10 Projects to Make for Hanukkah

 The holidays are near and it is time to get crafting! I have 10 Projects to Make for Hanukkah that you aren't going to want to miss! These are so fun you are going to light up at the sight of them!

These 10 Projects to Make for Hanukkah are perfect for crafting with the kids and are a great way to add a little festive decor to your home without having to head to the shops to get it!

Hanukkah Party Poppers by Frugal Elegance

Personalized Hanukkah Gift Crate by The DIY Bungalow

Shimmering Star of David by Crafts by Amanda

Hanukkah Stained Glass Craft by Kid World Citizen

Modern Menorah by Delicate Construction

Handprint Menorah by Mom Endeavors

Elegant Menorah by Mod Podge Rocks

Hanukkah Gelt Tree by Yesterday on Tuesday

DIY Menorah by Sugar Bee Crafts

Hanukkah String Art by Delicate Construction

I can't wait to make the party poppers with the kids! They are going to LOVE these!

If you have a fun craft or DIY for Hanukkah please leave a comment to share with us! If you make any of these ideas make sure you share a pic on facebook!

Find all of our holiday posts here

Awesome and Delicious Stocking Stuffers

The gifts have all been wrapped and we are now down to the final days before Christmas. We are ready to hang the stockings and stuff them with goodies, but this year I want to skip the tiny toys and the too sweet treats in favor of better for you options. I am going to share a few of my favorite healthier stocking stuffer ideas with you today to help you make this a memorable Christmas morning filled with good stuff in your stockings!

This is a sponsored post.

1) Juicy Juice

Opening all of those gifts can be a lot of work. This year I am going to keep the kids hydrated and happy with the goodness of Juicy Juice in their stockings. They can sip a kid sized drink to fuel their unwrapping frenzy on Christmas morning.

2) Welch's Fruit Rolls

Featuring fruit as the first ingredient, these snacks are rolling in fun and flavor. I love that they have vitamins and are gluten free. My kids love the experience of unrolling a snack as they go. Available in 3 flavors; Berry, Tropical Punch, and White Grape Strawberry, these are a great alternative to stuffing the stocking with candy!

3) Go Organically Fruit Snacks

Loaded with vitamin c, these organic snacks are always a hit with the kids! Packed with natural flavors and all of the fun of a gummy, these are a fruit snack you can give in the stockings without the guilt of sugar loaded candy.

4) Aquaball Flavored Water

Playing with all of the toys on Christmas is hard work. Adding a fun and fruity aquaball to the stockings gives the kids a fun drink to fuel their day. Made with natural flavors and featuring fun characters, this is a drink the kids will love. Drinking their water has never been as fun or tasty!

5) Munk Pack Protein Cookies

It wouldn't be Christmas without cookies! But these are guilt free cookies! Each one is loaded with protein and nutrients for a decadent snacking experience. These are so tasty that even the kids who don't care about health benefits will want to gobble them up. 

6) Carrington Farms Protein Powder

Christmas isn't just about the kids. Adults want a stocking too! This protein powder makes a great stocking stuffer because it is so good for you!Packed with protein and made with only 3 ingredients, this is perfect for anyone health minded!

7) Hurom Juice Jars

Available in both 10.1 oz. and 13.5 oz. sizes these glass Juice Jars are great for gifting that one person you know who's always eating on the run. These jars feature an air-tight stainless steel lid, perfect for keeping your smoothies, workout juices, oatmeal and other snacks fresh while on-the-go.

8) Brooklyn Crafted Ginger Beer

Cased in 7 fluid ounce bottles, Brooklyn Crafted's small but mighty ginger beers are the perfect size for Christmas stockings and great for enjoying on their own or incorporating into cocktails this holiday season. Made with 100% fresh ginger pieces you can actually SEE in each bottle, the craft ginger beers are available in four trendy flavors. I love this drink as a stocking stuffer because ginger is so soothing to an overindulged tummy, and we all know that has been known to happen around the holidays!

9) Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio

With a delicate straw color and a golden apple flavor this is the ultimate stocking stuffer for a wine enthusiast. Fun to drink and perfectly aromatic, this would make anyone smile on Christmas morning as they open their stocking! Maybe if you are lucky, they will share it with you later in the day!

10) Lumi Shots
These are one of my favorite stocking stuffer ideas for fitness enthusiasts. These are loaded with good things for boost of energy when needed! Among my favorites are the 6 pack of fully loaded cold processed nutrition shots from Lumi. Made with broccoli leaf, lemon, and ginger this shot is aptly named. It is fully loaded with calcium & vitamins A & C to keep you on your toes for whatever life throws at you.

Lumi also offers cold pressed juice with an impressive 50 day shelf life. These are perfect for stuffing a stocking with nutrition. I am a big fan of the 10 oz Wahoo Orange  and 10 oz Harvest Apple  varieties for keeping my family healthy and hydrated. These are perfect for stockings and gift basket offerings at the holidays to help combat the blahs from excess celebrating, or to fuel the body with good things during cold and flu season!

If you have a favorite stocking stuffer idea for kids or adults please leave a comment to inspire others to avoid tiny toys and too much candy this year!

Best Toys of Summer

Is it just me, or does it feel like summer of 2020 has been going on for a really long time now? My kids have been riding their bikes, playing Minecraft for days, and taking plenty of dips in the pool. But, even with all of that fun going on, they are still looking for ways to play! We rounded up some of our favorite toys of summer and I know you are going to want to check some of these ideas out for your family too.

Samples might have been provided for some items listed or affiliate links may have been used.

My kids have been hip to politics since the 2016 election when they made a facebook hit song about the new president. We put our difference of opinion aside and appreciated the innocence and patriotism of little kids. To keep their interest in this presidential election year, we got this fun Election Night board game the whole family can enjoy. Play one on one, or form teams to make your way to the white house. Order this fun game for about $40.

My kids are crafting kids. Some of you know this already. For years we hosted a kids crafting show on facebook with our friends at Quirky Momma. Now that they are older, we love to add education to craft time. Little Learning Hands is the perfect option for kids. It gives a taste of other cultures with a fun project, and a chance to practice life skills. My kids thought the little backpacks were cute, and they really enjoyed learning about other cultures! Order a subscription for a little global learner in your life. These would be perfect for kids who will be attending school remotely this year as a fun way to add social studies to their day!

My kids are big fans of stomp rockets. These are fun, kid powered  toys. I love them because they encourage active play. The kids love them because it becomes a competition to see who can stomp their rocket the highest. There are a ton of different stomp rockets to chose from. Check them out and find a retailer near you on the Stomp Rocket website.

The men in my house are big fans of  Evel Knievel. So much that my son was fully prepared to portray Evel in the wax museum at his school, until the pandemic upended his plans. Luckily, the Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle rode into his summer with daring jumps and stunts. This throwback toy is perfect for adding a little pizzazz to the day. Order online for about $40 to delight kids of all ages. Husbands will dig it too!

STEM projects are my favorite way to keep the kids learning, engaged and creating. This Solar Powered Rovers kit from Thames and Kosmos gives kids everything they need to make vehicles that are powered by the sun. This is the ideal amount of challenge and fun for elementary aged kids. Order it online for about $20.

Take the fun outdoors when the sun sets with this My Discovery Telescope by Thames and Kosmos. This is perfect for introducing kids to astronomy in an economical fashion. Order this starter telescope for about $20. Kids will also love exploring wildlife with great detail at a distance. 

Osmo Creative is a great way to step up screen time to include games and invitations to get creative. For about $88 you can buy a 3 game starter with an Osmo base, that works with ipad or Kindle Fire. These are so much fun for elementary age kids. I think this is a must have for anyone keeping their kids home this fall too.

Kids First Crystals, Rocks and Minerals from Thames and Kosmos is a great way to get kids learning about geology with hands on fun. This kit has everything you need to complete introductory experiments. Kids will love admiring the rocks and crystals too. Order for about $45. This makes a must have for  a home school and is a perfect way to entertain the kids all summer long!

Little kids will love to build in a unique way with Magformers. These are magnetic tiles that kids will want to play with all of the time. These are perfect for imaginative building sessions. Basic sets start at about $13. There are an assortment of great options including vehicles, animals and more.

Set your sights on fun and be prepared to hit a Bull's Eye with this fun game for preschoolers that brings non stop fun while building short term memory skills. This game has mini plungers that make picking up the cards fast and fun! Order at Amazon for an action packed twist on memory games.

We have been LOVING this really fun Wizards and Werewolves game from Starlux. It gives the kids and their friends something fun to do after dark, and it keeps them super active! I don't know about your kids, but mine always sleep good after a good running session and this game offers just that. Kid can be a wizard or a werewolf; they hunt for the glowing red gems or protect them in this action packed game. Order it for about $30. It is well worth it.

Keep the fun of game time going strong with this fun Doggy Bag game. It combines fine motor skills with hand eye coordination for a ton of fun for preschoolers!  Order this from Amazon because it will become a favorite with your little kids!

I hope these ideas help keep your kids entertained this summer!

Kid Made Straw Necklaces

Bling; made for kids, by kids!

My kids really like to get crafty. They also like to peek in my jewelry box and beg to wear all of the pretty things! So we set out to see what we could create with things we already had at home. This is what we came up with. Straw Necklaces!

You will need:

*Straws

*Bakers twine or yarn
*Glue
*Scissors

Rolf was kind enough to cut the straws for both of the necklaces we made.

We simply added a bead of glue to one side of a straw, then pressed it onto another. Repeat until you are out of straws.

Thread your string, twine or yarn through one straw and tie to make the necklace.

This was a fun craft for both kids. Harp was pleased to have her own "bling" that she made by herself.

10 Napkin Rings to Make for the Holidays

The countdown is on! We have less than 2 weeks til Christmas! I am planning my holiday menu and tablescape and have decided to try my hand at making napkin rings to add a little something special to the meal! I found 10 gorgeous ideas from some of my favorite bloggers and can't wait to share them with you!

Felt Reindeer Napkin Rings by the Crafting Chicks

Felted Acorn Napkin Rings by Nourish and Nestle

Polka Dot Pearl Napkin Rings by Crafts by Amanda

Glass Napkin Rings by Happy Hour Projects

Holiday Tree Napkin Rings by Suzy's Sitcom

Kid Made Santa Napkin Rings by Atta Girl Says

Wood Slice Chalkboard Napkin Rings by The Happy Housie

Furry Santa Napkin Rings by Cottage at the Crossroads

Beaded Napkin Rings by Uncommon Designs

Santa's Belly Napkin Rings by Crafts by Amanda

These are all fantastic ideas! I think I like the polka dot pearl idea or the Santa's Belly napkin rings best! Which will you make for your holiday table? I think these would also make a great DIY gift idea!

If you are in the mood for crafts you can find all of my craft ideas in one place.
A few of our holiday favorites include:

Ribbon Tree Ornaments
Mickey Mouse Jingle Bell Ornaments