Karissa Tunis

Mashed Potatoes Recipe

I always try to get as organized as possible before the holidays. I try to prepare a few dishes ahead of time, and I always am sure to stock my pantry with several of the key ingredients I often use. During this season, I like to have on hand – evaporated milk, canned pumpkin, flour, sugar, pie crust, and the spices of the season such as cloves whole or ground, ginger and cinnamon. One of our family’s favorite side dishes is mashed potatoes! Most recipes call for butter. But in my house, we make our mashed potatoes with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and we love it!!

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5 DIY Gift Wrapping Ideas for Kids!

Looking for unique ways to involve your kids with gift giving this holiday season? Have them help wrap presents! Here are five DIY gift wrapping ideas your kids will have fun creating and your recipients are sure to love!

First remember that with any project involving kids, the end result will be messy! The memories you make when you create and give are what’s important. That being said, with my guidance, my children made all five wrapping ideas below!

This article is written by Pamela Rineer
For more on this topic, check out the full Happy Holidays collection

CANDY RIBBONS

Who doesn’t love a sweet treat with their gift? Kids are sure to love making and receiving this special present. Simply choose a favorite candy, gummy or candies with a hole work best, and thread with jewelry string. This works great for a candy ribbon that can be eaten when received! For a non edible bow use hot glue to hold the candy in place.

Name tags with Alphabet Pasta

Spell out your holiday greeting with painted alphabet pasta! Hot glue the letters onto the gift when you’re done. This is so simple and the possibilities are endless, it’s educational and fun!

Bookmark Tag

My kids made these years ago and it’s so cute that I brought them back this year! I especially love to use these when gifting a book. I like to have them wear holiday attire, Christmas jammies would be adorable, then take a photo. They can be jumping for joy, something that stretches their body in all directions makes it more fun.

Print the photo on preferred paper and have your child write who it’s to and their name along with the date on the back. Use laminate sheets to cover the front and back, then cut out just the body, no background. I like when my kids have their hands clasped above their head, I can use a hole punch to place a ribbon through and it looks like they are holding the ribbon. Wrap the gift and use the bookmark as a name tag and the ribbon as a bow!

Photo Name Tag Ornament

Another cute gift wrapping idea is to print a photo of your child with the recipient. It can be on photo paper, card stock, or printer paper. Have your child write who it’s to, their name, and date on the back. Laminate using the same self adhesive sheets as above. Cut out in a circle or decorative shape, hole punch and string ribbon. The photo can become an ornament and decorate next years Christmas tree!

Homemade Paper

Having your kids make wrapping paper is so easy and fun. Start with white or brown craft paper cut large enough to wrap your package. Decide on a design or let your kids create their own. Use markers, crayons, or paint! For this gift we made a wreath out of hand prints, buttons for ornaments, and a ribbon for the bow!

I hope this inspires you to wrap & give creatively this season! If you need some additional inspiration on the actual gift buying, check out the Gift Giving collection here for all kinds of great gift ideas!

For more on this topic, check out the full Happy Holidays collection

Featured Contributor: Pamela Rineer

Pamela Rineer lives in Lititz, PA with her husband, two boys, and very large goldendoodle. With a love of real estate, design, and money management she began renovating their homes on a budget. Now, settling into their fifth house, she shares simple DIY’s for all things home.

Instagram: @pamelarineerinteriors
Facebook: @pamelarineerinteriors
Pinterest: @pamelarineerinteriors
Website: pamelarineerinteriors.weebly.com

Holiday Tic Tac Toe Printable

Family dinners, church services, car trips… the holidays are full of occasions where you need a quiet, calm activity to keep your children happy and entertained; and this free tic tac toe printable is an easy go-to!

You can print out this holiday version of tic tac toe to take with you wherever you go. It is easy for kids to reuse this game over and over again (especially if you print it out on some card stock or heavier paper)!

And if you would like another fun free quiet activity, check out these 30 printable Free Christmas Coloring Pages, enjoy!

For more on this topic, check out the full Happy Holidays collection

And for more on this topic, check out the full Happy Holidays collection

Free Printable Holiday Cards for Kids

Every Valentine’s day, my kids love getting to hand out cards to all of their classmates at school. This gave me the idea of handing out small, simple holiday cards to their classmates as well for the holidays! So I put together these free printable holiday cards as a simple way for your kids to spread some fun holiday cheer!

Grab some card stock, print out a few sheets, cut out the individual cards, and have your child hand them out to all of their classmates. If they want to go the extra mile, they can also write a nice note on the back of their holiday cards 🙂

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DIY Snow Globe – A Kid-Friendly Holiday Decor Project

Each year, my son’s school puts out an email asking if anyone wants to decorate the classroom doors for the holidays. Families get to come in for the evening, use some school-provided background paper, and get to work! My son and I did it this year for the first time and had so much fun creating our own DIY Snow Globe together :)…

Teacher Appreciation and Gift Giving Ideas for the Holidays

“Oh no! What are we going to give your teacher?” – I think every mom has found herself struggling with this phrase as the holidays approach. Whether it’s a daycare worker, babysitter/nanny/au pair, preschool teacher, or elementary school teacher; these caregivers/educators work hard to help your children grow and learn. We want to appreciate all that they do, and it’s fun for the child to give them something to show their gratitude and love. Below is a Teacher Gift Giving Guide for those special people in our lives…

This article is written by Katie Strohecker
For more on this topic, check out the full Gift Giving collection

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5 Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Want to enjoy your Thanksgiving meal without worrying about all the food preparations on turkey day? Get ahead of your holiday meal with these delicious and easy make-ahead Thanksgiving side dishes. …

What Do I Need? (A Self Care Printable)

We have all had those days where we feel like we’re in a slump. We’re extra tired, a little cranky, and definitely unmotivated to check off anything on our To Do list. Those days are normal and a part of being human, but… there are ways to help yourself feel better the next time you catch yourself in a funk!

There are plenty of articles out there filled with wonderful self care ideas, but often times they skip over the most important point, which is:

Figuring out what you need in this particular moment.

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A Very Thankful Thanksgiving Tablescape – DIY Wood Burning

Thanksgiving is such a special time of year! It gives a reason to pause, and allows us to take a moment to focus on everything and everyone that we are thankful for. This year as you gather with your friends and family to celebrate the holidays, consider trying to incorporate some wood burning into your tablescape.

Continue reading below for a step-by-step photo guide to creating the perfect Thanksgiving tablescape that incorporates wood burning….

Stocking Stuffer Gift Ideas

I spend a lot of time picking out gifts every holiday season, but I often forget about stocking presents! Here is a list of 10 stocking stuffer gift ideas that can work for younger and older kids!

For more on this topic, check out the full Gift Giving collection

10 Stocking Stuffer Ideas

1. Art Supplies

Crayons, markers, and stickers. Kids go through art supplies so quickly that they can always use more! Most of these items are inexpensive and fit easily into a stocking. Check out this free DIY Art Station for additional inspiration.

2. Personal Care Items

Chapstick, band-aids, and gum. Kids love to feel grown up and carry around their own toiletry type items, and now is the perfect time to buy these items and disguise them as gifts.

3. Coupons Or Certificates

Kids loving going to their favorite places! These can be the real thing, or a certificate that you create and print out yourself. Your children will love knowing that they’ll get to go to their favorite restaurant or favorite activity in the near future.

4. Snack Size Packs of Their Favorite Snacks

These could be the small packs of animal crackers, pretzels, fruit snacks, or even candy. Your kids will be happy to munch on these while they open the rest of their gifts.

5. Mini figurines of Their Favorite Characters

You can find tiny sets of characters from almost any TV show, video game, and movie online. These are perfect to squeeze into stockings, and there is something fun about collecting tiny toys.

6. Paperback Books with Their Favorite Characters or Favorite Series

Paperback books have enough bend that they can curve and slide into a stocking nicely. Or consider wrapping and laying the stocking on top of it.

7. Silly Putty, Play Doh, or Related Supplies

Playing with silly putty or play doh never seems to get old. You could also put a few cookie cutter type pieces in the stocking as well!

8. Bouncy Balls, Squishy Balls, and Yo Yos

These are all great options to put in the toe of the stockings. It is also an inexpensive option that is still entertaining for a wide variety of ages.

9. Temporary Tattoos

Tattoos are something that are sure to be a hit with your kids. Of course the downside is that your children might insist on a tattooed sleeve just in time for Christmas dinner.

10. Mini Electronics

These are often a big hit! You’d be surprised to find that simple things like flashlights and calculators can quickly become a favorite gift.

For more on this topic, check out the full Gift Giving collection