Ringing in the new year doesn’t have to mean the bar scene or parties. Instead, why not consider a family-friendly activity?

Science Central will welcome guests Dec. 31 from 10 a.m. to noon to  celebrate the 13th annual “Countdown to Noon.”

The event will feature a variety of activity tables and science demonstrations, all focused on traditional New Year’s Eve activities. Children’s activities will include making party hats, noisemakers, and face painting. On hand to assist with activities will be the reigning Miss 3 Rivers Festival, Miss 3 Rivers Festival Teen, and the 3 Rivers Festival Tiara Princess.

As the noon hour approaches, visitors will enjoy a brief soda pop toast, and the assembled crowd will countdown the seconds till noon with Science Central’s Executive Director Martin S. Fisher. The festivities will culminate with the annual balloon drop, with over 1,000 Lake City Bank balloons cascading down from the Science Central ceiling.

This event is more affordable than the average night on the town, too. Admission is $8 per person, ages 3 to adult. Science Central will be open from 10 am to 5 pm on December 31.

Science Central is a regional resource that provides inspiring and fun hands-on science education for people of all ages. Through more than 120 exhibits, school tours, distance learning programs, and weekend events, they bring the fun of science to more than 130,000 children and adults, annually. Normal hours are: Wed.-Fri., 10 am to 4 pm, Saturday 10 am to 5 pm, and Sunday noon to 5 pm.

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Calling all sweet tooths! If you’re anything like me, sugar-coated confections are hard to resist. I love all things chocolate, candy, and treats glazed, covered or dripping with delicious goodness. So we’ve rounded up a few Fort Wayne favorites for you to delight in. And after you satisfy your tastebuds, of course, you can pick up a few treats for gifts and to take home as an edible souvenir.

Abby Brown’s Chocolate Christmas Trees

Abby Brown’s Candy Shoppe

www.abbybrown.com

Chocolate lovers will fall in love with this quaint candy shop. A Fort Wayne staple since 1976 with a goal of making candy fun, Abby Brown’s offers an array of bonbons and chocolates of a variety of flavors, shapes and designs: milk, dark, white, truffles, cordials, nuts, even edible greeting cards. Whimsical sweets made especially for the holidays include chocolate Santa and Christmas tree lollypops; peanut butter, caramel and chocolate Santas; Christmas tree-shaped chocolates; and snowflake Oreos.

1415 E. State Boulevard, Fort Wayne, IN 46805

Nut House

http://www.nuthousefw.com/

Every tastebud will be satisfied with the Nut House’s selection of delicious gourmet popcorns and fresh roasted nuts, and your sweet tooth with delectable cheesecake. Their popular popcorn tins come cove seasonal-themed scenes, great for gifting. The peanut brittle, glazed nuts, salty-sweet mixes, toffee and almond barks, are also perfect for sharing. They offer sugar-free versions of their treats, and other most-wanteds like chocolate-covered pretzels, cookies and caramels.

Jefferson Pointe, 4510 W. Jefferson Boulevard, Fort Wayne, IN 46804

DeBrand’s Holiday Wreath

DeBrand Fine Chocolates

www.debrand.com

DeBrand’s is a heavenly must-stop for all visitors. Known for their fine and beautiful chocolates, this time of year you can fill your tummy with their famous holiday collections such as Holiday Medley, Milk Chocolate Santa Coins, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Chocolate Thoughts Bars and an elegant Truffle Wreath Box filled with an assortment of truffles. Their sets of mini chocolate bars, caramel and chocolate pretzel rods, tasting bars, and hot chocolate on a spoon make great stocking stuffers, too. You can also take a behind-the-scenes tour of how they make their chocolates on Tuesdays and Thursdays at their Auburn Road location ($5 per person).

10105 Auburn Park Drive, Fort Wayne, IN 46825

5608 Coldwater Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46825

Jefferson Pointe, 4110 W. Jefferson Boulevard, Fort Wayne, IN 46804

Inside Scoop

You’ll go back to your kid days in this colorful candy store. Make it one of your first stops when you get to the mall so you can enjoy a quick sugar rush before you shop. You can fill up your treat bags with giant scoops of all of your sweet favorites like jelly beans, Swedish fish, licorice, gummy bears, sour patches, and every other candy your palate desires, and also make custom mixes as token gifts for other kids at heart.

Glenbrook Mall, 4201 Coldwater Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46805

Chocolate Thimble

Chocolate Thimble

www.chocolatethimble.com

Tucked away in a corner just a short drive outside of Fort Wayne, this hidden gem is a small family-owned shop brimming with a variety of big flavors. Run by sisters and their daughters they sell their homemade confections, and, as their clever name suggests also offer sewing andlting classes. The ladies handcraft their brittles and barks, sophies and caramels the old-fashioned way. Pick up their chocolate Christmas trees, charms snowman and Santa for family and friends back home. For parties, their chocolate assortment trays are always crowd pleasers. And while you visit, enjoy their nut clusters, buckeyes, peppermint bark, toffee, and my favorite – chocolate-covered cherries.

2384 Shoaff Road, Huntertown, IN 46748

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Looking for a place to eat on Christmas Day? Restaurants in Fort Wayne dish out everything from buffets with prime rib, hams and all the trimmings; to lasagna and meatballs; to sushi and fried rice; and, of course, desserts. From the traditional to the non-traditional, here are a few of our favorite eateries for a delicious holiday meal.

Holiday Buffet

Traditional

Fort Wayne Marriott

305 E. Washington Center Road, Fort Wayne, IN; 484-0411

Enjoy an earlybird breakfast buffet available 7 am – 9:30 am, and a holiday buffet lunch served 10:30 am – 12:30 pm. On the plate: prime rib, ham, chicken, fish, plus various sides, salads breads, as well as tasty desserts. $30 adults; $15.95 children ages 5-12; free for children ages 4 and younger. Reservations required.

Chinese Buffet

Chinese

Dig into a bowl of fried rice and noodles at one of the following Chinese restaurants.

Great Wall

3824 W. Jefferson Blvd., Parkwest Plaza; 432-8258

10264 Coldwater Road, Pine Valley Shopping Center; 497-8889

Open 11 am-10 pm

China Palace

5810 Bluffton Road; 747-0370

Open 11 am – 9 pm

House of Hunan

5626 Coldwater Road; 482-9402

Open 11:30 am-10 pm

Yen Ching

6410 W. Jefferson Blvd., Covington Plaza; 436-7786

Open 11:30 am-2:30 pm for lunch, and 4:30 pm-9 pm for dinner.

Wu’s Fine Chinese Cuisine

4411 Coldwater Road; 483-0899

Open 11 am-9:30 pm

Hibachi Grill Supreme Buffet

5507 Coldwater Road in Coldwater Crossing; 484-8899

Open 11 am-9:30 pm

Japanese Sushi

Japanese

Take a bite of an array of fresh sushi.

Asakusa Japanese Restaurant

6224 Lima Road; 490-6888

Open 4:30 pm-8:50 pm

Breakfast Pancakes

American

Feast on yummy pancakes in the morning, and juicy burgers and fries midday.

IHOP

6839 W. Jefferson Blvd.; 432-9040

4403 Coldwater Road; 483-8435

Open 6 am-2 pm

1535 W. Washington Center Road; 490-4467

Open 7 am-2 pm

Liberty Diner

2929 Goshen Road; 484-9666

Open 5:30 am-10 pm

Order In

Take it easy and order a homemade heat-and-eat holiday feast.

Italian Feast

Casa’s Ristorante

Go Italian Fort Wayne favorite Casa’s lasagna ($44 half pan, about 10 servings; $88 full pan, 20 servings) and salad ($24 half pan, $48 full pan).

Casa Ristorante Italiano, 4111 Parnell Ave., 483-0202

Casa Grille, 411 E. Dupont Road, 490-4745

Casa Grille Italiano, 6340 Stellhorn Road, 969-4700

Casa! Ristorante, 7545 W. Jefferson Blvd., 436-2272

Christmas Turducken

The Fresh Market

6306 W. Jefferson Blvd., 459-9691

Choose from a selection of meats including a holiday turkducken (boneless duck breast stuffed inside a boneless chicken breast stuffed inside a boneless turkey breast), as well as ready-to-serve sides, hors d’oeuvres and desserts.

Desserts

Sweet Treats

Richard’s Bakery

1130 N. Wells Street; 424-4012

End on a sweet note with cookies, pies and holiday treats.

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When visiting Fort Wayne, Indiana this holiday season be sure to take advantage of the 25th annual Holiday Cab program, which gives residents and visitors a free and safe ride home after a night on the town.

The 2012 program runs from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. daily until January 1, 2013. Simply call 260.426.1301 to schedule your ride. In fact, go ahead and save this number in your cellular phone right now just in case!

Rides are provided to anyone with a destination within a 10-mile radius of downtown Fort Wayne. If your destination is more than 10 miles away you can still call for a ride, however, any mileage traveled beyond 10 miles will need to be paid.

Keep in mind that rides are only given to take someone home. They will not be given to anyone wanting to be taken to another bar, restaurant or party.

The Holiday Cab program began in Fort Wayne in 1987 and last year provided close to 400 rides. The program was started to prevent tragedies and deter impaired driving during the holiday season. Holiday Cab receives support and sponsorship from local organizations, taxi companies and law enforcement.

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It’s that time a year again, the holiday season is in full swing. Thanksgiving has come and gone, and Christmas is almost here. When I was a little kid, Christmas time was one of my favorite times of the year. What’s not to love? There are presents, Mom’s delicious cooking, family, time off from school, parties, and well, did I mention presents?

As an adult, my idea of the holidays has changed dramatically. As much as I love the idea of this time of year, the stress that it brings seems to far outweigh the joy. Now, instead of being the present receiver, I am the gift giver, taking on the stress of finding the perfect present and dealing with the dreadful stores with the abundance of holiday shoppers. The joy of eating holiday food has slowly diminished, along with my metabolism. I am no longer in school, and grown up jobs don’t give out Christmas breaks, just a couple days off here and there, which results in busy work days in between. Lastly, the numerous holiday parties that are crammed in the same weekend.

Over the past few years, I have been slowly learning how to deal with the holidays as an adult. Although the transition hasn’t been easy, I have found ways to keep in touch with my inner Cindy Lou Who when the Grinch in me wants to unleash. I wish I could tell you that there is a solution as magical and universal as Santa to soothing holiday stress but unfortunately there is no such thing.

Here are a few of my go to tricks when that Grinch in me tries to make an appearance:

Deep breaths. It sounds cliché, but it works! It’s simple, easy, and readily available whenever you need a quick stress reliever. Place one hand on the chest and the other on the belly, take a deep breath in through the nose, and feel the diaphragm rise and then exhale out of the nose until you feel like you can no long push out any air, and repeat until you feel calm. Taking deep breathes is known to lower blood pressure. So next time your blood is boiling because some inconsiderate person cut you in the long line of holiday shoppers or took the parking spot you had been patiently waiting for in the packed mall parking lot, just use that extra time to breathe deeply and remember the reason for the season.

Exercise. Why wait for New Years to roll around to start on your resolution? When you exercises your body releases endorphins into the brain causing you to not only feel better about yourself but about life in general. Plus it might just help you keep off those dreaded holiday pounds that always seem to creep on during this time of years.

Take a walk. Even a short walk can dramatically increase ones mood. Walking can give you the same benefits as exercising. It gives you time to clear your head and the fresh air never hurt anyone. Also, the Christmas lights and decorations can be very scenic.

Designate time for yourself. If you are like me, it seems as if your time is already stretched thin this time of year but I can promise you if you designate a time for yourself and actually take it, you will find a certain type of peace that only you can give yourself. Whether it be a massage, enjoying a good book, taking a much needed nap, or my personal favorite yoga, figure out a time each week when you can spend time doing something you enjoy. Your body and mind will thank you.

Positive thoughts. Easier said than done, right? Next time those negative thoughts come to mind, think of a good childhood memory, the look on your children faces Christmas morning when you realize all the stress is worth it, or find comfort in knowing it’ll all be over in a blink of an eye.

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