This is how to make festive Kellogg’s Rice Krispie Treat Holiday Wreaths.

• First you will need the ingredients to make homemade Kellogg’s Rice Krispie Treats.
• Begin by melting the margarine.
• Add the marshmallows and melt them down.

• When the marshmallows are melted, add some green food coloring. The paste food coloring (found in cake decorating specialty shops) works better than the liquid food coloring. The color is more robust and intense. Wilton is a brand that I use.
  
  
  
• Remove the melted green marshmallows from the heat and add the Rice Krispies.
  
  
• Spray your hands with cooking spray. Take a handful of the warm Rice Krispie Treat mixture and form into a ball. Flatten this ball slightly and poke a hole in the middle with your finger to form a wreath. Place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and decorate with red hots, and colored sugar sprinkles. Cool.
  Repeat with all of the remaining mixture.
  If the mixture in the pan begins to cool before you are finished, reheat slightly to a workable consistency.
  
• Kids can help too. Just make sure the mixture is cool enough for children to handle safely. Here is my daughter’s masterpiece:
  
• This nonstick stir fry skillet is great pan for making Rice Krispie Treat Wreaths
• You can make dairy free Rice Krispie Treats by using dairy free margarine and marshmallows. Always read the ingredients to make your own determinations.
  This recipe is not truly gluten free, as Rice Krispies contain malt flavoring, which is usually derived from a gluten containing grain, such as barley. Again make your own determinations.

What do all you parents dislike most about the holidays?

Not to be Scrooge or anything - but I hate wrapping presents. It just takes too long.

Maybe next year I will shop only at stores that wrap. But usually the sales people are so overwhelmed that it takes forever anyway.

So now, I am exhausted after my marathon wrapping session, my kids have watched too much tv, and I really wanted to bake some cookies.

Looks like tomorrow is baking day.

Photo by Sophiea

No, I didn’t write this letter to Santa. Rather, this letter to Santa is one of those emails that gets passed around. I usually read, chuckle, and delete. But this one could actually be a letter from any one of us.

Despite all the stress, remember to enjoy the holidays!

Dear Santa,

I’ve been a good mom all year. I’ve fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited the doctor’s office more than my doctor and sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son’s red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I’ll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:

I’d like a pair of legs that don’t ache (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don’t hurt or flap in the breeze, but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the grocery store.

I’d also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy.

If you’re hauling big ticket items this year I’d like fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music, a television that doesn’t broadcast any programs containing talking animals, and a
refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, “Yes, Mommy” to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don’t fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools.

I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting “Don’t eat in the living room” and “Take your hands off your brother,” because my voice seems to be just out of my children’s hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.

If it’s too late to find any of these products, I’d settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.

If you don’t mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable?
It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is calling and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don’t catch cold.

Help yourself to cookies on the table but don’t eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet. (you promised me last year you would lose some weight with me so next year you and I could be a cute size two blonde…ok, some requests go too far, but none the less…..

Yours Always,

MOM…

P.S. One more thing…you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children, healthy, safe and of course, young enough to always believe in Santa.

*Santa has asked that this gets passed on to all the mommies you know.

I just stumbled across this cute Christmas activity for kids.

It is a virtual gingerbread house. Kids can drag all sorts of candy onto the house and create a delectable masterpiece.

The best part - this gingerbread house has zero calories and won’t cause cavities!

What are your kids getting for the holidays?

If you are stumped for ideas, a recent press release by Toys R Us has identified the top 5 toy trends of 2007 holiday season. There is sure to be something here that your kids will want:

Trend #1: Hey! You’re A Rock Star!
Taking their roots from karaoke, and inspired by television hits such as American Idol and Disney’s High School Musical, the toys representative of this trend are perfect for novice musicians, wannabe performers and those who dream of being the next big rock star.

Ideas for trend #1:

• Fisher-Price Little Superstar Sing-Along Stage
• Fisher-Price I Can Play Guitar System
• Power Tour Electric Guitar - Black
• Hannah Montana Doll Tour Bus
• First Act: 36″ Acoustic Guitar
• Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock with Bonus Guitar (PS2)

Trend #2: Pink Play
Tweens have spoken loud and clear in response to the question, “What’s your favorite color?” So, with young fashionistas in mind, Toys”R”Us worked with manufacturers to create an exclusive line of toys and games that shout “Pink Rules!” The following “Only at Toys”R”Us” items are sure to win the hearts of young girls: The Think Pink Game Collection created for Toys”R”Us by Hasbro Games features a trio of favorite board games redesigned with pink pizzazz.

Ideas for trend #2:

• Nitro Notebook - Pink
• i-Dog - pink
• Littlest Pet Shop VIP Cat
• Leapster Learning System - Pink
  

Trend #3: Get Up! Get Active!
The introduction of the Wii from Nintendo last holiday season helped show both young and old alike that getting physical can be fun, and this innovative gaming system is expected to be one of the must-have gifts again this year. With its intuitive controls that challenge players to compete in games like tennis, baseball, bowling, boxing and more through physical motion, Wii started a revolution that has inspired several new toys designed to get kids active by making movement fun.

Ideas for trend #3:

• Nintendo Wii Bundle
• High School Musical Sing It! (Wii)
• High School Musical Dance Mat - HSM Dance Mat

Trend #4: Internet Connectivity
Every year, the Internet is further incorporated into everyday tasks and is continually changing the way kids learn and are entertained. Parents often wonder whether or not their children are ready for exposure to the Internet, and many of this year’s new toys can help by offering kids safe online access.

Ideas for trend #4:

• Fisher-Price: Easy-Link Internet Launchpad
• Power Rangers Operation Overdrive Mega Mission Helmet
• Barbie Girls MP3 Player - Pink
• Littlest Pet Shop VIP’s
• Net Jet Online Gaming System by Hasbro

Trend #5: Transforming and Robotic Toys
This summer’s biggest movie blockbuster, TRANSFORMERS helped everyone rediscover a love of robotics. From action figures that change forms to remote controlled toys, robots are popping up everywhere.

Ideas for trend #5:

• Hasbro Transformers Ultimate Bumblebee Figure
• V_BOT Radio Control Transforming Vehicle, Candy Red - 27 mhz by Learning Curve
• Mio Pup White/Pink
• Roboquad
  

Well, this should jump start your holiday season. Happy shopping!