When I heard about the latest version of "A Christmas Carol," which opens today and stars Jim Carrey in multiple roles (he's Scrooge, and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future), I went in with low expectations for this motion-capture-animated flick.

I'll admit this right up front: I'm not a huge fan of the motion-capture method of animation. If you're not familiar with that term, think "Polar Express." It was the first major movie created with motion-capture technology, and to me, it was a little creepy, and gave the characters a sort of soulless, dead-eyed look.

The next major film to use the technology was "Beowulf," starring Ray Winstone, Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, Robin Wright Penn, John Malkovich and more big-name, respected actors. The creepiness factor didn't bother me so much with this one because it wasn't a movie that was meant to be a heartwarming holiday tale; it was a grown-up take on a literary classic -- a violent, monster-filled fable.

Toys for Tots is a program run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve that collects new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year. The toys get distributed as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.

The program began in 1947 in Los Angeles where Marine Reservists collected and distributed 5,000 toys to needy children. Over the past 62 years, Toys for Tots has distributed more than 400 million toys to more than 188 million needy children. Toys for Tots has been named "America's Best Children's Charity" by Reader's Digest and has made Forbes's "Gold Star List" of charities.

Check out ParentDish for more updates and information on charities:

Gwyneth Paltrow and Jessica Alba Auction Baby Items for Charity

Nicole Richie's Online Charity

Evangeline Lilly Auctions Lingerie for Kid's Charity

Plus, for Seasonal Updates and Your Kids' Wish-List Must-Haves Check out ParentDish's Holdiays Coverage.

Because Christmas fell on a Thursday this year and because Christmas Eve has always been a day off, the superintendent and the school board in Howard County, Maryland decided to add two days to the beginning of winter vacation and give students the entire Christmas week off. Now, you'd think that would be a good thing -- two extra days of vacation and, because Chanukah started on the 21st at sundown, students didn't have to worry about going to school the next day. The school district saved money too by not having to fire up the heaters for what surely would have been two days of very little learning and a whole lot of holiday excitement.

As the vacation winds to a close, however, some parents are not thrilled about the extension. "This has been a long one," said Janet Constantino, a mother of two. "Do you feel those extra days? You'd better believe it." The county's main library in Columbia has been feeling the effects of the extra two days as well, with the parking lot filling up and higher-than-expected noise levels inside.

On the one hand, when I was in school, I would have taken any excuse for a day off. On the other hand, however, as a parent who has to scramble to find someone to watch my kids during vacations and on holidays, I can certainly understand parents' being disconcerted by two days of vacation they hadn't planned for. And on the other hand (doesn't every parent have three hands?), if I were a stay-at-home parent, I would definitely welcome the opportunity to spend more time with my kids.

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Just when you think it's safe to say you don't want anymore babies, someone goes and does something adorable with a newborn.

When it comes to cute, not much tops a cuddly newborn baby ... except maybe cuddly newborn babies in Christmas stockings. Every holiday season, volunteers bring handmade stockings to St. Joseph's Hospital and wrap the newborn babies in them. Santa comes too, making these babies the youngest kids ever to put in a request with the big guy.

These babies really are their parents favorite Christmas gift, so it seems only fitting they be wrapped up appropriately. Check out the cuteness in the video below.

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When I was a kid we always saved the bows from our presents and put them into a big pile we'd then take a picture of (for posterity, I guess) before hauling them back down to the basement to live for another year before they made their next appearance on future holiday packages. Occasionally, we saved the wrapping paper, too. We started to save it more often as the cost of such paper increased and as the motifs and themes on the paper became more fanciful and elegant. Wrapping paper has showcased some of the prettiest patterns I've ever seen. Often it is so pretty or cute you hate to even open the package for fear of damaging it. In fact, one of my mothers-in-law is such an amazing present wrapper that I often take pictures of the presents BEFORE they're open just so I can recall how beautiful the packages were before we tore into them for the goodies inside.

Opening presents with the intention of saving the paper requires more time and care, but it also, as a result, helps make Christmas or Hanukkah last a little longer. In a way, opening presents slowly lets us savor the moment just a little more, and helps build the anticipation of what's inside into something just as fun as finding out what the gift is. OK, almost as fun, but you know what I mean. We'd do that with my family when I was younger and Christmas morning stretched almost to lunchtime, when folks were expected at our house for the holiday meal--the way Christmas day ought to last.

I still save the bows from our prettiest packages--many of them handmade by the people who love us. Now that I have a basement of my own (OK, a storage unit in a shared basement, but it's a pretty big unit, darn it!) I save everything I can. What with the economy tanking--yes, it continues to tank!--saving paper, boxes and bows probably seems a lot more appealing to folks than it ever did. If you plan on recycling your paper, though, I recommend getting a pretty good thickness. Otherwise it will rip no matter what you do.

Also, I would never be coordinated enough to do this, but Martha Stewart takes leftover paper, cuts it into little strips and glues the strips to clothespins which she then uses to hang other decorations. A lot of work, but pretty and fun if you have the time.

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It's winter break ... having trouble keeping your kids occupied? Take a cue from Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale, who recently took son Kingston, 2, rollerskating.

The family hit the rink on December 23rd, Gwen and Gavin holding little Kingston up while they rolled away. "It looked like Kingston's first time roller skating, and the little guy looked so cute," said an onlooker. "Kingston tried to skate between Gwen and Gavin, but even though they were holding up his hands, Kingston's legs kept skating in different directions so it was impossible for him to stand up."

My five-year-old was recently invited to a skating party, a first for most of the kids invited. Every mom in the room had panic in her eyes while she struggled to hold up her own spaghetti-legged kid. I think we were all thinking the same thing, "Three hours of this? NO WAY." But after about 30 minutes or so, our little birds were ready to fly skate on their own, and it ended up being a lot of fun.

How are you keeping your kids busy while they're out of school?

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There's nothing I love more than getting holiday cards--they're like getting a surprise in the mail nearly every day of the two weeks preceding Christmas. I decorate my bookshelves with them and, frankly, use them to update my master mailing list as well as whom I want to make sure I send a card to next year. But, what to do with all those cards once the holidays are over? It seems a shame to toss them, even if they are recyclable (and not all cards are; check the backs and avoid tossing anything with attachments or glue-ons in there unless they're removed prior to said tossing). They're so lovely and it's so nice to know that our family is being thought of over the holidays that I simply can't part with mine. So, I keep them, in a number of ways.

I decorate with my favorite cards. As mentioned, I put them up on my bookshelves. But, you can also get some greenery and attach your favorite cards to it and line, say, a banister or your mantel with them. It looks fabulous. I also have this cute little fabric bag that is holiday themed in which I keep cards from years past for folks to look at when they come over and are waiting for refreshments or to open presents. Finally, I keep a scrapbook for the most magnificent cards. Some of the cards I've received over the years rival anything I've seen in print for beauty. Scrapbooking photocards also lets me see how my friends and their families--especially their children--have changed over the years. It's a lot of fun for both me and my friends to look through those.

So, see, you don't have to dispense with your holiday cards. Now you have good reason to hold on to them. Of course, you can simply keep them because you're a sentimental sap like me--after all, what's a holiday without sentiment? Do you keep your holiday cards each year, and, if so, do you do anything fun with them?

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Last night, we went to look at Christmas lights with a friend and her 11-year-old son. At one point, he blurted out, "Yeah, and I don't believe in Santa!" We all held our collective breath before my friend quietly reminded her son that he was in the company of true believers -- my two young daughters.

I don't think they even picked up on it ... no one has mentioned it at least. But with a near 6-year-old in the house, I know that these Christmases with no doubts are numbered. At some point, maybe even next Christmas, she's going to start putting two and two together. And then the questions will begin.

I worry about how to handle it -- do I wink and play coy? Do I explain that the magic of Christmas is in all of us? What's the best way to let them down easy when the time comes so that they come away feeling not disappointed, but with a greater appreciation of what Christmas is all about?

I can't really remember a time when I doubted Santa. It's like I went from believing to understanding overnight, but I can still feel that magic when we put out the cookies and milk every Christmas Eve. That's what I want for them.

How will you handle the Santa issue?

For those of you who celebrate Christmas, the holiday has officially begun. Whether you're working today, anticipating tomorrow's fun, or you already have a houseful of company, Christmas Eve is the kick-off for what is probably your kids' (and maybe your own) favorite day of the year.

For children, Christmas is all about Santa and toys, toys, toys, but whether they realize it or not, it's also about family togetherness. Make this Christmas especially memorable with one of these five holiday activities.

When a far-off relative sends your child a gift, here's a nice tip to let them know their kindness was appreciated.

No, this is not a headline from the Weekly World News. I heard they went out of business, but, whether or not they're still around they would love a headline like this. Scarily enough, a child was decapitated but, thanks to the miracle of science, etc. has almost fully recovered from the near-tragic accident.

I actually teared up when I first read the details of this harrowing story. Jordan Taylor, nine, was involved in a horrific accident when a dump truck ran a red light and plowed into his mother's car. He suffered what is known as an orthopedic decapitation when his skull was separated from his neck, but, thank God, his spinal cord remained intact. Jordan's skull was reattached using a metal plate and titanium rods. Doctors then "stabilized" Jordan's head using a carbon fiber ring attached to a vest.

The child is now walking and talking and active. With youth on his side, doctors say he is essentially fully recovered. According to his mother, he plans on returning to school after the holidays. If that's not a miracle--Christmas, scientific, or otherwise--then I don't know what is.

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Sure, it sounds hysterical, but leave it to modern technology to solve a long-standing problem around the holidays. No, I'm not talking about how Santa's sleigh makes it to the houses of good boys and girls the world over in one night. Rather, I'm talking about folks stealing the baby Jesus from nativity scenes. It's a more common occurrence than you might think. I can recall reading at least one news article annually around Christmas wherein a baby Jesus has been stolen from a church or school's outdoor nativity scene. It may start as a silly joke but really adds insult to injury when you think about it--I mean, seriously, you want to steal the babe JESUS?

Anyway, this year, to prevent such unholy thefts, BrickHouse Security of New York is offering free one-month leases on GPS devices to track baby Jesuses the country over should one happen to go missing. And, apparently, BrickHouse is no stranger to requests for the tiny tracking devices, although perhaps the baby Jesus is a first. Normally, they report, it's Santas and menorahs that go missing. According to the site, around this time of year the requests are comprised of %60 synagogue requests and 40% churches. The company also lends cameras that can be hidden to identify the perps.

I guess this is the season for tomfoolery, although I can't see it as the season of stealing! I doubt the thieves want anything more than the thrill of the theft and the laughs they get from making off with sacred items. Well, this year they'd better watch out!

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When you were a kid, di you ever ask your parents how it was possible to visit every house in every country all in one night (you know, except for the homes of those who were naughty)? Perhaps they came up with something clever to tell you, like that it was magic, and the Christmas spirit, or that Saint Nick was able to accomplish such a task based on little kids believing in him. Those are all pretty good answers, but scientists now have a better approach.

Kids today don't buy that magic stuff. Children have access to the Internet, too, so they could just look up how Santa is able to travel the world in one night on Wikipedia. If they do by chance bother to ask you how it's done, though, assuming they're still at that stage where they think you the parent knows everything, tell them what scientists recently told all of us: Santa manipulates the space/time continuum. That's right--let's say it all together now: Space. Time. Continuum. Surely you've heard of it? And, if not, check it out on Wikipedia. Or ask your kids.

According to Larry Silverberg, of North Carolina State University, Santa understands how to "exploit" and bend time and space in order to cover the 200 million square miles of land to visit all the good boys and girls of the world. Silverberg goes on to posit that the wink of an eye we understand Santa spends to travel is in fact about six months. Other Santa nuances explained by science? Presents are grown under the Christmas trees using nanotecnhology and special antennae are used to detect if kids have been naughty or nice. So there you have it.

Still no word, though, on how he manages to eat all those cookies.

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Looking for a last minute Christmas craft? Here are some adorable ornaments to hang on your tree. -- AlphaMom

So your in-laws put the fun in dysfunctional. Enjoy your holiday anyway with these stress-busting tips. -- Lemondrop

Avoid buyer's remorse Christmas morning by double checking your list against this one -- the 33 most ridiculous toys ever. -- Babble

Tom Cruise reveals that he has trouble saying "no" to Suri. And that she may be getting a puppy for Christmas. Would you ever consider giving a pet for Christmas? -- Celebrity Baby Blog

Holidays can be stressful, even more so when you're pregnant. Learn how to cope this holiday season. -- LilSugar

Still not sure what to make for that holiday dinner? Here are Paula Deen's top five favorite holiday recipes. -- MomLogic

Moms, especially, tend to spend December doing for everyone else. Take some advice from the beloved Jen Lemen and do something nice for yourself. -- The Motherhood

Breastfeeding after breast reduction surgery -- is it possible? Sometimes. Here's some help to get you started. -- Work it, Mom!