Merry Christmas...and fun was had by all!

We made it! Christmas Day is here and gone. Another successful holiday season and happy kids.

In the 10 years of being a parent - and juggling it all during the season - it amazes me how it does all come together. One minute I’m the poster parent for #hotholidaymess and the next I’m sitting with my coffee in hand looking at the aftermath of Christmas morning. A big holiday high five!

This was the hardest and weirdest holiday season. I missed my family. I missed holiday parties. I missed participating in their school parties and holiday shop. I missed shopping in a big, crowded mall. With all that I was thinking I lost I realized I gained so much more by being able to spend so much time with my girls. We enjoyed prepping for the holidays and making our own fun.

In the end seeing their smiles is the best part of the season and we enjoyed our mermaid christmas.

Happy Holidays!

Day 12 - Fun Holiday Kits

We kept ourselves very busy this season! I tried to introduce my kids to some different crafting.

I found these fun Santa cookie trays from Home Depot. The girls loved using the hammer and pounding in all the nails themselves. They turned out really cute.

Another fun kit came from Brass Tacks Kits. They made sparkly holiday lanterns that they used as night lights all month. We made a reindeer and snowman. I was surprised how detailed the kit was, but they were able to follow each step. These were just like the Halloween lanterns we made this year and loved. I was so happy to find a holiday version.

I am fortunate my kids love crafting, but even those who don’t would find some of these kits very rewarding and a good keepsake for parents.

Day 11 - Holiday Beauty

The holidays can also be a fun way to change up a beauty routine.

I decided this year to surprise my girls with some holiday themed beauty products they could enjoy all season.

The first was some sugar scrubs from Simple Sugars. My girls loved the candy cane and gingerbread scents. I was so excited by the new butterscotch scent and orange + clove. These made each shower so festive.

The other surprise was some holiday nail polish. This year we tried Olive & June. Their Santa Baby set was everything we needed for DIY holiday manicures.

Now they are holiday ready from head to toe!

Day 10 - More Ornaments!

Since my kids are doing virtual school this year I was planning to not get my annual ornament that they made in school.

I planned for them to make an annual ornament so I could have something to keep from their fleeting elementary years. Since the gingerbread play doh was such a hit we decided on classic salt dough ornaments. This year I decided to add in some cinnamon and so glad I did! Not only did they smell good when they were baking, but they still smell good on the tree days after.

Once the ornaments were dry I let the kids decorate them with glitter glue, paint, or whatever is around the house. Then we will have a keepsake from this year. Here is the recipe we found online and used.

Salt Dough Ornaments

2 cups flour

1/2 cup salt

3/4 cups water

I added in 2 Tbsp. cinnamon

And learn from a previous mistake - add the hole to hang the ornaments before you bake!

Day 9 - Holiday Movie Nights

We adore all the holiday movies.

During the month of December I let us become extremely lazy and eat dinner in the family room while we watch whatever movie is on Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas. It has become our lazy tradition, but it is usually the only time of the day when we watch TV.

This year I had two goals with our viewing. First - to introduce my girls to a few classics that I enjoyed when I was little like It’s a Wonderful Life and All I Want for Christmas.

Second - was to create a few themed movie nights. Most of the classics lend themselves well to a theme…and I love a theme!

One of my favorite nights was our Grinch night. We watched the newer Grinch movie that came out In 2018 and enjoyed some grinch Rice Krispie treats. I plan to keep experimenting with other movie nights.

Day 8 - Hot Chocolate Craze

There must be an old adage with kids that if you do something once be prepared to do it over and over again.

This can be said of me surprising the kids with an afternoon hot chocolate while they were doing their school work.

For the days that followed they requested hot chocolate every day. Of course I obliged because it was a good time for a coffee break for me. My littlest even started using her afternoon break time to prepare it. Not just a powder mix for her - she got out the whisk and made it from scratch.

We even enjoyed the hot cocoa bomb craze this year. We would make a few rounds of them and they were ready to add to warm milk. The ultimate holiday afternoon treat!

Day 7 - Did Someone Say Slime?!?!

This past spring when we were sheltering at home I was constantly asked “can we make slime”?

Usually the answer was NO, but on the rate occasion that I needed to finish a few work items I would give in and then instantly regret it.

This particular weekend the question was asked, but instead of just saying no I offered to make gingerbread play doh. Not slime, easier to get out of the carpet and smells great too. Win, win, win!

This was very easy for the kids to mix up and they could use all the cutters from making cookies. It also lasts for several days, so you can actually use it a few times.

For a different variation add mint instead of cinnamon.

Holiday Play Doh

2 cups flour

2 cups water

3 Tbsp. oil

1 cup salt

1 Tbsp. ground ginger

2 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 Tbsp. nutmeg

Mix all the ingredients except the flour in a sauce pan on medium heat. Add the flour. Reduce heat and stir until the dough forms. Knead well.

For the mint version follow the same instructions, but instead of the spices add 2-3 Tbsp. peppermint extract.

Day 6 - Bring on the Sugar Cookies

My mom makes the best sugar cookies. There is no cookies that is more Christmas to me than cut out sugar cookies.

I realized long ago that the kids enjoy decorating the cookies much more then rolling them. This year I got smart and made the cookies in the afternoon while they finished school. Once they were done the cookies were cooled and ready to decorate. They spent at least two hours painting and decorating their cookies with sprinkles.

There is nothing sweeter than watching little hands make cookies.

My new favorite sprinkles are Fancy Sprinkles. They are gorgeous and really made the cookies beautiful this year. Too bad these won’t last until Christmas Day.

Day 4 - You Can Never Have Too Many Candy Canes

One of my favorite holiday memories is making a beaded candy cane ornament during a school holiday party. I think I was in Kindergarten or 1st grade, but that ornament meant so much to me. I don’t know if I had fun making it or the the pride I felt each year hanging it on the tree when my mom would tell me how great the ornament was. Either way I love that ornament.

Each year I drag out all my beads, make my girls sit down with me and we make candy canes. This year I was lucky enough to introduce my little nephew to the fun. Not only are they charming, but they are a great finger dexterity lesson.

Day 3 - All Things Hallmark

Christmas season starts with a good Hallmark Channel movie.

I can’t help but be a little obsessed with all things Hallmark. I anxiously await how many new movies will be coming out for the year and read each description to plan my viewing.

This year I was so excited to learn there was a companion book! Like Christmas morning all month long! This book is very fun and full of behind the scene information about the movies. fun recipes and stories. My girls and I made some fun things from the book. There is a chocolate chip cookies recipe that was very good.

If you love the movies I highly recommend this book.