Holidays
The Season of the Elves
Before we cuddle up and watch “The Polar Express,” the kids search through the house to find the hidden elves. Our elves aren’t your standard “Elf on the Shelf” — no, ours are hand-painted glass figurines passed down from my husband’s Nana and Grandpa, to his mother, to him. They’re in sleeping position because they travel every night to report back to Santa. If you touch them, they “turn to glass.”
Documenting Your Family’s Holiday Story Through Photos
Ah, Christmas. The lights! The presents! The snow! The cookies! The list of ways to celebrate is endless. When my daughter was first born I was so busy planning and executing that I would forget to pick up my camera until Christmas morning. In more recent years I’ve gotten a bit wiser, and I’ve started taking pictures much earlier. In fact, I pick up my camera in mid-November and don’t put it down until January.
Staying Calm and Present This Holiday Season
If the holiday season doesn’t go the way you envision, there’s always next year. Let’s not forget that the season is about the joy and the meaning of our holidays, not the junk, or the events, or all the things. You do the holidays your way, I’ll do them mine, and everyone else can go about it their way. Let’s go into this holiday season happy and excited with sound mind and presence so we can enjoy our children, our faiths, and our families — and a little of all the extras.
When Thanksgiving Is Hard :: Gratitude in a Difficult Season
Halloween has come and gone, and that means we’re moving right into what many consider to be the happiest (and often busiest)…
Seeking the Perfect Christmas Tree
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree! Thy leaves are so unchanging O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, Thy leaves are so unchanging….
What Mom Really Wants for Mother’s Day
Oh, and the one traditional gift that never gets old for Mom? Breakfast in bed. Better yet, you can delay the breakfast part, and just let her stay in bed, asleep, under the covers, for as long as she wants. If you really want to be an overachiever, you could try sleeping through the night (so she can too). That will win you bragging rights and possibly even favorite child status for a week or two. Throw a couple eggs and some toast that you haven’t licked on top and you’re set for a month.
Christmas Wasn’t So Magical
I’m not going to lie; this holiday season wasn’t all that magical. It wasn’t the Hallmark movie script I had in my head. I had big plans to make Christmas cookies, drive around to see the lights, have the presents beautifully wrapped with time to spare, build a gingerbread house, decorate the tree while singing Christmas carols, and attend all the holiday parties. Here’s where my plan got foiled: I have kids.
12 Festive Family-Friendly Mocktails for the Holidays
I’m so excited for this time of year — I love that the holiday season means extra time with family and friends. So I decided to round up 12 of the best holiday-themed, family-friendly mocktails. These recipes are festive and fun, and perfect for both the littles and the grown-ups.
When the Holidays Look Different…
So we go on each year, looking forward to our traditions that create holiday magic — until that inevitable year when the holiday suddenly looks different.
