Winter break is coming up very soon and I think everybody can agree they are looking forward to leaving the school this Friday. Though you can only imagine two great weeks of lounging and relaxing, what are you actually doing? Here are a couple of ideas that may inspire what you will do this winter break.

1. Relax and take advantage of the break. Ever since school started, it’s hard to go one day without saying you’re tired. This may be the break you were waiting for to catch up on some much needed sleep. Also, just relax and hang out. School is pretty fast paced and any extra curricular activity only helps to fill up your schedule, leaving barely any time to just sit down or do anything with your loved ones. So if it’s possible, try your best to build in some time to wind down this winter break and do whatever you’d like to. 
2. Hang out with friends. In general, it can be kind of hard to make time during the week or the weekends to hang out with your friends, especially the ones that don’t go to the same school as you. So maybe you could find a time during break to get together and catch up. 
3. Do something outside and have fun with the snow. Going outside, especially with snow on the ground, may not appeal to everyone’s interest but for those who like outdoor activities, do something outdoors. You could try something new like skiing or snowboarding, or something more fun based like sledding or a snowball fight. This also gives you the perfect excuse to get all your friends together for a good laugh. 
4. Stay inside and take the opportunity to make some hot cocoa. A warm fire, blankets, and a comforting cup of cocoa is always a great idea considering the conditions outside. Maybe just take a moment this break to get as content as you can and relax in the comfort of your own home. 
5. Find the balance between relaxed and lazy. Though winter break sparks a sense of laziness in everyone, don’t let it get the best of you. Some teachers will still be giving out homework during break, so don’t put it off and just get it done as early as you can so you don’t have to worry about it. Also, make the most of your break and do more than just camp out in your room doing nothing. And if you take part in a sport, don’t skip practice for poor excuse like sleeping in or just not wanting to go. Stay on top of what you have to do, but still make sure you relax over the two week long winter break. 

Here are 5 different DIY Christmas decorations you can make at home to get everyone in the Christmas spirit! 

#1 Wooden Christmas Trees: 

For this decoration you will need: 

• Paint brushes
• Craft paints
• Liquid gold leaf
• A wooden pyramid block

You will first need to decorate your wooden block by using the paint brushes and craft paint. You can then use the liquid gold leaf at the top to create the star or a snow cap. 

These trees are easy to make and hard to break which makes them perfect decorations to be out and about during the Christmas season!

#2 Marbled Ornaments:

In order to create these marble ornaments you will need:

• Enamel paint
• An ornament
• Water
• Tablespoon
• Paper towel
• Wooden skewer stick

You will first need to put about a tablespoon of water into the ornament and swirl it while it’s inside the ornament. You will then need to add in the enamel paint. You can use a wooden skewer stick to swirl the paint around. After this you will need to lightly tap the ornament against your hand in a circular motion; hold the top of the ornament closed with your finger and a paper towel. 

Once the paint is looking the way you want it to, let the ornament sit for 24 hours. During the 24 hours, turn the ornament on different sides so that the paint doesn’t sit in only one area. This will get you a marble ornament!

#3 Popsicle stick snowflakes:

For this decoration you need:

• A hot glue gun
• Popsicle sticks 

All you need to do is come up with a design, place the popsicle sticks to mimic your design, and then hot glue the popsicle sticks together and get a nice decoration that you can hang up anywhere!

#4 Plastic spoon Christmas trees:

For this decoration you need:

• Plastic spoons
• Spray paint
• Hot glue gun
• Paper mache tree 

You will first need to cut the top of the plastic spoons off. Then you can spray the spoons with spray paint and give them some color. You will then need to wait for the spray paint to dry off.

After you wait for the spray paint to dry off, you will need to hot glue the bottom part of the spoon and place it on the paper mache tree. You should vary the spaces on the different layers that the spoons go and work your way up the tree. And that will get you a cool looking Christmas tree!

#5 Ornament Wreath: 

For this decoration you need:

• Glue gun
• Wreath frame
• Different ornaments
• Tinsel garland 

You will first need to wrap the wreath frame in the tinsel garland. Then you can use a glue gun to glue the bigger ornaments on the wreath, and then glue the smaller ones on to fill in space. You will then have to wait until the glue dries and then you can put your ornament wreath up for everyone to see! 

All images taken from: https://www.housebeautiful.com/entertaining/holidays-celebrations/g3952/diy-christmas-decorations/?slide=25

1. Pacific rink hockey bag

I’ll start with the most expensive gift at $150, a pacific rink hockey backpack. 

These backpacks are admired by all hockey players because of their perfect design to carry your skates, gloves, helmet, and any other clothes or items you choose to bring with you. This backpack is the perfect travel bag for adventures out to play some pond hockey, or just going to the outdoor rink. As one would say, the price is worth it.

2. Lizard skin stick grip

Next is a very affordable stocking stuffer, called the Lizard Skin. It’s a better substitute for your usual hockey tape; instead this one lasts 10 times and long and has 10 times the grip. This product is 10 dollars and comes in many patterns and colors. 

3. Light up puck

The Lit Puck is a super cool invention to keep the hockey player out of the house until the cows come home. Instead of hockey fun being over at dark, this light up puck allows you to see the puck and play the game from dusk to dawn (if you can handle the cold). This product starts around $19.99.

4. Sauce kit

The hockey sauce kit is a portable, all year around and fun product. It’s two small individual nets that you set apart from each other very similar to bean bag toss, except you’re trying to shoot a puck into the net. This product can also be used for accuracy training in your shooting. This product starts around $30-40.

5. Stanley cup glass

This legendary trophy could be the next cup for your favorite drink (like root beer). You can use it for the next championship or just to show off to your friends. This product is a hockey collectable, and would surely impress a hockey player or hockey fanatic. This product goes for $30

Influenza is a contagious virus that gets spread around fast. The flu is caused by the influenza virus. It can sometimes cause very severe illnesses, can cause a person to be hospitalized, and can even cause death. Babies, older people, and people with severe health conditions are at high risks. Each year millions of people get sick with this flu. 

People sometimes get influenza mixed up with the stomach flu. The stomach flu is called gastroenteritis. They are two different things. 

The symptoms of the flu are: having a high fever, coughing, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body sore, and muscle aches. Headaches and vomiting a lot are also possible signs of the flu. Also, little kids may have diarrhea. 

People can sometimes not tell the difference between the flu or a cold. A cold comes in slowly and is less severe. Colds often just cause headaches, fevers, and a runny nose. Influenza is way more severe then a typical cold. 

The flu can cause other illnesses such as: bronchitis, ear infections, sinus infections, and pneumonia. Many people with the flu recover on their own without any medications, but if anybody is diagnosed with the flu they need to stay home and not go around anybody else.

If you have high symptoms of the flu you should reach out to a health care provider. The best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu shot every year.