Acorns Children's Hospice’s Post

How do you create 100+ personalised Christmas videos in a few days? Our solution may surprise you. Let me explain how... (Watch this video with the sound on for the full effect) A few years ago, we wanted to send lots of personalised Christmas videos. The only trouble was, it would have taken AGES. We wanted to send them to clients, partners, friends - the lot! It ended up being 100+ videos! How can you efficiently create this many personalised videos!? You get creative. You can see how we did it in this video. The solution we came up with is silly. But that's what makes it funny. I still giggle watching this back. What do you think?

Navigating Halloween for neurodivergents is quite unique. Here are some tips to consider when celebrating tonight. Happy All Hallows Eve! Check out my blog post https://wix.to/gvdAmIY #newblogpost

Tonight is Halloween. We expect to get hundreds of kids dressed up in their scariest (and cutest) costumery to trick-or-treat at our place. I love it. The dog, not so much. One of my goals is to run out of candy at just the right time so 1. We accomodate most/all of the trick-or-treaters, and 2. We don’t have leftover candy to tempt me all week. My second goal is to enjoy this interaction: Trick or treater: How many can I take? Me (in my infamous “fur” dollhead jacket): How many do you want to take? The kids are usually very surprised. Many struggle to come up with, “the right answer.” There is no “right answer.” Most don’t ask, and just take 1 candy. A few defiantly take a handful. Among those who ask this question, the most common answer is, “2 or 3?” I’m still waiting for someone to say, “all”. I will then pour all the candies into their container, turn off the lights, and go watch the latest Chucky movie with whoever is brave enough to join me. There are lessons in here somewhere, but maybe it’s just fun.

🎃 Happy Halloween! 🎃 As we embrace the fun of Halloween, it's important to remember that unexpected surprises can happen—like injuries from pumpkin carving or trick-or-treating! To help medical practices navigate these spooky situations, we’ve compiled a list of 25 spooky ICD-10 codes for Halloween-related mishaps. 🎃👻 These codes not only ensure accurate billing but also help prevent revenue loss during a time when accidents are more likely to occur. Check out our article on The Intake for a mix of humor and essential billing tips: https://lnkd.in/ey55XWCZ Wishing you all a safe and fun #Halloween!

I know Halloween is in the rear view mirror but does the fun have to come to an end? I'm hoping you answered in a resounding "NO!" and if you did, this short article is for you. Find it here: bit.ly/47csIFe

We were mobbed .... Anyone who knows Mrs. K, knows she loves Halloween. Not me so much, but I love to see the joy it brings her. This year got me thinking. Each year, Mrs. K up's the ante slowly, probably to soften the blow of the known things she buys to up the game, which now has its own area in the outside building with boxes of Halloween 🎃 inflatables and merch. Those who know the story of the baby Yoda, know! But this year, well, after running out of Welches, yes, fruit snacks by 1830, I can honestly say Mrs K owned the road. Notwithstanding, some of our American friends who would say this display was relatively tame in comparison to theirs! A couple of key things: 👉 Despite others on the road having displays, Mrs K drew the masses. Much like a marketing function, she drove footfall interest and became a destination. - Be somewhere people want to go, find out more! 👉 Operations had to step up and restock with treats at 1830, which was a good problem to have, and luckily, operations delivered. 👉 I have slight concerns that our home is all over a million Meta stories .... Thoughts: Be a destination, make your product enticing so that people want to come, offer an experience that gives value, work with operations to deliver on the outcome, and get mobbed by everyone!

For many, Halloween isn’t about treats and sweets – instead it brings feelings of unease, pressure to become involved and a general sense of feeling uncomfortable and/or unsafe. Here are a few tips to help support your child through the day: It’s ok if they don’t want to take part in Halloween activities – the first step is to ask them if they want to take part, and then work out what FUN looks like to them if they do. If they are worried about strangers coming to the door – opt out of trick or treating by closing the curtains and keeping the lights low. Any sweets you want to share can be put in a bowl outside so they can be enjoyed without you being disturbed. Don’t place any expectations on your child to join in with anything they don’t want to – and don’t worry about what anyone else might think about this either!

Ever had a last-minute party crisis? Here’s How to CREATE HAPPY CREATORS Just two days before Halloween, my youngest son decided he wanted to be a Jawa instead of a Jedi. His Vision: A Jedi cloak, a black face mask, and red goggles. The Reality: We had the Jedi cloak ✅, but no masks or goggles were available. Even if I ordered them, they wouldn't get here in time. After some initial disappointment, he decided to hear me out and embraced my creative approach: - A string of remote-controlled fairy lights - A fanny pack for the battery pack - A black ski mask What looks like the red glow of his eyes in the photo are actually tiny remote-controlled lights, placed above his eyes on his forehead. Lessons Applicable to Any Creative Process: 1. Accept changes to the nearly finished product 2. Stay open-minded and brainstorm together 3. Believe in your team's abilities 4. Trust and collaborate In the end, creativity turned a potential sour situation into a sweet and memorable Halloween. What unexpected solutions have you found at work or generally in life? Happy Saturday, everyone! –––––-–––––– 👋, I'm Elena, a creative communicator and event manager. In a world of black and white, I'd add color to your life. Let's connect 🔔

We All Wear Different Masks This weekend, Zoey got to try on a few fun masks while we were out window shopping! While she enjoyed herself trying on some different masks, it reminded me that we all wear different “masks”, or “hats” in life. Sometimes we’re parents, sometimes we’re professionals, and sometimes we’re just trying to enjoying some rest and relaxation with our friends. Each “mask” comes with its own expectations, but at the core, who you are and what’s important to you never changes. The real challenge for everyone is balancing and understanding our priorities. Have you taken time between different masks to figure out what’s most important to you and your family? Maybe this quick 3 minute quiz can help you figure it out. Click the link to figure out what you truly value. https://bit.ly/3YqjHFT

Is it full-on Christmas mode in your house yet? It certainly is in ours!🎄 One of my favourite things (when I need a break from crunching numbers - because that's what Financial Planners do - right?) is diving into Christmas films with the family. Do you love them, or are you in the 𝘣𝘢𝘩 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘶𝘨, 𝘯𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 camp?🙅 My daughter’s absolute favourite is Elf. And honestly, if you’ve seen it, you’ll know why – Will Ferrell’s antics are comedy gold. Whether you’re groaning at the chaos or laughing out loud, it’s got something for everyone. 🤣And yes, I do still laugh every time he shouts “𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢! 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘪𝘮!” Another staple in our house is Home Alone. Overrated? Maybe. Timeless? Absolutely. The slapstick humour, kids outsmarting adults, and that classic John Williams score – it’s Christmas nostalgia at its best. Fun fact: John Candy filmed his cameo as a personal favour for the director and was paid just $500. Imagine turning on the TV decades later and seeing that role still bringing joy.😲 What’s on your Christmas watchlist this year? Any classics your family never tires of, or are you mixing it up? Drop your favourites below – I could always use some new suggestions!👇 And, if you're in need of some Xmas film inspiration, check out the link in the comments for an article where I share a few more of our favourites. #christmasmovies #founders #financialplanning