread syrup.
9. Carry water and small, inexpensive snacks with you (fruit, granola bar, etc.) to avoid making fast-food stops.
10. Avoid the grocery store for a week and eat the canned items in the back of your cupboard instead.
Travel
11. Pack lightly to avoid fees.
12. Pack small snacks to avoid expensive airport food.
13. Use sites such as Hotwire.com and Kayak.com to save on airfare, hotels and rental cars.
14. Traveling by car? Stay under the speed limit and keep tires properly inflated to maximize your gas mileage.
15. If at all possible, have relatives or loved ones come visit you instead.
16. Combine errands to cut down on trips. Consider carpooling with a co-worker or classmate if you're not doing so already.
Credit cards
15a. Ask for a lower interest rate if you haven't missed a payment in a long time. With the recession, many creditors are, unfortunately, raising interest rates--but it can't hurt to ask.
15b. Automate your bill-paying to avoid late fees. Watch out for the 28-day cycle--one month your bill is due the 13th, the next month on the 11th, etc.
16. Ask family and friends to help you save money towards a long-term goal. SmartyPig.com combines social networking and savings (note: this is not an endorsement of the site).
Beauty & Household
17. Baking soda can be used as a facial scrub.
18. Crushed-up aspirin and a facial toner can be a good mask for acne-prone skin.
19. Baking soda and vinegar can clean most household areas.
20. Use washcloths instead of paper towels.
21. Time your showers to use less hot water.
22. Downgrade to basic cable.
23. Use NetFlix or your library card instead of going to the movies.
24. Read library books or--if you *must* have the latest bestseller, try Amazon--you can often get 30% off.
25. Sell old (but clean and non-damaged) clothing on eBay, or donate the items for a tax deduction.
What are some of your favorite money-saving tips? Share them in the comments below.
As the days start getting shorter and the nights are longer we turn from outside activities to inside ones. One of the things you can do during the winter months is to organize your family archives. Holiday gatherings provide an opportunity to identify unidentified photographs and learn more of your family's history.
Most collections of family papers contain letters, photographs, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, memorabilia, and ephemera. You can begin by sorting the material into these basic groups or what archivists call series. As you sort through the material you will find that everything may be worth keeping. Everything old is not necessarily of value, and many recent items will become precious. Things usually discarded include: bills, receipts, cancelled checks, check stubs, and check registers. Letters should be arranged by the recipient first, then by either the sender or date. Scrapbooks and diaries should be organized by the creator. Newspaper clippings, ephemera, and official documents should be organized by the family member named in them. Photographs can be sorted into identified and unidentified photos.
After you have organized the papers, the next step is to properly house them. The two most important things to preserve documents are to limit the exposure to light and provide a stable environment. Exposure to light can be limited by storing items in a box. Framed items that are on display should be placed where exposure to direct light is limited. Papers should be stored in the same environmental conditions as your normal living quarters. This means temperature and humidity should be moderate and there should be protection from mice and bugs. The worst places to store items are attics, garages, basements, barns, and sheds.
The best way to store papers are in archival–quality folders and boxes. Archival-quality folders are acid and lignin free with alkaline buffering. Archival folders and metal file cabinets are an acceptable alternative. Folders should not be overfilled. The folders should be labeled with the person's actual name, such as John Smith correspondence, 1939. If nicknames or family relationships are used such as grandmother, Buba, Uncle Joe their given names should also be listed on the folder. Not all future generations will know who grandmother or Uncle Joe was. Scrapbooks should not be taken apart. Any loose photos should be reattached using photo corners. Do not try to repair damaged items. Most tapes and adhesives will eventually damage documents. Fragile documents can be stored individually in their own folder. You should never laminate an item. The heat from the lamination process will damage the document and the process is not reversible. Newspaper clippings should never be stored next to other items. Clippings are highly acidic and the acid will migrate to anything they are touching. Clippings also become brittle and deteriorate. The best way to preserve newspaper clippings is to photocopy them on acid free paper.
Photographs should be organized the same as documents. As I mentioned at the start holiday gatherings are an excellent time to get unidentified photographs identified and to learn more of your family's history. Instead of taking your actual photographs photocopy them and take the photocopies. This way the identification of individuals can be written on the photocopies, and you do not run the risk of damaging your original photographs.
If you have any questions about the preservation or organization of your family's archives contact Gary Spurr Collections Archivist at: spur@tarleton.edu
