Snowman Soup Hot Chocolate {Free Printable}

Today, I'm sharing one of the many things that are in my Christmas Eve box for the kids this year. If you're wondering what a Christmas Eve Box is, well let me tell you. I shared a post over on one of my favourite Irish blogs, Where Wishes Come From , as part of her #craftadvent2015 series, about the whole thing but I'll tell you a little bit about it here too. 

It's a box, filled with loads of goodies to keep the kids entertained on Christmas eve. That day is the busiest day for everyone. Last minute wrapping and getting last minute jobs done around the house. Prepping the turkey and veg for Christmas. And then, the dreaded question... How long til Santa's coming??  It's a lovely tradition that not only makes lovely memories but also keeps the kids busy on Christmas Eve.

I'm putting lots of goodies in there but I made these really cute Snowman Soup gifts for the kids. It's just simple hot chocolate but done in a fun way. Christmas is all about magic and fun after all.

You'll need:

Hot chocolate

Chocolate chips

Mini Marshmallows

Candy cane

Icing bag

Ribbon

Free printable

Print off the free printable and cut out the circles.

Layer the Hot chocolate, Chocolate chips and mini marshmallows in the icing bag. 

Tie the bag with a piece of ribbon and tie on the candy cane.

Add the printable and stick it in the Christmas eve box.

It's not too late to get your bits and pieces ready to do a Christmas Eve box this year. The kids will love it and you'll have a little more peace and quite on a very busy day.

 
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Gifts in a Jar

I'm always looking for fun, easy gifts that are a little different to give to family and friends. I love this idea of a gift in a jar. It's unique and you can put whatever you want in the jar so it can be customized for whoever you want. I've pulled some of my favourites from the interweb and shared them below.

Brownie Mix in a Jar from Call Me Cupcake

Christmas Scent in a Jar from Marci Coombs

Cinnamon Vanilla Sugar Scrub in a Jar from Tidy Mom

Detox Bath in a Jar from My Crazy Blessed Life

Dog Bone Biscuits in a Jar from Not on the High Street

Loves to Bake Gift in a Jar from the Gunny Sack

Loves to Craft Gift in a Jar from The Gunny Sack

Manicure in a Jar from Emma Courtney

Homemade Pancake Mix in a Jar From Good Life Eats

Playdough Snowman in a Jar from Repeat Crafter Me

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix in a Jar by Love Grows Wild

Manicure in a jar by Cupkake in pumps

DIY Mint Sugar Scrub in a jar by Love Grows

I hope these gift in a jar ideas have helped you with any last minute gifts.
I'm sure going to be using a few of them.

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Magic Reindeer Food plus a free printable

One of my favorite things to do with my kids on Christmas eve is to go outside in the freezing cold with our magic reindeer food and scatter it around the lawn for the reindeer and Santa to see.

I never had this as a child so whoever dream up this idea, thank you!!

All you need to make your own is: 

porridge oats

sprinkles

glitter

zip-lock bag

ribbon

free printable tag {below}

Print off your label on card.

Cut the top off your zip-lock bag.

Put the contents into the bag, adding as much glitter and sprinkles as your heart desires.

Tie it shut with ribbon and add the label.

These are great to put in the Christmas eve box or as a gift for the smaller members of your family and friends. It an inexpensive gift that they will love and you will help make magic and memories. 

I love sharing our family traditions on my little piece of the internet and would love to hear about some of yours.Don't be shy, share them in the comments. And, if you want to follow along in another tradition that we do in our house, head on over to my Instagram page {here} to see what Jingle our elf on the shelf is getting up to.


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Christmas craft and decoration Haul

If you've been hanging around these parts for awhile then you know I'm a craft lover. I can never have enough glitter, paint or coloured paper in my house. This time of year there are loads of things in the shops and I kind of loose the run of myself. I think I'm going to have to bring someone with me to slap stuff outta my hands. 

I know I'm not the only one that has this problem, right?

 I'm not sure if I'm going to leave these as they are or cut them up and make garlands with them. You can do so must with them.

The little house is something I'm going to have out all year round and I'm going to fill the little sleigh with Christmas baubles and greens. How cute are they??

I'm planing on wrapping everything in brown paper this year and going crazy with the ribbon, Christmas tape and markers pens. I LOVE wrapping gifts. 

 These guys are going to be cut apart and I'll make a garland like I did with my Autumn/Fall ones. You can find a picture of it on Instagram if you want.

If you're looking for Christmas cards for your little ones for their friends, go to Aldi and get there pack of 30. They're less then €3 and so cute. I really wish there was a scratch and sniff button here because those candles smell amazing. 

I've been picking up bits and piece with over a month and this isn't even all of it. I've got glitter, coloured card, fake snow, spray paint. Most of it is from Lidl or Aldi and my local €2 shops so it's not breaking the bank.

Where are your favourite places to get craft supplies? Am I missing out on a secret spot? Let me know in the comments.

Happy Hump day friends!

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Letter to Santa round-up {free Printables}

At this Time of year, I love to add little bits of magic to make it extra special for my kids. I want them to remember the magic of Christmas when they have grown up. So that they can pass it on to their children and keep it alive for generations to come. 

And because writing the letter to the big man himself is the first thing we do in our house, I searched for the perfect printable for the job. I considered making one myself but there are soo many beautiful ones already out there. So, to save me and you some time, I'm sharing some of my favourite ones.

Bomb Shell Bling

Freebie Finding Mom

Raining Hot Coupons

Home by Heidi

Kate Smith Design

Blush Printables

Spaceships and Laserbeams

My Expression

Melon headz illustrating

11 Magnolia Lane

I hope you've enjoyed my little round up of letters and will enjoy using them to create some Christmas magic for your little ones.

Reindeer Footprint Canvas

I kids always give homemade gifts to my family.

We try to keep the cost of Christmas low. And if I was to leave them get something in the €2 shop, it would probably be a cheap piece of tat that will get thrown away.

I love marking a moment in time and a memory of my kids for my parents to look back on and have meaning to it.

When the kids were a little younger we made this canvas for my mother. She loves it so much that it stays out all year long on a shelf in her sitting room. Christmas Reindeer in July?? It works.

It's really easy to do. All you need are some willing kids, a canvas and some paint.

Paint their feet and make reindeer from their footprint. We used their thumbs to make the fairy lights and I used a sharpie to add the finer details.

What do your kids give to their Grand parents for christmas? Do you go down the home made route like we do?

Don't be shy! Let me know in the comments below. I'm always looking for new ideas.

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Potato Print Christmas cards

We had a very busy afternoon here making Christmas cards. Yes, I said Christmas cards. Please don't hate me but I love Christmas and the older my kids get the more I love it. They are the reason behind all the magic and I love making magic memories with them.

These potato print cards are all over pinterest and they are so easy to do. We the potato whole and then got cookie cutters to make shapes on our cards. Jasmin used her thumb to make a lovely wreath. I wrote the Merry Christmas with my new favourite gold sharpie, that I got in Aldi of all places. I can see lots of things written in gold sharpie in the near future.

These really are the easiest thing to do and the kids had lots of fun messing with the paint.

Make sure to head on over to Our Little House in the Country for more potato print ideas.

Don't forget to join in on my #30thankfuldays2014 photo challenge on my social media accounts. I've found some very thankful ladies through this challenge and can't wait for the link up at the end. You ca find the link to my social media accounts below.

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Christmas Recap & My 2014 Goals

Christmas was AMAZING.

This was the first year that I didn't have to out ideas in Jasmins head.

She knew what she wanted and had no problems asking for them.

Even the little guy paddy knew what he wanted. 

I think he got a little help from his sister though.

We spent Christmas Morning at home in our pj's playing with toys, surrounded by bags of wrapping paper and mountains of cardboard boxes.

It was bliss.

The kids got time to just enjoy their treasures.

Throwing Magic Reindeer food on Christmas Eve.

I got an extra gift this year.

The flu. 

All over Christmas but I didn't let it turn me into the Grinch.
This was the most relaxed Christmas we had in a long time.
Just simple and the 4 of us.
The kids got spoiled by family and friends and I think I may have to build on another room to house all the stuff but what can you do.
It's Christmas!

New year started off pretty bad for me.
At the moment I have a bulging disk in my lower back.
Not fun.
I can't lift anything.
Sitting, standing, even lying down are painful.
Not the greatest omen for the year to come.
But, I'm a glass half full kinda girl and I going to make this year even better than last.
2013 was a great year for me.
It was the year of getting back where I needed to be in alot of places in my life.

I'm not doing resolutions this year.
Instead, I'm setting goals for the year to come.

Do more of what I did last year.
Do more running.
Spend more time as a family doing things/nothing.
Expand my little business.
Take more pictures.
Get outside more.
Blog more.
Have more fun.
Organise more.
Do more nice things everyday.
Love more.
Laugh more.

2014 is going to be the year I do more.
More of everything good.
Or at least it will be once I can move again. Ha!

Thanks for reading!