Running with Scissors

Reindeer Food (12/24)

What you need: an assortment of snacks that are reindeer-friendly, glitter, container, (optional: bags to distribute finished product) We used popcorn, Craisins, animal crackers, raisins, peanuts, shredded carrots, & mini marshmallows

Add all ingredients to a container.

Sprinkle in glitter so it glistens and the reindeer will have no trouble spotting their special snack... don't worry, Santa's reindeer can ingest glitter with no problems!!!

Shake up ingredients and add to your own bag.

Have a taste test with all of the ingredients to see if the reindeer will enjoy their night snack. Make your tasting plate BEFORE adding in the glitter!

Sprinkle the food outside before bedtime on Christmas Eve! You can also make this snack during the other days of winter to sprinkle outside for the squirrels and birds!

Millers' Magnets (Christmas)

The cousins sent us a special package in the mail with their homemade holiday decorations... magnets...

What you need for Rudolph: pre-made cardboard hand cutouts (or you can trace your own on card stock), red pom pom, 2 wiggle eyes, brown paint, paint brush, glue, magnet strip What you need for snowflake: pre-made cardboard snowflakes (or you can cut out a shape of your own), silver paint, paintbrush, glue, 7 shiny gems, magnet strip

*Thank you Joshua & Ethan!!!

PS- Yes, Sydney is wearing a Halloween shirt on Christmas Eve... one of her favorites!!!

Shave Cream SNOW (12/23)

What you need: shave cream ($1 store), work space such as table (bathtub works well, too), popsicle stick (used as extra drawing utensil but fingers work just the same), *optional: squeegee for easy clean-up

Breakfast Bunch- play date(12/22)

Yet another holiday celebration... we had our "McDonald's" play date crew over for breakfast and crafts. Xavier and River brought snowmen foam kits; everything was pre-cut with peel & stick adhesive backs.

They also brought large foam cutouts to use along with Grace & Libby's peel & sticks. Lily brought all the supplies to make Rudolph. What you need: 3 popsicle sticks, one shiny gem (red for Rudolph), 2 wiggle eyes, dish of glue & paintbrush *We'll give credit where credit is due; Olivia also brought art materials, but the kids were up and ready to play...thanks all!!!

Sweet Emmeline observing the musical snowglobe...perhaps her favorite toy of the season (at least at our house)

Breakfast Bunch & Buffet (pancakes, chocolate chips, whipped cream, sprinkles, yogurt, fresh fruit, granola, lemon cupcakes...Mmm!!!) Olivia obviously enjoying her meal!

River, Lily, Kelsey & Sydney working on foam snowmen kids (I know it's tiny but take notice of the year on some of the snowmen...lol)

Xavier hanging out as his Rudolph dries.

Grace, Libby, and Sydney peeling and sticking!

Cut, cut, cut...snip, snip, snip... (12/21)

What you need: paper & scissors (*it's extra handy if your children cut OVER the recycle bin)

Snowflake Pipe Cleaners (12/21)

What you need: white cotton pipe cleaners

Sydney bent each top to make "candy canes"

Kelsey hooked all of her pipe cleaners together to make a snowflake for the tree.

Sydney showing off her collection of "candy canes".

Christmas Collages- play date (12/20)

To start off our holiday play date, the kids bounced away all their energy in the moonbounce... yes, this was indoors!!!

Next we did a Book Swap Boogie. The kids (and some mamas) showed off their best dance moves as we played music. When the music stopped, so did we. After a few rounds, each child chose a wrapped book from the collection on the floor. Each guest brought a new, wrapped book to share and in return brought home a new read for their own collection!

Now for the Christmas Collage Decorations: Each guest brought an eclectic supply of collage materials to share. We spread out a picnic blanket and sprinkled all the materials in the center. Everyone got a paintbrush and (applesauce) dish filled with glue... here are some of our creations...