Category: Holidays

Valentine’s Affirmation Hearts

We don’t go over bored for Valentine’s Day, but we always get the kids these little heart cream filled chocolates and try to have dinner together.

Affirmation Hearts

I cut out hearts and wrote attributes, strengths, and affirmations on them for each child. Then I taped one to their door each day until Valentine’s Day. First thing in the morning on the 14th, I placed their name and the rest of the hearts for them to see when they woke up that morning. They really enjoyed this and looked each morning to see what the newest heart said.

Baked Spaghetii and Meatballs

Ingredients:

  • 1 package spaghetti
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 jar spaghetti sauce
  • 2 cups shredded cheese

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Cook and drain spaghetti noodles.
  3. In a separate pan, brown and drain ground beef.
  4. Add spaghetti sauce and warm through.
  5. Spray a pie dish or casserole dish with cooking spray, then add spaghetti noodles.
  6. Top with sauce and ground beef mixture.
  7. Top with cheese.
  8. Place in oven for around 10 minutes or until cheese is brown on top.
  9. Warm the meatballs in the oven with marinara sauce for 30 minutes.
  10. Serve with garlic bread and salad.

Chocolate Raspberry Tarts

Ingredients:

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teas. water
  • 2 TBS flour
  • 1 sheet pastry puff
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips
  • 16 raspberries
  • 2 TBS powdered sugar

Directions:

  1. Beat the eggs and water with a fork.
  2. Sprinkle flour and unfold pastry sheet.
  3. Roll out into 16×16 inch square.
  4. Brush pastry with the egg.
  5. Cut into 16 squares (4×4)
  6. Place 1 raspberry and 1 teaspoon of chocolate chips in the center of each square.
  7. Fold the pastries over to form triangles and crimp the edges with a fork.
  8. Prick the tops of each pastry and brush with egg.
  9. Place onto baking sheets and freeze for 15 minutes.
  10. Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.
  11. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
  12. Serve with ice cream.

Christmas Day Kids Foods

We do all of our Christmas celebrations on Christmas Eve each year. So for Christmas day I decided to put out finger foods for the kids as they were coming and going throughout the day. This way I don’t have to be in the kitchen cooking, so I can enjoy Christmas day too.

Hot Chocolate Bar

My kids are crazy about hot chocolate. We got some different flavors, but I also just made some in the crock pot to have out all day. Then we added marshmallows, mints, chocolate chips, chocolate wafers and chocolate stirring spoons. I added a scoop of peppermint bark ice cream to mine… YUM!

Cheeseball Platter

My husband loves cheeseballs so we have one almost every holiday. I placed salami, crackers, and cheeses along with the cheeseball.

Fruit Pizza

Ingredients :

  • Crescent Roll Dough
  • Cream Cheese 8 oz.
  • Marshmallow Cream 1 can
  • Fruit Diced Tiny

Directions:

  1. I spread the Crescent Roll dough on a pizza pan.
  2. Then I baked it according to the directions on the can.
  3. Mix together the Cream Cheese and the Marshmallow Cream to spread on the Crescent Roll.
  4. I cut the fruit into tiny pieces.
  5. I placed the left over fruit and dip in a platter for the kids.

Vegi Pizza

Ingredients :

  • Crescent Roll Dough
  • Sour Cream 1 tub
  • Ranch packet
  • Vegetables Diced Tiny

Directions:

  1. I spread the Crescent Roll dough on a pizza pan.
  2. Then I baked it according to the directions on the can.
  3. Mix together the Sour Cream and the Ranch packet to spread on the Crescent Roll.
  4. I cut up the vegetables into tiny pieces.
  5. I placed the left over vegetables and dip in a platter.

Cheesecake

My simple little pleasure, cheesecake!

Christmas Potpourri

I got the idea for Christmas Simmer Pot gifts from https://mommymadethat.com/stovetop-potpourri-gift/. We made these for teachers, baby sitters, coaches, and neighbors. Just add orange slices, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and pine tree sprigs to some simmering water. Smelled delightful all weekend.

Family Christmas

The kids all got X-men Storm shirts from Baby Storm this year!

I love, LOVE, love, love, LOVE these kids!!!

X-Men Trunk-or-Treat

This year it was unanimous that we wanted to dress as the X-men for Storm! I found most of the costumes at used clothing stores and made most of the other props.

X-Men Sign

Materials:

  • Cardboard
  • Scissors
  • Brown Spray Paint
  • Gold Sharpie
  • Cricut to cut letters

Directions:

  1. Cut a large oval and small circle from the cardboard.
  2. Paint both brown.
  3. Cut out letters with the Cricut and attach to the sign.
  4. Use the Sharpie to make a gold ring around the oval and circle. Make a gold X in the circle.

Mutant Pumpkins

I took the kids to the pumpkin patch to find pumpkins. They choose “mutant pumpkins” which were perfect for our Trunk-or-Treat theme of X-Men.

X-Men Trunk

I decorated the trunk to look like the gate/wall outside of Professor X’s school. Stone wall, vines, sign with address for the school, and some “mutant pumpkins”. We dressed as the characters in the 80’s Animated X-Men Series.

X-Men Costumes

Storm

I made Storm’s costume from an old white onesie and some yellow ribbon. I also made the red circular “X” badges out of some buttons. She is the reason that we chose to dress as the X-men this year!

Professor X

My 15 year old son dressed as Professor Xavier. We barrowed my mother-in-law’s wheel chair and I found a green suit and blue tie at Goodwill. It was a perfect find!

Jubilee

My son’s girlfriend dressed as Jubilee. We found all of her pieces to her outfit at Goodwill as well. The gloves are just yellow, rubber dish gloves. I made her glasses with paint pens and an old pair of sunglasses that I found. I made the earring from the red buttons that I used from Storm’s costume. People who watched the cartoon as kids knew exactly who she was!

Gambit

My younger son wanted to be Gambit, so I found a Gambit T-Shirt on Amazon. Then he used a large brown and a ski mask. The wig was from Goodwill sold brand new!

Phoenix

My step daughter wanted to be Phoenix, so I found a Phoenix T-Shirt on Amazon. Then she used a green tights and boots with yellow dish gloves. The wig was from Goodwill sold brand new!

Rogue

I dressed as Rogue and found Rogue T Shirt on Amazon. I wore green tights, an olive colored jacket, black headband, gold boots, and yellow dish gloves. I made the X’Men coms with red foam and a black sharpie, then we pinned the to our outfits!

Wolverine

My husband dressed as Wolverine. I found his Wolverine shirt on Amazon too. The boys also had some claws in their play stuff, but we lost one, so he just had 1 claw in this photo!

Princess Carriage Pumpkin Carving

I got a white pumpkin with 2 little pumpkins to make a Cinderella Pumpkin Carriage for Storm. I also used the gem stickers to decorate it.

First we cut of the top and pulled out the pumpkin insides.

She tasted the lid before replacing it.

Then I carved a coach door and windows.

Next I added some blue gem stickers to the carriage and some sliver gem stickers to the smaller pumpkins for the wheels.

Last I added a Cinderella crown to the top of the pumpkin.

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