Advent Day One

Last Night for our advent activity...

STICKS IN COLORED WATER!

NAH...

Rock Candy in progress.

Image via candymakinginformation.com

I found easy to follow instructions at  Easy Candy Making Information

They even have a little video.

Usually we make the more little kid friendly Borax Crystal Snowflakes. 

For rock candy you do need to make a boiling sugar syrup so best to have adult help.

Results in 2-3 days!  I'll show a pic when they're done!

P.S.  We might still do some Borax snowflakes--they're super cool!

Happy Holiday Season!

Advent Ideas: Family Activities

FAMILY ACTIVITES!

Fun things to do for advent

~Read a Christmas Story
~Sing Carols
~Walk through a neighborhood and check out the lights
~Mani or pedicures for all
~Gourmet hot cocoa night

SNOW CONES!

I'm talkin' the REAL stuff!

OLD FASHIONED MOLASSES TAFFY PULL

Recipe and image from Taste of Home

My best friend used to do this with her family every Christmas.
This will be our first year making it myself.  Hope it's as good as Tara's used to be!

GINGERBREAD HOUSE DECORATING

Image from Stuff 4 Crafts

I usually purchase a prebaked kit.  Safeway, Costco, Wilton, and other stores have their own versions for about $10.  We use up our extra Halloween candy too!

Mom Hint:  Just hot glue the gingerbread house together before the kids are home from school.  No one's really going to eat it.  The hot glue is fast and much more stable than the icing for structural hold!

**GIVE!**

This is honestly a kid favorite at our house. 
Give each child an envelope with some money and let them pick where they want to donate.  It doesn't even need to be a large amount and it doesn't even need to be money~Donate time by volunteering.  Let them do the shopping and let them be the one to drop off the donation.

Usually it's mom and dad who control the spending and get the warm fuzzie good vibes from donating.  Let the kids see how good it feels to do it. 

A few places that are great to donate money, food, time, etc.
Local Food Bank
Battered Women's Shelter
Red Cross
Animal Shelter
Heifer International
Doctors Without Borders
Humane Society
Community Christmas Basket Programs
Coats for Kids
Toys for Tots
Military Support Programs
etc., etc, etc....

Advent Ideas: Food Gifts Part 2

Sharing Advent ideas I've bookmarked throughout the year.

FOODGIFTS PART 2

Easy enough for kids to make (sometimes with a little help) and yummy enough to give as gifts!

ALMOST INSTANT CUPCAKE IN A MUG

Recipe and image from Family Fun

Check your local Dollar Stores and Ikea for inexpensive mugs

HOT COCOA MIX

Recipe and image from Family Fun

Be sure to make a batch for yourself!

SESAME CRUNCH CANDY

Recipe and image from Family Fun

I know a certain mom that might like these...just sayin'.

NEAR INSTANT PEANUT BRITTLE

Family Fun's Kid-Friendly version

Recipe and image from Family Fun

CAKE BALLS (OR POPS)

Recipe and image from Family Corner

Not just for Chocoholics!  Substitute any flavor cake mix, frosting, and candy coating to make these.

Add sticks and you've got CAKE POPS!

You can find more recipes on my Advent Ideas: Food Gifts Part 1 and Part Martha, Martha, Martha too.

Advent Ideas: Food Gifts Part 1

Sharing Advent Ideas that I've bookmarked throughout the year

FOOD GIFTS

Easy enough for kids to make (with a little help) and yummy enough to give or to munch on yourself

COOKIES & CREAM OREO BARK

Image and Recipe from Bakers Royale

Melt the chocolate in the microwave and it'll be even easier!

GRAHAM CRACKER TOFFEE

Image and Recipe from The Rusted Chain

Younger kids can help line up the grahamies, sprinkle the chocolate chips, spread the melted chocolate, break into pieces and package

*CARAMEL* & CHOCOLATE DIPPED PRETZEL RODS

Recipe and Image from Kids Caboose

To add the *caramel* to this recipe just melt a bag of unwrapped caramels in the microwave.  Pour the melted caramel into a tall mug, jar, or glass,  Dip the pretzel rod into the caramel, let dry for a bit on wax paper then dip into chocolate.

RICE KRISPIE TREAT POPS

Recipe and Image from Espresso and Cream



MICROWAVE CHEX MIX

The Original Chex® Party Mix recipe and image from Chex.com

A gift to make for those non-chocoholics!

Have fun with the recipe too...kids don't like peanuts?  Don't add them!  Add what they do like!

POPCORN SNOWBALLS

Recipe and Image from Jolly Time

I'll have more food gifts in Advent Ideas: Food Gifts Part 2 coming soon.

There are also some recipes on Advent Ideas: Part Martha, Martha, Martha

Advent Ideas Part Martha, Martha, Martha

Sharing Advent activities that I've bookmarked throughout the year.

Martha, Martha, Martha

All the following tutorials and images are from marthastewart.com.

You want to hate her, but the lady has some good craft ideas. 

BATH FIZZIES

  

BODY SCRUB

PET ID TAGS 

Shrinky Dinks!

DOGGIE BISCUITS

STRIPED SOAPS

Joel and I made these one year for his work gifts and they were a huge hit!

FOOLPROOF HOLIDAY FUDGE

EMBELLISHED UGGS

OMG!  Because I'm going to spend $200 on UGGS and let my kids (or myself) needlefelt them--LOL!

Done with Martha. 

 You can go puke now, but, really, she does have some good craft ideas.

Advent Ideas: Things to Make Part 1

Advent activities are a tradition for my kids.

My girls really like doing crafts and making things for family & friends, so that's what we focus on.

I have a bookmark called "Advent Ideas" just so I can plop internet ideas in there as I see them throughout the year.

Thought I'd share what I have so you can get ready too.
In no particular order or organization...

GIFT WRAP CADDIE
from Eighteen25

I want this for me :)

image via Eighteen25

FREEZER POP HOLDER
from Under The Table & Dreaming

Cute friend gift~be sure to include a freezer pop!

image via Under The Table and Dreaming

LEMON SUGAR HAND SCRUB
from Under The Table & Dreaming

image via Under The Table & Dreaming

PHOTO/RECIPE CARD HOLDER
from Shanty2Chic

image via UCreate

SUPRISE SNOWBALLS
from Speckled Egg

Little presents wrapped in a crepe paper snowball!

image via Speckled Egg

MARSHMALLOW SNOWMEN
from My Recipes

image via My Recipes

SNOW*Coning It!

Last night we had lots of homework, Joel was coming home later than usual (due to snow on the pass), and Alyssa was coming over to study for her Chem Final. 

I needed a quick, but fun, advent activity.  I found it at UCreate guest post by The Idea Room

SNOW*CONES!!!

Shouldn't be too surprising that I already had all the syrups, cones, straws, and even the cute little cone holders from summer clearance at Bi-Mart.  I think syrups are good for 200+ years.

Even though the event was packed with jokes about pre-flavored, lemon-lime snow, etc.; it was a blast!  We used freshly fallen snow so it was as clean as the NW can provide.

Dad even went with a two-flavored!

And it's so nice to have all three of my girly-girls in the house!

P.S.  This morning I found Tetsu, "our" hawk that visits each winter is back too!

Maybe he wants a snow-cone. 

It's the Holidays!

I have just this moment (well, maybe a few minutes earlier) realized that it's the holidays and I'm happy about it.  It's not time to make every project ever made and impress all my friends.  It's time to have fun.

Last night the kids made sugar cube houses.  Kaely had her hair wrapped in a towel and her make-up was all goobered up, so she was trying to hide and Addie was laughing at her.

When you do that, you get this...

It's my duty as a mom to do such things.  Keeps 'em humble.

I got a little gift in the mail yesterday! 

I won these from Momsreview4You.  They're Eye Candy Coolers. 

At first I thought they were kinda silly, but they're actually kinda neat.  They really do cool your wee little eye lids after a hard day.

So why did I find them here?

Little Elf maybe?

Teeny Little Village

Our Advent activity last night was to set up the little village

We had issues with pictures, but the village turned out great.

We dedicate our little village (and dorky kids) to Dad who's in Portland right now...we love you!