Holidays Archives - Mother 2 Mother Blog

Kids Easter Ideas for Foods and Crafts

April 5, 2020 by Rhonda Gales 2 Comments

Today, I’m sharing parenting advice on Kids Easter Ideas for foods and crafts. I’ve put together a round up of delicious and fun, but easy recipes for Easter cupcakes and cookies as well as Easter crafts that your kids will love. We also have Easter Bunny masks, spring colored deviled eggs, Easter bingo, Easter printable activities and more. You just need to select a few recipes and crafts and start planning a baking and craft day with the kids.

So, celebrating holidays is always a special event for the kids and kids at heart. Keeping them busy and serving foods that they will love can be stressful. But, I’ve taken out the stress. Just choose your menu from the kids Easter food and crafts below, and start planning a great day with family and friends.

Kids Easter Ideas

Bunny Butt Cupcakes – First, aren’t those bunny butts adorable sticking out the grass. Make one for each of the kids, they’ll love you for it.

Easter Peep Mobiles – Second, these peep mobiles are perfect for your male and female guests. Let the race begin!

Bunny Butt Sugar Cookies– These would perfect in a gift bag for guests to take home.

Rice Krispies Nests – These would look so cute on a tray on the dessert table. Save a few for yourself.

Easter Bunny Mask – Next, this mask will make a great Easter craft activities. Have an adult oversee the activity while you finish dinner or entertain guest. Or, set up a craft day with the kids.

Hand Print Bunny Craft – This hand print bunny craft is one of my favorite Easter crafts. I love hand and foot print crafts for any reason.

Easter Bunny Bags – Also, these Easter Bunny Bags are so cute, and it’s a great activity to do with the kids. Let them select a few treats to put in the bags to take home.

Easter Bingo – Easter Bingo is always a favorite activity at family gatherings.

Peeps and Bunny Sugar Cookies – So, who wants a cookie? Bake a batch of these and give them as a treat to the guest to take home.

Easter Bunny Sundaes – Perfect way to end a perfect dinner. A scope of ice cream made to look like a bunny. The kids and kids at heart will love it.

Easter Trifle Dessert – Can you say yummy in my tummy? This Easter trifle would be perfect as the center piece on the dessert table. Choose your colors wisely.

Egg Carton Chickens – Purchase and save the egg cartons to make these adorable carton chickens.

Rice Dyed Easter Eggs – I love trying new things. Are you brave enough to dye eggs with rice?

Jello Eggs – My grandchildren love Jello. Making Jello in the shape of an egg is even better. I love the colors.

Pastel Deviled Eggs – Additionally, these spring colored deviled eggs are perfect for the Easter dinner table. They are fun and delicious. The kids in my family love them!

Hen Chick Nest – How cute is this Easter hen and her chicks. The kids will love coloring the hen and decorating the eggs to make the chicks.

Chirpy Chicks Truffles – These little Easter chick truffles are almost too cute to eat. Almost!

Fabric Easter Basket – I love the color of the fabric used for these baskets. So bright and uplifting. They would make a great gift for Easter cookies or other treats for dinner guests.

Jelly Bean Tic Tac Toe – So, did I tell you that I love jelly beans. Especially, the gourmet jelly beans with all the different flavors. Using them for Tic Tac Toe is out of the question. But, a bag from the Dollar store will work for this game.

Easter Bunny Cupcakes – I love these bunny ears cupcakes. Nice change from the Bunny Butt cupcakes.

Easter Bunny Dirt Cups – Be warned, there’s a lot of chocolate in this treat. Perfect treat for the chocolate lovers.

Hatching Chicks – This is a cute craft. Assign an teen to the craft table and let the kids have fun making this Easter chick baskets.

Chocolate Bunny Cupcake – Eating a chocolate bunny for Easter was my favorite thing to do beside dying eggs when I was a kid. A chocolate bunny in a cupcake, yes please.

Unicorn Easter Eggs – Next, these unicorn eggs are adorable. This would be a great craft projects for girls.

Skittle Easter Egg Dye – I would have never thought of dying eggs with skittles. Purchase a few bags from the Dollar store and try your hand.

Chocolate Chicks – These chicks are cute and delicious. They would be perfect on an Easter dessert table.

Easter Egg Dog Cookies – Lets not leave out our doggies. They would love an Easter treat too.

Easter Books for Kids – Next, reading is fundamental. So, add a few Easter books to your kid’s reading list.

Paper Plate Chick – This is another cute Easter craft that you can use to keep the kid’s occupied. Nice little Easter gift idea for guests to take home.

Easter Activities – Keep the kids busy with these fun Easter activities.

Peeps Chicken House – Last, how cute is this edible Easter chick house. They kids will love making this or make them in advance and give your guests one to take home.

Finally, pick out a few of these Kids Easter ideas and start making plans. The kids will love being your helper making cupcakes and have even more fun eating them. Get creative, make the bunny crafts and be sure to fill a few bunny bags with my recommended Easter books.

Filed Under: Holidays, Meal Time Tagged With: Easter Activities, Easter Books, Easter recipes

Valentine’s Lunch Box Notes

January 19, 2020 by Rhonda Gales 2 Comments

Today, I’m sharing free Valentine’s Lunch Box Notes for kids. Valentine’s Day is around the corner. We all want to show our love during this time. So, I created a few lunch box notes to show your children additional love leading up to Valentine’s Day. Be sure to check out my other posts on parenting advice.

In addition to being used as lunch box notes, you can print them and have your child hand them out as Valentine’s Day Cards for classmates. Print them on stock card so they will be sturdy. They’ll be a hit with classmates for sure.

Valentine’s Lunch Box Notes:

Here’s a Pizza of My Heart – The card has two pieces of pizza. Who doesn’t love pizza.

You Make My Heart Go Boom Boom – The card is filled with hearts and one heart that is smiling.

I Loaf You With All My Heart – Next, two slices of bread are the main characters on this card.

Here’s Sprinkles of Love Just for You – Kids love sprinkles. Except for my granddaughter, she’s not a fan. But the quote is cute.
Happy Valentine’s Day My Sweets – This card is filled with slices of cake, ice cream sundaes and more.

My Heart Beats for You – Additionally, this card is filled with candy hearts with love notes like You & Me, Be Mine etc.

Please Be My Jelly – This adorable card contains two slices of bread with peanut butter and jelly.

You’re the Icing on My Cupcake – Cupcakes are a favorite of kids and kids at heart. The icing is my favorite part.

My Heart Is Buzzing For You – This adorable bumblebee will get any heart buzzing.

You’re A Hotty – So, hot sauce lovers will appreciate this card. My grandson loves all things hot and spicy. Just like his grandmother.

Love You Boo – Perfect for a girl or boy.

I hope you liked my lunch idea. Print one or all of the cards, and brighten your child’s day.

You may also like the History of Valentine’s Day.

Filed Under: Holidays, Printables Tagged With: kids motivational notes, notes for kids, Valentine's Day ideas

How to Make Your House a Home

December 6, 2019 by Rhonda Gales 2 Comments

It’s what you do inside your house that makes it a home. Are you struggling to make your house a home? Today, I’m sharing parenting tips on how to make your house a home. It’s more than just a roof over your heads. It’s the place you will make memories and spend time together. It should be set up for you to make the most of family life.

There are many factors to consider when making your house a home for your family. It needs space, but home decor is important too. Perhaps the most useful skills are recognizing the potential and being able to work with what you have. All it takes is a little imagination and some effort, but the benefits are more than worth it.

Here are a few tips to make your home warm, comfortable and fun:

Your Property

If you’re purchasing your family home, it’s a good idea to think of what you need and what features are ‘must haves’ rather than ‘nice to have’. Property experts, like msyorkville.com, say that “there is a good chance that what you believe you are searching for and what you need will be two different things.”

Expert advice could help you bridge the gap between what you are looking for, and what is available on the market.

If you want to upgrade your property to help it fulfill its potential, it’s easiest to focus on one aspect at a time. It could be creating a new family bathroom, or extending to have more multi-purpose space that helps you achieve the lifestyle you want. This could be a study or a family music room.

Spaces to Get Together

If your short on a budget then it helps to narrow down your focus. One of the changes you can make that will have the most impact is looking at the places that you spend time together. Although there are places that are common with every family, it works best if you make it personal for you.

That means if you are a family that loves cooking and eating together, you should think about making some small changes to create a spacious kitchen or homey breakfast nook. Adding an island to your kitchen, or just opening up space for more seating, could be a great way to bring you all closer together.

Alternatively, if you all come together at the end of a long day to watch TV, focus on creating a den where you can all relax.

Make it Fun

Fun and laughter are said to be a key element of a family home, which certainly makes sense. There are two ways to bring fun into your family home while working on it at the same time. The first way is to make it a family project.

Turn the activities into fun things that everyone can get involved in at some level. Feeling part of it will be a nice reminder every time you see your changes, and the results will benefit everyone.

The second way to keep it fun without too many precious things. You’re an adult and a parent, so balancing the two can be hard. Create a space for nice things that are just for you, but don’t fill the house with expensive breakables if you have young kids. They will feel like they can’t run around, and you’ll get upset when things get broken.

It’s the Little Things

You don’t need to carry out a big DIY or renovation project to get your house feeling like a home. Some small touches can really make an impact. Accessories don’t need to be expensive to help you transform your space. Take your time over finding the right pieces to finish your room, or get crafty to create the ambience you are looking for.

Plants can be an effective way to bring life to a room. Alternatively, take a look at your room and decide what it’s lacking. If it needs warmth consider adding a rug or changing blinds to curtains. However, if it’s a bit gloomy add mirrors and a change of lighting could really impact how you feel in the space.

The Finishing Touches

The most important part of making your house a home is planning your design and decor around family moments. If the changes you make will help you carry out activities, get together more often, and have fun with each other, then you will make your house feel like home.

Having enough space to take some quiet moments is essential. So, before you make everything open plan, consider keeping a few spots secluded so that you can have some you time or some one on one moments.

Filed Under: Holidays Tagged With: home buying tips, home decor, home improvement tips

Holiday Decorating Tips for Your Home

December 5, 2019 by Rhonda Gales Leave a Comment

Are you looking for budget friendly holiday decorating ideas for your home? Today, I’m sharing parenting advice on holiday decorating tips. It’s time to make this holiday season the most eco-friendly, beautiful, and practical yet. There are some small changes that we can all make this year to reduce our environmental footprint without sacrificing style. In this article, we will go over tips for decorating your home so it will shine brightly with consciousness and sustainability.

Here are a few holiday decorating tips:

Use LED Lights

Imagine the sheer quantity of CO2 that would be saved over the twelve days of Christmas if every household switched their old, incandescent, exterior lights for the new, upgraded LED equivalent. It is also much smarter to hang LED tree lights. These bulbs emit a fraction of the heat and use far less electricity, so you don’t have to worry about fire hazards or cost.

LED lights are much more environmentally friendly than their traditional counterparts, using up to 80% less energy. You can also switch to solar-powered lights for the outside. A helpful hint is to keep the lights on a timer.

Are you avoiding LEDs because you don’t want to spend money on new lights? In the long run you will save money. The more modern, eco-friendly option will reduce your energy bills so you’ll have more savings at the end of the holiday season.

The twinkle lights come in compact packaging replete with cable and small bulbs and are much less of a hassle when attempting to install them in tricky areas of your home.

Take care when you are using a ladder to string decorations on the roof. Especially, if you live in a place with an icy winter climate. To be extra safe, look at the roof to make sure it is in decent condition before you climb up. According to the site for Dominion Roofing Company, warning signs of a faulty roof include broken shingles, buckling, curling, and leaks.

Purchase a Live Christmas Tree

Does your family have a long-standing tradition of Christmas Tree hunting? Great! Not only is this a fun event for the whole family, but buying real instead of fake is an essential step to enjoying an eco-friendly yuletide. Fake trees require a lot of energy to produce, and they are made from non-renewable petroleum-based products. They will take years to break down in a landfill site. Buying a natural tree means reducing plastic pollution.

Christmas tree farms act as carbon sinks as they are a slow-growing crop. The trees smell nicer, look better, and you will be supporting local farmers. Make a day out of it and visit one of the farms in your area. Choose your favorite farm and get to know the owners. Spread the holiday spirit.

Tree Trimming Fun

There’s nothing better to create a jolly atmosphere than a pine-needle smell permeating a home for the holidays. If you are buying a real tree this holiday, consider putting the trimmings to work! You can use the cut sprigs to make a wreath, add decoration to presents, or dress up the settings on your holiday dining table.

If you want to get creative, you can make glass ornaments containing evergreen cuttings, or place them in a jar for pure enjoyment. The natural world offers so many free resources that can add warmth to your home. And, the best part is you don’t have to spend much money or time sourcing and using them. The best ideas are often the simplest. We love adding in elements like Clementines, winter berries, and pine cones to create elegant garlands and lovely centerpieces.

To Sum Up

This holiday season, consider all of the naturally available resources you have, and get crafty! Take advantage of new technologies that will lower your holiday expenses. It’s more important now than ever to make this year’s Christmas a little more sustainable.

Filed Under: Holidays

11 Ways to Recycle Christmas Cards

December 10, 2018 by Rhonda Gales 1 Comment

Today I’m sharing parenting tips on ways to recycle Christmas cards. Year after year we receive beautiful Christmas cards, but we have no idea what to do with them after the holidays. They’re too beautiful to throw away, so we just place them in a box and store them from year to year. Christmas is around the corner. Again, Christmas cards will be arriving in the mail or handed out at the office. Many have beautiful scenery or a picture of Santa.

Here’s a list of way to reuse them:

Name Tags – First, use designs on the card for gift name tags. Cut out a square from the design on the Christmas card. Next, Embellish it with To and From lines.

Embellish Gifts Bags – Second, cut out design and embellish gifts wrapped in Kraft or plain colored wrapping paper.

Frame Them – Furthermore, you can frame the cards and make a vignette or wall display. Pick up a few frames at your local Dollar Store.

Scrapbook Pages – Use cutouts from the cards to create designs to Christmas scrapbook pages.

Lid Covers for Jars – Additionally, you can use a large circle punch to create a design for the top of jars. You can fill the jars with cookies, candy, hot chocolate and more. Be creative.

Drink Coasters – Buy ceramic tiles and cover them with designs from

Design a Wreath – Recycle Christmas cards by making craft items. Christmas Cards make great wreaths.

Embellish a Fireplace Mantel – So, your mantel is bare. Display cards along your fire place mantel or shelves. Add lights or greenery to the mantel to create a festive mood.

Decorate a Door Frame – Furthermore, when I was growing up, sending Christmas cards to family and friends was a tradition. One of my favorite childhood memories was seeing the Christmas cards received during the holiday season around the door frames in the house.

Create Jigsaw Puzzles – Also, recycle Christmas cards by creating jigsaw puzzles. I purchased this jigsaw puzzle maker for my scrapbook pages and I love it.

Christmas Ornaments – Use a circle punch to create designs from the cards. Next, use a hole punch to make a hole at the top of the circle. Thread a piece of ribbon through the hole and tie on a tree or tree branches.

Last, we hope you like a few of our recycle ideas and will put them into affect. Finally, you may also like 7 Christmas Morning Tips You Need.

Filed Under: Christmas, Crafts, Holidays Tagged With: holiday crafts, holiday decor, Holiday ideas

8 Tips to Trim Costs From Your Holiday Dinners

November 16, 2018 by Rhonda Gales Leave a Comment

Hosting holiday dinners can be stressful and expensive. Not only can planning the dinner be stressful, it can get expensive depending on the number of guest you will be feeding and entertaining. So, today I’m sharing parenting tips on how to cut down on expenses for your holiday dinners.

Here’s a few tips trimming the cost from your holiday dinners:

Purchase in Bulk – I have found that it is more cost effective to purchase items in bulk for holiday dinners. For example, potatoes, shredded cheese, pecans, and vegetables. I purchase the industrial size cans of green beans and corn. Also, large bags of pecans for sweet potato casseroles and desserts. As well as large bags of shredded cheese. I usually fix 10 lbs. of mashed potatoes depending on the number of guests. Having left-overs for the next day or allowing guests to take a plate home is a ritual in my family. So, it is imperative that I have plenty.

Buy Generic Products – I don’t purchase generic items for all of my food purchases because I don’t want to lose the quality of my dishes. However, I do purchase generic or store brand cheese, butter, all purpose flour etc. I have found that I can enhance the dishes with spices and seasoning. The turkey I splurge on. It is the center of the dinner.

Shop at the Dollar Store – The Dollar Stores has great items to use for decorating, and crafts for the kids. Festive platters, napkins, plastic utensils and items for center pieces can be had. Using paper plates and plastic utensils cuts down on my clean-up time. Especially, if I’m having a large number of guests. If it’s 6 – 8 people, I use my holiday dishes and serving pieces in a more formal setting.

Have a Potluck – Have each guest bring a dish to contribute to the dinner. This cuts down on your food costs and cooking time when preparing holiday dinners. Plus, your guests feel that they played in role in the success of the dinner and festivities.

Plan Your Menu – When you’re entertaining, planning your menu is essential. So is knowing the number of guests who will be attending. This includes children. Figure out your side dishes. They will take the most time to prepare. I decide what I can put in crockpots or fix the night before and simply heat up before guests arrive.

Make Your Own Desserts – Rather than purchase expensive desserts in stores or having them made by a bakery, make your own. Cake mixes can be whipped up in no time, and so can pie fillings. So, add homemade desserts to your holiday dinners. Homemade is always better in my home.

Look for Budget Friendly Crafts – Craft items, coloring books and games can be purchased from the Dollar Tree to occupy the kids. If you have a printer, look for games or coloring pages on-line.

Prepare Dishes You Can Stretch – I always plan dishes that will ensure left-overs or are hearty and filling. For example, green beans and corn are filling. So, they go a long way and there are usually left-overs. Same with mashed potatoes and gravy. Corn pudding is another dish that is hearty. As a result, I can serve smaller portions and have some left over for the next day.

We hope that you have found our tips beneficial. Make your holiday dinners memorial. Implement a few, and watch your savings add up.

Filed Under: Holidays, Life-Thoughts Tagged With: Christmas dinner tips, holiday tips, Thanksgiving dinner tips

7 Christmas Items You Can Recycle

December 23, 2017 by Rhonda Gales 5 Comments

The holidays are upon us. Today, I’m sharing tips on Christmas items you can recycle. There’s food, music, carols, lights, Santa and reindeer. We spend hours trimming the tree, wrapping gifts, and preparing to entertain family and friends. Also, we spend days reading Christmas cards from family and friends and finding the perfect spot to display them.

Finally, Christmas day arrives! We find a mountain of ripped gift wrap and bows in the middle of the floor. The kitchen is filled with empty wine bottles and corks from the gathering, and you realize that you purchased too many candy canes for the kids. Not to worry, don’t throw any of it away. There’s tons of ideas to recycle all of it.

Check out our tips on Christmas Items You Can Recycle:

Christmas Cards – First, Christmas cards have beautiful scenery on them. You can recycle and use them as gift tags, frame them for a vignette, or donate them to your local school.

Candy Canes – Next, candy canes can be used as stirrers for hot chocolate. Kids love them. Also, they can be pulverized and used in sugar scrubs or cookies and brownie recipes.

Wrapping Paper – So, piles of wrapping paper are sitting in your living room. A 33 gallon garbage bag should be big enough to hold it. But, don’t throw it away. Wrapping paper can used for crafts, book covers, scrapbooking, shreds, puzzles for kids and more. Save the best pieces and get creative.

Wine Bottles and Corks – Paint the wine bottles and use them as vases or for seasonal messages on mantel. Joy or Peace can painted on them for Christmas or BOO for Halloween. The wine bottles are perfect for ring toss games. Additionally, turn corks into wreaths, ornaments or other crafts.

Christmas Gift Bows and Ribbon – Furthermore, turn Christmas bows into wreaths or use them on next year’s gifts. Save only those that are in good condition.

Cardboard Shipping Boxes – Cardboard boxes make great craft material.

Gift Wrap Tubes – Last, these make tubes are sturdy and make great bases for kid’s crafts.

Finally, I hope that you will find Christmas items you can recycle. So, if you’re a crafter put your creativity hat on and get to work next season. You have plenty of time to find projects, and be sure to involve the kids! You may also like: 7 Christmas Morning Tips You Need.

Filed Under: Holidays Tagged With: Christmas crafts, recycling ideas, recycling tips

15 Festive Christmas Cookie Ideas

December 1, 2017 by Rhonda Gales 12 Comments

Today, I’m sharing parenting tips on Christmas Cookie Ideas. Nothing says Christmas better than twinkling lights and a batch of homemade cookies. I decided to do a round-up of festive, but flavorful Christmas cookie idea. The goal was to look for cookies that were unique and would make a great gift or look festive on a party table. I think all 15 Festive recipes will do just that.

Here’s a roundup on Christmas Cookie Ideas:

Candle Cookies – First, these candle cookies will shine brightly on a Christmas dessert table. Raw almonds, chocolate and wafers place this festive cookie on the list of of great Christmas cookie ideas.

A Rat King per se. Additionally, these are a perfect Christmas cookies for The Nutcracker lover. The Nutcracker just happens to be one of favorite ballets. Whether you display these cookies on a table or place them in a tin, the recipient will love them. Add these to the top of your Christmas cookie ideas.

Ice Skate Cookies – Furthermore, sugar cookies, candy canes and icing help these sugar cookies come to life. Figures 8, Death Spiral and Lay Back Spin are a few of the positions in this sport. So, if you have a little ice skater or a big ice skater, fill a tin with these adorable cookies and they will love you for them.

Snow Globes are a favorite Christmas decorating idea. As a result, they also make an adorable and delicious cookie. The Wilton Snowglobe Cookie Cutter will help make your task easier. These cookies are a conversation piece for sure.

Another Christmas cookie idea is candy canes. Who doesn’t love Candy Canes? They’re great in hot chocolate or with hot Chocolate. Sugar Cookie dough, red food coloring gel and crushed peppermints will help bring this cookies to life.

A sure that Christmas is around the corner, is the sign of the Christmas tree. Who said that it has to been the real thing, why not stacked sugar cookies. Prepared sugar cookie dough, white icing and green sugar will get you on your way to making these great gifts. These cookies should be somewhere on your list of Christmas cookie ideas for sure.

Sugar Cookie Snowmen – The little guys are so cute, and sure to bring a smile to a little one’s face. Gum drops, sugar cookie dough, and chocolate baking bites.

One of the most exciting things about Christmas is the Christmas lights. I could sit for hours watching them on my Christmas tree. Why should be just stop with the lights on the tree? Sugar cookies shaped into Christmas lights are sure to be mesmerizing too.

Next, who doesn’t love hot coco? A hot coco cookie will make a cup of coco taste even better. Marshmallows, candy cane and a cookie. It’s perfect Christmas/winter treat. Switch out the Christmas tree for snowman, and you make these after the holidays.

Rice Krispie Gingerbread Pops – Nice twist on the gingerbread man. Chewy and gooey chocolate rice krispie treats on a festive holiday stick.

Polar Bear Cookies – These polar bear cookies not only look delicious, but they’re cute as a button. They would be great for a Christmas treat or any time during the winter months. So, have a little fun. Whip up a few batches.

Marbled Cookie Cutouts – How cool are these? Sugar cookies dough, food coloring, and your favorite Christmas cookie cutters is what you need for these tri-colored sugar cookies. Fun and festive. Great project with the kids.

Santa Hats – Santa Claus is Coming to Town. As a result, this can a fun treat for Christmas eve. Rice Krispy treats, buttercream frosting and food coloring are the stars.

Also, Christmas Ornaments don’t have to just hang on the tree. These cake balls covered with colored chocolate and sprinkles are the perfect snacks for the holidays. So place a few in a gift bag or mason jar and finish it with a pretty bow.

Additionally, Christmas Wreaths are great snacks too. Your best sugar cookie recipe, a round cookie cutter, icing bags and tips and you’re on your way.

Last, we hope that you found a few of our Christmas cookies ideas irresistible, and you will be making a few batches for the holidays. Finally, we Wish a Merry and Blessed Christmas!

Filed Under: Holidays, Recipes Tagged With: Christmas cookie ideas, Christmas food ideas, Christmas gift ideas

Kid’s Christmas Craft: Christmas Tree

December 9, 2016 by Rhonda Gales Leave a Comment

Today, I’m sharing parenting tips on a kid’s Christmas crafts. It’s easy and would be perfect for little hands. It makes a beautiful Christmas card for parents or grandparents. Furthermore, it is also a great project for first or second grade students.

Kid’s Christmas craft:

Cardstock or construction paper (I purchased a pack of construction paper from Dollar Tree)
green washable paint (I purchased the paint from Michaels)
brown washable paint
glitter (optional)
gold or silver star

Step 1 – Fold your stock card in half. Use any color that will make your days jolly and bright. Just make sure that you Christmas tree will show well on whatever color you choose.

Step 2 – Next place a few dots of brown paint on a paper plate. Add green paint to your plate as well. Instead of making a circle, you will need to form a straight line on the plate. You will be dipping the toothbrush in the green paint, so you will need the line long enough so you can cover the toothbrush bristles.

Step 3 – For your information, I found it easier to draw the tree truck on the cardstock in pencil. It’s easier for the kids to try to paint inside established lines rather than trying to paint the tree truck freehand. You can sharpen the outline of the tree truck with a small brush once the kids finish painting it.

Step 4 – Allow the tree trunk to dry completely before you proceed. It should take approximately 10 – 15 minutes.

Step 5 – Once the trunk has dried, dip the toothbrush into the green paint. Help the children move the toothbrush up the paper to make strokes for the tree branches. Dip the brush back into the green paint and move the toothbrush down the opposite side of the card to make a branch.

Step 6 – Repeat Step 5 until the tree is complete. Allow the paint to dry completely.

Step 7 – Once the tree is dry, add a star to the top. (This step is optional).

Step 8 – Add glitter to the branches (This step is also optional).

We hope our kid’s Christmas craft will be a fun family activity. Last older children can write a message inside the Christmas card wishing mommy and daddy or their grandparents a Merry Christmas. Let the smaller children write a message or their name as well. Most importantly, they will be sure to put a smile on the recipient’s face.

Filed Under: Crafts, Holidays, Winter Tagged With: activities for kids, Christmas crafts, kid's Christmas crafts

7 Christmas Morning Items You Need

December 6, 2016 by Rhonda Gales 2 Comments

Today, I’m sharing parenting tips on preparing for Christmas Morning Items You Need. The only time I remember my daughter or grandchildren getting up at 6:00 am willingly is on Christmas morning. When the light penetrates the windows, it’s time to get up. Knowing that Santa has left gifts under the tree is too exciting to stay in bed. No matter how late you were up putting gifts together or wrapping presents, you head downstairs to see the excitement on their darling little faces.

Christmas Morning Items You Need:

Once the gifts are under the tree, we head off to bed for that much needed hour or two of sleep. Other things are needed besides gifts on Christmas morning. So, we have prepared a list of Christmas morning items for you. Be sure to check it twice before you head to bed:

Batteries – Check the size of the batteries needed for any toys or other items before you wrap them and make a list. There’s nothing more frustrating to a child than not being able to play with a toy on Christmas morning because there’s no batteries.

Scissors – Put your scissors in a place where you can find them. Mine disappear like socks in the dryer. You may need them to get toys or other gifts out the box.

Trash Bags – I always have large trash bags on hand for wrapping paper or pieces of boxes ripped apart on Christmas morning. Kitchen trash bags are too small for the mounts of wrapping paper and boxes that we leave behind.

Notebook or Paper and Pencil – Use these to keep track of who gave the kids and you gifts and what you received so you can write a thank you note. Thank you isn’t a thing of the past in my home.

Tools – Make sure you can find your Philips and Flathead screwdrivers to remove covers from toys if needed. You may also need a wrench or pliers. Kids have little patience on Christmas morning. Everything is fair game, and they want immediate access.

Camera and Batteries – Make sure you have your camera battery charged. If you’re not using a DSLR, make sure you have camera batteries on hand. You don’t want to miss a precious memory because the batteries are exhausted or you forgot to charge the camera battery.

Phone Charged – My phone starts ringing early Christmas morning. Between texts, calls and posting on social media, I need my phone to fully charged. I also have a land line, so that phone needs to charged as well.

Be sure to check the my list twice. The most wonder time of the year requires organization. Capturing memories is just as important as showing love and appreciation during the holiday season. Besides, changing out of nice warm pajamas to search for a 7-Eleven on Christmas morning is depressing.

Filed Under: Holidays Tagged With: Christmas ideas, Christmas Organization, Christmas tips, holidays