3 Ways to Enjoy a Minimalist Holiday

December 19, 2016November 7, 2016 / Mary / Leave a comment

christmas-fireplace A blog post that dares to ask the question, is it possible to celebrate the holidays without the clutter and overabundance that characterizes most households during December? Let’s rephrase that: is it possible to do away with the clutter and overabundance and still have a fun holiday?

You bet! First, study after study has shown that happiness comes from experiences not from things. Second less stuff means less stress. Third, fewer gifts equals more money, and more money is the equivalent of greater peace of mind.

Of course minimalism does not mean no gifts. It just means less. It means fewer, more meaningful remembrances for loved ones. Think quality, not quantity.

Make and Give Homemade Gifts.

For instance, Country Living Christmas Joys: Decorating, Crafts & Recipes has chapters titled “Handmade gifts from the heart” and “Homemade Gifts from the kitchen”. Gifts of food are great because they are an experience, both the making and the eating. And food is a gift that leaves nothing behind but good memories.

Enjoy Shared Experiences.

Shared experiences are another memory-maker that creates fun and costs little to nothing. Family holiday movie nights are a great way to celebrate all month long. Make special treats and check out a holiday DVD or blu-ray or stay in the warmth of your house and download a Christmas movie.

Give.

And let’s not forget the gift of giving. The Giving Way to Happiness : Stories and Science Behind the Transformative Power of Giving by Jenny Santi discusses the wisdom of great thinkers past and present, as well as cutting-edge scientific research, and makes the case that the answers to the problems that haunt us, and the key to the happiness that eludes us, lie in helping those around us.

It’s simple. Cook. Eat. Share. Laugh. Give. Enjoy.

The Holiday Downloadable Song

December 7, 2016October 25, 2016 / Mary / Leave a comment

colourful-gifts-clip-art

Busy, busy busy! It’s that time of year again. If you are hankering for some good Christmas stories and music but don’t feel you have any spare time, try the downloadable Christmas collection from hoopla. You can listen to music and stories in the car, in the kitchen–anywhere!

And there’s more than that! Feel free to sing along (to the tune of Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer*)…

You’re dashing and prancing, eyes on your mission
You love tales of Christmas but have no time to listen,
But do you recall
A great source of stories for all…

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
is a downloadable audiobook
And if you never heard it
You might want to take a look (listen doesn’t rhyme!)
There are plenty of ebook stories
to brighten your holiday
Cheshire Library has you covered
Login, download, and play!

Time is racing toward Christmas Eve,
I can hear you say,
Holiday music makes your day bright,
or stream a Christmas movie tonight!

Try downloadables, you’ll love ‘em!
Automatic returns means no fees.
24/7 access
Don’t forget, it’s all for free!

girlwithheadphone3 Downloads are available to any Cheshire resident with a current library card. You can access all downloadable platforms from our website cheshirelibrary.org. Just click the bright green Download It! button on the homepage.

*“Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” is a song written by Johnny Marks based on the 1939 story Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer published by the Montgomery Ward Company.

What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in December

November 30, 2016November 14, 2016 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

Thanksgiving is but a memory as we move full steam ahead into the December holiday season. We hope you can take some time out of your busy schedules to spend some time with us this month! Here are a few of the programs scheduled for December at CPL:

The Nutcracker by the Brass City Ballet

Saturday Dec 3, 2016, 11:00 – 11:55 AM

This FREE program will be a shortened version of the beautiful classic and will take place right here at The Cheshire Public Library. Children and adults alike are sure to enjoy the up-close and personal performance by the dancers. For all ages, no registration required.

‘Remembering Katharine Hepburn’ with Ann Nyberg

Saturday Dec 3, 2016, 1:00 – 2:00 PM

Please join journalist, author, and news achor Ann Nyberg as she shares her latest book Remembering Katharine Hepburn: Stories of Wit and Wisdom About America’s Leading Lady. Nyberg interviews and shares stories and photos from the people who knew Katherine Hepburn and cared for her––her friends, her fans, her family, and her neighbors. Books will be available for purchase and signing. Registration required.

Sunday Concert: Connecticut Yankee Chorus

Sunday Dec 4, 2016, 2:00 PM

The CT Yankee Chorus is an all-male singing ensemble based in the Meriden-Wallingford area and has been a part of the Barbershop Harmony Society for over 60 years. Join us for a concert of cappella four-part harmony chorus and quartet singing featuring traditional favorites and holiday music. Free and open to the public, no registration required.

Facebook For Everyone

Monday Dec 5, 2016, 6:00 – 7:30 PM

The Holiday Season is just around the corner. Come to the Cheshire Public Library and learn how to create a Facebook account, connect with friends, family, share photos and videos, send messages, get updates and more. Registration required.

Retro Holiday Movie Nights

Thursday Dec 8, 15, and 22, 2016, 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Ugly holiday sweaters strongly encouraged but not required. Light refreshments will be served for this adult program.

Dec 8 – Scrooged
Dec 15 – National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Dec 22 – Home Alone

Kids Create: Homemade Gifts

Saturday Dec 10, 2016, 2:00 – 3:30 PM

Kids are invited to craft and create from 2 to 3:30 pm. Library staff and teen volunteers will be on hand to help little elves create and wrap their gifts. Caregivers are encouraged to help their children craft. If children wish to work with the volunteers instead, parents must remain in the library during the program. For ages 5-11, registration required.

Jewelry Jam

Tuesday Dec 13, 2016, 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Come for a free, fun evening of jewelry making. Seating is very limited and registration is required. Please register online or call 203-272-2245, ext. 4. This adult only program is sponsored by the Friends of the Cheshire Public Library.

Emerging Technologies – presented by Verizon

Wednesday Dec 14, 2016, 6:00 – 7:30 PM

Do you ever wonder how to stay on top with the latest technologies? If yes, come to the library and find out what the newest technology trends are and how to select the right device for you or for your family members. You will learn about: Computers, Cell Phones, Tablets, WiFi and much more. Registration required.

Fab Film: The Polar Express

Saturday Dec 17, 2016, 2:00 – 3:45 PM

Come enjoy some great box office kids’ movies with Fab Films at The Cheshire Public Library! Watch The Polar Express and enjoy hot chocolate! Rated G | Runtime: 100 minutes. All Ages. No registration required.

Holly Jolly Christmas Family Storytime

Tuesday Dec 20, 2016, 10:00 – 11:00 AM

A Christmas-themed storytime for children of all ages and their families. We’ll read stories, sing some classic Christmas songs about snow and Santa, and create a craft together. All ages. No registration required.

Family Yoga

Tuesday Dec 27, 2016, 10:00 – 10:45 AM

Connect with your whole family with an all ages yoga class that is presented by Lani Rosen-Gallagher from Full of Joy Yoga. These classes are fun for the whole family! We will do lots of partner poses, group poses and of course relaxation. All ages, families are welcome. Registration required.

Save

What’s All the Hoopla?

July 5, 2016May 24, 2016 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

What is Hoopla?

For those that have never explored our digital offerings, Hoopla is a free service that is available to Cheshire library card holders (just like Overdrive)! All you need to register is your library card number, and then you create your own user name and password, which you will use to sign in from your computer or mobile device. (If you are a cardholder from another library, you may have access to the service through your own library. If you are unsure check with your home library.)

Hoopla offers users digital access to videos (movies & TV), full music albums, audiobooks, e-books & comics and more twenty-four hours a day. While there is a limit to how many items you can borrow per month with this service (six per user per month) as long as you are not binge watching a television series, this should not cause much frustration. Many people use this service to watch movies without having to wait their turn on a holds list. I tend to use it to watch the harder to find titles like Anime or Foreign Films that are less likely to be found in our physical collection.

The varied genres and search categories Hoopla offers can make it easy to find the documentary that was recommended but you somehow never got to see, or that weird children’s movie that your kids keep asking for but your old VHS or DVD is no longer working. My husband, who is not a big reader, has caved to the influence of myself, a coworker, and some of his favorite shows, and started reading graphic novels. What we do not hand him, he reads via Hoopla. I have since used the service for the same thing.

Want to take a moment and browse the huge collections available via Hoopla? Well, no time like the present! Take a quick gander at all the Audiobooks, Movies, Music, Comics, Ebooks, and Television Shows at your fingertips!

Want to know some of the curious and simply interesting things I have found via Hoopla just to get you started? How about the non-fiction mythology guide Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes, or a book with instructions and patterns for Quick & Easy Crochet Cowls. Perhaps the very first episode of the original Lone Ranger television show or the Audiobook of The Scarlet Pimpernel is more your speed? Do you want to help you children learn french with the help of cartoon dinosaurs, or maybe try a new work out from Jillian Michaels? Personally, I am currently reading the first graphic novel of Lucifer, while my husband is pursuing a variety of titles after having finished up all the published volumes of The Walking Dead.

The variety is huge! Frankly, I am sometimes overwhelmed by the the choices and have to pace myself so that I do not hit my limit of materials before the end of any given month- simply because there are so many choices and I am too excited to read or watch something right now to hold back from clicking that borrow button.

Need some technical help with Hoopla or still have some questions? Please comment below and I will answer any questions I can, and if I do not know the answer I will get the information for you. If you do not want to wait for me to get back to a computer to answer, you can also try our information page, the official hoopla support page, or give us a call at 203-272-2245 and choose the reference desk option.

What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in December

November 30, 2015December 2, 2015 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

December means heading warp speed into the holiday season. Take a break from the craziness with some of the free programs at Cheshire Library. Here’s a few of the things our calendar for December:

Jewelry Jam

Wednesday Dec 2, 2015, 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Join us for an evening of fun, free jewelry making! The holidays are just around the corner…make a necklace for yourself and earrings as a gift..or keep them all! Seating is very limited and registration is required. Register online or call 203-272-2245 ext. 4.

Color Yourself Calm

Thursday Dec 3, 2015, 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Our last program was such a success, we decided to do it every month! De-stress your busy life with a relaxing night of coloring. We’ll provide coloring pages and supplies, but feel free to bring your own pages, art supplies. Meets the first Thursday of every month, no registration required.

Yu-Gi-Oh: It’s Time to Duel!

Friday Dec 4, 2015, 2:30 – 4:30 PM

A Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game tournament here at CPL! Just bring your cards, and join in the fun! No registration required, Grades 7-12.

Read, Play & Learn Storytime

Sunday Dec 6, 2015, 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Join us for stories, songs, activities and play that promote the five best practices of Every Child Ready to Read — talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing — for developing language and pre-reading skills. This program will start with a storytime with books, songs, and rhymes followed by activities such as a writing or art station. The last hour of the program will be play based, with children given puppets, dress-up clothes, blocks and other toys to foster imaginative play! Best for ages 3-6, no registration required.

Marrow Donor Registry Drive

Monday Dec 7, 2015, 1:00 – 7:00 PM

As the holidays near, the library invites you to consider giving the greatest gift of all—life– by participating in the “Be the Match” bone marrow registration drive. A representative from “Be the Match” will be here to answer any questions and explain what the commitment involves. The age for potential donors is 18-44 years old. If you decide to participate, registration will take about 15 minutes, swabbing the inside of your cheeks with a Q-tip, and providing contact information. No blood or pain involved!
For thousands with blood cancers like leukemia or other diseases like sickle cell anemia, a marrow transplant is their only hope for life. If you have diverse ancestry, patients especially need you because they are most likely to match someone who shares their heritage.

Movie Matinees

Tuesdays at 1:00, no registration required.

Dec 8: Hitched for the Holidays

Dec 15: White Christmas

Dec 22: Miracle on 34th Street

Holiday Read-Aloud with the FEA

Thursday Dec 10, 2015, 3:30 PM

Come read with the Future Educators of America from Dodd Middle School for a special Holiday Storytime. We will be reading books, creating crafts, and snacks will be provided. Ages 3-6. Register online or call 203-272-2245 ext. 3.

Entywned Early Music presents a Renaissance Christmas

Sunday Dec 13, 2015, 2:00 PM

The Entwyned Early Music trio performs Renaissance settings of some of our most beloved Christmas carols, and a few charming surprises too. This historically informed performance with lutes, voice, Renaissance flutes, and viola da gamba, celebrates the season with sounds you won’t hear anywhere else. This concert is free and open to the public.

Cheshire Cats Classics Club

Monday Dec 14, 2015, 6:30 – 7:30 PM

The Cheshire Cats Classics Club meets once per month on a Monday evening, to discuss those classics you’ve always been meaning to read. This month we are discussing The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare. Copies are available at the Checkout Desk.
There is limited seating for this event. For more information regarding this program, contact Jennifer Bartlett at jbartlett@cheshirelibrary.org.

Inside Out Blowout

Sunday Dec 20, 2015, 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Join us for a viewing of the newest Pixar film and fun activities. Children of all ages and their families welcome. No registration required!

‘Who Was’ Book Club: Who Was Walt Disney?

Wednesday Dec 30, 2015, 2:00 – 3:00 PM

If you love reading books from the ‘Who Was’ series, then this is the book club for you! This month we’ll be talking about the book Who Was Walt Disney? . Extra copies of the book are available in the Children’s Room. At the meeting, we’ll chat about what we discovered in the book and do some fun activities inspired by Walt Disney’s life. No registration required – all fans of the series are welcome!

Kids’ New Year’s Eve Party

Thursday Dec 31, 2015, 11:00 AM

Join us for dancing, singing, crafts and more as we count down to noon! Enjoy juice and cookies as we toast the New Year. All Ages, No registration required.