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Christmas Swirl Cookies

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November 20, 2018 by Jamie Leave a Comment

I love pretty decorated cookies, but I don't love to bake the actual cookie. So I have a shortcut for Christmas Swirl Cookies that will save you time and will look like you slaved away! These red and green swirl cookies are adorable and won't last either! Christmas Swirl Cookies Here is my shortcut for making these pretty Christmas Swirl Cookies. BUY the sugar cookies from the bakery! Making sugar cookies is not something I enjoy doing. I will admit that my cookies usually aren't the greatest and rolling them out, cutting them out...is too time-consuming for me. I go to the bakery and buy a dozen regular size round sugar cookies. BOOM---major part of this project is already done. Now I know that many of you are more talented in the kitchen and baking areas than I am and buying premade cookies may go against everything you believe in! If that is the case....feel free to make the homemade sugar cookies. How to Make Christmas Swirl Cookies First off if … [Read more...]

DIY Christmas Garland With Styrofoam Balls

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November 15, 2018 by Jamie Leave a Comment

A great way to get kids more involved with the holidays is to do some fun and easy do it yourself projects. It is amazing how much children LOVE helping us create! This DIY Christmas Garland made with styrofoam balls is a quick craft project and looks great on the Christmas tree. DIY Christmas Garland Easy craft projects are my favorite! This particular DIY is so versatile and is a great way to make a customized garland for themed trees. Supplies Needed for Styrofoam Christmas Garland 1 inch styrofoam balls 1/2 inch styrofoam balls Red acrylic paint Green acrylic paint (or 2 other colors of your choice) wooden kitchen skewers ribbon, twine, yarn, etc. Clear tape Floral foam block How to Make a DIY Christmas Garland Decide how long you want your garland to be. This will depend on what you are wrapping it around. If this is for a wreath it won't have to be as long. If this is for a Christmas tree it will need to be much … [Read more...]

Free Reindeer Printables for Christmas

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November 13, 2018 by Jamie Leave a Comment

Reindeer are such a big part of Christmas and Santa and kids love them. These free reindeer printables are the perfect way to keep kids busy while you get some reindeer poop cookies made! Some of these reindeer printables are also good for home decor or crafting! Free Reindeer Printables for Christmas There are so many fun ideas out there on the web. My problem has always been that if I start searching...I will search so long that I run out of time to actually DO what I am searching for! I have made this easy for you by scouring the internet to find the cutest and best reindeer printables for your family to use. Reindeer Home Decor Printables These adorable Plaid Buffalo Check Reindeer printables from The Happy Housie will look great in any frame. Kids will love hanging this Santa's Reindeer printable from Capturing Joy on their walls so they can remember all the names! Hashtag Blessed Blog has some more classy reindeer decor printables to brighten up your … [Read more...]

Grinch Cookies

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November 12, 2018 by Jamie Leave a Comment

I never get sick of watching the Grinch at Christmas time. With a new Grinch movie out this year it is a great time to make some easy Grinch Cookies. These are made with Nutter Butter cookies or something similar and are super tasty! Grinch Cookies Grinch cookies are something the kids will want to help make. These are also a wonderful treat for class Christmas parties at school. You could even get really creative and throw a Grinch party during December...or have a Grinch movie night! So many fun ideas to make Christmas a little merrier! How to Make Grinch Cookies With Nutter Butter Cookies First line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. In a small microwave safe bowl, melt 2 cups of the green candy melts. It is best to warm these on 50% power in your microwave. It typically takes 3-4 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds or so until melted and smooth. Place a Nutter Butter cookie into the melted green chocolate. Make sure all sides are … [Read more...]

Santa’s Address & Printable Letter to Santa

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November 8, 2018 by Jamie Leave a Comment

Christmas is coming the goose is getting fat! Did you sing that song when you were a kid in elementary school? We sang it every year and even did it as a round, LOL. The fact remains that Christmas is right around the corner and you need to get Santa's address now and grab this free printable letter to Santa! There are deadlines for sending letter's to the big guy! Santa's Address Kids love writing to Santa, but what can make it even more special is when Santa writes BACK. It is possible to get a letter back that is post-marked from the North Pole, AK. The smile on your child's face will be priceless when they get that letter back and all you need are a few instructions and Santa's address! How to Get a Letter Back From Santa Obviously, the parent is going to have to do a little work to make this magic happen. Here are the instructions from the USPS website to help parents work this little Christmas miracle! Have the child write a … [Read more...]

Weight Watchers Thanksgiving Side Dishes

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November 7, 2018 by Jamie Leave a Comment

The holidays are fast approaching and it is time to start planning the menu. The key to staying on track during the holidays is having some Freestyle SmartPoints friendly foods available. Finding good Weight Watchers recipes that taste good and are healthy is important. This may mean making a few extra dishes, but it will be worth it. Here are some delicious Weight Watchers Thanksgiving side dishes to keep you on plan. Weight Watchers Thanksgiving Side Dishes A lighter version of the beloved Green Bean Casserole (6 FS SP) won't leave you feeling guilty. Cranberry Relish (2 FS SP) is a tradition for most families. Skinny Taste has an easy Slow Cooker Garlic Sweet Potato Mash (5 FS SP) that sounds amazing and is easy to put together ahead of time. Cheesy Cauliflower Rice (2 FS SP) is a side dish that everyone at the table will want to eat. Roasted Brussel Spouts (3 FS SP) are a great side dish that are low in points and delicious! Don't … [Read more...]

Free Thanksgiving Color Pages

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November 6, 2018 by Jamie Leave a Comment

Hanging sweet pages colored by our kids around the house is just what parents do, right? I do like to try and hang seasonal color pages when I can. It is even better when I can find free color pages for my daughter to color!! Well...I have some free Thanksgiving color pages to share with you. Free Thanksgiving Color Pages These five free Thanksgiving color pages will keep your little ones busy while you bake, cook and clean. OR they can color while you relax in a tub with some lavender bath bombs!! :lol: I am hosting Thanksgiving this year for the first time and am already planning to make some pumpkin pie tarts and a healthier version of turkey stuffing! Coloring Contest Anyone? You can always keep your kids occupied even longer by getting a little competition going. How about a simple coloring contest. You can have them each color one page with colored pencils, another page with markers, another page with neon crayons! It will be fun to … [Read more...]

Good Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Kids

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November 1, 2018 by Jamie 10 Comments

Filling stockings is one of my all-time favorite things to do at Christmas. I look long and hard to find special items for my family's stockings. The problem is that it can be difficult and very time-consuming. That is the reason I keep of list handy of good stocking stuffer ideas for kids with me when I shop! Good Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Kids I remember the thrill of digging into my stocking on Christmas morning. One Christmas stands out to me as the best Christmas of my childhood. There were always lots of goodies in our stockings and I have tried to replicate that with my kids. We have pretty stockings my mom made for us that hang on the mantel. Unfortunately, I like to fill the stockings UP and I don't have enough room in these stockings. I keep a back up of those BIG stockings you can buy so that I can fit larger items inside! These good stocking stuffer ideas for kids are things that are universally liked by both boys and girls. Items … [Read more...]

Weight Watchers Mini Pecan Pies

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October 31, 2018 by Jamie 1 Comment

Pecan pie is part of holiday meals in my humble opinion. I absolutely love it and honestly...I am not a huge fan of nuts, LOL. Except for the ones in my family!! :) It was important to create a Weight Watchers recipe that was a little more points friendly. These Weight Watchers Mini Pecan Pies are the answer! Weight Watchers Mini Pecan Pies When I think about how many calories are in pecan pie I just block it from my mind immediately. Most of the amounts I see are around 500 calories for ONE piece of pecan pie. If I plug one piece of pecan pie into WW it comes out to 21 points for the slice. OUCH. There goes my points for the day and I am not going to stay full!!! Luckily there are ways to make tasty treats a little healthier and they can be eaten in smaller portions too. How to Make Healthier Mini Pecan Pies These Weight Watchers mini pecan pies do not have a traditional crust. We can all agree that a traditional crust is high in points and sometimes we need to … [Read more...]

Reindeer Treats for Christmas

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October 31, 2018 by Jamie 1 Comment

The season for reindeer is approaching quickly. Reindeer go hand in hand when it comes to Christmas for kids. My kids LOVE the reindeer poop cookies we make every year. This year we are going to make several reindeer treats for Christmas. Check out all these awesome ideas! Reindeer Treats for Christmas I am a mom who likes EASY and these reindeer treats for Christmas fall into that category. Many of them only take a few ingredients too! How about fun class party treats and gifts for friends...BINGO! You will definitely find something to make! Reindeer Treats That Have Peanut Butter Included I did include recipes that have Nutella in them in this category! :) Nutella reindeer sandwiches, are so yummmm...thanks to this cute recipe from the Artsy Momma. This reindeer chow by Tastes of Lizzy looks super yummy and has a colorful addition. I love chocolate peanut butter chow from Over the Moon has a special ingredient to wow you. Peanut butter cookies, … [Read more...]