Corte Madera Parks & Recreation Dept.

Nominate yourself, a neighbor, or your favorite business for Corte Madera’s Holiday Home Decorating Contest. Nominations due by 3:00pm on Thursday, December 18. To Enter: Provide the name & address of the family or business you are nominating to the Parks & Rec Department at (415) 927-5072 or [email protected]... How to Win: Judging will take place on the night of Friday, December 19. Judges will be looking for outstanding displays in the following categories: Classically Festive National Lampoon Extravaganza Stunning Store Front Uniquely Festive What do I win? Recognition in Parks & Rec Social Media, Town Newsletter and bragging rights for 2021!

Need a Safe Way to Gather with Adult Family for the Holidays? Meet or Bring Your Family to our Zoom Cocktail-Making Parties! In 1 hour make 3 cocktails. Only $25 per window. Dr Inkwell form the Exploratorium’s The Science of Cocktails is an entraining cocktail sommelier. If you enjoy wine tasting you’ll love this. Inkwell will email you the shopping list and walk you and your pod through how to create the best drinks you’ve ever had. After your class, send your family an...other Zoom link so you can all meet up again for private family time! Virtual Sazerac, Cosmopolitan, & Sidecar (Vodka, Rye or Cognac, Absinthe, Orange Liqueur) plus Dr Inkwell takes requests! Saturday, December 19th 5 pm-6 pm https://cmprreg.org/ViewCourseActivityDetails.aspx?id=C4879 Virtual Champagne Cocktails! French 75, Seelbach, Kir Royale Bourbon, Champagne, Creme de Cassis, etc. PLUS Dr Inkwell takes requests! Saturday, January 2nd 5 pm-6 pm https://cmprreg.org/ViewCourseActivityDetails.aspx?id=C4880

Need a Safe Way to Gather with Adult Family for the Holidays? Meet or Bring Your Family to our Zoom Cocktail-Making Parties! In 1 hour make 3 cocktails. Only $25 per window. Dr Inkwell form the Exploratorium’s The Science of Cocktails is an entraining cocktail sommelier. If you enjoy wine tasting you’ll love this. Inkwell will email you the shopping list and walk you and your pod through how to create the best drinks you’ve ever had. After your class, send your family ...another Zoom link so you can all meet up again for private family time! Virtual Champagne Cocktails! French 75, Seelbach, Kir Royale Bourbon, Champagne, Creme de Cassis, etc. PLUS Dr Inkwell takes requests! Saturday, January 2nd 5 pm-6 pm https://cmprreg.org/ViewCourseActivityDetails.aspx?id=C4880

The Chan Family would like to thank Neil Cummins and their staff: I am grateful for my teacher, Ms. McGuinness. She makes learning fun. I love how she reads a really good story at the end of most days. And I love her dog, Truckee. - Willa Chan (age 8) I am grateful to our Neil Cummins Principal, Dr. Elliot. She's keeping our school safe and inspiring our teachers. I am grateful for her staying at school even when she had a broken leg. - Max Chan (age 10)... I am grateful for my teacher, Ms. Emmons. Even when we just did online school, she made it fun by making up amazing games. And now that we're back in the classroom for half days, she's teaching us in just three hours what we would normally be learning in a whole school day. And she makes it fun! - Claire Chan (age 10) If you want to thank someone and have their name added to our Giving Tree click the link for more information: https://www.townofcortemadera.org/.../5680/The-Giving-Tree

Here is a some "White Christmas" plus 25 seconds of our Corte Madera Community Center "Yule Log". Please share some of your Holiday picture here. We miss you and want to see what you all are up to :D https://youtu.be/lEuctR_ZM3g

Ls S Corte Madera Parks and Rec has made special arrangements with Santa to accept mail for the delivery to the North Pole. Children 10 and under are encouraged to write a letter to Santa to share their wish list and examples of how they have been good this year. Click link for details & participation: https://www.townofcortemadera.org//5/2020-Letters-to-Santa

For children age groups 3-5 yrs. or ages 6-9 yrs. Try Capoeira a unique martial Art! Children learn acrobatics, strength training, kicks & more! Capoeira helps develop balance, coordination, fitness, flexibility, and rhythm. It also builds social skills, a sense of community and self esteem through creative expression. Classes are held in the beautiful Corte Madera Town Park - : Ages 3-5yrs, Tuesdays, 3pm-3:30pm.... Classes Start 11/3. Click link for more info or to register: https://cmprreg.org/ViewCourseActivityDetails.aspx?id=C4887 - : Ages 6-9yrs, Tuesdays, 3:45p-4:30pm Classes Start 11/3. Click link for more info or to register: https://cmprreg.org/ViewCourseActivityDetails.aspx?id=C4888 See more

Need a Last minute Holiday Gift or a safe Way to Gather with Adult Family for the Holidays? Meet or Bring Your Family to our Zoom Cocktail-Making Parties! In 1 hour make 3 cocktails. Only $25 per window. Dr Inkwell form the Exploratorium’s The Science of Cocktails is an entertaining cocktail sommelier. Inkwell will email you the shopping list and walk you and your pod through how to create the best drinks you’ve ever had. After your class, send your family another Zoom ...link so you can all meet up again for private family time! Virtual tending Champagne Cocktails! French 75, Seelbach, Kir Royale Bourbon, Champagne, Creme de Cassis, etc. PLUS Dr Inkwell takes requests! Saturday, January 2nd 5 pm-6 pm https://cmprreg.org/ViewCourseActivityDetails.aspx?id=C4880

Get Crafty with the Corte Madera Home for the Holidays Virtual Gingerbread House Decorating Contest and win a holiday themed mini basket of goodies! Your submission will be featured on our web-site, Facebook & Instagram page, and the weekly Town Newsletter. Submissions being accepted now - Monday, Dec. 21, 2020 at 12pm. Free to enter.... Click link for more info: https://www.townofcortemadera.org//Virtual-Gingerbread-Hou

Monster Chow!-Lots of fun for little hands INGREDIENTS Chex Cereal... Chocolate chips, semi-sweet or milk chocolate Creamy peanut butter Unsalted butter Powdered sugar Mini Reese’s peanut butter cups M&M’s Candy eyes Candy corn HOW TO MAKE MONSTER CHOW 1.Heat in microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter until completely melted. 2.In a large mixing bowl, add the cereal and pour chocolate mixture over the cereal. Stir to completely coat. 3.Place powdered sugar in a large resealable bag. 4.Add cereal mixture to the bag, seal the bag and toss to completely coat in powdered sugar. 5.Remove from the bag and pour it back into the large bowl. 6.Add peanut butter cups, M&M’s, candy eyes, and candy corn. Stir to combine. 7.Store in an airtight container

Green Apple Monster Snacks Just green apples, sunflower butter, sunflower seeds, a strawberry tongue, and a batch of edible googly eyes.

TheGivingTree Help us recognize and celebrate people & groups who make a difference to others and our community by adding names to our Giving Tree. Who: Any individuals or groups who go out of their way to support residents of our community. Honorees do not need to be CM residents. How: Email us your name, the person or group you are grateful for, and a few lines describing how they make a difference or why you are grateful to them. We will add names to paper leaves and attach them to the hand painted tree displayed on the front windows of the Community Center. Click link for more info: https://www.townofcortemadera.org/.../5680/The-Giving-Tree

Bobbing for Donuts Game! Tie one end of a string to a donut and tie another end to a tree branch or a rod or something that can hold the donuts above the ground. In a pinch, you can even tape or tack them to the ceiling.... The donuts should hang right about mouth level or an inch or two higher but not out of reach otherwise the person won’t be able to reach at all. Be sure to hang a few at varying heights to accommodate different heights for kids and adults. To play the game, have kids and adults hold their hands behind their backs {using hands is cheating}, say go, and let the fun begin. Watch the hilarity of kids and adults bobbing for donuts. The goal is to eat an entire donut without using any hands or letting the donut drop to the floor. The first person to eat an entire donut wins! Play the classic version with apples!

- / , ! -, , . / Grades 1st-3rd Wednesdays, from 4pm 4:45pm, classes start 10/28. Click link for more info or to register:... https://cmprreg.org/ViewCourseActivityDetails.aspx?id=C4883 / Kindergartners!! Wednesdays, from 3:15 pm 4pm, classes start 10/28. Click link for more info or to register: https://cmprreg.org/ViewCourseActivityDetails.aspx?id=C4886 See more

Spice up your treat bags What you will need for pumpkin treat bags: Orange tissue paper Plastic wrap ... Green curling ribbon or pipe cleaners Green tape Googly eyes optional Scissors Candy Cut two sheets of tissue paper into approximately 12 squares. Cut a square of plastic wrap slightly smaller and place in middle of tissue square. Scoop about a cup of candy onto the plastic wrap. Wrap the plastic around the goodies and shape it into a squatty ball for your pumpkin. One at a time, bring the corners of the tissue paper square up to meet in the middle Twist the tissue paper at the top gently to tighten the pumpkin treat bag and secure the stem. Cut the top off the tissue paper to make a flat stem. Then wind your green tape around and over the flat top of the stem. Finally, wrap a green pipe cleaner around the stem and curl the ends to create the vine. Or use green curling ribbon. What you will need for ghost lollipops: Lollipops White tissue or a napkin Pipe cleaner or curling ribbon Black marker White tissue paper can be wrapped around a lollipop and secured with pipe cleaner or ribbon in a similar way to make a ghost. Use a pen to draw a spooky face.

HOT APPLE CIDER Ingredients: Unsweetened apple juice; Cloves;... Cinnamon sticks; Black peppercorns; Nutmeg; Orange zest. If you want it a little sweeter you can add brown or white sugar to taste or you can add pure maple syrup (instead of sugar!) Directions: Combine spices with apple juice and cook over medium heat until the juice is aromatic; add the rest of the ingredients (sugar or syrup) and bring to a boil; once the apple juice is boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. After you remove the hot apple cider from the heat, strain it through a fine-meshed sieve. Transfer to a mug garnish with orange slices, apple slices or cinnamon sticks for stirring. Allow to cool slightly and enjoy!

Pumpkin prep and carving tips 1. Give your pumpkin a good cold ice bath before you begin. ... 2. Cut open your pumpkin from the bottom instead of the top, and watch as some of the guts fall out on their own. 3. Extra scooping saves time, scrap the walls of your pumpkin with a big metal spoon till your pumpkins walls are an inch thick. This should cut your carving time in half. 4. Trace the design from your pattern to your pumpkin by carefully using a ballpoint pen over the design to indent the surface of your pumpkin. 5. Be patient while you carve. Instead of removing pieces as you carve leave all carved pieces in your pumpkin till the end to preserve your art’s stability. Carefully remove your pieces when you are finished carving. 6. Are you making an intricate design and need a little more time? Save it for later if need an extra day to complete it, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate. See more

Apple-head Witches Supplies: Large Apples Peeler or small knife... Salt Baking sheet Lemon juice Black peppercorns or other material for the eyes Accessories, limited only by your imagination How to: 1. Start by peeling all of the skin off the apple using a vegetable peeler or a small knife, depending on your skill level. 2. Carve a face including an extra large nose, indentations for the mouth and eyes, and anything else you want to personalize your apple witch. 3. Squirt some lemon juice all over the outside and brush with lemon juice as you go. 4. Sprinkle salt onto a baking sheet and place the apple on top (the salt will prevent the apple from sticking and help draw out moisture). 5. Bake at 180 degrees overnight or for 24 hours, to slowly dry it out. -note DO NOT leave your oven on unattended or overnight, simply turn your oven off and resume the process when you can be present. 6. Use peppercorns, cloves, dried colored beans, or glass beads for the eyes and teeth. *Helpful tips for carving the face Carve a c shape for the ears, a semicircle for the mouth, and slits for eyes, add in some fine lines & crow’s feet to get your witch nice and wrinkly. *After baking tips. A thin wire, twisted a couple times around a pencil, will make fine eyeglasses. Glue on cotton balls and color for hair or add a paper witches hat. Want to go the extra mile? Make a body for your apple head witch with a chop stick or heavy wire. Dress your witch or give her a broom to fly on.

Team Park & Rec Step Up To keep our team active and engaged, we started a weekly employee step challenge. Our goal is to increase our personal step count each week and see where we can go as a team. Each week our Intern, Perry tallies our steps and finds a fun place that we can walk to. Two weeks ago we made it to Disneyland and enjoyed a virtual ride down Splash Mountain.

Please note that field use is restricted to permit only by the Parks & Recreation Department. Advanced approval is required for any group of more than 20 people engaging in an organized activity or event. Reminder that adult athletics are not approved under current State and County Guidelines. Thank you for helping us stay well.

EZ Caramel Apples 1 package 11 oz. Kraft Caramel Bits... (or unwrapped caramels) 3/4 tsp vanilla extract 1 Tbsp. water 4 Granny Smith or tart apples ** wooden craft sticks **Wax paper 1. Wash and dry apples. *This is important, the apples need to be very dry. 2. Combine caramels, vanilla and water in a saucepan and cook over low heat stirring constantly until caramels melt. 3. Insert craft sticks into apples and dip apples into caramel mixture. 4. Place caramel apples onto buttered wax paper surface (make sure to place the wax paper on something hard and flat like a cutting board) and refrigerate until set. Double or triple recipe for more apples. Or try the crockpot method 1 -2 bags caramel candies - unwrapped 2 TBSP water Wooden craft sticks Parchment paper Apples Nuts/sprinkles-optional but fun! 1. One bag of caramel makes 4 large apples 2. Use a 2 qt or larger crock pot 3. Add the caramels and 2 tablespoons of water to the crockpot. 4. Cover and cook on high for 1 to 2 hours, checking every 20 minutes or so. The caramel is ready when it is shiny and can be stirred easily 5. Put the popsicle sticks into the apples by the stems. 6. Use a spoon to ladle the caramel over the apple, and swirl to completely cover the whole thing. 7. Dip into chopped nuts or sprinkles if desired. 8. Let cool on parchment paper