8 Kids Thanksgiving Movies

Thursday, October 29, 2020

 Kids Thanksgiving movies are the perfect way to cuddle up together for family movie night leading up to Thanksgiving day. These eight titles will surely become family favorites throughout the holiday season.   

Does anyone else feel like Thanksgiving is a somewhat difficult holiday to celebrate? There aren't too many good Thanksgiving books to read with kids, there seems to be a lot of content that is culturally insensitive to Native Americans and the true origins of the holiday, and finding something to watch that is light and fluffy, while still being festive seems nearly impossible. I've gathered together 8 kids Thanksgiving movies that will hopefully be fun and entertaining while still getting your family in the festive mindset for the upcoming holiday! 

8 Kids Thanksgiving Movies:

Charlie Brown Thanksgiving: Did anyone else grow up watching all things Charlie Brown for every holiday and event? I did and I'm trying to project that onto my children and their future off spring as well. I love the simple message of this movie about gathering with friends and sharing what you have, even if it doesn't look perfect or make total sense. All the Charlie Brown movies will not be avaialable to watch on TV this year, and the DVDs are selling out like crazy online. You can watch for free on AppleTV+ from Nov 25th- Nov 27th. 

Garfield Thanksgiving: Garfield always reminds me of my grandma who was the epitome of creepy cat lady. This Garfield Thanksgiving show is available to watch on Youtube, and if you're into watching a man make Thanksgiving dinner while making a fool of himself, this is for you. It's 30 minutes long and is a great quick watch! 

Free Birds: This cute movie is about two turkeys who are vastly different from each other but decide to work together to travel back in time to get turkey taken off the Thanksgiving dinner menu. It sounds super cute and I'm excited to watch it with my kids! Available to rent or purchase on Amazon.

Winne the Pooh: Seasons of Giving: Is there anything more wholesome than Winnie The Pooh? In this Thanksgiving special Pooh Bear and his friends discover their new favorite season, and find the fixings for the perfect Thanksgiving dinner. You can watch a low quality version for free on Youtube via this playlist, or there are several used DVD options you can find online.

Alvin and the Chipmunks Alvin's Thanksgiving Celebration: Alvin and the Chipmunks were a huge classic in my house growing up. Their Thanksgiving special is wildly popular and on every single Thanksgiving movie list I saw while prepping this post. You can watch this by purchasing the entire Chipmunk Holiday collection on Amazon for $20+ or just the Thanksgiving version for a whopping $35. It might be available to stream from some obscure source online. But these are the two best legal options from what I can see. 

Turkey Hollow: A Jim Henson's movie about two kids who find themselves bored and without internet tracking an elusive monster that everyone else in town thought was an urban legend. A great movie for older kids with live people and rate PG. 

We’re back: A Dinosaur’s Story: A couple of kids in NYC wish for something amazing to happen and find themselves hiding some dinosaurs in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade at the start of their big adventure. DVD is available to purchase on Amazon. 

The Mouse on the Mayflower: This movie tells about the Pilgrims original voyage on The Mayflower from the perspective of a mouse who saves the ship during a storm at sea. When they arrive to America safely they start their church, sign The Mayflower Compact, and have the first Thanksgiving feast. Available to watch on Youtube.

Are there any Kids Thanksgiving Movies you like watching during this time with your children? I'd love to hear about them in the comments below! 

If you liked this post, 8 Kids Thanksgiving Movies, you might also like:

• 7 Books to Read This Thanksgiving
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Be sure to follow along on Instagram @thehappyflammily to stay up-to-date on all the latest posts and projects. 

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Kids Halloween Coloring Pages

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

 If you're looking for some fun inside activities to do with kids this Halloween, these kids Halloween coloring pages are the perfect thing to do on a lazy afternoon. 

Halloween is undoubtedly going to look different this year than it has in the past. I've typically always been involved in school activities, parades, parties, all the fun things leading up to Halloween. This year I'm making myself more of a support role and helping when possible and if needed. I made these Kids Halloween Coloring pages that can easily be printed off and sent to school with my kids if their teachers need something for a class party. Otherwise I'll just have a fun activity I can do at home with the kids over the weekend. 

Kids Halloween Coloring Pages

These kids halloween coloring pages come as a group of six. I tried to have a variety of monsters, bats and spiders, while also keeping some of them cute and fun as well. My personal favorite happens to be the Halloween coloring page with the cauldron and the candy, but I also love the page with the monsters as well. 

The coloring pages provided would be great for kids in the age range of Kindergarten through 5th grade. They have big thick lines and wide open spaces that make it easy for younger kids to color. 

How to Print Kids Halloween Coloring Pages

To download this month's coloring pages, scroll down to the bottom of this post where you can click a link to take you to the free downloads. It will take you to a google drive where you can download the files onto your computer, or print them directly from the drive.

My Favorite Printer:

If you're in the market for a new printer, we just bought the Epson Super Tank printer from Target and it's been the best purchase ever! With the ink that comes in the box, you can print 4,500 color pages and 7,000 black and white pages before having to buy more ink! For our family this printer will pay for itself in less than six months! We have zero regrets about this printer!

Click Here to Download Kids Halloween Coloring Pages

If you liked this post, Kids Halloween Coloring Pages, you might also like:

• 31 Best Kids Halloween Movies
• Halloween Party Activities
• Halloween Books for Kids

Be sure to follow along on Instagram @thehappyflammily to stay up-to-date on all the latest posts and projects.

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The Best Halloween Party Activities

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Last year right before Halloween I let Kyle and Kinsley have a few friends over from school for a Halloween party. Since our kids have summer birthdays that don't translate well to birthday parties with everyone being out of town on vacation, an annual Halloween party has been a bit of our substitute. 

I'm not one for getting too fancy with parties and making anything super extravagant, but this party was so easy to put together literally anyone could do it. A tray of Halloween candy from Amazon, some Halloween themed snacks from the grocery store, and and a few Halloween party activities made this party super easy to throw together. 

If you're planning a party this fall and need some Halloween party activities for the occasion, I've got you four easy Halloween party activities you can do with minimal prep work on your end. 

Four Halloween Party Activities:

A Halloween Snack Time: 

If you're looking to kill time at a party until parents get back, never underestimate the power of a nice long snack time. Turns out kids love to eat. For this party we served some basic snacks all kids like: pretzels, veggie straws, and crackers. Than I bought a tray of Halloween candy on Amazon which was super festive and almost no work on my end. I finished things off with some Halloween themed Kool-Aid, and Dollar Tree plates and napkins and our Halloween snack time was complete. 

Halloween Themed Painting Kits:

I found these wooden Halloween painting kits at the craft store for about 75 cents and purchased one for each of the kids at the party. I've also seen them at Dollar Tree and Target, so keep an eye out and you're sure to find them. The idea of having seven kids painting in my house all at once was a little nerve wracking, but it honestly wasn't that bad and they all loved getting to paint their craft!

Halloween Bingo:

This is my go-to for basically any Halloween party. Class party: bingo. House party: bingo. Family party... you get the idea. I love these free Halloween Bingo Printables from Crazy Little Projects, and have used them several times over the years! We used the candy from the candy tray as our markers, which made it all the more fun for our participants! 

Pin the Bat on the Web:

One of our Halloween traditions is making a big spider web on the wall of our house. I do this using black painters tape and it's super easy to put together. For a full tutorial, you can see this Halloween Tablescape blog post. For this game I traced and cut out black bats with construction paper, wrote each child's name on the bat, and then they got to put a blindfold on, spin around, and see how close to the center of the web they could get their bat. 

These are some of our go-to Halloween party activities, but I'd love to know if there are other things you love doing with your kids in the comments!

If you loved this post, The Best Halloween Party Activities, you might also like:

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Be sure to follow along on Instagram @thehappyflammily to stay up-to-date on all the latests posts and projects!

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31 Best Kids Halloween Movies

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

It's become a tradition for us to stay up past bedtime on Fridays to watch a movie with Kyle. It's really great one-on-one time with he, Derek, and I. With Halloween coming up in just five more weeks I thought it would be fun to add some Halloween movies into our rotation to get into the holiday spirit. 

Some of the best kids Halloween movies I'm convinced actually came out when Derek and I were growing up, so this list definitely has a mix of old and new. Some of these Halloween movies I have admittedly not seen before (hello, did you know there was a Grinch Halloween movie?), but I'm super excited to give them a try and see what our family thinks. 

31 Best Kids Halloween Movies:

Hocus Pocus: A fun classic that's needed in everyone's home, this movie about 17th century witches who get conjured up by some pranksters is available to rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated PG.

The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown: I don't think I've ever gone a Halloween season without watching this. It's an absolute classic and is perfect for kids of any age. You can rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated G.

Casper: This could have also been expanded to When Casper Meets Wendy and the other movies in the franchise, but there is something about the original that is the best. Available to rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated PG.

Halloweentown: Derek claims I'm deprived because I've never seen this movie but it's apparently a classic that everyone has seen and apparently you need to see it as well if you have not. Available to rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated G.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Derek said I should add all 8 movies to the list, but for some reason, the first one just feels the most like Halloween to me! You'll have to vote and tell me your opinion on this too! Available to rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated PG.

Double Trouble Toil and Trouble: Another classic from Derek's childhood that I can likely get behind with the young version of Mary Kate and Ashley Olson. On this adventure their nasty witch Aunt Agatha trapped her twin sister under a spell and it's the twins job to save her before it's too late. Available to rent or purchase on amazon. Not Rated. 

Twitches: Anyone else a lifelong Tia and Tamara fan? These Disney Channel movies were my lifeblood growing up during Halloween time and I'm excited to rewatch them this year and relive my middle school glory days. This fun movie is about twin girls who were separated at birth and find out they have magical powers. Available to rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated PG.

Twitches Too: The sequel to the first movie, available to rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated PG.

The Nightmare Before Christmas: Is this a Christmas movie or a Halloween movie? I may never know for sure, but it's a classic and needs to be included on this list. Available to rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated PG.

Monster House: Three friends find out that their neighbors house is actually a real life monster. Available to rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated PG.

Coraline: From the makers of Nightmare before Chirsmtas, Coraline finds herself torn between her real life and this false reality that depicts what she thinks she wants. Available to rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated PG. 

Adam's Family: To be honest I'm not a huge fan of the Adam's Family franchise but this animated version came out in 2019 and I think it's a great mix of both spooky and lighthearted for kids. Available to rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated PG.

Hotel Transylvania: Our entire household are massive fans of the entire Hotel Transylvania franchise. They're just so funny and we find ourselves quoting them all the time. You hands down need to watch at least the first one this holiday season. Available to rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated PG. 

Toy Story of Terror: This is a 22 minute short film from our favorite Toy Story friends in a spooky Halloween scene. Available on Amazon or Disney Plus. Not Rated.

Room on the Broom: This 30 minute short film is a retelling of the best selling childhood picture book. It's a Halloween classic in our house that we usually watch the night of pumpkin carving in our house. Available to watch for free with an Amazon Prime membership. Rated G.

Paranoman: From the makers of Coraline is the story about a boy named Norman who needs to use his ability to see and speak to the dead to save his town from an ancient curse. Available to rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated PG.

Cocoa: This movie represents the Day of the Day in Mexico more then Halloween, but celebrated all in the same timeframe. This Disney movie is about a boy who needs to go to the land of the dead to save his Great Grandfather's memory and fins out secrets of his family's past. Available to rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated PG.

Corpse Bride: Another Tim Burton film about a man who is whisked to the underworld to marry a corpse bride while his living bride awaits him in the land of the living. Available to rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated PG.

Ghostbusters: Confession, I've never seen this movie. I know, gasp. I'm told ghosts invade NY and three exterminators have to save the city, and that it features Bill Murray, so if that sounds like something you're into it's available to rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated PG.

ET: Another movie I haven't seen, an alien get stranded on earth and find a suburban boy who helps him get home. Available to rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated PG.

Monsters Vs Aliens: When aliens attach earth it's the monsters job to protect us all. Available to rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated PG.

Monster Family: A regular family goes to a Halloween party when they're struck by a curse and are stuck as monsters in the costumes. They have to find out the root of their curse while staying together as a family. Available to rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated PG.

Halloween is Grinch Night: Is anyone else as shook by this as me? Apparently this 25 minute short film is the prequel to How the Grinch Stole Christmas. You can watch it for free on Youtube and you better believe I'll be watching it this year. No Rating.

James and the Giant Peach: I don't know if this is a Halloween movie or not but when else would you watch a movie about a boy whose parents get eaten by rhinos and then travels to NY on a giant each steered by bugs? Available to rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated PG.

Frakenweenie: Another Tim Burton movie about a dog who comes back to life in this offbeat Halloween tale. Available to rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated PG.

Spooky Buddies: A bunch of golden retrievers going on a trip through a haunted mansion? Seems like something my kids can get behind. Available to rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated G.

The Haunted Mansion: Eddy Murphy stars in this movie about an over worked real estate agent who takes his family to a haunted mansion. Available to rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated PG.

Mom's Got A Date With A Vampire: Who else remembers this Disney Channel movie about two kids who set their mom up on a date with a vampire? Available to rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated G.

The Little Vampire: I totally remember watching this when I was little. A boy name Tony befriends a vampire and tries to help him and him mom become human again. Available to rent or purchase on Amazon. Rated PG.

Arthur and the Haunted Tree House: Arthur and his friends go trick or treating and then have a sleep over in their haunted treehouse. Available to free on Amazon Prime. Rated G. 

Dear Dracula: A boy wants a Dracula toy and his grandmother tells him to write to Santa asking for one. He decides to write to Dracula instead. Available to purchase at Target. Rated TV-Y.

Do you have a favorite Halloween movie that didn't make this list? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below! 

If you liked this post, 31 Best Kids Halloween Movies, you might also like:

• 17 Halloween Books for Kids
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Be sure to follow along on Instagram @thehappyflammily to stay up-to-date on all the latest posts and projects!

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DIY Halloween Popcorn Party Favors

Sunday, September 20, 2020

DIY Halloween Popcorn Party Favors are a quick and easy Halloween treat to put together for any family or class Halloween Party.

With Halloween right around the corner I'm getting excited for all the family parties, dinners, decor, and festivities that are ahead of us. Halloween is one of my very favorite holidays and I love celebrating it with my kids each year. Derek's family hosts a Halloween party each year for the nieces and nephews and it's something that we're looking forward to doing again this year. 

I made these Halloween Popcorn Party favors a few years ago, and I think that they would be the perfect Halloween party favor for any festivity that you're participating in this year. They can easily be adapted with seal snack size bags of popcorn for a class party, or you can fill your own snack size baggie with some popcorn and make yours how I did below! 

What You Need to Make Halloween Popcorn Party Favors: 

These Halloween Popcorn Party Favors are super easy to make! All you need is some popcorn, snack sized ziplock bags, construction paper or cardstock, and some spooky Halloween stickers to make this easy craft come to life. If you can't find stickers you could even cut out black construction paper into the shape of bats.

You'll also need some simple items from your home such as a pencil, ruler, scissors, and a stapler to put the finishing touches on your popcorn party favors. 

How to Make Halloween Popcorn Party Favors:

To make these the halloween popcorn party favors the first thing you're going to do is trace your snack size sandwich bag out onto a piece of paper. This should give you a square/rectangle shape the exact size as your sandwich bag. 

Then you're going to cut out that square and fold it in half. Once your paper is folded in half you can then stick your bat stickers (or any Halloween stickers of your choice), or your bats that you drew and cut out, onto the center of your folded piece of paper. 

Once you have your bat on your paper you're going to stick the side of your baggie with the ziplock opening inside the folded portion of your paper so that the ziplock is covered. From there you staple the piece of paper in place to make a super cute and easy halloween popcorn party favor for your next family gathering or school party! Repeat this process as necessary until you have all the bags you need.

Supplies:

Halloween Colored Construction Paper or Card Stock (purple, green, orange, etc...)

6 Snack Size Sealable Baggies

Ruler

Scissors 

Pencil

Stapler

Bat Stickers or Cut Out Your Own Bats

Directions:

1. Trace a snack size sandwich baggie onto a piece of card stock
2. Cut out your shape and then fold it in half. 
3. Stick your bat stickers onto the middle of your folded paper, or tape/staple your drawn bat onto your folded paper. 
4. Stick the opening side of your resealable bag into the folded part of your paper and then staple your bat paper onto your bag. 
5. Repeat as necessary until all of your popcorn bags are completed!

Other posts you might like:

• DIY Dollar Tree Fall Centerpiece
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• Halloween Pudding Cups

Be sure to follow along on Instagram @thehappyflammily to stay up-to-date on all the latest posts and projects!

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Birthday Gifts for 8-Year-Old Boy

Thursday, August 6, 2020

Kyle turns eight at the end of the week and I honestly can't believe that he's really going to be that old. Eight just sounds old to me. I've been really wanting to get Kyle some more intentional gifts this year instead of toys because I feel like we get him something really cool and fancy and then a week later he is over it, and is back to playing with Legos and Hot Wheels or other things that he's liked for the last five years. This year instead we focused on more practical things for him. Items we know will get used, are still fun, and will actually get played with. 

If you're in the market for some birthday gifts for an 8-year-old boy, I've got you covered with some great and practical ideas that any child will love. 

Birthday Gifts for 8-Year-Old Boy:

Soccer Ball and Pump:

Kyle lost his soccer ball sometime in the last year. With soccer starting up again one of his Grandma's bought him a soccer ball and a pump (which we've never had), so that he'll be all set to start soccer in a couple weeks. He's missed being able to play soccer in our backyard and so he's going to love this so much. 

Soccer Goals:

My mom bought him these pop-up soccer goals for him to use in our backyard and I'm honestly super excited about them. I also love playing soccer, so now that we can play one-on-one in the backyard with real goals instead of cardboard boxes seems super fancy to me! Kinsley will get plenty of enjoyment trying to kick the ball into them as well. 

A Telescope: 

He's been asking for a telescope for the last year and we've always forgotten about it anytime a gift giving moment comes. We'd gotten a $100 Best Buy gift card when we purchased our washer and dryer last month, and used part of that to get him this telescope! It came with a four star review, and a microscope kit too, so I think he's going to love it, and it will come in handy now that we're homeschooling this year too. 

A New Bike Helmet:

Kyle has been using this Olaf bike helmet for four years now. In as much as it still fits him, he's outgrown it from a maturity standpoint. We purchased him this matte black bike helmet and I think he's going to love cruising up and down the street in his Storm Trooper bike a lot more now that he won't have an enormous carrot sticking out of his head. 

An Experience Gift:

My dad has always been the type of person to just mail checks for birthday's and this year he felt bad and asked if we'd rather do something else, I told him to keep doing what he's doing! This year we're using the check to have a really fun beach day up at Pineview Reservoir. We used the money he sent to buy some cheap beach toys and a pop-up shade tent for the beach, so what he really ended up giving Kyle was the main fun activity that he'll get to do on his special day, and we're so grateful for it! 

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Be sure to follow along on Instagram @thehappyflammily to stay up-to-date on all the latest posts and projects!

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Last Minute Father's Day Gift Guide Under $100

Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Father's Day is just a few days away and I can honestly say I've made zero preparations. Luckily Amazon Prime always has my back and is probably the best $10 I spend every single month. While Derek typically says he doesn't need anything and to not bother about gifts on Father's Day, he's actually fun to shop for this year because he recently picked up running the last few months and has been doing a lot of hikes, so it's fun to be able to shop to those interests. 

While I'm not planning on purchasing everything on this list, here are a few ideas I've had, and hopefully they'll provide some good ideas for you as well. The best part about this Father's Day Gift Guide is that everything is under $100. If you need some budget friendly Father's Day gift ideas, look no further!

Noise Canceling Headphones: Since Derek is working from home and will be working from home until December, I thought noise canceling headphones would be perfect for him taking calls while home. These headphones are less than $100, have thousands of positive reviews on Amazon, and could be a great budget friendly alternative to Bose headphones. 

Garmin GPS Watch: I've had a Garmin GPS watch for running the last three years and love it! Derek has been running a couple times a week and going on weekly hikes as well, so I think this would be fun for him to track all of his training with. I love that this one is under $100 and super user friendly!

Real Running Shorts: Does your husband go running in super baggy basketball shorts or is that just mine? I'm convinced Derek could run a bit faster if his shorts weren't weighing him down. I think 7 inch running shorts are perfect for men who don't want to wear short-shorts, but also want a fabric that is more lightweight and breathable than traditional basketball shorts. These are under $20 and highly rated! 

Camelback Water Bottle: I've been a huge fan of Camelback water bottles for years! I just recently learned that they have vacuum sealed water bottles that rival Yeti at a lower cost, and I totally want to try them out! 

Spike Ball Set: I played spike ball for the first time at girl's camp a few years ago and it was so much fun. Spike ball sets can get pretty pricey though. This Slammo set has high reviews, and is under $35. That's some big savings when compared to the name brand set that runs between $55-$100. 

Hiking Socks: We bought these socks for Derek last year before we went on an 18 mile trek and they worked really well! I have the same set in the women's version and love them. They're super thick, but don't make your feet hot, and provide a lot of protection against blisters! 

Adidas Slides: I have a pair of Adidas Slides that I've worn daily for almost three years now. I always leave them by the front door, and Derek is constantly taking them when he lets the dog out to go to the bathroom. I'd love to get him his own pair that actually fit his feet!

Hammock Stand: We've been needing a hammock stand for a hammock we got as a wedding gift for about nine years now. We're planning on getting one when we move to our new house in a few weeks. This stand is only $85 and looks great! 

What are you getting the man in your life for Father's Day this year? I'd love to hear some of your suggestions in the comments below! 


Be sure to stay up-to-date on all of the latest things in our lives by following along in instagram @thehappyflammily!

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How We're Celebrating Easter at Home in Quarantine

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

This Easter is certainly going to be like no other Easter we've ever celebrated. I think because it will likely be one of a kind, we have an opportunity to truly make it an occasion that our children will never forget. I want it to be a memorable and spiritually uplifting experience that our family can look back on and remember for years and years to come. I have a lot of plans for the next several days, and I really can't wait to just slow down and enjoy these moments with Kyle, Kinsley, and Derek. 

Coloring Easter Eggs:

We bought some crafting eggs and a dying kit from the store a few weeks ago and this is the first Easter activity that we'll do together as a family, most likely on Friday when school work is done for the week. I like to get all the "play" activities done on Friday and Saturday so that we can really focus on the Savior when Sunday comes. 

Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday:

I haven't decided if I want to do this in the green space at our townhomes, or if we want to just do it inside. Most likely we'll do this Saturday morning. I really don't go over board on the egg hunt. Each child will get 12 eggs, and we have a mixture of little plastic toys from Target, and small candies to go in each of them. 

Resurrection Rolls Saturday Night:

I went on a first date with someone in college who took me to his place to make "Resurrection Rolls" (this felt super normal at the time, but now I think it might have been a strange first date choice but whatever... I was 18). Now that I'm a parent though, I've really wanted to do it with my children. 

Simply take a package of Crescent Rolls and roll a large marshmallow in each one. Dip in melted butter and sugar, and then bake in the oven. When they come out, the marshmallows basically disappear. 

You can use this moment to talk to your kids about how when Christ was placed in the tomb, he was resurrected on the third day, and wasn't there anymore. Just like the missing marshmallow. 

You can find a complete detailed recipe, and the symbolism of everything here: Empty Tomb Rolls, The Girl Who Ate Everything

Wake up on Sunday, Eat Breakfast, and do Easter Baskets:

When we all wake up we'll head downstairs and get the Easter Baskets and breakfast out of the way first thing. I don't really feel like making a huge fancy breakfast this year, but just found these Easter Bunny Pancakes that look darling, so I think that's the route I'll go. 

After that we'll look through our Easter Baskets, and then head upstairs to get dressed for the day. 

Get Dressed up on Sunday Morning:

We have not been getting dressed up every Sunday for church since the quarantine started. We get ready and put nicer clothes on, but honestly it's a lot of work for little reward in our house, and I think our Sunday's have been just as spiritual as they would have been otherwise. 

That being said, I got sucked into some Facebook ads that led me to purchasing this dress for Kinsley and this shirt for Kyle, and the rest was kind of history. 

Have an At Home Church Service:

Once we're all dressed and ready we plan on having church at home with our children. I have a year long subscription to Come Follow Me FHE, and we've been using Angie's lessons every single week with the kids during quarantine so far. It's serisouly saved our bacon for the last month. 

We plan on using the Come Follow Me FHE lesson materials, along with the 12 Resurrection Eggs story. You basically put 12 small objects into 12 Easter eggs, open them one by one, and each object represents an aspect of the Savior's life. Each egg has an accompanying scripture to go with it. You can see full details on how this works here: Resurrection Eggs, teachbesideme.com

I also plan on reading this new board book that we got for the kids, and then calling it good. 

Take a Front Porch Picture:

Front porch pictures have become the new thing on the internet with everyone in quarantine. I thought it would be fun to do ours when we're in our Easter clothes. It would be a special way to not only remember this Easter, but the quarantine as well. 

Make Easter Dinner:

We bought a ham for Christmas that was way too big for us to eat, so we actually cut it in half before we cooked it and stuck it in the freezer. I plan on cooking that in the crockpot for dinner and making some rolls, potatoes, salad, and veggies, and then calling it good on the dinner front. 

How are you celebrating Easter this year? I'd love to hear the details in the comments below!


Be sure to stay up-to-date on all of the latest things in our lives by following along in instagram @thehappyflammily!

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40+ Easter Activities with Kids

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Over the weekend I asked on Instagram what kind of content you all wanted to see over here for the next little bit, and there was an overwhelmingly large request for Easter ideas. Spending a holiday in quarantine away from extended family is not ideal, but also not being able to do local Easter Egg Hunts and other traditions may feel a little discouraging. I've gathered a list of some fun Easter activities that I've found that would be super easy to implement at home right now, that will help to make the season memorable for you and your children. 

At Home Easter Egg Hunts: Growing up we never went anywhere to do a community based Easter Egg Hunt. I never even knew this was a thing until I married Derek and found out his town does one each year. Growing up my mom always hid eggs around the house, and one year in high school I remember Eggs were hidden outside, but that was as elaborate as it ever got. We plan on doing on either in the green space of our townhouses where we live, or just doing it inside and calling it a day!

Dye Fake Easter Eggs: I had someone reach out and mention that due to food shortages at the stores, people are recommending that we don't dye eggs this year for Easter. My Target Dollar Spot had a dozen of paintable white crafting eggs for $3. We plan on dying these just like we would normal eggs this year. If you can't find them at Target, try the Dollar Tree, Michael's, Joann's, etc...  or the crafting section of your Target might have another brand, called Spritz, and those eggs are $3.99 for one dozen. Our store was sold out of the white ones in the craft section (only had black left), but I was able to find the white ones in The Dollar Spot. 

Free Easter Coloring Pages: I made these coloring pages a few weeks ago, and they would be a fun activity to print off one afternoon for your children. They're free as long as you have a printer and involve almost no prep work. 

Easter Egg Learning Activity: A few years ago some moms and I got together to make some busy bag activities for our toddlers. These Easter eggs were my contribution to the project. Simply write the number word on one side, and the actual number on the other, and help your child match them up!

Read Easter Books: I love celebrating holidays with books. If you missed my post about Easter Books, be sure to check it out here! 

Dollar Store Craft Supplies: The Dollar Spot at Target and the Dollar Tree have lots of fun Easter activities right now. You can find little painting kits, slime, bath paints, etc... I usually try to have a couple painting kits on hand throughout each holiday for a fun and easy activity that the kids can do!

Color By Number Easter Book: We got Kyle one of these color by number books for Halloween, and I believe Christmas as well. He really loves them, and they're a super easy activity to help bring in the holiday spirit. We ordered him one today, and I'm excited for it to get here for him this weekend. 

Peep House Competition: If you can't get your hands on any eggs to dye with your kids, this peeps house building competition would be so much fun! It's basically gingerbread house building turned Easter, and I really think I want to do this with my own kids! So fun and cute! (Idea from Views From A Step Stool)

Easter Bingo: I found this on Love, Play, Learn's site. It's a free download that you can print off and would be a fun and easy activity to pull out for your kid's one afternoon! Click the image on her site to download the five page PDF with bingo sheets and call cards. 

If you need more super cute and adorable Easter ideas, you can head on over to kidfriendlythingstodo.com where you can find over 30 fun Easter craft ideas to do with your kids!


Be sure to stay up-to-date on all of the latest things in our lives by following along in instagram @thehappyflammily!

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FREE Easter Springtime Coloring Pages

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Spring is right around the corner and I'm sure we're all looking for simple things to do with our kids these days. I made some fun Easter printables for my own kids over the weekend and thought that it would be fun to share them with each of you.

While we're in the throws of homeschooling and being with our kids all the time, I love to use the afternoons to let our kids be more creative. Whether that's painting, coloring, making jewelry with beads, baking, etc... I really like to let the creative juices flow in the afternoons. Having some new and exciting coloring sheets on hand is an easy way to introduce them to something they haven't seen before, and give them them something new to spark their interests. 

Click here to download your free springtime coloring pack! 


Be sure to stay up-to-date on all of the latest things in our lives by following along in instagram @thehappyflammily!

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St Patrick's Mason Jar Centerpiece DIY

Monday, February 24, 2020

Crafting is not something that comes naturally, but I really love when you can make something that turns out super cute and costs less than what you can get already put together at a store somewhere. Bonus points when the DIY you're working with is so easy its literally fool proof. 

We've never had any fun St Patrick's decorations in the past, and while I'm not about to make my home look like a green explosion, I thought that this little St Patrick's Day mason jar centerpiece would be a fun little touch to make it look like we're somewhat in the holiday spirit over here. 

The supplies for this project were super easy to come by. I already had the mason jars from this Dollar Tree Fall Centerpiece I posted about several months ago, I already had the greenery that I put in them from that previous project as well. I added a can of gold spray paint into my Walmart Grocery Delivery order, and I got the shamrock stickers from the Dollar Tree. Everything is super easy and accessible, and you don't need to chase down supplies from a million stores, my kind of DIY. 

Supplies:

3 Mason Jars (Dollar Tree or Walmart)

Gold Spray Paint (Walmart)

Shamrock Stickers (Amazon)

Greenery (Amazon)

Directions:

Start off by spraying your mason jars evenly with the gold spray paint and allow them to try in a cool dry place. 

One the paint is dry and you're able to handle the jars, place your stickers onto the jars. I did mine in a staggering pattern. Working vertically and starting at the top I did three stickers in one row, and then staggered two stickers in the next row, and then three stickers in the following row, and worked that pattern all around the jar. 

Once you've finished sticking on all of your stickers, add some fun spring time greenery, and add to your favorite little nook in your home!


Be sure to stay up-to-date on all of the latest things in our lives by following along in instagram @thehappyflammily!

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Best St Patrick's Day Books

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

This list has some of the Best St Patrick's Day books for your younger readers who love picture books and older kids who love chapter books!

Happy Day 3 of our St Patrick's Day week! I love a good holiday themed book as much as the next parent, and over the years I've collected a few great gems for St Patrick's Day. I think our great collection of St Patty's Day books is why Kyle keeps going around the house saying this is his favorite holiday. Books are such an easy way to celebrate almost any occasion, which is why I make them a part of every holiday in our home. If you're looking for The Best St Patrick's Day Books, consider adding a couple of these to your collection.

Best St Patrick's Day Picture Books:

1. The Story of St Patrick: I love a good, fun, silly book, but I also love to have at least one book that talks about what each holiday is actually about. This book does a great job of telling the story of who St Patrick was, and why we celebrate this day in a great way for young audiences.

2. St Patrick's Day in the Morning: This story is about a boy named Jamie who will do whatever it takes to march in the St. Patrick's Parade. This is a flagship book from my own childhood.

3. The Luckiest St Patrick's Day Ever: This is a fun quick read that we got at the library. It takes you through a town's St Patrick's celebration and parade!

4. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover: Kyle is a huge fan of the, "There Was an Old Lady..." series. We bought this one last year and it's a repeat this time of year!

5. The Night Before St Patrick's Day: I love every holiday book in this series and this one is just as good as the rest! The kids try to make a leprechaun trap, but do they actually get him?

6. How to Catch a Leprechaun: Another fun and lively book about catching leprechauns. My kids love this one, and it's a super fun and quick read.

Best St. Patrick's Day Chapter Books:

These St Patrick's day chapter books are perfect if you're in the market for a St Patrick's Day read-aloud that you can share with your entire family. These chapter books are super fun and have a mix of something that will appeal to all audiences!

1. St. Patrick's Day from the Black Lagoon: This is number 19 in The Black Lagoon series and is a super great read for any 2nd-5th grader in your life. If you have kids that love The Black Lagoon series like Kyle does, this will be a no brainer to grab at your next library day!

2. Calendar Mysteries #3: March Mischief: Kyle loves anything and everything by Ron Roy. He's read both the Capital Mysteries and A to Z Mysteries so far, and we're excited to start this series next. Luckily they have a book just in time for St Patrick's!

3. Leprechaun's Don't Play Basketball: The basketball team is convinced their coach is a leprechaun, but is he really? I guess you'll have to read this to find out ;)

4. Leprechauns and Irish Folklore: This is a Fact Checker book from the Magic Treehouse series. These are fun books that give more non-fiction details into what the other books in the series talk about. We haven't read any of these yet, but it will be super fun to grab a copy of this to read with Kyle next month!

5. Merlin Missions: Leprechaun in Late Winter: Merlin Missions are the more advanced readers of The Magic Treehouse Series. Kyle has read all of these, and this one is one of his very favorites! If you have Jack and Annie lovers in your house, you'll definitely want to snag a copy of this to read soon!

6. Green Gravy (Cul-de-Sac Kids Series): This story is about a girl named Carly who becomes student of the week and makes the entire class do St Patty's traditions against their will because she's Irish. Her adopted twin brother from Korea doesn't want to join in on the fun though which causes a bit of sibling rivalry which eventually gets resolved.

Do you have books you love reading with your kid's for St Patrick's? I'd love to hear in the comments below!

If you liked this post, Best St Patrick's Day Books, you might also like:

• 13 Easter Picture Books
• 7 Books to Read This Thanksgiving
• 17 Halloween Books for Kids

Be sure to stay up-to-date on all of the latest things in our lives by following along on instagram @thehappyflammily!

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