https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 02 May 2026 00:04:08 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791485 Tue, 12 Dec 2017 13:59:29 +0000 Mrsbells 2791485@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SweetCaroline: for things to do to help keep your LO occupied you can try baking/decorating christmas cookies and decorating a gingerbread house too </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791479 Tue, 12 Dec 2017 13:21:22 +0000 Anagram 2791479@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilary: well, technical enough for me to have to ask, lol. Thank you! I'm going to try this. And they love crescent rolls (of course. Of course it has to be something from a can that they love). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791462 Tue, 12 Dec 2017 12:29:06 +0000 hilary 2791462@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: No recipe really. Would your kids eat crescent rolls? I've used sheets of that before as well and feel it's a little less flaky then puff pastry. But I roll it just a little to stretch it out and spread softened butter over the whole surface, sprinkle cinnamon and use a 50/50 mix of brown and white sugar, roll, slice and into a well greased mini muffin tin. Then I just bake at 350 until they look light brown. Real technical I know. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791461 Tue, 12 Dec 2017 12:24:38 +0000 Anagram 2791461@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilary: tell me about using puff pastry as a cinnamon roll. I have a couple sheets left from thanksgiving still in my freezer. Is it super flaky? Or does the rolling part make it less flaky? My kids are weird and won't eat things like flaky croissants (like the real bakery version, not the supermarket versions that are mushy). But they love mini things. Is there a recipe? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791423 Tue, 12 Dec 2017 08:26:00 +0000 hilary 2791423@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I do the Pioneer Woman cinnamon rolls weeks in advance and under baked by a couple of minutes. If you put them in foil disposable pans (I do a mix of round cake and 9X13) and freeze them. Set them in fridge overnight and 350 in oven to warm through the morning you want them. I also prefer cream cheese icing so make a big batch of that and freeze into portions. Then really good cinnamon rolls are available for special breakfast, guest breakfast or to give away as a thank you or if you feel a friend needs a little pick me up. </p> <p>I also sometimes use sheets of puff pastry as dough for cinnamon rolls and make them in a mini muffin tin. For some reason my kids eat mini muffin sized things better than normal sized things even if cut up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791413 Tue, 12 Dec 2017 05:25:51 +0000 SweetCaroline 2791413@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mommy Finger: psh I'd be disappointed.if you used something other than Pillsbury. Paula does too! Spend the extra time with your kids :grin: here is the recipe...just eyeballing it, she basically just adds cream cheese (I don't do the walnuts). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791402 Mon, 11 Dec 2017 22:10:18 +0000 periwinklebee 2791402@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bhbee: @MamaCate: That sounds amazing! Hah, definitely stocking up before Christmas comes! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791400 Mon, 11 Dec 2017 21:59:48 +0000 Mommy Finger 2791400@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SweetCaroline: I'll be honest, since my boys are still little, I don't have to bake everything from scratch. I cheat by using the Pillsbury biscuits. :) But it kills me every time! I will be googling that Paula recipe right now!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791395 Mon, 11 Dec 2017 21:40:59 +0000 SweetCaroline 2791395@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gingerbebe: funny...I have an almost threenager that's a acting like a jerk too! Except not funny at.all. we maintain a fairly rigid schedule too, so I anticipate we'll just have a few more treat foods and activities. I like your interactive food ideas!</p> <p>@Mommy Finger: OMG I need monkey bread. have you ever had Paula Dean's gorilla bread recipe with cream cheese? A little more effort, but delicious. And deadly, obviously. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791394 Mon, 11 Dec 2017 21:38:08 +0000 MamaCate 2791394@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: the refrigerated cinnamon rolls at TJs are amazing! They are like the pillsbury kind but much better! I made an elaborate pan of cinnamon rolls one year (raise overnight and all that) and honestly the TJs ones are just as good. We have had them the last couple Christmas mornings since—it is so much easier and everyone likes them just as much or more! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791392 Mon, 11 Dec 2017 21:33:05 +0000 SweetCaroline 2791392@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Littlebit7: that craft sounds cute! Yes...we will have to do hot cocoa!</p> <p>@wrkbrk: our day at home is by design too...I think I was surprised that our families are going to let us get away with it! Bloody Marys...you've inspired me to have Mimosas...even if I'll be drinking alone! Family nap is a good call!</p> <p>@littlebug: your spiked eggnog sounds amazing</p> <p>@Silva: I love that you open stockings, eat breakfast then do gifts! Going to attempt that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791333 Mon, 11 Dec 2017 16:55:00 +0000 bhbee 2791333@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: TJ’s at the holidays is very dangerous :grin: read the fearless flyer online before you go so you can check out all the good holiday stuff! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791320 Mon, 11 Dec 2017 15:53:29 +0000 Mommy Finger 2791320@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We usually wake up and do presents right away. I make monkey bread for breakfast and might make a little egg bake as well this year. Then we sort of lounge around playing with new toys. DS2 will take his normal nap and then we'll head to my grandma's for dinner. We keep it pretty low key on the 25th. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791318 Mon, 11 Dec 2017 15:49:16 +0000 periwinklebee 2791318@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bhbee: This is an awesome idea! I was reading this thread thinking - I should really make an effort to make decent food for Christmas, it sounds so tasty and I'm sure my husband would appreciate it BUT I have no energy. TJs sounds perfect, I haven't been there in ages since we don't have one within walking distance, but there is one a couple of miles away. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791281 Mon, 11 Dec 2017 13:56:08 +0000 bhbee 2791281@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: as someone who has been 37 weeks on Christmas before i will say that Trader Joe’s has some good frozen specialty stuff this year. We got something like a cinnamon roll wreath we all liked and i got a bunch of mini appetizers to try on the day we open santa presents. I usually cook a big meal but the year my son was born i had so many contractions on Christmas i thought for sure he was coming! (Or course he didn’t agree :silly: ) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791275 Mon, 11 Dec 2017 13:45:24 +0000 gingerbebe 2791275@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We will wake up and have a normal breakfast (yogurt, eggs, sausage, cereal - its basically a buffet on the weekends at our house!) Then we will do presents and pose with all the presents for pictures for the grandparents who demand photographic proof that their presents arrived.</p> <p>DS1 and DS2 are getting mostly joint gifts this year. Our big gift is the Ikea kitchen and the kid table set, plus all the relatives were asked to send pots, pans, play food, etc., so they will likely be pumped to play that for the rest of the morning while we play some Christmas movies in the background (well, maybe - our threenager has been acting like a jerk lately, so we're cutting TV time). </p> <p>We will probably do an interactive food activity mid morning - maybe have them help me put toppings on a pizza for lunch and throw toppings into the salad bowl. Make and eat lunch.</p> <p>Then we will probably all take a long family nap!</p> <p>@sweetcaroline I LOVE the idea of a birthday cake for Jesus - we do a Resurrection empty tomb cake at Easter, so this is perfect. I can have a cake pre-baked and have the kids help me decorate it and eat it as dessert after dinner.</p> <p>My kids actually don't like traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas feast foods. We're having a bigger Christmas gathering before Christmas, so I think we might keep dinner simple using leftovers. They will eat ham, so I could make some ham fried rice or ham tetrazinni and they'd be perfectly happy with that. </p> <p>We keep our kids on a pretty rigid routine, so I don't foresee it being really all that different from a Saturday at our house, but with some new toys and pajamas and extra treats! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791238 Mon, 11 Dec 2017 12:09:09 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2791238@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This year LO is only 19 months and all this Christmas stuff is very new to him. Our new tradition will start with a short getaway. We are going to Opryland for a few days and will get back home Christmas Eve. </p> <p>For Christmas Day I am betting we will have lots of morning snuggles. Then, I am making brunch: festive frittata (Pioneer Women), millionaire bacon, Pillsbury grand cinnamon rolls, and fruit. </p> <p>LO is getting books and a puppet from us. If I get my stuff together on time he might just get kid size oven mitts too. Honestly, reading the new books and what he already has will occupy him for a long, long time. DH has a bunch of must- see Christmas movies that we will make our way through between Christmas Eve and Day. I might pick up a Gingerbread house or bake something with LO. It has to be “healthy” like banana bran muffins with apple sauce instead of sugar for DH to let him eat it after though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791229 Mon, 11 Dec 2017 11:51:56 +0000 periwinklebee 2791229@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This thread is making me hungry :silly: </p> <p>We'll be home for the first time this year b/c I'll be 37 weeks pregnant. Anyone have recipes/links to recipes for their delicious sounding breakfasts? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791190 Mon, 11 Dec 2017 09:16:05 +0000 Silva 2791190@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do a lot of outside time, but mostly we just treat it at as a relaxing, restful family day. We open stockings first, then try to hold the kids off from presents until breakfast (eggs, bacon, cinnamon buns, maybe mimosas, fruit). Then open presents, hang out, play with toys. Go outside (hopefully sledding!), more rest time. We might do a movie with our preschooler while the baby naps. We will cook a special dinner for our family (prime rib). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791184 Mon, 11 Dec 2017 08:40:26 +0000 littlebug 2791184@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We mostly just play with toys and do our Harry Potter marathon (though we only watch the first 2 because beyond that they're too scary for the kids). Hubs and I have eggnog with vanilla vodka (SO good), the kids have eggnog or hot cocoa. I make a baked nutella french toast for breakfast, lunch is a meat and cheese tray, and then I usually make something kind of fancy for dinner. Depending on the weather we might go out for a walk (or to play in the snow). But otherwise, the kids are mostly content to play with their new toys and hang out! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791180 Mon, 11 Dec 2017 07:23:01 +0000 Adira 2791180@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We usually open stockings and then have breakfast, which we have croissants with different jams and butter. Sooooo frigging' delicious. Then we spend the rest of the morning opening presents (assuming we get through all of them - sometimes the kids open a present and then just want to play with it and not open the rest!).</p> <p>Then we'll have our big Christmas dinner. And we usually play a board game or something with the kids (or a few games of Memory). And then the rest of the day is usually pretty low-key. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791140 Sun, 10 Dec 2017 14:44:47 +0000 Littlebit7 2791140@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@wrkbrk: oooo I forgot about booze. Good call </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791138 Sun, 10 Dec 2017 14:25:52 +0000 wrkbrk 2791138@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Littlebit7: I saw that too!</p> <p>We always have a kringle (like a danish or pastry with almond filling and icing), coffee, bloody marys, bagels, bacon, etc. We will be home for Christmas day also (by design) and just plan to hang out by the fireplace, play Christmas carols, and play with DS and all his new toys! Plus a family nap, of course :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791128 Sun, 10 Dec 2017 13:25:08 +0000 Littlebit7 2791128@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we make cinnamon rolls, and some sort of egg dish that can be baked (both easy). Also hot cocoa this year for the kiddo. Saw a cute (and easy) thing on pinterest where you make a snowflake out of toothpicks and marshmallows (big marshmallow in center, spikes of toothpicks radiating out from it, with marshmallows on those spikes) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791127 Sun, 10 Dec 2017 13:23:36 +0000 SweetCaroline 2791127@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Meals: We always have cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, bubble bread or some sort of sweet carb for Christmas breakfast! We will probably also make a birthday cake for Jesus and celebrate after naptime.</p> <p>Activities: Playing with DD's gifts, Christmas movie with popcorn, dancing to Christmas music, reading Christmas stories. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nuclear-family-christmas-activities#post-2791125 Sun, 10 Dec 2017 13:18:58 +0000 SweetCaroline 2791125@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For the first time in my ENTIRE life, I will be spending all of Christmas Day at home. I am super excited, but also want to put some thought into it so we aren't bored or wistful for a larger Christmas celebration.</p> <p>DD is almost 3. She'll be getting an additional set of Magnatiles, a doll bed, several books, watercolors, Hi Ho Cherry O and a couple puzzles for Christmas, so that will keep us busy some of the time.</p> <p>DH has a broken leg and we are in a very snowy/icy area, so our outside time will be limited to some snow angels, a sled ride and some running around to wear DD out.</p> <p>What are your at-home Christmas Eve or Christmas Day traditions, meals, snacks, etc? I'll post some of ours below! </p>