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The Best Websites for Christmas Cookie Recipes

Written by Marybeth Heckler on December 4, 2022. Posted in Holidays.

Gingerbread, peppermint, meringue, and sugar time! Make your holiday a little sweeter by finding classic and creative recipes for your annual Christmas cookie baking endeavors.

Top Tips for Packing Away the Holiday Decor

Written by Marybeth Heckler on December 26, 2021. Posted in Holidays.

We love decorating for the holidays, and we’d be lying if we said we didn’t have a lot of decorations. If you even have an inkling of a holiday spirit, then you probably feel the same way about decking out your space for major and minor holidays.

Warm Your Hearth this Holiday Season

Written by Marybeth Heckler on December 5, 2021. Posted in Holidays, Motherhood.

The holiday season is here and it’s time to get in the spirit of the season. We’re shining a spotlight on all things warm, welcoming, and cozy for your mantel, decor, and living space. We are showcasing our favorite ideas for lighting up your hearth and home for holiday gatherings with friends and family.

Celebrating New Year’s Eve at Home with Kids

Written by Marybeth Heckler on November 23, 2020. Posted in Holidays, Motherhood.

New Year’s Eve is right around the corner and many of us are looking forward to saying goodbye to all of the chaos and confusion of 2020. Whether you normally stay at home with the kids on New Year’s Eve, or you’re doing so this year because of COVID, chances are that you won’t be going out to celebrate.

If you’re new to celebrating at home and would like tips on celebrating with the kids, or if you’re looking for some new ideas for 2020-2021, here are five tips on how to celebrate the year’s arrival with your kids:

Slumber Party! — A lot of kids are missing out on the joys of being kids this year with the inability to visit with their friends due to COVID. That being said, why don’t you have a family slumber party that can have all of the fun traditions. Set out sleeping bags in the living room (or even better, build a fort out of cushions!) and then get out the popcorn. Watch some family-favorite movies on the television and, if the little ones can stay up that late, celebrate the ball drop on TV like you did when you were growing up.

Reflect on the Year — Another thing that you can do as the year passes away is to sit on the couch and reflect back on the year that has passed. Ask each person in your family to name one thing that they liked about the past year or one memory that they are going to cherish. Have everyone write these down so that you can preserve the memories in a scrapbook or memento box.

Share a Toast — For adults, what says “New Year’s Eve” more than a toast with champagne at midnight? For the kids, you should include them in the tradition with their own non-alcoholic versions. Either get a bottle of sparkling grape juice or help them cook up their own “mocktail” like a Shirley Temple. For some international flair, have twelve grapes (one at each bell chime at midnight) as they do in Spain. This tradition is supposed to bring prosperity for the new year.

Get Outside — If the weather is kind, New Year’s Eve is a great time to get outside to celebrate. Set up a fire pit or heaters to keep everyone warm and then break out the sparklers for safe New Year’s Eve “fireworks.” Also, instead of throwing confetti or having a balloon drop at midnight, celebrate with some cans of silly string and let the kids go wild.

Have a Fashion Show — If you want to have silly fun this New Year’s Eve, head to your closet and break out all of your fanciest clothes for a fashion show with your kids. Make sure to take lots of pictures and create a scrapbook later on.

This year, stay home and stay safe for New Year’s Eve. But at the same time, make sure that you and your kids have a celebration that you will remember for years to come.

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Dressing Up the Guest Room

Written by Marybeth Heckler on November 9, 2020. Posted in Homeowner.

There’s a great scene in a classic episode of Friends where Phoebe has to stay with Chandler and Monica in their guest room. Monica, always the over-the-top personality, greets her with warm cookies and a “Welcome to Hotel Monica.”

Now, most of us aren’t going to go quite that far with our guest rooms and accommodations. But when you have family and friends staying with you, especially for an extended period of time, it’s important to spruce up the guest room to make it look, and feel, comfy.

Here are four ideas on how to create a cozy nest for your guests:

Make it warm and inviting — First and foremost, your guest room should look warm and inviting and not just like a storage room that you clear out when guests show up. Make sure that you have nice cushiony comforters and fresh sheets on the bed. But also, get sheet sets and linens that work nicely with the color scheme of the room. Speaking of color schemes, one area that can add an extra layer of comfort is by painting the ceiling, especially if you choose a warm color to accent that of the walls.

It’s not just a bedroom — Remember that your guest may not want to spend every waking moment in the main living area of the house with you. At some point, they are going to want to retire to the guest room to unwind. Besides the obvious choice of a bed, your guest room should also feature a chair that they can sit in to relax. If possible, create a little reading nook with a comfy chair and a reading light so they can just sit and read or reflect quietly.

Share your space — Let’s face it: a lot of us use our guest rooms as storage space. If you have a dresser in the room that you use to store your off-season clothes, clean a section out of it for your guest. No one likes to live out of a suitcase, and they can unpack and feel a little more at home. And speaking of sharing, make sure that you give your guest your wi-fi password on a note in the guest room so they don’t have to ask for it.

Hotel touches — Lastly, you can make your guest room feel a bit like a five-star hotel with a few little touches. From mints on the pillow to warm cookies and coffee or tea on the table, these are all ways to make your guest feel at home. And if you can pull off towel sculptures of animals then go for it!

Your guest room doesn’t have to be a bland setting with only a simple bed. If you dress it up a little bit and give it a little flair, then you can make a home away from home that your guests will want to visit again.

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DIY Christmas Crafts for Decorating Your Home on a Budget

Written by Marybeth Heckler on November 2, 2020. Posted in Holidays.

As this year draws to a close, many of us are breathing a sigh of relief. The events of the year can now be set aside and replaced by the joy of the holiday season. But many of us are on a very tight budget this year and it may not be as merry of a Christmas as you’ve had in years past.

One way to help out with this is to create some of your own decorations for your home. These do-it-yourself projects can provide you with not only beautiful decorations, but also memories of spending time together with your loved ones while making them.

Here are 4 do-it-yourself Christmas decorating ideas I’d like to share with you:

Cinnamon Candle — Candles are always a beautiful decoration for the holidays, but scented candles seem to be getting more expensive every year. This year, get one large candle that isn’t scented. Look for a candle that is a holiday color like red, green, or white. Take your trusty hot glue gun and a cinnamon stick and glue the stick vertically to the candle. Then, keep repeating the process until you have the candle completely covered. You can spruce this up with a festive holiday bow or even some garlands around the base. But your home will have the beauty of soft candlelight and the warm smell of cinnamon. You can see the process here.

2020 Ornament — For this one, you’ll just need a Sharpie marker and a plain, undecorated Christmas tree ball ornament. On the ornament, write one of your favorite memories of the past year. You can even invite all of the family to do this so that you have a collection of your favorite moments from this year. And, at the end of the season, you can box these up and keep them as mementos of the year that was.

Tabletop Christmas Trees — For this project, get together your hot glue gun, some poster board, and felt (preferably in festive colors). Roll the poster board up into a cone so that it will sit flat on a table while looking roughly like a Christmas tree. Glue the top of the cone together to hold it and then wrap the “tree” in felt and glue this in place. You now have a homemade Christmas tree for your holiday displays. In a pinch, you can substitute old wrapping paper for the felt. Like this idea but want additional options? Check out this article on 14 DIY Tabletop Christmas Tree crafts.

Cardboard Box Gingerbread House — Gingerbread houses can be fun to make, but they are definitely messy. Use a DIY alternative from an old cardboard box. Take a square box as your house base and then use another box and cut it up to form the triangular roof of the house. Glue these together and then use paint to decorate it as elaborately as you please. You can even create a village out of cardboard boxes with everyone in the family making their own house. Get inspired by these adorable examples.

Christmas doesn’t have to be an expensive holiday. The real joy comes from doing things you love with your friends and family. This year, spend some time creating your own holiday ornaments and decorations and make memories that will last a lifetime.

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Celebrating Halloween During a Pandemic

Written by Marybeth Heckler on September 21, 2020. Posted in Holidays.

For some of us, our fondest childhood memories of autumn have always been the memories of trick-or-treating and celebrating Halloween. And as parents, we want to share those experiences with our children so that they can form great memories as well.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine have pretty much destroyed some of those opportunities this year. But parents shouldn’t just throw in the towel and cancel Halloween just yet. Instead, you should plan for some pandemic-friendly activities for your little ones this fall.

Try some of these great Halloween activities with your family:

Go Trick-or-Treating (From a Distance) — First, Halloween and trick-or-treating may not be safe in all areas, particularly where COVID has flared up heavily. However, you may be able to have a “socially distanced” trick-or-treat experience by wearing surgical masks with your Halloween costume and going to neighbors who are leaving the treats out on the lawn in separate packs for the kids to pick up. Also, be sure to include lots of hand sanitizer to use in between homes.

Have a Zoom Costume Contest — If you are stuck at home and have lots of friends and family that you miss, one way to get in touch on Halloween is with Zoom. You can have an online party with all of your friends and their children and have the kids model their Halloween costumes for the adults. You can also get others to be impartial judges and pick the best or scariest costumes. During your modeling, be sure to throw on a Halloween soundtrack like “Monster Mash” or “Thriller.”

Have a Scary Movie Double Feature — There are lots of streaming options out there that have plenty of scary movies you can watch no matter what age you are. For the little kids, you might want to choose a tame film like Hocus Pocus or The Addams Family. But for the older kids (or the adults when the little ones go to sleep) you can try classic horror films like Night of the Living Dead or Friday the 13^th.

Carve a Jack-O-Lantern — This is an activity that is always a Halloween winner but is also possible to do during quarantine. There are hundreds of different jack-o-lantern patterns available online or for purchase. Just be sure to get a good carving tool kit that can make it easier. And, for the little ones, consider getting glow-in-the-dark paint and other craft materials that you can glue onto the pumpkins without having to carve them.

This Halloween, you don’t have to let the pandemic ruin your plans to make lasting memories with your family. Instead, just do some careful planning and enjoy some of these safe activities with your friends and kids.

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Honoring Valentine’s Day With or Without a Partner

Written by Marybeth Heckler on February 9, 2020. Posted in Holidays.

Outside of Christmas, Valentine’s Day may be the most stress-inducing holiday of the year. For those who are in a relationship, the pressure to be “super romantic” and to hit all the right notes on that day is almost like it will be a test of your love.

For those who don’t have a partner, Valentine’s Day can be a painful reminder of that loneliness and isolation. With that in mind, here are some ways that you can honor the holiday with love and kindness without the stress or sadness that may sometimes be associated with it.

Before we even begin, let’s dispel one huge myth about Valentine’s Day. This day is not meant to be a test of whether or not you love your partner. If your partner truly tries to place a value on your love based on what you get them for Valentine’s Day, or whether you are romantic, or where you take them for dinner, then maybe you are not in a healthy relationship to begin with. It is also not a test of whether you are desirable as a person if you do not have a partner on Valentine’s Day. Try to take the stress out of this, which you can do with our next step.
The next thing you need to do is gain some perspective on what the day means. Just like with Christmas, marketers have latched onto this holiday as a means of commercializing it for more money. (Don’t believe me? Two days before Christmas, our local “big box superstore” moved all of the Christmas candy and merchandise to the clearance aisles and began stocking Valentine’s cards and candy.) So use this time to talk with your partner about what the day truly means to you. Communicate with him or her about how you would like to celebrate this holiday together and what would be the best reflection of your love.
If you are not in a relationship, it may seem like you have no one to love. But that is never true. On Valentine’s Day, organize a counter-Valentine’s dinner with your single friends where you can share in the love of your friendship. If you are divorced or widowed, then you can still connect with your children or family members. Make this day a celebration of LOVE in all of its aspects, not just romantic love.

This Valentine’s Day, remember that love is what the holiday is all about. But love is not reflected in commercial goods or dinners. Love is not just about romance and desire. Love should be enjoyed and appreciated in all of its forms for a healthier holiday.

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Celebrating Lunar New Year in Denver

Written by Marybeth Heckler on January 20, 2020. Posted in Holidays.

In many Eastern countries, the beginning of the new year doesn’t start on January 1^st, but rather at the beginning of the first moon cycle. It’s one of the most celebrated family traditions in many Asian countries, where families come together to celebrate, commune, and accumulate good fortune for the upcoming year.

The city of Denver has many options for people and families wanting to get in on the celebrations of Lunar New Year.

Truong An Gifts

This local, cultural, Asian market celebrates Chinese New Year each year in their parking lot with two days’ worth of performances from local groups including lion dances, martial arts demonstrations, and kids’ fashion shows (where all participating kids in traditional clothing get red envelopes). This is a great way to do a bit of shopping and enjoy the holiday at the same time. They update their Facebook page and event regularly so keep updated there.

Southridge Recreation Center

This recreation center in Highlands Ranch, Colorado is teaming up with the Great Wall Chinese Academy for a mini-festival and a performance including lion dances, martial arts, and music. Find out more here.

Sharetea Westminster

Enjoy traditional performances from the Nguyen Thieu Lion Dance troupe at this location on February 1^st only. They will also be handing out red envelopes for good luck. Don’t forget to grab a cup of bubble tea while you are there. Find out more here.

Castle Rock Outlets

This shopping center honors Lunar New Year each year with red envelopes, crafts, and discounts. Find out more.

Nathan Yip Foundation

If you want something a bit more robust, check out the Chinese New Year party at the Grand Hyatt Denver. This party has traditional performances, acrobats, lion dances, karaoke, and even a silent disco. Plus, enjoy themed food stations and an Asian-themed street market. Get your tickets here.

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Giving Back This Holiday Season (And All Year Long)

Written by Marybeth Heckler on December 15, 2019. Posted in Holidays.

It’s become a cliché, but the holidays are truly a time of giving to others. If you remember your Charlie Brown Christmas special, the crass commercialism of the modern world is trying to destroy that spirit.

That’s why it is so important to show generosity to others by giving back. It’s not only something you should do during the holidays but should be a year-round endeavor.

Here are ideas on how you can give back now and all year long:

Quick change — Most of us have that change jar in our house or a cubby in our car where we throw our loose coins. Rather than using this for an occasional soda, take it into a bank and exchange it for hard cash and then donate this to a local charity.

In fact, relabel your change jar as the donations jar and keep putting in extra money year-round. (Another great use for your coins is to take them down to the local Salvation Army bell-ringers and just pour the whole jar in. They’d love to have all of that change at once and you won’t have to cash it in first.)

Volunteer — Another popular form of giving back to the community is volunteering. One of the most popular forms of this is to help out with the local food bank or homeless shelter serving holiday meals. But the reality is that many of these already get tons of help during the holidays.

If you want to assist with serving meals or donating food, do this in the spring and summer when demand is high, but donations are low. Instead, donate your time to a local nursing home. And remember that it’s not just human beings you can give back to. Your local animal shelter would love toys and food for the animals there. You can also donate your time caring for the animals housed at the shelter.

Build relationships — One of the greatest things you can do is to develop a bond with another human being. During the holidays, thousands of senior citizens are alone. Talk to your local senior center and see if they can let you come in and visit with these individuals so they don’t have to be so alone at this time of year.

These bonding activities can include sitting and talking, reading to them, or singing Christmas carols as a family or group. If you develop a connection, you may be able to have them join your family for dinner over the holidays. Chances are, if you try this you will develop a connection that will last long after the holidays are over.

During the holidays, many people get an entitled attitude of “give me more.” But it is also imperative that you give back to the community, especially if you have little ones that you want to inspire to do the same.

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Tag: holidays

Try some of these great Halloween activities with your family:

Here are ideas on how you can give back now and all year long: