Have you ever intentionally created a family tradition? I haven’t, until now!
My family and I grew up watching the Charlie Brown/Peanuts holiday specials around this time every year with our parents; they all have a special place in my heart, but none more than It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and A Charlie Brown Christmas!
Continuing on with these good feelings and memories, embellishing it to make it our own, here is our new Christmas tradition:
The Friday before Christmas we will make our own marshmallows and hot chocolate, then sip it while we watch A Charlie Brown Christmas!
It’s simple, yet fun and heartfelt like any family tradition should be! Create happy feelings and the happy memories will follow! Feel free to use this idea for your own family tradition, or take it and change it to make it your own!
Christmas is nearly here and we love celebrating every moment!
What better way to celebrate than having a Christmas box! Now when I first heard of these, they were and are referred to as Christmas Eve boxes and presented on Christmas Eve for the family to enjoy, but then some of the items can only be enjoyed for one to two nights before Christmas is technically over, so I’ve decided to just call it a Christmas box and we can present it a week before Christmas to really enjoy its contents!
SUPPLIES
Wood crate
White acrylic paint
Red acrylic paint
Foam paint brushes
Painter’s tape
Matte varnish
Embellishments (optional)
Hot glue (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Paint every other beam of the crate (outside and inside) with white paint and then allow it to dry.
Repeat step 1 until the desired brightness of the paint is reached.
Once the paint is dry, use painters tape to tape up and protect the edges of the white beams or anywhere else where the red paint may drip or bleed.
Paint the remaining beams and the sides of the crate (outside and inside) with red paint and then allow it to dry.
Repeat step 4 until the desired brightness of the paint is reached.
Carefully peel off the painter’s tape and coat the whole crate with varnish, this may take two coats to reach the desired coverage.
If you have any embellishments like an ornament or two, carefully glue them on with a hot glue gun and allow it to dry.
Fill it up and enjoy!
If you’re looking for ideas to fill your new Christmas box with here are a few to spark your imagination!
Welcome to the cozy and magical month of December my friends!
My family and I have created a list of family friendly Christmas movies and specials for you and yours! Christmas may be celebrated a little differently this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t kindle a little Christmas spirit!
This year we’ve decided to focus on movies and specials that are rated PG for parental guidance suggested; some material may not be suitable for children. If you are looking for movies and specials that are rated G for general audience and good for all ages, please visit last year’s list – Family Friendly Christmas Movies and Specials Rated G.
Please let us know if we missed or left out any of your family friendly (PG-rated) Christmas favorites you feel should be included! We’d love to hear from you!
Welcome to the cozy and magical month of December my friends!
To inspire you and your little ones into the Holiday mood, I’ve curated a list of Christmas-themed books for ages five and under! These selections are simple and festive, while remaining short and sweet for the younger audience.
There are a handful of books on this list with a reading age that start under the age of five and peak at the age of 7 or 8.
If you have a favorite Children’s book for children ages 5 and under that you do not see here, please let me know! I would love to add it to this list!
Welcome to the cozy and magical month of December my friends!
My family and I have created a playlist of family friendly Christmas music for you and yours! Christmas may be celebrated a little differently this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t kindle a little Christmas spirit!
This year we’ve decided to focus more on music from all our favorite Christmas children’s movies and specials, with a few other songs sprinkled in that fit the mood.
Please let us know if we missed or left out any of your family friendly Christmas favorites you feel should be included! We’d love to hear from you!
THE POLAR EXPRESS
Spirit of the Season
When Christmas Comes to Town
The Polar Express
Hot Chocolate
Suite from the Polar Express
RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER
A Holly Jolly Christmas
Jingle Jingle Jingle
We are Santa’s Elves
Silver and Gold
The Most Wonderful Day of the Year
Christmas Medley: The Night Before Christmas
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
There’s Always Tomorrow
FROSTY THE SNOWMAN | Frosty the Snowman
THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY |The Little Drummer Boy
OLAF’S FROZEN ADVENTURE
Ring in the Season
That Time of Year
When We’re Together
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: THE ENCHANTED CHRISTMAS
Belle’s Magical Gift
As Long As There’s Christmas
A Cut Above The Rest
Deck the Halls
Do You Hear What I Hear?
O Christmas Tree
O Come, O Come Emmanuel / Joy To The World
Silent Night
The First Noel
The Twelve Days of Christmas
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
What Child Is This?
A MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL
Overture
Good King Wenceslas
It Feels Like Christmas
Thankful Heart
Bless Us All
Christmas Scat
Christmas Morning
THE NUTCRACKER BALLET
Overture
March
Waltz of the Snowflakes
Sugarplum Fairy
Hot Chocolate
Coffee
Tea
Candy Cane
Marzipan
Mother Ginger and Her Polichinelles
Waltz of the Flowers
Sugarplum Fairy and Cavalier Coda
Finale
BABES IN TOYLAND
Babes in Toyland Overture
Toy Land
March of the Toys
EMMET OTTER’S JUGBAND CHRISTMAS | Our World / Brothers
KERMIT THE FROG |Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Have you ever intentionally created a family tradition? I haven’t, until now!
My family and I grew up watching the Charlie Brown/Peanuts holiday specials around this time every year with our parents; they all have a special place in my heart, but none more than It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and A Charlie Brown Christmas!
Continuing on with these good feelings and memories, embellishing it to make it our own, here is our new Thanksgiving tradition:
The Friday before Thanksgiving we will gather and/or create buttered toast, popcorn, pretzels and jelly beans, all the food the kid’s feast on in Thanksgiving Charlie Brown. We will snack on these treats while we watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving!
It’s simple, yet fun and heartfelt like any family tradition should be! Create happy feelings and the happy memories will follow! Feel free to use this idea for your own family tradition, or take it and change it to make it your own!
Welcome back friends! This week we’ll be frying up Tiana’s Beignets from Disney’s The Princess and the Frog.
This recipe is featured several times as it is one of Tiana’s specialties, but the most memorable is when she’s preparing them in Duke’s Cafe. She is seen dusting a large batch with powdered sugar, then lightly drizzling them with honey. They look so good!
These Beignets are fluffy and delicious! The dusting of powdered sugar and drizzle of honey give a nice sweetness, without overload. I added nutmeg to the recipe because it was mentioned as Tiana’s secret ingredient in one of my daughter’s books!
TIANA’S BEIGNETS
3 cups of flour, plus more for dusting
3/4 teaspoons of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
3 tablespoons of sugar, divided
1 cup of warm whole milk
1 packet of active dry yeast
1 large egg
3 tablespoons of butter, melted
1 1/2 to 2 quarts of vegetable oil
2 cups of powdered sugar
Honey
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine the flour, salt, nutmeg and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a large bowl.
In a separate medium bowl, combine the warm milk, 1 tablespoon of sugar and the yeast, then allow it to sit for about 5 minutes or until foamy.
Beat the egg into the foamy mixture, then add it to the bowl of dry ingredients.
Mix by hand until until the dough comes together, then add the melted butter and keep mixing and kneading with your hand until well incorporated (the dough will be smooth and slightly tacky to the touch).
Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a greased bowl.
Cover the bowl with plastic and allow it rise until doubled in size (this could be 1 to 2 hours depending on the temperature of the room).
Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a floured surface and roll it out into a rectangular shape about 1/4 inch thick. Cut the dough into 12 rectangles, then cover them with a flour dusted towel to rest while you heat the oil.
In a large heavy bottomed sauce pot (I use my dutch oven), slowly heat the oil to about 325F as read on a candy or deep fry thermometer.
Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet next to the pot of oil and have tongs or a spider ready.
Scoop the powdered sugar (about 1/3 cup at a time) into a sifter and set it next to the rack and the sheet pan.
Fry the beignets for about 90 seconds on each side, or until golden.
Use your tongs or spider to lift the beignets out of the frying oil and place them on the cooling rack for at least a minute.
While they are still hot sift powdered sugar over both sides, top and bottom, then drizzle with honey.
Have you ever intentionally created a family tradition? I haven’t, until now!
My family and I grew up watching the Charlie Brown/Peanuts holiday specials around this time every year with our parents; they all have a special place in my heart, but none more than It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and A Charlie Brown Christmas!
Continuing on with these good feelings and memories, embellishing it to make it our own, here is our new Halloween tradition:
The night before Halloween (or a few nights before), we will carve our pumpkins and light them for the first time. After, we’ll sip on cold or warm apple cider (depending on the weather) and watch It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!
It’s simple, yet fun and heartfelt like any family tradition should be! Create happy feelings and the happy memories will follow! Feel free to use this idea for your own family tradition, or take it and change it to make it your own!
Welcome back friends! This week we’ll be cooking Hen Wen’s Apple Porridge from Disney’s The Black Cauldron.
This recipe is featured in the beginning of the film, when Caer Dallben asks Taran to feed Hen Wen the porridge he prepared for her.
This porridge looks much more appetizing than the one in the film. I couldn’t help myself! I thought to myself, if I wanted to eat porridge with apples, I’d want the apples to be cooked separately to develop their flavor more and I’m sure Hen Wen would approve!
HEN WEN’S APPLE PORRIDGE
APPLES
2 apples, peeled and cut into slices
1/3 cup of water
Cinnamon
Brown sugar
PORRIDGE
1 cup of old fashioned oats
1 3/4 cups of whole milk
1/8 teaspoon of salt
Cinnamon
Brown sugar
INSTRUCTIONS (APPLES)
Peel and cut the apples into slices.
Pour the water into a small sauce pan, then add the apples.
Sprinkle the desired amount of cinnamon and brown sugar onto the apples and stir to distribute.
Cover and cook until tender, stirring occasionally to evenly coat and cook the apples.
Once cooked, remove from the heat and set aside for the porridge (see below).
INSTRUCTIONS (PORRIDGE)
In a medium saucepan, boil the milk with the salt.
Stir in the oats.
Cook the oats for about 5 minutes over medium heat; stirring occasionally.
Remove the porridge from the heat and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon, then stir to distribute.
Spoon the porridge into two bowls and arrange the cooked apple slices (see above) on top. I arranged mine into the shape of a rose and I believe next time I’ll cover the porridge completely.
Welcome to the spooky month of October my friends!
My family and I have created a list of family friendly Halloween movies and specials for you and yours! Halloween may be celebrated a little differently this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t kindle a little Halloween spirit!
This year we’ve decided to focus on movies and specials that are rated PG for parental guidance suggested; some material may not be suitable for children. If you are looking for movies and specials that are rated G for general audience and good for all ages, please visit last year’s list – Family Friendly Halloween Movies and Specials Rated G.
Please let us know if we missed or left out any of your family friendly (PG-rated) halloween favorites you feel should be included! We’d love to hear from you!
Whole Heartily 