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If you’re at Disneyland with children too young to go on the rides, take advantage of the “switch pass.” You can wait in line with your whole party and they’ll give you a switch pass which allows half of […]
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Like I said yesterday, we went to Disneyland last week and I was surprised at how many people were there in December. I wouldn’t say December is a bad time to go, but November might be better. It was more crowded and colder than I expected.
Anyway, we were there over a Thursday and […]
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We went to Disneyland earlier this month and I have some advice for families with young children: WAIT! Disneyland really is a magical place but we had a hard time enjoying it with a baby. We were only able to go on about four rides in two days and our son hated […]
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“Men’s courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead,” said Scrooge. “But if the courses be departed from, the ends will change. Say it is thus with what you show me!”
-Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
As the New Year approaches, take a look at where your course is leading you. […]
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VanillaJoy wishes you all a very Merry Christmas!
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Give each family member an opportunity to share a favorite story about Jesus. Talking about His life will help us remember Him and try to be more like Him.
Let each family member write down a goal for the next year. Put all the written down goals in a safe place where they can be seen […]
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Make Christmas Eve a special day by remembering the purpose for Christmas. On Christmas Day, things get so hectic and busy with opening presents and visiting family that the whole “reason behind the season” gets forgotten. Christmas Eve is a good day to really celebrate and remember the birth of Jesus Christ.
Here are […]
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Have a family dinner together then read Luke and remember again that Christmas is a celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth.
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If you haven’t noticed, Christmas is all about food - it’s a wonderful time to try out new recipes and share your culinary creations with friends and neighbors. Invite over several of your neighbors for a night of desserts and Christmas music.
Christmas is a wonderful time to get to know people around you - don’t […]
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Get your family and friends together for a game night with snacks and hot apple cider. Here are some of our favorite games:
Settlers of Catan
Ticket to Ride
UNO
Nertz
Scrabble
Cranium
Hoopla
Ping Pong
Pool
Canasta
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Curl up with fuzzy blankets, some peanut butter popcorn, and a cup of hot chocolate to watch a Christmas movie together. A few popular favorites are
It’s a Wonderful Life
A Charlie Brown Christmas
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Elf
Miracle on 34th Street
A Christmas Carol
The Polar Express
Mickey’s Christmas Carol
White Christmas
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Bake cinnamon rolls for breakfast! They are a bit of work, (my recipe is as easy as it gets), but the work is well worth the delicious result. Eat breakfast together as a family while listening to Christmas music. Your family will be ready to hit the road and go your separate ways after a […]
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Whether your family puts the presents out early or “Santa” brings them late Christmas Eve night, let your older children help you wrap gifts for their siblings or other family members, with the condition that they keep all information strictly confidential. Kids like to share secrets with their parents…it makes them feel special and grown […]
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There is something so sweet about poetry that fills me with sunshine. I don’t know what it is, but when I read a simple poem with a clear message I feel a sense of hope and happiness. It’s that feeling that makes me want to change the world. I think that feeling is another name […]
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Many cities put on a live Nativity event. Check to see if that happens in your city and attend. Bring hot chocolate and wear warm clothes!
If you don’t have a live Nativity in your city, act it out with your family. You’ll need
Mary
Joseph
Baby Jesus (a doll)
A shepherd
A wise man (or woman)
An angel
If you have more […]
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Take your family (or just your spouse) to see the Nutcracker Ballet, a Christmas choir or bell choir concert. Or visit a local museum to see the holiday exhibition.
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This is one of my favorite, favorite, favorite things to do at Christmastime. I remember going to the Festival of Lights in my hometown with my family. We drove through the park and saw all of the beautiful light displays. We would also drive around local neighborhoods to see the lights.
Take your […]
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Even Christmas trees without lights are fascinating to babies. This mobile is a breeze to make with patterned papers. Suspended over a changing table or crib, it’s a decoration that also serves an important purpose: keeping your little one calm and entertained (be sure to hang it out of reach).
Mobile How-To
1. Using a utility knife […]
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Start doing a puzzle tonight and work on it until Christmas. Set it up in the family room where you can all be together while doing it and also where people can work on it and still be involved with other things that are going on.
Buy a new Christmas puzzle each year the day after […]
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Sometime during the day hide some candy or a small gift in each of your children’s shoes. At some point in the day, perhaps after dinner or right before bed, give one person a little package to open that will have a note inside saying something like:
“For a bit of Christmas news, hurry and […]
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Get lots of different kinds of candy in different colors and shapes, graham crackers, and frosting to make gingerbread houses. Let each member of the family make his or her own house and put them all together at the end to make a village.
Here’s the recipe for the frosting:
2 egg whites
1 t. cream of tartar
2 […]
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Think of all your neighbors and acquaintances and invite someone to dinner. Try to think of someone who lives alone and who may not have family around during the holidays. Open up your home to this person and invite them to have dinner and share part of this Christmas season with your family.
After […]
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If it has snowed recently where you live, build a snowman or go sledding. Sliding down a snowy hill on rubber inner-tubes is a fun activity we used to do in my family when I was a kid…just be careful because it can be dangerous! My sister broke her arm doing this (although we weren’t […]
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Go with your family to pick out a new Christmas CD. An old favorite of mine is called “A Jazzy Christmas in Dixie,” and a new favorite is “Noel” by Josh Groban.
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Read Dickens’ A Christmas Carol together as a family. There are only 143 pages in the book so if you read about 7.5 pages a day, you’ll finish on Christmas Eve!
OR read a children’s book together. Be sure to let everyone see all the pictures! One of my favorites is Jingle Bells […]
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Bake up some Christmas treats and make goody plates to deliver to friends and neighbors. This activity is one of my favorites - I enjoy baking and I especially like making pretty desserts. Delivering your freshly baked treats saves you from eating them and spreads holiday cheer.
Here are some recipes for some delicious, […]
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Make paper snowflakes and hang them from the ceiling in your children’s bedrooms or put them on the windows. Paper snowflakes are especially nice if it doesn’t snow where you live.
Click below to get snowflake templates.
Familyfun.com Snowflake Diagrams
MarthaStewart.com Snowflake Diagram
[photo from marthastewart.com ]
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Advent (from the Latin word advenio, meaning “to come”, “the coming of Christ our saviour”) is a holy season of the Christian church, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ, also known outside the Church as the season of Christmas.” [From wikipedia.com] Advent begins on […]
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Start the Christmas season out right by having a special family activity to talk about the elements of the Nativity. The first Sunday in December is the perfect day to do this.
Religious Elements of the Nativity
The “Nativity” is the story of Christ’s birth. Mary and Jesus are always present in nativity representations. […]
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If you haven’t already, today would be a good day to put up the Christmas tree! Once the tree is up, the Christmas spirit spreads like crazy. Let the festivities begin! Oh, and don’t forget the Christmas music!
[photo from marthastewart.com]
Put up Christmas lights on the outside of your house. String them […]
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