Things To Do With Your Kids | Still Living The Dream

Tears of Joy at Walt Disney World

May 17, 2013

For the last week my family and I have been in Florida. I was invited to attend the Disney Social Media Moms Conference and then we extended our stay after the conference so we could play at all the Disney parks.

I have a lot to share with you including news about fun things on the horizon from Disney, tips for bloggers and social media professionals, advice about how to make the most of a fabulous Disney family vacation, restaurant and resort reviews and much more.

We got back last night…so bittersweet. There’s no place like home but the magic of Disney is so incredible you just don’t want it all to end.

But we are back to reality today and I have thousands of pictures to sort through and so many notes to organize from our trip plus work to catch up on while I was away. The kids went back to school this morning and there will be missed school work to catch up with for them as well, swim practice to attend and a meet tomorrow morning plus many other end of year activities and events.

Life is going to get crazy busy.

But before I dive in head first…I want to share this with you. The biggest take-away from our trip.

Tears of joy.

Admittedly, I’m an emotional gal. I laugh and cry openly as I experience emotions and events that touch me in my life. I laughed a lot on our trip to Disney. As a family, we shared so many special moments of pure silliness and abandoned the illusion of “cool” (matching family t-shirts rock!) and just soaked in the moments of joy and happiness as they came. Truly living life in the moment is really living the dream and it doesn’t happen a lot for me.

And I cried.

First during the conference when I heard Chris Powell, trainer and transformation specialist on ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition, speak about making the choice to make your health a priority. He is helping transform so many people’s lives and is so inspirational.

Then I cried again when I met Ali Vincent, winner of the show The Biggest Loser whose mantra “Believe it. Be it.” helped her lose 112 pounds and she is now inspiring people all over the world that they can achieve their weight loss goals as well on the Live Well Network.

To attend the conference at this time of my life when health has become a focus for me and then to have Disney focus so much of the conference on good health was incredibly special and very emotional. My life has changed drastically since last July. Losing almost 60 pounds and making exercise a daily habit has allowed me to change my perspective and live my life in such a different, more positive way.

Much more about these two incredible people and my experiences with RunDisney later. I promise.

But first….

When the conference ended and my family played at Magic Kingdom, I cried again. Twice.

The first time was when we experienced Enchanted Tales of Belle, the attraction at the new Fantasyland. During this experience kids are selected from the group to act out certain parts of the story with Belle herself. Annie was Maurice and she shivered with “cold” while holding on to a prop that looked like she was in the Beast’s dungeon. Jackson was the Beast himself. With a red cape he growled (a bit reluctantly) at different parts of the show and then at the end he danced with Belle.

Jackson is 11 and while he enjoyed it he is also at that age when he is starting to get self-conscience and a bit shy. But watching my little boy dance with Belle brought back memories of when he was a toddler and would dance around the room with me while we watched Sleeping Beauty. He was my prince then and he is today. I’m so proud of the young man he growing up to be. I cried with happiness at the memory but also the knowledge that I am so blessed to be his mom. I love this boy with all my heart and soul.

And Annie.

My 7-year-old daughter who loves Cinderella more than anything in the world. When we met Cindy at the Magic Kingdom and got her autograph it was so magical.

Then she met the evil step-sisters and step-mom as well – which was SO fun (Disney characters REALLY get into character at the parks…they do it so well!) But the Celebrate A Dream Come True parade at 3:00 p.m. when all the characters, dancers and floats go down Main Street was incredible.

Maybe it was because it was the last day of our trip and we left the park right after the parade, but I was overcome with emotion. Annie and Jackson sat on the curb, ice cream from their Mickey bars dribbling down their chins…laughing and joking around while waiting for the parade to start. All the characters were fun to see; Stitch, Mary Poppins, Ariel – we love them all.

But half-way through I saw Annie starting to waving wildly as Cinderella’s float came in to view. The evil step-sisters and mom danced around…interacting with the crowd and then the fairy godmother, perched at the top of the float looked right at Annie and blew her a kiss. Annie “caught” it and sent it right back and then she gasped as Cindy and her Prince floated by. Annie looked up with wide eyes and smiled and then looked back at me. For just a moment, we didn’t say a word among the thousands of other park visitors screaming and jumping and waving. But a conversation was taking place in the silence between us. I could literally hear her thoughts – that she was in total disbelief at all that was taking place…and then she hugged me.

Tears are running down my face right now as I write this….as much as they were when it all happened.

It is the magic of Disney that just cannot be duplicated and really can’t be explained. But I’m so thankful that I have this feeling in my heart I know I will never forget.

My kids asked me if I was ok as we left the park hand-in-hand after the parade ended for the last time (tears were still streaming down my face and I’m not a pretty crier!) I told them I was more than ok. I was happier than I could imagine or remember being in a long time.

Thank you Belle for dancing with my son.

Thank you Cinderella, Fairy Godmother, Lady Tremaine, Drizella and Anastasia; for making us believe we stepped right into your story.

And Thank you Walt Disney, for having a dream and sharing your world with us.

I was invited to attend the Disney Social Media Moms Conference. I paid a fee to attend which included the opportunity to participate in conference activities, stay at a hotel and experience Disney World; however, my family and I stayed later at our own expense. I was not asked nor expected to write a post about my experiences. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Disney, Dreamy Places, good things, Health and Fitness, things I love, things to do with your kids, Travel, Weight Loss 13 Comments

Preparing For DisneyWorld – #PackMoreFun for #DisneySMMoms

May 7, 2013

This is happening! We are going to DisneyWorld the day after tomorrow… just “two more sleeps” in kid countdown talk. My family and I are thrilled to be invited to the Disney Social Media Moms Conference this year. It will be an unbelievable experience; especially for my children who have never been to Disney. When we went on a Disney Cruise last year they were amazed about the Disney magic and that is just a touch of pixie dust compared to what they are going to experience later this week.

But first, we must pack. And I have to admit, the task is overwhelming. Disney and American Tourister have made it a little more manageable and colorful by giving each of the attendees a Colora Spinner 20 inch bag; the official luggage of DisneyWorld Resort and Disneyland. They come in hot orange, pink and green and they are so fun!

We got an orange one and besides being able to spot our bag from across the room at baggage claim, it’s easy to roll and packs a lot. We are going to need it. Most of my fellow blogger attendees have already packed. I’m still in pre-loading mode! Here is a glimpse of a few items I’m taking:

Running Clothes – I always pack work-out clothes whenever I travel but while at the conference we will be running as a group at the ESPN track with the folks from Run Disney and Ali Vincent – winner from the TV Show The Biggest Loser! I’m giddy about this opportunity as you know running is my passion right now. I’ve got my copy of The Runner’s Guide to Walt DisneyWorld by Krista Albrecht and Megan Biller. A great resource for running official races held by Disney. I’m preparing for the Princess Half-Marathon in February right now!

Gear to battle the elements – We’ve got a big hat for Ed (his bald head gets a little red when he’s out in the sun!) and plastic rain ponchos just in case it rains. (These were only $1.00 at Academy and will be great for spotting each other as they are bright yellow…we are hoping we won’t need them, though.) Plenty of sunscreen and bug repellant are also going in our bag (we have many travel size products so we can pack a new one in our day pack at the park to save room!)

Matching Family Shirts – I know, I know. I just had to do it, though. Even my 11-year-old said we needed them! I had them made up at our local t-shirt shop and can’t wait to wear them.

Cinderella outfit for Annie – Every princess needs a dress and Annie’s favorite is Cindy. We don’t know too much about the conference agenda yet, but we did find out we will be attending the regal celebration to officially welcome Merida into the Disney Princess royal court. We are so excited about the chance to see all 11 princesses together and Annie can’t wait to channel her inner-Cinderella in full costume!

Pins for trading – We got the pin trading bug on the Disney Cruise and the kids are so excited to carry on the tradition of trading pins with staff and other guests at the park.

Magical Express luggage tags – Disney is amazing. When you stay at the resort (we are staying at the Contemporary and then transferring to Pop Century after the conference) they transport you from the airport to the hotel and you don’t even have to stop at baggage claim to get your checked luggage! They do it for you and have them delivered to your room. Talk about a stress-free way to travel with kids!

What are you favorite things to pack for a family DisneyWorld vacation? Any tips for a newbie like good places at the parks to eat or must see attractions or rides? I want to hear your tips!

I purchased a ticket to the Disney Social Media Moms Conference which includes tickets to parks and other activities. No compensation was received and no expectation of a post is required. I just want to share some tips I learn along the way and the fun things I do while on vacation with my family after the conference ends!

Filed Under: Disney, good things, Health and Fitness, things to do with your kids 2 Comments

We Are Doing The 2013 Summer Bucket List Challenge! (Happy Family Movement)

May 4, 2013

Last year when I heard about the Summer Family Bucket List Challenge by The Happy Family Movement, I immediately signed up. We sat down together as a family and brainstormed things we wanted to do during summer vacation. (You can see my list here)

The challenge is back this summer and you can sign up here. We did! It officially begins on May 20, 2013 and you can enter to win prizes, get inspired by other family’s bucket lists, view adventure guides as well as have access to other travel resources. There’s even a facebook community you can join!

Colorado Summer Road Trip

Last year I made a garland with each activity listed on a separate index card attached with a mini clothespin. After we did the activity, we’d put up something from the activity by the card (like a program, ticket stub, photo or brochure) and by the end of the summer we had a very fun, visual way to remember our summer vacation! I decided to do something similar this year as well.

The year before last, without a plan in place, the summer ended in a blink of an eye and all those things we had in our brains that we wanted to do, never got done. While we didn’t accomplish EVERYTHING on our bucket list last summer, we did most of them and I really have the Summer Bucket List Challenge to thank.

We are so excited about this year and my kids (my 7-year-old daughter, Annie, and 11-year-old son, Jackson), my husband and I are already thinking about fun things to do with the extra time off. We are crossing a BIG bucket list item off our list before summer even starts. We have a trip to DisneyWorld planned in May! We’ve never been and we are so excited! I also have a bucket list trip to Paris in June planned with my mom and two sisters. It’s always been my mom’s dream to go. She is retiring this year and we are taking her abroad to celebrate the beginning of the new journey in her life!

But the bucket list challenge isn’t just about big vacations and high-dollar trips. In fact, it’s more about the little things that we feel we’ll always have time to do so we never really do them…like taking a picnic in the park, a bike ride on the beach… or a neighborhood walk to feed the ducks! You can in this post see we crossed this one off our list right as summer started (and you can get a glimpse of the my index card garland)!

Some of the items we didn’t get to like fishing and visiting the observatory have made it on this year’s list. Annie has been bugging me since last summer to learn to sew and I keep telling her “when we have more time”. So, you guessed it, it’s on our 2013 summer bucket list and we plan to take a class together in July.

Since I work from home full-time and my husband works from home part-time, we have more flexibility to do things like take a family bike ride or a short swim at the neighborhood pool. Our lives have changed a bit since last summer, too. I lost 55 pounds and embarked on a healthier lifestyle which we have all embraced. We ran our first fun run together last weekend and we have many items on our list this year that are more physically challenging then ever before (like participating in a mud run, going water skiing and trying to parasail).

Really though, the items on the list aren’t the most important things about the summer bucket list. Whether or not we go fishing this year (although we hope to!) isn’t what it’s really about (at least to us). What it means to us is to make time to do things together as a family. So many times during the school year we get going in a million directions with homework and after-school activities like scouts and sports… we don’t have time to really visit. Carving out time to do things together during the summer months when time is more on our side is a great way to re-connect. Even planning the outing or trip together can be a fun time in itself!

(If a visit to Aquatica or SeaWorld is on your Summer Bucket List, visit about our trip last year here when we crossed it off our list. We included tips that might help you plan your visit!)

The Patrick Family’s 2013 Summer Bucket List

Ice Cream Cone free printable tag artwork by Amy Moss

Go to the beach
Go fishing
Visit the observatory to see the stars
Go water skiing
Go bird watching
Do a mud run
Go parasailing
Participate in 2 family fun runs
Learn to sew
Sculpt with clay
Keep a journal
Have “date nights” both time for mom and dad to go out alone, plus time for each parent to spend time with each child doing something fun
See a concert with lawn seats at The Woodlands Pavilion
Invite a different family over for dinner every couple of weeks
Have a talent show
Pitch a tent in the backyard and “go camping” Make smores and tell ghost stories.
Face our Fears – pick a thing we each have always wanted to do but were afraid to … and try it
Go snorkeling
Go to Aquatica and try out some new adventures in San Antonio while we are in town
Go to the Drive-In Movies

I was not compensated for this post. I’m just sharing great summer resources available because I love the program and want you to have the best summer ever!

Filed Under: Family Summer Bucket List, Life List, summer, things to do, things to do with your kids, traditions, Travel Leave a Comment

Dear Cinderella, We’re Coming To Disney!

April 30, 2013

Just 9 days until we leave for Disney World to meet up with the Disney Social Media Moms Conference Gang. We are beyond excited and thrilled…it will be the first time for my kids to experience Disney World and I haven’t been in 20 years!

I can’t wait to meet these amazing people; the presenters, conference organizers and the other fabulous attendees.

My 7-year-old daughter? She just wants to meet Cinderella.

Cinderella is her favorite princess and to say she loves her is an understatement.

When she heard that we were going to Disney World (home of Cinderella’s castle!) the first person she wanted to tell was…you guessed it, Cinderella. So she ran upstairs singing “sing sweet nightingale” and came down with this letter.

Let me translate!

Dear Cinderella,

I am your big fan and I am coming to Disney World. I can’t wait to spend a day with you in the castle. Oh and can you send a letter back? See you.

Pretty cute, right? She asked me to mail it right away so that Cinderella would have time to write her back.

Uh oh.

Luckily Andrea Lawrence Updyke, another one of the bloggers who will be going to the conference, heard about an address you could send letters to and receive a message back in the mail! Just three weeks after Annie sent Cinderella her letter, she got this postcard in the mail.

She has it tucked away securely in her “secret” drawer of special treasures for safe-keeping.

Thank you, Disney….for sharing the magic and making MY Princess a happy, happy girl! (Cinderella – we’ll see you in 9 days!)

If you have a prince or princess that wants to write to his or her favorite character, this is the address we sent our letter to. Just be sure to take a photo or scan it before you mail it!

Walt Disney World Communications
P.O. Box 10040
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0040

I am writing this post entirely from my own experience … not on behalf of Disney. I cannot guarantee that you’ll get a response back…(but I hope you do!)

Filed Under: Disney, things to do with your kids 3 Comments

Disney Shake It Up I <3 Dance CD Review

April 29, 2013

My daughter, Annie is 7 years old and loves to dance.

And she loves the Disney Channel show, Shake It Up.

So when a dance music CD with tunes from the show came out, she was extremely excited. And by excited, I mean jumping up and down wildly when it came in the mail. She was able to get it under control for this photo, though – because she’s “all grown-up” like that.

Shake It Up: I <3 Dance features 12 dance tracks including songs by Bella Thorne and Zendaya (stars of Shake It Up) as well as fellow Disney stars Selena Gomez, Bridgit Mendler, Roshon Fegan and Caroline Sunshine, in addition to up-and-coming stars Coco Jones, McClain Sisters and more.

Annie’s favorite?

Contagious Love. Hands down.

But all of the songs will be familiar to you if you are a fan of the show. They are all from the third season of the show and include:

Contagious Love
This Is My Dance Floor
Beat of My Drum
Blow The System
AfterParty
Holla At the DJ
These Boots Are Made for Walking
Sharp As A Razor
Future Sounds Like Us
I Can Do Better
Shake It Up Theme Song
Bonus Track: We’re Dancing

We’ve been listening to the CD in the car and even I’ve been guilty of singing along! Unfortunately, we all dance a little better than we sing…but that’s not stopping us.

The Shake It Up: I <3 Dance soundtrack is currently available for $9.99 on both iTunes and Amazon.com. Annie gives it two thumbs up. What do you think?

Thank you to Child’s Play Communications for providing us a copy of the CD to review. All thoughts and opinions (and crazy dance moves) are our own.

Filed Under: Disney, review, things to do with your kids Leave a Comment

Easter and Mantels and Disney…Oh My!

April 10, 2013

Happy Easter! Yes, I know it’s a little late – but I wanted to share my Easter mantel with you before I take it down.

Remember that Robin’s Egg Blue paint/ 4-alarm crafting emergency I talked about in this post? There’s the finished product in the photo to the left. All glittery and tied up with a bow!

Annie made the blue glove bunny in the photo on the right. So cute!

And see those green, blue and purple “bowls”/baskets? Here’s the skinny on those. They are doilies that I bought at Michael’s and were on sale for 50 cents a piece. I used a solution of sugar and water and shaped them over a small blown up balloon until they dried. Presto – a cute little basket. The best part? Now that Easter’s over all I have to do it rinse them out in the sink then wash them and I have cloth doilies to use for another project or decoration. Seriously – brilliant!

I have a feeling the white coffee filter wreath I made at Christmas is going to be around for awhile. I’ve changed out the bow three times to fit the holiday/season. It’s such an easy decoration.

I can’t wait to modify it for my next mantel display theme….Disney!

I was invited to attend this year’s Disney Social Media Moms conference in Orlando. I am so excited I can’t stand it. It is such an honor to be able to go and I can’t wait to meet the speakers and participants. I’ve already had the awesome opportunity to be a guest on Disney Mentor Moms and to share my life lessons on the fabulous Rene Syler’s blog, Good Enough Mother.

I know I’m going to learn so much and I’m beyond thrilled to be able to take my family along with me to experience Disney World (Life List Number 19!)

We shared our big news to the kids on Easter through a scavenger hunt. Clues led them to a big poster, Mickey Mouse t-shirts, signs for their bedroom doors and a countdown display. They were completely surprised and are so excited to be going to Disney World for the first time. It’s been a blessing to have this to look forward to as we have faced some challenges this season we’ve struggled with at school.

Annie is in awe of Cinderella and can’t wait to meet her “at her own house!” – the castle at Magic Kingdom! She’s already written her a letter to tell her we are coming to see her!

We’ve been pouring over information about visiting each of the four parks at Disney World. It can be a bit overwhelming to plan a visit – there is so much to see and do!!

Have you been to Disney World? What is your best advice for planning a vacation at the happiest place on earth? Anything we have to see or do? Do you have tips to making the most of each day at each park? What is your favorite memory of your Disney vacation? Come on, share! I want to hear it all!!

I paid a conference fee to attend Disney’s Social Media Moms Conference in May. I was not asked to post about the trip nor have I received any compensation. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Craft projects, Disney, Life List, mantels, things to do with your kids 1 Comment

School Stress Relief…SeaWorld Style!

April 3, 2013

My son has the Texas STAAR assessment testing blues! A fifth grader, he has been stressed for weeks as they have been preparing for these tests (he has two this week and then one more to go next week). I really don’t want to get into all my thoughts about the pressures we are putting on our children at a young age through standardized testing like this.

Let’s just say – it’s been a really, really tough week.

So to give the kids a break, we are hitting the road this Saturday for a quick weekend trip for some Stress Relief ….SeaWorld-style!

I love that SeaWorld in San Antonio is close enough to Houston for a quick weekend trip. Really, we could even drive up for the day (although it would be a long one!) Now that the weather is nice, SeaWorld has some great programs for families including the Just For Kids performances all month long in April.

Just for Kids will feature street entertainment in Shamu’s Party Zone, including a live DJ with dancing for the kiddo’s, kid-friendly foods, and activities.

The Just For Kids Festival features the following performances:

April 6 – Caillou
April 13 – Laurie Berkner
April 20 – Choo Choo Soul With Genevieve
April 27 – Imagination Movers
April 7, 14, 21, & 28 – Elmo Rocks!

These special concerts are included with park admission. Wristbands for the show are distributed on the day of the concert near Nautilus Amphitheater on a first come, first served basis as seating is limited. If you’ll be coming to one of the events (especially Imagination Movers!) then I’d get their a little early to be sure you get your wrist band!

We are going to check out Caillou with some of my friends and their families before enjoying the rest of the park. It’s so good to have something fun to look forward to when you are having a tough week!

What do you do with your family to shake off stress and beat the blues?

As an Ambassador for SeaWorld, I was provided complimentary season passes for me and my family. I did not receive compensation nor was I asked to write about Just For Kids or SeaWorld. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Check out more information about SeaWorld’s Just for Kids performances in April online.

Filed Under: San Antonio, things to do with your kids, Travel Leave a Comment

Sweet and Simple Spring Treats

March 21, 2013

My kids are really creative and crafty.

This makes my heart so happy because I love to make things too and getting messy and creative together with them is so much fun.

Last week I really wanted to make something small but sweet for Jackson and Annie’s teachers. They’ve all been so caring and supportive this year. I’m so blessed to have such a great group of educators that genuinely care about them and want them to be successful.

While I often think of little projects on my own, I draw from a lot of sources for inspiration. Imperial Sugar ‘s website has a ton of great recipes, but did you know they also have a Kid’s Kitchen section as well? It’s filled with lots of fun projects perfect for little hands. Not only are there sweet treats to eat, but also fun crafts, science experiments, homemade bath and beauty products and gifts that you can make and give to someone you love. And the best part, all the projects involve sugar.

SWEET!

I am a contributor for Imperial’s Kid’s Kitchen and I especially loved creating the Easter projects this spring. These Candy Corn Flowers were one of my favorites, so we decided to make them again to give to our sweet teachers.

They are really so easy. After we heated up white chocolate candy melts, we used pastel colored candy corn as the petals, then adhered homemade gumdrops to the middle with royal icing.

Annie loved to measure and mix. (You can tell how hard she is concentrating!)

Jackson was a master gumdrop “cut-er / out-er” and “stick-er / on-er”.

We made a good team and only ate a few (ok several) during the process. No worries….there were still many left to package up prettily and send off in backpacks to give to teachers the next morning. They were so grateful for their Spring surprise.

I am so grateful for times like these with my kiddos.

Thank you to Imperial Sugar for sponsoring this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Craft projects, good things, things to do with your kids Leave a Comment

Duo Powered Atari Arcade for iPad – Review and Giveaway

December 28, 2012

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season! We had a great Christmas and I enjoyed a nice break from work; spending time with my family. We have been playing with some of the goodies the kids received from Santa and family as gifts. This time of the year brings out the kid in me and I’ve been guilty of playing with some of the kids’ toys for a little longer than they’d like!

One new game in our house that’s been a hit is Atari Arcade for the iPad. Powered by Duo, the control unit works with the iPad 1, 2 and 3 and brings old school arcade favorites to your living room! We put together a video review to show you the game in action and some of the features. It stars my son and husband, who aren’t used to being behind the camera but I think did a great job!!

To recap, Duo Powered Atari Arcade features include:

To use, you download Atari Greatest Hits game collection from the app store. You then choose a game and select duo in the control settings then you are ready to play!
It works with iPads 1, 2 and 3.
Games are for one to two players.
Games included with the controller are Asteroids, Asteroids Deluxe, Missile Command and Lunar Landing.
You can purchase different game packs which have four games included in them for 99 cents each but for just $9.99 you can buy all 100 games which include classics like Centipede, Maze Craze, Pong, Video Chess, Hangman, Yars Revenge and Tempest.

Sounds like fun, right? We loved that it is portable so we could bring it with us to Grandma’s house over the holidays to play and that 2 player feature lets both of my kids (or my husband!) to play together. You can purchase the game unit online and in stores and while it retails for $60; I saw it at www.amazon.com for $47.35 today!

A GIVEAWAY!

How about one for free?! One lucky Still Living The Dream reader will win one for their very own. It’s like Christmas all over again! All you have to do is leave a comment below telling me what your favorite Atari game is. A winner will be selected at random on January 4, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. CST.

More chances? YUP! Just leave a separate comment for each of the following you do.

Follow Still Living The Dream on Pinterest
Follow Still Living The Dream on Twitter
Like Still Living The Dream on Facebook
Tweet this: “I want to win an Atari Arcade #DuoGames accessory for the iPad @jpatrickcomm http://www.stilllivingthedream.com/2012/12/duo-powered-atari-arcade-for-ipad-review-and-giveaway.html”

I was given an Atari Arcade gaming accessory in order to review. No other compensation was received and all thoughts, opinions and low scores on Lunar Lander are my own!

Filed Under: giveaways, review, things to do with your kids 36 Comments

Countdown to Christmas – Making Sweet Treats for Friends

December 10, 2012

There are just 15 days until Christmas and in the word’s of Clark W. Griswold, I was having ” a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency…”

I still have Christmas presents to buy for almost everyone on my list.
My Christmas cards are sitting in a stack on my counter waiting patiently to be addressed, stamped and mailed.
I have the supplies for Christmas crafts and inside decorations gathered, but untouched and Clark would shudder at the lack of any sort of exterior illumination on the outside of our house.

Yeah, Christmas kinda snuck up on me this year. Can anyone else relate?

BUT – our Christmas tree is up and we finally got the hole in the ceiling from the pipe leak we experienced the day before Thanksgiving patched.

So with a renewed sense of hope, I woke up inspired the other morning after looking at the Kid’s Kitchen section on Imperial Sugar’s website. I decided to put all the other holiday “have-tos” on hold and get in the holiday spirit by making some sweet treats for my neighbors with Annie.

Not wanting to bite off more than I could chew or frustrate Annie who knows her way around the kitchen but is still just six…I picked an easy project that wouldn’t require hot stoves or ovens.

We decided to decorate sugar cubes and wrap them up with some hot beverage mixes in a holiday mug to give to those in our neighborhood who we feel need a little holiday cheer.

All we needed to make them was cookie icing, Imperial Sugar Cubes and assorted holiday sprinkles. Easy-peasy!

After warming up the icing in the microwave, Annie and I dipped the top of cubes in the icing and then put different candy toppings/sprinkles on them like candy canes, holly, Christmas trees and snowflakes. (After a bit, the icing dries on the cubes and holds the sprinkles in place.)

Annie had to take a couple of ”quality control” breaks and I’m happy to report, they passed the taste test!

The great thing about this project is that you can’t mess it up…anything goes so it’s perfect for kids to do and therapeutic for stressed-out adults! Look at the level of concentration going on!

After about 30 minutes playing with Annie in the kitchen I started to feel the stress melt away. We giggled a lot and had a contest to see who could get the most decorations on one sugar cube. (Annie won!) And when we were done, we had this plate of goodness.

These decorated cubes are perfect for your holiday tea or coffee and look great set out by the coffee pot at a holiday get together. We packaged them up along with some tea, coffee and cocoa mixes. And feeling like they needed a little something extra, I later made some homemade, corn-syrup free orange, mint and gingerbread marshmallows (soooo good!) which were also all on Imperial Sugar’s website. How cute will these be to deliver to our neighbors this weekend?

For more ideas about edible projects you can make with your kids, check out Imperial’s Kid’s Kitchen.

Lesson learned. When you get cooking with your kids, you’ll likely end up making more than something good to eat. Annie and I made some great memories. And those will last way longer than any twinkling lights or Christmas cards!

This post was sponsored by Imperial Sugar. All thoughts, experiences and opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Christmas, Craft projects, good things, things to do with your kids Leave a Comment

Categories

Blog Archive

Groups I Love!

Tears of Joy at Walt Disney World

Preparing For DisneyWorld – #PackMoreFun for #DisneySMMoms

We Are Doing The 2013 Summer Bucket List Challenge! (Happy Family Movement)

Dear Cinderella, We’re Coming To Disney!

Disney Shake It Up I <3 Dance CD Review

Easter and Mantels and Disney…Oh My!

School Stress Relief…SeaWorld Style!

Sweet and Simple Spring Treats

Duo Powered Atari Arcade for iPad – Review and Giveaway

Countdown to Christmas – Making Sweet Treats for Friends

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Getting Relief From Spring Allergies (Giveaway)

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From The Archives – My Marathon Experience