Fun Treats and Surprises For Advent Calendars

How can it be possible that December is two days away? I did some shopping this morning. I thought that 9:00 a.m. on a Thursday would be a great time to be shopping, that the stores would be empty. I was wrong; the toy aisle at Target was crowded even that early. The craft store nearby was packed, too. I didn’t find many large gifts, but I did some great things for advent calendars. Here are some ideas for advent calendar treats and surprises: – Individually wrapped gourmet chocolates or truffles. They are an indulgence, but last a long time … Continue reading →

The Elf Shelf – Including Children in Holiday Fun

Today my boys got to visit the Elf Shelf at their elementary school. I’ve heard of other schools doing this, but it was a first for us. The PTA had three tables set up in an empty classroom. The tables were covered with inexpensive gifts. The children got to go and visit the “shop” during school, and could make their purchases after school. What amazed me was how excited my boys were about the “Elf Shelf”. We go to stores all the time. Just last weekend we went to an incredible toy store to look around. So I was surprised. … Continue reading →

It’s Fun Being an Elf!

Back in 2000, and at the end of every November since, I’ve undergone a transformation: I become an elf. Every woman does to an extent, I suppose. There are gifts to buy, wrap, and in some cases ship, decorations to be hung, and songs to be sung. Some even dress the part and don pointy ears, hats, and shoes. My Elfin Ways I forego the costume because it makes me too conspicuous and I’m the kind of elf who operates in stealth. You see, my deeds are quite evident, yes, but to keep the holiday magic alive it’s crucial I … Continue reading →

Thanksgiving Traditions to Try

I love reading about other people’s family traditions. Here are some traditions for Thanksgiving that I wish I’d started a long time ago. The first is the Thanksgiving tablecloth. There are several variations on this theme. The idea is to use a special tablecloth only for Thanksgiving. On the tablecloth people can write down either their names, or what they are particularly thankful for. Then you can either use fabric paint or paint markers to go over the cloth to preserve the names from year to year. I’ve also read about people who embroidered over the names and messages. When … Continue reading →

Thanksgiving Pies a Day Early – a Fun Tradition

We have two Thanksgiving traditions about pie. The first is that we make pies from scratch. Wednesday is the pie making day. Pie crust isn’t that hard, but it is a little time consuming. I make a big batch of crust and refrigerate it. As the day goes on, we almost always have one pie or another in the oven. Our standard pies are pumpkin and pecan. We usually do an apple or a cherry one too. And all those pies make the house smell wonderful. I can just pull out the dough and use it as I need it … Continue reading →

Everyone Helps With Thanksgiving Dinner

Yesterday my oldest son and I did our shopping for Thanksgiving. Some years the whole family goes and picks out things, but we didn’t have the time yesterday. The store was so crowded that I was glad everyone had not come with us. Before shopping, we did have a mini family meeting though about the menu. We don’t change it much from year to year, but we have all agreed that we need to spice it up a little. Our traditional Thanksgiving dinner is old southern family recipes. The dishes are delicious, heavy on the butter and pecans, but also … Continue reading →

Fun With Fake Snow

You might think we see plenty of snow here in Colorado. And we do. But last weekend we bought more! We took the family to one of those holiday food and craft fairs. At one booth we watched a demonstration of this fake snow. It’s a white polymer powder. You add water and it instantly expands to 100 times its size. It really looks like fluffy white snow, and it’s even cold. The snow is supposed to last for month, although we were warned we might need to spritz it with water in our dry climate. They demonstrated the product … Continue reading →

Last Minute Fourth of July Ideas

The Fourth of July always makes me a little sad. It means summer that is halfway done. The Fourth always means that by next week we will start seeing back to school displays in the stores. Tomorrow we are planning on hot dogs, potato chips, and homemade chocolate ice cream after a long hike in the mountains. And I have supplies for us to try a spray version of tie-dye t-shirts. I’ll let you know if it works. And we’ll hit our local fireworks show, too. I seem to specialize in last minute ideas for holidays. Here are some for … Continue reading →

Mother’s Day Fun

My Mother’s Days have changed a lot in the thirteen years I’ve been a mom. At first – getting a break from the baby was the best present of all. I remember taking a long hot shower, luxuriating in a cup of coffee, browsing at the library, and taking a walk all by myself. Nowadays, I like to spend at least part of the day with my family. I like to do something that is fun for all of us, but I also like to stretch their horizons a little. So I don’t pick things like putt-putt or an arcade … Continue reading →

Dr. Seuss Birthday Party

March 2nd happens to be the birthday of one of the most famous children’s book authors of all time – Dr. Seuss. While the schools may not be closed, this is as much a day to be celebrated as any other, so why not throw a Dr. Seuss Birthday Party for your family and friends? There are many ways to celebrate Dr. Seuss-style and live it up on 3/2. For starters, you can hurry over to Amazon.com and purchase some of Dr. Seuss’ books that you may not own yet – titles such as Horton Hears A Who and The … Continue reading →