A Kings birthday cake, whether for an LA Kings Hockey fan or other special guest of honor, is super easy to make with a layer cake and a cardboard crown.

I am not a big fan of purple. I’ll admit it. But, I couldn’t very well serve a black cake to my LA KINGS hockey fan of a husband. So, even though I am not a fan of purple, I took one for the team, as they say.

I actually shopped in three different stores trying to find the right inspiration for this cake: Party City, Target, and Michaels. Hockey paraphernalia is hard to come by as are paper crowns, believe it or not. (At least those that match the color scheme I was going for.)

I cheated this year. Yes, I kinda did. I chose a very simple cake to serve my husband on his birthday. I guess that’s becoming my MO. The last year’s worth of birthday cakes have not been some of my best work. They’ve been uber-simple, not that fancy.

I think part of that has been that my bigger kids aren’t all that jazzed about themed birthday cakes. The older two no longer request Bionicle Thornax or Roman Gladiator birthday cakes. Instead, both requested cheesecake on their birthdays.

I definitely pulled out all the stops when they were little guys. The younger ones are easily pleased. And I’m getting old.

I’m not sure how I did it, back in those days when I stayed up into the wee hours of the night sewing capes for 2 dozen knights in shining armor. I don’t think I could — or would — do it today.

But, I’m a firm believer in making birthdays special nonetheless.

Good Meals

On FishPapa’s birthday on Sunday, he requested a full breakfast. This is by far his favorite meal. Typically, we go out to breakfast, but it is often very expensive and not that great. So, I stocked up on everything I needed to make ham and eggs, bacon, biscuits, pancakes, and hashbrowns and we feasted at home. My kids adore a full breakfast.

Good Cake

Later in the day we sang to him and ate cake. LA Kings Hockey Cake. Here’s where the cheating part comes in. In retrospect, the cake would have looked cooler if it had been fondant for a crown instead of cardboard. But, we don’t like the taste of fondant. Nor the taste of cardboard, either, for that matter. But, it seemed less wasteful to recycle a paper crown than to chuck one made of fondant.

And hubs didn’t mind. Though he did miss the chocolate frosting. I think he’ll be requesting cheesecake next time, too.

A Kings cake, whether for a hockey fan or some other royal dignitary, is super easy to make, especially with a paper crown. Frost a round layer cake and place the crown around it on the platter. I made sure that the crown would allow you to peek at the purple frosting. And I added a touch of silver sprinkles across the top. The purple kisses also added a little sparkle to the other wise plain Jane cake.

And there you have it: super simple cake for a King.

Baked any fun cakes lately?

You can view the upcoming topics on the URS Calendar. Next week: Valentine’s Recipes

LA Kings Hockey Birthday Cake (& a Birthday Cake Round-Up) is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

Reviewing the old year is a great way to remember the beauty and goodness, and hardships, too, that craft the path we’re on for the future.

On Christmas night while my peeps were happily playing with new Legos, video games, and felt food, I started working on our 2011 family slide show. I’ve done this a handful of times as a visual way to review the year. One year I made these as Christmas presents for our families. Lately, I make it just for us.

I use Microsoft Live Movie Maker, add music, video, and photos; the end result being a 20 to 30 minute video of our year’s highlights. It’s a little time consuming because I finally edit hundreds of pictures that I neglected to edit for the past 12 months. But, it’s so worth it to sit with my people and review our year. This year I purchased a few MP3s of songs the kids like, namely Everything at Once (the music from a Disney trailer) and Secrets (from a Disney soundtrack).

The creative process of scrolling through hundreds of pictures was yet another reminder of how quickly the days are passing. And an impetus to drink this cup of life dry.

A year ago one of our folks was really into Dora Match game. Today her hair is about a foot longer and her interests have shifted a bit. What a difference a short year makes.

What did the last year hold for you?

Today is a great day to think through the past year. What were the highlights? What were the challenges you overcame? What were the hard things that have shaped the character of your family?

It’s good to see where we’ve been. I think it helps us remember that this life is fleeting. That it’s not all mundane. That it’s had beauty and hardship. And that God is using it all to craft our characters into something more beautiful than what it might otherwise have been.

Some simple ways to review the last year:

• Flip through scrapbooks or scroll through your photos. Who’s got more — or less — hair?
• Browse your calendar. So fascinating to see how we spend our days.
• Read through your journal.

Looking back can be a great exercise in shaping our futures. How do you want to change? How do you want to grow? Where do you want to go in the New Year?

Come back tomorrow for a discussion on fresh starts and goal setting!

Related:

• New Year’s Goals and a FREE Planning Sheet
• FREE Printable New Year’s Planning Booklet
• How to Have a Happy (New) Year
• Create a Memory Page for the Old Year

Do you have an end of the year ritual?

Review the Old Year is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

The days go by all too quickly when you’re a parent and your kids start to pick up speed. Savor the moments of family life.

As I mentioned earlier this week, getting sick was a sure-fire way to get me to slow down this month and get perspective. Sure, there were more things I wanted us to do as a family in these days leading up to Christmas. We missed an out of town trip once all SIX kids came down with the grunge. The Cookie Baking Extravaganza that I had dreamed of didn’t really happen.

We put on hold a lot of things we might have done if our peeps had been feeling better.

Thankfully, I was already in a mindset to celebrate a simpler season. So instead, we rested, tried to do some school, ate some take-out, watched movies, and reviewed old video footage from when the kids were much littler.

How quickly time is passing!

Now, I’m looking forward to one of my favorite times of the year: Christmas and the days that follow.

The bridge week between Christmas and New Year’s has often been a great one for our family. Not only does FishPapa’s work close for the week, allowing him time off, but it’s also a time when my mind turns toward family time and relaxing as well as a little purging and setting things to rights before the new year arrives.

Perhaps you, too, are approaching a few extra days veering from your usual routine.

Here are some ways I’m hoping to savor the moments of the next week:

1. Take more video.

Reading Alex’s post about videotaping Christmas morning instead of taking snapshots really hit home with me. I browsed through past photography of our Christmases and would concur that his point is a good one.

As we watched these old videos of babies and little kid voices, I realize how apt I am to forget these precious moments that are so quickly fleeing. In preparation for Christmas and the days after, I’ve got the video camera charged as well as extra camera batteries so we can keep the cameras rolling.

I am also going to try to take more regular pictures, too.

2. Slow down and rest more.

I find that when I’m trying to “get everything done,” I’m less likely to enjoy the moments. Couple that with lack of sleep and you’ve got a recipe for a crabby mom. No one wants that.

So, while my average bedtime is between 9 and 10 most nights, anyway, I’m going to shoot for some naps or just plain lounging so that I can rest and catch up during this once-a-year downtime.

More sleep and rest can never hurt as long as it’s not out of laziness.

3. Focus on fresh starts.

I can easily get discouraged over the ways that I’ve failed in the past year as a wife, mother, teacher, friend. I have let things slip in many ways. And the passing of time can make me anxious over my mistakes.

But, I know that doesn’t really help me change. A fresh start does.

Cleaning out cupboards and drawers, trading old stuff for new gifts, snuggling with my peeps, and setting goals for the future are ways to take my mind off the many ways I’ve blown it over the last 12 months.

Tomorrow is a new day.

4. Remember Who is in control.

It must be a sign that I am getting older because getting sick two weeks before Christmas doesn’t freak me out in the same way it would have fifteen — or even five — years ago when I was spinning my wheels to “get it all done.” God blessed me with peace about it all, including a simpler approach to the holidays in the first place.

I’m sure our vacation with it’s rescheduled out-of-town trip will hold more surprises for us as well. Hopefully, I’ll have the good attitude to go with.

We surely can’t stop the clock from ticking. But, I think we can do little things to enjoy the time we do have.

This post is sponsored by Mott’s. As a Mott’s Mom I have been compensated for my time spent writing. Participation in this program is voluntary; all opinions are my own.

Like  Mott’s on Facebook and chat with other moms about how to make the most of family moments.

How do YOU savor the moments of family life?

Savor the Moments of Family Life is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

Christmas morning is full of photo ops: sleepy eyes, giggles, energetic kiddos, and maybe some grumpy faces. Check out these photography tips from professional photographer and Life as MOM contributor, Alex Maldonado, to capture those memories.

Christmas is just around the corner and like most parents as our kids are engulfed in a sea of gifts we’ll be stuck behind a camera of some sorts trying to capture the magic.

Here are a few tips on making this process more enjoyable for everyone.

1.  Pick the right tool.

Choosing the right tool for a job is often the most important part of the “job”.  As parents one of our  “jobs” is documenting the lives of our little ones.  Even though I’m a professional photographer, I find myself taking fewer and fewer photos of my kids.

Don’t worry , they are still being documented, I’m just choosing a better tool: Video. Video is becoming easier and easier to shoot and share. Video is also the perfect tool for something like Christmas morning.

Let’s run a little test: Take a look at these pictures.

The kids ares excited right? Photos worked. Video would have been overkill. Don’t be so sure….

Watch this video:

When it comes to capturing something fast paced, video is actually easier. You can get every single moment, not just the split second that you snapped a photo. You also get the HUGE benefit of sound. Something that you’ll love to have as the years go by and those tiny voices get older.

(Side Note: I know it’s easier to share & view photos than video, but that is changing very, very quickly. We’ll tackle that topic on a later post. For now, just shoot, shoot, shoot.)

2. Light It Up.

One of the easiest ways to improve your family videos is by turning on lights. Make the room a bit brighter. You might even consider bringing in an extra lamp.

This will make your camera not have to work as hard and everything will come out a bit better looking. There is nothing worse than having your kid do something adorable and then going back later to watch it and realize the room was so dark you can barely see it. A flick of the light switch and a few more lights can really help with this.

3. Chillax.

This is the main thing to keep in mind. In case you forgot. IT’S CHRISTMAS MORNING!!!!!!! Your kids don’t care about smiling for you, looking at you, or even acknowledging your presence. We are lucky if we get a high five as they storm past us to set up the new train set.

Just remember that asking them to stop, look, and smile after every other present “may” kill the mood a bit. I promise that in 10 years you would much rather look back on a video of them tearing through box after box than a video of you yelling at them to smile for the 20th time.

What’s your favorite Christmas morning memory?

Do you have it documented somewhere? Share you story in the comments.

– AlexM is a Texas-based wedding photographer. He specializes in buying lots of expensive gear for his “clients” and then using it at home to take better photos of his kids. Visit his website or shoot the breeze with him on twitter. 

How NOT to Be a Grinch with Your Camera is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

Prep and Landing

In my mind, this is the ideal weekend to cozy up with your kiddos, a slice of pumpkin pie, and a movie. You now officially have permission to watch Christmas movies and play carols on the stereo.

Truth be told, I’ve been doing those things for weeks. I even splurged and spent some of my swagbucks on some new Christmas CDs. Oh yes, yes, I did.

Here are some of my favorite movies to get me in the holiday spirit:

The Star of Christmas - A sweet Veggie Tale that tells the tale of Cavis and Millward, songwriters who dream of putting on the show of the century. In typical satirical style, the movie plays off Gilbert and Sullivan. It also clears away some fluff and helps you see what’s most important about Christmas: Jesus.

The Nativity Story - A walk alongside young Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem. It’s been years since I’ve seen this film, but memory tells me that it’s a fair representation of the days leading up to Jesus’ birth.

Prep and Landing - This is a hilarious story of two elves, their undercover operations to prep homes for Santa’s arrival and their adventures to help Santa make it to his destination. I was skeptical about it’s 20+ minute length, but they had me in the first five minutes. Very cute! The DVD version has lots of bonus features.

(There are one or two innuendos that surprised me. So just a head’s up.)

A Charlie Brown Christmas - Charlie Brown is appointed director of the Christmas play, but quickly becomes overwhelmed by all the bruhaha attached to Christmas. He digs deeper for the true meaning of Christmas. Who doesn’t like this classic story? It’s long-standing appeal is a testimony to Charles Schulz’s genius in getting to the bottom line. Linus’ soliloquy rocks it.

A Christmas Carol - I prefer the Jim Carey version, but I know lots of folks love the Muppets’ version. It’s wonderful to be reminded of this Charles Dickens story about Ebenezer Scrooge and how he repents of his selfishness and learns that it’s better to give than receive.

Elf - Buddy is a human boy, raised by elves, but doesn’t know his true identity until he’s fully grown. Hilarity follows him as he reclaims his parentage and reenters the real world.

This movie is a hoot! A co-worker of FishPapa’s suggested it last year, and it continues to have us rolling in the aisles. We even watched it during our snow vacation in October, which could explain how I got in the holiday mood so early. Cute and sweet, it is a family favorite already.

It’s a Wonderful Life - I watched this for the first time in high school drama class. Still love this sweet reminder that each of us has a significant impact on those around us. Our lives do matter, despite our weaknesses and failings.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (classic animated) – I have always loved this movie. And now, my kids do, too. The classic animated version never grows old.  How the Grinch Stole Christmas (live action) – This movie, starring Jim Carey, is super slow and boring at the beginning, but we got past a certain point and then really liked it. Weird, to say the least, but an interesting take on the old classic.

Home Alone – The slapstick comedy and one-liners in this film are classic. Preview it for language and mild violence. It’s not for all kids or all families. But, the ideas and messages stand above the laughs.

Homecoming (The Waltons) - This was one of the earliest movies of the Waltons which eventually turned into a long standing television series. It’s old school, but still meaningful. Pa gets lost in a blizzard and John Boy heads out to find him. Set in the Depression, it serves as a great reminder that a Merry Christmas need not be expensive.

Where to get them?

If it’s a movie you know you love and want to watch again, consider purchasing it this season. The prices most likely will be marked down for the holidays, and you can sometimes find good sales at Target and Walmart. Your local thrift store might also have a good deal.

But, you don’t have to purchase the movie to enjoy it. Check out your local library to see what they have available. Some movies are available through Redbox. And you can stream many of them at home through Netflix, Blockbuster or Amazon Instant Movie.

This post is sponsored by Mott’s. As a Mott’s Mom I have been compensated for my time spent writing. Participation in this program is voluntary; all opinions are my own.

Like  Mott’s on Facebook and chat with other moms about how to make the most of family moments.

What’s a favorite Christmas movie of YOURS?

 Disclosure: I received a review copy of Prep and Landing.

10 Christmas Movies to Enjoy this Weekend is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

As the mom of four boys, I’ve seen stepped on my fair share of toy cars. And I’ve seen that look of utter joy when one of my boys sits behind the wheel of a car. It’s a beautiful thing.

Now, that’s not to say girls can’t enjoy cars. I’m sure my girls do. But, they’re still pretty little. Honestly, though? This guy was two and could not be parted from the race car. I don’t think my girls have been that obsessed about anything that wasn’t pink or purple.

Needless to say, boy or girl, my kids love a good story, craft, or movie. They love to role play and to jump right into the action. And everyone wants the best car to win.

Consider this a yellow caution flag.

One of the things that can wreak havoc on “life as mom” is a rain or snow day with nothing for the kids to do. And those days are approaching! See that yellow flag waving on the side of the track? It means slow down and proceed with caution.

Plan for the next day when your kids can’t play outside by putting together a few rainy day survival kits. I’ve got a few ideas up my sleeve and I’ll be sharing them with you over the next couple months.

What’s in a Rainy Day Survival Kit?

• book and film recommendations
• links to coloring pages
• craft ideas and/or supplies lists
• recipes for cooking with kids

You can either gather what you need ahead of time or simply bookmark or pin this post to save it for a day when you really need it: when the kids are home sick, when school is canceled due to inclement weather, when something prevents them from getting outside and having fun, or whenever someone whines, “There’s nothing to do, Mom!”

Hint: These ideas also work great for your next car-themed birthday party.

Enjoy some fast action.

Here are some ideas to enjoy your next “boring” day at home with your little ones. Even big kids will probably get sucked into some of the baking, storytelling, and movie watching involved.

Read:

• The Mouse and the Motorcycle
• The Berenstein Bears and the Big Road Race
• Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks and Things that Go
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Watch

Cars 2 was recently released on Blu Ray and DVD. We saw it in the theatres several months ago, but love it even more to watch at home, thanks to a review copy we received recently. There are so many clever touches that you don’t notice the first time around. I would say that I like the sequel as much or more than the first one. Disney/Pixar has done a fabulous job once again.

Some car-related viewing:

• Cars 
• Cars 2
• The Love Bug
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
• reruns of Knight Rider

Color

Check out these free coloring pages, courtesy of Disney studios.

And if you get out on the road, be sure to print out these car games.

Craft and play

Choose a couch or chair to be the pretend car and role play with your child. Let him be in the driver seat and go along with the story.

You can also:

•  Dress up old toy cars in glitter, glue, feathers, or even dirt, for a custom ride – Family Fun
• Paint toilet paper tubes like race cars – Family Fun

Cook and eat

Bake up this fun Cars 2 cake.

Or for something a little more savory, use toothpicks and vegetables to construct edible cars, using a whole cucumber for the body, sliced carrots for wheels, sliced daikon radish for headlights. Play and eat together.

Whether you cuddle up together with a good book or warm yourselves with a cup of cocoa and asphalt cake, the next rainy day need not be boring. It can be a wonderful opportunity to spend time with your peeps and make some sweet memories.

What’s a car related thing your kids love?

Disclosure: I received a review copy of the movie, Cars 2.

Get Your Engines Revving with Cars (A Rainy Day Survival Kit) is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

I know, I know. It’s not even Thanksgiving yet. I know.

But, I also know that as soon as the turkey leftovers are tucked away, our thoughts are going to turn toward Christmas preparations. And since you might have some free time over the weekend, I want you to have this now and not next week.

For years I’ve put together this fun Christmas Countdown to do with my kids. It’s in addition to the Jesse Advent Tree we do. One is spiritual, and the other is just silly fun. (I think the two can co-exist.)

Anywho, I put together these cards with fun things for us to do everyday in December and stuff them in envelopes to make it surprise-like. Then each evening one child gets to open the envelope for that day, and we do that fun thing. It might be to go light looking or go a jammie run or watch a movie. Whatever.

The important part is that it’s an occasion for us to chill together and have some fun at Christmas time.

Great idea, right? And you’d really like to do, right? But, where are you going to find the time to put cards together, right?

I thought you might say that. I’ve got you covered. With the help of my lovely sister, Janel, I’ve put together a booklet of Christmas cards to print, cut, and stuff into envelopes. We even added activities that we’ve never done — yet. There is so much choice involved here. But, everything you need to pull this off is in this handy, dandy download.

(Well, except for the paper, ink, computer, and envelopes.)

But, other than that, I got you covered!

Free Christmas Countdown Download

This week’s FREE download is a printable Christmas Countdown Family Activity Planner. It includes printable cards, printable labels, ideas for family activities, blank cards to make your own, and a chart to track it all.

Download it today – for FREE. And if you like it, share this post with a friend. We need to help each other celebrate a simpler season.

Celebrate a Simpler Season! 

Life as MOM is offering a dozen FREE “grab and go” ideas for the holiday season to help you simplify and enjoy more sweet times with your peeps. Check out past posts in the series, each featuring a FREE download to help you make the most of this season:

1. Planning for a Simpler Season
2. Thankfulness is Something to Practice
3. Thinking About a Simpler Season
4. Time Management for the Holiday Season
5. Thanksgiving Fun Booklet
6. Christmas Countdown

Be on the lookout for installments of A Simpler Season each week, from now until New Year’s.

You can subscribe for free emails or get Life as MOM in your feed reader each morning, so you don’t miss a thing.

How do YOU count down the days until Christmas with your children?

A Christmas Countdown Family Activity is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

The following is written by Life as MOM contributor, Amy:

Are you flying this week to celebrate Thanksgiving? Yes, the airports will be crowded, but don’t let that scare you. You can still have a great start to your trip!

Here’s how:

Allow extra time.

Plan to leave for the airport much sooner than you would normally go. There will be traffic, parking will be tight and, let’s face it, there will be a ton more people at the airport than there normally are.

Everyone else is traveling to spread some holiday love, too (or something like that). Continental’s website lists processing times at their airports, and I would recommend getting to the airport 3 hours before your flight during this extra-busy time. Yep, that’s a lot of time ahead. But wouldn’t you rather have some extra time on the airplane side of security, confident you will make your flight, versus stressing out and wondering if the s-l-o-w line will move already?

Get there early and be able to relax… it is vacation, right?

Get through security with a breeze.

Have your boarding pass and identification ready as you enter the security line. Then prep your kids on what to expect. Empty everyone’s pockets.

Have all your liquids (3 ounces or less each) in one quart-size zip top bag per person. Then set that bag on top of your carry-on to be checked. Laptops also need to come out of your bigger carry-on bag and be scanned themselves. And yes, everyone’s shoes and jackets, even the children’s, need to be removed. (Editor’s note: Amy and her family just found out that children under 12 DO NOT need to remove their shoes. Yeah! Jackets and coats will still need to be removed to proceed through security.)

Have fun at the airport.

Stash an extra game or two to play while you wait. We usually play a few rounds of Uno, or when the kids were younger, we explored every aspect of the airport, walking, looking, talking. We also used to travel with a ball to roll or toss, depending on the ages of our kids.

You could also pack a picnic to eat. Just remember you cannot pack liquids to take through security, so leave soups and drinks at home. Fruit, sandwiches, veggie snacks, crackers and cookies are good to go. Toss in a light picnic blanket and really make it festive!

photo source: Simple Bites

Bring a few extra carry-on items… just in case.

There is a lot of luggage to move through the airport in a short time during holiday travel days. This means there could be a mistake and your luggage could get delayed. If you are traveling to a cold destination, pack coats in your carry-on. Bring critical medicine onto the plane with you instead of packing it. Consider how important a change of clothes is and, of course, pack extra diapers and formula, if your baby needs it. And, if your bags do get delayed, don’t be shy about asking for a complimentary toiletry kit.

Flights get delayed and people get hungry. Pack a few extra snacks to keep tummies from rumbling.

Bring your smile and good attitude.

Above all else, do your best to be the beacon of joy at the airport. Your kids (and people around you) will pick up on your good mood and be joyful, too.

Yes, lines can be daunting and no one likes to wait but, at the end of the day, you’ll be on vacation with the ones you love. And doesn’t that just make you smile in itself?

Bon Voyage!

What do you do to make airport time fun? Any crazy games? Favorite toys? Scavenger hunts? Tell us about your good (waiting) times here.

Amy is the Mom behind both Mom’s Travel Tales and Mom’s Toolbox. She is a world traveler — in heart, body, and prayer. She regularly hosts the Bible in 90 Days read-along. A mother of three young children, Amy writes to equip moms with tools for success whether at home or abroad.

Travel During the Holidays is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

The following is written by LifeasMOM contributing writer, Prerna:

photo source: Pottery Barn

I love the winter season. It is my favorite time of the year. Not only am I more productive during this season, I’m also more cheerful and peaceful. While the fact that this is the season where we celebrate my favorite holiday of the year does account for my cheerfulness, the other reason is that I can prepare for winter by dressing up my home in warm and cheery colors.

Before I share my favorite winter decorating ideas, a disclaimer: I’m no decorator. I’m not even a design enthusiast. I’m just a homeowner trying to infuse warmth into her home using fabric, colors and lighting.

So, here are some of my simple ways to warm up your home for the winter:

Choose Warm Palettes

I usually pick from a palette that consists of mustards, yellows, reds or deep maroons and burnt sienna and splash it around in accents wherever I can. So, my black couch gets mustard cushions while a table gets a maroon runner. I also have dabs of cream around the house to offset the brightness.

Other winter palettes could include deep blues, soft creams or beige, grassy greens.

Change the Furniture Settings

Winter, for me, is a time to cozy up. So, I play a little with the furniture settings in our living room and tend to create “conversation” areas. Pull the furniture away from the walls and center it around a coffee table or a fireplace, if you have one. I also add warm throws and extra cushions for a super snuggly feel.

photo source

Use Accent Pieces

I like to make decorating changes affordable and yet appropriate by adding inexpensive accent pieces in my choice of colors. So, rugs, cushions, runners, bed spreads and throws are usually what undergo the maximum change. You could do the same with artwork, photos and lampshades as well. The basic furniture remains the same. Easy and affordable too.

Freshen up Décor with Flowers and Foliage

Winter is a great time to bring in a dash of Nature’s colors. Add some fresh flowers to a vase in the dining room. Bring in a potted plant for some green in the family room. Bathrooms can be “warmed” up with small bowls filled with flowers petals and leaves.

Bring in the Smell of Winter

Winter aromas are spicy and warm. I invest in a few cinnamon-scented candles that add some warm lighting along with a heady wintry aroma. I also use handrolled incense sticks in various rich, Indian fragrances that exude warmth and help my home to smell heavenly.

However, one of the best fragrances of winter is that of baking. So, as often as I can, I like to have a batch of brownies or cookies baking in the oven and the aroma that wafts through the home makes me feel like a real domestic goddess. **laughing**

What are your winter décor tips and ideas?

How do you add warmth to your home during the cold days?

– Prerna Malik is a mom, a wife, a writer and woman who believes in parenting with love, being postively productive, and creating a home that invites you to put your feet up and relax. Find her sharing her simple tips and easy-to-do ideas at The Mom Writes or follow her on Twitter.

Dressing Your Home for Cooler Months is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

I’ll always remember when the oldest FishBoy was about four. We had been reading the Winnie the Pooh books for awhile. Along came a rainy, stormy day, and he said, “What a blustery day it is!”

Yes, indeed.

Winnie the Pooh has been a wonderful part of my children’s early years. He’s influenced our playtime as well as our vocabulary.

We talk of honey and leaving only the sticky part behind. We play Pooh sticks in every creek with a bridge crossing it. And my girls, the youngest of the crew, absolutely love the Pooh ride at Disneyland.

What would we do without Pooh?

Plan for your next blustery day.

One of the things that can wreak havoc on “life as mom” is a rain or snow day with nothing for the kids to do. And those days are approaching!

Plan for the next blustery day when your kids can’t play outside by putting together a few rainy day survival kits. I’ve got a few ideas up my sleeve and I’ll be sharing them with you over the next couple months.

What’s in a Rainy Day Survival Kit?

• book and film recommendations
• links to coloring pages
• craft ideas and/or supplies lists
• recipes for cooking with kids

You can either gather what you need ahead of time or simply bookmark or pin this post to save it for a day when you really need it: when the kids are home sick, when school is canceled due to inclement weather, when something prevents them from getting outside and having fun, or whenever someone whines, “There’s nothing to do, Mom!”

Hint: These ideas also work great for your next Winnie the Pooh-themed birthday party.

Enjoy a Blustery Day with Pooh

Here are some ideas to enjoy your next “boring” day at home with your little ones. Even big kids will probably get sucked into some of the baking, storytelling, and movie watching involved.

Read

• Winnie-the-Pooh
• The House at Pooh Corner
• When We Were Very Young
• Now We Are Six

There are also a number of adaptations of Pooh Bear and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood, usually shorter version picture books of the same beloved stories. You can also buy the complete collection in one volume.

Watch

Winnie the Pooh celebrated his 85th birthday just a few weeks ago. The classic stories by A.A. Milne have been a part of childhood for several generations now.

And in commemoration, Disney is releasing the movie, Winnie the Pooh, tomorrow on Blu-Ray and DVD. FishPapa took the littles a few months ago when it played in theatres so that they could enjoy the big screen edition. So fun! They loved it.

And while my middling kids (ages 9 and 10) would hate to admit a fondness for Pooh, I heard them roaring with laughter when we screened a review copy of the DVD. It’s a new take on Winnie the Pooh with appeal for all ages.

Disney movies are often hard to come by as they carefully limit how many copies and when they are available. Now’s the time to snatch one up. Watch for coupons later this week. Sometimes those do become available.

There are a wealth of other Pooh-themed movies to enjoy with your kids. Some are no longer available to buy new, but you can rent them on Amazon:

• The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• The Tigger Movie
• Pooh’s Heffalump Movie
• Piglet’s Big Movie
• And the new Winnie the Pooh
• We’ve also seen smaller adaptations over the years. These are shorter films, about 30 minutes in length, often available at libraries.

Color

Disney has also made available a number of coloring pages that you can download in a zipfile as well as some games and activity sheets for older kids.

Craft and Play

Hold a teddy bear picnic – Gather all your children’s stuffed animals in the living room on a picnic blanket. Serve tea (real or imagined) and just relax and imagine with your kids.

You can also:

• Create a makeshift tent out of chairs and blankets, reminiscent of when the Friends try to build Eeyore a new house.
• Download these masks to cut and paste on popsicle sticks. Role play the stories of the Hundred Acre Woods
• Family Fun magazine has a ginormous collection of Winnie the Pooh crafts and activities.
• Play Pin-the-Tail on Eeyore.
• Once the rain stops, head outside to play Pooh Sticks in a local creek or simply stomp in the puddles.

Cook and Eat

Enjoy a Honey Muffin - Mix up these Honey Muffins, plump with golden raisins. And of course, include the kiddos in the cooking.

 

Recipe: Spiced Honey Muffins with Golden Raisins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 3 1/2 cups unbleached, all purpose flour (you can sub up to 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour)
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and allspice
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup honey
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Optional topping: 1 Tablespoon sunflower seeds
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 &deg. Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with muffin papers.
2. In a small bowl combine the raisins and hot water and allow the raisins to plump a bit.
3. In a large mixing bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
4. In another bowl combine the milk, honey, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
5. Add the wet mixture and the raisins to the dry mixture and fold gently with a rubber scraper until just combined. Do not overmix.
6. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
7. In a small bowl combine the topping ingredients. Sprinkle this topping over the tops of the muffins, dividing evenly.
8. Bake the muffins for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a tester comes out with a few crumbs attached. Cool on a wire rack.

Preparation time: 15 minute(s)

Cooking time: 20 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 12

Other delicious options include:

• Bake up biscuits and serve them with a smackerel of honey, of course.
• Have a honey tasting. Serve several different flavors and talk about the subtle differences. While honey sticks are an easy way to do this, those typically have flavoring added. But, honeys made from different flower pollens have different flavors: clover, lavendar, orange blossom.
• Frost a cake with pink icing in honor of Eeyore’s birthday.

Win a Copy of Winnie the Pooh!

I have one DVD + Blu-ray combo pack of the new Winnie the Pooh movie to give away this week, courtesy of Disney.

To Enter:

Simply leave a comment, telling us your favorite thing about Pooh Bear and his friends.

This giveaway will be open until Sunday, October 30, 2011 at 8 pm PST. Winner will be chosen at random and notified via email. Please respond within 48 hours to claim your prize.

This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to the winner: lindaa@ 

Whether you cuddle up together with a good book or warm yourselves with a pot of tea and a Honey Muffin, the next rainy day need not be boring. It can be a wonderful opportunity to spend time with your peeps and make some Tiggerific memories!

How do YOU enjoy blustery days at your house?

Disclosure: Disney has provided these materials free of charge. I was not compensated to post this information.

Enjoy a Blustery Day with Pooh (A Rainy Day Survival Kit) is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.