Surviving The Holidays

The Holidays are always a crazy time of year.  Thanksgiving seemed to sneak up on us and now that we are all stuffed from eating turkey and all the trimmings it's time to get ready for Christmas.

On Christmas day we like to get up early with the boys, start a fire in the fireplace and then cuddle on the couch while the boys open their presents.  While they are digging into those wrapped presents we listen to Christmas music.  After we open presents we have breakfast then prep dinner and then go back downstairs and watch our favorite Christmas movies.  Our two favorites are "Christmas Vacation" and "A Christmas Story".  Ok we have a third favorite movie too.... "Elf".  I mean who doesn't love "Elf"????

On  Christmas Eve we almost always order pizza that way the kitchen is clean and ready for Christmas day. For Christmas breakfast we always make waffles.  I am gluten free so we use Pamela's gluten & wheat free pancake mix.  We all love that mix the best.  The boys gobble them down!

To make the holidays go smooth and fun for the family these things  really help to keep with our usual traditions:

 1. Firewood Log Bin

3. Firewood Starters

2. Cozy Blanket

4. Hot Chocolate K Cups

5.  Pamela's Gluten & Wheat Free Pancake Mix

6. Maple Syrup

The firewood bin would be so nice.  We live in MI and having a spot to bring in a few logs and let them sit inside would be great because baby it's cold outside!!   The Fatwood fire starters are awesome!  My inlaws have gotten us some of those in the past.  They worked really well for getting the fire going fast.

The cozy warm blanket would be wonderful to cuddle on the couch with while the kids are opening presents or while watching movies and drinking hot chocolate!

I have to tell you.  The waffle tradition for us started 15 years ago at our last house.  Hubby wanted waffles for breakfast on Christmas day. We did not at the time have a waffle maker.  Can you guess what my Christmas present from him was that year??  Yep it was a waffle maker.  We use it pretty often and I'm still using the same one he got me that year! 

So that is that.........family, a warm fire in the fireplace, presents, waffles w/yummy syrup and butter, hot chocolate and movies!!

Now if you need help surviving the holidays with figuring out what to get a special man in your life for Christmas there is a website called Man Crates  it  has a lot of wonderful gifts in really cool packaging!