Riding Macy's Pink Pig

A tradition for some people during the Christmas season in the Atlanta area is riding the Pink Pig train at Macy's at Lenox Square Mall. It has been around since the 1950's and has moved locations a couple of times but ended up back at Lenox Square a few years ago. They have the original pink pig train on display there & it looks hilarious compared to the modern day version (picture a small chicken coup made into a pink pig). I took my son there when he was 1 1/2 yrs. old & went back this year (3 yrs later) w/ both my kids (1 1/2 & 4 1/2)& my 12yr old niece (my helper). When we went the first time, we met friends there (My friend & her son) and we also each brought our son's Grandmas with too. The boys really loved it & it was a fun experience. The 2nd time we went so that both of my kids could experience it & becaause my son really loves trains. I brought my niece too because I thought it would be fun w/her along & I knew she would help me out. Plus, my son is crazy about her! My baby girl, Emily ended up really enjoying it & she ended up running up to the Priscilla the Pink Pig Mascot (person in a girlie pink pig costume)very excitedly. She also danced around to the Xmas music while waiting to get on the train. It's neat because it's located on the parking deck adjacent to Macy's & is in a giant covered tent with a big winter wonderland display that's like a Pink Pig life-size storybook that you enjoy while you ride around in the train. It's not a very long ride but, it's more the novelty of it than anything. Of course, they have a gift shop to entice you to buy Pink Pig merchandise but, luckily my kids didn't seem to care that much. If you're thinking of going, definitely go during the week because the line is crazy long on weekends. The cost is $3 per rider and you can always get some shopping done at the enormous mall while your there. We ate lunch at the giant food court where they have tons of choices for everybody. Although it's a bit of a drive, you could easily spend a few hours there. Bring plenty of snacks for waiting in line!

Cute Snowflake Ornaments

My husband found these simple but pretty snowflake ornaments at Target. They were only like 4 for $1 and they come in several different colors. You may have already seen them there but, they can be more than just something you hang on your Xmas tree. We like to find ways to dress up our light fixtures & make them festive in our dining room & kitchen. I have seen similar ones since then at Wal-mart that were even cheaper but, I like these better. My hubby actually likes to do a little decorating so, this is one of his touches to our decor. We have them hanging on the chandelier in our kitchen too. I wish I had a better pic but, I really wasn't planning on posting this! Just ignore the dining table that I was in the middle of setting & focus upward!

Christmas Music for Kids

I like good Christmas music that you can listen to over & over without getting tired of it before the season ends. Sometimes I like instrumental piano music like Charlie Brown (Vince Guaraldi) Xmas Music as background music for dinner or something. And sometimes modern artists singing Xmas songs or sometimes good old fashioned Xmas carols. I do get tired of the one & only local station that plays Xmas music though. I can only hear Mariah Carey & Celine Dion Xmas songs so many times before I just want to slit my wrists. Anyway, I've had a hard time finding Xmas music for my kids to listen to thet I like too. I love to hear my kids sing but, I don't really like CDs with kids singing or really goofy adults singing. I found a good one this year at the library & I made my own copy to enjoy next year (what? stop judging me!). It's called "A Child's Christmas" by Susie Tallman & Friends. She has a whole bunch of other CD's for kids but, I've really never listened to them (I know a few songs that I've heard but, that's about it). This Cd has everything from Jingle Bells & Silent Night to "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch". There's also some kids telling cute jokes & saying Merry Xmas in different languages between some of the songs. Cameron really loves it & it's long too so, it plays for awhile. I highly recommend this for the whole family!

Xmas Treats -These also make good gifts

Here is an easy recipe for "Nilla Turtle Truffles". They're actually called "Nilla Turtle Balls" but, I think truffle sounds better when you tell people that they are. It sounds gourmet instead of sounding like you're serving up naughty turtle parts!
These are great for parties or they make great teacher gifts. I made them for Cameron's teachers this year & they were a big hit. I packaged them up in cellophane Xmas-themed bags & put them in cute red & green containers (shown in the pic) & tied name tags to the containers. I got the little treated containers at Walmart for just $1 each. They looked pretty cute as gifts.
Here is the recipe:

1 Pkg (8 oz.) Philly cream cheese -softened
70 Nilla Wafers finely crushed (about 2 1/3 cups)
3 Tbsp caramel ice cream topping
2 pkg. (8 squares each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted
1/4 cup chopped Pecan pieces

Directions:
Mix first 3 ingredients until well blended.Shape into 36 (1-inch) balls. Freeze 10 minutes. Dip balls in melted chocolate; place in single layer in shallow waxed paper-lined pan. Sprinkle with nuts.Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

Hot Chocolate for Little Kids

My 4 yr old son, Cameron loves the idea of hot chocolate in the winter but, doesn't really like it hot like an older person would. I have 2 versions that work for little kids. One is to make the instant little packet kind (I usually use Nestle) and I boil the water in the tea kettle. The directions say to add 6 oz. of hot water to the packet in a mug but, what I do is add 4oz. of boiling water and stir it up real good then, I pour 2 oz. of cold milk in it. This way it is hot enough to mix it up but, after the milk is added it's just warm chocolate for kids. It doesn't mix well enough if the water is not super hot to start with. Then I add mini marshmallows on top. I just made some of this today for Cameron. An easy mock version is to just warm up some chocolate milk & put some marshmallows on top. Sometimes I make hot chocolate from the actual tin of cocoa (Nestle) but, I still make but, I still make it with the cold milk added to make it creamier & not so hot. Hmmm, makes me want some now.

Musical Instrument Craft

My kids love to listen to music & make music. I make fun & easy homemade instruments for them to play with. I make maracas (shakers) by using a paper towel tube & filling it with uncooked rice or pasta (only fill about 1/4 of the way full)& then put duck tape or packing tape over the ends to secure the stuff inside. The more or less that you put inside makes a difference in the sound you get. You can paint or decorate them with stickers or something too. Also to make drums, you can use Quaker Oats containers & I even poke holes in the side near the top & string a a shoe lace or other string through it so they can wear it around their neck too while they play (be careful with younger ones to make sure they don't hurt themselves!). Wooden or plastic spoons make good drum sticks too. There are so many household items that can be used for musical instruments but, these are just a couple of ideas.

Holiday Lights

My kids love to look at holiday lights & decorations. During this Xmas season, we have been taking a walk every night (usually after dinner) after it's dark to look at our neighbor's Xmas lights & decorations. Our neighborhood is not particularly large but, we try to pick one new street that we haven't seen yet each time. Also, it seems that everyday someone is putting up new lights & decorations on different streets so, there's always something new to see. I push the kids in our Sit-n-Stand stroller because their tired by this point in the evening & they can kick back & look at everything & I get some good exercise. Some neighbors have Christmas trees that you can see thru the windows or big inflatable displays or just lots of outdoor lights. Some nights it's pretty cold so, we put coats & hats on & bring blankets to keep cozy with. If they were a little older, we could bring hot chocolate but, my 4 yr old could always enjoy some afterward one night. Anyway, it's a fun thing that they look forward to & even the baby runs to the garage to the stroller when I say it's time to go. This is the stuff that memories are made of (especially for me!).

Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting -Easy

Here is an easy but, delicious dessert that you can whip up with a store bought brownie mix. Make your favorite store bought brownies as directed on the box. To make the peanut butter frosting, follow recipe below:

Ingredients:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter -softened
3 TBSP Milk (more or less as needed)
2 cups confectioners sugar

Place butter & peanut butter in medium bowl & beat w/electric mixer. Gradually mix in confectioners sugar & when it starts to get thick start mixing in milk 1 TBSP at a time until frosting is thick & spreadable. Beat for about 3 mins. to get good & fluffy. Spread it on browniies. Also, for an attractive way to serve these for a party, I like to use a round cookie cutter & cut the brownies into circles & then put the frosting in a pastry bag to pipe onto the round brownies in a swirly fashion (use a type 21 tip for piping the frosting if you have one). Sorry I didn't post a pic!