It’s Christmas time again and we all know what that means, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, shopping and of course a big beautiful Christmas tree. Are you one of those families that goes for the traditional Fur tree or do you prefer the plastic variety?
There has been a lot of debate about which one is more eco friendly. What suits your families goals, do you want to not have to bother with fallen needles, refilling the water and straightening the tree? Well then you probably should go for a more modern plastic tree.
But if you like the old world charm of having a sweet smelling pine tree in your living room then you should probably head to your local lot and check out what can be done.
There are many places in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area where you can purchase both a traditional tree and a plastic tree.
No matter which option you choose make sure you weigh the pros and cons of each option. Are you looking for longevity and usefulness or would you like to remain true to your childhood roots. Either way look into either option and see what your family thinks is right for them. Maybe the kids want a real tree but the dog wants to use it as his own personal toilet!
Enjoy the holidays and take a look at both options, after all Christmas is about family so consider what they want before you make your decision.

We’ve been doing a lot of research to find out any way we can help improve the school and I found a few great sites to help with problems your kid may be having.
If your kids are having a tough time learning to count here is an interesting site that can really help them out. It’s an interesting way to teach them through song, the teachers at Brilliance Academy practice singing lessons in their classroom and this is just another tool.
Another great way to teach kids the values of manners in every day society. It teaches them to be mannerly in everyday situations. This parenting site has been up for a long time and is pretty long but very interesting read if you have the time.
Recycling and living green has become very popular lately and it’s a good time to jump on the bandwagon and get your kids involved. Many people have recycling facilities in their homes or on their curbs. That’s a great way to show kids how involved you are but it helps to explain them the value of recycling and reusing products. This article gives a good explanation of ways to teach children the purpose and meaning behind recycling programs.
Lots of information out there for parents but at the Brilliance Blog we give them a home to look for new content without having to search all over the web for them. Enjoy the articles and continue reading!

Does your child love to sing and dance, are they constantly using toys as musical instruments? Music is an innate quality found in all humans. Infants and toddlers will instinctively bounce to music whenever it is played. If your child has a natural predisposition to music then the time may be right to look getting them some musical help.

You can work on a few things at home that will help your child down a musical path.
If you want to increase their self-esteem and help guide them down the path of musical excitement then you can begin playing music around them. You need to play something that will elicit excitement like Rimsky-Korsakov’s, “The Flight of the Bubble Bee”. Your child will begin to move to the music and enjoy the sounds of elegant symphony in their ears. They will gain courage to explore music even more.

Another thing you need to do is foster creativity with your children. These activities will bring out movements that are excellent in accelerating children’s musical abilities.

In the “Fastland/Slowland” activity one side of a room is for faster movements and the other side of the room is for slower movements. Children cross over to the other side when they hear musical cues. “Abracadabra” is an activity that teaches the difference between powerful and light movements. Kids push an imaginary refrigerator. When you say, “Abracadabra” the kids act as though the fridge has changed or they can act out their own movements.

You need to increase your child’s motion and fine movement through the use of different exercises such as knitting or drawing. Drawing will also allow them to practice their creativity. When you work with them on fine movement they begin to develop cognitive abilities that relate to fine hand movement which is essential in playing an instrument.

There are many things you can do to help your child with music. Buy a set of bongos or a small guitar, learn together, it can be a great bonding experience for you. Enjoy the time you spend together and make sure to cherish every moment.