christmas Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Everything's Famtastic

December 16, 2021December 16, 2021

How to Make Last Minute Easy Cinnamon Christmas Candle Decor

Mmmm, why is it that so many of us associate Christmas with food smells?

I mean, there IS also the spending-time-with-loved-ones thing. And the gift-giving. And the decorating-the-house thing.

But so often it comes back to the Christmas-y smells and the food.

Now, I do not have a recipe for you. Although I CAN share a quick and easy way you can add a Christmas scent to the air.

In my last post I shared a stack of simple, fun Christmas crafts and DIY activities for kids. But there’s one I left out. And I’m telling you, it’s the easiest of them all!

I’m talking about making your own last minute Christmas décor using candles with an added secret Christmas smell! You can make one in a matter of minutes. Or, just imagine it, you could let your kids make the candles, which leaves YOU free to finish off the goodies in the kitchen!

Are you ready? Yes? Then you need to check out this quick tutorial: how-to make your own cinnamon Christmas candles. (I PROMISE you there will be no dealing with melted wax making these.) Read on!

December 2, 2021December 2, 2021

Make, Bake & Sew: 15 Fun & Easy Christmas Projects for Kids

Christmas is coming reeeeeeal soon and the Christmas spirit is in the air!

Well, at least it is in our house. And when I say “Christmas spirit” I mean, studying toy catalogues for ideas and excitedly writing out Christmas wish lists with dozens and dozens of ideas.

The kids are just SO EXCITED about Christmas being so near. Aside from hoping for a stack of Lego sets and a mountain of new books, there is also building excitement about buying the Christmas tree and how to decorate the house and what foods we can start making now and which ones we will be enjoying at Christmas time.

And all of this means it’s time to start digging out the colourful craft supplies and shopping for the groceries to bake delicious-looking Christmas recipes.

But Christmas can also be a stressful time, keeping up with the kids and ALL.THE.THINGS. that need to be organised.

Are YOU ready for getting creative with your kids? Or maybe not… Perhaps you’re not quite there yet and actually looking for some new inspiration. Or perhaps you don’t see yourself as creative and are actually dreading feeling obligated to “do Christmas stuff” with your kids.

Well, I can definitely help you with that right now!

This post contains loads of kid-friendly (and budget-friendly) Christmas activities to sew, bake and make this festive season, with an emphasis on less stress and more fun and happy faces. Sound good?

November 18, 2021April 10, 2022

Sensational Book Series for Boys Aged 6 to 9 Years

This week’s post is going to be all about books. The fun kind. For boys. It’s a change of pace from the last few posts I have written here. And afterall, the season of gift-giving is coming. Maybe you’ll find some inspiring gift ideas. 😉

By the way, I have some great gift ideas for bookworms which might help you out, if your kids are anything like mine and your book collection has grown to epic proportions!

But for now, let’s get back to the world of books.

Both of my daughters LOVE books and were so determined to share their ~~addiction~~ love of reading with others, that they begged me to let them write a list of book series they highly recommend. You can read those lists here: book series for girls 6 to 9 and book series for girls 9 to 12.

But God forbid my son be left out of the action. He too wanted to share his love of reading with other kids (Hello, Bookworm #3 of the family!) and voila! Here we are.

If you are ready to dive into the world of unbeatable book series for boys, then you’ll want to keep reading!

December 10, 2020June 26, 2021

What’s Christmas like in…? Fun Christmas Traditions Around the World

I’ve got a real treat for you today! I am taking you on a sleigh ride to peek at how people celebrate Christmas around the world! And you don’t even need to pay for the fare. It’s my feel-good Christmas surprise for you!

I’ve got a bunch of expat friends and bloggers together to write about what Christmas is like for them in their respective adopted countries. It’s a really fun insider’s look at this lovely time of the year.

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Have you ever wondered how people celebrate Christmas in other countries? Maybe you didn’t even know that the 25^th December is not always a big deal in holiday celebrations at this time of year. Well then, buckle up and come along for the ride to explore Christmas traditions around the world with me!

November 26, 2020July 2, 2024

How to Sew: The Ultimate Handmade Relaxing Neck Pillow

Just the other week I shared with you a list of great gift ideas for book lovers, when you want to avoid giving them yet another book. (Didn’t catch it? Read the list here.)

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There was one suggestion in there in particular that I know caught a lot of attention: that funky-looking neck support pillow. Remember? The one that was shaped a little like a dog’s bone?!?

They are so practical AND cute. You can use it as

> a neck rest (lean back and relax!)

> a book stand

> or just a comfy pillow to snuggle up with.

“What else is so good about a neck support pillow?” I hear you asking. Well, they’re ideal for a personalised, unique gift for any occasion (Hello, Christmas gift! Hello, birthday present!) for friends and family of all ages. And who doesn’t like comfort when reading?!?

What’s also super cool about these relaxing reading pillows is that they are SO easy to sew! Yes, even for beginners! (Trust me 😉)

And I’m here to share the details with you, how YOU too can DIY one of these super comfy, relaxing neck support pillows!

November 12, 2020January 18, 2023

Guide to the Greatest Gifts Book Lovers will Adore!

I love my kids. I love how they constantly have an abundance of creative ideas! And I love how they are always asking about Everything’s Famtastic and offering me ideas of what I could write about here. This post is the result of exactly this type of enthusiasm and brain-storming. Well, sort of… in a roundabout way… 😉

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All 3 of my kids are MASSIVE bookworms. My 2 daughters have been so for a loooong time. And my son, who just started school this year and always had an affinity for books, can now proudly read for himself. Suffice to say, that this bilingual household is overflowing with German and English children’s books!

A while back my eldest daughter wrote a (now very popular!) post about super books series for girls aged 9-12. And then my younger daughter published her list of must-read book series for girls 6 – 9 years. So naturally, they keep prodding me to write even more blog posts here about kids’ books.

But this article isn’t about books per se, rather about creative gifts for the book lover in your life. These gift ideas are perfect for bookworms of any age, especially if you are trying to avoid adding to the already sagging bookshelf!

So, what present do you give a book lover, if not books?!? Well, in this list we have thought of all the things an avid reader needs to stay comfortable, undisturbed and busy in their reading “happy place”! There’s also printables to keep an eye out for.

Be careful though! These gift ideas are SO GOOD that your bookworm may get so settled, you might never see them again! Take a look for yourself…

February 6, 2020April 16, 2024

Brilliant Book Series Girls 6 to 9 Years Old will Love

Wait! What?!? Are we in February already? Whoa! I have been working countless hours behind the scenes here on Everything’s Famtastic, studying and planning and preparing great content to serve you better. And I was starting to think that February might have been a little sewing-biased. And that would have been OK. But no! Not anymore!

My younger daughter decided that enough was enough. She was waiting no longer to have her turn in the spotlight like her bigger sister before her. So for this week, sewing chit chat is off the table, and children’s book reviews are the thing everyone is talking about.

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If you remember, a few weeks back my eldest daughter (Miss 11) wanted to create a post reviewing her personally chosen and recommended book series for girls aged 9 to 12 years old. I was responsible for the general blurb, she wrote the review entirely independently. I’ve gotta say, I was REALLY proud of her and I’ve received a lot of positive feedback for her reviews 😊. *pat on the back Miss 11*

Not only our eldest daughter, but also our younger daughter and son are all complete and utter bookworms. Hand them a half-interesting book and it may well be finished within hours. Naturally Miss 8 (and Master 6, to be honest) also want to share their opinions of the best books to read. And by share, I mean, write a review here on this very blog. Who said the fam in FAMtastic didn’t stand for family?!?

So, without further ado, come and take a look at Miss 8’s recommended, best book series for 6 to 9 year old girls! I’m really excited that she wants to get on board with my blog! Read on…

December 19, 2019November 7, 2021

45 Excellent Experience Gift Ideas

I’m not going to pretend it’s not happening: Christmas is coming!! In less than a week folks! How organised are you? Have you already bought all of the presents you had planned to? Or are you still desperately trying to come up with some original Christmas gift ideas?

Ok, let’s just cut to the chase, shall we?

Buying gifts for Christmas, en masse (but birthdays too) can be stressful. You’re daydreaming of having a few days off work. Maybe planning what you are going to feed everybody. The shops are full. It seems that every other person in your town is out there RIGHT NOW doing the same harried shopping trip. If you’re lucky you can go shopping alone, without the kids who GUARANTEED will see more things to add to their Christmas wish list. And if it’s a successful shop, you have to lug it all home, wrap the gifts and hide them somewhere (don’t forget to remember WHERE!!!) until Christmas.

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If you are trying to be even the least bit conscious of reducing the plastic packaging and waste in your household (like we have been trying to do. Here you can read about some small steps to try to get started!), it all feels like a big, dirty contradiction.

So is there anything you can do, to still enjoy gift-giving this holiday season without the shopping mall stress and mounds of paper, packaging and plastic? Sure there is!!!

Give the gift of an experience!

Don’t know what I am talking about? Well…

December 12, 2019November 8, 2021

How to Make the Prettiest Paper Christmas Star Decoration

Oh my! Christmas is coming! And fast! Do you remember back when you were a kid and asking “How many more days til Christmas?” and your parents answered with something like “Still 6 weeks, kiddo!” and you thought it would just Never. Ever. Arrive.?

These days, as a big ol’ grown-up, 6 weeks goes by SO quickly, and Christmas is over before you know it and suddenly your kids are asking you “How many more days til Easter?!?”.

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This year I am feeling a bit slack with the Christmas preparations, especially on the creative and decorative side of things. But I am determined not to have Christmas arrive without me having made some effort.

As fate would have it, just the other day my son came home from kindergarten and presented his latest masterpiece- a beautiful, intricately folded paper Christmas star. If I was only going to manage one new craft project with the kids this Christmas, I knew that this would be it.

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And once I had decoded the pattern, I just knew that I would have to share the secret of the Christmas star with you! (Spoiler Alert! It’s not as difficult to make as it looks!) Read on to learn how you can make your own gorgeous paper star this Christmas.

November 28, 2019April 16, 2024

Best Book Series for 9 – 12 Year Old Girls To Read Now

(as Recommended by Girls!)

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Last weekend our family bit the bullet and went to another flea market (Flohmarkt, for those of you wanting to expand your German vocabulary 😉). No, not to buy anything, but to Sell! Sell! Sell! And we had definitely collected plenty of unwanted kids’ stuff to sell.

Sure we made some money. Not as much as we had fantasised about beforehand (bathtub full of banknotes, anyone?!?), but we actually did OK. Afterwards, we reloaded the car and brought the unsold stuff home again. Do you know what constituted the biggest pile of leftovers? Can you guess???

BOOKS!

I mean, we did sell quite a few, but we just had so many that the kids didn’t want anymore.

Our 3 children LOVE books. If we left the kids alone with no demands or expectations of homework, attending school, helping out with chores, speaking to another human or having a breeze of fresh air brush their sweet faces… well, I think they would probably just lie in bed and look at books all day. Do you know what the perfect word for them is? Bookworms!

The 2 girls have been begging for months to contribute towards my blog here, as a sort of “Stuff for Kids, by Kids” offering. And hey presto! I have finally got my eldest right here, helping me put together a list of highly-recommended, tried-and-tested book series. to give you some great reading ideas!

So, why wait?!? Read on to discover these compelling, page-turning, book series for girls aged 9 to 12 years, as recommended by my girl, who is (funnily enough) also aged between 9 and 12 years old 😉.