holiday

A few years ago, inspiration struck in the form of mini red Solo cups and fond memories of my college drinking days… and the festive holiday party games for kids – Jingle Bell Toss – was born. Would you believe I was actually hesitant to hit publish on the post?…

Every year, for as long as I can remember, my family has spent the weekend before Christmas baking cookies by the baker’s rack full.  We test new recipes annually, but there are two we ALWAYS make – Whipping Cream Sugar Cookies and Gingerbread Cookies. Our Family Christmas Cookies As promised…

This post is sponsored by Carter’s; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Family Christmas pajamas are a part of everyone’s holiday – learn how to get the most wear (and precious photo ops) out of yours! Every year for as long as I can remember, my mom has…

The pages of Martha Stewart Living and Better Homes & Garden are graced with gorgeous tablescapes and decor ideas for adults.  But what about the kids’ Thanksgiving table?  That’s where all the real fun happens (and not much eating except for rolls!).  Check out how we decorate the kids’ table…

Hosting dinner for the holidays can be totally intimidating. Use these tips to prep and make ahead Thanksgiving dinner dishes, so you can enjoy the day as much as your guests. I hosted my first Thanksgiving two years ago.  I had never even cooked a turkey before. And I had…

This post is part of a series on College Savings Plans sponsored by CHET, the Connecticut Higher Education Trust, Connecticut’s 529 College Savings Plan. As always, opinions remain 100% my own. The grandmas have been asking what the kids “need” for Christmas since before Halloween. Here I am, trying to juggle…

This holiday, do more celebrating with the ones you love, and less stressing over how to make it all happen. Make the most of your holiday with these 5 simple tips to save time and money. This post is sponsored by Boscov’s, the largest family-owned department store. As always, opinions…

Big M (age 4) is obsessed with the movie, Brave, and pretending to be Merida.  So much so, that she often runs around the house with a plastic coat hanger (her bow) pretending to shoot arrows.  My husband and father-in-law have fed her obsession by taking her for archery practice…

Thank you Goliath Games for sponsoring this post. Pick up your favorite game today to enjoy the holiday season and beyond! And make a playdate games day part of your family holiday traditions. If your kids are anything like mine, it’s barely December and they are already plotting the playdates…

No matter the season, occasion or location, my husband’s dessert request is always the same. He wants Key Lime Pie. Fortunately, I’ve become an expert at whipping one up from scratch at home. The ingredients are simple, few and thus, easily manipulable to make all variety of cream pies – including my new…

You know what’s on sale the day after Valentine’s Day? Hearts. And you know what you can do with grapevine hearts? Turn them into a Shamrock Wreath in just 2 minutes. All you need is hot glue. And, if like in our house your St. Patrick’s Day decor doubles as…

We are well into week two of illness and sub-freezing temperatures here.  But that hasn’t stopped us from enjoying the beauty of winter from indoors with an endless supply of snow and snowflake crafts!  Today, we add another one to the mix – Marshmallow Snowflakes! Grab your printable snowflake templates…

Winter has fully descended upon us this week, with LOTS of snow and bitter cold. To keep the kiddos entertained, we made this fun winter sensory and fine motor activity for preschoolers, affectionately named – Jumbled Snowman. And you can find nearly all the supplies you need to make one…

This month for my guest contribution on Pre-K Pages, I shared a Peppermint Science activity, exploring the effect on temperature on sugar. With an abundance of peppermints and candy canes this time of year, we continued our holiday STEAM activities for kids with some simple, but instructive activities for measuring…

My favorite part of the holidays is all the smells and flavors… From peppermint to gingerbread, vanilla to eggnog, I love them all. So it should come as no surprise that I love baking during the holidays. This year, I decided to turn one of my favorite holiday beverages into a portable…

I received complementary product from Star from Afar to facilitate this post. Opinions, as always, remain 100% my own. Not a fan of Elf on the Shelf? Neither are we… but I do love the idea of sharing a daily celebration of the holiday season. Star from Afar is an…

Confession… this *may* be inspired by my college tailgating days.  I knew these miniature red cups would come in handy this holiday!  First, I turned them into a holiday version of cup and ball, and today, we have more holiday party games: Jingle Bell Toss! If you love this, be…

My oldest daughter has been begging for ‘Real LEGO’ toys for a while now. She loves building and construction sets, but had really outgrown her larger building blocks, and I knew she would love them… I just wasn’t sure the rest of our house, including her 14 month old baby brother,…

It was love at first position! I signed my oldest daughter up for ballet when she was 2 years old because it was the only non-Mommy and Me activity available in our town. She was home with me full-time, and I wanted something to help her prepare for the separation that would come…