Manic Mama of 3

Making Life Just A Little Less Hectic Together

How to Throw a Winter Wonderland Party

by Leave a Comment

‘Tis the season for snow, cold, and a wonderland party. Parties are a part of the winter whether it’s a Christmas party, New Year’s Eve party, or a birthday party. When it comes to winter parties, the perfect party to throw is a winter wonderland party. Here’s how to get it accomplished!

winterwonderlandparty

There are so many things that I love about winter. I love the way the snow looks and how snowflakes fall, but I don’t always want to be outside in it. I also live in the South and so our snowfalls are far and in between. Recreating the mood for a winter wonderland isn’t hard and I love that I am able to do just that indoors.

paper-cut-638916_1920

 

Decorate with Handmade Snowflakes

If it’s a kid party, this is the perfect craft for getting kids involved and giving them something to do. Fold a few pieces of construction paper allowing the kids to cut shapes, and pieces out of the folds. When you unfold the paper, you have a perfectly unique snowflake. Hang your snowflakes on the ceiling.

Add Some Fake Snow

You can’t have a winter wonderland party without the snow. You can get 5 pounds of stuffing at a time at your local Walmart or craft store. Use this stuffing to strategically place your snow throughout the house. This gives you a beautiful snowy winter wonderland.

Make Snow Pretzels

Chocolate covered pretzels are the best snack for any party, but when you dip them in white chocolate, they transform into snowy wonderland snacks. Puppy chow with white powdered sugar is, also, another snack that can make your party a winter wonderland.

icicle-919847_1920

Hang Icicles

Christmas lights work perfectly at making your winter wonderland come to life. Hang icicles on the walls throughout the house as streamers. This will lighten up your beautiful party. Dim the lights for a more magical effect.

Turn the Heat Down

Let’s face it; winter isn’t as fun without a little cool weather. If your party is indoors, you can turn the heat down to make it a little cooler in your home. This will give more of a winter wonderland effect as your guests arrive. Keep your thermostat at around 65-degrees (you don’t want to be too cold).

What other fun ways have you made a winter wonderland party? Share some tips and ideas in the comments below for others to enjoy!

Beat Winter Break Boredom

by Leave a Comment

Parents can dread Winter Break almost as much as kids look forward to it since it’s harder for kids to play outside. Beat that Winter Break boredom with 10 awesome activities to keep those kids entertained and to help keep your sanity.

beatwinterbreak

Felt Christmas Tree: This activity is so much fun and great for younger kids. Make a tree and all sorts of decorations out of feeling. Put the tree on the wall and let the kids decorate it over and over with the self-sticking decorations.

Window Clings: All this requires is drawing your decorations with puffy paint onto cling wrap. Once dry they will stick to windows and remove cleanly! Make is festive and print our Christmas themed picture to trace under the cling wrap.

Christmas Bingo: This could be multiage! Use little pictures for children who don’t read yet, and words for emergent readers! Snowmen, trees, and other Christmas themed words and pictures will make this so much fun!

Ornament Decorating: Every child loves to make something special for their parents during Christmas, and they love seeing it on the tree! There are many ways to decorate and can be as simple as filling a clear ball, or getting as elaborate as painting and using glitter.

Ornament ISpy: This is a really fun game! Take some clear plastic ornaments and fill them with clear plastic beans. Throw in some very small Christmas themed items, such as Christmas beads, and close it up! Then give the kids a list of what all is in there and let them search! Make lots with all different themes!

Christmas Science: What happens when you pour vinegar on a candy cane? How do you make slime? Science is so much fun and will always keep kids entertained, and Pinterest is full of Christmas-themed science projects!

Christmas Tree Balance Game: This is so easy and so much fun for the little kids. Simply make a tree out of green painters tape on the floor. Then have kids “balance” on the tape as they walk around the tree!

Snowball Toss: This fun game is great for multiple children. Set up cups, formed into a triangle like bowling pins, and then have your kids throw “snowballs” into the cups. Of course, the snowballs are just balled up pieces of paper!

Old Toy Donation: There is no better way to teach kids the joy of giving than to have them donate to charity. Have your children go through their old things before Christmas, and pick out things they no longer play with but are still in nice condition. Work with them, and explain all the reasons why we donate and who they are helping with their donations.

New Year’s Eve Banner: New Year’s also happens over Winter Break, so be sure to gear up for the midnight fun! Make a fun banner to help keep kids entertained before the big day.

Christmas Pretzel Kisses

by Leave a Comment

If you are looking for an easy snack for your Christmas get together, these Christmas Pretzel Kisses are perfect!

christmaspretzelkisses

 

My kids love pretzels and so I am always looking for new ways to dress them up. These Christmas Pretzel Kisses are both adorable and yummy at the same time. This takes a twist on the Chocolate Pretzels recipe that we all know and love and dresses it up for the holidays.

I know that my kids have end of year parties, and this is something that they can help make. With just three simple ingredients, you will have the perfect finger sweet for little hands.

All you need to do is lay out your pretzels with a Hershey’s kiss of your choice on top of each.

christmaspretzelkisses4

After you have melted down each of the kisses a small amount on top of the pretzels in the oven, this is when you will add your Holiday M&Ms. This is seriously the most fun part for the kids besides eating these Christmas Pretzel Kisses once they are done.

christmaspretzelkisses3

Make sure to print out this recipe card and enjoy making these for your holiday get together (whether it be with kids or not). These are so delicious and easy to make that you will want to over and over again!

Christmas Pretzel Kisses
Save Recipe
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 24 waffle-style pretzels
  • 24 Hershey's kisses (I used peppermint)
  • 24 Holiday M&M candies

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil or a silicone baking mat.
  3. Place pretzels on baking sheets, spacing out so they don't overlap.
  4. Unwrap Hershey's kisses and place one in the center of each pretzel.
  5. Place in preheated oven for 2 minutes, until kisses become glossy.
  6. Remove from oven and place one candy-coated chocolate in the center of each pretzel, pushing down gently to set.
  7. Chill in refrigerator before serving.
http://manicmamaof3.com/2016/12/16/christmas-pretzel-kisses/

Let me know if you have ever made anything like these Christmas Pretzel Kisses before! Do you have another variation that you love? We are also in love with our Finding Dory Pretzels that we made to celebrate when the movie came out! Make sure to check those fun snacks out as well.
christmaspretzelkisses2

How to Make a Kid Friendly Cheese Board

by Leave a Comment

I love to make cheese boards around the holidays! They are a quick and easy way to add a little extra to your holiday spread. Here is one that even the kids will love.

My kids love anything simple and so this spread is one of their favorites. They are not huge on sandwiches but love meats and cheeses. So I decided to give this a try at lunch one day and it was a huge hit!

I really love Stella Cheese for the taste and my kids love sweet pickles along with the olives. Ham is their lunch meat of choice but you can switch that around to your child’s preference.

stellacheesetray

Here is all you will need to make this easy lunch with Stella Cheese!

When you are in a rush and have no idea what to feed your little ones or even yourself for that matter, this is one of the easiest go to things to eat. You can even pack these things up for an on the go snack to keep you going throughout the day.

Stella has tons of different kinds of cheeses so no snack would ever be the same.

stellacheese

 

1. Stella® Organic Parmesan Cheese
2. Stella® Parmesan Cheese
3. Stella® Asiago Cheese
4. Stella® Blue Cheese
5. Stella® Feta Cheese
6. Stella® Fontina Cheese
7. Stella® Fontinella® Cheese
8. Stella® Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
9. Stella® Goat Cheese
10. Stella® Gorgonzola Cheese
11. Stella® Italian Sharp Cheese
12. Stella® Kasseri Cheese
13. Stella® Provolone Cheese
14. Stella® Ricotta Cheese
15. Stella® Romano Cheese
16. Stella® Swiss Cheese

stellawin

Click here to enter to Win a Trip to Napa Valley With Stella Cheese!

Christmas Fudge

by 1 Comment