Here's my plan for enjoying the holiday season with my kids. I have wanted to do this for the past few years and the season always sneaks up on me and then it's too late. Thanks to all who gave me ideas. I hope to blog about our different activities every couple of days, but we'll see if that actually happens!
December 1: Buy Christmas tree, decorate.
December 2: Ward Christmas Party
December 3: 1. Christmas Movie: Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer
2. First Presidency Christmas Devotional
December 4: Make prefab gingerbread house I found at Costco
December 5: Make snowflakes out of coffee filters to hang on windows
December 6: Cinnamon Ornaments
December 7: Candy Glass Ornaments. From Familyfun.com. They didn't have a picture but they sound easy to make; you just melt jolly ranchers (in the oven) in a metal cookie cutter that has foil on the bottom. You punch out a hole with a chopstick and hang with a ribbon.
December 8: Baby Jesus ornament. Grammy, 5 years ago, had a holiday breakfast at her home in Venezuela. She gave each woman a sweet little ornament of the baby Jesus and also gave me enough supplies to make several more. I think it's finally time to make them.
December 9: 1. Ice Skating (Not going to be a pretty site, but the kids have been begging!)
2. Buy presents for our Secret Santa family
December 10: See Christmas Lights at Temple
December 11:1. Wrap Secret Santa Gifts
2. FHE: Watch Luke II, talk about meaning of Christmas symbols
December 12: Make gifts for teachers (homemade cocoa in jars)
December 13: Wrap gifts for grandparents
December 14: Growing Tree. I found this on familyfun.com. It's a 6 foot tree made of felt. Each year you measure your kids and add the "ornaments" with their name and height.
December 15: Juan Carlos' school Christmas party
December 16: Christmas movie. A Christmas Story. "You'll shoot your eye out"
December 17: 1. Gingerbread Garland. Also from familyfun.com. Looks cute and easy.
2. Take a drive and look at Big City Christmas lights
December 18: 1. Cookies. Variety TBA
2. Tri-bead ornaments (candy canes and wreaths) and/or mice ornaments
December 19: 1. Cookies. Variety TBA
2. Poinsettia napkin rings.
December 20: 1. Candy (Utmommy is going to supply me with a no-fail recipe as I am intimidated by homemade candy)
2. Buckeyes These just look yummy, chocolate and peanut butter? Mmmmm.
3. Reindeer Gear: This I found in a Family fun book I have, but I can't find it on their website. All it is is antlers made out of brown poster board that they can wear on their heads. (If I were a proficient scanner, I would scan it, but alas, my scanner and I have a contentious relationship.)
December 21: 1. Christmas Movie. My all-time favorite: Elf.
2. Open one present (I can't say what it is here because Margarita actually reads my blog, but it has something to do with the following activity)
3. Sleep around the Christmas tree (This idea came from Grammy. I am not really looking forward to it, but I know my kids will.love.it. I think I'll be sneaking up to my bed when they all fall asleep!)
December 22: Make Christmas colored dough and play with it.
December 23: 1. Make Grandma's famous fudge with Grandma!
2. Christmas movie. It's A Wonderful Life (Grandpa's favorite)
December 24: 1. Traditional Christmas Eve Fondue (a Guapo family tradition)
2. Watch Luke 2 (I can't watch this video enough, I love it.)
3. Act out the Nativity
4. Open presents from Grandma and Grandpa
***Nettie gave me a cool idea that we are going to try this year: you gift-wrap all the Christmas books you have (individually), and open one per day to read together.
December 25: Christmas!!! (Take a loooooong nap after opening presents)
12 comments:
yes indeedy, you must make buckeyes.
That's a plan and a half. WOW!!
When I was in YW we made those candy ornaments and the cinnamon ones, they are so fun and easy (unfortunately, do to my short attention/memory span I can’t remember the recipe for the cinnamon thing).
We are watching the same movies, how cool is that. No wonder we are BOFF.
You are such a good fun mom. Maybe I'll should get in the "fun mom" wagon and do something each day like you are.
That's a great super plan Gabs.
PS: VW= xhiptbe...I see this as a sign.
It sounds like TONS of FUN are about to happen at your house. That's a great plan. I hope it goes well.
(PS. I always snucxk off to my own bed once the kids were asleep around the tree...and sometimes I started off on the couch instead of the floor. The prenant one ALWAYS gets the couch!)
Love the growing tree idea! Will have to do that. We start ours tonight with watching Mary dance in the Nutcracker.
Delurking to say that I love your ideas and I love Family Fun magazine, too. I just might steal part of your plan to do with my kiddos.
Tonight we're watching "A Christmas Story" and eating pizza. How's that for starting off December?!
We put up our fake, pre-fab tree tonight. It's not traditional, but it makes things easy. And I felt like I started December in the right way.
And I love the pre-made gingerbread houses from Costco. They are the only way to go.
You have inspired me. I will have to get a plan together myself.
My plan did not work.
AS we started watching "Elf" last night, my kids slowly faded and fell asleep. Between seminary, school and wrestling the movie had no chance.
Today is another day!
Tess: I just discovered buckeyes this year. I can't believe I had never heard of them. I heart chocolate and peanut butter.
NCS: we'll see how the plan goes, but I am just happy I made it finally! How could your kids fall asleep in Elf? "You smell like beef and cheese, you don't smell like Santa". Love.it.
Janice: Send pictures of Mary, I bet she looked adorable!
Grammy: you were/are my inspiration for Plan December. Thanks for all of the great ideas. I'm glad to know you snuck to bed, I won't feel like such a party-pooper.
Nikko: thanks for delurking! We are having pizza twice in December! (on 2 for 1 Tuesdays).
Handiemom: Hi! I went back to Costco to get two more prefab houses and they were gone. :(
I LOVE it! This way there's no "hey, what are we going to do today?" moments. You've inspired me!
What a awesome idea. I wish I was that organized.
wow, I am going to have to copy all of your ideas! sounds like so much fun. I need to check out that buckeye recipe as well. Chocolate and Peanut butter are my best friends when they are together!
I was hoping you would post this! You found some great ideas! And here I was all set on doing LESS this year...Maybe I'll just have a good time seeing you do it through your blog, instead!
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