Christmas can be a consumerist holiday. Kids get excited about all the new things they will receive, and everyone buys new decorations and treats. Eventually, your living room alone can look like a department store that has exploded with items. You can still enjoy the holiday, however, without making a single purchase. Teach your children the value of recycling and not being wasteful by putting together decorations and gifts made from items you may have around the house.
Add some sugar and spice to your holidays with a homemade gingerbread house. The bright colors and icing details give holiday decor a homespun look. Use a gingerbread house as a centerpiece on the dining room table or place it in an entryway to greet guests.
Add some sugar and spice to your holidays with a homemade gingerbread house. The bright colors and icing details give holiday decor a homespun look. Use a gingerbread house as a centerpiece on the dining room table or place it in an entryway to greet guests.
The holidays are my favorite time of year. We go upstairs into the attic and start an assembly line of carrying all the boxes of holiday decorations downstairs. The one decoration that all the children get the most excited to see is the nativity scene. I can remember when I was a little girl how beautiful the nativity scene was and how much I enjoyed placing all the pieces around the stable.
Last night I attended my child’s elementary school chorus Holiday show. There’s nothing that screams “it’s the holidays” more than an hour of traditional Christmas music sang by 6 year old little boys and girls. As all the parents gathered into the small theater, I couldn’t help become distracted by the bake sale… brownies, cakes, cookies (not to mention, really HOT dads). Knowing this might be the longest hour of my life, I purchased a few brownies to help get me through the performance.
One of the best (and maybe the worst) aspects of the holiday season is all of the get-togethers. From family and friends to colleagues, there are plenty of parties to encourage the holiday spirit and ring in the new year. Cocktail parties? Check! Dinner parties? Check! Maybe even a DJ Dance Party? Check! Why not try something different this holiday season?
The best way to organize your holiday gift list is by person/category. Here's how:
I'm starting to get guilty. Guilty that I haven't made a Christmas cake yet. Guilty I may not be entirely on top of my Christmas shopping and it's 11 days out. Guilty I have't worked out the Christmas menu. I even had a dream last night about searching downtown for a favorite brand of Christmas cake- and failed. This mummy guilt is all pervasive isn't it.
The Santa lines to get your child’s picture taken have become the most traditional holiday experience for many families, mine included. It’s funny how most young children are afraid of Santa, while others look forward to their personal encounter all year long.
