Holiday

Making {Easy} Elf Traditions I know the Elf holds really high feelings, loathing, loving, disdain, joy. That's fine, you do you. At my house, I LOVE the Elf! Not for behavioral reasons, but because of the magic and joy I can foster. Being a creative, coming up with Elf joy come really easy to me. That being said, our Elf isn't behavior based or naughty, they are just fun and full of magic! But that's not what we're here to talk about. There are some things our Elf does every year and that also helps knock down the days I have to plan Elf-capades. I'm here to share some of our Elf traditions with all of you, maybe you'll adopt a...

Keeping Kids Happy During The Holidays Oh how I love the holidays!!! My kids love the holidays too. We love to visit family for the holidays and bask in the love and activities. My parents always take the boys around to look at the beautiful Christmas lights. Sometimes, my parents drive the boys around to look for Santa flying in the sky. We make handmade ornaments every single year. I love our Christmas tree so much. There are so many wonderful memories captured in those ornaments. But the most important thing besides the reason for the season is maintaining our joy. Everyone is different. Some of us are extroverts and some aren’t. I’m unsure about one of us. So the holiday...

6 Tips To Help You Prepare For Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is right around the corner. If you’re not quite ready, don’t worry. I have listed some great tips to help you prepare for your Thanksgiving dinner. It can get pretty crazy around this time, and these tips will not only help save time in the kitchen, but also make things a little easier. Here's a list of tips to help your Thanksgiving dinner go smoothly. Tip 1 :: Deep clean the kitchen Take any old food out of the refrigerator and throw it out. Wash all dishes and containers used to prepare and store food. This is one of the most helpful tips. Taking out all roasters, baking dishes, and slow cookers, cleaning them,...

A Magical Christmas :: An Appreciation For The Mom Who Made It Special As an adult, I often find myself reflecting on the cherished memories of Christmases past. Each holiday season, the warmth and wonder of my childhood Christmases come rushing back, and it's impossible not to feel a profound sense of gratitude for the woman who made it all possible – my mom. Oddly enough, she is not fully captivated by all things Christmas. She prefers to sing carols in July and to skip the frenzy the holidays can bring. However, like most things regarding my mom, she is always selfless in taking stellar care of others, meticulously attending to their needs and interests. She always gave me the...

Did You Say Charcuterie? I jumped on the charcuterie board train when they became popular a few years ago, and I’ve been riding the trend ever since because this is exactly how I like to eat! I’ve been known to forgo dinner choosing to indulge in what I call my "fancy" snacks from favorite niche grocery stores Sprouts and Trader Joes. Charcuterie boards have become a fun and fancy way to serve and eat my fancy snacks. Also, if you have finicky eaters, try introducing new foods on a charcuterie platter and watch your family turn into foodies! The nice thing about charcuterie boards is that there are so many options. They can be made to serve one person, e.g., a charcuterie...