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I saw these adorable confetti push pops at Anthropologie over the Christmas shopping season,  fell in love, thought for a second about buying them at $12 a pop, and then came to my senses and realized I have everything I need to MAKE these at home already (starting with these old push-pop molds from Williams Sonoma; similar ones sold on Amazon here).

One of the simplest DIYs ever: Remove lid from the top of push pop mold. Fill with confetti. Replace lid. Pack in your bag for New Years' mini-vaca with friends for a burst of festivity for the little ones.

If you don't have the push pop molds but want to try this diy anyway, check out this tutorial using old paper towel rolls (and balloons!)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We're finishing up Christmas stuff over here today, including baking and putting together a few gifts for people still on our list. This green tea scrub one is one of our favorites (disclosure, I make huge batches of it for myself almost every month) because it is a great gift that is easy to put together with things you probably already have in your kitchen. Great for stocking stuffers, for babysitters, neighbors, aunts, or just yourself.

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
4 green tea bags
1 cup coconut oil
optional: 10-12 drops essential oil or extract of your choice (we used sweet orange)

Directions:

Melt the coconut oil. Mix brown and white sugars, loose green tea from the tea bags, and coconut oil in a bowl. Add 10-12 drops of essential oil or extract (vanilla is a good choice, or peppermint, or almond...) Package in small mason jars with a bow!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL! We're taking a few days off for Christmas and birthdays but will see you back here next week.

Every month, my Darcy does a grateful list over at her blog. I've been trying to focus on being more grateful for small things in my life that I love, so I asked her if I could "steal" her idea and she said yes. Thanks Darcy! So here goes, my first attempt ever.


The Arts

• Listening to the Serial podcast and wondering whodunit. 
• Watching Transparent (Netflix's new series).
• Watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving for the first time with A. 
• Being in kind of a mystery mood and reading two great ones: Before I Go to Sleep and The Secret Place.
• Taking in the Worn to be Wild Exhibit and seeing new Picasso at the Chrysler.
• Hitting the Bruce Munro Light exhibit at the Hermitage with M. and A.

Food

• Ramen from Kappo Nara.  
• Mongolian BBQ with the fam for L.'s birthday. 
• James making his delicious hummus for Thanksgiving. 
• Getting surprise pumpkin macaroons and fresh biscuits from the neighbors on Thanksgiving Eve. 

Places

• Meeting halfway with DC friends and spending a fall day in Richmond. 
• Visiting Montpelier on a whim and having a great time. 
• A lazy afternoon at Cafe Stella with George.
• Walking the Garden of Lights with friends. 
• A 75-degree day at the park with pretty much everybody we know there, too. 

Stuff

• Finding the best pair of vintage boots ever. 
• New Warby Parker glasses. 

Etc.

• Black Friday thrifting with M. and K. 
• Molly and T. and the kids joining us for Thanksgiving.
• "Miri, thank you for sitting with me. And for being my friend." - overhearing A., talking to her classmate, totally unprompted. 
• Making gratefulness feathers with Kelly and the little girls (A. was grateful for Elsa, Anna, and food). 
• Going to family chapel and hearing A.'s class recite and sing in front of the whole school.
• Lots of late-night sewing: making pillows, a sweater, and finishing piecing my first quilt! 

Oops! I forgot to take photos for 12 in 12 on Friday the 12th, so these pictures are from our playgroup Christmas party, which we held yesterday. Our playgroup tries to have a party every year...the first year it was just me and Molly and our three kids. This year is our 3rd annual party, and since our little group has grown so much, it was kind of a blowout. Things get bigger (and better) every year. Next year, I fully expect we're going to have to rent a hall or something to contain the festivities.

Head over to No Monsters in My Bed and Not-So-SAHM to see how Darcy and Rebecca spent their days!




2:30 PM: The party started promptly at 2:00, and the first order of business is to get our craft on. We're making wooden ornaments here, and also clear plastic ones that we filled with buffalo snow, confetti, and beads. Lots and lots of beads. Everywhere.



 3:00 PM: The weather has been rainy but luckily clears enough for the kids to have a candy cane hunt in the backyard. 120 candy canes hidden and they found them in less than five minutes. In the true spirit of Christmas, the big kids even decide to help the little ones find candy. It's a playgroup Christmas miracle!

3:30 PM: Making holiday chocolates! Thanks for setting this up, Kelly!



4:00 PM: Santa arrives to hand out presents! Everyone is really happy to see him and give him their final lists of what they want to see on Christmas morning.

4:30 PM: Except for maybe Baby T., who is dubious.



5:00 to 7:00 PM: By now, all of the food (Sue's lumpia! pumpkin bread! cupcakes!) has been eaten and the kids have completely lost it in a sugar haze and are destroying the playroom. Do the adults care? No, we are far too merry for that.

The house is a mess, we all ate 3,000 calories apiece (at least), there is buffalo snow sparkling underfoot in every room, but we are ready for Christmas and so happy to have so many wonderful friends to celebrate with.

To see photos from our playgroup Christmas last year (look how everyone's grown!), click here.

In the interest of full disclosure, I didn't actually go to the Mr. Potato Head exhibit at the Virginia Aquarium -- I was struggling with a cold a few weekends ago, so didn't join James and Anne on their trip. But apparently it was a big hit because James came home and said, "You need to blog about this. It was amazing." What I can gather from that was it entertained a no-nap-that-day Anouk for longer than 10 minutes with no whining involved, which IS pretty amazing.

(Anyway, that explains the lack of photos for this post. James does not have a soul of a blogger and only took a few instead of the hundred million I would have taken).

The Mr. Potato Head exhibit, from what I can gather online and from talking to J. and A., is not actually so much about Mr. Potato Head the toy but about the adventures that Mr. Potato Head takes through an archaeological dig, to the bottom of the ocean, on safari, and into outer space. At each station in the exhibit, kids can run and play, dance, use tools, and explore each different scenario. The VA Aquarium website says that each of these activities are designed to encourage not only play but academic learning and problem solving. A. tells me there were buttons you could push to make noises and lots of lights that "moved around when I moved." (I'm not sure exactly what this means but admittedly, it does sound cool).

The exhibit is free with aquarium admission and will run until May 2015, so there's plenty of time to check it out (and for me to eventually see it for myself, hooray!)

Happy Monday!

The Hampton Roads area is full of fun things to do and see all year long, but especially at Christmas! Below are a few of our favorite things to see, make, read, and eat during the holiday season, including a list of handmade gift ideas that even kids can make!


What have we forgotten? Let us know your favorites!

GO:

Bright's Christmas Tree Farm: Where you can pick your own Christmas tree, cut it down, and take it home with you.

Children's Theatre of Hampton Roads: Their don't-miss holiday offering this year is Uncle Wiggly's Christmas Carol. 

Children's Museum of Virginia: The CMV has several seasonal exhibits (including the free Snow Wonders.)

Chrysler Museum Glass Studio: Watch visiting artists craft handmade ornaments or make one yourself.

Eastern Shore VA: Kiptopeke is lovely this time of year, and the old Victorian houses in Cape Charles will put you in the mood for the season. (Cape Charles also hosts Festive Fridays through the end of December).

Garden of Lights at Norfolk Botanical Garden: The best holiday light display in the area (in our humble opinion).
Moses Myers House: Celebrate Hannukah at the historic home of Norfolk's first Jewish family.

Olde Towne Portsmouth: Ride the Elizabeth River ferry over to stroll the seawall or to get a glimpse of the Norfolk skyline at night.

Christmas in Colonial Williamsburg is charming. Christmas at the Yorktown Victory Center includes a look at a colonial village and a walk through a winter Revolutionary war encampment.

Virginia Aquarium: Featuring several holiday programs, including the famous SCUBA Santa!

Winter Wonderland at Hunt Club Farm: Petting zoo, light show, and more!

Winter Wonderland at Portsmouth Art and Cultural Center: Dozens and dozens of Christmas decorations and maybe even a snow flurry or two.



MAKE:

Cardboard roll bird feeders: A little treat for the ones who didn't fly south.

Last minute holiday crafts: Instructions for making baking soda clay ornaments, pinecone pom-pom Christmas trees, and an easy star garland.

Salt crystal paintings: Wintery art that even the smallest can do. Great for gift tags and cards!
Stained glass solstice lanterns: These festive oiled paper lanterns would be nice around the house or as gifts.
Tissue paper bowls: Use holiday-colored tissue to make seasonal decor or someone's favorite colors to make decorative gifts.

Three snow day activities


COOK: 

Homemade Saltwater Taffy: Great for a gift or just for yourself! Add red and green sprinkles and peppermint flavoring for a holiday treat.

Red Hot Apples: From a friend's family recipe.

Hot Buttered Lemonade: perfect on a cold day as an alternative to hot chocolate.

Snow Candy: Just like they made in the Little House books!

DIY Marzipan Christmas trees: Festive and delicious.

Tahini Halawa: a Middle Eastern candy that is easy to make and tastes delicious.

GIFT: 

Custom state prints: use Photoshop and a special font to create custom nursery and wedding prints.

Foam sticker stamps: Use wood blocks as a base, add in a few colorful inkpads, and make a handful to give to your best friend (or teacher!)

DIY Bath Bombs: Kid-friendly and a big hit for all ages.

Create-Your-Own Postcards: An inexpensive way for kids to design and send holiday greetings.
Herb-infused sugars: These flavored sugars add an oomph to baked goods and are so simple to make.

Popsicle stick bracelets: A fun and personalized gift kids can make for friends.

Tangrams: use foam sheets to make a puzzle that will build creativity and problem solving. Find a wood version here.

Terrariums: Make a miniature landscape under glass.
And don't forget to make your own gift wrap!  Use dot markers, apple stamps, or tissue paper rosettes to embellish!



READ:

Kids' Books about Winter

25 Holiday Picture Books

Recently,  our friend Mylinh (who I met through this very blog!) returned from overseas bringing us a delicious marzipan lion to devour. Just a few days later, I saw this post on making marzipan tree decorations for cakes on Oh Happy Day and it was perfect timing because Anouk had been asking for more "lion candy." We decided to have our friends over and give it a try. We also decided to go a little further than the original project though and make our own marzipan instead of using pre-made almond paste. Because how hard can it be, right?

Turns out it isn't hard as much as it is tedious, blanching and peeling all those almonds. But once you've done that (or if you find almonds already blanched), it's pretty much the easiest thing ever.

Homemade Marzipan

Ingredients:

1.5 cups ground blanched almonds
1.5 cups powdered sugar (with extra for dusting)
1 egg white
2 tsp almond extract

NOTE: This recipe calls for raw egg. If you are a little weirded out about eating raw egg, you can use the egg white substitute in the refrigerated section of the grocery store; it is pasteurized. 3 tbsp = 1 egg white.

Directions:

First, blanch the almonds: Bring a pot of water to a boil and dump almonds in for 30 seconds. Drain, and immediately transfer to a bowl of cool water. The skins should pop right off when you pinch the almonds. Dry with a paper towel before grinding.

Grind the almonds in the food processor until they are very fine powder. Mix the almonds with the powdered sugar, add the egg white and almond extract. Mix in a stand mixer until the ingredients come together into a ball (like bread dough). Turn out onto a surface coated in powdered sugar and knead until smooth. The marzipan should not be sticky -- if it is, coat with extra powdered sugar and knead some more.

To make our marzipan Christmas trees, we made cones out of the marzipan and rolled them in green sprinkles and shredded coconut (for snow) before inserting a pretzel stick into the base for the trunk. Oh Happy Day's recipe mentions wetting the marzipan very slightly before adding the sprinkles, to help them stick better. Next time, we'll do that.

We found that letting the trees sit for an hour or two led to a more stable tree but most of them didn't last that long.



 
 We also found that marzipan and pretzel is a combination that is pretty legit. Ritter Sport, why aren't you on this?

 Last year we really enjoyed cutting down our own Christmas tree at Bright's Christmas Tree Farm, but this year we decided to get our tree a little closer to home at the Norfolk Farm Market. Because it's so close to our house, Norfolk Farm Market has become a holiday tradition in our family -- it doesn't really feel like Christmas until we've been. We have a ritual of visiting every year in the first week of December to see the decorations and to let Anouk pick out an ornament of her very own (hard to believe this is her third one so far!)

Sadly, Santa wasn't there on this visit, but we did find the perfect tree, a spruce with the featheriest branches. And A. found the perfect reindeer ornament (she is a little bit obsessed with Rudolph right now). After visits to the poinsettia house and a cup of hot apple cider, we declared the Christmas season officially kicked off.







Over at Fun and Free Hampton Roads, I blogged about a FREE Holiday Yule log bonfire happening at Town Point Park tonight! Click here for more info. It sounds so fun!

My friend Molly turned me on to flour sacks being the absolute best for drying dishes and now whenever I am out, I look out for them. I found this pair at the thrift store for $1 apiece, and after a wash with little bleach, they were as good as new.

Except the towels were a little plain, so I decided to spice them up with a few of Anouk's adorable drawings. She's been really into drawing people lately, and I think that they are so sweet, with their 90s sideswept hair and their little tiny bodies.

I think this would be an great DIY Christmas present for kids to make for the adults in their lives. Luckily, unlike most DIY Christmas projects, this is literally the easiest craft ever. Here's how it goes: Collect your child's drawing and lay underneath the flour sack towel. The design should show through the loose weave of the cloth. Trace the drawing with a sharpie. Boom!

EVERYONE has been telling me that I have to go see Bruce Munro's Light installation at the Hermitage Museum and Gardens, and finally, the day after Thanksgiving, we listened and went.

Light is magical -- there's no other word for it. A field of floating colored globes takes up a huge field in front of the Arts and Crafts mansion, spreading out like wildflowers, the lights changing hues slowly from green to orange to purple. A ring of neon towers shine from between the trees like standing stones from another world. Inside the Hermitage, delicate teardrops hang from the intricate ceilings, casting swaying shadows on the paneled wood. Reading about artist Munro's vision for each piece, and how he and his team brought it about, was a treat, a full look inside a concept from beginning to end.

Anouk and her friend T. loved it. Even though they were bundled up in their strollers against the cold with coats and hats and blankets, they took in everything. We all especially enjoyed getting to roam the Hermitage at night -- to see it lit up so dimly was kind of spookily awesome.  The exhibition was tailored specifically for the Hermitage to highlight its spaces and gardens, and the moving, living lights made us notice details that we hadn't really seen before. (We adults were also big fans of the bar set up on the edge of the property -- festive hot toddys FTW!)

Admission was steep -- $15 per adult and $12 per child under 6, but worth it. The Hermitage is a special place at any time of year, but with the ethereal lights everywhere, it was even more so. We highly recommend a visit before Jan. 10 -- the day when Light leaves! It's the perfect way to celebrate a season marked by darkness and experience a new way of seeing an old familiar favorite place.

There's a little over a month left to see the Worn to Be Wild exhibit at the Chrysler Museum (click here for an online preview). And it really is a great one, so this is good news if you haven't seen it already. The collection showcases the history of the leather jacket, and its journey from practical aviator and motorcyclist garb to punk rock staple and fashion must-have. Leather jackets everywhere, all kinds and colors and shapes -- painted, studded, pierced, furred, rhinestoned -- even a crystal clear one. It was amazing, how one particular garment can be interpreted in so many ways.

The exhibit isn't specifically for kids but was a good one for our two little toddlers -- there was a lot to see and a big open space in which to run around and see it. We all took our time choosing our favorites, even the little ones (Anouk didn't like the studded jackets -- she thought they looked mean -- but was a big fan of a like $10,000 one worn by Fergie. That's my girl.) Plus, the interactive space at the end (you can sit on a Harley! And try on leather jackets!) was super fun (for all of us).












The Chrysler is really bringing it lately with awesome shows! While you're checking out Worn to Be Wild, don't forget to head upstairs and look at the Smokey the Bear exhibit and the Fractured Lens exhibit, featuring Picasso and Braque, on loan from the National Gallery in DC.