Christmas Traditions - The Idea Room

Christmas Tree Memories

One of the ways we try to spread holiday cheer with our décor is by building a Christmas tree full of memories. When I was growing up my parents started a tradition of giving each of us kids a new Christmas tree ornament every year. My parents tried to find ornaments that represented something we had done or accomplished that year.

As the years passed our tree became fuller and fuller. Each new Christmas season we loved pulling out the ornaments when it was time to decorate the tree and find all of our special ornaments. The first Christmas my husband I were married, my parents wrapped up all of my Christmas ornaments and gave them to us to start our own Christmas tree.

We have continued this tradition with our own children. And my kids look forward to receiving their ornament each Christmas Eve as well. It has been so fun to look at the tree and all of the various ornaments and get a snapshot of what our life has been full of.

Now I’d love to know, how do you spread real cheer with your holiday decorating? Show me with your photos! Click “Add me” in the Cheer Tree below to upload your holiday decorating photos and share them with your Twitter followers and Facebook friends. Be sure to click on “Special Offers” to unwrap the hidden coupons and deals exclusively from Sears. Keep checking throughout the holidays–new deals are unlocked every day! For all your holiday decorating needs and solutions, don’t forget to visit Sears and discover real deals, real cheer!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sears. The opinions and text are all mine.

December 20, 2011 · Filed under: Christmas Tagged with Christmas ornaments, Christmas Traditions, holiday traditions

Magic Reindeer Food

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A few years ago my daughter came home from her Pre-school class with some magic reindeer food. She was instructed to sprinkle it on the front lawn on Christmas Eve so that Santa and his reindeer could find her home. She was so excited and my other kids wished they had some reindeer food too. It worked just like magic. Santa definitely came! We have continued the tradition every year since to ensure that Santa can find his way to our house.

The food has special “glow in the dark” crystals that are illuminated by the moon and as my daughter pointed out today, Rudolph’s Red Nose! I wish she would have said that before I got them all printed out :). That is so much more fun than being illuminated by the moon. (I will have to change it for next year as I have already made ours up).

This would be so fun to make for your kids friends as a small, inexpensive gift, an elementary school party, your neighbor’s kids or your grandkids! Be sure to make it edible so that the birds don’t eat something that is not good for them…like glitter.

Here is our simple recipe.

Reindeer Food

1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup red or green sugar crystals (for cake decorating)

**I have seen some recipes that call for glitter, but I have heard that it can be dangerous for any birds who might eat it, so we just use colored sugar. Colored sugar can be made so easily. Just take some sugar and drop a few drops of food coloring in the sugar. Then take a fork and stir it until the sugar is colored evenly and there are no lumps.

Here is a fun poem that you can give along with the reindeer food to let people know what it is and how to use it.

Sprinkle on the lawn at night
The moon (Rudolph’s Nose) will make it sparkle bright
As Santa’s reindeer fly and roam
This will guide them to your home.

I filled a cellophane treat bag (6 in. x 3.75 in.) with the reindeer food and attached a label by stapling it to the top. The writing on the label is upside down so when you fold it,the writing will be right side up.

There are two different downloads if you are interested. I would love to know if you end up making some! I love to see the projects my readers are enjoying and making for themselves.

Reindeer Food 2

Reindeer_Food

December 8, 2009 · Filed under: Christmas, Christmas Gifts, Christmas Recipes, Christmas Traditions, Free Downloads Tagged with christmas activities, christmas crafts, christmas gift for kids, Christmas Traditions, reindeer, reindeer food, reindeer food poem, reindeer food recipe

Graham Cracker "Gingerbread" Houses

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One of our advent calendar activities is to make graham cracker gingerbread houses. I have hosted a “cousins” party at my house for the last 4 years (including this year). I make the houses the night before (one for each kid) by gluing graham crackers into a house shape with hot glue. Yes…you heard me…Hot Glue!

This ensures that the houses are STURDY so little hands can frost and place candy on it without it crashing down. The kids know this and do not eat the graham crackers or glue when they are finished. But they can still pick off the candy and eat it. I place each house on a paper plate with their name on it. My older children help me make them by getting the crackers ready and putting the cousins names on the plates while I do the gluing. There are 19 cousins to make houses for now!

My sisters and sister-in-laws each bring a couple of different types of candy to decorate the houses with or the frosting (we use Royal Icing). We decide before hand who will bring what. When all arrive, we divide up the candy so that they each have their own little cup of candy to use on their house. We also fill small plastic baggies with their own frosting and cut the corner of the bag so they can spread the frosting easily. They each are given their own plastic knife so they aren’t licking and sharing :)!

Graham-Cracker-House

It is so fun to see each of their individual personalities as they decorate their houses. Some pile globs of frosting and candy together and call it good. While others spend the entire time carefully decorating with precise candy placement and color patterns. It is a lot of fun, and a little messy, but so worth it. The cousins look forward to it every year and so do I! (The pictures are from last year’s party).

**edit–Royal Icing Recipe:

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

2 large egg whites, or more to thin icing
4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar, or more to thicken icing
1 lemon, juiced

Directions:
Beat the whites until stiff but not dry. Add sugar and lemon juice; beat for 1 minute more. If icing is too thick, add more egg whites; if it is too thin, add more sugar. The icing may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

*You can substitute 5 tablespoons meringue powder and 1/3 cup water for raw eggs.