We can all use a few more hands
I know how much y’all loved our fall and our Thanksgiving themed printables. Now it’s time for Christmas! We’ve got 7 new printables that you can download and print! Kids of all ages will love to color and trace these activity sheets. Big thanks to my friend Janell for making us this set. To download, simply click on them and then print! They are in PDF form. Enjoy!
Christmas Tree
Ornaments
Reindeer
Santa
Sleigh
Stocking
Gifts
I typically put together goodie bags for my hubby’s shift at Christmastime and this year I was trying to figure out what to make. I finally decided to make homemade ornaments! They were quite simple!
I found the black ornaments at Hobby Lobby for $6.99 for a pack of 6. At the time, they had 50% off Christmas decorations, so I got them for just $3.50 per pack and I bought 3 packs. You can always check the Hobby Lobby website for a coupon as well. The ribbon was $1.99 and I used the 1/4″ in King Blue. So for $12.49, I took care of all of his shift! Woo hoo!
(Side note! If you are reading this and have a loved one on my hubby’s shift, please act surprised!)
To attach, I used a hot glue gun. You’ll want to make sure the glue gun is nice and hot before you start. Go a few inches at a time, applying glue and then pressing the ribbon on top. I found that it worked better using less glue so it didn’t squirt out the sides of the ribbon.
Once done, you could use glitter glue to write 2014 on them or add any other embellishments that you like or just keep it simple. You could also switch it up with a red ribbon for firefighters. Enjoy!
I’ve had a number of you ask what my kids are getting for Christmas. We’ve decided this year to go with this poem:
Something you want,
Something you need,
Something to wear,
Something to read.
This has really simplified Christmas for us and has given me a goal when I shop. The only thing I have left to get is the “needs” and “wears”. Thanks to Amazon’s 30% off book code, I was able to get one of the books for cheap! Here is what my kids are getting this year:
11 year old girl:
8 year old boy:
5 year old girl:
3 year old girl:
Stockings: Duncan BUTTERFLY YO-YO, candy, stickers, new coloring books
Santa doesn’t visit our home. We’ve asked him to deliver our gifts to needy children instead. We take the kids every year to buy gifts for the people in need so we can play Santa to others. We absolutely love doing that and the kids look forward to shopping for others each year!
What are your kiddos getting this year? Any fun traditions?
Six Flags over Georgia is presenting Holiday in the Park this year! We went on Friday for their preview day and we had a blast! I have to say that riding rides in the fall/winter is so much better than in the hot summer sun!
More than one million LED lights will turn on at once, as Santa Claus and his reindeer ride their sleigh for the first time to Six Flags Over Georgia for the debut of Holiday in the Park® on November 22. This all-new celebration transforms the park into a winter wonderland with dazzling Christmas trees, exclusive holiday shows and many of the park’s most popular rides from November 22 through January 4, 2015 on select days.
Holiday in the Park at Six Flags Over Georgia features 10 holiday-themed sections, many of the park’s most popular rides, specialty holiday food and live shows. Event highlights include:
Many of the park’s family rides in Bugs Bunny World will be open during Holiday in the Park, along with a new live show “Have Yourself a Looney Tunes Christmas” in the Bugs Bunny World Theater. In addition, this special event will provide guests with more than a dozen spots to snap a photo for their family holiday card with vivid lights shining all around.
Six Flags Over Georgia 2015 Season Passes are now on sale and provide unlimited visits to Holiday in the Park and all of 2015. For a limited time, with the purchase of a Season Pass four-pack or more, guests will receive free admission to both Six Flags Over Georgia and Six Flags White Water, along with free season parking and visits to any Six Flags Theme Park with every pass.
Oh my goodness, y’all! This is one Chex mix that you will want to make for friends this holiday season! We put this together the other day and it was a huge hit at my husband’s birthday party! People couldn’t get enough of this Chex mix! It’s super simple as well and can be made with just a microwave! We made some with and some without coconut since my hubby likes it and I don’t! To see the recipe, click on the image below to enlarge.
You need 3 different types of Chex Cereal to make this recipe, and that’s where Publix comes in handy! Chex Cereal is on BOGO from 11/20 – 11/26, no coupon required for savings, available at Publix. Note that different markets may have slightly different BOGO dates.
You can also visit Ready Plan Save to print a $1 off 2 Chex cereal coupons! For more fun Chex Party Mix recipes, visit their website.
Ingredients needed:
Directions:
Disclosure: The information and prize pack have been provided by General Mills through Platefull Co-Op.
You all know how much I enjoy making fun food and sweets to go along with the holidays. I found this recipe for Indian Corn on the Cob cookies on the Dixie Crystals Kid’s Kitchen website and knew I wanted to make them for my family. All I needed was cookie and frosting ingredients and Reese’s Pieces.
First, I needed to find a cookie cutter shaped like corn. I didn’t have any luck finding one under $30! Crazy, huh? I decided I’d try to make my own. It actually worked fairly well. I had seen on pinterest how you can make your own cookie cutters using the tin from a can of coke. We are fresh out of cans of soda, so I went for the bottom of an aluminum disposable baking tin.
I carefully cut out the bottom and then cut about 1 2 inch strip.
From there, I formed it around a drawing I had made of a corn.
I didn’t want to use glue on the cookie cutter, so I cut a little tab and tucked the opposite side of the cookie cutter in to close it up. Now my corn cookie cutter is complete!
I set to work on making the cookie dough first.
Dough Ingredients:
Directions:
Using a box grater, move cold butter sticks back and forth over the small “eyes” of grater. (Same procedure as you would grate cheese).
Combine grated butter, powdered sugar, salt and flour in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (or use hand held mixer fitted with beaters) Mix on low speed until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Add egg and vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. I had to get my hands in at this point to get the ingredients to combine.
Place dough in refrigerator until firm enough to roll. About 30-40 minutes or overnight.
On the work surface area where you will be rolling dough, place a cookie sheet filled with ice cubes to chill this area. This makes the dough easier to work with.
Roll dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut into desired shapes.
Bake at 350 for 14 minutes or until they are a very light color. You don’t want them to brown.
Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:
Using a hand mixer, mix all ingredients together and spread on cooled cookies.
Immediately add the Reese’s Pieces to make it look like corn kernels. Enjoy!
For more fun recipes and activities, visit Kids Kitchen.
This is a sponsored post, written for Dixie Crystals.
We’ve made a tradition of making Christmas Morning Cinnamon Rolls with our family for years. We’ve even added to the fun by also making these for every birthday that a member of our family has to celebrate. The kids love knowing that they will wake up to a wonderful smell of cinnamon rolls baking in the oven. I love knowing how easy it is to make these and I can even use my bread machine!
First up, put the following ingredients in your bread machine. Select the dough cycle and let the bread machine do it’s magic!
Dough Ingredients:
Other ingredients needed on the side:
Once done, roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface to create a large rectangle. Be sure to flour your rolling put as well so the dough doesn’t stick to it. I try to make it fairly thin.
Next, spread 3-4 tablespoons of softened butter over the entire surface of the dough. Make sure to be generous and get to all of the edges. I like to use my hands just to make sure it gets everywhere.
After it is well coated in butter, sprinkle 3/4 cup brown sugar over the entire surface. On top of the brown sugar, sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon, making sure to get it on each area of the dough. Either using your hands or a spatula, rub all the cinnamon/sugar mixture all over to coat the dough well.
Now it’s time to roll! You’ll want to start on the longest side and bit by bit, start rolling up the cinnamon rolls. Keep rolling all the way up until it’s a really long cinnamon roll. Once it’s all rolled up, you can start cutting! The thicker the slices, the taller the roll. I typically make them about 1.5-2 inches. Be sure to cut very very gently so you don’t mush the rolls.
Place in a greased pan and allow to rise in a warm place about 2 hours or until the rolls are doubled in size. It’s okay to put them close together or barely touching. I typically make my rolls at night and let them sit in the fridge covered overnight. In the morning, I pull them out around 6am and let them rise. Then into the oven around 8.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool about 5-10 minutes before frosting.
Buttercream Frosting:
Apply generously on top of still warm cinnamon rolls to allow the icing to melt and drop between the rolls. Eat and enjoy!
On Wednesday this week, I had the privilege of attending the Tiny Towne media morning in Norcross. Despite Tiny Towne being only 3 minutes from my Grandmother’s house, I had never heard of it! I was eager to check it out and find out what new adventures were waiting. I was prepared for a fun play area where my kids could drive cars, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that Tiny Towne offers much, much more than that.
Tiny Towne‘s designer, Pierre, came to the United States as an adult in the 80s. He set immediately to learning the laws of the road and getting a driver’s license. Since then, he has continued researching statistics of crashes and finding out how we can make the roads safer. Pierre’s thought in 2009 to create Tiny Towne was based on the idea that if we start kids out driving as young as possible, they will be safer drivers in the future when they get to the real road. Let’s face it. Most kids have never been behind a wheel until they are 15-16 and starting the process of getting their driver’s license. Why wait until they are a teen to start driving?
At Tiny Towne, kids as young as 1-3 can begin driving. Tiny Towne offers a game room ride that features an actual screen so little ones can watch themselves as they drive and practice staying on the road before they ever get in an actual car.
Beginning at age 3, young drivers can venture out to the Tiny Track, where they start by learning to always put their seatbelt on when they are in the car. They can then drive the smallest cars around the track. Eager assistants are waiting and ready to assist a child if they get stuck trying to make a turn. These cars have a steering wheel and a gas pedal that is pushed by the child.
At age 6, they can move on up to the booster cars, which are a little bit bigger than the younger cars. They are on the same track as the littlest drivers but go a bit faster and they also have the steering and gas pedal for the child.
To be promoted to the senior level and get access to the advanced Traffic Track, drivers must be at least 9 years old, 57″ tall, and pass Traffic Test 101 and a simulator test. At the completion of the tests, drivers will receive access to the Tiny Towne Smart Cars used on the advanced track. The advanced Traffic Track for senior drivers consists of road signs, two-way streets, and cops who will ensure that drivers are practicing the safety rules and guidelines they learned in the classroom.
I know all about the cops and how well they patrol. I got my very first ticket at Tiny Towne. There is an area where 2 lanes go down to 1 and I didn’t signal. Oops! The cops were right on my tail in moments.
The ticket concept is pretty interesting. Using a tablet, the officer is able to get the license number and suspend your car’s driving ability for a few minutes depending on your violation. In my case, I was suspended for 2 minutes. We had to sit in the same spot for that long and watch the timer go down before we could move. The cars also all run on a smart app that judges your driving. If you are driving dangerously, it slows your car down. As you show that you are a safe driver, it lets you pick up more speed. If you are caught texting or using your phone on the road, you completely lose your license and aren’t able to drive. In order to get your license back, you have to see the “judge” to make sure that you understand how dangerous it is. The concept of learning plus violations in a safe environment was all the idea of Tiny Towne’s designer, Pierre.
Tiny Towne offers an education center as well with interactive computers, where the family can learn the rules of the road and take tests. The future holds the ability to get a Tiny Towne license based on a test that he plans on being much harder than the current Georgia driving test.
If you come out to Tiny Towne, plan on being there for a while. There is even a food court with snacks and meals. I was expecting the food to be typical game room food, but it’s much better at Tiny Towne. I enjoyed a salad with grilled chicken and my kids had plenty of options including fresh fruit, hummus, and more. We were very pleased with the food quality.
The most enjoyable part of Tiny Towne for me, was that the employees all really seem to love their job! Everyone was happy and eager to help and actually taught the kids about the road. They want the kids to learn to be safe drivers and are doing a great job at it.
Tiny Towne is a great way for kids to learn the rules of the road or even for adults that have never driven before to get comfortable in a safe environment. I know we definitely will be returning, especially as my kids get closer to driving age.
For more information visit TinyTowne.com.
Excuse my giddiness, but I actually met Paula Deen! Like hugged her, talked with her, took a selfie with her, and she even met my hubby and kiddos! We had a fun media event yesterday and there was about 25 bloggers/media and Paula! It was great!
Paula was in town visiting the Guy Gunter Showroom in Atlanta and telling us about Springer Mountain Farms chicken. We were even given a goodie bag of chicken when the event was over.
When I got home last night, I wasn’t sure what to make for dinner and figured we would go ahead and throw some of the chicken on the grill. Oh my goodness, y’all! The chicken was fantabulous!
The meal Paula made was her Jambalaya. SO delicious!
It was so cute watching Paula and her hubby goof off and cook together! Aren’t they adorable!
Don’t forget about the Paula Deen Live! show that will be happening this Sunday in Atlanta! Still time to grab tickets. Find information about that here.
This past weekend, we visited Stone Mountain Park for their Stone Mountain Christmas program. It was a ton of fun! Believe it or not, we had never been to the Christmas program even though we’ve been to Stone Mountain a ton of times. It was so magical!
When we first got to Stone Mountain, I was nearly overwhelmed by the gorgeous lights and the great atmosphere. Lights everywhere and on every building! Even a place where mistletoe hung in the air for smooches.
The first thing that we did was watch the parade! The parade strolls down the main walkway in Crossroads was really cute. Plenty of characters to dance with and even the Jolly Old Elf himself and the Snow Angel made their way down the path. This really made it feel like Christmas is upon us even though it’s the beginning of November still.
We enjoyed the shows and especially the new Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas 4D. Kids thought it was great! Our favorite show was Toyriffic! It is definitely a must!
The most amazing part of the trip was the Singalong Christmas Train. It’s always fun to ride the train at Stone Mountain Park. Having a singalong on the Christmas Train was super special and my husband and I were having as much fun as the kids were! I would definitely recommend bundling up and perhaps bringing along a blanket for this ride. During the train ride, you stop once for a special “Gift”. The “Gift” was amazing. There is a story-teller that tells the real story of Jesus’ birth! It was so refreshing to hear about the birth of Jesus without being watered down or flaky. Big kudos to Stone Mountain Park for keeping it real! Lights would light up during the story as well. Breath-taking.
After our train ride, we ventured over for a funnel cake and some hot cocoa. It’s conveniently located across from the train depot for easy access 😉 Definitely a must to get warmed up after the ride.
Santa says his favorite vacation spot is at Stone Mountain Park. He is having a nice relaxing vacation before he hits the busiest time of year. It was great to see the big guy!
The end of the night wraps up with the Snow Angel flying overhead and then snow falling right below her. The kids thought this was pretty neat! Finally, fireworks closed everything out. It was a short show, but enough for the kids to be happy.
I think we have found a new Christmas family tradition! This was so much fun and really got us into the spirit!
