Homemade Christmas Treats + Random Acts of Kindness

When the holidays arrive, we get the itch to bake!  We always bake up lots of treats and hand them out around town....as a gift, as a token of appreciation, and as part of our RACK mission...

RACK stands for Random Acts of Christmas Kindness, and it's something we've done since before the boys joined us.  In the lean years, it's caroling, cards, and cookies.  In the better years, it's tins full of treats, the angel tree, and (a family favorite!) caroling with the boys and their friends, followed by a meal out for everyone.  Spreading joy isn't just for Christmas, but people seem a lot more willing to receive at this time of year...

Melting Snowmen Cookies
Always a favorite at bake sales, these adorable cookies are fun to make!

Ingredients

• sugar cookies (make your own or pre-made)
• white icing
• black icing
• colored writing icing
• orange jimmies
• large marshmallows

Directions

1. Cover cookies with white icing, allowing it to drop off the sides (creates melting effect). Let icing dry 30-45 minutes.
2. Use black icing and orange sprinkles to create faces on the marshmallows. Get creative and give them character!
3. Glue marshmallows to cookies with white icing. Using black and colored icing, give the snowmen buttons, scarves, arms, and other embellishments. Let dry at least two hours before transporting.
4. Complete this melting snowmen craft while waiting for them to dry!

Chocolate Peppermint Krispies
A recipe the kids came up with a few years ago, this has become a standard favorite!

Ingredients

• 2 bars Ghiradelli 100% cacao baking chocolate
• Peppermint Oil (we used Young Living)
• 16 Rice Krispie Treats (you can make your own; we had two boxes of the pre-made ones on hand)
• double boiler
• Powdered sugar -OR- Peppermint crumbles (optional)

Directions

• We used a double boiler to melt down two bars of chocolate....it works better if you break the chocolate into smaller bits before putting it into the boiler.
• Once it was good and melted, we added ten to fifteen drops of peppermint oil.  This made a pretty strong, but delicious, coating.  Vary the number of drops based on preference.
• After laying out each of the pre-packaged treats on wax paper, we dipped each one into the melted chocolate.  We kept stirring the chocolate occasionally to keep it flowing.
• After getting a first dip, covering one entire end of each treat, we went back and spooned chocolate all over the top of each of the treats.  Then we left them on the wax paper to cool.
• Dust with powdered sugar to give it a snow effect -OR- garnish with peppermint crumbles!

Hard Cinnamon Candies
When we were kids, it was a winter tradition to make Daddy's infamous Red Hot Candy. This stuff would burn your mouth, but it was oh-so-delicious! He would always make two batches....one with just a little bit of cinnamon oil, and one to "put hair on your chest." When the freezing temperatures come around, the first thing I want to do is make some of daddy's hot candy. I'm bringing this from my house to your's....it's not just for Christmas, but the whole winter through.

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 3 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups light caro syrup
• 1 tsp food coloring (we use red...your choice)
• 1 tsp cinnamon oil OR 20 drops Young Living cinnamon oil
• 1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
• candy thermometer

Directions 

1. Line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. pan with foil; spray the foil with cooking spray and set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, combine water, sugar, corn syrup and food coloring. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cover and cook for 3 minutes to dissolve sugar crystals. 
2. Uncover; cook on medium-high heat, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 300° (hard-crack stage), about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in cinnamon oil (keep face away from mixture as oil is very strong). Immediately pour onto prepared pan. Cool completely, about 45 minutes. We typically do this on a VERY cold night, and leave the pans outside to harden in the freezing temperatures. 
3. Break the candy into pieces using a hammer (pound lightly). Sprinkle both sides of candy with confectioners' sugar. Store in airtight container.

OBX....circa 1984.

Easy-Peasy Snickerdoodles

Grandma says the secret ingredient is Betty Crocker.  We're subbing in some Duncan Hines today, but either will work!

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 cup cinnamon

1. Dump the first four ingredients in a bowl together.  Mix well.
2. Combine cinnamon and sugar in a separate bowl.
3. Pinch off pieces of dough and roll into a ball.  Roll in cinnamon sugar, then place onto pan.
4. Repeat until all of the dough is gone.  
5. Using your palm, flatten out each ball.
6. Bake 10 min at 375 degrees.

Quick Apple Dumplings

A quick and easy recipe to warm up any cold morning and add some extra Vitamin C to the day!

• 2 tubes - crescent rolls
• 2 apples (cored & cubed)
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Unroll crescents, and spoon a tablespoon of apple into each.  
2. Fold the corners in to close the dumpling.  
3. Arrange each dumpling into a 9x13 pan.  
4. Sprinkle with cinnamon.  
5. Mix butter, sugar, and orange juice in a medium pan and bring to boil.  
6. Stir in vanilla.  
7. our mixture over dumplings.  
8. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until crust is brown and juices are bubbly.  
9. Extra tasty when served with ice cream!

Apple Ginger Snaps  

This sneaky cookie is actually somewhat healthy and won't cause the sugar crash!

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup flax meal
• 1  tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp clove
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup rolled oats (for topping)

1. Mix sugar, oil, molasses and applesauce.
2. In another bowl, mix all dry ingredients except oats.
3. Combine the two bowls, and thoroughly mix.
4. Pinch of pieces of dough and roll into balls.
5. Once all the balls are on the pan, use your palm to flatten them.
6. Sprinkle with rolled oats.
7. Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Have Yourself a Vintage 1940s Christmas

With our kids very much into World War 2 right now, we're coming up with all sorts of ways to incorporate that history into our studies.  Here is a Christmas unit study, easily tailored up or down for all ages, that begins with three novellas about the Turner family in "Where Treetops Glisten"...

About the Book...
Where Treetops Glisten (Tricia Goyer, Cara Putman, Sarah Sundin)

Turn back the clock to a different time, listen to Bing Crosby sing of sleigh bells in the snow, as the realities of America’s involvement in the Second World War change the lives of the Turner family in Lafayette, Indiana. In Cara Putman’s White Christmas, Abigail Turner is holding down the Home Front as a college student and a part-time employee at a one-of-a-kind candy shop. Loss of a beau to the war has Abigail skittish about romantic entanglements—until a hard-working young man with a serious problem needs her help. Abigail’s brother Pete is a fighter pilot hero returned from the European Theater in Sarah Sundin’s I’ll Be Home for Christmas, trying to recapture the hope and peace his time at war has eroded. But when he encounters a precocious little girl in need of Pete’s friendship, can he convince her widowed mother that he’s no longer the bully she once knew? In Tricia Goyer’s Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Meredith Turner, “Merry” to those who know her best, is using her skills as a combat nurse on the frontline in the Netherlands. Halfway around the world from home, Merry never expects to face her deepest betrayal head on, but that’s precisely what God has in mind to redeem her broken heart. The Turner family believes in God’s providence during such a tumultuous time. Can they absorb the miracle of Christ’s birth and His plan for a future?

Music Appreciation

A Merry 1940's Christmas (compilation)

The radio features often in the background of these stories, and it's easy to hear the songs woven into the plot.  By and far, our favorite holiday cd is this one!  With twenty-five different vintage gems, it easily conveys the spirit of the holidays during wartime.  It brings back a simpler time, a celebration of spirit and hope.  Some of the songs are classics, and other lesser-known ones will quickly become family classics.  Another option for music appreciation is A 1940's Christmas, though this one only has twelve tracks.

Turn back the clock to a different time, listen to Bing Crosby sing of sleigh bells in the snow, as the realities of America’s involvement in the Second World War change the lives of the Turner family in Lafayette, Indiana.

Living History (History & Comprehension)
The Christmas novella collection, Where Treetops Glisten, follows one family through World War II. This would be appropriate for students in middle or high school. The stories show what life was like for Americans both on the home front (rationing, shortages, loss, and worry for your loved ones) and abroad (harsh living conditions, danger, and separation from family).

Free printables : 

• History Through Story printable
• Christmas in World War 2 - The Military Aspect
• Christmas in World War 2 - On the Homefront

Food Rationing (Math)
During World War II, many items were rationed, including rubber and metals, but it was the rationing of food that most people noticed first!  Sugar, coffee, cheese, canned milk, canned fish, meats, processed foods, and butter were all rationed.  This meant that each family member was only allowed a certain amount, and some items weren't available anywhere.

Given the rationing, trying to grocery shop or cook was quite a chore!  Watch the videos below and see if you could keep track of the ration book...

• FREE Wartime Rationing lesson

Christmas Recipes (Home Ec)
The rationing made it more difficult to celebrate, but that just let to more kitchen creativity.  Oftentimes, ration points would be saved up for a special occasion, or people would barter and trade their points.  Here are the recipe for a cake without eggs and a simple, homemade icing.  It is similar to a carrot cake or zucchini bread.

Eggless Christmas Cake

• 4 oz finely grated carrots
• 2 Tbsp dark corn syrup
• 3 oz sugar
• 4 oz margarine
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 4 oz dried fruit (cranberries, apricots, raisins)
• 12 oz self raising flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 6 oz milk, slightly warmed

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Cook the grated carrots and syrup over a low heat for a few minutes. 
3. Cream the sugar and margarine until light and fluffy. 
4. Stir the baking soda into the carrots and syrup mixture, then beat it into the sugar and margarine mixture, treating it as if it were an egg. 
5. Add a half teaspoon each of vanilla and almond extract, and stir in with the dried fruit.
6. Fold in the flour and cinnamon, and add the warmed milk to make a moist dough. 
7. Put the mixture into a greased cake tin (or use a fluted tube pan such as a Bundt pan). 
8. Smooth the top, and make a deep hole in the center with a spoon, if not using a tube pan, to stop the cake from rising too much during cooking. 
9. Turn down heat to 300 F and bake for 3 hours.

Extra : Find out what the soldiers were eating on Christmas Day.

V-Mail (Language Arts : Writing)
Before the days of email and cell phones, it took considerably longer to reach loved ones overseas.  Sometimes, it would be weeks or months before a letter arrived, and several letters often arrived all at the same time. 

Victory Mail (v-mail) was the original email...here's how it worked:

1. A letter is written and sent to the military - the letter can only be one page long, including both addresses
2. It is photographed, put on microfiche, and shipped overseas
3. Once reaching its destination, the film is developed, printed, and sent to the soldier

Of course, it wasn't as easy as it sounds.  Mail was heavily censored, often leading to partial letters where family members had to guess, and it took a very long time to go back and forth.  But part of the 'War at Home' was keeping up morale and taking care of our soldiers!

• Practice : Write a soldier a Victory Christmas letter.

Gift-Giving (Arts & Crafts)
Presents are one of the things that children look forward to most at Christmas, but during war-time, there were so many shortages that parents had to get creative for gifts.  During World War II, rubber and metal were rationed.
Presents were 'make do and mend.'  Many magazines printed instructions for embroidered bookmarks or calendars, knitted slippers and gloves, and toys made from scraps of wool, felt, plastic, or even old silver cutlery. Nothing was wasted and everything was appreciated.

• Rubber was needed for the war - airplane and jeep tires, life rafts, and medical equipment - because of this, there was a shortage of bicycles, toy wagons, doll carriages, and rubber balls
• Metal was needed for the war - ships, guns, helmets, tins, and planes - because of this, there was a shortage of bicycles, toy wagons, doll carriages, and other metal toys
• Wood and paper were both plentiful, so many more toys were made of wood.  Cardboard began to be used for many things, including building sets and puzzles.  Coloring books also became more popular.
• Plastics began to be used for making toys, and creativity sets such as Legos (which were invented in 1932) began to become popular.
• Finally, war bonds were used as gifts.  A bond was purchased in the child's name (the money went to the war effort), and ten years later they could be cashed in for a gain of interest.
• Here are some Christmas ads from a 1943 newspaper....what would you choose?

Practice : Create a piece of String Art, a Leatherbound Notebook, or an Embroidered Christmas Card - all with items from around your house!

Pick up the entire Home for the Holidays unit study bundle!

Get the entire World War 2 Bundle!

Includes:

• 
  The Book Thief
• We Were There at the Battle of Britain
• Number the Stars
• The Winged Watchmen
• We Were There at Pearl Harbor
• We Were There at the Battle of Bataan
• Island War
• Red Stars
• The Night Witches
• Mare’s War
• We Were There at the Normandy Invasion
• Code Talkers
• We Were There at the Battle of the Bulge
• The Light Between Us
• We Were There at the Open of the Atomic Era
• A Merry 1940s Christmas

Product samples:

• We Were There at the Opening of the Atomic Era
• Have Yourself a Vintage Little Christmas

NORAD & Christmas Traditions

From reading a new holiday book aloud snuggled together, to attending Christmas pageants, to tracking Santa, every family has it's own blend of holiday traditions.  What is your family's favorite?

Books & Hot Chocolate

When the holidays roll around, we break out the 'Christmas Box' for special out-loud reading time.  This is a box of books that are kept off to the side and considered special, only to be read during the Christmas season.  About mid-November, we'll pull down the box and start reading a new book aloud together as a family each night before bed.

One of my secret pleasures, too, is reading good Christmas books.  I love everything about the season, and don't just read them at the end of the year.  I've been known to pick up a good holiday read in the middle of August!  

Given our passion for reading, and for the season, we've spent some time coming up with our favorite Christmas books, and we are sharing it with you -- our favorite readers!  (Scroll to bottom for form.)

Tracking Santa

As kids, we used to gather around the television on Christmas Eve and watch the regular updates about where in the world Santa Claus was at that moment.  It helped break up the monotony of endless adult conversations and cheek-pinching, and increased the anticipation of Christmas morning all that much more!

These days, our children don't have to wait until the night prior....they can go online and see what's going on in Santa's Workshop during the month of December, write him a short note, play games, and more. 

Both Santa Tracker and NORAD (the original Santa tracker) spend Christmas Eve posting his whereabouts online for kids to follow, and our children have enjoyed keeping this (albeit changed) tradition alive.    (As an aside, do they even do this on TV anymore?)

How it Began
Do you know how NORAD, a military group, even got started with tracking Santa Claus for us?  I'm going to let Mike Rowe fill you in on this funny and heart-warming story....

NORAD Vs. Santa Tracker
The NORAD site is the most useful on Christmas Eve itself, so our children spend a lot of time on the Santa Tracker site for the weeks leading up to the date.  However, on Christmas Eve (and accessible for a few days afterward), NORAD has done a great job with video shorts that introduce your children to landmarks and Christmas traditions from around the world!

While the kids really enjoy the Santa's Village part of Santa Tracker, where they can play games, build gifts, code Santa's computer, and more, my favorite feature of this site is the Educators' Page!   THIS is where the learning happens.  

Actually, that computer coding thing may be in the Educators' section...but it's also where there are geography games, history lessons, and videos.  Each day in December, we set aside a small chunk of time for playing on this site, and the kids have learned a lot about world geography just by playing.  I think we all learn best when we think we're not really learning...  😉

There are physical and political maps to play with and fly over.  On the political maps, you can learn about the climate, geography, and history of each country.  (Not every country in the world is included, but there are quite a few.)

For a more detailed comparison of the two sites, read here.  If you're looking for a fun way to incorporate Christmas into learning, these are great sites for children of all ages....from one to ninety-two!    Personally, my heart lies with the NORAD site, if only for the sake of sentimentality...

In the church pageant, one son played Santa Claus.  The other played Joseph.  I thought the character assignments were a good fit!  Santa learned all about the true meaning of Christmas from the Holy Family.  My mother used to have a book and statue, called Santa and the Christ Child, which was my favorite holiday decoration....so I loved the ending of this pageant.

Download the Bibliophile's Christmas Wishlist  (fill out form below)

Broken down into five separate categories, this list includes everything you'll need to gear up for the holiday season.  It includes old classics as well as brand spankin' new reads.  We've also added a gift guide and a special, craft-y gift designed just for you!  

The five categories include :

• Kids' Inspirational
• Kids' Fiction
• Adult Inspirational
• Adult Fiction
• Non-fiction

If you don't have a Google account or the form doesn't work for any reason, please just drop us a line and we'll email it to you!

Personalized Family Advent Calendar

When I was a kid, we had chocolate advent calendars.  Every night, we opened a little door and got a piece of chocolate for the evening.  The holiday season was always a busy time, and this was one thing that we could count on being the same each day.  

I've always loved the idea of advent calendars; it's a daily reminder of what the season's meaning.

The Story Behind our Calendar...

As a new mother, I wanted to create a lasting family tradition.  I had a large box of scrap cloth and took a notion to make our own advent calendar.  This isn't your average one, either - this thing is about 3' x 5' long!!  (No worries - being fabric, it rolls up nicely for storage.)

We had just moved into our first house, and hung curtains.   The living room curtains had to be cut down, and this was a leftover piece of one of them.  So, the backing is made of curtains, but you could start with a larger, sturdy piece of cloth - fold it over about 2" and sew across the top to create room for a hanging dowel.  

I started with the month, at the top, but you can use whatever header you'd prefer.  Everything on this calendar is free-handed.....I drew it out on the cloth first, and then cut it carefully.  When you're sitting in front of the boob-tube at night, that's a good time to be drawing and cutting.   

How to Make Your Advent Calendar

• Cut out twenty-four different squares approximately 4" x 4".  
• Pick a different design for each square and sew them to the front of the squares.  
• (I made sure to dedicate a square to each of the kids, and used both religious and secular images.)  
• Cut out your 24 numbers and sew those onto each square as well.  
• Sew the header onto a large piece of fabric to go across the top.  
• All of this hand-sewing will take some time, but done carefully, will last a lifetime.  
• Do not sew down any of the larger pieces until all of the fine-work is done! 
• You're going to want to piece the squares onto the fabric in a somewhat orderly fashion.  
• I recommend playing around with a ruler and some chalk to draw a grid of where you want them sewn.  
• Each square is going to open up to create a pocket, like the one above.  The top edge of each square needs to be folded over and sewn, about 1/4".  
• This will prevent fraying.
• Once you have figured out where to place each square, use pins to pin everything into place.  
• Start by sewing down the header at the top of the calendar.  Then start on the squares.  
• Fold the other three sides of each square over 1/4", and sew down onto calendar fabric.  
• Take it one square at a time...don't rush!  
• When you're sewing, switch your machine from a straight stitch to a sturdier stitch (choose from whatever options your machine has).  
• This will help ensure that excited hands don't rip the pockets off!
• Sit back, take pride in the work you've done, and know you've made a family heirloom!

On November 30th, we hang our calendar and the "elves" fill the calendar with the following goodies :

• lollipops & small candies (usually from Halloween)
• event notices (if we're going Christmas caroling or to see a play) 

Don't want to make your own, but want a neat advent calendar.....try the Lego Advent Calendar

Gifts for the Roadschooling Family - RV Life

Road-schooling means limited space for carrying everyday items, and we are all about maximizing that space!  If you've got a road-schooling family on your Christmas list this year, or if you're just thinking about hitting the road yourself, here are some of our top picks for a road-schooler's wishlist...

Road-school Helpers

• Kindle Unlimited subscription - Try it with a 30-day free trial.  For only $10 / month, you have access to over a million books and audiobooks...which frees up a lot of space in your pack!
• Car Games - These magnetic boards make board games easy to play in the car, and keep the kids happy for hours!  This particular one comes with Space Venture,Solitaire,Backgammon,Auto Race,Snakes & Ladders,Tic Tac Toe,Nine Mens Morris,Checkers,Chinese Checkers,Chess & Checkers,Ludo & Racing.  We pop them in a zip-up bag to keep everything together.
• Physical Audiobooks - Like "Under Drake's Flag,"  are perfect for keeping the family happy on long travel days, and are educational as well.  You'll find most of the classics, currently popular books, and everything in between on audiobook....and what a way to bring history to life!  
• Audible subscription - If you only want digital audiobooks, this one provides three books each month with membership.
• CD carrying case - A handy dandy place to keep all of your audiobooks in one spot!
• DVD sets - Like "The Peabody & Sherman Collection," or "Schoolhouse Rock," also provide hours of educational entertainment on those long travel days.
• Portable DVD player - Be sure to get a headphone splitter so that your kids can share the fun!
• Kindle - Books upon books can really eat up your available space.  I'm all for a hard copy, and running my fingers along the pages - there's something about the feel and smell of a real book that is just calming - but there's nothing calming about trying to fit two months’ worth of books into your packing space.  With an e-reader, you can download books (often free from your local library), and they all fit into one tiny space!
• Digital Camera - We document our field trips, both for homeschooling purposes and for memory scrapbooks.  A good digital camera is a must for all traveling families!

Education-specific

• FREE Classes at Craftsy - Perfect for hands-on classes and electives, or just keeping busy and learning a new skill when you have to sit still, these classes are broken down step-by-step and cover a wide variety of Waldorf-type topics.  (Cooking, needle arts, gardening, art, yoga / healthy living, etc.)  Once you sign up for a class, it stays in your library from now on to access as needed.  Again, they typically have good discounts at the holidays.
• Crayola Twistables - These are our new favorite coloring tools.  They don't melt; they don't get messy; and they twist in and out for easy storage.  Also, they don't have to be sharpened!
• Heirloom Audiobooks - These books are full of history’s most daring expeditions and greatest adventures.  They are stories of virtue and valor, daring and determination, character and courage!  Each one is like a movie in the car...
• Brick Loot - This is the go-to subscription box for Lego enthusiasts!  (And y'all know our kids love their bricks...)  Each month features a new theme, such as "Back to the Future," "Star Wars," or "Doctor Strange," but sometimes it's just 'magic' or 'cars.'  There is a challenge booklet, bricks for completing the challenges, extra bricks, and promotional items.  We put this under 'education' because we have the kids do research around the topic and use their bricks to create entire scenes based on said research.  Child-directed learning!  Around the holidays, they typically have good discounts, too!
• Historic Aviation / Rail / Military - We'll admit to sometimes just ordering the free catalogs for our kids to thumb through....they love history and find all sorts of neat goodies in here that lead them on bunny trails of their own research!  There are lots of great finds here for railroad, military, or aviation enthusiasts, too, which we've used as gifts for older families members in the past.

Just in Case...

FaithBox - 
• RFID Pouch - We love to walk around the city, but who wants to carry a huge purse all day?  This travel wallet has room for money, cards, keys, pends, and a small notebook (or smartphone), all with room to spare!  It fits discreetly under your clothing, and is designed to thwart theft.
• Sleep Kit - A good night's sleep is the body's first defense to staying healthy...and with this sleep kit, you'll block out all of the distractions around you.  It also comes with a tiny, but handy, carrying case!
• Stainless Multi-Tool - Emergencies happen...you might as well be prepared.  This multi-tool has the knife, axe, hammer, lever, and several other functions.  It folds up neatly, and is durable, but affordable.
• Oregano Oil - An antiviral and antimicrobial, oregano oil helps to keep your immune system buzzing along.  When taken at the first sign of a cold, our experience has been that it knocks it out quickly.  As an added bonus, it keeps the digestive system moving, which is nice after a lot of travel / sitting...
• This one is more for mom, and it's one of my favorite subscription boxes out there.  Each month brings inspiration and encouragement, with a book, some gifts, some edibles, and more surprises.
• The Pocket Palatte - Simply ingenious! This is a single-use, full face makeup kit for on-the-go!  Comes with mascara, lip/cheek color, and bb cream (foundation).  Each makeup item is perfectly portioned so you can carry a full face of makeup anywhere you go. It is about the size of a Post-It note and is really thin, too.  This one is a great stocking stuffer gift for the teen girls (and mommas) in your RV!

For the Book Lover…

• Our favorite books for parents and family! -  People are always asking what we like best from the resources that we use and recommend, so just recently, we started highlighting our favorite books.  The page will change periodically, based on new input, but we don't post anything here that we haven't personally used, loved, and often-times given as a gift to others because of our love for it!
• Bibliophile's Christmas Wishlist - When the holidays roll around, we break out the 'Christmas Box' for special out-loud family reading time.  Mom also loves reading inspirational, feel-good Christmas stories.  We've collected several pages of our favorites, across many genres, in this wishlist.

So that's it - these are our top picks for road-schooling gifts.  What would you add to this list?  Which one does your family need for upcoming travels?  

Ninjabread & Pilots - Christmas as a #BoyMom

Each year, we make these fun and easy applesauce ornaments with the kids.  It gives them an opportunity to make their own gifts, which they hand out to friends and loved ones.  We also save a few each year to commemorate their current likes and interests.  This year, we're featuring Lego Ninjago and Southwest Airlines...

Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments

Supplies (we doubled our recipe)

• 3/4 cup applesauce
• 5 oz (2 jars) ground cinnamon
• colorful ribbon
• Ninjabread cookie cutters
• The Ninjabread Man
• ALL things Ninjago!!!!

Directions

• Preheat oven to 200°F. Mix applesauce and cinnamon in small bowl until a smooth ball of dough is formed. (You may need use your hands to incorporate all of the cinnamon.) 
• Using about 1/4 of the dough at a time, roll dough to 1/4-inch to 1/3-inch thickness between two sheets of plastic wrap. Peel off top sheet of plastic wrap. 
• If you can't find a rolling pin, you can use a quart-sized mason jar in a pinch.

• Cut dough into desired shapes with 2- to 3-inch cookie cutters.  Pull away extra dough, then carefully transfer cutout to waxed baking sheet with a spatula.

• Using the spatula, straighten up any sloppy edges around the cutout.
• Make a hole at top of ornament with drinking straw, toothpick, or skewer. 
• Bake 2 1/2 hours. Cool ornaments on wire rack. 

• Decorate with paint, if desired.  Add magazine cutouts with glue.  Allow to dry.
• Using a clear spray paint or gloss paint, varnish the ornaments.  This is optional, and will make them last longer.  If you want that cinnamon smell, skip this step.  They won't last as long, but they'll smell heavenly!
• Insert ribbon through holes and tie to hang.