Kids New Year Eve Party

For all of us parents trying to celebrate the New Year with kids in tow, here are some ideas for a memorable night that both parents and kids can enjoy together.

Party Treats
Kids are easily pleased when it comes to snack food, so I never worry about going nuts when it's my turn to host the kids New Years Eve party. Usually a bag of chips and pretzels, and some other simple snack is fine. I do like to do either a cake or a sheet of brownies though. I place a bunch of candles into whichever treat I choose, and then have all the kids blow out the candles together to celebrate the "worlds birthday" at midnight. I makes it a little more exciting for all of them.

Get Crafty
Yesterday I mentioned that noise makers are always a fun project. Another great activities is to get them to make their own New Years Eve party hat. All it takes is a little glitter (or a lot!) and some paper, feathers, or whatever else you have around. If you feel in need of more specific directions feel free to check out this link at Kaboose.

Get a Little Silly
What kid (or adult) doesn't love a good party game? A tradition of ours is to get everyone together and play a game of charades with a bit of New Years Eve twist. For the theme, make all subjects that people pretend to be either people, events, etc. that are relevant to the past year. So some obvious choices would be Obama, a plunging stock market, or the Olympics. This is a good way to get kids thinking about everything that happened over the last year.

Make Some More Noise
With party poppers! And thanks to make-stuff.com we have directions for how to make recycled party poppers. The main part that you need is old toilet paper rolls, and then some decorative paper to cover them with. This is a fun way to hand out little party favor treats.

Happy New Years

Kids New Years Crafts and Activities

The holiday season is almost over, but before it is we have New Years Eve! This holiday is normally associated with an excuse for us grown ups to drink champagne, but it can be a great holiday to involve the kids. After all, the basic spirit of the holiday is as a time of reflection and personal growth, which are important values to impart to children. Just making a list of resolutions can be a little boring, so here are a couple ideas of how to spice up your celebration.

Shoot for the stars. Lakeshore learning brings us a craft that I'm planning to adapt a little bit. As you can see, the idea is to get your kids to decorate a rocket with "2009" on the side. The directions are pretty basic, and it's an easy craft to alter/adjust to whatever supplies you happen to have lying around. What I plan to add to this is to have each of my boys write on the other side their New Years resolutions. What I like about this idea is that it's easier for a kid to keep track of a rocket they made vs. a list on paper.

Recycled Fun. What do kids like more than making noise? Okay, so this is not exactly going to teach your kids any important life lessons, but not everything needs to be serious and reflective, especially on New Years. But this noisemaker is made from recycled materials, so if you need an excuse to teach your kids about the environment, here you go! Brought to us by Kaboose, all you need for this craft is a water bottle, tissue paper and glue, some pennies or rocks to put inside, and some ribbon or crete paper.

Create a Memory. I love making scrapbooks. Each of my kids have one that I made for their first year. And I love organizing photo albums. So in other words, I'm easily excited by nostalgia. Every year I have my each of my boys help me make a time capsule. We don't have a backyard so we don't do the traditional route with a shovel-- I just stuff them in my closest. Each child includes something that they feel is symbolic of the past year, and writes a note to themselves in the future about how their last year was. My plan is to have each of my boys do this until they are 13, and then not open them until they graduate from highschool. I think it will be fun for them to be able to look back after all those years.

Hope these are fun for you and your kids!

Monday Giveaway

Hope you all had a fabulous holiday weekend. After our Christmas dinner we managed to distract the kids with a movie, allowing us to spend some chaos-free time with our family members. I'm from Texas and my husband is from Wisconsin, so being in New York there are a lot of people, our parents included, who we don't get to see as often as we'd like. And as much as I love my kids, they can make conversation difficult some times, especially Wesley (5 years)

Congratulations to 3boyzmom for winning her choice of a pirate game, fairy land game, or our travel Parcheesi game.

This week for the giveaway we are going to give one winner a bit of a head start with their New Years resolutions. Who doesn't wish their house was a bit more organized? Especially if you have lots of kids, you know how tough this can be. All kids have a dislike to cleaning and organization, but over at the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. we try to keep chores as fun as possible. This is one of the reasons why all three options for custom painted wood wastebaskets are bright and colorful, with different designs that should inspire neatness! Or at least that's what we'd hope.

Here are the options:

Perfect for nautical themed bedrooms, these striped wastebaskets make a great addition to help your child keep their room free of debris! Plus you get to personalize it with the initial of your choice. Just pick out the color for the stripe and the color of the letter, and we do the rest!

These decoupaged wastebaskets are great for any kids bedroom. They come with the choice of a wide selection of accents. The picture shows tea party on sage green and baseball on denim wash. Other options include posy, ballet, dragon fly, gone fishing, cowboy, train, firetruck, and several others! Pick from one of our 16 paint colors to match the decor scheme of your child's room.

These initial wastebaskets are a simple design that will match any room. The wastebasket body and initial are both painted with a solid color of your choice of 16 hues.

Here's how to win one of these customized kids wastebaskets:

1. Leave a comment on your favorite way to keep organized.
2. Mention how you found this site
3. Check out the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. to see what other kids storage solutions they offer.
4. Make sure I can contact you! Either leave an email address in your comment, or make sure that you have contact information on your blog profile.

You can receive an extra entry towards this giveaway if you link to this give-away in your blog and put that link in your comment.

The give-away is open for entries until Sunday, January 4th, at 11:59 PM. Winners will be chosen at random, and announced Monday afternoon. Good luck!

Note: At this time, the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. cannot ship give-away items internationally. They apologize for the inconvenience to all of you great people living outside of the U.S.

Christmas Triva

Merry Christmas!!! I hope your stockings were filled with fun goodies, and your tree loaded with pretty presents.

As much as I love the day itself, there is something particularly special about Christmas Eve. The anticipation. As a kid my parents would take us out for a drive to look at Christmas lights in the neighborhood, and then we would all go to midnight mass together. Even though it was late by the time I finally got between the covers, I would invariably spend an hour tossing and turning, wondering what surprise I might find under the tree.

The Night Before Christmas. I recently heard on the radio that it was this classic book that popularized the version of Santa Claus that we all know today. I think it's just amazing that a book written over a 100 years ago is still a important part of the national Christmas tradition. My mom read this poem to me every Christmas Eve when I was little, and I do the same with my boys.

So just why was Santa invented? Well the hint is with the older name: St. Nick. The original Santa was a Saint, and he did not give out presents. He was added to Christmas by the upper class in America. They were anxious about the direction the country was taking, and saw the middle and lower class as "the mob." Back in the 1700 and early 1800s, this so called mob was especially rowdy on Christmas. People would riot in the streets, spend the day in bars, and pull destructive pranks! Much different from today. So by appointing St. Nickolas to Christmas, they hoped to give the holiday some dignity.

But it didn't work. At least, not until the Night Before Christmas came out, which turned St. Nick from a Saint to a plump and lovable man. Understandable why a magical man who passes out presents would be appealing.

So that's the story of Santa Claus. Hope he was good to all of you!

Monday Giveaway

Phew. Sorry for my brief hiatus, but it's just been so busy lately over at the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co! Of course with this economy I'm thankful to be as busy as I am, but still, I would be lying if I didn't admit to being relieved it has finally slowed a bit.

So normally we announce a giveaway by Monday, but what with the rush and all I did not get around to till today.

Winter vacation from school is a classic time for kids and moms alike to fall victim to cabin fever. I know it always happens to me and my kids. So this week we will be giving away a board game of the winners choice.

Here are the options:

Give your little princess a game that is truly magical! Our Adventures in Fairyland includes 28 beautifully illustrated fairy tiles, 4 wooden fairy game pieces and comes in a delightfully illustrated wooden box. 2-4 players, Ages 5+

Have an aspiring sailor and buccaneer on your hands? Our Piratology Game will provide them with hours of (quiet) adventure. Pirates search for treasure, escape sea monsters, avoid hurricanes and battle ferocious foes as they try to grab the gold and be the last pirate standing. . Age 6+

Lastly, we've got a solid classic to offer. Who doesn't remember having fun playing Parcheesi? Plus this set is a travel set, which means it's magnetic, so you won't lose any pieces even if you're driving over a pothole! This adorable illustrated set also comes with its own plastic handled travel bag, so it's easy to tote along to visits with Grandparents or doctor's offices.

Here's how to win one of these games:

1. Leave a comment on your favorite game as a kid.
2. Mention how you found this site
3. Check out the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. to see what other kids games they offer.
4. Make sure I can contact you! Either leave an email address in your comment, or make sure that you have contact information on your blog profile.

You can receive an extra entry towards this giveaway if you link to this give-away in your blog and put that link in your comment.

The give-away is open for entries until Sunday, December 28th, at 11:59 PM. Winners will be chosen at random, and announced Monday afternoon. Good luck!

Note: At this time, the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. cannot ship give-away items internationally. They apologize for the inconvenience to all of you great people living outside of the U.S.

Christmas Crafts for Kids and You!

The holiday season is in full swing, and while that can mean stress as you rush to get everything right for that holiday party or Christmas dinner, it's important to take a moment to relax. Actually, I would say it's especially important this time of year. The holidays should be how they were when you were little-- full of anticipation, wonder, and warmth.

What a better way to do this than with a craft project. Below are some of my favorite craft finds recently. Some are easy for kids, and other take the skill of a crafty mom. Hope you enjoy!

Christmas Card Gift Boxes- What a cool idea this is! As much I love Christmas cards, who has the space to keep all of them? This is a really innovative way to turn something that would normally just get tossed into a unique and personalized gift wrap. I think these could be great for jewelry and other small but special presents!

Usually crafts that use the outline of your child's hand are for reindeer antlers, but reindeer craft project is a bit of twist. Instead the hand forms the body and the legs, and I think it looks really cute! Plus it's really easy, so I can see this as a great after school activity or any time you need to keep your kids busy for just 30 minutes or so.

Giving anyone cookies for Christmas this year? Get the kids to help you decorate the bags. All you need to make stamps is some rubber foam shaped as stars, circles, and trees, and then attach them to wood or any hard material with glue. This is a great way to dress up any paper bag.

Congratulations to the Giveaway Winners

Such a busy week!

Congratulations to Betsy and Judybrittle for winning the giveaway. I hope they both really enjoy the music box!

Tune in tomorrow for Christmas craft ideas for kids.

Last Minute Kids Christmas Presents

It's not too late!

Even with regular shipping, as long as you place your order by Thursday, there are still lots of fabulous toys and gifts you can get for kids in time for Christmas. Today you can place order either online or over the phone, but if you order tomorrow play it safe and call in to ensure that your order gets shipped that day.

This colorful purple unicorn hopper ball easily inflates and the cover is removable and machine washable so it's easy to keep clean.

Your little girl love this hairstyling and makeup doll. She will spend hours practicing her makeup skills on her soft face! This Makeup Doll set comes with everything you need to get started styling, including pink brush, pink hairband, purple compact, and gell.

This Lite Bright is a Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. staff favorite and now your kids will have four times the fun creating all sorts dazzling designs on each side of this classic Lite Brite toy by Hasbro. 6 sided Light Bright includes 10 refill sheets; 8 Light Brite design picture sheets, 2 free form sheets, and over 400 pegs! Light bulb included!

These clicker clackers are the perfect stocking stuffer for kids! Set of 4 hand-painted wooden maracas includes a pig, frog, kitten and dog. Boys and girls just love these!

The tote and go puppies make a cute gift. Toddlers learn responsibility as they take care of this frisky puppy stuffed animal, who comes in his very own portable dog house. Each set stored in their own wooden dog house includes a wooden bone, brush and bowl.

Choosing the Right Middle School

Amidst all the holiday rush, I am also scrambling around the city looking at different middle schools for my oldest son Fischer. I think having options is great, and I'm thankful that there has been so much progress in the New York City public education system. There are so many different charter schools that specialize in different subjects, that require tests to get in, and yet are still free! And lately with this economy, you certainly can't say that about much!

Yet figuring out which school will be best is stressful. One school is great for English and History, which is what my son loves, but the school is just well...ugly. I know looks matter less than quality, but it just looks overall grim in comparison to some of the others. The students are also all pretty nerdy looking -- the stereotype of pale and thin with thick glasses.

My son is a bit of a nerd too, which is fine with me, but I wonder if it's good for him to only be around kids like him. But then I remember how socially awkward middle school can be for any kid, and then I start to think maybe it will be good for him to be around a bunch of kids he can easily click with.

Another thing is I wonder if it's good for a kid who is only 11 to already be specializing. I mean, maybe he is not super into math and science now, but maybe he will be in a few years.

I'd love to hear what you think, especially if you have a kid in either fifth grade or in middle school!

Monday Giveaway

Hope all of you had a great weekend! I'm currently battling a bit of cold, but doing my best to deny that I actually have a cold. With so much to do over the next couple of weeks, I cannot get sick now! So my mantra lately is "You are happy and healthy," and I'm taking plenty of vitamins.

But other than that, it was a pretty good weekend. I took the kids to Metropolitan Museum of Art on Saturday, and we had a fun day. Of course they enjoyed as always the Egyptian wing and the Medieval armor collection, and I even managed to drag them to look at my favorite-- the French Impressionists. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a good Vincent van Gough.

Anyway, congratulations to Amy and LN for winning a holiday book of their choice!

These week for our Monday Giveaway we have a fun kids toy that's cute and a makes a great gift for boys and girls alike. And there will be two winners again this week! Plus it's a last minute gift, so you will still get it in time for Christmas. However, unlike most weeks, the giveaway will end THURSDAY at 12:00 PM so we can make sure the winners get it in time.

Do you remember your music box as a kid? I had a totally girly box complete with a pink quilted cover and lace. The tune had a comforting hold on me, and even though it was a simple box it had a lot of meaning to me.

The music boxes carried by the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. come in different styles-- puppy dog and lady bug. They are made of painted wood, and the little animals move around the track as the music plays.

Here's how to win of these music boxes:

1. Leave a comment on about a music box or another sentimental toy from your childhood.
2. Mention how you found this site
3. Check out the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. to see what other last minute holiday gifts they offer.
4. Make sure I can contact you! Either leave an email address in your comment, or make sure that you have contact information on your blog profile.

You can receive an extra entry towards this giveaway if you link to this give-away in your blog and put that link in your comment.

The give-away is open for entries until Thursday, December 18th, at 12:00PM. Winners will be chosen at random, and announced Thursday afternoon. Good luck!

Note: At this time, the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. cannot ship give-away items internationally. They apologize for the inconvenience to all of you great people living outside of the U.S.

Another Great Giveaway for the Holidays

Wintertime is baking time, and so I have always thought that gourmet spices make a great Christmas gift.

So it's exciting to see there is a giveaway hosted over at A Working Blogging Mommy for two different spice sets. One is a sweet baking set, and the other is a holiday spice collection. They all come in conveniently measured teaspoon amounts. Plus, all of the spices are 100% organic.
All you have to do is leave a comment on her post, so after you enter my giveaway, make sure to enter this one too! Whether you give this as a gift or keep it for yourself, these sets contain hours of baking fun.

Christmas Cookie Recipes

It's funny how smell is so tied with memory. Sure, I can get nostalgic when I look at old family photographs, but nothing gets me like the smell of something baking in the oven. The process of making Christmas cookies with my mom was something I always looked forward to. I loved every step- from licking raw cookie batter off of a wooden spoon to spreading red and green sprinkles on top of sugar cookies.

What I also love about Christmas cookies is their variety. There is a Christmas cookie for every purpose. Some are great for making with kids, some are great for casual snacking, and others make great gifts. I used to live in Baltimore for awhile, and one of my favorite parts of the Baltimore Sun was that every Christmas they would pick out from submitted recipes their top picks for different categories. Even though I now live in New York, I still check back to read this column.

So here is a round up of best Christmas cookies. I've picked the following categories: best cookie for kids, best cookie for a gift, easiest cookie to make, best traditional cookie, and most unusual cookie. Enjoy!

Best Cookie for Kids
For kids, I think cookies that you can roll out and cut into different shapes are always the best. This cookie is advertised as a star, but you can feel free and make it into any shape you like. Plus, while they keep it more sophisticated with just a lemon glaze, feel free to add some sprinkles!

Cinnamon Stars
Carol Moran found this recipe in The New German Cookbook, by Jean Anderson and Hedy Wurz. "My mother who was born in Germany baked a similar cookie, but her original recipe was lost after her death," Moran wrote. "I wanted to keep her memory and traditions alive, so I searched for a recipe that would remind me and my family of her and her culinary delights." Moran especially likes the nutty taste of this cookie, and its contrast with the lemony glaze.

Best Cookie for a Gift
Christmas cookies make great gifts, especially for people who you are not quite sure what to get. Plus, if you've got an invitation to a holiday party or dinner, cookies are great to bring along to share. I also like to give cookies to my kid's teachers as gifts, because no matter what holiday you celebrate, you've still got a sweet tooth.

Sacher Bites
This recipe comes from a long-ago issue of Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookies magazine, wrote Colleen Dalton of Lutherville. "I've always relished the combination of chocolate and raspberry, and this cookie is rich in both flavors," she wrote. Wethought they were pretty as well as tasty.

Best Easy Cookie
What I love ab out this cookie is that it is actually very easy to make, but it looks complex. So it's a good cookie to fool people with if you have a lot of other stuff to do--and who doesn't during the holidays??

Easy Lemon Cups
Carolyn Ward found this recipe in an old cookbook — she can't remember the title — and has been making it since her daughters, now grown, were little. "I like it because it's easy and the lemon," she said. "For Christmas I bring them into work, and everybody just loves them."

Best Unusual Holiday Cookie
This is actual and old cookie recipe, but it was new to me. It combines some interesting flavors, plus I these cookies are really pretty. Makes a nice sophisticated addition to any cookie platter.

Hungarian Poppy Seed Nut Slices
Richard J. Kopro sent this recipe in memory of his wife, Mildred, who he said made dozens of these cookies for family and friends during their 62 years of marriage. We liked the balance of nuts, poppy seeds and slight sweetness in this slim cookie, which would go nicely with tea.

To find these recipes and more visit the column's website.

Christmas Fabric Crafts for Kids and Moms!

All holidays are fun to decorate for, but I personally feel that Christmas takes the cake. Perhaps this is because there is so much you have to work with. You've got Christmas trees, Santa Claus, angels, snowmen, stars, candy canes, holly, presents, garlands, ornaments...the list just goes on!

This first installment of craft ideas for Christmas is going to focus on all that you can do with fabric. These fabric crafts are durable so they will be an addition to your Christmas decorations that will last for years. Some of these are good activities for an arts and crafts day with the kids, and others are more suitable for us adults.

Last night I took some green polka dot fabric and red striped fabric and turned some plain embroidery hoops into festive oversized Christmas ornaments. I love how these look lying flat against my in-much-need-of-color white walls, but I could see these also working on trees. I used twine to hang the green to give an earthy feel. Plus I had fun with adding pine cones and holly. For the red and white stripped bows I got some red velvet.

From The Small Object blog archives there are these adorable fabric Christmas trees. She offers clear step by step instructions for how these are made, with diagrams that you can print out and cut out. This is a great project for those who are quilters with lots of odds and ends of scrap fabric. I took this project one step further and hot glued a loop of clear plastic string to the top, turning these little trees into Christmas ornaments.

For a simpler fabric Christmas ornament that your kids can help out with, there a few options. Have your kids cut out stars, mittens, trees, and whatever other shapes you can think of. Cut out just one to keep it really simple, or cut out two and sew them together with an easy crow stitch . Add on buttons or other fun additions to give these some flair.

The project on the right is also fun for you and the kids. Get some scrap felt, punch a whole in the middle, and thread it on a sturdy string or thin wire. Then just tie it into a circle, and ta-da, you've got a mini Christmas wreath. I like to hang these in windows.

Tune in tomorrow for a Chrismtas Cookie Round-Up!

Bright and Light Christmas

This weekend I was doing some Christmas shopping as well as admiring the window displays of various stores. I was shocked by one of the store windows that I passed by. Not just one, but all of this store's windows were lined with a pitch black background. The only sources of color were a dark red here, and a dark green there, but overall it was a picture of doom and gloom.

Am I crazy, or are drab and depressing colors the last thing we need this holiday season? The next store I walked by could not have been more different. Their window were filled with bright colors, and sparkling silvers and gold gave the whole store a light and cheerful feel. Maybe I'm being too easily duped by decorations, but I genuinely happier to be around all this color. Bright yellows, reds, and greens might not solve all problems, but they sure do help!

I want this to be a bright and light Christmas for everyone. For this reason, all the prints in the Christmas fabrics collection over at the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. are on sale. Tune in tomorrow for some fun arts and crafts ideas for how to take fabric and turn your home into a winter wonderland with a custom fabric project.

Monday Giveaway

I hope you all had a great weekend. Me and the family got our Christmas tree this weekend, and we are all excited to get it up and decorated and ready for Santa Claus.

Congratulations to Laura for winning the engraved girls locket! We hope she and the lucky girl enjoy it as much as we over at the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. do!

This week for our giveaway we're going to let the winner choose between three great books for this holiday season. Reading to your children is always great for their education, and two of these books will also provides ideas for projects that will get the whole family involved in the holiday spirit.

A Christmas Carol is a great classic to share with your kids. This rendition of the Charles Dickens classic is richly illustrated by renown artist Christian Birminghham.

Jewish Holiday Treats is a great book with recipies, craft projects, and decorating ideas. Welcome the festivities with tempting treats like Hanukkah Star Cookies and Amazing Honey Cake. Plus there are tons of decorating ideas and craft projects for the whole family. Tots and grandparents alike will take pleasure in constructing simple toys and decorations such as a deliciously detailed Gingerbread Sukkah.

The Christmas Memories Scrapbook is a great way to get your kids involved in the season and creating a memory book that will be a great family keepsake. This is a great outlet for your kids creative energy during their winter vacation. Features areas for readers to fill in their most cherished Christmas memories as well as save photos, letters to Santa, and other holiday memories. There is enough space to cover five years.

Here's how to win of these holiday books:

1. Leave a comment on your favorite book as a kid.
2. Mention how you found this site
3. Check out the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. to see what other kids books they offer.
4. Make sure I can contact you! Either leave an email address in your comment, or make sure that you have contact information on your blog profile.

You can receive an extra entry towards this giveaway if you link to this give-away in your blog and put that link in your comment.

The give-away is open for entries until Sunday, December 14th, at 11:59PM. Winners will be chosen at random, and announced Monday morning. Good luck!

Note: At this time, the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. cannot ship give-away items internationally. They apologize for the inconvenience to all of you great people living outside of the U.S.

Custom Corner Christmas - Last Day!

I value all the employees in my business, but one of main sources of inspiration for me is Vicky Vinson. Not only does she manage my fabric warehouse, as well as coordinate orders with my monogrammer, and help out with custom sewing, she's also a wonderful painter. She is truly an invaluable woman with many talents, who always takes responsibility for her actions and works hard with positive energy to tackle any problem that arises. She's the sort of role model anyone at any age can benefit from.

Today is the last day that she can take orders for custom hand painted furniture for Christmas. These items make great kids Christmas gifts for boys and girls, and the different items fall in a wide price range to make it easy to find something in any budget.

The solid wood custom cradle is one of her top sellers. It comes with a choice of colors for both the cradle and the name of your little girl or her special doll. The bedding comes with a cushion, blanket, and pillow that is available in six fabrics. Then you get pick your accent decorations. The ones pictured are paper doll and pink posy.

The custom vanity will really put a twinkle in any little girl's eyes. Now she'll have room to store all of her combs, brushes, and ribbons. We custom paint this wooden vanity piece to match the decor or decorating theme of your little girls room, as well as add a design accent of your choice!

These custom storage bins are great for keeping your kids bedrooms organized. They are good for storing books, toys, or other goodies. Comes personalized and with any two paint colors of your choosing.

The custom boys collection box is a great gift for any kid who is a bit of a pack rat or just has some special mementos they want to keep safe. It locks and comes with two keys just in case your little boy loses one. There is option for girls too!

Need more room for storage? The toy box is large enough for any childs toys, games, and even a stuffed animal or two. Vicky Vinson will put large design accents of your choice to really give it a fun decorative touch.