Simplifying Christmas

by Kamerine

I like the idea of getting my kids whatever they want, providing them with all the toys that I never had growing up.  I want them to be happy.  But then I think about it and realize that more toys isn't the way to make them happy.  I want them to understand that Christmas isn't about the stuff, it's about the memories.  I want them to appreciate what they have and know that they're lucky because they have a bed to sleep in and roof over their head, toys to play with and each other.

They are kids though and kids like stuff.  So what now?  How do I give them stuff without giving them too much?

It was a few years ago I was reading posts on a pregnancy/baby forum that I came across a little idea about Christmas.  A way to make it simple but special for the kids.  It's something that we've adopted for our family and you might want to as well.

It's easy, and it rhymes.  Here it is:

Something you want,

something you need.

Something to wear,

something to read.

Every Christmas my kids will be getting 4 gifts from us:  a toy of some sort, something practical, a new outfit and a book.  We add in a new pair of pajamas to be opened Christmas Eve, because I love that tradition, and a gift from Santa.

My kids are still a bit young but we will be explaining this to them as they get older and plan to stick to these 4 things to keep Christmas simple but special.  I really hope this will help them understand that Christmas isn't just about the stuff and while it's nice to get toys it's nicer to spend time with family and friends.

I would love to hear about any traditions your family has for keeping things simple at Christmas.

Kamerine is mom to 3 year old Little J and 1 year old Baby K.  She documents her life with two toddlers, a husband and a cat at followk.blogspot.ca.

Fall tye-dye cupcakes

by Carly

I really wanted to make something nut-free for the Little Man to eat for dessert at our Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow.  Since I knew the pie I was bringing had nuts, I decided to make some fall-themed cupcakes.  I didn't have time to fuss with fondant, creating fancy turkeys or pilgrim's hats (not that we really do the pilgrim thing here in Canada anyway).

Since Jake really likes rainbow coloured cakes and cupcakes, I used that as my jumping off point.  We made white cake batter, then divided the batter into three bowls.  One bowl of batter was tinted yellow, one orange and one terra-cotta (I'd run out of red but had terra-cotta lying around for some reason).  I used food paste as you need less of it to get a nice strong colour.

To make it easier to get the batter into the cupcake liners, I put it in plastic baggies and snip a tiny bit off one corner.  I started with the lightest colour, pouring some into each cup.  Then we added the orange and finally the terra-cotta.  Don't mix the colours as the batter will turn out muddy - just leave them "piled" on top of one another.

While the cupcakes were baking in their plain white cupcake liners, I nosed around our cupboards looking for some pretty fall-themed liners to put them in for added colour, but I came up empty handed.  So I tinted some extra white liners I had with yellow, orange and terra-cotta food paste mixed with water.  Using a spoon I poured the different colours over the liners while they sat upside down on a wire rack nestled in a rimmed cookie sheet to catch the run-off.

I didn't want to completely cover the liners, so I left a fair bit of white showing.  When I had tinted all the liners, I poured any excess dye off them, then put them right side up in a cupcake pan.  After taking out the baked cupcakes, I turned the oven off and put the liners into the warm oven to help them dry.  Keep a close eye on them - they only need a minute or two.  The bottoms were still damp, so I turned them upside down on the wire rack and popped them back into the still warm oven for another minute or two.

While the cupcakes cooled I made some buttercream frosting and divided that into three bowls.  I coloured each bowl using the same colours I'd used in the batter.  Each colour was then put into it's own individual piping bag and twisted closed at the top using a twist-tie.  I loosely attached the three bags together around the middle using a pipe cleaner, and put all three into another piping bag with my largest round tip attached.

I did a test swirl on a plate to make sure the three colours would come out nicely and fairly uniform, then piped the cooled cupcakes, starting at the outer edge and moving toward the middle.

Ta-da!  Tye-dyed cupcakes with tye-dyed frosting and tye-dyed decorative liners.

Carly has red hair and occasionally the temper to match.  She loves potatoes, rainy nights, photography, her husband, her 6 year old son, Jacob and her 10 month old son, Noah.  Probably in reverse order.   She also blogs.

Mother’s day in and around the Capital

by Jenny After spending a lovely morning at the Billings Estate museum Easter weekend, we knew, as a family, that it was a place we wanted to visit again. Centrally located on a gorgeous property, the museum was a perfect venue for my kids, 3 and 5. The staff was welcoming, friendly and had really thought of everything. There was a chocolate Easter egg hunt (complete with a nut-free option for my eldest), face painting, a giant hopscotch board, an egg basket sewing session and all-natural egg dyeing. We went around from station to station, my kids keeping track to make sure we didn’t miss a one. The Easter Bunny was also on hand for pictures and encouragement on the egg hunt.

While this Sunday is my day (to sleep in a bit, I hope), I can’t wait to get out and explore another one of the great museums in Ottawa. Here are some of the special Mother’s day events they have going on this Sunday, May 13. Take note of the mini-manis & chocolate offerings at the Deifenbunker! Mother’s Day Tea at Billings Estate What better place to celebrate Mother’s Day than on the idyllic lawns of Billings Estate National Historic Site? Enjoy a Victorian tea service in the garden, stroll through the grounds, and explore the new Victorian medicine exhibit in Ottawa’s oldest wood-framed building. Tours, crafts and live music will take place from 10a.m to 4p.m. There will also be a flower and plant exchange from 11a.m. to 1p.m. Mother’s Day at the Diefenbunker :  A celebration of the women who served in the Diefenbunker.  A special women's history tour will be given every hour in English, featuring clips from the Diefenbunker's oral history project. Mothers can relax at the mini-manicure station as children craft. Mini-manicures will be offered to mothers and children from 12-3. A colourful display by Ottawa’s own Cold War artist, Marcia Lea, will surely be a thing to see! And what’s a women’s day out without chocolate? Of course, the Diefenbunker will be partnering up with local and surrounding chocolatiers and bakers to offer fabulously themed desserts. Program runs from 11am-2pm.

Cumberland Heritage Village Museum - Famous Funnies-Family Cartooning Workshop It’s the good guys versus the bad guys as the super heroes take over a family cartooning lesson led by our professional artist! Families can discover early cartoon super heroes like Superman and characters like Little Orphan Annie. Young visitors can dress in their favourite character costumes. Program runs from 1pm to 3pm. Cost: Regular admission applies plus $10 workshop fee.

What are your plans this Mother’s day? Any special requests or are you just looking forward to a day with your family?

Jenny is mom to 5 (and ¾) year old Ryan and 3 year old Jaime. A communications specialist with a love for food, wine and outdoor fun, you can find Jenny on twitter @jblatts or in the Kids in the Capital Facebook group.

Decorating for Valentine's Day

by Carly

The Little Man loves getting into the season, regardless of which one we're celebrating.  One of my favourite decorating "crafts" to do with him is very simple!  Since we don't really want him colouring the walls, I love turning him loose on the patio door windows with some window markers or crayons and some homemade window paint.

I bought the window markers and crayons at Michael's, but you can get them pretty much anywhere.  To make the window paint, I mixed washable tempra paint with a bit of dish soap and we painted away!

Jake was especially proud of the heart he drew with my name in it.  He also loves that he can easily erase his creations and start over again anytime.  The Little Man also specifically asked that I paint a Valentine's Day message backwards on the window so our backyard neighbours could read it too!

Have you decorated for Valentine's Day yet?

Carly has red hair and occasionally the temper to match.  She loves potatoes, rainy nights, photography, her husband, her five year old son, Jacob and her brand spanking new son, Noah. Probably in reverse order. She also blogs.

Christmas Eve: Oh, the anticipation!

by Karen This is Brandon's fourth Christmas and his awareness this year is more exciting and fun than ever before. He hasn't yet started to ask for things for Christmas, but he knows presents are coming. It isn't his main focus. He is equally fascinated by the tree, the ornaments and our wreath on the door. Driving through the neighbourhood and seeing Christmas lights fills him with just as much joy as opening his presents will on Christmas morning. I hope we can somehow encourage and retain that childlike enjoyment as long as possible.

One day, his focus will most certainly change, but for now it is me who is anticipating the enjoyment of Christmas morning. Seeing his face as he comes down to see his presents under the tree. Watching him open them and enjoy them. These are the things I can't wait to see tomorrow.

What are you looking forward to this Christmas with your family?

*****

Our eleventh winner of a Family Pass to the Canadian Mint is Chantal!

If you leave a comment on any post for the duration of the giveaway, you are entered to win. Additional comments are not required and won't increase your chances of winning (though they are always welcome).

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