When the question, "What are your 5 favorite holiday activities to do with your children?" was asked by Twittermoms, I knew I had to answer! Christmas is my favorite holiday because it is the one holiday for me that revolves around family, love and Jesus.
My 5 Favorite Holiday Activities to do with my daughter are:
1) Work on crafts! We make Christmas ornaments out of almost anything. Each year, we do something a little different and my daughter gives these to our family members as gifts!
2) Go look at the Christmas decorations! We will ride around one night each week (during December) and look at the decorations. We usually count the number of houses who have decorated and watch how the number increases each week!
3) Sing Christmas Karaoke! We have a blast listening to Christmas music, and when we get the chance to sing Karaoke, we can't resist!
4) Christmas Service at Retirement Home! My family holds a Christmas holiday service at a local retirement community and we sing, my father brings a message, then we have a party for the residents there. My hubby is a chef so he and (mini chef) daughter bake cookies and breads and make punch for the party. Our daughter loves to see the smiles on the faces of the elderly residents there!
5) Wrapping and rapping My daughter and I make a day of it and we wrap gifts and talk...it is so nice to be relaxed and just chat. When your mind is occupied on the wrapping, you tend to talk more freely for some reason!
These are some of our Holiday Activities....we have soooo many, I can't list them all!!
Twittermoms, along with Nickelodeon, is offering the first 30 to enter the contest (& meet requirements) a $25 Amex gift card and a Dora Christmas Carol DVD! Five LUCKY people, out of all qualifying entries, will be randomly selected to win a $100 Amex gift card and a Dora Christmas Carol DVD!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Holiday Hints and Tips
The holiday season can be a very stressful one for everyone. I always try to think of ways to make it less stressful. Here are a few of my holiday (or anyday) tips!
1) Do not try to put TOO much into one day. If you try to do too much, something WILL fall through the cracks and usually your mood suffers greatly!
2) Use your COUPONS!! Don't put them away at the holidays. I've had friends tell me that they are too busy during the holidays to use coupons. WRONG!! You need them more than ever during the holidays!
3) Don't be worried about getting everyone the absolute "Perfect" gift. Do the best you can and let it go. There is no such thing as the perfect gift or the perfect holiday!
4) Get some friends together and share the shopping. My friends and I have a blast helping each other shop. If you know a friend is looking for a toy and you're going to the toy store, offer to look for them. If you're in the same store and are in a hurry, split up the shopping lists.
5) If you have to take the kids with you, make a game out of it. Play I Spy or get them to help you look for certain things.
6) Shop sales. Look online or in the newspaper before you shop. It can save you time and money.
7) RELAX and ENJOY! It should still be fun. It is a HOLIDAY after all!
I hope you all have a blessed holiday! Merry Christmas!
A very special thanks to twittermoms and Staples!! Check out twittermoms and be one of the first 50 bloggers to share your money saving tips to get a $25 gift card to Staples and to have an additional chance to win one of the10- $100 Gift cards to Staples(randomly selected). Check out the Staples website for savings!!
1) Do not try to put TOO much into one day. If you try to do too much, something WILL fall through the cracks and usually your mood suffers greatly!
2) Use your COUPONS!! Don't put them away at the holidays. I've had friends tell me that they are too busy during the holidays to use coupons. WRONG!! You need them more than ever during the holidays!
3) Don't be worried about getting everyone the absolute "Perfect" gift. Do the best you can and let it go. There is no such thing as the perfect gift or the perfect holiday!
4) Get some friends together and share the shopping. My friends and I have a blast helping each other shop. If you know a friend is looking for a toy and you're going to the toy store, offer to look for them. If you're in the same store and are in a hurry, split up the shopping lists.
5) If you have to take the kids with you, make a game out of it. Play I Spy or get them to help you look for certain things.
6) Shop sales. Look online or in the newspaper before you shop. It can save you time and money.
7) RELAX and ENJOY! It should still be fun. It is a HOLIDAY after all!
I hope you all have a blessed holiday! Merry Christmas!
A very special thanks to twittermoms and Staples!! Check out twittermoms and be one of the first 50 bloggers to share your money saving tips to get a $25 gift card to Staples and to have an additional chance to win one of the10- $100 Gift cards to Staples(randomly selected). Check out the Staples website for savings!!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Mom Start Giveaway--Food Network Cook or Be Cooked for the Wii
Mom Start is giving away a very cool Wii Game called Cook or Be Cooked by Food Network. It is perfect for everyone who watched food network and dreams about being in a cooking competition. It has lots of levels and gets harder as you go along! Sounds like fun! Now, stop over at MomStart and enter. Remember, you can't win if you don't enter!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Twitter Moms and Target Thanksgiving Traditions
Thanksgiving means so much more to me than a just a day to pig out and watch football, so when I found out about the contest sponsored by TwitterMoms and Target, I had to participate. All you have to do is to blog about 3 Thanksgiving traditions you are (or will) pass down to your children.
1. Thanksgiving morning we snuggle together and watch several parades on television while enjoying each other's company and discuss the floats and bands.
2. Since we eat lunch at my grandparents house, I take my daughter early so we can spend some time with her great grandparents, talking about the Thanksgivings of their youth. Then my daughter helps Grandma make the homemade biscuits...the old fashion way!
3. Since my husband is a chef at a retirement community, he works until 3pm, so our family of three has Thanksgiving dinner together around 7pm. Prior to dinner, each of us takes time to write down three things we are thankful for this year. As we have dinner, we take turns sharing our three things! It is interesting to see what we have in common, and what sticks out to each of us!
1. Thanksgiving morning we snuggle together and watch several parades on television while enjoying each other's company and discuss the floats and bands.
2. Since we eat lunch at my grandparents house, I take my daughter early so we can spend some time with her great grandparents, talking about the Thanksgivings of their youth. Then my daughter helps Grandma make the homemade biscuits...the old fashion way!
3. Since my husband is a chef at a retirement community, he works until 3pm, so our family of three has Thanksgiving dinner together around 7pm. Prior to dinner, each of us takes time to write down three things we are thankful for this year. As we have dinner, we take turns sharing our three things! It is interesting to see what we have in common, and what sticks out to each of us!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Shelly's Holiday Wish List
Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme
TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.
1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?
1) All my bills to be paid! (or the lottery)
2) My house to be clean. Hey, a girl can dream)
3) My van to be clean. (dreaming again)
4) To be able to scrapbook everyday!
5) To win this sleighful of crafty gifts!
2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?
The ornament Ally made for me at school!
3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?
An entire scrapbook album.
4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?
My doll, Susie! (she was bigger than I was)
5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?
1) A PSP or an Xbox 360
2) Smackdown vs Raw 2010
3) Her own digital camera
6. What is your favorite holiday food?
Grandma's punch
7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?
Some cards and maybe some ornaments...and cookies!
8. What is your favorite holiday movie?
I love them all! Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story top the list!
9. Favorite holiday song?
Lots...Silver Bells, Joy To the World, Ave Maria, This Christmas
10. Favorite holiday pastime?
Riding around with the family looking at lights and listening to Christmas music!
To enter to win all these cool prizes below simply answer the questions in this meme, make sure to post links back to TodaysMama.com and Provo Craft (use this link: http://bit.ly/4ikY3c ) and tag your friends!
TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.
1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?
1) All my bills to be paid! (or the lottery)
2) My house to be clean. Hey, a girl can dream)
3) My van to be clean. (dreaming again)
4) To be able to scrapbook everyday!
5) To win this sleighful of crafty gifts!
2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?
The ornament Ally made for me at school!
3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?
An entire scrapbook album.
4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?
My doll, Susie! (she was bigger than I was)
5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?
1) A PSP or an Xbox 360
2) Smackdown vs Raw 2010
3) Her own digital camera
6. What is your favorite holiday food?
Grandma's punch
7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?
Some cards and maybe some ornaments...and cookies!
8. What is your favorite holiday movie?
I love them all! Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story top the list!
9. Favorite holiday song?
Lots...Silver Bells, Joy To the World, Ave Maria, This Christmas
10. Favorite holiday pastime?
Riding around with the family looking at lights and listening to Christmas music!
To enter to win all these cool prizes below simply answer the questions in this meme, make sure to post links back to TodaysMama.com and Provo Craft (use this link: http://bit.ly/4ikY3c ) and tag your friends!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Lenox & TwitterMoms Drinks of the SeasonMore Drinks of the Season Recipes
My favorite holiday drink is my grandmother's punch!
Recipe:
1 pkt of Strawberry Koolaid
2 cups of sugar
2 quarts of water
1 large can or bottle of UNSWEETENED Orange Juice
1 large can or bottle of Pineapple Juice
2 cans of ginger ale
mix all together and freeze overnight. You will get a better consistency if you stir the mixture every hour for the first 4 hours!
When ready to serve, place Punch on counter for about 20 minutes prior to serving. Place in punch bowl and chop punch up a bit. Add a little more ginger ale as desired!
I love to freeze some of the punch in ice cube trays and add it to a glass of sprite or ginger ale to enhance the flavor!
My favorite holiday drink is my grandmother's punch!
Recipe:
1 pkt of Strawberry Koolaid
2 cups of sugar
2 quarts of water
1 large can or bottle of UNSWEETENED Orange Juice
1 large can or bottle of Pineapple Juice
2 cans of ginger ale
mix all together and freeze overnight. You will get a better consistency if you stir the mixture every hour for the first 4 hours!
When ready to serve, place Punch on counter for about 20 minutes prior to serving. Place in punch bowl and chop punch up a bit. Add a little more ginger ale as desired!
I love to freeze some of the punch in ice cube trays and add it to a glass of sprite or ginger ale to enhance the flavor!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Sams Club GC Giveaway @ Not So Average Mama
Anyone who knows me already knows I love Christmas! I'm one of "those" people who shop year round. This year has been a very difficult one financially, so more than ever, my "shopping style" has benefitted us. I love to shop at Sams Club, and when I stopped by the Not So Average Mama blog, I HAD to enter her giveaway! It combined 2 of my favorite things...Christmas and Sams!!!! She is giving away a $25 Sams Club GC to one lucky person. The giveaway ends on 11/7. Considering my anniversary is 11/8, this would be AWESOME to win! Stop over at http://notsoaveragemama.com/2009/11/04/holidays-made-simple-with-sams-club/ and enter for YOUR chance to win! I made sure I did!
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