Grin and Parent

Family-Friendly Ways to Celebrate the End of 2011

It's the last day of the year, but it's not too late for you—and the children—to go out with a bang.

Whether or not you have adults-only plans after the kiddos are in bed, a family-friendly celebration during the day is a fun way to include the youngest family members in the holiday season's final round of traditions. If you plan to stay home, liven things up by hosting a New Year's Eve (NYE) party at noon. Fill champagne glasses with juice and watch a video of last year's ball drop or create a tradition of your own. If you'd rather get out of the house, here's a short list of family-friendly NYE celebrations happening in our area. The area's only skating rink is hosting an open skate for the youngest among us from 1-7 p.m. today with a prize-filled balloon drop at 3 p.m. Admission costs $7 per skater. Adults and children who stay up …

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Video: Creating the Perfect New Year's Eve Martini

Brighton's very own Downtown Main Martini Bar & Grille offers up a delicious drink recipe to welcome 2012.

Lindsay Palizzi, owner of Downtown Main Martini Bar & Grille, is the mixologist behind all of the establishment's delicious flavored drinks, according to her husband, Nick Palizzi. Just in time for New Year's Eve celebrations, Lindsay Palizzi is sharing one of her newest creations: You're Gonna Want S'more. The martini is made with Smirnoff's fluffed (marshmallow-flavored) vodka. For the recipe, you'll need: Use a cherry to coat the rim of your glass, then dip it into the crumbled graham crackers. Use a shaker filled with ice and pour in the correct amounts of liquor. Shake the drink until chilled. Serve and enjoy! Beginning in January, Brighton Patch will feature a Martini of the Month video, courtesy of Downtown Main Martini Bar & Grille.

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Last Day to Enter: Deck Your House and Win $100,000 for Brighton Public Schools

Get out the lights and holly. Your decorating could net $100,000 to our schools. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to win a $100,000 gift to Brighton public schools.

Patch.com is launching a nationwide contest to find the best dressed home in its Patch communities, and the winner’s school district will receive $100,000, no strings attached. Here’s how the contest works. Beginning on Dec. 8 and continuing through Dec. 26, you can nominate your home by uploading a photo to the contest entry form on the site. During that same time period you and your neighbors will also be able to vote for your favorite festive home. The winning entry will be forwarded to a national Patch judge that will select 24 finalists. Each finalist will receive $500 that they can apply to their December electric bill. From Dec. 30 through Jan. 8 you will be able to vote for the Best Decked House in all of Patch. The grand prize …

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Grin and Parent

Magic or Myth?

Does Santa undermine a healthy parent-to-child relationship?

I can't remember when I started or stopped believing in Santa. My mother, with only the slightest nod to humor, still writes “from Santa” on the Christmas gift she gives me — and, now, my husband — each year. So I imagine much effort went in to maintaining my and my sisters' belief in Santa for as long as possible. I also don't remember how I felt about Santa. Did I take comfort in his jolly demeanor? Did I fear his watchful eye? Did I actually believe that I'd receive fewer presents if I talked back to my parents or misbehaved at school? Did a belief in Santa influence my actions? Whether I feared or revered Santa as a child, I learned to loathe his existence as I entered adulthood, many years after I stopped believing. More precisely, I …

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Christmas Blues? Tips for Coping

Grief, stress and other conditions can cast shadows over holiday joy.

As Christmas draws closer, we're bombarded with the final days of holiday parties, shopping for gifts and preparing for guests. Commercials promising love in exchange for the latest gadget or jewelry bombard us 24 hours a day. The actors in the ads are always happy and smiling. Nobody ever seems to be disappointed. The holidays are meant to be a time of joy and happiness, for some people, however, the season can be filled with stress and sadness, according to those in the mental health field. "'Holiday blues' is a common phenomenon all over the world," Michelle Riba, professor of psychiatry at the University of Michigan said. "The holidays are difficult for a lot of people and the reasons are plentiful." Riba said "holiday blues" can be …

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This Week @ The Library

Joy on Disc: Holiday Music at the Brighton District Library

Choirs, carols and chamber orchestra help to set a festive mood

The Brighton District Library has been collecting holiday music for many years and we are pleased to make this treasury available for your festive plundering each year. The collection as you might expect is quite diverse, and whether your taste runs to Bing, Elvis or Ella, instrumental, operatic or opry, we will have something to suit your mood. For myself, traditional carols and Christmas settings work best, and here are a few prospects if your tastes run that way. A Christmas Festival  is a CD reissue combining two older albums of traditional carols. The first part features several different choirs in lovely vocal arrangements, accompanied by the magnificent organ work of the late E. Power Biggs. By turns stirring and plaintive, this …

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Photo Gallery: Santa and Reindeer a Big Hit at Library's Holiday Open House

More than 300 people attended the Brighton District Library's open house on Dec. 10.

The Brighton District Library held a successful Holiday Open House on Dec. 10, drawing more than 300 people through its doors. Children were able to meet Santa Claus as well as one of his reindeer and participate in various arts, crafts and activities. Performances from the Echoes of Praise Bell Choir from the First United Methodist Church and the Original Dickens Carolers entertained audiences both young and old. For more information about events at the library, visit http://www.brightonlibrary.info

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Brighton Ford Holds 12th Annual Holiday Window Painting Contest for Elementary Schools

One of four Brighton elementary schools will win the $3,000 grand prize and a trophy.

On Thursday, Hornung Elementary School will be defending its title as last year's winner of Brighton Ford's Holiday Window Painting contest. For the past 12 years, Brighton Ford holds a window painting contest between the local elementary schools. Each school gets four large windows as its canvas. Then, during a gala event, people vote for which window they like best. The winner receives a grand prize of $3,000 and the coveted trophy. Second place receives $1,000, and third and fourth place schools each get $500 for participating. Hornung Elementary Art Teacher Sandy Cavallaro said last year was her first time participating in the local car dealership's contest. It was also the first time Hornung has won the contest since 2006. The …

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