Our Family's December Acts of Christmas Kindness

For a kid, Christmas is the most magical day of the year.  Surrounded by family, opening presents, staying up late, and the sheer joy of lying in your bed with your mind racing a mile a minute thinking what could possibly be in those gifts that are piled under the tree.

We wanted, this year, to take some focus off the amount of gifts they'd be getting or what they wanted this year for Christmas and focus more on what Christmas SHOULD be about.

I saw the idea floating around Pinterest about doing random acts of kindness and I thought it was a fabulous idea.

I wanted to incorporate an act of kindness each day leading up to Christmas that my kids could do that would help them appreciate all they have and to be lucky enough to see how good it feels to help others and not only worry about themselves.

I wanted to make this an enjoyable experience for the entire family and get everyone involved.  And we did.

There were no fancy printables (except for my kindness calendar which I'll link below).  We hand wrote each card, picture, or note.  We wanted it to be special and personalized from us.  :)

Some days, because of school schedules or because there was something else going on, we did miss the opportunity here and there to do one act of kindness each day.  We did make it up either the following day or on the weekend by doing more than one on that day.  There were days we actually did 3 or 4 acts.  But it all got done and we learned so much from this experience.

I wanted my kids to learn that it doesn't take much to help someone or to brighten someone's day.

We did most of our acts anonymously because I wanted them to know that doing something kind for someone or helping someone should go without recognition.  It's not about getting a thank you or for getting praise.  It's simply about being kind to others.

Here are the acts we did for the month of December.......

• We hid a dollar in the toy section of the dollar store.

•  We donated new coloring books and crayons to the emergency room waiting room.

• Left some popcorn at a Redbox.

• Paid for someone's vacuum at the car wash.

• Donated clothes and diapers to our local pregnancy center.

• The kids took their own money to donate to the salvation army.  I was so proud of them for choosing their dollar bills to give.  As a kid, parting with dollars doesn't come easy.  It made my heart happy!

• They hand delivered a Christmas card to their school nurse.

• My husband knew a woman who had just lost her father and couldn't afford presents for her two kids.  We wanted to help make their Christmas special.  My husband and my son shopped for her 7 year old son, while me and the girls shopped for her 2 year old daughter.  The feeling of being able to bless someone and taking some worry off of her was the most rewarding feeling.  My kids were so excited to be able to make those kids' Christmas a little brighter.

• We donated food to a food pantry.

• We left some diapers and a pack of wipes on a changing table in the restroom at Walmart.

• We left a little treat for our mail carrier.  It was so nice to open the mailbox the next day and see a thank you card from her!

• We had planned on bringing candy to our local police officers.  I took the picture before we realized that all the doors were locked and there was no one there.  So we ended up bringing the candy to the forestry department.  It worked out better though because those men were so excited to see the kids!  They said they never get visitors.  They gave all the kids coloring books as a thank you.

• A holiday scratch off ticket left at the ATM

• We took donuts to our local fire station.  The firemen gave the kids a tour of all the trucks! They had such a great time!

Next year I plan on starting this a little earlier in the month.  It was such a rewarding experience for all of us.  It filled our hearts with joy and helped us better understand the meaning of Christmas.

Seeing the smiles on their faces and talking amongst themselves in the back seat wondering who would find the dollar, or who would come across the lottery ticket, it was so nice to see excitement on their faces knowing they made someone's day a little brighter or put a smile on someone's face.

We're always told to be more like Jesus.  We always long to be more like Him.  And I believe teaching our children to be kind, generous, and giving without expecting anything in return is a step in the right direction.

"He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked."  - 1 John 2:6

I'm hoping this post inspired someone to try this some time.  The rewards are priceless.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!



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Right click and Save-As, print out the calendar, fill in each day with an act of kindness, and bless someone today!

Our Buddy the Elf Themed Dinner

Every year I always try and make some type of Christmas themed dinner.  Last year, we had a snowman dinner and the year before that, we had a Grinch dinner.

This year, we went with a dinner based around the movie Elf.  It's one of my favorite Christmas movies of all time!

I wanted to keep everything very simple because over the years of hosting parties and holidays, I've learned that keeping clean up to a minimal is extremely important.  I want to enjoy making memories with my family, rather than spend my time washing dishes at the sink.

So first things first....

The Decorations:

I spent two days cutting strips of paper, making snowflakes, and making paper chains.

My kids helped make the snowflakes, which was such a nice time.  Listening to Christmas music and spending time on the floor cutting out all different snowflakes was a memory in itself.

Promising they can stay up late to help me was more of a reward for me rather then for them.  It was less snowflakes I had to make!!

"SANTA!! I know him!"

*I'll link up my printable for The Code of Elves at the end of this post*

The Food:

"Son of a nutcracker!"

Just a simple bowl of cashews.  Can't go wrong.

"You smell like beef and cheese"

I made some homemade cheeseburger sliders.  Always a hit with any kid!  (and adults!)

"Smiling's my favorite!"

Mashed potato smiles were the perfect addition to the menu!

Dessert:

For dessert we had spaghetti cupcakes.  I saw the idea on Pinterest and absolutely LOVED it. 

It's just cupcakes layered into the bowl.  I mixed white frosting with a little yellow and brown food coloring paste to make a "pasta colored" icing.  

I covered the cupcakes in a light layer and then piped on the spaghetti using a #20 icing tip and pastry bag.  

I topped the "spaghetti" with melted chocolate frosting, mini marshmallows, M&M's, and pieces of chocolate fudge poptarts.  Is the healthiest dessert?  I'm gonna say no.  But Buddy the elf doesn't do healthy.  After all, the four main food groups for elves are candy, candy corns, candy canes, and syrup!

"Congratulations!  World's best cup of coffee!"

I know I posted this picture above, but I didn't take a single picture of the world's best cup of coffee!  Which in actuality, was cups of hot chocolate.  I didn't think giving kids cups of coffee with their bowl of sugar spaghetti would have been a smart move. ;)

If you remember, Buddy drinks the whole bottle of coke.  We did too.  But they were MUCH smaller. :)

While we ate, I played a playlist of music I had created that had the soundtrack to the movie.  The dinner was a huge hit!  It was simple to make, easy preparations, and super easy clean up.  

We also had to dress the part.  Everyone got their own elf hat to wear, all the way from the North Pole.  Which in "Mom Land" is the dollar store! 

{  They're all ready to eat!  And of course, no picture (in this family at least) would be complete without one of my kids having their eyes closed.  }

We finished off the night sitting by the fire and watching the movie Elf together.  It was a special night full of laughter, fun, and memories we'll all remember.  And that's what Christmas is about to me.  

I love to create simple nights like these that we can look back on and remember in Christmas pasts that we spent this time together.  We laughed around good food.  We talked.  We loved.  

I hope I gave someone some inspiration to create their own themed dinner and try this out for their family!  You really should.  Come on!  Don't be a cotton headed ninny muggins.

Wishing you all a season full of love and memories of your own!

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Grab your FREE printables below:

You can download my free Elf food labels HERE 

You can download my FREE Code of Elves printable  HERE

Easy Sweet and Salty Christmas Bark

I was so excited this year to try my hand at making a new yummy Christmas treat.

I've never attempted to make candy or any type of bark, so I was curious to see how this would taste or how difficult it would be to make.

This is probably one of the easiest things I've ever made and is a HUGE hit with my kids.  Chocolate, candy, pretzels, peanuts?  What's not to love?

This is the perfect treat to make and wrap up with some cute holiday plastic wrap and tie it all together with a cute ribbon.  It makes a great gift!  And any leftovers you don't give away, well...ya know.

This is probably why I've gained 3 pounds so far.

*I have no exact measurements for the "toppings" of the bark because I just put what I thought looked good.*

Ingredients:

• 3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips ( around 1 1/2 bags)
• 1 tsp. oil
• Pretzel sticks, broken into pieces
• Red and green candies (I used M&M's)
• Honey roasted peanuts
• Sprinkles

Directions:

-Line a cookie sheet with foil.

- Place toppings in separate bowls for easy access.

-Heat chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute intervals, stirring in between.  (My microwave took 2 1/2 minutes to melt the chocolate.)

-When chocolate is fully melted, stir in the tsp. of oil.

-Pour chocolate onto the lined cookie sheet.

-Sprinkle with toppings.  Press lightly into chocolate as you go.

-Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm.

-Remove the chocolate from foil, break into pieces, and enjoy!

North Pole Breakfast 2015

Well, our christmas season has officially started.  Technically when we saw Santa on the Thanksgiving Day parade it started, but the kids make it official when our elf Harry makes his annual debut.

This year was our 3rd annual North Pole breakfast, and the kids absolutely loved it again this year.

This year it was kept pretty simple.  Not only for the fact that I was extremely exhausted from Thanksgiving, but the older the kids get, the harder it's getting to keep things a secret.  

Harry brought some white powdered donuts, blueberry muffins, and green yogurt topped with sprinkles.

 Our generous little guy even brought a little something all the way back from the North Pole for the kids to open.

A new christmas cup and some cute christmas socks.

It was a hit once again this year, and we're ready to see what Harry is going to get himself into THIS year!

Hoping everyone had a safe and fun Thanksgiving!

Let the christmas season begin! :)

BBQ Chicken Redneck Egg Rolls

If anyone knows me at all, they'll know that anytime my husband drags me to Sonny's for dinner, I'll most likely get an appetizer for my meal.  The appetizer?  Redneck egg rolls.

If you've never been to Sonny's BBQ restaurant or have never had the extreme pleasure of trying these egg rolls, I'll give you a quick description.

It's basically BBQ pulled pork, coleslaw, and shredded jack cheese all rolled up in an egg roll wrap and fried to perfection.

I know.  Drooling yet?  Here, take a napkin.

I wanted to try and recreate my own 'concoction' at home and I think I came up with a pretty great recipe that will completely satisfy my craving without having my poor husband running to Sonny's every few weeks.

I'm not really a big pork eater so I wanted to try it with chicken and the results were heavenly.

For the Chicken:

• 1 package boneless chicken breasts
• 2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 red onion, sliced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Ingredients:

• Coleslaw (you can find my recipe HERE)
• shredded cheddar cheese
• egg roll wraps ( found in most supermarkets in the produce section by the tofu)
• a small bowl of water (for sealing the egg rolls)
• oil for frying

Directions:

For shredded chicken:

Trim excess fat from chicken breasts.

Place chicken breasts and onions in a medium sauce pan.  Pour bbq sauce and water over the chicken and season with salt and pepper.

Cook on high until boiling.  Reduce to medium heat.  Cook about 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken and shred chicken with a fork or place in your stand mixer for easier shredding.

Add cornstarch to the sauce left in the pan and stir until thickened.  (add extra bbq sauce if needed).  Add shredded chicken back into the sauce.

Set aside.

To Assemble Egg Rolls:

Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep frying pan.  ( I find deep frying is the best method for crispiness and for keeping the wraps together).

Place your wrap on a flat surface at an angle.

Add some shredded chicken down the center, leaving it away from the sides.

Top the chicken with coleslaw.

Top with coleslaw with cheddar cheese.

Using your finger, place water around all of the edges of the egg roll wrap.

Fold in both sides of the egg roll wrap first, then roll the wrap upwards, using extra water to seal together at the end.

Drop the egg rolls into the deep fryer and fry until brown and crispy. (about 5-7 minutes).

Place on a paper towel lined plate to soak up any excess oil.

Serve hot and enjoy!

2015 Elf on the Shelf Planning Calendar - Free Printable

Well folks, the time is coming again where our little elves will be making their grand appearances.  I can't speak for anyone else, but I know that I'm very excited to be welcoming our elf Harry back in the next few weeks.

I decided to make a planning calendar again this year because frankly, if I don't write things down nowadays I'll most likely forget what I'm supposed to be doing.  It happens to us all at one point or another.  Right? Hello?? Please tell me it happens to us all.

Download your FREE calendar HERE

Okay okay, so you might be saying "Hey, lady.  Let us get through Thanksgiving first."

Please let it be known I am NOT one to rush through any holiday.  I by no means like looking for halloween costumes and seeing twinkling christmas trees in my peripheral vision.  Or shopping for Thanksgiving decor while hearing Christmas music blaring through speakers in the store.  (Seriously Wal-Mart, get it together!)  But I AM one to be organized and on top of things when it comes to each and every holiday.

Learning from past experiences, this elf takes some serious time and effort to get all his mischievous and festive tactics in order.  That's why I seriously heart this planning calendar.

If you don't know how it works, it's simple.  Think of some creative ideas your kids would love or search around Pinterest for some motivation or ideas that other people have come up with.    Fill in each date with a different activity your elf will be doing, and cross them off as you go.  That's it!

If you're looking for some new ideas, you can check out some of the shenanigans our elf has been up to over the years.

• 25 Elf on the Shelf ideas
• 25+ Elf on the Shelf Ideas (part 2)

Want to make your Elf on the Shelf planning even easier?

Check out my 6 Tips for Stress Free Elf on the Shelf planning.