For every holiday there is a group of social media moms (myself included) ready and waiting to share a mountain of inspiration.
We round up our favorite do it yourself home decorations, kids crafts, theme breakfast boards, gift baskets, and so much more. If you’re not a Pinterest, DIY type mom this can be kind of overwhelming. Everyone wants to make their kids feel special during the holidays, but the loops of inspiration aren’t always feasible.
That is why I’m going to share my top secret tricks to fake it! As moms we already have so much things to do and worry about, there isn’t always time to add more to our plate. These are my favorite ways to create special holiday times, without busting my butt to do so.
craft kits
Rather than bust out your craft supply collection or go out and buy a bunch of materials.. look for craft kits that include everything you need. Dollar Tree and Target Dollar Spot are two of the best places to find these. Each holiday you can count on them to have foam stickers, wood shapes with paint or markers, ceramic paint kits, etc. Because they require little to no preparation, you can take one out for your kids to do while you make dinner or fold laundry. The clean up is effortless because there is usually not many pieces to the craft.
pre-made
Have you dreamed of being the kind of mom that bakes and decorates holiday treats with your kids? Well we both know that can be a tedious MESS of hard work. Instead of creating a mess in your kitchen, then keeping the kids busy while the treats bake, then rounding them back up to decorate – buy pre-made cookies (or cupcakes) and icing. Kids don’t care whether it was homemade or not, they just want to ice them and drown them in sprinkles. Save everyone the time and the headache by taking this simple short cut.
meals
The sweet holiday food boards that you will find on my instagram always have something in common. One being that I use the boards to save myself all of the dishes it takes to serve food. A board full of food and festive paper tableware looks like it took a lot of work, makes the kids happy, and requires less clean up. In the beginning of the holiday season (for whichever holiday) I will make one big batch of festive waffles or pancakes then freeze the rest to pop them in the toaster the rest of the month. The kids then see a festive breakfast that actually took no prep that morning. Same goes for anything else that I cut into shapes (meats, cheeses, fruits, etc.). Also, adding festive sprinkles can make ANY food fun.
decorations
Picking up a large pack of paper plates and cups, plus a festive tablecloth can make any meal feel special for your kids. You can find anything you need to set a table festively at Dollar Tree. Add a cheap banner to their bookshelves. Dress up their play kitchen. Any little bit of festive pops will create a fun and exciting new space!
balloons
If you have followed me for a while you know that I make a balloon garland for every occasion. It might seem super extra, but the reality is that I have a massive collection of balloons in various colors in my office. Each holiday I see what colors I have and put the garland together based on my stash. Bags of balloons can be found at Walmart and Dollar Tree for $1. I used to use a hand pump that I picked up at Walmart but have since upgraded to an electric air pump from Party City.
gift baskets
A lot of parents are quick to judge the seasonal/occasion based gift baskets. I have always picked up a few cute things for my kids and popped them into a basket or bag each holiday. I try to fill them things that they can do (like the craft kits I mentioned above), books and pajamas to fit the holiday, and various theme candies that they like. It usually costs me about $10 for each kid with items from Dollar Tree, Walmart, and the dollar spot.
Do not ever feel pressured to create big, extravagant events for your kids every holiday. Your kids love you and every little moment with you. I’m sharing theses tricks to help you create a little bit of magic on the ordinary days without going crazy to do so. Fake it until you make it!
