Cinnamon Ornaments Recipe
Christmas isn't complete without adorable handmade cinnamon ornaments. Add in adorable little helpers and some cinnamon and you've got a party!
Christmas Eve Traditions
Growing up, Christmas Eve was one of the most special nights of the year. My family would all go to my grandparents house and my grandma would spoil us all rotten with delicious food and amazing company. It was the evening we all looked forward to all year long.I always knew I wanted to carry on my grandmother's holiday traditions with my own family.I wanted them to see when they were so special to all of us growing up and to be able to start a few of our own. One tradition they love is decorating ornaments on Christmas Eve.As a little girl I always knew it was Christmas Eve by the smell of cinnamon. My grandmother's kitchen would be filled with the smell of cinnamon and she baked our ornaments. I don't know if she knew just how much I loved waiting at the table for them to be done. I loved watching her mix the ingredients together, roll out the dough, and then eagerly wait for them to be done.When they cooled we would all take turns decorating them. Parents sat down with their kids and wrestled over the best ones. When they finished, they would write their names and the year on their ornament, and put it on the tree.You could look at any of our Christmas trees and see dozens of ornaments from over the years. They fill our homes with the smell of cinnamon and remind us of how much fun we had making them.
Cinnamon Ornaments Recipe
Ingredients:
1 C Cinnamon1 C ApplesauceString*Optional* Glitter
Directions:
Pre-heat your oven to 250 degrees.Combine the cinnamon and applesauce in a small bowl.When your ingredients are completely mixed together, sprinkle cinnamon on a cutting board and roll out your dough. Your dough should be about 1/2 inch thick.Pick out a few of your favorite cookies cutters and cut out your ornaments. Be sure to poke a hole at the top so you can attach string to it later. Lay down a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and spread out your ornaments.Cook your ornaments for 2-3 hours until they're hard. Or you can leave then out overnight until they dry completely.Now they're ready for decorating!
What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Easter Cookie Cake Pops
As my kids get older, they're starting to expect more from the holidays. They look around to see what other families are doing and create their own little ideas.It ends up with me scouring Pinterest for ideas to keep up with them! The problem is I'm not that crazy creative Pinterest mom! I have three boys and I need simple, easy to follow instructions! If not, I end up butchering it all! At least my fails in the kitchen make hilarious memories for the boys! They love when I mess up in the kitchen!
This year I'm not taking any chances! I've enlisted all three of my little kitchen helpers so we can succeed and make some delicious treats for Easter!We decided to whip up some tasty Easter cookie cake pops! They couldn't be easier to make and they're a huge hit in our house! As soon as they're ready you better be prepared! Your little kitchen helpers turn into cake pop thieves!
These cake pops won't last long, but they're worth it! Perfect for chocolate lovers or a treat to celebrate a successful Whole 30 program!
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If you and your little helpers want to make these Easter cookie cake pops head over to your local Walmart! Pick up a bag of Nestlé® Toll House® Ultimates Chocolate Chip Lovers Cookie Dough! It makes this recipe incredibly easy! They do all the hard work for you!Head over here for more Spring inspired recipes!
Simple Ways To Get Your Kids Involved During The Holidays
As we decorate our homes with sparkly lights, fresh cut trees, and more glitter than our spouses may like... we continue to enjoy the holiday season. I love it all.I love feeling the weather get colder.I love seeing my neighbors put up their lights.I love watching Christmas movies with my family.My kids are finally at ages where they want to partake in it all. Which means our tree ends up a little lopsided, the decorations consist of paper chains (everywhere), and everything takes a bit longer. The OCD side of me screams to do it all myself, but where's the fun in that?I love watching how they put their own precious mark on our traditions.Sometimes it can get a little tricky to find things they can help with, especially as our home fills with our family members from around the globe. This year I've been trying to think ahead on how they can get involved.The last few years we've gone to visit my husband's side of the family. I hardly see my kids the whole time we're there. They run off to their cousin's and soak in all their time together. I love seeing how close they all are.The closer you look, you realize the kids aren't really doing their own thing the whole time. They have their own little jobs throughout the holidays. The whole family has a role to play and it makes it run smoothly. Little things may come up like they do every other day of our lives, but it doesn't phase them. Everyone makes it work.It's a tradition that we happily continue in our house. Our kids are getting older and their roles are starting to change. Sometimes they're even the big kids in the house, which they love of course!
6 Simple Ways To Get The Kids Involved During The Holidays
Make The Decorations
Let the kids help make place cards and decorations for everyone. They can use simple things from around the house or even some cinnamon sticks from Nanamma's pantry. When they see everyone's faces as they sit down for dinner and see their place cards, they'll feel a huge amount of pride!
Prepare The House For Guests
There's always something to clean when guests come into town. Hand them a paper towel roll with some spray and let them go to town. They can wipe down all the counters, tables, windows, and even throw a bit of laundry in there. It's an easy job to delegate and you can even find a fun job for them!
Help Prepare The Curries
Kids love to help out in the kitchen. They can easily help you mix the curries, fry the onions, or add in a few ingredients. Then they can tell the world they helped make the dish! It's a great skill for them to learn at a young age and it's great bonding time between them and their family! If it doesn't turn out well, you even have someone to blame!
Serve The Chai
Chai is a staple in Indian homes. Whip up the tea and have your kids help bring it to their loved ones. They can even help set it up on the table and invite their Nanammas and Uthas to join them! It teaches them a bit about hospitality and entertains your guests.
Put On A Show
Let them plan a show for everyone! They can practice all month and then put it on when everyone arrives. There's nothing better than a child led production. They're hilarious and so sweet. It will definitely get everyone laughing!
Plan The Games For The Cousins
Have the kids think up fun games to play when their cousins arrive. They can search for new ones online or do ones they do at school. Your kids can write them all down on a piece of paper so it's ready to go!
Go Shopping With You To Get Supplies
My kids always go with me shopping. It's partly because they love it and partly because they have no choice! Lately, we've been using Walmart online! It's amazing! You can either shop online and have it send to your home in two days for FREE or you can put your order online and pick up using their online grocery!Stock up for the holidays and have your kids help pick out festive Kleenex tissue paper, Scott toilet paper, and Cottonelle toilet paper! Don't forget to check out your Ibotta coupons too! (Scott, Kleenex, Cottonelle)I love using their website because it means I get to stay home and I don't have to load up my car with bulky items and deal with the kids asking for a hundred things!Walmart is always trying to help moms out there. They know how crazy shopping can get with kids so they try to make it as easy as possible.
Simple And Easy Ways To Get Rid Of Extra Halloween Candy
Ever since Halloween night, my husband and I have been plagued with the same question. Over and over. When we wake up and when we go to bed.Can I have some candy?It doesn't matter that we tell them only after lunch and dinner can they have a piece. They somehow "forget" every time they ask and pretend to be shocked when we remind them of the rules...I didn't know!It's getting so bad that I'm even being woken up by the question! Not to mention it's all three of my boys!It's not like we don't have sweets in the house all year. Grandma and Nanamma bring candy and sweets when they visit and the kids flip. They're super excited while they're here and then they mellow when the visits are over. Typically the sweets last us forever! We put them up in our pantry, where the kids can't see, and they usually leave us alone about it.Halloween candy is a whole new beast.
Make A Few Big Desserts
Take all the chocolate your kids got and freeze it. You can use it to throw in a milkshake or even make gooey cookie bars! This way you use a big chunk for something the whole family can enjoy. Not to mention it helps us all avoid midnight chocolate cravings!Donate Your Candy To A Soldier http://opgrat.wordpress.com/2013/07/18/halloween-candy-for-the-troops/You can donate to Operation Gratitude and they send care packages to troops. You can tell your kids how excited the soldiers will be when they open up a package full of Halloween candy!The holidays are a great time to teach your kids about giving back!
Get A Treat From Your Dentist
A lot of dentist's offices offer an exchange for Halloween candy. You bring in your candy and they will let you switch out your candy for a toothbrush and a few prizes out of their treasure box they keep for patients.
The Candy Fairy
Let your kids indulge for one night and then have them leave their candy out for the candy fairy. When they fall asleep switch it out for a small gift. This way they still get something for all their hard-earned Halloween candy, however, it's without a toothache!
Expert Parent Tips
If you're really feeling snarky, here are a few other ways to unload all the Halloween candy! Not that I've ever done any of these....
The Pantry Monster
When the kids wake up one morning, incessantly begging for candy, go to the pantry and feign complete shock when you see all the candy is gone. Run from cupboard to cupboard looking for the "missing" candy only to come to the sad realization it's gone. This is when you introduce the pantry monster to your kids. The pantry monster did it and you couldn't do anything to stop it.The downside of this method is the pantry monster is a little scary and may end up causing you more of a hassle when they come to your room in the middle of the night....
Steal It!
Instead of taking it all overnight... you can do what my cousin's dad does.. Every time you pass the candy you can take a handful. Put the handful into your own secret candy stash and enjoy.If your kids start to notice they're candy supply dwindling, put the blame on them!Wow, you are eating it fast!What do you do with your extra Halloween candy?
Celebrating Holi By Making It Colorful
This post is brought to you by Tea India. As always all opinions are my own.
How You Can Celebrate Holi
As spring is approaching, many Indian families around the world are getting excited. It means it's almost time for Holi, the Festival of Colors! This holiday has been making its way to the US as some colleges are even starting to celebrate it on their own!It's an opportunity for people to put down their differences and have some fun! During Holi week kids play pranks, colorful powder is thrown (or a color war if you're in our house!), and people are celebrating good over evil.As multicultural families, this holiday may look different to all of us. You may not know about the religious background to the holiday and that's ok. This is a great opportunity to teach your family about the world around them.As parents, we're raising global citizens. We have the opportunity to challenge hate and racism in the world by informing our kids. We can teach our kids about different holidays, customs, and ways of life. Holi is the perfect holiday to teach your kids about!It's all about love and celebration.
Colorful Activities
Another name for Holi is the Festival of Colors so as you can imagine, it's all about color! The time of year it's celebrated alone is all about flowers blooming and life starting fresh.There are so many ways you can teach your family about the Festival of Colors. Here are a few activities my kids love doing around this time of year.
Good Food
One of my family's traditions during Holi week is to prepare a delicious batch of Indian donuts. They're super fun and easy to make with the whole family! I swear my kids have a different sense just for Indian donuts because the second they smell them cooking they come running!
Celebrate Holi With Tea India
I've joined with Tea India today to see how we can help you #makeitcolorful! Whether this is your first time celebrating Holi or your family does every year, we want to see how you're celebrating!Be sure to share your traditions and don't forget to tag us!
Are you looking for a way to authentically experience Holi this year? Pick up Tea India's Chai moments! Their delicious, single serving drinks are the perfect way to experience Holi this year.I start most of my mornings off with a cup of their Chai Moments Milk Tea. They're so easy to make and even my husband loves how authentic every taste is!Learn more about Tea India's fresh and new products by following them today! You may even see us pop up on their feed!
You Mean The World To Me Printable Valentine's Day Cards
Printable "You Mean The World To Me," Valentine's Day cards- FREE printable Valentine's Day cards for kids!
Check out these printable Valentine's Day cards for a budget friendly craft your kids can bring to their classroom!
Printable Valentine's Day Cards
It's that time of the year again! Valentine's Day is just a few short weeks away which means it's the perfect time to start thinking about your kid's Valentine's Day cards! Will they go with a theme? Will they make their own? Will it mean a table full of scrap paper and glue mess when it's all done?My kids have always loved picking out their Valentine's Day cards! There are so many fun choices to pick from and they like to be unique.As a multicultural family, I'm always looking for ways to put a fun spin on holidays. We tend to blend cultures within our family for the holidays and sometimes it's just plain fun to put a multicultural twist on things.
You Mean The World To Me
Whether you are a multicultural family, travel enthusiast, or simple love the world you live in these cards are perfect for you!Today, I have a simple printable to make Valentine's Day preparation easy! All you have to do is pick which design you like, or both, then print them out!What can be more simple or fun this Valentine's Day?
If you liked this you'll love our list of fun DIY Valentine's Day cards!
DIY Valentine's Day Cards For Boys
Celebrating Valentine's Day With My Little Boys
Growing up I always loved Valentine's Day. I loved being able to make a little basket for my cards and taking time to let all my friends know how much I love them.Not to mention, making my own Valentine's Day cards! Did you love making them as much as I did?!Now my boys are old enough to start enjoying this holiday. They even asked to make their own cards! I quickly starting putting together all of our craft supplies to see what we could come up with.I tried thinking about all the fun cards they could make. We decided to look for some inspiration. Here are a few of our favorite Valentine's Day cards perfect for little boys!
DIY Valentine's Day Cards For Boys
Printable Star Wars CardsLet's Build TogetherBlow Up My Heart CardYou're One In A Melon CardI'm Wild About YouI Am Bubbling With JoyYou Make My Heart RaceYou Make My Heart BurstYou Make Me GlowI'm Beary Happy You're In My ClassI'm So Happy You're In My SchoolLollipop CardsI Think You're A-Doh-AbleYou Make My Heart SoreYou Make My Heart SpringColor My WorldSuper Valentine's DayHave A Ball This Valentine's DayEmoji Valentine's CardsCrazy Straw Valentine's DayLight Saber Valentine's CardsOf All The Fish In The Sea
Which one is your favorite?
New Year's Eve Reflection Game
I love taking time to reflect at the end of the year with my family. We cozy up in front of the fire and talk about our favorite memories for the year and also what we learned from the harder times.The hard part is sometimes you end up blanking in the moment and lose the opportunity to share it with the rest of the family. This year we decided to change it up a bit. We made a little New Year's Eve Reflection Jar.
New Year's Eve For Our Family
On New Year's Eve our family is going to sit down and answer a few questions. We will write the questions on a piece of paper and throw it in the jar. At the end of the night we're going to sit down and take turns answering different questions.It's easy to want to wish away a hard year, but the important thing is to learn from it. 2016 is full of 365 days worth of memories. There's no way they were all bad. In fact those memories have all come together to make us who we are right now.Take some time to put together your own New Year's Eve jar! Let your kids decorate it or get fancy yourself.
20 Questions To Ask Yourself As You Reflect Over 2016
Here are a few questions you can write down on your pieces of paper to throw in the jar!
- What was the most memorable part of this year for you?
- How has this year changed you?
- What was your most embarrassing moment of the year?
- What was the most challenging part of the year?
- Describe this year in one word.
- How did you grow this year?
- What new found love did you develop this year? (Type of music, food, movies, etc)
- What was your biggest time waster of the year?
- What is the biggest lesson you learned this year?
- What is your biggest accomplishment this year?
- Which of your relationships grew the most this year?
- What made you laugh the hardest this year?
- What was the best movie you saw this year?
- What New Year's Eve resolution did you not keep this year?
- Favorite place you went this year?
- Worst food you tried this year?
- What was your favorite holiday memory this year?
- What was the best piece of advice you received this year?
- The person I want to be more like this year?
- What is your New Year's Eve resolution?
What are your plans for New Year's Eve?
New Year's Eve Family Fun Link Up
We'd love to see your New Year's Eve fun! Do you have a recipe, activity, or even a fun story about your own New Year's Eve experiences? Be sure to add your link here!
Spoil Your Pet Over The Holidays With Krisers!
How To Spoil Your Pet Over The Holidays
The day after Thanksgiving, my kids started getting their Christmas lists together! They were on the hunt for every toy or game they saw. Whether it was on a commercial, grocery store ads, a movie, or even one of our books. They added it all!My kids are little and most of the time they're only worried about their own lists. This year their holiday cheer took over. They weren't just looking for their own Christmas toys, they started looking for people the loved!They begged me to take them to the store so they could choose the best toy for their sibling and of course mommy and daddy. The best moment was when they asked me if they could choose our dog Bella a present. They said they didn't want her to feel bad on Christmas morning when everyone had a gift except for her. Then if I wasn't sold already they said this...Momma, Christmas is the perfect time to show people how much we love them and I really love Bella. How can you even say no to that one?You can't. It was such a special moment as a parent. I loved seeing my boys so excited to do something for someone else. We decided to take it a step further this year. Instead of just getting her a present we sat down and made a list of ways we could spoil our puppy over the holidays.
Get Them Their Own Stocking
Get your special friend their own stocking this year and fill it with a few of their favorite things. We have ours filled with doggie treats and a few little toys. I'm pretty sure she can already smell it because she stares at it all day!
Puppy Pamper Time
Take your pup to your local Krisers for some puppy pamper time! You can schedule ahead and they do your pups nails and even give them a stylish holiday hair do! What dog doesn't want to go in for a little massage and mani/pedi?
Have Fun With Your Pup
Pick up a few new toys for your dog this year. You can grab something they haven't played with before or one of their favorites. The options are endless. Our dog's favorite is the toy you can fill with treats or peanut butter!
Take Your Pup On An Adventure
Load up the car and take your doggy friend on an adventure! We took Bella to our local Krisers! It was perfect! She was able to walk around the store, explore, meet some new friends, and she even got a few complimentary holiday cookies!
Holiday Pet Essentials At Krisers
Are you a pet lover like we are?If so, Krisers is perfect for you! This pet friendly store is run by the sweetest people! They eagerly wait for you and your family pet to come in and they take time to spoil them! I've gone in with and without my pet and I truly love this store. I went in this morning with my kids and the gal that worked there took us throughout the store to show us around.She helped the kids choose the perfect toy and we even got her something adorable to wear!I'm usually nervous to take the kids to a store with so much to touch and play with, but Krisers encourages it! They want you to look around and touch everything. They even let your pet sniff around to choose their own treats!Head over to your local Krisers today and see what your pets think!
Hosting Family Over The Holidays
As we welcome the holidays we need to focus on the special moments rather than some of the stress that can come along with it all. Here are a few tips to make sure you enjoy your holidays!
Hosting Your First Christmas
Hosting family for the holidays is something we look forward to, but comes with it's own set of stressors. There are so many things to think about and the last thing you want to do is be completely stressed out during the holidays. The holidays are the time to relax and enjoy the season with your friends and family.
Prepare Something Special For Your Guests
Before your guests arrive, prepare a little gift for them. I like to make a little basket for my friends and family when they stay with me. It's full of water, something sweet, face wash, tooth paste, shampoo, and conditioner. It helps to ensure your guests have everything they need while staying in your home.
Have Extra Snacks On Hand
When you're in your own home, you're comfortable enough to raid your own kitchen looking for something to eat. It's not always the case at someone else's house. Be sure to fill your pantry with simple snacks and let your guests know about it right away. Then they can feel at home without worrying over what they can enjoy.
Keep It Simple
It's always a desire to make sure your guests enjoy themselves. You want them to have a great time and you also want to spoil them. The problem with this is that the holidays are already hectic and adding too much can make it a stressful time rather than enjoyable. Do what you can to keep your schedules simple and relaxing when you can. More often than not it's the simple things people enjoy more than the hectic and busy days.
Plan A Few Structured Events
While doing your best to keep your guests time stress free, add in a few events. Whether it's taking them to a local tourist attraction or going to see Christmas lights. Plan a few events everyone can attend and make the most of your time out!
Develop A Quick 15 Minute Clean Up Plan
Hosting a few extra people in your home means double the mess. Before they arrive, develop a quick 15 minute clean up plan. Then you will be able to sporadically tidy up the house during the day without feeling like you have to clean the whole time.Bona cleaning supplies are just what you need. You can use their dry cloths to pick up anything on the floor and then do a quick mop with their wet cloths. They're great for a quick tidy up around the house! After you're done sprucing up your floors you can spend your time enjoying the simple moments during the holidays.
Giveaway
This year Bona wants you to enjoy your own simple moments with a giveaway! Enter to win today and you can get a $150 SpaFinder gift card or $100 worth of cleaning supplies from Bona!
What are your tips for hosting family over the holidays?
Christmas Gift Guide
Hear all about our Christmas traditions and see a few of our favorite Christmas gift guides!
This post contains affiliate links, but as always all oppinions are my own.
Our Christmas Traditions
Christmas is just a few short weeks away! It's always been one of my favorite holidays because it's full of good memories. I remember growing up and counting down the days until Christmas Eve. In my family, Christmas Eve was the big day. We would all gather together at my grandma's house, open Christmas pajamas, make cinnamon ornaments, and eat delicious food!What are your Christmas Eve traditions?This year my kids are all old enough to really get into the Christmas spirit. They're even counting down the days to Christmas Eve like I used to!This Christmas is going to be very special for our family. It's our first year hosting! It's intimidating, but so exciting. My husband and I have been going through the menu, activities, Christmas Eve celebrations, decorations, and presents!I feel like I'm more excited about hosting than I am about Christmas day! I guess that means I'm officially an adult now.As we've been planning, I've put together a few lists or our favorite must haves! Check them out and see which ones are your favorite!
Christmas Eve Gifts!
The Nativity Story MovieRudolph The Red Nose Reindeer FigurinesHot Cocoa MugsKid's Nativity SetTrainInflatable SantaSanta Cookies and Milk SetPersonalized OrnamentsChristmas PajamasStockings
Christmas Activity Gifts!
Elf On The ShelfChristmas Edition Of Bean BoozledSpot ItNightmare Before Christmas ClueA Christmas Story Board GameReindeer PopperFelt Christmas TreeChristmas Activity BookGingerbread House SetLetters For Santa
Moana Maui the Demigod's Kakamora Adventure
Moana's Magical Seashell Necklace