7 Winter and Christmas Activities to Do with Your Kids

Simple Christmas Activities to Do with Your Kids

Winter is here! Oh, and Christmas is also just around the corner! Not only do kids love this time of year, but so adults do too! Even the most mature people in society can’t help but get a little giddy when it’s snowing outside and the bells are ringing! Christmas brings out everyone’s inner child. Of course, winter means it’s time for fun, family, holiday activities and lots of them! Read on for 7 simple winter and Christmas activities to do with your kids.

Seven Simple Activities to do with Kids during Winter Season

There's no need to spend a lot of money or stress over making glorious holiday decorations and delectable cookies to achieve the perfect Christmas with kids. Simple winter and holiday activities make the best, long lasting memories. Why not start a new family Christmas tradition with these simple activities for family time with the kids.

1. Decorate your whole house with fancy lights

Winter isn’t the holiday season without fancy lights. 

From the colorful to the vibrant, get creative and beautiful LED fairy lights to your favorite rooms. Make sure to get the kids involved by allowing them to have input on which lights go in which location. LED lights don't get hot like those old fashioned Christmas lights so go crazy this year!

To get some amazing Christmas lights, as well as other cool bulbs and lamps, go to powerpointelectrics.co.uk. Be a clever mom or dad by ordering your lights now before it’s too late! The more lights, the merrier the holiday season. Your kids will treasure this family tradition, so go make it a thing!

2. Spend a day at your local slopes

Fingers crossed; it’s going to snow this winter! When it does, the entire family should wrap up nice and warm and head down to your local slopes. They’ll probably be lots of other families and kids there, too, which will make the occasion extra memorable. In Indiana, you can also do some stellar snow toboggan sledding at Pokagon State Park.

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3. Create paper snowflakes

Kids love to get creative during winter and Christmas time. A great winter holiday activity idea is to create snowflakes out of paper. Follow this easy tutorial on how to make paper snowflakes from Martha Stewart. Make sure to carefully guide your kids through the steps, and don’t forget to be extra careful with sharp scissors! Once you’ve created your paper snowflakes, scatter them around your home for a special winter holiday decoration.

Here are some more fun snowflake activities from the Adventures of Kids Creative Chaos.

4. Read Christmas stories

It's impossible to count the abundance of classic Christmas stories. So, this winter, give your kids freedom of choice when it comes to which stories they want to hear. Maybe it will be The Polar Express, or – wait for it - How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Click here for some great holiday books for kids that you may not of yet read!

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5. Go on a Netflix marathon with the family!

Usually, the weather is freezing cold during the winter months in Indiana. Of course, this means that a lot of time is spent indoors (preferably with marshmallow.)

When your family is relaxing around the house during the holiday, load up Netflix and go on a movie-watching marathon! Elf, anyone? If you need extra help, here are 37 of the best Christmas movies for kids available on Netflix. 

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6. Have a cozy fire in your backyard

Bonfires don't have to be just for fall! If you have a nice spacious backyard, you should have a cozy (and safe) fire. You’ll even be able to toast some marshmallows, have some hot chocolate, and tell your best Christmas stories. While you're at it, make some savory s'mores!

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7. Build igloos and snow forts

When it snows, it’s only right that the entire family has a huge snowball fight! When you do, make sure to build some igloos and forts to make it extra exciting. You can even make indoor snowballs for an indoor snowball fight!

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If Mama Ain't Happy Ain't Nobody Happy: The Family Relationship

Family Relationship Challenges

What’s the biggest relationship challenge in your family? How do you keep everything together, day in and day out, day after day? Time commitments, financial responsibilities, and emotional needs of each family member can take a toll on your happiness. Those people pleasers who need to take care of everyone often forget to take care of themselves. In my situation, I never wanted to spend money on personal needs (including health care) if it would take away from things my kids needed or wanted.

For years, we didn’t have health insurance, so any health setback caused major financial problems. I also didn’t take care of myself in other ways. I cut my own hair, never had a manicure until I was fifty years old, wore the same old clothes year after year, never went out to lunch with friends, never even saw my friends, and never indulged in frivolous things that I might want for the house. I considered any of that selfish.

This sponsored post contains Amazon affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

It’s important to take care of yourself. You’ve probably heard the quote, “If Mama ain’t happy, ain't nobody happy.” I’m sure there’s some truth to this. You can put on a happy face, but if your needs aren’t being met and you have nothing to look forward to, your relationship is going to suffer- even if you're not the one causing the majority of the turmoil. I know it’s difficult. I used to see other women spending too much time on themselves, ignoring the needs of their children. They’d go shopping for themselves several times a month while their children wore clothes they’d outgrown. I never wanted to be like that, but I took it too far the other way. You’ve been there. We don’t have to be martyrs to be mothers. Taking care of yourself, puts you in a better place. You’ll be better equipped to tackle those relationship issues with your partner. Communication is a key factor in the downward spiral of relationships. When communication is poor, everything else becomes difficult.

Eventually, lack of communication breaks the partnership. In my relationship, the more I tried to communicate with my partner, the more difficult the relationship became. There are things couples need to discuss. Things that can’t be swept under the rug. Plans for the future, health of your children, plans to make about family events to attend, even how each of you are feeling about the status of your relationship. When you have a partner who won’t talk to you about any of it, you’ve got a problem that needs fixed. Parents need to keep a united front for their children. They need to work together as a team for the greater good of the family, even if it means sacrificing the personal desires.

For me, self-care felt like a selfish, personal desire because my partner took up all that empty space for himself. He worked all the time or found extra things to do to help others, just to avoid coming home and facing real life problems. These problems ranged from my serious illness where I was bedridden for months, to house repairs, financial responsibilities, and even mental health problems the kids were facing. I couldn’t run off for a haircut or even a doctor’s appointment because there was no safety net. He couldn’t seem to  find an hour to give me a break and if he did, he’d use that hour to sleep - not to watch the kids. So, everywhere I went, I took the kids. Everywhere. 

Check out this old post about a family excursion, see any red flags?

Let me tell you, this is not only unhealthy for you, it’s also unhealthy for your kids. We all need time apart from each other. The kids feel it too. They need options. They need time away from the family.  Sure, we attended homeschool groups, summer camps, special events, 4-H and any other free or low cost activity I could find, but none of it made the pitfalls in our broken family any better. It just kept our mind’s busy enough to make it through another day- or so I thought.

Mama needs time to feel good about herself. Sure, you may think you don’t want to jog or join a walking club. You may think you can cut your own hair to save money for the greater good, you may think a vice here and there, maybe a pint of ice cream or bar of chocolate, are good survival mechanisms, but in the long run, if your always the one making sacrifices life’s not going to turn out like you hoped.

Remember when you started your relationship with your partner? You took care of yourself, you took showers- maybe even relaxing baths, you did your makeup, and bought yourself a flattering outfit. You went out to lunch with your friends. You had dinner dates with your partner and even did activities that you both enjoyed together. You probably even talked about your hopes and dreams for the future. Don’t let yourself get lost in the shuffle.  If it's not too late, fix it. If it is too late, do yourself a favor and try to fix it before throwing in the towel.

Don’t try to wait it out and hope it will get better. There’s no need to feel guilty about taking time for yourself.. If you can’t possibly spare the money or feel like spending money on relationship counseling would set you back financially, there are many affordable online counseling services out there. ReGain is a great place to start. There are  plenty of self-help articles and videos that can kick start your decision making process and help you decide what’s best for your family. 

Going back to school and investing in one's self is also a huge deal for self-confidence and mental stimulation/relaxation. Healthcare-related fields offer great satisfaction and challenge.  Looking at community colleges or schools for certification or insurance coding can be a great first step.

Life balance is important. Don’t suffer in silence. Don’t decide that you must've done something to deserve your current situation. Sometimes, you can’t fix it on your own, sometimes the answer is right in front of you, but the outcome will have unavoidable consequences. On the flip side, sometimes, if you make small changes in your personal life, if you start taking care of yourself and taking pride in your own achievements, everything else will fall into place. Your children won’t suffer from a parent who takes care of themselves, when Mama is happy, there’s a far better chance that everyone else is happy too. Don’t wait until it’s too late. 

Your happy ending is waiting for you.

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Mommy, you look beautiful.

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Fun Indoor Activities for Kids

Indoor Activities To Do With the Kids

When we leave summer behind and approach the colder months, kids want to stay inside. That means, it’s time to pull out the indoor activities to keep the kids entertained after school and on the weekends. Just because you’re stuck inside doesn’t mean the day has to be wasted! There are loads of great family-friendly activities to do indoors.

This post contains Amazon Affiliate Links.

Be sure to click through the links to find all the fun indoor kids activities we've discovered.

If you're looking for great ways to keep kids entertained when the weather’s got you stuck indoors, look no further! Some or these activities, you might do regularly, others you may never have tried before, but they’re all great ways to keep the kids entertained while encouraging them to learn new skills. 

Baking 

How can you not love an indoor activity where you and the kids get to eat a tasty treat at the end? When the weather isn't very nice, baking is a great way to bring the family together, and you can learn some amazing new skills while you’re at it. 

Don’t worry if you’re not a great cook, the fun is in learning the new skill, and there are some great recipes for beginners out there. Even if you are a beginner, these recipes will have you baking up a storm!

Everyone wins when you get to do a fun family activity and eat some tasty baked goods at the end of the day.

Kid-Friendly Recipes from our Blog

Arts and Crafts

Keep everyone entertained for hours on end with a few well-planned arts and crafts projects. These might take a little bit of pre-planning on your part, but they’re sure to give your family an amazing day of creating things with their hands and bonding with each other. 

Any project with epoxy resin is bound to get the kids excited, and the results you can get with this product are awesome and perfect for a cold or rainy day.

Don’t worry if you’re not an arts and crafts pro, there are plenty of beginner projects to get you going like a pro. 

Kids CRAFTS from our blog.

Board Games

In the modern world of ultra-realistic video games, the old-fashioned board game still has its place. In fact, the classics are often the best, and there’s no better time to pull out the board game collection that when it’s raining outside. 

No matter how much technology moves on, the likes of Monopoly, Cluedo, Jenga, and Uno are always family favorites for a good reason. Once you get everyone together and involved in a game of Monopoly, you’ll find the time just flies by, and you won’t even remember that the weather is terrible outside. Make sure you’ve got a trustworthy banker, and you’ve got an afternoon of fun indoor activities for everyone. 

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Rainy Day – Don't Worry

As we approach Fall, the weather might not allow for as many outdoor activities as usual, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to end. There are lots of fun indoor activities that you can enjoy with your family on a rainy day.  For more inspiration, check us out on Pinterest!

What looked like a boring weekend stuck inside, might just turn out to be a weekend full of joy and family fun. You can eat, drink, create, and play games with your family and friends while bringing everyone closer together. Just do a search in our blog for games, crafts, kids recipes, family field trip ideas, and fun indoor activities for kids. Stick with us, and you'll never run out of fun things to do!

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Diabetic Who Doesn't Take Care of Themselves: Family Focus

Living with a Ticking Time Bomb: A Bad Diabetic

Do you live with a diabetic? I mean a bad diabetic. You know what I mean, they have diabetes. They must take Glucophage or Insulin or both. They should test blood sugar levels several times a day. They must test blood sugar levels once per day, but instead, they do nothing. Well, that is not exactly true. They eat sweets, skip meals, and do far too much on a workday. Do you know the type? If so, read on about our personal struggle of living with a bad diabetic. What can you do?

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience.

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Easy Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

Easy Butternut Squash Soup for Fall

It's early autumn. It's often cold and rainy. A warm, hearty soup sounds good, doesn't it? Try this butternut squash soup recipe for an easy weeknight dinner. Thyme and cumin add an earthy element to the dish, while roasting the squash helps bring out its richness. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.*

How to Enter Indiana State Fair: County 4 H Fair

What to Know for 4 H Club 

How do I enter the Indiana State Fair? Want to know, we've got answers and all details of what to expect during your first year of 4 H. Enjoy!

Homemade Dr Pepper® Recipes

Dr Pepper® Recipes to Make at Home

Fall has arrived, and we are thinking football and what to eat while watching the games at home. You can get ready for game day when you make these one of a kind Dr Pepper® chicken tenders and muffins at home with these simple recipe and ingredients from Kroger. Kroger is the place for Game Day Greats. Even if you don't drink Dr Pepper®, we think you will love this homemade baked, breaded chicken recipe paired with cupcake muffins. Enjoy!

Make Dr Pepper® Recipes at home.

Your guests will be impressed with your one of a kind, unique game day recipes. Best of all, the ingredients needed are at your local Kroger. Dr Pepper® and Kroger are the ultimate football partners for your next homegating or tailgating event. 

Be sure to visit the Kroger in-store sweepstakes display with Miller
Coors®/Kellogg's®/Dr Pepper® for fly away trips to Rivalry Games. See your local store for more details. Also, don't forget to register  for your chance to win the #GDGSWEEPSTAKES.

We filled the cart with lots of goodies for college game day! We provide the entree and dessert, you bring the veggies and dip, okay?

How to Make Homemade Dr Pepper® Chicken Tenders

These delicious chicken tenders are ready in just 30 minutes. Serve them up at your next football party with a side of fried zucchini, waffle fries, and a glass of Dr Pepper® or simply have them out as an appetizer. 

1/2 C. Dr Pepper®
1/4 C.  all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1 C. Panko bread crumbs
Dash of Paprika
5-6 chicken breast tenders
Salt and Pepper to Taste

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a cookie sheet with foil, and spray it with cooking spray. (They will stick.)

2. In shallow dish or bowl, marinade chicken tenders in 1/2 C. Dr Pepper®. Toss to coat.

3. In another shallow dish, mix flour, panko, paprika, and salt and pepper with a fork. 

4. In yet another shallow dish, beat egg and 1/4 C. Dr Pepper®.

5. Now, dip chicken into egg/Dr Pepper® mixture, then coat with flour crumb mixture. Place on cookie sheet.

Homemade Dr Pepper® Chicken Tenders ready to go into oven.

4. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, turning once toward the end, until chicken is no longer pink in center and coating is an orange golden brown. 

Cooking in oven, spoon some more Dr Pepper® over any dry bits of flour.

Homemade Dr Pepper® Chicken Tenders.

This was delicious! Make easy Dr Pepper® chicken tenders at home.

Dr Pepper® Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe is Easy

I mustache you a question. Do you like Dr Pepper®? We love it! No college football party (think homegating) is complete without Dr Pepper®and chocolate. Every party needs some chocolate! So, after your baked, chicken tenders, splurge with some fun, mustache cupcake muffins.

Dr Pepper® Chocolate Chip Cupcake Muffin with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cart full of Gameday Goodies.

We found this fun post on Quarterbacks with Mustaches.

How to Make Dr Pepper® Chocolate Chip Cupcake Muffins

Ingredients

• Martha White Chocolate Chip Muffin Mix
• 1/2 C. Dr Pepper®
• 1/4 C. Almond Milk

Follow Package Instructions, but replace milk with Dr Pepper® and Milk measurements listed above.

Stir until frothy.

Place Cupcake liners in pan. Fill liners to top. You will need to scoop the chips into the muffin tins. They react with the Dr Pepper® and stay in the bottom of the bowl.

Bake according to package instructions. Remove from heat. Cool pan on wire baking rack.

Once cool, add your favorite Cream Cheese frosting. Then, stick on this paper printable mustache.

Mustache Cupcakes are fun for Game Day!

Mustache Chocolate Chip and Dr Pepper® Cupcakes.

We found some more fun recipes that use Dr Pepper®:

Dr Pepper® Cake and Icing

Dr Pepper® Cheesecakes

Dr Pepper® BBQ Chickens

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Dr Pepper®. Game Day Greats brought to you by Kroger. The opinions and text are all mine.

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