Family Time: Christmas Activities?

[cjcouple]

I know it is super early. 
 
There is a local farm that has an annual Holiday Ride every year the weekend after Thanksgiving. 
For $20 per family, they give a horse back ride through a small tree farm, sell wreaths and provide cider, cocoa, cookies etc.

It's not long but still festive to ride around on horseback and get some nice pictures. Last year the boys and I went with some friends (DH was working). Luke was really nervous (pic attached).    

Anyway, I want to make it a whole festive family day. What are some special family activities you do? or some yummy snacks. I prefer not to bake/make cookies. Its just so much work/cleanup and I can do that seperately another weekend closer to Christmas. 

My boys are 11 and 8 so big kids.

(poor luke) haha

     


   

[momin2013]

We get bundled up an go for a long walk in the snow and/or build a snowman.

We spend a day putting up the tree/decorations.

We go to this big park downtown that goes all out for the holidays and walk around looking at the lights and decorations.

We have a few of the places like you've described around, but we've never gone to any of them yet. Now that DS is a bit older, we might try one of those out...

[CrazyLucky]

We've done the Holiday Express in the past, but the tickets sell out in like 10 minutes, so I missed it this year. This year, we're going to a Rudolph play. We always make a big deal out of decorating the tree. I like baking cookies with the kids. We give a lot of them away, and they are very proud to say they helped make them. They have a lot of fun helping me choose gifts for the angels we get from the angel trees.
I'm jealous of momin2013. We're much more likely to be putting up lights in shorts and T-shirts than going for a walk in the snow.

[cjcouple]

Oh, Duh - We could get our tree!!!

I doubt we will have snow by then. It is currently 72 degrees and the extended forecast are mid to upper 60s.

[cjcouple]

Oct 24, 2017 8:42:57 GMT -5 CrazyLucky said:

We've done the Holiday Express in the past, but the tickets sell out in like 10 minutes, so I missed it this year. This year, we're going to a Rudolph play. We always make a big deal out of decorating the tree. I like baking cookies with the kids. We give a lot of them away, and they are very proud to say they helped make them. They have a lot of fun helping me choose gifts for the angels we get from the angel trees.
I'm jealous of momin2013 . We're much more likely to be putting up lights in shorts and T-shirts than going for a walk in the snow.

I do too but didn't want to do it that day because it is still far from Christmas and don't want to deal with the mess that day anyway. I will most likely dothat on a weekend DH is working.

Luckily, my boys still like to bake with me. 

[cjcouple]

Any fun Christmas Snacks?
I will probably make Grinch Kabobs - those are DS2 favorite at Christmas.

i.pinimg.com/1200x/75/b7/f4/75b7f4400c4abd48ce743f94be5ca912.jpg

[momin2013]

Oh, those Grinch kakobs are so cute, cjcouple - those would be so cool to serve at a party!

I thought of another thing I'm thinking we'll do: there's this "holiday train" that's a short ride from one town to another, where they serve hot cocoa, etc. and I think Santa comes on at some point.

I don't really do a lot of "themed" foods during the holidays; come to think of it, one of my favourite things to make is a layered nacho platter, since I make it in advance and then it's ready to snack on whenever. Maybe not very festive, but it sure is delicious!

[cjcouple]

momin2013, I found them a couple years ago. My boys love them and DS2 even takes in his lunches to school.

I also make these cheese sticks into Snowmen. I just make a pack at a time and store in a container in fridge
www.nobiggie.net/string-cheese-snowmen/

[gastro]

We do a train ride through the redwoods, gingerbread houses - I go all out making even the windows from scratch with sugar, and lots of cookies. I usually host a cookie decorating party for DS1s friends where I bake all sorts of sugar cookies and they just decorate.
My mom and I bake 60+ cheesecakes between thanksgiving and Christmas.
It’s 90+ degrees here today (we live in a coastal town so that’s hotter than a hot summer day here) so baking sounds awful at the moment. Can’t wait till we have much cooler temps.
We don’t get our tree till a day or two before Christmas - I’m not a huge fan of having one in the house for weeks so I wait till the end.

[jag01]

I'm sorry CJ, I love the picture of you and your son sharing a very special moment, but that situation of the two of you doubling is pretty unnerving to me. If you go riding again, only do it if you each get your own horse. I'm laying here with a broken leg to show that even though you trust a horse, they are still a large animal and sh*t happens. I would hate to hear of something happening to you guys.

[cjcouple]

Oct 24, 2017 19:55:50 GMT -5 jag01 said:

I'm sorry CJ, I love the picture of you and your son sharing a very special moment, but that situation of the two of you doubling is pretty unnerving to me. If you go riding again, only do it if you each get your own horse. I'm laying here with a broken leg to show that even though you trust a horse, they are still a large animal and sh*t happens. I would hate to hear of something happening to you guys.

Totally thought I responded last night! Oops  

Anyway, thanks for the info. I didn't realize it was dangerous.  This is how the farm seated us because DS2 was nervous and didnt want to go alone. Not sure if it makes a difference but they were hand walking/guiding each horse (3 of them) along the walk. 

Either way, thanks for the heads up. I will be sure to go single-rider if we go.    

[nicolewi]

That event sounds so cute! I would think getting your tree that day would be good, too. Putting up your outdoor decorations? Actually putting up the tree? Having a pizza party or something and watching a Christmas show--The Grinch, Rudolph, Christmas Vacation, Elf, etc.

Do any neighborhoods around you do a big light show? Something like that could be fun to top off the day.