Organize a Kids Christmas Craft Day | Holiday Hospitality #3

Yesterday while us moms got together to sign Christmas cards the kiddos were all gathered in our schoolroom for an edible, Christmas craft! They made sugar cone Christmas trees.

This is such a fun craft for the kiddos, and they enjoy it so much because they can eat their masterpiece :) Most all my friends have small children, so I am always trying to think of creative ideas for the kids when they are over. It also allows for us moms to fellowship!

Here is a look at how I organized this very affordable craft for our guests:

1. First I purchased all of our supplies a week before. 

For these Sugar Cone Christmas Trees I purchased:

2 boxes of storebrand sugar cones
3 containers of green holiday frosting
2 bags of holiday M&Ms
1 box storebrand plastic spoons
Storebrand paper plates
Holiday Napkins from the Dollar Tree
Disposable holiday table cloth, also from the Dollar Tree

2. Set up craft space the night before

 I didn't put the M&Ms out right away in case curious hands made their way to them...

3. Invite guests in for the fun!

I hope you enjoyed Day 3 of our Holiday Hospitality Series! What are some ways you are opening up your home to others this Christmas season? I'd love for you to share!

Host a Christmas Card Signing | Holiday Hospitality #2

Hosting a Christmas card signing  is a great way to open your home to others and get each other in the Christmas spirit! It also motivates others to get those cards signed and sent out...before the New Year ;)

Today I invited three families over to sign Christmas cards (I had an activity set up for all the children, which I will share tomorrow). We each had our own set of Christmas cards, envelopes and stamps. Some of us wrote letters, included photos of our family, or kept it simple. My number one piece of advice is to make sure you have plenty of pens handy!

Here is a look at my Christmas cards. I purchased a box of 16 cards on Clearance from Dayspring.com. I love the Scripture!

In addition to opening up your home, you can serve affordable snacks and beverages for your guests. Here is what we had set out for the day.

I purchased two jugs of apple juice from the Dollar Tree for a $1 each, along with the disposable cups. The sparkling blueberry lemonade was $2.50 from Hannaford and the cookies were a little over a $1 per box from Walgreens (I purchased two flavors - lemon and raspberry).

I love putting snacks and treats in a cake stand. It just looks so elegant!

Before my guests left I had a surprise for them. I gifted each of them an ornament (I purchased these on clearance last year from Kmart!) and a Christmas card that contained a CD full of classic Christmas music (an awesome 75% off find from Christianbook.com) They were so surprised and thankful! It felt good to bless them!

So, there we have it! I encourage you to open up your home to a Christmas card signing. It is such a fun and productive way to get our friends together. It costs you hardly anything and allows you to be generous at the same time! Great, huh? We all are ultimately doing something to bless others this year with a Christmas card!

If you haven't already, check out our other posts in Holiday Hospitality Series!

Snowman Soup | Holiday Hospitality #1

Welcome to the first post in our Holiday Hospitality series! Here is a fun, sweet treat where your kiddos are all hands-on in the making-of and giving! The gift of Snowman Soup is sure to fit any budget. It is simply hot cocoa (you can make your own mix or purchase a box of packets), mini marshmallows and a candy cane!

I combined a coupon with a recent sale at Walgreens to purchase three boxes of Swiss Miss hot chocolate. The candy canes were also on sale too, and you'll be sure to find those for next to nothing in the upcoming weeks. The final packaging of your Snowman Soup is up to you! You can put them in ziplock baggies, mugs or plastic gift bags like the ones above - I snagged these snowman-themed bags for a $1 for a package of 8 at Family Dollar! They are absolutely perfect for this gift.

Here is how we assembled our Snowman Soup:

First I arranged all the ingredients on our dining room table for simple packaging. Here are my helpers putting together the treats.

Each package contains 1 packet of hot cocoa mix, a handful of mini marshmallows and 1 candy cane.

After closing the bag I attached a Merry Christmas gift tag with ribbon. You can also attach a cute Snowman Soup poem label! You can find many of those on Pinterest.

Here is our finished Snowman Soup gift

Ready to give to our friends when they visit!

Thank you for joining me in this series. We hope you stop by for more!

Living Generously with Less: Holiday Hospitality

To kick off my new blog, I am excited to begin a series called Living Generously with Less. The theme through Christmastime will be Holiday Hospitality.

This holiday season you don't need to hurt your finances while enjoying the act of giving. There are many ways you can bless others this time of year; in this series specifically through a hospitable heart! I'll be sharing real life, holiday hospitality that is happening in our home. The big plus is your children can be very much involved in this season of giving.

May you be blessed and encouraged to have fun, be creative and reach out to others!