Family Christmas Activities To Do This December (COVID Style)!
Looking for some fun holiday Christmas activities or things you can do to get you in the Christmas spirit? Here’s a list of family friendly activities to do together. Some are free and some may cost you a little money but any of these are sure to bring lots of memories this Christmas season.
- Have a Color Contest – there are so many free printables online for you to use. Just do a quick search on google and a bunch will come up.
- Make Hot Chocolate over the stove – create some fun and let the kids help make some hot chocolate over the stove one night.
- Game Night – I have lots of memories of family game night! It’s something I hope to create with my kids.
- Random Acts of Kindness – this can really bring out the Christmas spirit by serving others. Plus there’s lots of great ideas you can do while staying safe.
- Decorate Christmas Cards – A passion of mine (other than finding deals) is card making/crafts and my girls love to participate. So creating cards together is a great way for us to spend time together and bring in the Christmas spirit.
- Go Ice Skating – we did this last year and the kids keep asking when can we go again, definitely a hit! (And we found a good deal using Groupon & Living Social)
- Read a Christmas Book – I love finding new Christmas books at the library and it’s all free.
- Sing Christmas Carols – you don’t have to go house to house but why not just sing right in your home!
- Research Christmas in another country – I’m pretty interested in this one and think we might have to give it a try this year.
- Take Pictures of Snowman – we’re always pointing out the snowman so why not take a few pictures of them all!
- Try a Pinterest Craft – oh Pinterest, you always have a ton of awesome ideas and there’s no short on Christmas crafts you can do with the kids or get some friends together to create something fun.
- Bake Cookies to take to the local police station – this one is dear to my heart and I know they’d really appreciate it. (While some areas might not be accepting donations like this you can always ask ahead of time)
- Make a new no sew fleece blanket – yes, a nice new warm blanket sounds wonderful!
- Eat Candy Canes – you could mix it up and get different favors and try guessing what each one is.
- Build a Fort – this is always happening at our house, thank goodness for grandmas that quilt, we have a lot of blankets.
- Watch Family Videos – It’s so fun going back through old videos and watching them together. It reminds me I need to pull out the recorder (or i guess phones now) and record more of my own kids so they can do the same when they get older.
- Try a new recipe – my first pick is going to have to be the desserts
- Create a Homemade gift – grandparents love homemade gifts and kids love to make them for them!
- Watch a version of a Christmas Carol – always a Christmas classic (check your library if you don’t have this one in your own collection)
- Drive around town and look at Christmas lights – yep I’m sure we’re not alone in doing this – we make it a tradition to head out on Christmas eve!
- Build a Snowman – fresh snow is such a great time to get out and build a snowman! Don’t forget the carrot nose.
- Go sledding – Find a new favorite sledding hill!
- Build a Gingerbread house – we started this tradition a few years ago and it’s carried through, I love watching the creativity of what the kids will do with the different candies.
- Wear Christmas Jammies all day – this one I’m excited about cause I’ll be joining in too
- Cut out snowflakes – this would be fun and to do and then maybe share them with a near by nursing home (you could hang them on the outside of their window)
- Toy donation bag – we do this all month long. We have a “Santa” bag the kids fill up with their unused/no longer play with toys that Santa takes back on Christmas Eve and replaces with their new toys.
- Picnic by the tree – this is fun to do while the kids are out of school and a way to break up the day a bit
I want to hear about your family traditions? Do you guys go somewhere or do something every year around this time?
5 Non Drink Eggnog Recipes
Are you a fan of eggnog. ? Most of us seem to be an extreme one way or the other on our thoughts about the classic holiday drink. Even if you aren’t a fan of the drink though, did you know that you can make non drink eggnog recipes? It’s true.
I happen to HATE eggnog as a drink, but I love the taste of it so I was all for trying out some eggnog cookies that a friend once made at a holiday party. They were so delicious, I just knew that I had to try out even more non drink eggnog recipes. If you are like me and like the flavor, but not the drink, check out these 5 non drink eggnog recipes that you just might love!
5 Non Drink Eggnog
Eggnog Cookies
This is close to the recipe that I enjoyed when I tried out my very first eggnog cookie recipe. This recipe is actually a yummy snickerdoodle recipe, topped with a rich eggnog glazed and it is oh so good!
Powdered Eggnog Creamer
Let’s add a little Christmas flavor into our coffee, shall we? When you want holiday flavor, but peppermint isn’t your thing, this powdered eggnog creamer will do the trick.
Okay, this one technically becomes a drink, but that doesn’t count, right? 
Eggnog French Toast
Bring the taste of the holidays to breakfast! Eggnog French Toast is such a delicious holiday breakfast treat, you might just want to enjoy it year round.
Eggnog Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Who doesn’t like cupcakes? I know that everyone in my family absolutely loves these rich and tasty Eggnog Cupcakes.
Easy Glazed Eggnog Drop Cookies
Every Christmas needs holiday decorated cookies, right? These eggnog cookies are great for bringing in that great eggnog taste and for getting the kids in on the holiday fun!
5 Easy Christmas Decorations That Will Keep You on Budget
We are starting out the week of Thanksgiving! For many of us, that means that it is time to decorate for Christmas!!! If you are wondering how you can easily decorate for Christmas without breaking the budget, don’t worry. We have some ideas for you.
These 5 easy Christmas decorations will keep you on budget and get your spirits brightened!
5 Easy Christmas Decorations That Will Keep You on Budget
Your Old Christmas Stuff
First and foremost, use what you already have. Most of us that have been on our own for any amount of time at all have some Christmas decorations from year’s past. There is no rule out there that says that we need new stuff each and every year. No reason at all to spend money when we don’t need to.
Your Tree
Yes, I know trees are expensive, but they themselves are decoration and for many people, that beautiful tree lit up in their home is enough decoration for them. Also, fake trees can be used over and over again so if you already have one, no need to spend money on another. Lastly, fake trees can be bought for fairly cheap these days. (I just spotted a 4 foot pre-lit tree for $22 at Walmart.)
Hit the Dollar Store
Take $5 and head to the dollar store! I would bet that you could score a decent amount of cute Christmas decorations for that amount of money. I actually did this last week and I got some really cute stuff.
Note: Be sure and check out the entire store. I have discovered my local dollar store has several small clearance racks throughout the store which offered quite a few things for 50 cents each!
Local Buy Nothing Groups
If you are on Facebook, be sure and check out your local Buy Nothing Groups because they have some seriously wonderful people in those groups that offer up their unneeded stuff to others. I have given and received from these groups and they are awesome.
5 Things to Do Today to Get Ready for Thanksgiving
We are just a couple of days away from Thanksgiving. Have you started your Thanksgiving preparations yet? Regardless of if you are having guests over for the holiday or you enjoying your Thanksgiving dinner with just your immediate family, you are going to want the day to go smoothly.
These 5 things to do today to get ready for Thanksgiving will help your entire week go more smoothly!
5 Things to Do Today to Get Ready for Thanksgiving
Get the Turkey Out of the Freezer
If you have a turkey that is 16-19 pounds, today (Saturday) is the day to take it out of the freezer! If your turkey is smaller than that, don’t take it out yet, but be prepared to in the next day or two.
Plan Your Menu
It’s important to plan out your menu before Thanksgiving. The day and the act of cooking will go much better if you have a plan ready and you know what you are going to be cooking. It also helps you to know what you need to shop for.
Go Shopping Now
I hate, hate, hate shopping in the days before a holiday. I don’t like dealing with empty shelves (even more likely this year), and I don’t like dealing with long lines. That’s why I highly recommend that you finish off your holiday shopping today! Sure, Saturdays are often pretty busy at the grocery store, but it will be much better than if you wait until the day or two before Thanksgiving.
Deep Clean and Organize Your Kitchen
Cooking, especially when you are cooking a large meal, is much easier to do if your kitchen is clean and organized. I say get it in shape now to save yourself time and frustration this week.
Take Time for Yourself
If you are typically the cook of your family holiday dinners, this is going to be a busy week for you. Take time today to relax. Allow yourself to enjoy some quiet time now. You deserve it!
5 Fun Things to Do on a Quarantined Thanksgiving Day
This Thanksgiving will definitely be different than years past. If you’re like us, you will be celebrating the day with those in your own home. Even though you won’t be surrounded by family and friends this year, there are still some fun things you can do. Here are 5 things you could do to make this Thanksgiving a good one!
- Set up a virtual time to be together with your family. You can do this while you are actually eating your meals or before or after. You can play games together online or just talk with each other. It’s so nice we have this ability to see and talk with each other even when we aren’t in the same house.
- Watch the Macy’s Day parade. YAY! I’m so glad that this tradition will still be going on. There will not be any people lining the streets as in years past, but you can still see the fun floats and balloons and hopefully a few performers.
- Turkey bowl. If it’s decent weather where you live, then get outside and start up a turkey bowl, or football game. It can totally be a low key one if you have just a few people in your home. Play flies up, or go on a turkey run/walk/jog. Anything to get your outside and moving.
- Make Mini Pies together. Since you won’t be making big pies to share with a lot of people, why not make your own mini pies for everyone in your family? Each person can choose which kind they want and make their own! check out Sweet Chatter to get a good idea how to make these.
- Shop online. This is a great year to do all of your Black Friday shopping online. Deals will start (again) on Thanksgiving night. So be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook so we can help you get those items checked off your list!
How to Be Safe with your Personal Info When Shopping Online & Signing Up For Freebies!
With the holidays here I thought this would be a good subject to touch one. Not only is it great information to have while you’re doing a lot of your shopping online but there’s been quite a bit of freebies being offered! There are a lot of companies who offer Free Stuff in exchange for liking them on Facebook, giving them your email address or mailing information. There are a TON of freebies that I do not post about because the site looks fishy or because the company isn’t reputable enough to not sell your personal information to other companies. I really do my best to make sure I post real deals from companies that have a “personal information” disclaimer.
However, we will still run into dis-honest companies or phising schemes designed to get your information. This is why knowing how to be safe with your info is VERY important.
Mailing Address:
You will only need to enter in this information if a free sample is being sent. This is a necessary piece of information that you will be asked to give. If you don’t feel comforable giving this information out you could look into a PO Box or just opt to not sign up.
Phone Number:
Many times there will be a number field that isn’t required to submit for the offer. If it isn’t required, leave it blank. If it is, you can create a Free internet phone number that’s available from Google Voice, and apps like FreedomPop, TextNow, and TextFree. Note that many big companies offer text deals so often with companies I shop often, I’ll enter my real number when prompted.
Email Addresses:
If you would like to get emails from the company in the future, use your real email address. If you do not, or don’t like all of the email you get from companies- create a Free email account you use just for free offers. Hotmail, Yahoo!, MSN, Gmail…they all offer free email accounts to use!
Birthday:
I will only enter my real birthday if it is for a HUGE corporation that wants to reward me on my Birthday. For example, I entered my real birthday on Chain Restaurants to get free food and also on Disney Movie Rewards to get a Free DVD on my sign up anniversary date. For the rest of the offers, I wouldn’t recommend putting in your real birthday information.
Scams:
Like I said earlier, I try my very hardest to only link you guys to legitimate offers. But in case you do get a funny phone call or email asking for personal sign in information, bank information or social security information…DO NOT give that out. It may seem like an obvious thing. But, many people give that information out without even thinking.
Please be careful with other deal sites you visit as well. Not all screen the offers they post. So you could be giving your information to a “fake” offer and start receiving a lot of junk email. Just be smart and use your intuition. If it seems “off”, then it probably is!
Eat Healthy with These Tips
It is so hard to eat healthy. Trust me, I get it completely. Typical diet food is expensive and it is just so dang cheap to buy enough top Ramen to feed a crowd for the typical price of one meal. Keep in mind though, these are not healthy ways to eat. It is important that we take care of ourselves and our health now while we still have it.
Since I’ve been working on it for so long now, I wanted to try and help you learn to eat healthy with these tips and maybe save a little bit of money while we are at it.
Eat Healthy with These Tips
Shop the perimeter
Seriously, y’all, follow this tried and true advice. Shop the perimeter of your store for the healthiest options. This is where you will find the produce, meat, dairy, etc. Sure a lot of the packaged stuff says healthy on it, but I assure you, those foods have loads of additives.
Check the freezer
While not quite as healthy as their fresh counterparts, you can still find great healthy options in the freezer section. You can get many different types of fruits and vegetables frozen.
Meal plan
Making a plan for what you are going to eat for the week or month is a great way to stay eating healthy. This will ensure that you stick to healthy items when you shop for your upcoming menu.
Meal prep
Cooking in advance helps keep you from last minute, bad food choices. Trust me. It is much harder to convince yourself to drive through the fast food restaurant when you know you have a prepared meal at home.
‘Try New Things
Many healthy recipes are actually quite delicious! Be sure and try new recipes often to keep yourself from getting bored. When you are introducing your taste buds to new recipes, it will help keep you from getting burned out on the same foods over and over again.
5 Places to Find Great Deals on Christmas Gifts
Are you ready to get your Christmas preparation done? If you are feeling anything like I am these days, you are probably ready to get everything done for Christmas so that you can just sit back and enjoy the peaceful, happy parts of the holiday.
We have dealt with enough stress this year, we all deserve to have a stress-free holiday season. That’s why I am focused on getting donen early and saving money while I’m at it. I have put together this list of 5 places to find great deals on Christmas gifts in order for you to get your shopping done early and save while you are at it.
5 Places to Find Great Deals on Christmas Gifts
Your Closet
Have you picked up clearance deals throughout the year because of how cheap they are? Before you go out and shop for those on your shopping list, be sure to check through your gift closet first!
Your Creativity
If you are the creative type, why not create a gift for them? There are many, low cost DIY gift ideas out there for you. A simple Pinterest search may give you some ideas!
Your Kitchen
I’m a big fan of gifts of non “stuff.” That’s why I love to give and receive food gifts! The kitchen is a great place to find ingredients for making many fun types of food gifts like cookies, breads, and even drink mixes!
Your Local Dollar Store
There are quite a few fun gift ideas at the Dollar store. You would be surprised to find how many cute things you can find when you put them together with other Dollar store items that make super cute gifts.
Your FB Marketplace
FB Marketplace is a wonderful place to find great deals on all kinds of stuff. I have found great deals on furniture, clothes and more. I actually just bought a mini-bike for my son on FB marketplace for $300. If I would have purchased it new, it was going to cost me $900.
20 Fun Indoor Winter Activities for the Kids
It’s that time of year when it’s too cold to comfortably play outside. My kids tend to gravitate towards screens when they are getting “bored” and they say there is nothing to do. I’ve decided I need to make a list of things that the kids can do inside the house. There really is a lot for them to do, but they need options. So here are 20 fun things to do inside this winter!
- Create a treasure hunt around the house.
- Bake something new
- Create a new playlist with everyone’s favorite songs and have a dance party
- Attempt a science experiment and learn something new
- Tie Dye party- here are some instructions on how to tie dye.
- Board games or card games
- Play doh – everyone create a scene and share it with everyone else
- Make salt dough ornaments for Christmas this year
- Create a time capsule – have each person find something that represents 2020 to them and write down their thoughts on 2020.
- Built a pillow and blanket fort
- Draw portraits of each other
- Cosmic Kids Yoga
- Build an obstacle course around the house- you could even play hot lava with it
- Color in coloring books and turn on some classical music
- Make a thankful jar
- Play hide and seek or sardines
- Put on a play with costumes and accessories
- Have an indoor picnic
- Face time grandparents or cousins that live far away
- Pictionary- either on paper or you can do it with LEGOs- be creative!
5 Soups You’ll Love This Winter!
The weather is cold outside which means it’s soup season! I honestly could have soup all year round but my family has other ideas. So while I hold off the rest of the year, winter is fair game! I’ve put together some of my favorites and ones my family enjoys too!
- Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup – I found this recipe from a neighbor who brought dinner over one night and it quickly became one of my favorites. We love getting our tortellini’s at Sam’s Club and using them on other easy meals the rest of the week.
- Copy-Cat Zupas Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup – if you’ve ever been there, you know just how yummy this soup is. It’s one my daughter asks for often in our house.
- Green Enchilada Chicken Soup – this one is heavenly but I’ll warn you, lately it’s been hard getting our hands on green enchilada sauce. So if you come across some, grab it!
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup – I’m not a big fan of baked potatoes but put it in a soup and I’ll be there!
- Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup with Chicken – guys, this is the easiest and yummiest soup! Everyone enjoys this one and it’s so simple. All I do is get Pacific Foods Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup from the store, add in some chicken (rotisserie chicken works great) and heat it up. You can top it with cheese and my kids love eating it with tortilla chips.
2020 Veterans Day FREEBIES & Deals!
Veteran’s Day was created to honor the men and women who served in wars. We always love participating in these offers and plan out or day around the free activities and meals offered the military men and women & their families! Here is a roundup of restaurants and stores across the country that would like to extend an additional gratitude of thanks by offering discounted and/or free items to them.
Things to know about these offers:
- Nearly all require you to be dressed in military uniform or provide your military ID. It is best to make sure you have yours with you, no matter where you dine.
- Offers listed below are available only on November 11, 2020 (unless otherwise stated).
- Some offers available only at participating locations. Make sure to inquire prior to ordering.
Non-Restaurant Deals:
B&B’s for Vets: offers a free night’s stay to active and retired military and one guest each on and around November 10th. Space is limited, so be sure to make your reservation as soon as possible.
Car Wash: Car washes across the country are offering free car washes on November 11th, head here to find on in your area
Colonial Williamsburg: Free admission ticket for Military families from 11/11-11/15
Great Clips: Veterans and active service members who come in Nov. 11 get either a free haircut or a free haircut card to redeem with proof of military service (coupon good through December 11th)
Meineke Car Care Centers: Free Basic Oil Change has been offered in years past but I’m not finding anything online so you can check with your local location to see if their participating.
National Parks: Free entrance on Veteran’s Day (includes entrance fee)
Love Sac: 30% off for Veterans, Military Personal and their families
Publix: 10% off Groceries for Veterans, Military Personnel, and their families on 11/11
Sport Clips: Free hair cuts will be offered to active-duty US service Members and veterans on 11/11
Restaurant Deals:
54th Street Grill & Bar: Free Meal up to $12 on November 11th
Applebee’s: Contact your local Applebee’s to learn about any Veterans Day offerings in your neighborhood. Offers may vary based on local mandates and guidelines.
Back Yard Burgers: All Veterans and Active Duty Military who present their military ID or are in uniform will receive a free Back Yard Classic Burger. (This again has been offered in years past but no word yet if they’ll be participating this year)
Bar Louie: Free craft burger or flatbread of your choice to all active or retired military. (11/11 only) dine-in only
BJ’s Restaurants & Brewhouse: All vets and active military get a free entree (under $14.95)
Bob Evans: Get a free meal, from a special menu. Offer available all day long.
Buffalo Wild Wings: Free order of 10 boneless wings and fries for all vets (Dine-in and carryout only)
California Pizza Kitchen: Free Meal (list of options) November 11th
Carrabba’s Italian Grill: Free order of calamari with any purchase to all veterans, active military, police officers and firefighters with a valid ID through Wednesday
Chili’s: Free meal from a special menu. (In-restaurant only)
Chipotle: November 11th all U.S. military, military spouses and veterans get a buy one get one free burrito, bowl, salad or tacos.
Cracker Barrel: Free slice of Double Chocolate Fudge Coca-Cola Cake.
Denny’s: Active, inactive and retired military personnel get a free Build Your Own Grand Slam. Offer available November 11th from 5am-noon.
Dunkin’ Donuts: FREE Donut on November 11th for all vets and active military members
Famous Dave’s: Free lunch Georgia Chopped Pork Sandwich with side (use code VETERAN at checkout on famousedaves.com/togo) valid up to $7.49 on dine-in to go or online ordering
Firebirds Grill: Free Meal Monday November 11th only, dine in only
Golden Corral: Active or former military members who have served in the U.S. Military can pick up a promotional card at participating locations during the month of November redeemable for a FREE “Thank You” Meal! (promo card good November 1, 2020 through May 31, 2021)
Hoss’s Family Steak & Sea House: All Veterans who dine at any Hoss’s on Veterans Day will receive 20% off their meal
Hy-Vee Free Breakfast: Free curbside pick-up breakfast event for all Veterans and active military members from 6am-10am
Krispy Kreme Free Doughnut & Coffee: Get a free doughnut and small coffee. No ID required.
Lamar’s Donuts: Free donut and a 12oz coffee for all veterans and active military.
Little Caesars: Free Hot-N-Ready lunch combo from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (our personal favorite)
Logan’s Roadhouse: All military members eat free from 3pm-6pm on November 11th, dine-in only (New this year!)
Longhorn Steakhouse: Free appetizer or dessert (no purchase required, no restrictions) to anyone showing proof of military service.
Max & Erma’s: Free Hand Crushed Cheeseburger, endless seasoned fries, chocolate chip cookie and drink to all Veterans and Active Duty Military on 11/11
McCormick and Schmicks: Veterans and their parents and/or spouses receive 1/2 priced entree from a special menu on November 8th. (Reservations are required)
Mimi’s Cafe: Veterans and their families get 20% off through November 13th. Valid up to 6 guests per party. (dine-in or take-out orders)
O’Charley’s: Receive a free meal at any location on November 11th.
Old Country Buffet: Offers military specials every Monday for military members and their families with proof of service (dine-in only)
Olive Garden: Get a free entrée from a special menu to active-duty military and military veterans. The special menu features six of Olive Garden’s most popular items. Entrées are served with unlimited homemade soup or famous house salad and warm, garlic breadsticks.
On The Border: All veterans and active duty military will receive a free meal at OTB’s. The meal is from the ”Create Your Own Combo menu,” which is a “choose 2” or “choose 3” menu.
Outback Steakhouse: Free Bloomin’ Onion and a beverage November 11th (dine-in or to-go only)
Ponderosa Steakhouse: Free Buffet from 4pm – close (this has been offered in years past but unable to verify online, please call ahead to your local location)
Red Lobster: Free appetizer or dessert from their select Veterans Day menu.
Red Robin: Veterans and Active Military who are Red Robin Royalty members can redeem their FREE Tavern Double Burger with Steak Fries any time between 11/12 and 11/30 for Dine-in or To-Go.
Sizzler: Veterans and active-duty military personnel can get a a free lunch and beverage on Veterans Day. (offered before 4pm) (this has been offered in years past but unable to verify online, please call ahead to your local location)
Starbucks: Enjoy a free Tall Brewed Coffee for those who have served, currently military members and military spouses. November 11th only
Texas Roadhouse: Free dinner vouchers offered to current and former military members in the parking lot November 11 from 11am -2pm. Voucher good through June 2021
Wienerschnitzel: Free Chili Dog, Small Fries, and a Small Pepsi for Veterans and Active Duty Military Service Members on 11/11
White Castle: Receive a free breakfast combo or Castle Combo Meal #1 – #6.
Zaxby’s: Free boneless wings at participating locations November 11th only
Utah Readers
Loveland Living Planet Aquarium: Free admission for military veterans and their immediate family
Hogle Zoo Military Appreciation Day: November 11th, veterans, personnel and family will receive free admission. (this has been offered in years past but I’m not finding anything about it this year)
National History Museum of Utah: free admission for veterans and one guest on Veterans Day. (this has been offered in years past but I’m not finding anything about it this year)
Please note: things are a little different this year and we’re seeing that in the offers. Please respect covid guidelines and know, wait times might be longer than normal.
5 Things to Do to Prepare Early for Thanksgiving
Are you hosting your family Thanksgiving dinner this year? Even though the year is a strange one, many of us are looking to bring normalcy to the holidays. That’s why I am ready to start prepping for Thanksgiving already!
I’m making it a habit of writing stuff down this year so that I am fully prepared to make the holidays as easy and as low stress as possible.
5 Things to Do to Prepare Early for Thanksgiving
Gather your guest list and any special requirements.
If you are planning on having guests over for Thanksgiving, write down the list of who all you have invited and who has RSVP’d.
Now that you have your list of guests, be sure to take note of any dietary needs. You may know the answers to this already, but it’s worth double checking so that everyone can have a happy holiday!
Plan Your Menu
Spend a little bit of time planning out your menu for your Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe you always have the exact same foods on Thanksgiving, but maybe you want to mix it up a bit this year.
Be sure to include everything. What type of pies will you be having? What type of vegetable side dishes? Any other desserts?
Write out Your Shopping List
Now that you have your menu planned out, grab a notebook and write out your shopping list with EVERY SINGLE THING needed for your Thanksgiving menu. Next, “shop” your fridge/freezer/pantry to find what you already have and cross those things off of your list.
The next step is to make sure you take your list with you to the grocery store! (I have been known to forget my list a time or two).
Cook Early
You can save yourself time for the holiday if you prepare some of your food in advance. Many people actually prepare their turkey the day before. Preparing other foods in advance is good too. Stuff like homemade pie filling and crusts, or even cutting up the potatoes in advance is a great way to help you save time and frustration.
Accept offers of food/help
If someone wants to bring a side dish, say yes! Why not allow yourself a break? Every dish that someone else brings is something that you don’t have to spend time doing yourself.
5 Things to Do to Help You Enjoy the Holidays This Year
Are you ready for the holidays? Or do you have that ever-growing sense of anxiety again? The holidays are hard for many of us, so please don’t feel bad. This has been an exceptionally rough year too so I totally understand how it could be worse than normal. That’s why I have decided to put together this little list of things that we can always do to help you enjoy the holidays this year.
I hope that you are able to put some of these into action and create a new feeling for yourself and your family this holiday season.
5 Things to Do to Help You Enjoy the Holidays This Year
Slow Down
This is such a busy time of year and I know it is hard to slow down for a minute, but please do. Slow down and be intentional about the things that you do. If it isn’t bringing you joy, think twice about doing something. If the holiday activity is bringing you more stress, this is the time to think about whether it is worth it or not.
Say No
As a chronic people pleaser, I know how hard it is to say no to requests. Trust me, I really do get it. It’s totally acceptable to simply say no though. If you simply can’t make it to the holiday party or join in on yet-another holiday gift exchange. Just say “I’m sorry, but I can’t.”
Make Time for Yourself
I get it. There are things to do, places to go, presents to buy. Here’s the thing though…you HAVE to take time for yourself or it’ll just be too much. Meditate, read a book, take a bath, head out for a weekend away. Whatever you choose to do, however big or small, you just need to be sure and take care of YOU.
Set a Budget
The anxiety that many of us face is budget based and that makes perfect sense. Please don’t feel the need to spend more than you have or even close. Christmas is about your family and the love you have for them, not how much money you can spend.
DIY It
If you hate DIY, then by all means ignore this one. But if you like to DIY stuff, this is a fun way to make your holidays a little more enjoyable. DIY, arts and crafts are pretty therapeutic for some people so there’s that, but also, it really does feel good to give and get handmade gifts.
How to Make a Christmas Countdown Chain Using Your Halloween Candy
Now that Halloween is over, do you have a TON of candy? What do you do with it? How do you minimize the intake of sugar for your kids? Here is a great way to solve all of your questions- Make a Christmas Countdown Chain! This chain seriously saves me from kid tantrums and tears. Instead of them asking every 10 minutes if they can have another piece of candy, they know that they get one piece a day and each day means it’s closer to Christmas! It does take some time, but the kids can help you out! Here’s how you do it:
Supplies you need:
Plastic Wrap
Ribbon or Yarn- cut into strips long enough to tie
Scissors
Halloween Candy (# depending on when you start your chain-days to Christmas.)
Directions:
Stretch your Plastic Wrap out and keep it straight. Don’t cut it off until you are completely done. Tie Ribbon on the end and add in your first piece of candy. Next you’ll want to wrap the plastic wrap around the candy and twist the end a few times so the candy doesn’t fall out. Then add another ribbon. Repeat this step until you have all of your pieces in your plastic wrap. End the chain with another ribbon-twisting before you tie. That’s it!
Tips:
#1: If you have more than one child, consider using different colors of ribbon or yarn for each kid. That way they know which chain is theirs just by looking at the color.
#2: Remember to twist the wrap after each candy, otherwise they tend to fall out.
#3 If you don’t have enough pieces to go all the way until Christmas, consider going until Thanksgiving or even through the month of November. There can be different ending times, depending on the amount of candy you have.
10 Fun Things To Do As a Family This November!
I don’t know why but summer seems to fill up with fun activities and things to do so quickly yet when fall and thanksgiving break comes around I draw a blank. It’s like I’m burnt out all my fun ideas for the kids over the summer and am still recovering when Thanksgiving rolls around. So before it’s here and we’re trying to find some last minute ideas of what to do, I’ve put together a fun list of things we can do while the kids are out of school or just need something fun to do on the weekend!
- Thanksgiving crafts – there’s ton on Pinterest but since the kids are out a few days before Thanksgiving we’re going to pull out the craft supplies. My favorite is pictured above. I love how simple it is and something we can go out for a walk to collect our supplies.
- A Nature Walk – it’s great weather to head out on a walk. We love hitting the trails around our home.
- Pumpkin Waffles – I wanted to find some sort food project to make and bake with this kids and figured they’d love to make waffles together.
- Thankful Tree – this is going on all month but we’ll keep adding our leaves until the last day of November. I simple draw a tree on large paper and then we glue on leaves that have things we’re thankful for written on them.
- Hot Chocolate and Christmas Movies – after Thanksgiving is the perfect time to turn on your favorite Christmas movie and heat up some hot chocolate.
- Feed the Ducks – we love to go to our local duck pond with some seeds and feed the ducks! I’ll usually buy a big bag of bird food and take it down there with us. (I found one at the dollar store so it’s a cheap activity)
- Start Christmas Gifts – my kids each make their friends gifts so usually we’ll get started making those and I’ll work on our neighbor gifts. That way come Christmas week we’re not running around trying to get everything finished at ones.
- Read-a-ton – the cold weather always has me wanting to grab a good book and curl up on the couch. So bake some treats, pop some popcorn and gather the kids for a read-a-ton.
- Stem Activity – my 3rd and 4th grader loved this activity when we did it closer to Valentine’s day. And with Halloween past us, you should be able to find these on clearance for a killer price.
- If it snows over the break we’ll be making Snow Cones! It’s our favorite thing to do on the first “real” snow of the year.
What’s your family’s plan for Thanksgiving break? I hope you enjoy the time you do get with your friends and family and are able to make lots of memories.