25 Days of Holiday Activities Week 1

Day 1: Christmas Tree Decorating
My family has a tradition where we have a picnic dinner on the floor watching White Christmas and then decorate the Christmas tree. I modified the traditional tree trimming activity to fit apartment style living in Seattle. My roommate and I decorated our "elf" tree, also known as the top of a regular tree, with ornaments collected through the years after finishing the mini sandwich and beer picnic.
 

Day 2: Seahawks Party
A few friends came over to cheer on the Hawks as they took on the Chicago Bears in the Windy City. There was a lot of game time food to get us through the game including pizza mini bites, veggie fritatta, buffalo chicken wing dip and more! It was a close game and went to overtime but thank goodness the Hawks prevailed! Super Bowl, here we come!
 

Day 3: Hand Cut Snowflakes
After surfing Pinterest for ideas the choice was made to construct ballerina snowflakes and a 3D gigantor snowflake. Although they look somewhat complicated both projects were fairly easy to construct and look great hanging on the wall and in the window. Necessary tools: colored paper, scissors, tape, stapler and a pencil to draw the ballerina outline.
 

Day 4: Homemade Cinnamon Ornaments
So far this has been the best project because of how yummy it makes your home smell. Using 1 cup of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of white glue and 1 cup of applesauce you make a dough, roll it out and use cookie cutters for your shapes. Let dry for a few days or bake in the oven for a few hours and your neighbors will be stopping by wondering what's cooking. Remember not to eat the dough, it is very tempting but not edible!
 

Day 5: Home Alone on ABC Family
Classic holiday movie and one of several to choose from on the network's annual 25 days of Christmas countdown. Pop a bowl of your favorite popcorn, get the slippers on and the cozy blanket out, kick back and enjoy the show. Best part: the scream emitted from the bad guy when a spider is put on his face. Hysterical.
 

Day 6: Present Shopping
Bellevue Square Mall is decorated very festive for the season and it was where I ended up to start my holiday shopping. The atrium, decorated with Santa's sleigh and reindeer, feels so magical as if Rudolf is actually flying above. At 7PM every night Bellevue Way turns into Snowflake Lane, where drummers come to life and there music and real snow!
 

Day 7: Woodland Park WildLights
This is the first year Woodland Park Zoo has decked the grounds for the holidays. This jolly attraction is great for families with young children. There are real reindeer (squee!), indoor and outdoor light displays, a carousel (additional fee) and live music. Zoomazium is a great place for the kids to run around and let off extra energy and the reptile exhibit is open which is a nice warm break from the cold.