Before we cuddle up and watch “The Polar Express,” the kids search through the house to find the hidden elves. Our elves aren’t your standard “Elf on the Shelf” — no, ours are hand-painted glass figurines passed down from my husband’s Nana and Grandpa, to his mother, to him. They're in sleeping position because they travel every night to report back to Santa. If you touch them, they “turn to glass.”
Ah, Christmas. The lights! The presents! The snow! The cookies! The list of ways to celebrate is endless. When my daughter was first born I was so busy planning and executing that I would forget to pick up my camera until Christmas morning. In more recent years I've gotten a bit wiser, and I've started taking pictures much earlier. In fact, I pick up my camera in mid-November and don't put it down until January.
If the holiday season doesn't go the way you envision, there's always next year. Let’s not forget that the season is about the joy and the meaning of our holidays, not the junk, or the events, or all the things. You do the holidays your way, I’ll do them mine, and everyone else can go about it their way. Let’s go into this holiday season happy and excited with sound mind and presence so we can enjoy our children, our faiths, and our families — and a little of all the extras.
Halloween has come and gone, and that means we're moving right into what many consider to be the happiest (and often busiest) time of year — the holidays. Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and soon the kids will...
Being grateful is a simple attitude with a profound effect. It reminds me of the good in my life when days are full of chaos and tantrums. Being grateful begins with me, ends with me, and allows others to get the best version of me — the thankful one.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
Thy leaves are so unchanging
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
Thy leaves are so unchanging.
As this well-known Christmas carol goes on to say (in summary), the tree’s leaves are equally as green in the summer as...
Halloween is a fun holiday, and luckily, when kids are small they won’t insist on a very specific and overpriced character. So go nuts with your imagination, not your wallet. Remember, you won’t have many years where you have this much control and can get away with swiping their candy!
Oh, and the one traditional gift that never gets old for Mom? Breakfast in bed. Better yet, you can delay the breakfast part, and just let her stay in bed, asleep, under the covers, for as long as she wants. If you really want to be an overachiever, you could try sleeping through the night (so she can too). That will win you bragging rights and possibly even favorite child status for a week or two. Throw a couple eggs and some toast that you haven't licked on top and you're set for a month.
I’m not going to lie; this holiday season wasn’t all that magical. It wasn’t the Hallmark movie script I had in my head. I had big plans to make Christmas cookies, drive around to see the lights, have the presents beautifully wrapped with time to spare, build a gingerbread house, decorate the tree while singing Christmas carols, and attend all the holiday parties. Here’s where my plan got foiled: I have kids.
Keeping one New Year's resolution for an entire year is not a strong point of mine. This year, I have decided to make a bucket list instead. Small goals that are attainable. Things I can cross off when they are accomplished. Ideas that will not leave me feeling like a failure come Dec. 31. Activities to do with my kids. Adventures to share with loved ones. Books to read. Recipes to make. A list. A simple list. Not an idea that will pass with each day.
At this time of year we're bombarded with bright lights, holiday cheer, images of perfect families with their perfect children, and an expectation that we are going to make everything just right to create the perfect memories to last a lifetime. Does this make anyone else feel a little twitchy?
I'm so excited for this time of year — I love that the holiday season means extra time with family and friends. So I decided to round up 12 of the best holiday-themed, family-friendly mocktails. These recipes are festive and fun, and perfect for both the littles and the grown-ups.
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