St. Stanislaus School benefit, 9 to 4 in Kolbe Hall, Adams. Bake sale, snack bar, games, Chinese auctions, money raffle, crafts, and pierogi.
Blackinton Union Church, 1373 Massachusetts Ave., North Adams; 10 to 2. Crafts table, bake sale, Chinese auction, the Christmas table, and kid's grab bag. Lunch $4, $2 kids.
First Congregational Church, North Adams, 9-2.
Nov. 28 Becket Federated Church, Route 8, holiday bazaar from 9-3. Lunch, crafts, baked goods, holiday and other items. Information: Mary Peltier, Parish House, 413-623-5217.
Dec. 5
Holiday Fair at First Congregational Church, 25 Park Place, Lee, from 10 to 3; handcrafted items, raffles, children's shop, bake sale, cut Christmas trees and lunch from 11 to 1. Includes angel-themed goods from SERRV. Information, 413-243-1033 or www.ucc-lee.org.
Dec. 12-13
North Adams Country Club, crafts 9-4; food from That's a Wrap from 11-2. Information: Sheryl Morehouse at 413-822-3329.
Planning a bazaar this season? Submit information to info@iberkshires.com to have it listed here.
We're trying out blogs to offer shorter, easy-to-find news. Let us know what you think.
Send press releases and announcements to info@iberkshires.com. Need to contact someone at iBerkshires? Here's how.
Mammography Dispute The government's issued controversial new guidelines stating that women shouldn't get annual mammograms until age 50, rather than age 40.
iBerkshires will be meeting with local medical experts Monday. Have a question you'd like answered on this issue? Send it info@iberkshires.com with "mammogram" in the subject line.
Counseling Corner: Help Your Children Learn the Value of Holiday Gifts
By American Counseling Association 06:53PM / Sunday, November 30, 2008
This holiday season will be a financial challenge for many families. But while the shaky economy has Moms and Dads paying closer attention to holiday costs, our kids are still be being buried by the barrage of advertising for toys and games they "just can't live without."
Helping your kids successfully navigate the holiday "buy, buy, buy!" season requires more than simply saying no. Keeping the holidays special, memorable and enjoyable means re-directing your children's enthusiasm and energies beyond all the hottest toys and into areas that will help generate warm, long-lasting memories.
Start by creating a realistic holiday budget. Set limits within a budget that won't bankrupt the family and that will limit January bill-paying stress.
Next, help your kids create their own budgets for holiday gift giving. Set an example by talking about your budget, how you've saved for holiday gifts and how you want to find gifts that will mean something special to the recipient.
One option to help get a child's emotions involved is to talk about personal, homemade gifts. Help your child write a holiday poem or story. Or look to gifts your child can make. A drawn picture, an art project, a series of digital photographs, some cookies or other holiday treats you make together – the list of meaningful, personal gifts that don't have big price tag is a long one.
You also want to minimize the stress that the commercial merchandising of the holidays always brings. Let your kids develop a wish list, but make clear it's just wishes, not a shopping list. Let them know it's your right to choose their gifts in order to make their presents special. For older kids, let them research the cost of desired gifts so they can begin connecting a dollar figure with their wants.
One final suggestion is to focus some of the holiday enthusiasm on those less fortunate than your own family. Local agencies offer many ways for you and your family to volunteer or provide help while gaining memories that truly make the holidays special.
While it's tempting to be superparents who can fulfill their children's every wish, it isn't a healthy reaction to the season. Focus on decorating and cooking and having everyone give a little something of themselves, and you'll find your holidays can not only be more affordable, but less stressful, and more memorable, loving and valuable than just the buying of gifts.
The Counseling Corner is provided as a public service by the American Counseling Association, the nation's largest organization of counseling professionals. Learn more about the counseling profession at www.counseling.org.
