Reader Lucy has some fab ideas on making the Christmas holidays extra special this year… read on and see!
Lucy says:
I am guilty of being a HUGE Christmas lover and also guilty of never getting anything useful done in the Christmas holidays - which isn't great, as I am supposed to be revising for my exams! This year, I have devised a list of fun things to do… some are quick activities and some might take a whole day. The list is keeping me on track, and I hope it'll help you to get some things done too. (And who knows, I might even have time left over for revision!)
1. Give someone a hug! This one is really easy - with all the festive cheer zooming around it's actually quite hard not to hug everyone in sight!
2. Go on a winter walk… believe it or not, winter is one of the most beautiful times of the year. The trees are coated in a fine layer of glittery frost… and everywhere seems more peaceful.
3. Decorate a branch. Sounds a bit strange but the result is stunning! While on your walk, look out for a suitable branch… and when you get home, prop it up somewhere and twine fairy lights all around it and decorate the branches with baubles.
4. Make hanging birds. This craft can turn your windows into beautiful works of art. Simply print out a template of a little bird and cut out bird shapes from card. Cut a little piece of wrapping paper to stick on the breast of the bird so that it looks like the red breast of a robin. Next, take a small rectangular piece of paper and fold/pleat it several times do that it looks like a little fan. Make a slit in the bird shape where the wings should be and slide the 'fan' through the gap. Make sure the paper is even on each side. Finally, thread some string through the bird's back and hang in the window!
5. Dance wildly to Christmas songs. They are possibly the best and happiest songs EVER! I cannot wait to start rocking out to those Christmassy tunes. Plug in the music and dance away - who cares if people think you are crazy? They're missing out on all the fun!
6. Bake Christmas cupcakes! To make these, you will need…
4oz self-raising flour
4oz caster sugar
4oz butter
2 eggs
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Fondant icing, writing icing, cupcake cases
* Preheat oven to 180 degrees and cream sugar and butter together.
* Sieve in flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.
* Beat the eggs and whisk into the mixture.
* Mix thoroughly and spoon into cupcake cases.
* Cook for 15-20 minutes (it depends on your oven). To tell if they're cooked, stick a skewer into one cupcake; if it comes out clean, the cakes are ready.
* Once cooled, use a cookie cutter to cut out fondant icing tops for each cake and decorate with writing icing!
There you go… a short, sweet list of things to keep you busy this Christmas! Why not take a picture of everything you try, or jot the ideas into a notebook? If you've been having a hard time lately, put your troubles to one side and feel the Christmas love. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
Cathy says:
Brilliant stuff, Lucy… now back to that revision! Do YOU have any Christmas rituals and traditions to share? COMMENT BELOW to tell us more!
I am guilty of being a HUGE Christmas lover and also guilty of never getting anything useful done in the Christmas holidays - which isn't great, as I am supposed to be revising for my exams! This year, I have devised a list of fun things to do… some are quick activities and some might take a whole day. The list is keeping me on track, and I hope it'll help you to get some things done too. (And who knows, I might even have time left over for revision!)
1. Give someone a hug! This one is really easy - with all the festive cheer zooming around it's actually quite hard not to hug everyone in sight!
2. Go on a winter walk… believe it or not, winter is one of the most beautiful times of the year. The trees are coated in a fine layer of glittery frost… and everywhere seems more peaceful.
4. Make hanging birds. This craft can turn your windows into beautiful works of art. Simply print out a template of a little bird and cut out bird shapes from card. Cut a little piece of wrapping paper to stick on the breast of the bird so that it looks like the red breast of a robin. Next, take a small rectangular piece of paper and fold/pleat it several times do that it looks like a little fan. Make a slit in the bird shape where the wings should be and slide the 'fan' through the gap. Make sure the paper is even on each side. Finally, thread some string through the bird's back and hang in the window!
5. Dance wildly to Christmas songs. They are possibly the best and happiest songs EVER! I cannot wait to start rocking out to those Christmassy tunes. Plug in the music and dance away - who cares if people think you are crazy? They're missing out on all the fun!
4oz self-raising flour
4oz caster sugar
4oz butter
2 eggs
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Fondant icing, writing icing, cupcake cases
* Preheat oven to 180 degrees and cream sugar and butter together.
* Sieve in flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.
* Mix thoroughly and spoon into cupcake cases.
* Cook for 15-20 minutes (it depends on your oven). To tell if they're cooked, stick a skewer into one cupcake; if it comes out clean, the cakes are ready.
* Once cooled, use a cookie cutter to cut out fondant icing tops for each cake and decorate with writing icing!
There you go… a short, sweet list of things to keep you busy this Christmas! Why not take a picture of everything you try, or jot the ideas into a notebook? If you've been having a hard time lately, put your troubles to one side and feel the Christmas love. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
Cathy says:
Brilliant stuff, Lucy… now back to that revision! Do YOU have any Christmas rituals and traditions to share? COMMENT BELOW to tell us more!
If your in the southern hemisphere...
ReplyDeleteGo to the beach.
Swim
Fun in the sun
Read
Have a lemonade stand
Take part in some sort of charity event
Bake a cake for someone special
Go for a picnic
See the sites
Print out (if your under 12) 50 things to do before your 12
.
Hope this helped
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