‘hood@home

Turkey

Planters

You can use these planters for Thanksgiving decorations, as place markers at the table, or to spread joy by giving them to your neighbors and friends!

Grab your supplies! You will need a small terracotta pot, paint markers, artificial leaves, glue and either a faux plant, or you can plant a real one if you prefer. Or you could always skip a plant and add some little candies creating an adorable turkey candy dish! 1

3

Start by creating a cute little turkey face on your planter. We used paint markers to create our turkey face, but you could also glue on googly eyes and some colored paper to create a face. Next use artificial leaves to create your turkey feathers. Simply glue on to the back of the pot. Tip: hot glue works best for this!

2

Fill your planter!4

Rice Crispy Turkey Legs

Whip up a batch of rice crispy bars, but instead of spreading the mixture into a pan, shape them into turkey legs! If your mixture is really sticky, it works great to spray a little cooking spray on your hands before shaping. Lay your turkey legs on a piece of wax paper to set. Once they are set up enough to pick up, dip them into melted chocolate. Tip: you can make these with the regular marshmallow recipe or the scotcheroo version with peanut butter works great too!

Find more Thanksgiving fun on our digital bonus pages by scanning the QR code or visiting www.thehoodmagazine.com.

HAPPY, HEALTHY holiday

SMILES

TOOTH TALK with Dr. Katie

The end of the year is approaching fast and your 2022 dental insurance benefits may be expiring soon. Don’t miss out, call us today!

DENTAL CARE FOR FAMILIES

legacydds.com

Looking for events to do as a family?

Scan the QR code to find all the holiday events happening in our area.

READY . SET. LEARN !

Field trips and special speakers are also used to enhance the educational experience. Our teachers help each child become an individual who is aware of their abilities and who can focus on their own strengths. Stop in and check out our program and teachers anytime! No appointment necessary.

FOLLOW ME TO APPLE TREE!

4 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS

Apple Tree East

3309 E. 26th Street 605-339-9571

Apple Tree North

700 N. Sycamore 605-332-5581

Apple Tree Valhalla

4101 Valhalla Blvd. 605-361-7746

Apple Tree West

6400 W. 43rd Street 605-361-9875

More than a Flag and Pancake Feed: Celebrating Veteran’s Day When Lisa Groon started her service with the South Dakota Army National Guard in 2000, she simply followed in her family’s footsteps. She recalls being a naïve teenager sitting at the dinner table with her recruiter and parents, dozing off as they droned on about retirement benefits.

Little did she know, she would meet her husband, Jason, and together they would have two little boys. She retired this past June after 22 years of service, more optimistic, determined, and openminded than when she joined, and eternally grateful for the experience.

As Veteran’s Day approaches, I wanted to share Lisa’s story and ask her about how to honor veterans – not just on the holiday, but every day.

“Getting support was the most important thing for us, especially after having children,” Lisa shared. Dual military duty, where both Lisa and Jason would leave for drills, demanded an all-handson-deck situation. In addition to childcare, they appreciated support in mowing the lawn or shoveling snow, helping with meals, and other household duties.

When I mentioned, somewhat embarrassed, that I never knew what to do when I saw someone in uniform on the street, she gave me advice. Lisa said, “just thanking them for their service is a great place to start, but you can also open up the conversation to ask them about their service if it seems appropriate.” She mentioned that many Vietnam veterans didn’t get an opportunity to tell their stories, but they would love to. They wear their hats proudly, and most would happily share their experience. However, Lisa mentioned not to ask combat-type questions. Instead, the memories they like to share about their relationships with their buddies, funny things that happened when they served, the work they did, and the sacrifice of their time.

While Veteran’s Day to many of us looks like flags hanging from our porches, pancake feeds, and parades, there are many other ways to show appreciation for veterans year-round. Next time you encounter a veteran or service member, start with a simple “thank you for your service.” If your neighbor is on active duty, let them know how you can support them while they serve and sacrifice for us. A little support and appreciation can relieve a sometimes heavy burden for these families. Thank you to all our active and retired military men and women. Happy Veteran’s Day. l

by LifeScape

Tips to Curb Overstimulation

During the Holidays

of Prairie Hills Now Enrolling

• Mon-Fri, 6:30am-6:30pm • 6 Weeks - 12 Years • Secure Online Video • Exclusive Curriculum • Highly Trained Teachers • Interactive Technology • Nutritious Meals & Snacks • Age Appropriate Playgrounds

Scan & visit our website

605-215-1341

2201 W Trevi Pl, Sioux Falls, SD 57108 Infant • Toddler • Preschool • Before & After School

The holiday season is around the corner, and “it’s the most wonderful time of the year” unless you have a child with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). While some families enjoy snowy mornings, days off from school, holiday parties, sweet treats, and less structure, parents of children with SPD know the holiday season can be a season of chaos, anger, frustration, and dysregulation.

Even the most compliant and focused child can be “off” with the excitement of the holidays, but a child with SPD may seem even more out of sorts.

Children with sensory processing challenges may seem more irritable, reactive, and less patient. Why? Routines are predictable, and the structure helps a child control their environment. An overstimulating, sensory-rich environment can be overwhelming for a child with a sensory processing disorder. An unexpected change in routine requiring your child to adapt quickly can be even more overwhelming, leading to an unexpected meltdown.

A familiar structure and routine will help your child know what sensory stimuli to expect in a particular setting. Keep certain components of your child’s schedule as consistent as possible through the holidays, like a consistent morning/ bedtime routine. Parents should also review the daily schedule with their child and highlight any changes. Creating a visual plan and talking about it that morning or the night before can be a very concrete way to help your child know what to expect. Well-defined expectations allow your child to know when they will have downtime, breaks, and opportunities to re-regulate, which is key for a child with sensory processing challenges.

When it comes to public spaces, from long grocery lines to crowded malls, it can be overwhelming. If your child has sensory processing challenges, they might become overstimulated by the sights, sounds, smells, and movements. Large groups of people, loud noises, and unexpected touch can put an already oversensitive nervous system into overdrive and cause a fight or flight response, which can look like an outburst or tantrum. This reaction can easily be misconstrued as misbehavior, not listening, or poor parenting, as opposed to a reaction to sensory stimuli and overload.

If you expect to visit an overstimulating environment this holiday season, try to choose a time that is not as busy. Talk to your OT about tools that may be effective for your child to use in these environments. These can include calming music through headphones, a thick hat pulled over the ears, sunglasses, a visor or baseball cap, fidget toys, sequin slap bracelets, or sugar-free gum. Remember that not all tools work for all children, so check with your child’s OT to see which strategies will be the best option for your child. l

Insured by NCUA

VOYAGE Visa Credit Card

With our Voyage Visa Card, you pay no annual fees, balance transfer fees, or cash advance fees. You’ll only owe 3% of the balance or a minimum of $25 each month, and you’ll get an annual percentage rate as low as 8.88%*.

Also, enjoy these features:

Rewards program Cash advance rate = purchase rate

Chip card for added security

Visa accepted virtually everywhere