All Faiths Welcome • Pre-K through Eighth Grade • Indexed Tuition Available • All Saints’ Episcopal Day School • 6300 North Central Avenue • Phoenix, Arizona 85012 • 602.274.4866 • www.aseds.org • www.facebook.com/PhoenixASEDS All Saints’ Episcopal Day School admits students of any race, color, or national origin. November 11 | December 09 | Januar y 13 Join Us For an Open House Educating Children Head to Soul Since 1963, All Saints’ Episcopal Day School has offered a top-tier education while encouraging students to realize their highest potential as lifelong learners, artists, athletes, and leaders of the future. Our teachers teach what they love. We employ 17 specialists in the areas of music, Spanish, physical education, band, art, religion, library, and technology. We also have a full time school counselor, a Learning Resource Coordinator, and Technology and Design Thinking Specialist. In recent history, 99% of our graduates were accepted to their first-choice high school. Come see why 90% of alumni respondents rate their overall satisfaction with All Saints’ as “high” or “very high.” — Independent Alumni Survey Page 40 December 2015 By Josh Cutlip Now that Thanksgiving is over, you’re finishing your turkey leftovers, saying goodbye to your out-of-state relatives, and finally getting a chance to relax. But wait! The holidays are only a few short weeks away, and you have nothing planned? Don’t worry; I have your back. Here are my top five activities for the holiday season. 5. Movie marathon This is great to do while you’re finishing the leftover pie from Thanksgiving, and it’s one of my favorite activities of the holiday season. I cannot go through December without watching Home Alone or The Polar Express while drinking a mug of hot chocolate; it’s a great way to relax with family after a long day at work or after some of those hard semester finals. If you’re not into holiday movies, consider reminiscing with family members over old home videos, or get some friends together and have a laugh at some classic comedies. Make it your own! As long as you have some holiday treats and hot chocolate, you can’t go wrong. 4. CitySkate This outdoor ice rink in the middle of CityScape in downtown Phoenix is a fun way to enjoy Arizona’s winter weather while shredding some ice all at the same time. From November 28 until January 11 of 2016 this pop-up ice rink will be filled with everyone, from ASU students to local families, skating around the giant tree in the middle of the rink. Restaurants surround CitySkate, like the Corner, Pizza Studio, and Squid Ink Sushi, making it easy to stay for the whole night. The frozen attraction will be open from 5-11 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 3-11p.m. on the weekends. Pro Tip: Try to go on a weekday if you can, because the Friday-Sunday crowd is plentiful, especially closer to Christmas and New Years! 3. Circle K New Year’s Eve Block Party I have been to this giant block party on Mill Avenue the past two years and it has everything you can think of. There is a dance floor, caramel apple stand, food trucks, a kids zone, live music and even an enormous Christmas tree. Most of the bars and surrounding restaurants and shops are also open, making for an all-inclusive night, ending with a countdown to ring in the New Year! Tickets are $25; however, keep an eye out for early bird specials and other promotional deals online. The event starts around 6 p.m. and goes past midnight. I highly suggest parking by a nearby light rail stop and riding up to the Mill Avenue and Third Street stop to prevent paying too much for parking, or even struggling to find a spot. This event is fun for anyone, and if the kids tag along, make sure you bring a little extra cash for some fun games and delicious Fry Bread. 2. ZooLights It’s that time of year again where the animals take the backseat to the thousands of lights that flood the Phoenix Zoo. This is one of my favorite childhood memories, and its still fun to go all these years later. It takes 14 weeks for the crew to hang all of the lights in the zoo, and they have many different displays as you work your way around the exhibits. There are lights in the trees, lights on the water, and my favorite are the lights that dance with the holiday music playing throughout the park. Whether you’re bringing the family or a date, ZooLights will not disappoint. ZooLights hours are from 5:30-10:30 p.m. and tickets range from $10 to $18, however you can save $2 if you buy tickets online at phoenixzoo.org. The event lasts until January 10 and it is perfect for all ages; it should be a part of everyone’s holiday schedule. Make sure you bring a thick jacket, and a few bucks for some hot chocolate, and who knows, you might see me hanging out by the dancing lights! 1. Holiday snacks Eating is one of my favorite things to do and the holidays bring a special cuisine. I loved how the oven warmed the kitchen, and made it smell like baked goods. Food has a way of bringing people together in the kitchen and the finished product brings people around the table. Baking, frosting, cooking and eating may be my favorite activities during December and whether you’re baking bread, making latkes, frosting cookies or crafting tamales, a day in the kitchen is great fun for the family, and it tastes great too! Remember to enjoy your treats, the time spent with family or friends, and have a fun and safe holiday break! Gimme 5: Creating Christmas traditions in the Valley

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N. 4 8 th St. N. 52 nd St. 202 101 202 51 10 WINDSOR Choose from five floor plans, from 2,068 – 3,084 square feet Maintain physical wellness at nearby Arizona Canal Trail Enjoy excursions at Phoenix Zoo or delight in dining at area resorts Gather with friends at sporting events or cultural venues Page 41 December 2015 By Kindra Hall Recently I had one of those nights where the number of tabs open on my Internet browser would overwhelm even the most skilled of multitaskers. This can only mean one thing: The holidays are here. One tab was my annual winter clothes order for the kids. Having grown up in Minnesota, I feel a hint of foolishness when I complain that it’s freezing as soon as the temp drops below 85. But still, kids need winter fleece, right? One tab was my Veritas school application. (I hesitate writing that because I don’t want you to enroll your kid and lessen my chances of winning the lottery.) One tab was a list of Disneyland resorts – even I am struggling to justify $750 a night when a 4-year-old and a 3-year-old will be sleeping in the same room as me, and I can justify almost anything. One tab was Gmail. One tab was Facebook. There was an educational toys Christmas gift website, too. And finally, the tab that was taking up the most mental space: The North Pole Experience. Should we do the North Pole thing again? It’s a question I’ve asked myself since we drove home from the North Pole last year. If you haven’t been to The North Pole Experience, let me give you a rundown. (Warning: This is likely not North Pole approved.) Upon arriving at a nondescript Northern Arizona hotel, you take a special trolley to an unnamed location in the woods. The trolley is cool actually – a souped-up tour bus. An elf talks and eventually you arrive at the North Pole. You are escorted through a variety of rooms where more elves talk (a lot). There’s a toyshop and Elf University where elves talk (a lot). You make your wish list to Santa (a perfect activity for a 2-year-old), eat a mass- produced chocolate chip cookie (if you’re still awake) and then stand in line for an hour to have your photo taken with Santa (who doesn’t talk at all, or smile). Visually, it’s incredible. But overall, not awesome. “But it’s the North Pole,” my inner- guilty parent whines. “Once you go, it’s kind of a mandatory trip, isn’t it?” I sat staring at the tab on my screen – “Oh fine,” I sighed to myself. “Let’s just go.” I selected an evening and as I started the process of selling my soul to Santa – frustrated I’d waited so long and now all the reasonable timeslots were taken – a memory came back to me. A memory of the North Pole, circa 2014. I booked our tickets for The North Pole Experience in early October 2014. I was positively giddy. Excited to start forming holiday traditions for my family, I was certain this was going to be a winner. I imaged my little blond-haired, hazel-eyed babies sitting on Santa’s lap, whispering their deepest Christmas wishes into his ear as he chuckled and ho-ho-ho’d. I must admit I patted myself on the back a few times. I mean, October?! And I was already planning for Christmas?! #Momwin. Unfortunately, I failed to plan for how long it takes to get to the North Pole (aka, Flagstaff). An hour? Two hours? When your whole world exists between 48th and 36th Streets, you never consider travel time. As it turns out, the North Pole is a little bit further north than I originally anticipated. Which meant, though the tickets were purchased months early...we were going to be late for our 5:30 p.m. trolley departure. As we raced up the mountain at speeds I won’t mention, I carefully read the prepurchased tickets that clearly stated: If you miss your scheduled trolley, you’re out $250 and totally screwed. From the back seat I could hear my son (3 years old) explain to his younger sister (2 years old) that we were going to the North Pole to Santa’s Workshop...There was no turning back. We were going to the North Pole whether we caught our trolley or not. I started to make Plan B. We would pull into Flagstaff. “Look! We’re at the North Pole!” We would buy four Santa hats and any other holiday paraphernalia at the local gas station, get all dressed up, and head to Home Depot where we’d hang out in the Christmas decor section for a while. “See! The whole gang is here! Frosty. Rudolph. Santa and…all of his twin brothers…” Then we’d meander through the shelves of two-by-fours and hammers and nails. “See! This is the workshop!” Perhaps we would talk an orange- aproned elf into letting us nail two boards together and make a Christmas “X.” After the Home Depot adventure, we’d drive around town until we found a well-decorated, festive looking block. We’d go door-to-door singing Jingle Bells and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (courtesy of the 2-year-old) and spread Christmas cheer to the people of the North Pole. Next, we’d find a Starbucks, grab hot chocolates and cookies to go, and find a park (bonus if there’s snow) to have a North Pole picnic. By then, it would be dark and time to head home. We’d open the sunroof shade and count the stars in the wintery sky from the coziness of the car as we drove back down the mountain (at a more reasonable pace). I was prepared. But didn’t need to be. We made it just in time to catch our trolley. And although the “real” North Pole Experience was nice...as we drove back home I couldn’t help but wonder if we would have enjoyed our own version better. Just then, my 2015 computer screen started flashing at me, “Someone else is going to buy your seats on the North Pole trolley if you don’t hurry up!” I decided to close the tab. Maybe we will go to the North Pole this year. But it won’t be by trolley. And it won’t require tickets. Instead, I’ll pack some blankets and rehearse some carols, and give the Home Depot in Flagstaff a call. You better watch out, the Halls are coming to town. North Pole Experience leaves lasting impression GIRL NEXT DOOR