Category: Holiday

Candy Cane Reindeer with Reindeer Tags + More Reindeer Treats

Add these Reindeer Tags to a fun treat like Candy Cane Reindeer on Christmas Eve, and watch your kids light up with the Christmas magic as they find a treat left by Santa’s Reindeer.

GRAB YOUR CANDY CANE REINDEER TAGS HERE

Last year it was a few nights before Christmas eve when I had the fun thought to leave treats in the kid’s stockings from Santa’s Reindeer. It was a last minute thing, and while fun to do, I wasn’t able to take pictures that truly showed how fun it was. This year I gave myself a bit more time to get it together, and as I thought about it I knew I had to get my sister involved! So I called her up and asked if she would design some Reindeer Tags for my Candy Cane Reindeer.

Didn’t she do a fabulous job? I play at art sometimes, but my sister is a true artist. She whipped this drawing out a day after we talked. I love how proud the Reindeer looks, I pretend because he knows what an important job he has pulling Santa’s sleigh.

Having just the 3-year-old at home these days meant I could actually make the Reindeer and take the pictures with him hanging around. After all, he can’t read yet and was fairly entertained with the extra Candy Canes I passed his way (he made a full garage out of them to park all his cars). So I spent my afternoon making some cute reindeer to attach the beautiful tags my dear sister made, and which you can purchase a download of from her Etsy store AlgaeArtandCrafts.

All you need to make Candy Cane Reindeer are Candy Canes, googly eyes, pipe cleaners and a little hot glue. I’ll let the pictures do the rest of the talking here. A little ribbon is all you need to add the touch of the gift tag.

I saw this really cute idea over on A Day In Motherhood for Reindeer Food. You could leave it out with the milk and cookies for Santa, in hopes for the Reindeer to leave a little goodie. Or you could make Reindeer Chow Muddy Buddies found on This Silly Girl’s Life. While these are great for the kids to help make on Christmas Eve, you may want to check some of these other Reindeer ideas out to leave for the kids attached with the Reindeer Tags.

Reindeer Noses from The Thankful House

Reindeer Candy Cane Pudding Cups from Snack Pack

Reindeer Chuppa Chups from Brisbane Kids

Nutter Butter Reindeer from Cook Crave Inspire

Reindeer Hot Chocolate from Thrifty Jinxy

Gingerbread Reindeer Cookies from Jelly Bean Trail

If you’re not into leaving more treats, because we all know the sugar overload will be ever present already, Santa’s Reindeer could also leave a fun game or hat to wear. Like this Rolla-Reindeer from Seven Thirty Three or this simple Reindeer Hat from Education.com.

What would you attach these Candy Cane Reindeer Gift Tags to?

December 15, 2015
Decorate for Christmas while enjoying a Peeps® Hot Cocoa Bar + WIN a Package of Holiday PEEPS®

This is a sponsored post. The PEEPS® and PEEPS & COMPANY® products, information, and additional gift pack have been provided by PEEPS® and PEEPS & COMPANY®. All opinions are 100% my own.

Decorate for the holidays, or go caroling and invite everyone back to your place for a hot cocoa bar, made all the more merry with Holiday Peeps®. It’s an easy no stress party, you just have to set out!

I was looking outside last week and realized we’d kind of neglected our outdoor space. We’ve been so busy, there just hasn’t been time to care for it like I’d like. Knowing we had a fairly nice day coming up on Saturday I started making plans. I had my package of Holiday PEEPS® on hand, and Mark the day off. Friday night I made sure the inside of the house was clean, so Saturday we could spend the whole day outside!

I sent the kids out with rakes and trash bags to work on the leaves, gave Mark the job of hanging some Christmas lights up, and I took to preparing the Hot Cocoa bar. The kids kept running over to check out each package of PEEPS® I pulled out, and therefore got very little yard work actually done.

Christmas trees, Reindeer, Snowmen, Gingerbread Men that smell amazing, and Peppermint covered PEEPS®! The kids could NOT wait to get started on this party. “I want that one! Can I have 2? How about one of each!?” I worked as fast as I could, but I also wanted them to get yard work done, so I definitely made this a party worth waiting for. Adding a touch of red ribbon around the styrofoam cups added a perfect holiday feel without being over board or too complicated. I matched them with green straws for a well rounded Christmas look.

The Hot Cocoa was finally warm – but not too hot – the cups were ready, and our PEEPS® were looking fabulous. All the kids had to do was pick their favorite creamer flavor, and which PEEPS® they wanted on top. Then the fun really began.

Later this week, or possibly next I plan on doing some caroling. It’s a great way to get the kids learning some Christmas songs, and the perfect opportunity to meet our neighbors and take them some little gifts I made. Who knows maybe some of them will come caroling with us creating a snowball effect, and then we’ll all come back here for more hot cocoa and PEEPS®! This could also be fun to do for an early morning teachers meeting, or work party.

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Liked this? Try Creamy Pumpkin Spice Hot Cocoa

December 7, 2015
St Patricks Day Coffee Filter Wreath

I had so much fun putting this St Patrick’s Day Coffee Filter Wreath together while sitting on the floor with the kids. I had made a pink one in February with some friends that I just loved. While we sat there poking holes in cardboard, we surmised how cute a St Patty’s day one would be. This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you click on and make a purchase.

Coffee Filter Wreath

This is such an easy craft that anyone can do it. You need a total of 4 items, that you most likely have on hand.
– green tempera paint
– Round cardboard – I used the cardboard from frozen pizza.
– coffee filters
– skewer

You start by dyeing your coffee filters in the tempera paint. I poured a few tablespoons of the tempera paint in a glass bowl, then added some water. The water helps the coffee filters soak it up better. Dip the edges of the filters in the paint, and then flip over to dry. I let mine dry overnight and well into the morning the next day.

Once the coffee filters are dry, it’s time to do some poking! Using the skewer, poke holes through your cardboard. They don’t need to be very close, about a 1/2″ to 1″ apart. and then just kind of scattered around the cardboard. Most likely you’ll skip filling some of the holes even.

Now that you have the holes made, you can start filling them with the dyed coffee filters. To do this, gently wrap the filters around the skewer again, and push it through the hole. Grab the skewer on the back side to help glide the filter through. This was the most time-consuming part, but it was something I could do while the kids played next to me. Princess R colored me some pictures, while little Prince built towers with the LEGO’s. It was a kodak moment I tell you!

To finish off the look, and to avoid it being just a green blob, I added some festive “Happy St Patrick’s Day” ribbon – that I bought eons ago, knowing one day I would use – and some little shamrocks. Confession, I did take apart the kids Shamrock necklace so I could add them to the wreath. They only curiously asked what I was doing though, so I believe we’re safe.

May the Luck of the Irish be with you!

March 15, 2015
Valentine Cupcakes

See my 2 favorite methods for topping cupcakes, and then make your own! Candy Cut-Outs and melted chocolate make beautiful toppers for Valentine Cupcakes. This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you click on and purchase through them.

Originally posted on Your LDS Blog.

I love Valentines Day! It’s such an optimistic holiday as we share our love with those close to us. Some may argue with me, but I’ll keep loving this holiday, and sharing my love with those around me.

This weekend our ward put together a Valentines Dinner and Talent Show for the adults. I skipped signing up for a talent, because well, there are some talents that just aren’t shareable for a show. However, I did sign up for a dessert and decided it would count just fine as my talent. The method I’m going to share is actually really simple and can be used in so many other applications to make it your own.

There are 2 ways I prefer to decorate cupcakes. Well, 3 if you count just topping them with frosting and sprinkles, but let’s get real, we all love having a little more decor on the top right? Method one involves a little melting on the stove, and method 2 you’ll need some cookie cutters.

Here’s what you’ll need – White Almond Bark and red food coloring (or whatever color you want!), piping bags, and the smallest piping tip you have, a cupcake (I made these heart surprise cupcakes), frosting, and starbursts or tootsie frooties. I usually prefer tootsie frooties, as they just mold better, but since I couldn’t find any at the store, I went with Starbursts.

Method 1

On LOW heat melt the almond bark. Add 2-3 drops of food coloring. and stir until well mixed in. Let the almond bark cool slightly, but not too much or it will start to harden back up. Lay out some parchment paper, and begin piping your designs.

Method 2

If you are using starbursts, you’ll need to microwave them for about 10 seconds. Tootsie Frooties can skip this step. Use a rolling pin to roll out the candy and then cookie cutters to cut out the shapes. If you want to get a little bigger on your designs, just smoosh a couple candies together. For a more 3D design use your hands and mold the candies into your preferred shape.

Now you can skip the fondant that no one likes anyway, and still have smooth designs to add to your treats. For more inspiration see how I used Tootsie Frooties for Princess Peach Cupcakes.

February 12, 2015

DIY Gingerbread Planes Hangar

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PlanesToTheRescue #CollectiveBias

Have you made a gingerbread house yet? Why not mix it up and build a Planes Hangar instead! Are your kids home for the Christmas break? Are they driving you nuts? Yeah mine too. Don’t get me wrong, we’re having lots of fun, but without the regular routine, I’ve heard probably a million times in the last 2 days –

I’m bored!
We have nothing to do.
You won’t let us do anything!

Well, we had to remedy that asap! Really though children, you have a room full of toys and dress ups, I’m sure you can find something to do – am I right?! Earlier last week, I was walking the aisles of Walmart since it’s too cold to go outside, and I found the Planes Fire and Rescue toys on Rollback! Woot Woot! I know the kids are going to get new toys on Christmas, but that’s not until Thursday and we needed something to break up the monotony of days spent indoors.

My lightbulb dinged, so I grabbed a couple of the Planes:Fire and Rescue Character Assortment die cast set ($4.97 each!). I thought how fun would it be to make our own hangar – it’s like a doll house but for planes!I get home and I’m pulling out the cardboard to make this cool vision in my head, when in walks Mark and says something like “Why don’t you make it out of gingerbread?”.

I knew I married this guy for a reason. So I put my cardboard away and started making the gingerbread – which soon became apparent I was terrible at! Seriously, ya’ll my ideas were failing left and right, and my beautiful vision was dimming. That’s when Mark stepped in and I stepped back with the camera, and the vision in my head became a reality plus some!
We didn’t want the kids to know what we were doing, so we sent them to the other room and turned on the Disney Planes Movie.

First you’ll want to make some gingerbread. We doubled this recipe from Food Network. Follow the recipe up until rolling it out. Before you roll the dough, split it into three portions. Roll out on the back of 3 cookie sheets, or if you have a cookie sheet without a lip use it like normal. Bake according to directions. When it comes out of the oven, you’ll want to start cutting your shapes while it’s still hot! Otherwise it will harden and be impossible to cut.

Sheet 1 you will cut it in half width ways. Then round the tops. Measure the sides to make sure they are an even length all around. On one side cut out the doorway for your planes. Cut the cut out in half to attach as doors to the opening.

Sheet 2 you will just cut in half, and trim the edges to be the same height as your front and back pieces. These will be your side walls.

Sheet 3 is your roof tiles. Trim the edges, then cut in strips width ways. Let all the pieces dry sufficiently, about an hour or 2. Save all the trimmings, and crush finely for ground covering to complete the scene.

While Mark was busy with the gingerbread making and assembly I cut out the Planes: Fire and Rescue logo from the packaging. It made quite the nice little touch to our finished hangar.

Once the pieces are sufficiently cooled, it’s time to start assembling. We’re big chocolate lovers, so we decided to go with some good old chocolate frosting for glue. Any type of frosting will work, though royal icing will stick the best, we just used a creamy frosting. Watch this quick slide show of the assembly process.

The final touch before presenting this to the kids was the gumdrop propeller. Mark saved one edge from the sheets of gingerbread and carved it into a propeller. We added some frosting, sprinkles, and a gumdrop nose.

Finally it was done. My vision of awesome was complete! So although I am most definitely NOT an engineer, Mark saved the day and made the kids some of the happiest ones around.

Presenting the kids with their Gingerbread Plane Hangar with the new Disney Planes toys was a blast, and the exact kind of break we needed. They had fun flying Dusty over the chocolate pretzel forest, landing him on the roof, and attempting to eat the roof.

Need a last minute Christmas gift? Also on Rollback at Walmart are:

Disney Planes Flight to the Finish Speedway
Disney Planes Fire & Rescue Die-Cast Vehicles, 3-Pack
Disney Planes Fire & Rescue Deluxe Talking Vehicle Assortment
Disney Planes Character Assortment die-cast set

By the end of the day our Plane Hangar didn’t look too much like a hangar anymore. The gumdrop propeller had been replaced with a half eaten Santa, and the roof “caught fire” and collapsed on the poor characters. It’s all good though, because the Disney Planes are all pretty tough!

If you’re looking for some last minute fun before Christmas, and haven’t made gingerbread houses yet, I suggest you mix it up and try the Gingerbread Hangar instead.

What will you be doing to entertain kids this week? Share with me your holiday plans!

December 22, 2014

Tips for a Stress Free Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is arguably the most underrated holiday of the year. Tables filled with delicious turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetables, cranberry sauce, and pies entice families all over the country to gather together to eat, laugh, and share memories. It’s practically a get out of jail free card for noshing on all the yummy food you can eat!

If you are hosting Thanksgiving this year, the holiday may be losing a bit of its shimmer as you contemplate the gazillion things you have to get done before turkey day finally arrives. In order to save you and your family from a possible meltdown, burnt turkey, and another crazy family story to tell at family reunions for years to come, take a little time to prepare in advance. A few minutes of early prep will make your day a little less crazy and a lot more enjoyable.

Shop Ahead

Do not wait until the day before Thanksgiving to hit the stores for food. Not only will you be joining a throng of cranky procrastinators, you’ll be adding unneeded extra stress. Purchase your food as far in advance as possible; you may even already have some non-perishables lying around the house, as these can remain fresh for months at a time. You can even purchase your turkey in advance. If you do happen to forget an item, you’ll only have to run to the store to grab one or two things instead of a cart full.

Prepare Your Kitchen:

A week or so before the big day, take an inventory of your kitchen. Review the recipes you plan to use (and pull them out so you can access them when you need them) to make sure you have everything you need, either in your kitchen or on your shopping list. Make sure to calibrate meat thermometers, clean out the fridge, free up Tupperware dishes and dust off holiday décor.

Use Paper Plates:

I know this may sound terribly untraditional and unholy for some families, but if the idea of tackling a million dishes and pans is enough to make you swoon, consider opting for paper plates instead. You’ll save time on cleanup, which means you get to spend more time playing games and talking with your family.

Cook Ahead:

If you are hosting a big party, it’s likely you have a lot of cooking to do. It can be overwhelming and your kitchen may not be suited for cooking 15 different food items at once. Bake everything you can in advance. Pies, cakes, and other desserts can easily be made and stored at least 24 hours in advance (you can even freeze pies to store them longer), casseroles can be prepared in advance, and drinks and juices can be prepared. Get as much of the food that will hold over well cooked the day before and simply reheat when dinner rolls around. Your turkey, stuffing, rolls, and gravy should not be among those prepped early.

Image Source: personalcreations.com

Sort the Plates:

If you spend most of Thanksgiving morning cooking and plating entrees and sides, you don’t want to waste time digging through the cupboard looking for your favorite dish or the right sized platter for your veggie tray. Pull out the serving dishes the night before and label each dish with a sticky note telling you what dish will be used for which food item. While you are preparing food the next day, you can just grab and go!

Ask for Help:

The best way to reduce stress, save time, and bring the family closer together is to ask everyone to bring a salad, desert or other side dish. You can cook the turkey and another dish or two, but ask that your family members bring over other side dishes so you can spread the workload around.

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time for families to get together and talk over a comfortable meal. Preparing for the big day should be fun and as easy as possible. Keep yourself in the holiday spirit by taking a little extra time before Thanksgiving morning to prepare.

Author Bio: Preston Davis is a first time dad, blogger and DIY extraordinaire. Master of the grill and all things culinary, he currently lives in Southern California with his wife and their 2-year-old daughter. Follow him on Twitter to see what he’s up to: @withPreston.

November 24, 2014

For the Beauty of the Earth

On this beautiful Memorial Day, we decided to take a family trip up to Heber Valley and walk around the Cascade Springs. It is a beautiful area. If you live in Utah, or ever have a chance to visit, I recommend taking some time to visit this natural beauty. While walking around and taking photos of the scenery and the kids, I couldn’t help but think of the words to For The Beauty of the Earth by Folliott Pierpoint.

For the Beauty of the Earth

For the Beauty of the Skies

For the Love which from our Birth

Over and Around us lies.

For the Beauty of Each Hour

Of the Day and of the Night

Hill and Vale, and Tree and Flow’r

Sun and Moon, and stars of light

For the Joy of Human Love

Brother, Sister, Parent, Child

Friends on Earth, and Friends Above

For all Gentle Thoughts and Mild

I hope on this Memorial Day, you’ve taken a little time out to spend with your families. They are the reason men and women fight for our country, to protect our homes, families, and freedoms. To them I say Thank You – from the bottom of my heart, you are appreciated and not forgotten.

May 26, 2014

5 Best homemade Fathers Day Gifts

I just love Fathers Day! Holidays like this one, though make me want to get a little more simple and homemade. We buy nice things for birthdays and Christmas, but when it comes to celebrating parenthood, I like it to come a little more from the heart. These 5 homemade Fathers Day Gifts speak to Dad from the heart of children.

5 Best Homemade Fathers Day Gifts

1. Car Shirt from The Blue Basket

Perfect for the overworked Dad taking naps on the floor. Minimal effort for Dad, but the kids will remember an activity like this their entire lives!

2. Tie Basket from Me – directions below.

An easy way to keepsake kids handprints while making a useful treat basket for Dad.

3. Father’s Day Photo Collage from Positively Splendid

I love this sentimental display of love from children. This would be great for any Dad’s office desk, or nightstand

4. Father’s Day Treat Jar from My Sisters Suitcase

One of my favorite LDS Children’s hymns is “I’m so glad when Daddy comes home”. Putting the words onto a jar full of kisses will make anyone smile.

5. Father’s Day Shirt and Tie from Paper Crave

Sometimes a good mix of homemade and store-bought is needed. These treat bags are the perfect way to wrap Dad’s gift.

Last year I had fun putting together the Tie Basket with the Princesses. They got to put their hands in some paint, and leave their mark around the terra cotta pot. I cut a simple tie out of fabric and hot glued it on. We then filled it with Mark’s favorite treats.

I absolutely love all these ideas I’ve come across over the years – and thanks to Pinterest can actually find again!. This year I did something similar to Positively Splendid’s Photo Collage. Instead of a single collage though, I made a photo book . Included in it, I asked the Princesses a few different questions about their Daddy. Things like

What’s your favorite thing about Daddy? and Why is Daddy your Superhero?

I learned that I need to talk to them each separately. Otherwise, they end up all saying the same thing

Daddy gets us apples and bananas when they’re too high.

I had so much fun making this book for Mark, and going through old pictures of the kids. Now I’m trying to make one for my own Father and Mark’s Dad. Unfortunately, I’m always a little late on my timing, so the photo books are going to get here after Fathers Day, but they will be worth the wait!

Are you looking for a few more fun and creative Fathers Day Ideas? Check out the free PDF file from Disney Planes full of Fathers Day Activities.

Happy Fathers Day to all the Dad’s out there!

June 13, 2013

Happy Valentines Day

Today I would just like to tell you –

Happy Valentines Day

Cherish those close to you. Give of yourself today, so your children will never question that you love them. Disregard the angry words spoken in the past and start anew.

I know there are many nay-sayers to this day of love. They argue we should love and show love every day of our lives. True. But why not have a day where we can really focus on that. A day to truly remember and focus on our love. Every day of the year should be special, but we often get lost in the hustle and bustle of life. Today allows us to slow down and remember.

So online friends, I wanted this to be kept short and sweet. Get offline, and go shower you family with love.

February 14, 2013

Tuesday Tips – Valentines Day

photo credit

As I “meet” people online, I am continually surprised by the number of people who dislike Valentines day. I’ve heard it called a pointless holiday. I’d like to try and change that thinking. Use today to bring Love back into your home.

Now granted, I am a romantic. I love showing and receiving love. Do we need a special holiday just to show our special someone we care? As women do we need a special holiday to feel loved? I hope not. BUT by putting aside one day of the year to spread some extra love, we can do great things.

Today I’d like to challenge you to go above and beyond to show your family, co-workers, and friends that you care. It will make their day, and I will be surprised if it doesn’t put a smile on your own face as well.

Over the weekend, I was starting to fall into a little depression. Nothing severe, but I just wasn’t as happy as I usually feel I am. I’m a positive person, I like to see the glass overflowing, but I hit a funk. We all do at some point. So today, I woke up and made a conscious decision to get out of it (those who suffer depression on a deeper level, I know that’s not as easy for you. I do understand and I hope you can get something from my words today as well).

I actually had a pretty awful night, between a massive headache that felt like either a sledgehammer hit the insides of my brain, or a bomb went off in there, and an almost 2-year-old who just needed some mommy love all night long, I didn’t get a lot of sleep. I could have gotten up this morning, and complained to Mark (OK I did a little), or even just stayed in bed, but instead, I got up early put a smile on. I actually got to sit down and eat breakfast with Mark. A very rare occasion indeed.

Today, I plan on letting the kids get messy. We’ll pull out paints, maybe have a bubble bath. Do some more crafts, and enjoy the day. If they want to do something today, I plan on saying YES (within safety reasons).

via Bits of Everything

We’re also going to make a special candy bar card for Mark, and deliver it during his lunch. We’ll even stay and eat lunch with him! It’s not something we ever do because it just doesn’t fit that great into my schedule. Today, though, I’m going above and beyond. I’ll go a little out of my way, to let Mark know I love him.

via Rodelle Kitchen

I also plan on making this yummy Cocoa Creme Brulee. Mark loves creme brulee. I hardly ever make it because it takes a fair portion of time, time that I don’t always feel like I have. Today, though, I will make the time. (hopefully, Mark does not read this blog today!)

We all show our love in different ways. Some may be romantic throughout the year. But I think the majority of us easily get caught up in the day to day tasks to really focus on those around us. To me, that is why Valentines Day is not a pointless holiday. It’s a good reminder to step back from our daily grind and show a little extra love to those around us. Celebrating a day like today, can bring peace, joy, and love back into your home. Make today count!

February 14, 2012

Category: Holiday

What would you attach these Candy Cane Reindeer Gift Tags to?

Coffee Filter Wreath

May the Luck of the Irish be with you!

Tips for a Stress Free Thanksgiving

Shop Ahead

Prepare Your Kitchen:

Use Paper Plates:

Cook Ahead:

5 Best Homemade Fathers Day Gifts

Happy Valentines Day