Our JANUARY HOMESCHOOL Plans

Now that the holidays are over, we're getting back to normal life and normal homeschool again. While the holidays are fun, it's nice to relax back into a regular routine. 

Our homeschool routine includes reading, art lessons for Ashtyn, learning letters for Parker, and doing journals. In addition, I like to do a special activity with them each day. Here are the activities I'm planning to do in January. 

Monday, January 4 

Make Snowman Names. This is a craft I had planned earlier and never got to. you simply make a snowman out of paper and each part of his body has a letter of their name. I think this is a great activity with Parker and Rylee learning their letters right now. 

Tuesday, January 5

Fizzing Ice Experiment - This is a baking soda experiment, but with ice. My kids love all things fizzing baking soda, so I think they'll love this one. 

Wednesday, January 6

Play board games - We have quite a few games that the kids love to play that help them with skills like counting, small motor movements, and hand/eye coordination. 

Thursday, January 7

Painting Day - The girls got some different painting activities for Christmas and they are really excited to do them. 

Monday, January 11

Snow Globe Letter Find - I found these cute little worksheets on Pinterest, where they can color the snow globes and find the letters there. Again, letter recognition activities are great for Parker especially right now. 

Tuesday, January 12

Snow Storm in a Jar Science Activity - This is a really fun and simple science experiment that demonstrates how oil and water don't mix, while looking like a snowstorm in a jar! 

Wednesday, January 13

Animal Movement Activity - I'll have cards with different animals or bugs written on them. The kids take turns pulling cards and then act like that animal or bug. 

Thursday, January 14

Playdoh - The kids love playing with playdoh, but it does make quite the mess, so we don't get it out as much as they would like. I'd like to start planning days when we can get it out, so we at least do it that often. 

Monday, January 18

Winter Dot Painting Pages - My kids love dot painting, so I like to find them different pictures like this for different holidays. 

Tuesday, January 19

Build a Snowman from Marshmallows - This is a STEM activity, where they use marshmallows and toothpicks to make as snowman. As a bonus, they can eat the marshmallows when they're done! 

Wednesday, January 20

Letter Hunt - I'm going to hide different letters for the kids to find, as a sort of scavenger hunt. 

Thursday, January 21

A One-Paper Book - We know how to make little books out of one piece of paper. Today, we're going to make some together and then the girls can color their books. 

Monday, January 25

Design Your Snow Globe - This is another worksheet I found on Pinterest that looks fun. Ashtyn especially likes activities like this. 

Tuesday, January 26

Maple Syrup Snow Candy - This is a really fun, historical activity. You boil maple syrup and butter until it's at a soft ball stage, then place it into snow outside. We also have a picture book of when Laura and Mary had maple syrup candy from the Little House books, which we can read with the activity. 

Wednesday, January 27

Playdoh with letters - We're going to get out the playdoh again, and as a twist, I thought I'd get out our magnetic letters for them to spell things in the playdoh with. 

Thursday, January 28

Lines of tape on the floor - This is a simple activity where you tape lines of different shapes along the floor for the kids to walk along. We've done similar activities in the past and the kids really liked it. 

So there are our activities! I try activities that are simple (little or no set up) that will teach the kids a variety of different of skills and allow us to spend time together. My main goal with homeschool is to teach my kids to love learning and to help them pursue their passions. I love spending this time with them and I can see the way it is growing our relationship. 

My Testimony of the Savior

 With Christmas fast approaching, my thoughts have turned more and more to the birth, life, and atonement of the Savior. Today, I just wanted to share my testimony of His love and life. 

I know that Jesus Christ lived on this earth, and that He lives still. 

I know that Christ was born to Mary, of the Holy Ghost. I know that He is both the son of man and the literal Son of God. 

I know His life was the perfect example for us. He loved all, even those who it might be hard for us to love. He cared for those who needed it most. In each instance, He chose to do as His Father would have him do. And everything He did, He did out of love for God and love for us. 

I know He has called me to do His work here on earth. I know that He will strengthen me as I face trials and give me the capacity to love and serve as He would have me do. Even when it's not easy, I know He will be there with comfort and peace. 

I know that He suffered and died for me. Because of His sacrifice, I can live again, with God and with my family. I know that He atoned for me. He suffered for my sins and imperfections. Because of Him, I can repent each day, and continually strive to become like Him. His atonement strengthens me during hardships. I know He is always there for me and loves me. 

I know He loves me personally, but I also know He loves each of us here on earth. He will always be there for us. He is the only way to make it back to God and the one who truly understands what we are going through, no matter the circumstance. I am so grateful for all He has done for me and I love that I can celebrate that each year at Christmas. Each year, we get a new chance to show our love and gratitude for Him by being a little better than we were the year before and by truly loving and serving those who are around us. 

Merry Christmas! 

Our CHRISTMAS PRESENTS this Year!

 I love Christmas! I love everything about Christmas, but I especially love Christmas presents. It actually is really easy for me to go overboard, so I have some systems in place to help me not to. Today, I just wanted to share what we do for presents each year and what we've gotten for the kids this year. It's really just a way for me to talk about it, because I love thinking about Christmas morning :) 

We try to not buy too many gifts for the kids. One year when Ashtyn was two, I bought way too many gifts and ended up opening most of them on Christmas morning for her. We ended up with too many toys afterward, and in fact, four years later, we don't have many of those toys still. That year, we decided to try something different, and changed to getting one big gift for each child. We also get a combined gift for all the kids. We budget $50 for each child, though some years, this is less. 

For each other, we also budget $50. Some years, we get something we really want, though some years we just get the cash to spend on whatever we want. This can be really fun. While we're trying to pay off the house really fast, we don't usually budget spending money for ourselves. 

Anything smaller I want to get the kids, Santa brings. We budget $50 for stockings and try to get some nicer things, though I do make a stop at the dollar store for things like puzzles. 

My grandparents also gives us $25 for each child. I pick out the gift from them and then we wait until we're at my grandparents for the kids to open them. 

One other tradition we have is for the kids to make gifts for their siblings. I try to keep these as cheap as possible, though sometimes I need to buy some craft supplies. 

We don't exchange gifts with my in-laws. Instead, in December, we find a family in need and put together a little gift basket and give the money we would have spent on gifts to the family. It is one of my favorite traditions.

We do exchange gifts with my brother and his wife, and I love to find a way to give a gift to my parents and Ben's parents still. Often, I try for more sentimental items, or I'll find a book I think they'd really like. I also love to find a book to gift to the ladies I minister to.

Now onto the presents I'm getting this year!

Ashtyn's main gift is Legos. I'm really excited for this, because I think she will LOVE it. We have big blocks, but this will be the first time we have little Legos. She loves to build and create, so I think they'll be very well used. My mom actually gave us some of her old Legos, so we were able to not budget for Ashtyn's gift this year. 

Parker's gift is Disney Polly Lockets. This is another thing my mom gave us, and I'm so grateful because it's the perfect gift for Parker, but I couldn't find anything even similar online anywhere. I loved them as a child, and I know Parker will be ecstatic. It has a Cinderella castle with it, too, and I can't wait to see her face when she opens it. 

For Rylee this year, we got her a Little Tykes slide. This is something that I honestly never thought I'd buy for our kids, but it's the perfect gift for Rylee. She doesn't really play with toys very well, but she loves to climb and she LOVES the slides at the park. We decided to not wrap it, but to simply set it up on Christmas Eve so she can come down and see it on Christmas morning. 

For their combined gift, I got them some Kelly Barbie dolls. Parker and Ashtyn were asking for Barbies for Christmas, but I was really reluctant to get them. I honestly don't think Ashtyn would play with them very much and Parker is still young enough that she would need a lot of help (dressing, undressing, etc.) to play with Barbies. In October, though, my mom brought her Kelly dolls and let the girls take some into the bathtub. They LOVED the Kelly dolls and I found some for not very expensive. I also found a couple of mermaid ones that can be bath toys, which I think they will really love.

From Santa, Parker is asking for binoculars, Ashtyn is asking for a bike bell and a bike basket, and Rylee is asking for Winnie the Pooh and Minnie Mouse (wooden puzzles). They also are asking for a princess dress each, and I'm most excited for Rylee's (it's ADORABLE). Santa is also planning on bringing little writing tablets, which they've used before (their cousins have some) and really liked. They also have puzzles, scarfs, and candy for inside their stockings. 

Ben just wants cash this year, so I put his money in an envelope and wrapped it up for him. He also sent me two different games that he wants from Santa, and I managed to get both of them (I think that will be a little surprise for him). My gift this year is a little bit of a splurge, because it's over budget (I'm putting all my Christmas and birthday money towards it, and we still needed to add some to the budget), but it's a new phone, a Google Pixel 3a. I'm very excited. My current phone's battery is dying (and it has other issues as well), and my new phone will have an amazing camera. That will be great not only for taking pictures of the kids, but also for my YouTube and Instagram things that I do. I can't wait! 

Deciding on gifts from my grandparents felt tricky this year. For Ashtyn, I ended up deciding on stencils and sticky notes that are black and turn to rainbow as you draw on them. For Parker, we got her toy sunglasses and a little toy purse that has things like keys and make up in it. For Rylee, I got an adorable Winnie the Pooh train and little Winnie the Pooh hand puppets. 

For sibling gifts, Ashtyn made Parker a little tie quilt, Parker made Rylee some puzzles from popsicle sticks, and Rylee made Ashtyn a picture frame with a picture of the three sisters for her nightstand. Ashtyn also upgraded to real pillow this year (she was using a small doll pillow before) and is going to give her old pillow to Rylee. This was something she came up with on her own and really wants to do. It was so fun this year to make the gifts and then help the girls wrap their presents and put them under the tree. 

I am very excited for Christmas morning! As a parent, it's even more fun to get gifts for your kids than it is when you're a child and on the receiving end. I have been loving the Christmas season and am so glad we can end 2020 on such a positive note. 

Our Thanksgiving!

November was a fun month for us and we had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebrating!

Thanksgiving morning, we started the day by watching the Thanksgiving Day parade on YouTube. I made sure to get the turkey in the oven, but my pies were already done and that was the only thing I needed to do until the potatoes close to when we ate. 

Once I got the turkey in, we watched A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, which Ashtyn especially loved. I also read in my book and the girls drew for awhile. When it got closer to when everyone was coming, we cleaned up the house, got out the paper table cloth (I got it at Walmart, it had little activities and pictures on it) for the girls to draw on, and started the potatoes boiling. 

Then Lindi, Danny, Hannah, Dalin, and Ben's cousin Chris with his wife Ashley came over and we had our Thanksgiving feast. We did most of the traditional dishes, though we didn't have stuffing. It was delicious. 

We ate at one, so I let Rylee stay up for our late lunch, then put her down at 2:30. The girls had so much fun with everyone and doing the activities on the tablecloth. They liked the food for the most part and especially loved the chocolate pie. My favorite this year was my apple pie, it turned out really well and we had made vanilla ice cream to go with it. 

After dinner, we turned on Christmas music and everyone visited. Caleb also called and was able to talk for awhile in the evening. After everyone left, we turned on Miracle on 34th Street, which the girls watched the beginning of, but lost interest in by the end. We relaxed together and had more turkey and pie before bed. It was wonderful to spend time with family and relax together. 

A few days later, on Saturday, Ben's dad's family had their Thanksgiving get-together, so we did a second Thanksgiving. It was nice to see everyone and the good was yummy. After dinner, Grandma Leah got out 3D wooden puzzles that we helped the girls put together. Then afterward, we went to Ben's parents and Danny helped Ashtyn and I make a wooden manger. It was a great day! 

Some other highlights from our month: 

We did a thankful tree during the month, and each day when we did scriptures, we would each write down something we were thankful for on a leaf and then put the leaves on the tree. I forgot to take a picture of the tree at the end of the month, but it was cute and a fun way to focus on gratitude. 

Our dancing popcorn experiment was a huge hit! All three of them giggled and giggled as the popcorn kernels floated up and down in the jar! 

We had a lot of fun painting these leaves with water paints. All three of the girls had me help them, but they had a blast and loved the way their leaves turned out. 

When it snowed, we did this little experiment. We made a mini snowman and took it inside. We measured it, and then each took guesses for how long it would take to melt. Then we measured it every half hour--it took about four hours to melt. 

The day it snowed, Ben ended work early and we went out to play in the snow together before the sun disappeared. This was the snowman I helped them build, but Ben helped them build an even bigger one. They had so much fun, though true to past years, Rylee and Parker didn't last nearly as long as Ashtyn out in the snow.

Another of our science experiments was making butter. You put cream in a jar and shake it until it turns into the ball of butter. It took forever to shake but we persevered and it was fun. Even Rylee loved shaking the jar! I was also able to talk with them about the science behind it, which was fun. I added salt to our cream and our butter actually turned out pretty yummy.

We did a lot of crafts, but their favorites were probably their toilet paper roll turkeys. We covered these papers with colored paper and then put a face on a toiler paper roll and glued it on. They were fairly sturdy and the girls loved both making them and playing with them. 

Ashtyn also did a lot of holiday art lessons on YouTube. 

These were our gratitude turkeys. The girls drew a picture of things they were grateful for on the feather and loved making the faces for their turkey bodies. 

Our final science experiment was this salt and popcorn in a jar. You mix up the salt and popcorn kernels, then tap the jar against the counter. As you tap, the popcorn kernels float to the top of the salt and it's actually really cool to watch. It was also something the kids could do themselves (the tapping part) which was fun for them. 

Our month was a great one and we're having a lot of fun with December now! I love the holidays as a parent, maybe even more than when I was a child myself. It is so fun to share the magic of these holidays with them and the kids bring such a special spirit to them as well. 

I hope your holidays have been wonderful so far! 

Our DECEMBER HOMESCHOOL Plans!

 I've already done a post on our countdown to Christmas and many of these will be the same as that. Some of those, however, are family activities or take place in the evening, or are shorter. I have some other homeschool activities I want to do as well, and this is a good place for me to outline that. 

Tuesday, December 1

On the first day of December each year, we make a Christmas countdown chain. I have strips of red, green, and white paper prepared beforehand and I help the kids staple them together. We hang the chains by the back door and take one off each night. I love this as a visual way for them to see how close Christmas is! 

Wednesday, December 2 

I wanted to write to Santa early on in the year. After we write to Santa, I have a search and color activity page for the girls. 

Thursday, December 3

The kids have a little tree up in their room. This is the day we make Paper Ornaments to decorate their tree with. I love having a tree for them, because then they can do whatever they want with it and have fun with it. 

Friday, December 4 

This is the day we're going to set up our nativity set. Because this is a short activity, I'm also going to do a dancing Craisins experiment. We did a similar one with popcorn in November and the girls LOVED it. You put Craisins in a jar with water, vinegar, and baking soda, and the Craisins move up and down in the jar. 

Monday, December 7

In the afternoon today, we're going to shop for and put together gift for a local family in need. In the morning, I have some dot and paint pages for the kids. They love doing dot and paint, and I love finding holiday pages for them.  

Tuesday, December 8

I love doing snow activities, but you can't plan when it snows. Today, we are going to make paper snowflakes together and then hang them up in their rooms. If we have time, I will also make "snow" out of baking soda and hair conditioner with the girls. 

Wednesday, December 9

This year, we're going to try to have Santa visit our home for a few minutes. While we're waiting, I have some coloring pages, mazes, and word search activities for the kids. 

Thursday, December 10

This is our Polar Express party! We stay dressed in cozy pajamas, make hot chocolate and popcorn, and present our golden tickets (which I'll make beforehand) to watch the Polar Express movie. It's one of our favorite activities! 

Friday, December 11

This is the day we will make Gingerbread cookies. I also have paper gingerbread I'm going to cut out that they can color when it's not their turn. Anytime I use cookie cutters, I like to let the kids take turns "helping" me. 

Monday, December 14

On this day, I wanted to finish making and wrapping gifts for extended family. Ashtyn and Parker love making gifts for grandparents, cousins, etc.

Tuesday, December 15

Today, we're going to make some Christmas playdough. There are some different recipes on Pinterest, like peppermint and gingerbread. The girls have been wanting to make more playdoh, so they'll be excited! 

Wednesday, December 16

This is a big day for us, the day we make cookies for neighbors! I make four different kinds of cookies, and with all the "help" I get from the girls, plus delivering the cookies, it makes for an exhausting day.  I'll let the girls play with playdoh more, and have some coloring pages ready as well.  

Thursday, December 17

We're keeping things easy on this day, since making cookies is going to be pretty exhausting. I wanted to do a Christmas craft, and I found one on Pinterest where they can decorate paper Christmas trees with stickers. I thought it was a cute little craft that they can do however they want and will be a nice breather for me. 

Friday, December 18

This is our Candy Cane party! We read a book about the history of candy canes while the kids eat a real candy cane. Then we are going to make paper candy canes to put on their tree upstairs, go on a candy cane hunt (I will hide the candy canes places and they will have to find them), and do a candy cane dissolving science experiment.  I also have a "how to draw a candy cane" tutorial for Ashtyn. 

Monday, December 21

I found a fun craft on Pinterest I want to do with the girls--a five senses of Christmas book. They have a candy cane for taste, pine tree needles for feel, etc. I also want to do a Christmas "chemistry" activity, where we mix baking soda and vinegar with red and green food coloring. This is an easy, no prep science activity that the kids love. 

Tuesday, December 22

Today, we're going to finish making sibling gifts, and then wrap them. I'll have to distract the other two, with coloring pages and Christmas movies, while I work with them one-on-one.  

Wednesday, December 23

The day before Christmas Eve is when we make cookies for Santa. We like to make Christmas sugar cookies and red/green homemade Oreos. While the kids are waiting, I have some tracing Christmas pictures for the girls. These are fun for all the kids, but really good for Parker practicing her writing. 

Thursday, December 24

On Christmas Eve, I try to keep it simple. In past years, I've done coloring pages, but this year, I think I actually want to start a new tradition of playing board games with the kids during the day. We have quite a few favorite board games, plus a couple new ones my mom gave us that we can try. I also have a build a snowman game, using a dice, that I found on Pinterest that the kids might like. I'm excited to spend this time with the girls! 

Monday, December 30 

This is my birthday, so I'm planning on doing something fun as a family. I'm not sure what this will be yet, but we will probably take the day off of school.

Tuesday, December 31

New Year's review for the kids. I will have them draw a picture of themselves, and then answer questions about their year. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

I am THANKFUL for my Blessings!

This is a post I've been planning on doing for Thanksgiving, but it feels especially timely after President Nelson's wonderful message of hope this week. I love the emphasis on gratitude at this time of year. 

This week, I loved reading 6:9 (And they did sing praises unto the Lord; yea, the brother of Jared did sing praises unto the Lord, and he did thank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord) and singing our own "hymn of praise" as a family. It reminded me to not only be grateful for my blessings, but to grateful TO God for my blessings. God has given me so much.

Today I just wanted to share the things I am MOST grateful for, though the list is truly endless. 

My Family 

This is my biggest blessing. It doesn't matter what else happens in life, because I have my family. My husband loves and supports me. I am blessed with three beautiful daughters that I get to spend time with as they learn and grow and play. I also have a wonderful extended family. My mother, who has done more for me than anyone else. My step dad and his family, who came later in my life, but have brought new love and blessings. My grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins, who created a strong and loving support system as I grew up. My in-laws, who accepted me as one of them and have become as much a family to me as the one I grew up with. And many friends, who I love as if they were my family. I have always been blessed with loving people surrounding me, and as I've grown older, that circle has only grown. 

The Gospel

This encompasses so much that bring so many blessings to my life. Church, and the blessings that come from my ward family. Service, both service we receive and service we can give. The temple and the blessing of eternal families. The scriptures and the Holy Ghost. The Savior, and his atonement. Oh, how blessed I am to have the gospel in my life!  

My Books 

This might seem like a minor one to some people, but this is a large part of my life. I've always been a "book nerd" and loved books (thanks to my mother!) before I even knew how to read. Now, I have a YouTube channel around books and writing, a bookish bullet journal that is so fun to me, and get to write my own books! This is all on top of continuing to love to read books of all kinds. I am so grateful for those who have shared their talents with me by publishing their books and for the chance to develop my own writing talent. 

My heart is so full as we come to the holidays this year. I am so blessed and am so glad we focus on that this time of year. I would love to hear your biggest blessings in the comments below! 

Our CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN - Picture Books and Activities

Unwrapping a Christmas children's book each day as a advent to Christmas is a tradition we started last year and loved! I also love to find activities to do with the girls each day leading up to Christmas, and try to theme it to the book where possible. It's a lot of fun to plan and a lot of fun to do with the kids! 

Tuesday, December 1

Book to unwrap: C is for Christmas 

Activity: Make Countdown Chain/Decorate

Movies: Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and Olaf’s Frozen Adventure 

C is for Christmas is a cute little book with gorgeous and intricate illustrations. It goes through and names different Christmas things for each letter of the alphabet. I love the book, and it's focus on Christ. The broad amount of Christmas covered in it seemed perfect for our first official day of Christmas. I try to do the countdown chain and decorations as early as possible so we can have them up for all of December. 

The movies aren’t really themed with this activity, they just seemed like good ones to start off the season with. I know the kids will be excited to watch them! 

Wednesday, December 2

Book to unwrap: Corduroy’s Christmas Surprise 

Activity: Write a Letter to Santa

Movie: Santa Claus is Coming to Town, White Christmas 

I want to get their letters written early this year; last year, we waited until the middle of December and Parker surprised me with what she asked for in her letter. This Corduroy book isn’t necessarily my favorite Christmas book, but it is cute and the kids like it. It has a strong emphasis on Corduroy’s letter to Santa, so it felt appropriate with this activity. 

I wanted to do a “Santa” movie, and Santa Claus is Coming to Town is one of my favorites. If we have time during the day, I’ll also watch White Christmas with the girls. It probably won’t hold their interest the whole time, but I think they’ll like singing and dancing in it. 

Thursday, December 3

Book to unwrap: Llama, Llama, Jingle Bells 

Activity: Kids make paper ornaments and decorate the kid tree upstairs

Movie: Llama, Llama Christmas episodes, Riding Free: Spirit of Christmas

We have a mini artificial tree that I am planning on letting the girls decorate this year upstairs. We’ll make the ornaments out of paper and let them play with the tree as much as they want during the season. This book is more of a generic Christmas book, but it's cute and we love the Llama Llama books.

I actually really like the Llama Llama show as well. It’s cute, the kids like it, and there aren’t any problem parts for me. My kids also love the Netflix show Spirit: Riding Free, which isn’t necessarily my favorite, but I also don’t have a problem with it. The Christmas episode is pretty cute.

Friday, December 4

Book to unwrap: The Mismatched Nativity 

Activity: Set up Nativity 

Movie: Disney’s a Christmas Carol (Movie Night), Muppets Christmas Carol 

My mom gave me this book with the matching Nativity a few years ago and we love it. It has a cute story about Christlike service that ties in with the nativity. Our nativity is already pretty well loved, but that way, I don't mind the kids playing with it and leaving it down where they can get to it. When we get a piano, I want to get a nicer nativity to set up away from little hands, but we’re a few years away from that probably. 

I haven’t actually seen Disney’s a Christmas Carol and thought we could try it out. Because Friday's are Family Movie Night, I wanted to pick a movie I thought Ben might enjoy. He doesn’t love watching the same Christmas movies every year like I do, so I tried to pick new movies that we haven’t seen yet. I’m hoping it keeps the girls’ interest. If we have time earlier in the day, I’ll have the girls watch the Muppets one. 

Saturday, December 5

Book to unwrap: Little Blue Truck’s Christmas

Activity: Put up tree and decorate 

Movie: Swan Princess Christmas; Beauty and the Beast Enchanted Christmas;  Miracle on 34th Street (new)

This is a family activity, so I wanted to do it on a day when Ben didn’t have work. This is always a fun and (with three little kids) exhausting part of Christmas.

Little Blue Truck delivers trees to all his friends and the last page has little bulbs that light up. We actually owned this one the last few years, but last year, Rylee ripped it and ruined the spine. I was so sad not to have it anymore and wanted to get it again!

I picked the movies because Saturday mornings are usually pretty relaxed around our house and the kids often watch a movie or two after breakfast. Since those first are ones that Ben and I don’t really have an interest in watching, this seemed like a good time for them to watch them. I’m the one who wants to watch Miracle on 34th (I love both versions), we’ll see how well it holds the girls’ interest.

Sunday, December 6

Book to unwrap: Christmas in the Manger; My First Story of Christmas; One Baby Jesus

Activity: Make Christmas Cards

Movie: The Nativity; Wise Men Seek Him Still; The Christ Child

These cards are the ones we give out to neighbors with the different cookies we make throughout the month. I like to keep them simple, but theme them around Christ if I can. Sunday then seems the perfect day to make them, and I try to do books and movies that fit that theme. 

Christmas in the Manger is a cute board book that steps through the different parts of Christ’s birth. My First Story depicts the story in the Americas, from the Book of Mormon. One Baby Jesus is the Twelve Days of Christmas, but nativity themed. 

The shows are short ones put out by the Church of Jesus Christ depicting the birth of Christ, and I love them. 

Monday, December 7

Book to unwrap: How the Grinch Stole Christmas 

Activity: Help a family in need

Movie: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (cartoon); The Grinch

Last year, we decided to stop exchanging names with my in-laws and use the money instead to help a local family in need. I love having the kids involved in each step, and make sure they know that we are using money that would have been used for gifts (some of those for them) to help someone who needs more. 

If we know what the kids in the family are interested in, we have our kids pick out toys for them. We also put together a basket with fruits and bread, and put money in the basket for the parents. Then we all (including the children), drop off the basket and gifts and run away. 

How the Grinch Stole Christmas and its message feel very appropriate for this activity. I love the original cartoon, though I am not a fan of the live action movie, so we don’t watch that one. Last year, we watched the Netflix animated movie The Grinch and enjoyed it. The kids liked it more than I did, but I am okay watching it again this year. 

Tuesday, December 8

Book to unwrap: Harold at the North Pole; Snowmen at Christmas 

Activity: Make paper snowflakes 

Movie: Arthur’s Perfect Christmas; Bob’s Broken Sleigh; Super Hero Adventures Frost Fight

This is one of Ashtyn’s favorite activities, and after we make the paper snowflakes, we hang them up on the kids’ room ceilings, which they love. I chose our two Christmas books that focus on snow. I also chose some shows that have to do with snow. We’ve never seen Bob’s Broken Sleigh, so we’re trying it this year. We also have never seen the Super Hero one, though the kids do love super heroes. The Arthur one is a movie that I have a lot of nostalgia for, and in it, Arthur wanting snow on Christmas is a big part of the movie. 

Wednesday, December 9

Book to unwrap: The Christmas Wish 

Activity: Visit Santa

Movie: A Year Without a Santa Claus 

This is a cute story about a girl who wants to find Santa so she can be his helper. It’s a darling story with beautiful illustrations. I don’t know yet when (or even if) we will have the chance to visit Santa, so I might need to switch this day with another. We normally have plenty of opportunities where we live, but we might need to find something else to do with everything going on.

Thursday, December 10

Book to unwrap: The Polar Express 

Activity: Pajama and hot cocoa party 

Movie: The Polar Express 

This is one of my favorite books. I don’t love the movie (I am not a fan of children’s books being turned into full length movies), but I also don’t mind it. And it’s really fun to watch it in pajamas and drink hot cocoa while we watch it. 

Friday, December 11

Book to unwrap: The Gingerbread Man 

Activity: Make Gingerbread Cookies

Movie: The Gingerbread Man (on YouTube), 48 Christmas Wishes, Noelle 

Our kids love this book and the animated reading of it on YouTube as well. We have a great recipe for gingerbread cookies with icing. We'll make some and decorate them together, then give away most to neighbors. I have to admit, I don’t actually even like gingerbread, but it’s such a fun tradition, we keep doing it every year. 

For movie night, we’ll try one of the movies, both of which we haven’t seen before. 

Saturday, December 12

Book to unwrap: You are my Miracle 

Activity: Make Gingerbread Houses

Movie: Elf; Miracle on 34th Street (old) 

Making a gingerbread house is a tradition from my own childhood that I love. My mother always made homemade gingerbread for the house, and has a great frosting recipe. I’ve done that before as well, but it is a lot of work and ends with just one house instead of a house for each child. We’ve also tried the kits that come already cut, but didn’t like them either. Our favorite way is to use graham crackers, though I still make the frosting since it works so well as glue. 

The book is a bit of a stretch, but it’s a Christmas book that I really like, and they do make a gingerbread house in the book. The movies are more random. The kids loved Elf last year, so I thought it would be a good one for Saturday morning. I would also love to watch Miracle on 34th street with them, if it holds their interest. 

Sunday, December 13

Book to unwrap: A Birthday Party for Jesus 

Activity: Party/gifts for Jesus 

Movie: A Christmas Carol (2003 cartoon); Christmas Lights  

This is a simple tradition--we have a treat with a candle, sing happy birthday to Jesus, and then write down a gift for Him--something we will do in the next year to be more like Him. The book is a cute book about animals celebrating Christ’s birth, and one young animal trying to figure out what he would give to Jesus. 

The Christmas Carol cartoon is one that I think the girls will like. There’s also a show on Amazon Prime that is simply Christmas lights and I’m curious about whether my girls will like it or not. 

Monday, December 14

Book to unwrap: Mouse’s Christmas Gift 

Activity: Make gifts for extended family

Movie: How the Toys Saved Christmas 

When Ashtyn was four, she was determined to make books for every extended member of our family. Last year, I talked her into making gifts for less members, and I think we can continue that this year. If Parker wants to make any, I can help her as well. She already knows what she wants to make for everyone.

Mouse’s Christmas Book is a story about a mouse who thinks he’s too small to make a difference, but he overcomes this to bring a community together to celebrate Christ’s birth. The feeling of the book fits nicely into making gifts for others. 

I don’t remember what the movie is like, but I have a distinct memory of watching it at my cousins house as a child and I’m really interested in what it’s like. 

Tuesday, December 15

Book to unwrap: A Christmas Wish  

Activity: Christmas playdough

Movie: Klaus 

A Christmas Wish is a Peter Rabbit Christmas story about anticipating Santa. It doesn’t connect with the activity other than generic Christmas. The kids will love the playdough, which I have recipes for on Pinterest (flavors like peppermint and gingerbread). 

We watched Klaus last year and really liked it. 

Wednesday, December 16

Book to unwrap: Merry Christmas, Little Pookie 

Activity: Make cookies for neighbors 

Movie: A Very Merry Pooh Year; Winnie the Pooh and Christmas, Too; Christmas in New York; The Snowman 

This is the biggest, most exhausting activity I have planned every year, but I also love it. I like to make three or four different kinds of cookies in the morning (Snickerdoodle, chocolate chip cookies with Christmas M&M's, Chocolate chip cookies dyed red with white chocolate chips, and Kiss cookies with sprinkles). In the afternoon or evening, we deliver them. I have lots of movies planned to keep the kids distracted while I finish making cookies, or we might want to just collapse and rest at the end of the day.

Thursday, December 17

Book to unwrap: Clifford’s Christmas Presents

Activity: Christmas Crafts 

Movie: Franklin’s Magic Christmas Special; Tom and Jerry Nutcracker Tale 

This activity is a simple one that the kids will really enjoy. We just make Christmas items out of colored paper. We’ll probably hang them up on the stairs or in their rooms. The Clifford book is a board one that the kids really enjoy, with lots of lift and flaps. It’s not my favorite Christmas book, but we’ll keep it as long as the kids continue to enjoy it. 

The Franklin movie is one that we stumbled across on YouTube last year and that the kids loved to watch over and over. The Tom and Jerry is one we haven’t tried before, but we’ve watched some other Tom and Jerry this year and the kids enjoyed it. 

Friday, December 18

Book to unwrap: The Legend of the Candy Cane 

Activity: Candy Cane Party (make paper candy canes, eat candy canes, make candy cane cookies, read the book)

Movie: A Charlie Brown Christmas (Movie Night); The Legend of the Christmas Witch

Our candy cane party consists of eating candy canes while we read the book, making paper candy cakes, and making butter cookies that are shaped like candy canes while we watch the movies. They can also put some candy canes on our tree and we might do a candy cane science experiment.

The Legend of the Candy Cane book is a beautiful one. It tells the story of how the first candy cane was made, and connects the candy cane with the symbolism of Christ. We like to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas for movie night each year, but it’s fairly short, so I want to also try The Legend of the Christmas Witch, one that we haven’t seen before.

Saturday, December 19

Book to unwrap: The Broken Ornament 

Activity: Make ornaments as a family

Movie: All I want for Christmas is You (Mariah Carrey); Home Alone

The first year Ben and I were married, we had very little money for even gifts, much less things like ornaments. That year, my mom gave me ornaments my grandma and great grandmother had made (and even her old mini artificial tree) and we started our tradition of each making an ornament. It's a tradition we’ve continued it with our kids and we all love it.

The Broken Ornament is a story about a boy who learns patience and to think about the feelings of others. It fits really well with an ornament activity. Home Alone is a classic, and we’ve never seen the Mariah Carrey one.

Sunday, December 20

Book to unwrap: Away in a Manger; The Little Drummer Boy

Activity: Caroling at the Rec Center

Movie: The Little Drummer Boy; Christmas Oranges

I have always loved caroling, but it’s something we’ve never done as a family. I’m hoping to talk some of my husband’s extended family into doing this with us, which is why I’ve planned it for a Sunday. If we can't go out somewhere due to Covid, we can sing the songs in the living room.

Away in a Manger is simply the song put to pictures, but they are beautiful. It seemed fitting on a day when we will be singing Christmas songs. The Little Drummer Boy is based on the song and the story seems very appropriate for when we are gifting music to others.

Christmas Oranges is simply a movie that I want to try during the season, though I’m not sure we’ll watch it this day. It simply seemed like a good one to watch on a Sunday.

Monday, December 21

Book to unwrap: The Nutcracker

Activity: Look at Lights

Movie: The Nutcracker Prince; Barbie Nutcracker; Nutcracker Ballet

Looking at lights is our main activity for the day--because is it really Christmas if you don’t go look at Christmas lights? Because it is a school day, we’ll probably do a different activity in the morning and then as a family, go out and look at lights together.  

The movies and books are simply ones that the girls really like. Parker especially likes everything to do with The Nutcracker. 

Tuesday, December 22

Book to unwrap: The Gift of the Magi  

Activity: Make sibling gifts 

Movie: Mickey Mouse (Once Upon a Christmas; Twice Upon a Christmas; Pluto’s Christmas Tree; Mickey’s Christmas Carol)

This is a tradition that I got from my aunt, to have my kids make a present for each other each year. The gift of the magi is one of my favorite Christmas stories and fits well with this activity. We also really love the Christmas Mickey Mouse movies, and one of them even has a version of the gift of the magi. 

Wednesday, December 23

Book to unwrap: Christmas Cookie Day

Activity: Make sugar cookies

Movie: If You Give a Mouse a Christmas Cookie; Barbie’s Perfect Christmas 

We make sugar cookies three times a year--Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and Christmas. When cousins are in town, we try to do this with them, though this year we probably won’t be able to. The kids always have fun making and decorating the cookies, and we try to give away most of them so that we don’t end up eating too many, though we save some to leave for Santa. We'll also make homemade Oreos with red and green frosting, because those are Santa's favorite cookies.

The book is a book board, depicting a mother bear and her son as they go through the process of making sugar cookies. It fits perfectly. 

If You Give a Mouse a Christmas Cookie is a cute show and fits well with the Christmas cookie making. Barbie’s Perfect Christmas is one that we haven’t watched before, but the girls have grown to love the Barbie shows this past year, so it’s one I want to let them watch. 

Thursday, December 24

Book to unwrap: A Christmas Dress for Ellen, The Night Before Christmas 

Activity: Christmas coloring pages

Movie: Repeats of favorite movies 

Christmas Eve! I chose The Night Before Christmas because it seems appropriate for Christmas Eve and coloring pages as the activity because I know I will be busy preparing things for our evening traditions and coloring pages are something they can do semi-independently. For movies, we’ll watch the movies they want to rewatch (which will probably include Rudolph and Frosty, but I’ll let them pick). 

I also have A Christmas Dress for Ellen because it is my favorite Christmas book. I want to read it to the kids before bed on Christmas Eve. 

So that's my plan! We will see how it goes in real life. I'm really excited to do this, I think the kids will have a blast with it and that it will really bring the Christmas spirit into our home.  What are your favorite Christmas traditions?

My YouTube video talking more about it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOIbRj9fFGc