By: Sunni Zhou
     Well, fall is over and winter holidays are finally here! Aside from all the snow, presents and the Christmas trees, without holiday fashion, your Christmas will be boring. So that is why I am here.

     The first thing you need is to find good Christmas colours like green, red, white and maybe even black just to make it more exciting and cool. Maybe you don’t have to have all those colors all together, but you should at least have red.

     Let’s start with girls and holiday dresses. If you ask me what is the first thing I think of when you mention the holiday season, I would say sparkles! You need a dress with sparkles on it. Sparkles will always catch people’s attention. Your shoe should also be sparkly, matching the dress. To be fancier, how about a sparkly jacket?

     For both boys and girls, if you want to wear something warm and casual, but still reflect the holiday spirit, try a warm long-sleeve shirt that has some holiday symbols on it. For example Santa, or maybe presents, sure it can be a reindeer. Pair it with a regular one tone colour pants that are either red or black.

     Now let’s talk about accessories and makeup. For
girls, make sure your hair is neat and tidy with lots of hair decorations. Your makeup should be stronger than normal parties and more on the warm color tone side.

For guys, a simple pattern scarf will make you look handsome and gentleman like. Oh, the most important thing is to make sure that you have a fancy jacket and a cute hat that keeps your body warm (this goes for both guys and girls!) 
     
     It is winter and some of your friends may say that if you want to be pretty you have to tolerate the cold and not wearing jackets and sweaters, you have to “sacrifice” in order to stay in fashion. I personally think that is ridiculous. If you have runny nose which you have to wipe all the time and eventually, it looks like a little red cherry, how would that be looking fashionable? You can still look pretty inside of the party place when you take it off then. So kids listen to your parents about that one – dress warm!

     Christmas fashion is not all about wearing something related to holiday season, it’s about the way you want to look, the way you act, the way you to express yourself and cheer up the people around you.

10 Holiday Gift Ideas

By: Alyssa Vidal and Dea Yu

‘Tis the season to be jolly! Here comes that time again when we hear about the celebrations, holidays, presents, gifts, and Santa Claus! Speaking of Santa, have you heard of Secret Santa or Kris Kringle? Are you participating in one? Or maybe, are you planning on giving a gift to your friend? If so, then you might want to read on. 


Here are some holiday gift ideas that could help you on deciding what to give: 

An Introduction to Canadian Politics
By: James Newman
 
Politics is a word you may have heard either from your parents, on the television, or even from your teachers at school; but have you ever wondered what it really means and exactly who is involved? 


The word Politics is defined in the dictionary as, “The science or art of government and the practice or profession of conducting political affairs.” Therefore, politics is the general term used for the thoughts, ideas, rules and passing of laws in any country, city or community. 

You may have also heard of terms like: party, left wing, centrist, right wing and so on. There are many aspects of the political system; for example, in Canada we have a political system that is considered Democratic, which means we have a group of people in our government who make decisions together based on public votes that are counted equally. 

When we turn 18 we will be able to vote. As a citizen of a democratic country we have a responsibility to be informed about this subject and I will begin by explaining the political framework. I hope by the end of my four articles you will know a lot about politics! 

Fun Fall Wardrobe
By Victoria Veloso 

Summer is over, and school is here! No more shorts and t-shirts to wear at the beach. Now is the time to put away the sunscreen, and take out that comfy sweater of yours. Say goodbye to green leaves and hello to orange, brown, yellow, and red. More importantly, it’s back to school! It’s the time to dress
comfy and cute with these new fall fashion trends! 

New colours for fall should give a warm feeling that reflects Mother Nature. Colours such as chocolate brown, cream, gold, and a smoky gray make this year’s fall fashion fun and glamorous for getting back to school. Also complimenting your wardrobe with a bit of sparkle is a great idea for fall.

Although summer is over, incorporating some of your summer pieces with a fall wardrobe is in. In early fall days, try wearing a comfy sweater with a pair of shorts! This look is comfy, yet fun to wear on a sunny autumn day. 

On cold fall days, scarves make a great accessory. Whether you wear it over a coat or a sweater, scarves are always known as the signature look for fall trends. They go with many outfits and add statements to your choice of fall colours. But this fall, over-sized scarves are a big nono if they are twice the size of your body!

Berets were so last year. Beanies and knitted hats this fall are a must to keep warm, while still looking absolutely swagged out. Whether it is plain or patterned, this trend is a fun accessory to make an outfit pop!
It goes and looks good with anything. That’s why it is always trending and the look never gets old. You cannot go wrong with a beanie.

Leggings are lovely to pair with colourful skirts or tunics and large cardigans. But wearing them with short tops makes an outfit too revealing and makes legs appear bigger. Wearing leggings that are properly covered adds a simple and cute look to your outfit.

Last fall, Uggs and fuzzy boots were a huge trend for fall fashion. But let’s face it, they rarely match with most outfits. The new trend this season is stylish boots, such as riding and calf-fitting boots. Both the
young and old can flaunt it this season! 

Over all, have fun and give it all this fall. As long as you feel good, you’ll look good!

Kids’ Fall FashionBy Wendy Wang      Illustration by Sarah Friedlander

In this fall’s fashion, kids are bringing back some old favourites as well as kicking up some new trends.
That’s right, the original autumn yellow is out and the new primrose yellow is in! Could it be from the
Hunger Games?

For girls, this fall we are focusing on the harvest colours and clothes that are comfy yet trendy. The traditional striped navy blue and white long sleeves paired with jeans are still popular among girls. Denim is also getting well-known, as more and more girls start to wear jean jackets too. 

This year, we are seeing a soft orange colour for sweaters and hoodies that match well with black instead of the usual bright orange. Black yoga pants are often worn by girls too, even if it’s not for yoga – just daily life.

For boys, snapback hats are the biggest thing. They can match any outfit, so it is better than a baseball cap. White hoodies are making a comeback, perhaps in advance for winter. Rubber wrist bands are a new accessory trend for guys, and chain necklaces are out the window.

Deep teal and grey jackets are really cool to wear, a great transition from summer to fall.

Impress your friends with your new trends this fall!

Parents, what are the top 10 things your children can do before get back to school? Hear what the kids have to say. 
 
By: Dea Yu (Age 6) 
1.       Go to the Toronto Zoo.
Becuase I have been so busy with my ballet practice, music recital, and school work, I haven’t been to the Zoo for a long time. I want to go to the Zoo because I want to ride a camel.

2.       Ride my scooter.
My scooter is purple with a girl sticker on it; I want to ride my scooter because I like things that go fast.

3.       Have a sleepover with my friend.
I had one sleepover with my Girl Guides camp, but I never had a sleepover with my friend before. My Mom has arranged a sleepover with my friend Luna’s mom. My sister and I are going to Luna’s house, I think my daddy and mom are going to go to a fancy restaurant and to a movie on that day.
4.       Finish my music theory book.
My piano teacher, Mrs. Zagala, said if I want to learn my next piano book, I have to be able to read music. So, this summer, I want to finish my theory book and move on to the next level.

5.       Eat lots of home grown tomatoes.
Last year, we had a lot of cherry tomatoes, it was fun picking the red ones from the plant. This year, I want to do it again because my mom’s vegetable garden is growing really well.

6.       Learn my times table.
Some of my classmates in school already knew the times table this year. I want to learn it over the summer so I won’t be left behind.

7.       Learn to ride my bicycle without training wheels.
I can ride my bike with training wheels, but my Mom said it is time for me to learn how to ride without the training wheels; even Eric, my best friend’s little brother, knows how to ride without training wheels.

8.       Go rock climbing at my mom’s new gym.
My mom is joining a really cool gym with all kinds of kids programs in it. Mom said I can go rock climbing. I am kind of scared, but mom says it is going to be safe.

9.       Go to a Kid’s Zumba class.
My mom goes to her Zumba class all the time, and she says it is fun. Her new gym has a Kid’s Zumba class too, so when my mom is working out, I can go to my class.

10.   Go to a cottage.
My friend Heather’s mom is looking for a cottage so our two families can go together. I went to a cottage before with Heather’s family, and it was fun. We had roasted marshmallows on the fire!

What's your favourite things to do in the summer? Please share with me to have chance to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card.