Tausi Insider

Screenshot : Google With less than a week to go before Christmas, the kids are probably off from school, high on sugar, and getting antsy for presents, or whatever your family does to celebrate the holidays. At this point, you may be running low on cash and out of options for keeping them entertained while you’re still working. If that’s the case, Google’s Santa Tracker website has all kinds of games and activities to hold their attention—including several that are educational. Here’s what to know. How to access free holiday games and activities for kids Before switching over to tracking Santa on Christmas Eve, the site offers an array of holiday-themed games and activities. They’ll come up as you scroll through the site; if you want to pull up a particular feature, you may be able to find it faster through the Family Guide . Some of the activities available on the site include: Coding games : Kids (or adults) can learn the basics of how to code by playing Code Boogie or Code Lab...

Photo : Irina Vinnikova ( Shutterstock ) This is one of the lesser-known Christmas myths, but to be honest, it would be pretty cool if true. The story goes that Sami shamans in Scandinavia would dress in red and white to match the colors of the psychedelic Amanita mushrooms they peddled. In the winter, they couldn’t make their door-to-door sales due to snowstorms blocking many doors, so they would climb in through the chimney. The mushrooms would then be hung to dry, for example on branches of a tree brought inside for that purpose. Unfortunately, the details don’t check out. Houses and yurts of the area were not built in ways that would block the occupants in all winter; there’s no documentation of mushrooms being distributed this way or dried on indoor trees when they could just be hung in more convenient ways; and Santa’s red outfit came from a different European tradition entirely. But it is true that there is a Scandinavian tradition (among the Sami people, in particular) ...

Photo : BearFotos ( Shutterstock ) Well, well, well. The hour is nigh, and you’re in need of a last-minute gift. It’s too late for even the fastest online delivery, and most viable in-person store options are already closed. All that’s left to do is invent an excuse to get out of the house and proceed to sprint to your local 24-hour drug store. Like a chef turning baskets of mystery ingredients into a three-course meal on Chopped , this category of gifts is all about your innovation. Here are some of our ideas for themed collections, but you can customize at your convenience. Movie night : Popcorn. Funky popcorn toppings . Candy. Hot chocolate. Fuzzy socks. A little slip of paper with your Netflix login. You can’t go wrong with a cozy movie-night theme. Treat yo’ self : Think spa day materials, like face masks, nail polish, and bath bombs. Throw in a candle to help set the pampering vibe. Health and wellness : Browse around for gummy vitamins, supplements, protein powder, and what...