The Laurie Berkner Band Blog

December Contests: Week 4 Winner!

Wow, we've had a ton of fun reading all the great responses to our contests this month.  The holidays are almost over, and we can't wait to jump into 2011!

The contest question this week asked about your favorite New Years Eve traditions! 

Our winner this week was:

Tabitha

With this great idea:

To remember the past year, we make a picture collage of the past year. We put both the good and the tough times in the collage (like the birth of our newest child and birthdays, or my oldest going through surgery again., and any times that we want to remember (my oldest really playing in the snow for the first time). We put the collages in our children's memory books so that they will always have them to look back on. Looking forward to the next year, we don't make resolutions. Resolutions often get broken. Instead, we get together as a family and set goals for ourselves. We talk about where we want to head as a family. For example, this year we want "daddy" to finish his dissertation and graduate from school. We would also like to work on adding another member to the family-- a little brother or sister. Also, we would like to reunite as a family-- my husband works to far away to commute, and we currently own our house, so we are apart a lot. So this year our goal is to find a way to be together again. When you set goals you tend to reach for them-- they are very positive things. Of course, to celebrate we do the usual-- aglio olio dinner, champagne and sparkling grape juice toast, banging pots and pans at midnight, and a big feast after midnight (we are big Italian family, so lots of food involved!) It is lots of fun!

And the runners up were:

Andrea T, Britt D., Marcus Johnson, Kate E., and Natalie

With these fun ideas:

Britt D:

On New Year's Eve, our family likes to spend time with our friends.  We have a close knit group of 6 familes and there is 9 children all under the age of 5.  We like to get together for dinner, somthing easy and fun-pizza, pasta bar, pot luck.  We do a holiday grab with the kids and play music (especially LBB!!) and we dance!  We do an early toast with the adults and have sparkling cider for the kiddos.  It's an early night for us all but it is so much fun!!
 
To remember last year, my husband and I like to look through old photos of the year, especially since our son is 20 months old we like to look at photos from his birth on.  We also make a family New Year's resolution.  Our resolution this year is to make sure we have more family sit-down meals.  It's hard with our work schedules but we want to make a true effort to make it happen.
 
We hope everyone in the LBB and their families have a Happy New Year!!
 
Happy Holidays!
________________________________________________
 

Marcus Johnson:

Our New Year's Eve consists of one thing: FIREWORKS!! We would go outside late at night and throw snappers, send bottle rockets to the moon, and light sparklers to brighten the night sky. As far as remembering the previous year, we don't really focus on that...we're too busy looking at what's ahead, because that's where our best days are located. If the fates allow, my family and I hope to see you all in 2011! Much love.

________________________________________________

Kate E.:

On the morning of New Year's Eve, we do some type of fun physical activity as a family. If we have snow, we go sledding or if not, we go for a hike. Then we settle in with some hot chocolate and finger sandwiches to watch family videos from the year. Our 3 sons love seeing & remembering everything they were up to during the year. Our local bowling alley has an early New Year's Eve party for families, so we bowl, eat pizza and countdown to the New Year at 8 pm. Our 10 year old wants to try to make it to midnight this year, so we'll see how long he lasts! Our 2 youngest will be sound asleep when the new year rolls in, but the rest of us will bang our pots outside and call relatives who live far away to wish everyone a Happy New Year!!!! After everyone sleeps, we'll make brunch together on New Year's Day and talk about what we hope the new year will hold for our family. Then we watch the parades and get outside for some more family fun!
________________________________________________

Natalie:

First, we turn off the computers, then we make Popcorn and watch old movies and picture albums of relatives to remember those who have gone. We also play family games, (usually board games). We (kids included) stay up late and like to watch the ball drop at times square on TV. It is also fun to watch other time zones celebrate New Years!

________________________________________________

Andrea T:

We celebrate New Year's with a few close friends at a house party (where kids are not only allowed, but encouraged!) We all put on our party hats, blow our noisemakers, dance to kid-friendly music, and play kid-friendly video games on a big-screen. We ask everybody young and old to remember the best parts of the year before our apple juice toast to the New Year at ~9 p.m. (Then all the parents send our littlest ones off to slumber in a spare bedroom). The grown-ups party on with Dick Clark on t.v. until the ball drops!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

I'm Gonna Catch You

 

December Contest: Winner and Week 4!

Holiday games are great - they bring the family together, create traditions, and are SO much fun!

Our winner this week is:

Sandy W.

With this great holiday game idea:

Fun and Games is all we have at our house. My daughter is 3 and she loves, loves, LOVES to play Memory. I have made some Holiday Themed cards and we play, play, play. We have also been visiting our local library and checking out new Christmas books weekly and that is fun for everyone. The last thing we will do on Friday afternoon(Christmas Eve) is decorate cookies. Helps everyone get into the mood for all the family visitors that we expect. Everyone loves this and it seems to be the crowning touch to our holiday togetherness.

Our runners up are:

Melissa B, Nicole Hartle, Kiersten Brown, Lauren R, and Elizabeth R

See the Runners Up Blog: Week 3 (below) for their ideas!

Each December Contest winner will receive:

1) The new "Let's Hear it for the Laurie Berkner Band" DVD

2) "The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band" CD

3) A LBB CD of your choice

4) Some other fun LBB goodies!

These will make great gifts for the holidays!

To enter, simply answer the question below in the comment section of this blog OR by e-mailing us at [email protected]. You may submit your answer anytime between now and 10am on Friday, Dec. 31st!

Winners will be announced each Friday afternoon in December, along with the new contest question, right here on the blog!

Contest Question:

What sort of activites do you do as a family on New Years Eve?  What do you do to both remember last year and get ready for next year?

Good luck and be sure to check out this past week's responses for great, simple holiday gift ideas that you can MAKE!

 

December Contest: Week 3 Runners Up!

Runners Up Responses:

Melissa B:

One of our favorite games is to create a life sized board game. We take about 20 pieces of different construction paper and lay it down in our play room.  The 3 yo and 5 yo help to create the "board" shape. We then put numbers on the sides of a foam square and roll it like dice.  Whatever number it lands on is how many places we move our bodies on our "board".  It is great practice for turn taking for the 3 yo without the little pieces. It also is good for number recognition and counting.  My husband will get creative and put up little detours or "Move ahead 2 spaces" or "Go back 2 spaces" depending on the theme we choose for that particular board. 

Cheap, easy, involves all ages, and it teaches some skills too. :)

 

___________________________________________

Nicole Hartle:

We have a tradition that our family loves to do each year! On Christmas Eve we turn down the lights and so that only the Christmas lights are on ( which are really bright since we have a lot!) and turn on the Christmas music. We each get to open 1 gift...new cozy christmas pajamas! Then we all get in our pj's, get into the car with our snuggly blankets, turn on Christmas songs, and head out to see the neighborhoods with wonderful Christmas light displays! Don't forget the eggnog! I've done this since I was little and it is so great to carry the tradition on with my husband and sons who are 4 and 1. The whole family loves it and it's the cutest thing to hear the boys excitement as they see all the wonderful Christmas displays! And even more fun to hear their excitement about the next morning!

__________________________________________

Kiersten Brown:

Since my son is now old enough to participate, I have him color pictures to use as wrapping paper for the crayons we donate to hospitals for kids, as well as let him scribble a little on Holiday cards for family and friends. He loves to color and share with others, so he gets to have fun and cheer people up at the same time!

__________________________________________

Lauren R:

We like to do a Santa bingo game! My son, my husband, and I sit down and put together small bingo boards (tic-tac-toe size) and in each square, we put something from our Christmas List. When we open our presents, we take note and mark off which ones we receive! The person who fills up the most of what they guessed wins a special prize that's wrapped and ready for the winner. :) It's fun and competitive. Usually the prize is something simple like cookies or snacks. :) That can be up to the family though. It's fun and different!

__________________________________________

Elizabeth R:

After dinner on Christmas our entire family gathers around the table for Christmas bingo. We have special bingo cards that show pictures of Christmastime elements (Frosty, Santa, etc) instead of numbers. This way kids of all ages can play even if they don't know their numbers. We even have a basket of prizes that the winners can pick from. Usually we play until everyone has won or if we run out of prizes. The kids love it (and so do the adults). This game allows all of us to come together and have fun! It has become a tradition in our home and one that everyone looks forward to. The kids have even asked to play on Thanksgiving and Easter too. Maybe it will become a tradition in your home...enjoy!!

Last Minute Gift Idea!

A few months ago, we made a really funky clock out of an old record, a favorite CD, clock hands, and some stick-on letters we had lying around!

It's still one of our favorite things in the office, and it makes a really beautiful, easy-to-make, personalized gift - plus, it's very affordable and uses recycled materials!

Here's a quick step-by-step of the process.  We hope you enjoy it!

_________________________________________________

Here's another craft idea that you can use to recycle your old music!  Now that we put so much of our music on our computers and MP3 players, most of us have a number of old records and CD's (scratched or just outgrown) lying around.  Don't throw them out! 
Make them into this awesome clock!

It's 4:32!

Record and CD Clock

 7 easy steps in 15 minutes or less

Step 1: Gather your supplies!

What You'll Need (it's only 5 things!):

• An old record - if you don't have one at home, most vintage/thrift stores carry them.  It's fun to use records that have some significance to you (and you won't need the CD to cover the label!)  We bought ours for $3 from a vendor on the street!  Or, you can always make a fun kid's bedroom clock or keepsake by using toy records!
• An old CD (optional) - again, it's best if this CD has some particular significance to you.  We used a scratched copy of Laurie's "Whaddaya Think of That?" (not pictured above).
• Glue - mosaic tile glue works best, we've found, but any glue will be fine - even school glue (though glue sticks are probably too weak).
• Cotton Swab (optional) - for help with gluing.
• Numbers or letters - get creative!  You can cut them out of old magazines, buy them from the scrap-booking section of your local craft store, use refrigerator magnets, or make them yourselves.  You don't even need numbers!  We thought it was cute to use the first letter of the number we were representing (i.e. 12 was "T", 1 was "O", etc)  On the other hand, if this is for a child who is learning to tell time, it is very helpful to have all of the numbers on the clock.
• Any working clock with hands that you don't mind taking apart.  Rather than tossing one that you might not like anymore, simply remove the clock face and keep the hands and the gear they are attached to (where the battery goes). If you don't have an old clock, you can buy clock kits in many varieties from craft stores (you can make cool clock hands yourself, so go for the one with the least packaging, not the biggest hands!).   We didn't have an old clock in the office, so we found a kit at Michael's craft store with a pendulum and really dug it!  Make sure you recycle the packaging.
• Scissors (optional) - you only need these if the spindle your clock hands are attached to it wider than the record/CD hole OR if you are cutting your numbers out of magazines.

Step 2: Prepare your record!  Depending on the clock apparatus you use, you may need to widen the hole in the middle of the record (grown-ups only!).  Simply stick one side of the scissors through the hole and gently rotate.  The vinyl is soft so it "shaves" away easily with fairly sharp scissors.

It only takes a little to be wide enough for most clock gear!

Step 3: Glue your CD on the front. Match up the holes and glue down securely.  Be sure to wait until it's dry to pick your clock up!

 

The tile glue we used fastens these together almost instantly

Step 4: Arrange your numbers/letters! You will want to lay them out around the edge to be sure you have the spacing right before gluing them down (this is really important or else your clock will be difficult to decipher - ours is a little off because we rushed through this step)  You can follow the outer circles in the record as a guide. Don't hesitate to get creative here - We've seen some really amazing clocks with the numbers strewn about, collecting at the bottom, or depicted in photos.  Your kids will probably have the BEST ideas for number placement :)

. 

If you're making a traditional clock, the "12" (or "T" in our case) will need to be directly above the top of the CD/label

 

Double check that your numbers/letters are lined up correctly before gluing down - ours are a little out of whack!

Step 5: Glue down the letters.  We used a cotton swab to make this easier.

Dip your cotton swab into the glue and dab a little on each letter.

Step 6: Attach your clock gear.  Follow the directions on the packaging if you bought a kit.  If you used an old clock, slip the record onto the spindle and reattach the hands.  It's best to remove the battery from your clock first so you don't have to worry about the hands.  Hang your pendulum (if you have one), and you're good to go!

 

Place the CD over the spindle

Lay flat and attach the hands (not pictured)

Step 7: Find a great place to hang your masterpiece! 

 
We were so excited about our first attempt that we can't wait to go back and get more creative with this (not to mention, refine our spacing-skills!)  We thought it would also be fun to:

• Make cool designs with old CD's by gluing 6 around the outside of a center CD (sort of snowflake-style) and use the holes and overlaps as numbers.
• Make a collage on the face of the clock with your pictures
• Add pieces of the record sleeve to the face (maybe cut out numbers with the sleeve!)  
• Glue photos onto the hands of the clock

Send us your clock ideas!

December Contest: Winner and Week 3!

Need a gift? Here's some great ideas for MAKING them with your kids.  Thanks to everyone who participated!

Our winner this week is:

Sharon DeWitt

With this great homemade gift idea:

My children's preschool made these and they are so cute, we made some for family members as well! Take a clear glass votive holder and dip your child's pointer, middle, and ring fingers in white paint to about mid second digit. Press them onto the glass so they make three distinct figures. these will be your snowmen. Once dry, have your child draw eyes, noses, buttons, and arms with a marker. Include a candle and this poem: Little snowmen, one, two, three, Made with my fingers- for you from me. When you light the candle, It will burn so bright, To remind you that I LOVE YOU, Day and night! Don't forget to date the bottom of the glass!

Our runners up are:

Benny, Tabitha DePaolo, Ashlee, Debi B, and Melissa McGuire

See the Runners Up blog for their recipes!

Each December Contest winner will receive:

1) The new "Let's Hear it for the Laurie Berkner Band" DVD

2) "The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band" CD

3) A LBB CD of your choice

4) Some other fun LBB goodies!

These will make great gifts for the holidays!

To enter, simply answer the question below in the comment section of this blog OR by e-mailing us at [email protected]. You may submit your answer anytime between now and 10am on Friday, Dec. 24th!

Winners will be announced each Friday afternoon in December, along with the new contest question, right here on the blog!

Contest Question:

We've covered food and gifts, now let's hear your ideas for fun GAMES or ACTIVITIES during the holidays!  Extra points for games that are fun for the whole family, small AND big. 

Good luck and be sure to check out this past week's recipe responses for great, simple holiday gift ideas that you can MAKE!

 

December Contest: Week 2 Runners Up!

Runners Up Responses:

Ashlee:

 One of the sweetest handmade projects I have seen that can be given as a gift and kept as a keepsake is a handprint snowman ornament. I plan to do this each year with my children. First, you take a plastic or glass ball ornament in the shade of blue that you prefer. Second, you paint the child's hand with a sponge brush, in white acrylic paint. Third, you have the child cup his or her hand, and place the ornament into the cupped hand, with the fingers slightly spread and the bottom of the ornament in the palm. Gently remove the ornament and allow to dry. The fingers of the handprint look like snowmen, and can be decorated once dried with either permanent markers or paint pens. This is great to see how big the hands are each Christmas, they're adorable as gifts for grandparents, and lots of fun!

___________________________________________

Benny:

Our favorite thing to do is make paydoh "Love" coins for our family members and special friends. Mould different colors of clay/playdough into large flat discs and imprint a symbol or word of affection like "Peace" or "Love" or a Heart shape. Set out to dry/harden overnight. Wrap and enjoy the meaningful message on Christmas Day!. You could also leave a small hole on the top in order to place a ribbon through to hang on next year's tree!

__________________________________________

Tabitha DePaolo:

My daughters and I like to make cookie bouquets for our family and friends. We mix up whatever cookie dough we want (or buy it if we are feeling lazy) and shape the cookies. Then we push popsicle sticks or wooden skewers into the cookies (my 2 1/2 year old loves this part.) Once they are baked and cooled, we decorate them. Even my 11-month-old can help (she loves to shake the sprinkles-many of them actually land ON the cookies!) ;) We use icing, sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, or whatever else we want to decorate them. (For Christmas, we shape and decorate them like ornaments, snowmen, stockings, and Christmas trees.) Then we push the sticks into some styrofoam in the bottom of a cup or basket (Again, the kiddos LOVE this part!) to "arrange" the bouquet. My kids love doing this and my family enjoys eating them. We even do a modified version of this for a cookie exchange-- we bake the cookies on sticks and decorate them, then wrap them indi vidually in cellophane. They are almost like cookie lollipops and are a big hit at the event!

__________________________________________

Debi B.:

My daughter painted rocks as paperweights and we labeled them "Dad/Pa/Poppi, You Rock!"

__________________________________________

Melissa McGuire:

WE LOVE TO MAKE FLEECE BLANKETS!! (NO SEW) Baby/Toddler - 1 to 1 1/2 yards (in both fabrics) Child - 1 3/4 yards (in both fabrics) Teen/Adult - 2 yards (in both fabrics) Two pieces of fleece the same size. Piece may be the same pattern, two different patterns, two plain colors or a pattern on one side and a plain color on the other. Scissors (sharp ones) Tape measure or ruler one 4" x 4" piece of paper 1.Take your two pieces of fleece. Put one piece on top of the other lining up the edges so they are even 2.Trim off any selvage around the edges of your fleece. 3.Take your piece of 4"x4" paper lay it on the corner of your blanket. Then cut out the corner through both layers. Proceed to do this on all four corners. 4. Now cut thru both pieces to make a fridge...approx. 4inches long and 1"wide. Continue on all four sides. 5. When you are finished cutting then start double knotting the bottom and top together!! SO SIMPLE AND EASY TO MAKE :)

New Musical Nightlight Tomorrow!

Tomorrow night, Adam and Laurie star in another fun-filled Musical Nightlight (click the link to see past Nightlights).  The theme for this December webcast is The Holidays!

The Musical Nightlight will air at 7pm EST on our website tomorrow night (Thursday, 12/16).  It will remain there forever, so don't worry if you can't be at your computer right at 7!  Find it tomorrow by following this link, or visiting our YouTube page.

Here's a teaser for the webcast.  We hope you enjoy!

 

 

December Contest Week 1 Runners Up

Runners Up Responses:

Christine Penza

Oven-Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic, Olive Oil and Lemon Juice

Ingredients

* 5 to 6 cups cauliflower florets, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter (from 1 medium cauliflower)

* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

* 1 tablespoon sliced garlic

* 2 tablespoons lemon juice

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

* 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

* Chopped chives, for garnish Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. 2. Place the cauliflower florets in a large saute pan or a roasting pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the cauliflower, and season with the garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place the saute/roasting pan in the oven and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even roasting. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately while still warm. Cooking time (duration): 35 min Number of servings (yield): 8

_______________________________________________

Simone

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dip

Combine that can of pumpkin leftover from Thanksgiving with an 8 oz container of cream cheese. Add some cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice to taste and serve it with slices of apples. Rocks, is really easy, and soo yummy. You can also play it off as healthy if you serve with the apples. :) Loved your Austin show BTW and so did the kids!

_______________________________________________

David Larson

Pretzel Turtles

You put mini pretzels on parchment paper, then top with a rollo. Into the oven on 350 for 3-4 minutes just to melt the chocolate .. then top it with a M&M. Push it down to flatten the rolo. Let them chill in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes, and server. They are a quick and delicious treat. My son love to make them but also likes to just eat the M&M at the same time.

_______________________________________________

Joseph and Veronica Dowdy

Healthy "Ice Cream"

Frozen blueberries (or your favorite berries) Greek yogurt 1 tablespoon of honey Our daughter really doesn't care if we give her ice cream or frozen yogurt, so when she wants something quick that is a yummy snack and is healthy we ALWAYS give her this little recipe that is full of all kinds of probiotics, protein and Vitamins B and C.

_______________________________________________

Melissa McGuire

Oreo Truffles!!

  Apackage of oreos thrown in the blender, add a pkg of cream cheese..roll in balls. then dip in white or milk chocolate!

NJ Show this Weekend!

We're very excited to be returning to Bergen PAC in Englewood, NJ this Saturday for 2 birthday party concerts at 11am and 3pm!

We're packing our bags, checking our lists, and rehearsing for the big day.

The shows are going to be Birthday Party Concerts! Need info on what that means?  Check out our website for info on what to bring and what will happen!

We'll be singing songs like "Rocketship Run", "5 Days Old", and "My Family", plus many, many more!

There are still tickets left for the 3pm show - we hope to see you there!

Looking for "My Family" for a holiday gift?  It's not on a CD, but you can download it and burn it with your other favorite songs by clicking here

December Contest: Winner and Week 2!

What a Week!  We LOVED all the great easy and delicious recipes you sent in!

Our winner this week is:

Lori

With this great recipe:

My favorite treat to make is chocolate dipped pretzels. It's super easy to do. All you need is to melt some chocolate chips (I do both milk and white chocolate) until they are smooth. Just dip in large pretzel rods until they are coated and then decorate them with whatever you want. I often use holiday colored sprinkles, mini M&Ms, crushed peppermint, or colored sugar. This is definitely something you can do with your kids. And there's no real recipe. You are only limited by your creativity

Our runners up are:

Christine Penza, Simone, David Larson, Joseph and Veronica Dowdy, and Melissa McGuire

See the Runners Up blog for their recipes!

Each December Contest winner will receive:

1) The new "Let's Hear it for the Laurie Berkner Band" DVD

2) "The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band" CD

3) A LBB CD of your choice

4) Some other fun LBB goodies!

These will make great gifts for the holidays!

To enter, simply answer the question below in the comment section of this blog OR by e-mailing us at [email protected]. You may submit your answer anytime between now and 10am on Friday, Dec. 17th!

Winners will be announced each Friday afternoon in December, along with the new contest question, right here on the blog!

Contest Question:

Some of the most fun and meaningful gifts are the ones we make for each other. What is your favorite project that little hands can make to give to those they love? (Be sure to leave instructions!)

Good luck and be sure to check out this past week's recipe responses for great, simple holiday recipe ideas!