Tuesday, December 8, 2020 happens to be... 

• Feast of the Immaculate Conception—Mary was born without original sin according to Catholic teaching
• Bodhi Day – Budha reached enlightenment according to Budhist teaching

* means a paper version was sent home

** means the paper version was available to send to readers, but your district team decided whether or not to send and to whom

Check In (3 min)

Theme of the week—Hygge

Skill Builder—Safe and Secure Interior Design

Recap yesterday’s topics—happiness and hygge-ly bedroom decor

Today we’ll focus on Hygge in the living room 

Show & Share (5-10 min)

What is your favorite hot drink. Do you like hot chocolate? Tea? Coffee? Warm milk? A special drink from your culture that is served hot? Do you like special added flavors in it?  

Tomorrow‘s Show & Share

Socks and slippers for relaxing Hygge home time.

Covid Mitigation Moment (5-10 min)

Wash hands and sanitize, correct use of gloves

• CDC website handwashing
• How to remove gloves correctly

Thematic Activity 01 (10-15 min)

Back to the *How We’re Gonna Party Planner – step 2

1. Check back into the hope services home page
2. Follow the instructions on the party planner to choose who you want to virtually visit you at the end of the month.
3. Discuss anything you know about the different hope programs.

**Reader’s Option-Life Skills Story Quiz (10-15 min)

Answers at the bottom of this page.

PRESENTERS: this activity is optional and intended for those groups that enjoy reading and writing activities. If doing it, substitute it for the Thematic activity 2

Thematic Activity 02 (5-10 min)

Putting hygge in my house – living room.

Your living room is the common area. Make it hyggely to cheer everyone who comes in. 

Look at these images and notice color, lighting, objects and decorations that make it feel nice. Discuss which looks make you feel good. Everyone has different taste so share your very favorites to see how your tastes compare. 

• Modern style
• French country style
• American colonial style
• Danish style
• Victorian style

Skill Builder — Decorating your own living room (15-20 min)

You can add hygge-ly joy to your living room in a lot of easy ways. Choose one or more of these ideas to try.

Seasonal collections look great around your living room and they are inexpensive and easy to put together 

• Collections look great inside pitchers and glass jars
• Pine Cones, fruits and other natural objects on trays, baskets, and plates
• Wreaths - use a wire coat hanger to display a collection as a wreath - ball ornaments, ribbons, scraps of fabric, even wrapping paper can be put onto a coat hanger to display a collection

Sweaters on Cushions Besides adding more throw blankets all over your living room, you can make your sofa pillows look super hygge-ly by putting them inside sweaters. 

Christmas sweaters are seasonal, but you can use other kinds too. Just tie the arms around the back or front and surprise everyone with your creativity. 

If you can sew, you can even make the covers permanent. 

Fire Safety Tips (5-10 min)

Red Cross: home fire safety

Basic house fire prevention: 

Story Quiz Answers

1. C,   2. A,   3. B,   4. A,   5. B,   6. C,   7. C,   8. A,   9. A

What did we learn today?

What are we doing this afternoon?

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Check In (3-5 min)

National Handwashing Awareness Week

City of Sunnyvale Virtual Dance THIS FRIDAY.

Ages: 16+ (Open to all Districts)

Fee: Attendance is FREE

Registration: To receive the Zoom link, pre-register by sending the

registration form on back to svandyne@sunnyvale.ca.gov

Attire: Please dress semi-formally

Here is the registaration form.

Theme of the week: Hygge

Skill Builder: Interior Decorating

Today we’ll focus on Hygge in the kitchen

Recap yesterday’s topics

Show & Share (3-5 min)

What are your favorite socks or slippers? Do you have different ones for different seasons? What about your socks or slippers make them  your favorite? If you don't have a favorite, what do you like to wear on your feet when you are indoors at home?

Tomorrow‘s Show & Share

Favorite holiday decorations at your home. Is it something in your tree? On the wall? In the front or back yard? On the roof even? If you can't show us the object directly, can you take a picture?

Covid Mitigation Moment (3 min)

Sanitizing objects-Disinfect your mobile devices

Thematic Activity 01 (5-10 min)

Use the party planner to come up with your invitation. 

How We’re Gonna Party Planner Step 3

1. Think about the party for the end of the month.
2. Learn about online invitation makers. 
3. Make decisions as a group about your party.
4. This activity helps us realize all the things that need to be included on an invitation
5. PRESENTERS: Go to this link and work with your group to fill out one or more invitation forms to create an invite. You can sign in with a google account or a facebook. 

PRESENTERS: If your group are doing the reading option, you can shorten or skip Thematic Activity 02 as time allows

Reader’s Option-Life Skills Discussion (5-10 min)

Story Link

Thematic Activity 02 (5-10 min)

Putting hygge in my house – kitchen

Fill Kitchen With Holiday Scents

• Find Cinnamon (sticks or ground are both fine), vanilla and cloves in your pantry.
•  In a small jar break up some cinnamon sticks or put a teaspoonful of ground cinnamon
• add a teaspoon of whole cloves, or half a teaspoon of ground cloves
• Tear a corner off an egg carton or a napkin and put a few drops of vanilla on it, then add it to the jar.
• if the scents get old, put the open jar in the microwave for 30 seconds

Keep the lid on the jar and open it up to sniff or let the scent out into your kitchen whenever you want. 

Hygge Touches

• If you have kitchen curtains, use some holiday bows to tie some evergreen sprigs to the curtains. 
• Put a bowl of pine cones and apples on the kitchen table
• Put some red and green unlit candles on the window sill and tie a bow around them

Skill Builder (10-15 min)

Choose one or two of the skill builder activities below to put some Hygge in your kitchen. You can review the treats recipes or, if some of you have the ingredients at home you could try it and show us how it turns out.

Make a Kitchen Witch

An American tradition that comes from Northern Europe is a kitchen witch. It's a little doll that people hang somewhere in the kitchen and it's supposed to bring good luck and keep food from burning. 

You can make a kitchen witch out of a napkin, a paintbrush and 2 rubber bands. See the photos in the link for steps.

Treats—no-bake yummies and microwave deliciousness

• Peanut Butter Cookie in a Cup (microwave)
• Pretzel Chocolate Peanut Butter Stuff (microwave)
• Brownie Batter Sweet Dip

Kitchen fires safety tips

What did we learn today?

What are we doing this afternoon?

Thursday, December 10, 202  

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Check In (3-5 min)

Theme of the week and Skill Builder

Recap yesterday’s topics

City of Sunnyvale Virtual Dance THIS FRIDAY.

Ages: 16+ (Open to all Districts)

Fee: Attendance is FREE

Registration: To receive the Zoom link, pre-register by sending the

registration form on back to svandyne@sunnyvale.ca.gov

Attire: Please dress semi-formally

Here is the registaration form.

******************************************

Show & Share

Favorite holiday decorations at your home. Is it something in your tree? On the wall? In the front or back yard? On the roof even? If you can't show us the object directly, can you take a picture?

Tomorrow‘s Show & Share

What are your favorite holiday desserts? What flavors from the holidays do you look forward to?

Covid Mitigation Moment (5 min)

Staying safe in shared housing

<Body Break>

CDC Tips for Living in Shared Housing

Thematic Activity 01 (5-10)

When we go to a party there are new people to interact with. Use this sheet of brainstorm spaces to come up with good ways to get to know new people in a zoom party.

*How We’re Gonna Party Planner – Step 4

1. What would get everyone to know each other's names?
2. What would help everyone feel more comfortable with new people?
3. What topics can everyone discuss easily?
4. Can we play any games or do any activities together so we know each other better?

*Christmas Crossword (optional)

PRESENTERS: If your group is doing the readers option with Life Skills Stories, substitute it for Thematic Activity 2 or just shorten that as time and interest dictates. 

Choose one or both of the life skills question sets to work from. Your district may have sent paper copies to those on the list who are readers.

Reader’s Option-Life Skills Questions (10 min)

*Set 1

*Set 2

Thematic Activity 02 (5-10 min)

Putting hygge in my house – powder room

Article - How to use hygge style in bathrooms

<Body Break>

Skill Builder (10-15 min)

Review these ideas for hygge-lying up your bathroom. Try some of them if you have the stuff.

Making potpourri

• 3 Ways to Make Your Own 

Cheering up your towels

• How to Make a Washcloth Reindeer
• Tie holiday ribbons around guest towels for a hygge-ly feeling
• Mirrors double your lights-hang lights on the door across from your vanity. The reflection in the mirror will double the lighting. (Don't put electric lighting anywhere near your sink or water. That is a safety hazard.)

Make Washing Up Scrumptious

• Add a few drops of peppermint oil or extract into your liquid handsoap. Every time people wash their hands they'll enjoy that scent.
• Break some Bay Leaves from your spice cabinet into your bath water. They make your soak smell oh so good.

Frost on the Pipes and other cold weather weird stuff

We live in California so we don't get too much weird stuff from snow or frost, but it's still good to know what to do to prevent problems.

6 Ways to Keep Pipes from Freezing

What did we learn today?

What are we doing this afternoon?

Friday, December 11, 2020

• Hanukkah (day 1) 
• Saturday 12/12 Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Check In (3-5 min) 

Theme of the week and Skill Builder 

Recap yesterday’s topics 

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City of Sunnyvale Virtual Dance TONIGHT.

Ages: 16+ (Open to all Districts)

Fee: Attendance is FREE

Registration: To receive the Zoom link, pre-register by sending the

registration form on back to svandyne@sunnyvale.ca.gov

Attire: Please dress semi-formally

Here is the registaration form.

********************************************

Show & Share (5-10 min)

What are your favorite holiday desserts? What flavors from the holidays do you look forward to? 

Next Week’s Show & Share 

Who is your favorite fictional character or imaginary character that is related to winter time? It can be a holiday character, a figure from a book, show, or story that you like, or even someone you made up. 

Covid Mitigation Moment

Wearing a CLOTH mask correctly. 

PRESENTERS: Use CTRL and the + key to enlarge the image. On a tablet or phone expand by dragging two fingers open over the image.

<body break>

Thematic Activity 01 (5-15 min)

Giving presents online can be hard. Unless we have the time and money to send gifts in the mail or by delivery, we have to get creative.
One nice gift to give is a performance. This is one song you can practice together and prepare to perform for your guests at the online parties at the end of the month. Or just for the fun of it. 

Practice Singing Frosty the Snowman!

*How We’re Gonna Party Planner – Step 5 - Karaoke Backup Music 

Thematic Activity 02 (5-10 min)

Putting hygge in my house – all over

Hygge is a feeling that we create by focusing on things that make us comfortable, safe and cared for. Here are things that can make your whole house feel good, no matter what room you are in. 

You can make it a mini competition. Choose one or two you can all do. Your presenters can say "GO!" and time it, and see who can get done the fastest. 

• Do a quick clean up of all the surfaces and countertops in your home to make it tidy
• Vaccuum all the main areas
• Sweep your front porch
• Play calming or cheerful music at a volume that people can talk over
• If you have scented candles in the house, you can take the lids off of them and put them near entry doors. No need to light them. People will pick up the scent as they walk into the room.
• Go choose some fall leaves, or winter greenery from the garden and put in on the mantle or book shelves
• No fireplace? No problem. If you have netflix or youtube on your TV you can find a recorded fireplace and play a video fire on your TV.

<Body Break>

Skill Builder (10-15 min)

Let's wake up our senses by focusing our attention on just one thing at a time. Choose 2 or more items from the list and follow the steps your presenter reads to you. If you choose "sweets for the tongue," have everyone get a little bit of sugar on a plate, assuming they are allowed to eat sugar. 

PRESETNERS: Take your group through the following steps, using one or more of the links to focus sensory perception.

1. Sit comfortably, close your eyes if you want
2. Take 3 deep breaths, in and out.
3. Take one really deep breath and hold it for 3 seconds
4. Let it out slowly and completely.
5. Breathe naturally 
6. Notice your environment: sounds, lights, smells
7. For step seven click on the item your group chose and focus on that really fully.

• Music listen to the bells for a full minute or two. How is it different from listening to music? Did you feel any different?
• Sweets for the tongue: put a little sugar on a plate, lick the end of your finger and pick up just a touch of sugar and put it on your tongue. Let it melt slowly. Really focus on that taste. What do you notice? Try it a second time. Is it more or less sweet?
• Sweets for the eyes: look at the image and let your eyes really take it in for at least 30 seconds or a minute. What do you start to notice? How do the colors make you feel?  
• Sweets for the heart and soul: Think of someone you love very much. Imagine giving them the best gift they could ever ask for and then think of how lucky you are that you know them and they are in  your life. Open your eyes and share how that made you feel if you want to. 

Reindeer Games

Links to holiday themed games or provided games in the packets

Hidden Object Picture

Winter Trivia

Have AI guess your drawing in QuickDraw

What did we learn today?

What are we doing this afternoon?

Need some help deciding on an afternoon activity?

Spin the Activity Wheel!  

The activities are numbered. These numbers corrospond to brief activity descriptions listen in the linked document below. 

Activity Wheel Details