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It’s amazing how you can get inspired for the holidays everywhere you go. Stopping by my local post office the other day, I grabbed a copy of USA Philatelic, a catalog for stamp enthusiasts. (You can see the catalog online at the U.S. Postal website.)

With gift shopping season here, you should check it out. They have a lot of great activity books and toys that will appeal to kids (and are educational) such as:

• Disney’s Let’s Write a Letter - This 20-page book is filled with Disney characters and offers instructions on letter writing for kids. The set includes eight pieces of stationary and envelopes and eight The Art of Disney: Romance stamps. ($14.95)
• Curious George Wonders Stamp and Sticker Book - Curious George introduces kids to stamp collecting in this activity book, and is a wonderful way for kids to learn about some of the natural and man-made wonders of the U.S. Comes with eight Favorite Children’s Book Animals stamps. ($9.95)
• Space Discovery Book Inside Outer Space Collectible Activity Book - This children’s activity book takes kids on a journey through space, where they’ll discover secrets of the cosmos.  Includes five Inside Outer Space stamps and a special holograph envelope. ($9.95)

There’s also stamp collecting kits on subjects like history, famous people, Marvel Comics, travel and baseball.

Preschool Inspiration

After the post office trip, I went to pick up Lucie at preschool. The teachers had set up two large pumpkins on a table and the kids were using rubber mallets to hammer golf tees into the oversized gourds.

The boys were really loving it. After all how often do you get a chance to whack away at a pumpkin? I thought it was a very clever idea. Plus, now I know what to do with all those golf tees that I find in Nathan’s pockets after he hits the links with his dad.

Thanksgiving Fun

Golf tees in a pumpkin? How about skewers of fruit to turn a squash and a pear into a vegetarian turkey called a Fruit Gobbler? This edible Thanksgiving craft comes from FamilyFun.com.

Fruit Gobbler

Ingredients:

1. Bosc pear (head)
2. Melon (body)
3. Cheese (beak and tail feathers)
4. Red pepper (snood, feet and side feathers)
5. Raisins (eyes)
6. Grapes (tail feathers)
7. Bamboo skewers
8. Toothpicks

Instructions:

1. Stabilize the melon body by cutting a shallow slice off the rind to form a flat base. Using a section of bamboo skewer, attach a Bosc pear head to the melon, as shown.
2. Cut a cheese triangle beak and red pepper snood. Attach both, along with raisin eyes, to the head with sections of toothpick.
3. Cut red pepper feet and set them in place. For tail feathers, skewer cheese cubes and red grapes, then insert the skewers as shown. Pin pepper side feathers in place with toothpicks.
4. Serve up with a bowl of yogurt or fruit dip.
5. Remove a skewer and dip the fruit - yum!

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