Tag: Holidays

25 Days of Celebrating Christmas

The 1st of December means the holiday season is officially here. Celebrating 25 Days of Christmas is the perfect way to ring in the festivities. Gather your family and friends for a memorable Christmas time.

Ideas for Celebrating the 25 Days of Christmas

  1. Put up Christmas tree and other holiday decorations
  2. Address and send out Christmas cards
  3. Go to the local bookstore or library for holiday books
  4. Start a new tradition and make homemade Christmas ornaments (Pinterest is a great resource for finding ideas)
  5. Try a new holiday-themed recipe
  6. Attend a local Christmas concert or play
  7. Get a professional Christmas portrait done
  8. Host a Christmas party for your family or friends
  9. Host a Sunday Christmas Tea
  10. Attend a live nativity
  11. Go caroling
  12. Build a snowman/go sledding
  13. Write letters to Santa
  14. Volunteer your time/donate to a toy charity
  15. Host a Christmas themed craft day
  16. Ride around and look at Christmas lights
  17. Visit Santa
  18. Make gingerbread houses
  19. Christmas themed movie night
  20. Fill Christmas stockings or baskets to hand out to friends, family, or neighbors
  21. Celebrate the 1st day of winter, make cut out snowflakes to decorate windows
  22. Bake Christmas cookies
  23. Host a family or friends’ night with games and other activities
  24. Celebrate Christmas Eve
  25. Christmas Day dinner with family and friend

Planning and hosting different events is a great way to celebrate the Christmas season with family and friends.

December Photo Prompt Ideas

Kicking off the holiday season, December provides numerous opportunities for photos. Whether you use your phone or a camera, capture the holiday spirit that surrounds you on a daily basis.

Photo Inspiration Prompts for December

  1. Christmas Tree
  2. Ornaments
  3. Christmas Lights
  4. Landscape or Skyscape
  5. Something Old
  6. Outdoor Decorations
  7. Candy Canes
  8. Glitter
  9. Red/Green
  10. Shopping
  11. Traditions
  12. Santa
  13. Favorite Warm Beverage
  14. Baking Fun
  15. Stockings
  16. Festive/Joy
  17. Black and White
  18. Holiday Fun
  19. Toys
  20. Peace
  21. Christmas Wrap or Wrapping Presents
  22. Bells
  23. Candles
  24. Christmas Eve/Holiday Food
  25. Christmas Day Fun
  26. The day after Christmas/Messy
  27. Snow/Snow Globe
  28. Morning
  29. Scarf/Mittens/Warmth
  30. Snowman
  31. Last Photo of 2018—Your Choice

Photos are a great way to explore your environment. Encourage your family or friends to take daily photos. Create a Facebook group to share or tag your photos for others to view.  After the month is over, print the photos for a scrapbook.

November Photo Prompt Ideas

Do you need some photo inspiration for the month of November? Photo prompts are small ideas to jump-start your imagination. Have fun, take photos, and make memories. Consider making monthly photo prompts a family project. The different perspectives are a great way to learn and share.

  1. Selfie (always take a selfie at the beginning of the month)
  2. Breakfast
  3. Art
  4. Seasonal
  5. Memories
  6. Landscape/Skyscape/Waterscape
  7. Local Fun
  8. Current Mood
  9. Current Reading Material
  10. Handmade
  11. Dinner Time
  12. View Out Your Window
  13. Favorite Snack
  14. Calm
  15. Blessings
  16. Close Up
  17. Black and White
  18. Through Glass
  19. Thanksgiving Decorations
  20. Thankful For…
  21. Pumpkin Pie
  22. Thanksgiving Fun
  23. Family
  24. Leftovers
  25. Low Angle
  26. Favorite Colors
  27. Shapes
  28. Cheerful
  29. Warmth
  30. Preparing For The Holidays

When the month is finished, consider printing your photos.  Making a scrapbook is a wonderful way to add notes or other tidbits to remind you of your inspiration.

Going Back to Hogwarts

“Whether you come back by page or big screen,

Hogwarts will always be there to

welcome you home”

~J.K. Rowling

For fans of the beloved J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter series, September 1st represents going back to Hogwarts. Celebrating the return to Hogwarts can be fun with the following activities for you, your family and friends to enjoy.

Host a Craft and Activity Day

Gather your family or friends and enjoy a craft day. Creating Harry Potter inspired crafts is easy with the help of Pinterest or Internet search.

Searching for activities, you can make a wide range of crafts including:

Make a wand with wooden craft sticks, hot glue, and paint.
  • Make a wand
  • Holiday ornaments
  • Coloring pages
  • Owl crafts
  • Create potions
  • Suncatchers

    Melt pony beads on old pizza pans to create large Harry Potter inspired sun catchers.

Harry Potter Inspired Recipes

Create a Harry Potter inspired meal, beverage, or snack. Search Pinterest, some of the recipes include:

  • Butterbeer
  • Pumpkin Pasties
  • Pumpkin Juice
  • Chocolate Frogs

Listen or Read Harry Potter

Simply spend the day relaxing. Spending a day immersed in the Wizarding World, listen or read your favorite Harry Potter book.

Host a Movie Marathon

Call your friends to watch your favorite Harry Potter movie or host a family movie marathon.

For Harry Potter fans, celebrating the day is like visiting an old friend. Consider doing one or combination of activities to enjoy the day.

25 Staycation Ideas for a Holiday Weekend

Holiday weekends do not automatically require travel. Staying close to home may be more relaxing than heading out into holiday traffic. Consider the following ideas for fun close to home.

25 Staycation Ideas for a Holiday Weekend

  1. Go hiking
  2. Have a picnic
  3. Host a movie night
  4. Host a game night
  5. Go to the bookstore
  6. Read the book
  7. Have a BBQ
  8. Go to the local park
  9. Attend a free outdoor concert
  10. Have a BBQ
  11. Try a new recipe
  12. Cook a family meal with your children
  13. Bake cookies
  14. Host a craft day
  15. Visit your parent, grandparents or elderly relatives
  16. Volunteer
  17. Spend the afternoon at the beach
  18. Host a bonfire
  19. Be a tourist in your own town
  20. Go to the local Farmer’s Market
  21. Have a girl’s night
  22. Go to the movies
  23. Go to a wine tasting
  24. Find a family event
  25. Do nothing

Whatever you decide to do to celebrate the 3-day holiday weekend, enjoy your time with family and friends.

 

National Scrapbook Day

Every year, the first Saturday of May is dedicated to the creative world of scrapbooking. National Scrapbook Day or National Scrapbooking Day is a celebration about preserving memories, family trees, parties and normal everyday life. The only limit is your own imagination. A scrapbook can be as lavish or simple.

Supplies for Scrapbooking

Scrapbooking supplies can basically be a wide range of material. Finding your likes and dislikes may take some trial and error. If you are first starting out and uncertain where to start, consider purchasing a scrapbook kit. Generally, a kit will contain the basic supplies to get you started. Or simply stop at your local craft store and pick out whatever catches your eye.

Some of the basic scrapbooking material may include:

  • Scrapbooks, Extra Pages
  • Markers, Pens, Pencils, Crayons
  • Crafter’s Tape, Adhesive Squares, Designer or Washi Tape
  • Clear Glue, Glitter Glue, Glue Sticks
  • Die Cut Embellishments, Die Cut Machine
  • Stickers
  • Scissors or Decorative Edge Scissors
  • Rubber Stamps and Ink
  • Designer Paper or Card Stock
  • Designer Envelopes
  • Newspaper Clippings
  • Photos
  • Artwork

Scrapbooking Themes

Creating scrapbook pages or albums may be difficult in the beginning. The themes are endless.

Here are some suggestions to get you started:

  • School Events, School Year, First or Last Day of School, Day Care
  • Sporting Events, Practice, Game Day
  • Anniversary, Engagements, Weddings,
  • Birthdays
  • Baby Showers
  • Birth of a Child
  • Church Events
  • Getting a New Pet, Celebrating Your Pet’s Birthday or Holiday
  • Holidays
  • Vacations
  • Rainy or Sunny Days
  • Day In Your Life
  • Movie or Game Night
  • Changing Seasons
  • Family History
  • Parties
  • Swimming Pool Fun or Lessons

Celebrating Scrapbooking Day

Are you wondering how to celebrate scrapbooking day? Here are a few ideas to celebrate the unofficial holiday.

  • Do Something: Scrapbooking is all about capturing the moment. Go to the park, a local event, outdoor concert, or trip to the farmer’s market.
  • Do a Photo Session: Create a scene or go outdoors to take pictures of your children, partner, friends or pets. Use the photos as part of your next scrapbook.
  • Go to the Craft Store: Find the perfect items for your next scrapbook.
  • Give as Gift: Purchase a scrapbooking kit for a friend, give one to each of your children to record summer fun, or provide one for a family member.
  • Host a Party: Throw an impromptu gathering. As friends or family members over to share afternoon tea and create scrapbook pages.
  • Family Time: Creating a scrapbook is the perfect way to get your family involved. During the creative process, ask your children the best part of the event. Recording answers may provide you with a long-term memory.
  • Share Ideas: Show off your creative side on social media.

Scrapbooking is fun and easy to create. The end result of the creative endeavor is a lasting treasure.

Tips for the Perfect Easter Celebration

The Easter holiday is almost here. Are you considering hosting an Easter dinner with family or friends? Take a deep breath and do it. Life is short, celebrate every moment without hesitation. Gathering friends and family around the dinner table is all you need for a joyous occasion.

Tips for a Perfect Easter Holiday

Depending on your individual tastes, an Easter dinner can be formal or casual. Preplanning will help you Easter day celebration go smooth. Consider the following tips to assist you as you plan the perfect Easter celebration.

1. Guest List

Creating a guest list is necessary to help you plan. Due to the short time frame, you may need to make some phone calls or use the Internet to help. If your guests are on Facebook, consider making a private event page to help you plan. The creation of an event allows you to invite your guests, correspond about the meal and other activities.

2. Menu

After confirming the number of guests, planning the menu should be your next step. Menu planning can be extremely elaborate or simple

  • Cater: Local restaurants generally offer catering service for the holidays. Catering allows you to leave all the cooking and baking up to the restaurant. If you decide to cater, call as soon as possible to ensure availability.
  • Cook Yourself: Cooking and baking a large meal is a lot of work. But the personal satisfaction of a job well done is the best reward. Take the time to plan the meal, shop ahead of time to ensure you have all the ingredients, and enjoy the process.
  • Pot Luck Style: Easing some of the cooking demands, ask your friends or family members to bring a dish to pass. A variety of dishes can actually add to the holiday fun.
  • Desserts: If you do not have time for a full course meal, consider a dessert bar. Invite friends and family over later in the evening after they have met their family commitments.

3. Decorations

Decorating your table or home always adds to the holiday cheer. The decorations do not need to be elaborate. Making decorations is a perfect family time experience. Using construction paper, consider making placemats, name cards, or a centerpiece.

If you are doing decorations, your imagination is the limit. Pinterest and other crafting sites show all sorts of Easter decorating ideas. Due to time constraints, purchase decorations or Spring flowers for your centerpiece.

4. Kid Stuff

How many children are going to be at your event? Do you have a plan to keep them busy while you make last minute preparations? Keeping children busy with holiday-related activities, allows you to concentrate on cooking without worry. Children love to create and take items home. Setting up a children’s area or planning outdoor activities is the perfect solution.

  • Host an Easter egg hunt.
  • Easter coloring books and crayons
  • Dye Easter eggs
  • Set up a crafting table with Easter themed supplies
  • Make small Easter baskets to hand out as take-home gifts

Hosting an Easter dinner does not need to be stressful. Planning and asking for help from friends and family will help you have a joyous occasion.

Happy Independence Day!