This Christmas bark recipe is fun and easy to make. A great way to use up Christmas candy as well.

Christmas Bark Recipe Also a Fun Holiday Activity

Posted on November 26, 2018January 1, 2024 by Mandy

A Christmas Bark recipe is the perfect way to spend some time with the little ones (or even the adults) doing a fun holiday activity while also getting a delicious Christmas treat! I absolutely love Christmas candy. Buying and making it is one of my favorite things to do during the holidays. My great-aunts handed down some wonderful, old-fashioned Christmas candy recipes to our family that we all enjoy making. However, sometimes those old-fashioned recipes, as amazing as they are, can be a little time consuming. That’s when fun recipes like Christmas Bark come in to save the fun! You can add in just about any candies to this to make it truly unique.

Gingerbread House Christmas Bark Recipe

Yields: 13 x 9 pan

INGREDIENTS

11 oz bag white chocolate chips or vanilla almond bark

1 Tablespoon shortening

4-5 mini gingerbread cookies (I found these at Dollar Tree)

1/4 cup red and green M&M candies (I used the mini version)

3-4 Christmas tree nougats

7-8 red and green peppermint candies

1/4 cup candy gumdrops

1/4 cup holiday mix old-fashioned candies

DIRECTIONS

1. Line a 13 x 9 jelly roll pan with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Add the white chocolate chips and shortening to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 45 seconds and stir. Continue to microwave in 20 second increments until completely melted and smooth. Remove from microwave and stir well. Careful, it’s hot!

3. Pour the melted white chocolate into the lined pan and spread out evenly with a spatula. Immediately, place the gingerbread cookies into the melted chocolate.

Gingerbread house Christmas Bark recipe makes a fun Christmas activity and a tasty Christmas snack!

4. Randomly sprinkle the rest of the bark with the M & M candies, peppermints, gumdrops, nougats and the old-fashioned holiday mix candies.

5. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the chocolate to completely harden.

6. Before serving, break into pieces and ENJOY!!!

Want more Christmas recipes? Check out this Peppermint Oreo Fudge!

Peppermint Oreo Fudge Holiday Snack Recipe Is A Guaranteed Hit

Posted on November 20, 2018January 1, 2023 by Mandy

If you love peppermint like I do and if you looooove Oreos, this Peppermint Oreo Fudge recipe is the perfect holiday snack! Not only is it delicious, but it looks like you spent a whole lot of time making it. But you won’t, I promise!

Peppermint Oreo Holiday Fudge

Yields: 24-32 pieces

INGREDIENTS

14.3 package of Oreo cookies (regular size)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, divided

11 oz bag of white chocolate chips

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

7 oz jar marshmallow cream

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

1/2 cup crushed candy canes (I used 12 mini)

Christmas-themed sprinkles

DIRECTIONS

1. Line a 11 x 7 pan with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Add the Oreo cookies to a food processor and pulse until they have turned into crumbs. Pour into a medium mixing bowl.

3. Add 6 tablespoons of melted butter to the cookie crumbs and mix well with a spatula. Transfer to the bottom of the parchment-lined pan. Using your fingers or spatula, press down on the cookie crumbs firmly. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes.

4. Add the white chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and 2 tablespoons of butter to a saucepan. Melt over medium low heat, stirring occasionally until completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat.

5. Stir in the white chocolate pudding mix. Fold in the marshmallow creme and stir for 1-2 minutes to fully incorporate. Add the peppermint extract and stir well to distribute.

6. Immediately, pour over the chilled cookie crust and spread evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle with the crushed candy canes and holiday sprinkles. Chill for 4 hours before cutting into squares and serving.

NOTE: To keep your peppermint Oreo fudge the freshest, cover with clear wrap, foil or wax paper and store in a cool, dry place. I prefer to keep mine in the refrigerator but it’s not a requirement. ENJOY!! Need more holiday snack ideas? Check out these no-bake Butterscotch Cornflakes Crunchies or these amazing Cheerios Christmas Trees.

Peppermint Oreo Fudge is a delicious holiday treat.

Thanksgiving Sugar Cone Teepees

Posted on November 19, 2018November 19, 2018 by Mandy

It’s Thanksgiving week and school is out! These sweet Thanksgiving sugar cone teepees are a fun way to spend a little family time together while making a delicious Thanksgiving snack!

Sugar Cone Teepees

Ingredients

Ice cream cones

Milk chocolate morsels or chocolate almond bark

Pretzel sticks

Leaf sprinkles (I used these.)

Instructions

Prepare a plate or baking sheet with waxed paper.
Cut in half a pretzel stick for each ice cream cone. You will also need one whole pretzel stick for each ice cream cone. These will be placed at the top of the teepee. Set aside.
Carefully cut the point of each ice cream cone, removing about ½ inch allowing enough room for one pretzel stick to pass through the opening. Set ice cream cones aside.
In the microwave, melt the milk chocolate morsels in a small microwave-safe bowl on high in 30 second increments, stirring well between each cycle and giving special care not to overheat the candy. If the chocolate is overheated or comes in contact with water, it will seize up and be unusable.
Dip the large opening of each ice cream cone into the melted chocolate about 1/4 inch and remove from chocolate using a spoon to scrape out any extra chocolate. Drop leaf sprinkles onto the chocolate ring, gently pressing them into place. Dropping the sprinkles instead of rolling the cone creates less mess and results in a neater teepee.Immediately place the ice cream cone on the waxed paper.
To assemble the top of the teepee, dip a whole pretzel stick into the melted milk chocolate about halfway. Without removing the teepee from the waxed paper, gently slide the pretzel stick into the cut opening of the ice cream cone and angle the pretzel to rest against the inside of the cone. Some of the chocolate from the pretzel stick will remain at the opening of the cone. Next, take two pretzel stick halves and slightly dip one end of each into the melted chocolate. You only need a drop of chocolate as the pretzel stick pieces will attach to the melted chocolate left at the opening by the whole pretzel stick. Place the pieces at the top of the teepee next to the other pretzel stick and hold in place until the chocolate has set enough to move your hands without the pretzel stick falling.
When all teepees are dipped and decorated, place in the refrigerator or freezer until the chocolate is set.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Placing in the refrigerator for an extended amount of time may cause the cone to soften.

Need more fun Thanksgiving snack recipes? Check out these Thanksgiving Turkey Cracker Snacks.

Printable Thanksgiving Placemat for Kids

Posted on November 12, 2018September 29, 2022 by Mandy

A printable Thanksgiving placemat for kids is the perfect way to get your kids excited about their Thanksgiving meal, and possibly keep them busy until it’s time to carve the turkey.

Mamas, you know what it’s like when you’re trying your best to get dinner on the table, but your little people get impatient and hungry. I’ve been there and done that many a time! Just like at restaurants, kids having to wait for a meal at home can leave them a little cranky or hangry. The very first time, years ago when my son was smaller, that I saw a restaurant offer a small coloring book and pack of crayons, I thought it was absolute genius! It was probably one of the first times we were able to sit through a meal in peace!

This fun activity placemat features a word search, coloring fun, and a pumpkin patch maze. Add in a few small packs of crayons and/or pencils and you can count on your kids being occupied while you are trying to get Thanksgiving dinner on the table. My son is 13, but he still loves a good word search. Ditto for my students at school! Word searches are a great way to introduce or reinforce some holiday vocabulary words. Coloring gets those creative juices flowing and mazes get those little brains thinking critically to figure out the puzzle. It may just look like lots of fun, but your kids will be soaking up some skills as well.

This printable Thanksgiving placemat would be great to use at home, in your classrooms for Thanksgiving feasts, or wherever you may be traveling to for your holiday get-togethers. Want your free download to print? Just click on the picture above, or follow this link.

Need more great Thanksgiving activity and snack ideas? Check out my Thanksgiving posts.

20 reindeer Christmas treats to make this holiday season.

20 Reindeer Christmas Treats For Holiday Fun

Posted on November 2, 2018June 26, 2021 by Mandy

If joining any reindeer games is high on your list of must-do things this holiday season, check out these 20 amazing reindeer Christmas treats you can make and eat at home! These ideas are perfect if you need some holiday inspiration for classroom parties or just holiday parties in general. I think you’d have a hard time finding an adult that would turn down some of these super cute snacks as well.

One of the most favorite times of the holiday season when I was growing up was when Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer would come on television. That was back in the 80’s before everything was on-demand or played constantly. You had to make sure you knew exactly when it was coming on! It was a big deal to me back then and of course, when I had my son, I tried to make it a big deal for him as well. I’m guessing he wasn’t too impressed because the animation is so dated compared to the cartoons he grew up with. Mama tried! However, if you have a child, or even a classroom full of students who might be captivated by Rudolph, showing the DVD and having some of these super fun-looking reindeer Christmas treats on hand to serve would make for a perfect reindeer-themed celebration!

20 Reindeer Christmas Treats

Need even more holiday inspiration? Check out my posts on Christmas, including free printables and more!

What to Do With Ebay Items That Won’t Sell

Posted on November 1, 2018October 28, 2018 by Mandy

What do you do when you’re left with a bunch of Ebay items that won’t sell? If you’re tired of seeing items just sitting around your home that won’t sell, I’m going to tell you how I offload some of these things to make room and clean out. There’s nothing more frustrating than investing in a bunch of product at a great price to sell for profit to only have it sit there and not sell no matter how many times you relist or market it. I recently spent a few hours up in my “Ebay room” at home cleaning out some old stock that just wasn’t moving. Sometimes sales on Ebay are just slow, but everyone eventually reaches a point when they decide they are tired of trying to sell a particular item. Here are some things I do to clear out the old items to make room for new product.

What To Do With Ebay Items That Won’t Sell

List it somewhere else: Before I completely throw in the towel, I always try to sell my stuff somewhere else. Different places offer a different audience for your listings and chances are, if it won’t sell on Ebay, that doesn’t mean it won’t sell somewhere else. Mercari, Offer Up, Craigslist, Poshmark, and Facebook Marketplace are just a few great places you can try to sell your items. I have had a really good experience on Mercari. I definitely recommend giving it a try! If you sell a lot of clothing and accessories, Poshmark is a definitely the place to list! If you’re looking to sell bigger items and don’t want to deal with the headache of shipping, Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace are great ways to advertise those items. You can meet buyers and handle the transaction in person. Just be sure to do this safely and meet the buyer in a public place, and preferably have someone else along with you.

Consignment Store– if you have collectible items and other household items that aren’t moving, try a consignment store. Of course, you will only get a percentage of what the item eventually sells for (most stores keep 25-40% for selling an item for you), but at least you will have made some cash. Some is better than none.

Yard Sale– If you don’t mind the hard work of a yard sale, try having one and selling some of your things that aren’t selling online.

Donate– Finally, if you’ve tried some of the suggestions above (or just don’t want the hassle of it all), donating your non-selling items is a great way to get rid of them. There are many places that might take donations of clothing and new personal care items. For the rest, try Freecycle or just even sitting it on the side of the road. Chances are, someone will come along and pick it up.

It always hurts to have to clear old old inventory, especially if you have to take a loss. Selling online can be a risky business sometimes. Here’s hoping your sales are great!

Photo: Jarmoluk

Printable Free Thanksgiving Charades Game for Kids

Posted on October 31, 2018November 28, 2022 by Mandy

Do you remember playing charades as a child? I loved playing with my neighborhood friends. We’d find a shade tree to sit under after playing on a hot summer’s day and we’d cool off and still have fun by playing charades. We also played it sometimes at school if we ever had a little time to pass. It was a fun game that didn’t require a thing but imagination.

I know from experience that it can be tough to entertain the little ones while waiting on Thanksgiving dinner to be served. I can remember waiting with great anticipation myself as a child while the smells of my aunt’s turkey and dressing drove me crazy! Her dressing just MAKES Thanksgiving every year. I’m so serious! My cousin’s and I would eventually end up outside playing while the grown-ups visited and tried to get dinner on the table in time. I have so many wonderful memories of Thanksgivings with my family.

Are you looking for a fun way to keep the kids occupied during the Thanksgiving meal prep? I’m here to save the day with this free printable Thanksgiving Charades game! Just download your copy of the cards here and then get ready for some Thanksgiving-themed family fun! Who knows, the grown-ups may even want to get in the game!

I’d recommend printing these out on card stock paper and laminating them so that they’ll last for years of fun to come. I personally use this Fellowes laminator and it has served me well for quite some time. I love being able to preserve things right at home so that they’ll last for a while.

Need even more ways to keep the kids occupied during Thanksgiving? Check out this free printable Thanksgiving coloring book! I’d love to hear from you if you try this Thanksgiving charades game with your own family!

Thanksgiving Turkey Cracker Snacks Are Too Cute

Posted on October 30, 2018December 7, 2024 by Mandy

These Thanksgiving Turkey Cracker Snacks may very well be the most adorable little Thanksgiving snacks I’ve ever seen! Can you just imagine the look on a kid’s face when they get one of these for a Thanksgiving party happy? They are too cute and so easy to make!

I am so excited about the upcoming Thanksgiving holidays. Of course, it will be great to be off work for an entire week, but the main thing I’m most excited about is just getting to spend some quality time with my immediate and extended family. It seems like once school starts back, we’re all so busy and it’s just hard to get everyone together sometimes. Thankfully, the holidays give us all a chance to stop and reflect on our blessings while getting to catch up with one another.

Thanksgiving Turkey Cracker Snacks

Supplies:

Turkey Snack Craft printable

Colored paper

Googly eyes

Peanut Butter Cracker Sandwiches (If you are taking these into a classroom, please take into account that some children have a peanut allergy, which can be extremely dangerous. If that’s the case, you might want to consider another snack. Always check with the teacher!)

Instructions:

1. Print Turkey Snack printable on colored paper and cut out feathers and beaks

2. Glue four feathers together in a fan shape and allow to dry.

3. Glue two googly eyes and one beak on the cracker package near the top of the packaging.

4. Glue feather fan on the other side of the package just under the spot you placed the eyes and beak.

Need even more Thanksgiving fun for kids? Have a child that likes to color? Be sure to grab your free printable Thanksgiving coloring pages! You can also check out how my family and I spend the Thanksgiving holidays in these posts!