After weeks of shopping, baking, and planning, the big day is here, but there is still a little time left to create some DIY holiday magic.
At this point, it’s a good idea to focus on one or two simple projects or activities. Today, I am sharing a few of my favourites.
Driving around and looking at Christmas lights is always a wonderful family activity this time of year, and in our home, we turn it into an annual “Polar Express adventure.” My boys go to bed, find Polar Express train tickets on their pillows and we head out in our mini-van to look at Christmas lights, with hot chocolate and cookies. Then, when we arrive home, the kids find bells from Santa's sleigh on their pillows. This activity is always a highlight of the holidays for all of us.
This year, I put together a jar of “Cookies for Santa” mix for my boys to bake before they go to bed on Christmas Eve. I started with a clean 1L mason jar, and I added a layer that contains 1 ¾ cups flour, ¾ tsp baking soda, and ¾ tsp salt. Then, I added ¾ cup packed brown sugar, ½ cup white sugar, and a 200g bag of red and green M&Ms. I finished the jar by attaching a tag with curling ribbon. Now, on Christmas Eve, my boys will beat together ¾ cup softened butter, ¾ tsp vanilla and an egg. They’ll mix in the contents of the jar, spoon the cookies onto a tray, and bake them at 375 degrees for 9-12 minutes.
These cookies will be perfect for Santa, but the reindeer will need some fuel on December 24th too. Every year, my boys make magic reindeer food (from rolled oats, Cheerios, and magic dust / red decorating sugar) to sprinkle on our lawn before they go to bed on Christmas Eve. It’s the last thing we do before we go to bed and read “The Night Before Christmas.”
Other ideas for last minute holiday fun include: gathering with family for food and fun, playing Christmas charades, drinking hot chocolate in front of a fire, singing Christmas carols, setting up a Christmas photo booth, tracking Santa on the web via “The official NORAD Santa tracker” (www.noradsanta.org), watching a Christmas movie, making a Christmas craft or two, and/or going on a Christmas light scavenger hunt.
I hope you use every spare minute to embrace the magic of the holidays with your family. Happy holidays from my family to yours!
Gina Bell writes the East Coast Mommy column, which runs every second week. Follow her blog at www.EastCoastMommy.com or contact her at [email protected].
