by bitsofthewilliams | Dec 4, 2021 | CHRISTMAS
Welcome to the topic 7 romantic and cozy Christmas date ideas.
The holiday season is a time where we finally catch a break from our busy work schedules and can spend more time with our loved ones. If you’re looking for ways to wind down, relax, and have a fun time this Christmas with your lover, we’ve got seven cozy date ideas for Christmas day for you that are going to get the sparks flying!
Have a Christmas movie night
Snuggling with your partner under the covers and watching romantic Christmas movies together is one of the best feelings ever. One of the favorite movies for couples to watch during this season is It’s A Wonderful Life, a heartwarming and inspirational Christmas classic that you’re undoubtedly going to love.
Bake cookies together
Another cozy indoor date idea is to have the ultimate bake-off with your partner. Go all the way and bake as many batches as you can, adding different flavors, shapes, and sizes. Once you’re done eating your share to your heart’s content, you can give the rest to your friends, relatives, neighbors or donate them to your local shelter or nursing home.
Attend an ugly Christmas sweater party together
Whether it’s at a friend’s house or over an online call, attending an ugly Christmas sweater party is a fun and relaxing way to spend a Christmas evening when you don’t have much to do. You and your partner could choose ugly sweaters for each other to wear to the party and once you’re there, enjoy yourselves!
Go gift-shopping together
Who’s to say that you can’t have cozy dates outside the comfort of your house? While it might be a bit frosty outside, you and your lover can bundle up and visit different stores to shop for Christmas presents. Make it a point to cover your eyes when your partner gets a gift for you and vice versa so that it’s a happy surprise for both of you.
Visit your local animal shelter
This is an excellent date idea for animal lovers who’re just itching to give their furry friends a long cuddle. You can always drop by your local animal shelter with a few extra treats and give these animals a whole lot of love and attention with your partner.
Go on a night drive
The streets at night during the Christmas season are breathtaking. If you’re not willing to take a walk because of the freezing temperatures, you can always head out in your car with your lover to admire the beautiful lights draped across houses, storefronts, trees, and lamp posts together.
Create your own holiday tradition
Regardless of whether you’re dating or married to your partner, starting a holiday tradition can be a special kind of date that you could continue together for years to come. It could be something as simple as binging your favorite TV show or making breakfast together in the morning, anything that’s special to the two of you and that you can look forward to each Christmas.
And that’s all of our romantic and cozy Christmas date ideas. Wishing you and your lover a very merry Christmas!
Have any questions regarding the topic 7 romantic and cozy Christmas date ideas? Feel Free to comment below.
Also Read: 5 ways to give back this Christmas
by bitsofthewilliams | Dec 4, 2021 | CHRISTMAS
Welcome to the topic Child friendly Christmas ornaments that you need to get.
Fairy lights and glass balls are undoubtedly classic and aesthetic Christmas ornaments, but if you’re someone who has little kids running around the house, you’re probably always worried about them tripping over the lights or shattering the glass decorations. A simple way to overcome this problem is by getting yourself child-friendly ornaments, or even better, by making those ornaments yourself!
Paper snowflake ornaments
Instead of buying glass snowflakes from the store that might be a danger for your kids, get a stack of white sheets, scissors, glue, and start snipping away. You and your kids will have a great time making snowflakes of varying shapes, sizes, and designs that you can hang on the ceiling or even on the Christmas tree. Make sure you tie them to the tree properly because their lightweight can make them susceptible to falling with even the slightest breeze.
Pompom ornaments
Pompom ornaments are an all-time favorite for us because they’re easy to make from yarn or paper. You can also always buy them at your stationery store for a low price. These ornaments look absolutely adorable when hanging from the Christmas tree. And you know the best part? Even if your child accidentally knocks one of them over, they’re never going to break!
Cereal ornaments
Now, this is one type of ornament that you might not have heard of before. If you have toddlers who are addicted to putting everything they see in their mouth for a taste test, why not give them something worthwhile to work with?
To make cereal ornaments, you’ll need a few pipe cleaners, a string to hang them up, and any kind of cereal, such as fruit loops. Your older kids can help you pass the fruit loops through the pipe cleaners and tie them up with the string. You can hang these up on the tree or even wear them as Christmas-themed necklaces or bracelets. If your toddler happens to grab one of these in his mouth, you’ll have no fear since once you get rid of the pipe cleaner for them, it’s entirely edible.
Metal ornaments
This might be a strange one for you if you’ve never used metal ornaments during Christmas before but hear us out. Metal doesn’t break the way glass baubles and decorations pieces do; hence, it provides an ideal alternative for decorating your Christmas tree with beautiful ornaments. You can get a wide variety of metal ornaments from online stores like Etsy that will add a new twist to your usual Christmas decorations.
ABC ornaments
Making ABC ornaments or buying them from the mart is a genius move for your children who are just starting to learn the alphabet. You can get these ornaments in the form of ABC blocks, letters of the alphabet carved into wood or painted on canvases or papers in bright colors. In this way, your kids are going to have a safe, fun-filled playtime on Christmas day with even an educational aspect of it!
Have any questions regarding the topic Child friendly Christmas ornaments that you need to get? Feel Free to comment below.
Also Read: The Best Christmas Movies to Watch in 2021
by bitsofthewilliams | Dec 4, 2021 | CHRISTMAS
Welcome to the topic 7 creative ways to wrap your Christmas gifts.
Several things can bring about that festive cheer on Christmas day, such as your home decor, your Christmas tree, your fairy lights, and of course, your Christmas presents! How you wrap these presents is incredibly important because it can either make or break the impressions of your recipients. Here are seven creative ways to wrap your gifts and vow to all your loved ones with your skills.
Using 3D cut-out snowflakes
Remember the paper snowflakes we used to make back in elementary school during art class? These snowflakes are an upgraded version that requires a bit more effort, folding, and snipping. You can find how to make them by watching any one of the countless tutorials available online. Wrap up your presents and paste these snowflakes as a delightful finishing touch.
Using kraft paper
Kraft paper gives your presents a neat, minimalistic look, and it also provides you ample space to doodle and be creative! Best of all, it’s naturally biodegradable, making it environmentally friendly, which is bound to cheer your environmentally conscious friends and relatives.
Using pompoms
Let’s admit it—you’re never too old for pompoms. Whether it’s made of yarn or paper, pompoms add a quirky touch to your gifts, especially during Christmas time when you can add them onto the wrapping paper as Christmas ornaments, holly sprigs, or even in your artwork of Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer.
Using Christmas stamps
One of the easiest yet attractive ways to wrap a present is to encase it with plain brown packaging and use Christmas-themed stamps. These stamps could be Christmas trees, wreaths, garlands, holly, and mistletoe, or even stockings. You can order these stamps online or get them at any local stationery store.
Using road maps
This is one method that you’ve probably never thought of before. If you have any old maps lying around the house that no one’s interested in using, now’s a good time to do good work out of them. Wrap your gifts up in these maps and tie them up with a piece of string. You can even add an old-fashioned button or keychain to the mix for a more vintage look.
Using emojis
If you’re wrapping up presents for kids, they’re going to love this gift wrapping. Use plain yellow paper to wrap your gifts, and then bring out your pencils, markers, and craft paper because you will be drawing the cutest faces on these boxes. Take some time to get to know the children’s favorite emojis and draw on their packaging accordingly.
Using items of clothing
Not sure whether you should give your friend that adorable plaid shirt you got or those books that she’s been wanting for a while? Here’s a great way that you can do both! Simply use an article of clothing, such as that shirt, as the wrapping material for the gift and maybe throw in a fancy brooch to make it look even better.
And that’s all seven ways! Hope you have a blast wrapping your Christmas gifts, and may you have the merriest Christmas.
Have any questions regarding the topic 7 creative ways to wrap your Christmas gifts? Feel Free to comment below.
Also Read: Choosing the perfect Christmas tree
by bitsofthewilliams | Dec 4, 2021 | CHRISTMAS
Welcome to the topic 4 easy Christmas day recipes.
In this article, we’re sharing four easy and quick recipes for you that you can try out during Christmas 2021.
Breakfast—Triple-Cheese Broccoli Puff
Ingredients:
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp butter
3 ounces softened cream cheese
6 large eggs at room temperature
1 cup milk
¾ cup baking mix
3 cups frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
2 cups shredded Jack cheese
1 cup cottage cheese
¼ teaspoon salt
Directions:
- Fry mushrooms in butter in a pan until soft.
- Mix the cream cheese, eggs, milk, biscuit mix, broccoli, cheese, salt, and mushrooms in a large enough bowl.
- Pour the mixture into a greased 2½-quart dish and bake it uncovered at 350 degrees for an hour until the thermometer reads 160 degrees.
- Wait for ten minutes before serving the dish at the breakfast table.
Lunch—Mini cheese and cranberry pastry wreaths
Ingredients:
4 sheets frozen puff pastries, thawed
175g jar warmed cranberry sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 lightly whisked egg
½ cup finely shredded parmesan
Fresh parsley for garnishing
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- Spread half of a pastry sheet with cranberry sauce and half of it with mozzarella. Cover it with another sheet and gently coat it with the egg mixture while sprinkling a bit of parmesan. Flip the sheets over and coat and sprinkle the cheese on the other side as well.
- Cut the pastry stacks into strips that are 2cm wide. Twist each strip a couple of times to shape it like a wreath. Press down on the edges and place them in your baking trays.
- Repeat the above two steps with the remaining pastries. Bake the trays for twenty minutes until the pastry is golden. Remember to swap the trays midway.
- Sprinkle some parsley onto the trays and serve at room temperature.
Tea—Baked ham and caramelized onion tea sandwiches
Ingredients:
12 slices of white bread
25g butter
300g shaved leg ham
6 slices of Swiss cheese
80g mustard cress punnet, trimmed
Extra mustard cress punnet, trimmed for garnishing
Caramelized onion relish
2 tbsp olive oil
4 red onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup brown sugar
Salt and pepper
⅓ cup drained canned fire-roasted capsicum strips
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Directions:
- Fry butter, oil, and onions on medium to high heat for 25 minutes to make relish. Add sugar, salt, and pepper for about 15-20 minutes more until the liquid evaporates. Add capsicum and vinegar and refrigerate.
- Spread one side of each bread slice with butter and relish. Add in ham, cheese, and cress before topping it with the remaining bread slices.
- Cut off the crusts and cut each sandwich into three fingers. Refrigerate and serve with mustard cress as garnishing.
Dinner—Corn salad with bacon and honey
Ingredients:
4 slices of bacon, chopped
1 medium shallot, chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme
2 tsp sherry vinegar
3 c. frozen corn, thawed
1 tsp pure honey
Directions:
- Fry bacon over medium heat for 10 minutes until it is crisp and shift it to a paper towel plate.
- Add shallot and thyme to the skillet and cook until tender. Put in vinegar and corn, and cook for an extra five minutes. Stir in honey, and you’re good to go!
Have any questions regarding the topic 4 easy Christmas day recipes? Feel Free to comment below.
Also Read: 10 things to do on Christmas day
by bitsofthewilliams | Dec 4, 2021 | CHRISTMAS
Welcome to the topic The best places to spend your Christmas.
Christmas 2021 is right around the corner, and while your travel plans for this year might be looking a tad bit different from usual because of the global travel restrictions, it’s never too early to start browsing through your options of places you could spend your Christmas this year. Today we’re sharing our recommendations of places throughout the world that genuinely embody the festive spirit during Christmas time that you need to visit. Let’s get right into it!
Washington, D.C.
The capital of the United States has a never-ending list of exciting activities to offer us every Christmas season. To start with, you can visit the national Christmas tree decorated with ornaments designed by artists throughout the state. You can swing by the National Museum of American History to catch a screening of your favorite holiday movies, or you can head over to the world’s most giant light maze in Nationals Park to have a genuinely enchanted Christmas.
Vienna, Austria
When it comes to providing an excellent environment for you to enjoy yourselves in, the capital of Austria is not far behind. Vienna provides you with a humble and glittering abode for you to reside in during this snowy season. You can visit one of its many markets, such as the Vienna Christmas Market at City Hall, or nod along to the beautiful notes of the Vienna Boys Choir that has been performing in the area for the past five centuries.
Dubai, UAE
The city of gold, dreams, skyscrapers, and holidays—let’s not forget Dubai in the United Arab Emirates when we’re talking about the best places to spend Christmas. The malls in this city, including The Dubai Mall, Dubai Festival City, and the Mall of the Emirates, are amongst several places that are decked floor to ceiling with holiday decor and charming lights. While you’re out enjoying these sceneries, don’t forget to bag a good deal at one of this city’s many Christmas markets!
London, England
London presents us with a multitude of options when it comes to celebrating Christmas in the most exhilarating way possible. Visiting Trafalgar Square to view one of the largest Christmas trees in the area is one of our all-time favorite ways to spend a frosty Christmas evening. You can also drop by the Royal Albert Hall where music icons, such as Justin Timberlake, Adele, and Enrique Iglesias, have performed. And finally, you can close off your night by enjoying the tasty snacks and the awesome carnival rides at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park.
Tokyo, Japan
Last but not least, Tokyo is another fantastic place to visit during your Christmas holidays. This city has an exceptional ability to draw inspiration from different cultures and traditions and seamlessly blend that into its environment. Take a look at the delightful shopping centers in this area, such as the Ennichi or Roppongi Christmas Market, and you’ll know what we mean. If you’re planning to spend your Christmas in Japan, make sure you do it the Japanese way! Enjoy a hearty meal of fried chicken with cake as dessert, and don’t forget to express your gratitude for having the best Christmas ever.
Have any questions regarding the topic The best places to spend your Christmas? Feel Free to comment below.
Also Read: The Top Decorating Trends to Follow for Christmas This Year
by bitsofthewilliams | Dec 4, 2021 | CHRISTMAS
Welcome to the topic How to Include Your Pets in Your Christmas Celebrations.
We all love our pets more than anything, and since Christmas is a time to celebrate with family, that means they get a chance to celebrate with us too! So grab your favorite furry friend and get creative!
Taking Festive Photos (With Them!)
Everyone loves taking lots and lots of pictures of their pets; this is something we’re pretty much all guilty of doing as we fill up our camera rolls with more pictures of them than we do ourselves! Don’t take that as discouragement, though, as we recommend doing more of that this time around too. Maybe even include yourself in the portraits for an extraordinary time! Ask a family member or a friend to be your photographer for the occasion, and get the entire pet family together for fun, one of a kind festive photoshoot that is bound to be memorable for you and them. Make sure to put some cute festive decorations and accessories on them too, we recommend ribbons or Santa hats for starters; just make sure they’re not tied too tightly!
Dress Them Up
There is nothing cuter than seeing someone’s favorite pet dressed up in the cutest little pet attire, and this holiday season, why not make that your little fur friend? There are virtually limitless choices when it comes to dressing up your pets, everything from holiday-themed to anything else you may like for a different occasion during the year. If the weather allows, try a cute little sweater or a colorful Christmas-themed ribbon around their necks, or maybe go all out with a mini Santa of your own in the form of your pet. For this, try a Santa hat that is made to fit small kids and pair that with a matching costume. Your pets are surely going to look great in anything!
Gift Giving
The holiday season is one of the best times of the year for giving each other gifts, so why not include your pets too this time around! After all, they are also part of your family, so while you’re shopping for gifts for your human loved ones, maybe get a little something for your furry family too. We recommend trying stocking or just wrapping the gifts up and placing them with the rest of the presents under the tree to be opened with the entire family. The gifts themselves can include toys, treats, cute clothes as mentioned earlier, or just anything that you feel that they would love to have!
Making Them a Treat
If you’ve already bought and tried all the treats there are to give to your pet, perhaps you can try making them their special one yourself this holiday season. We’ve all been in the situation where we’re trying to eat, and our pets are just dying to get a bite of whatever it is that we’re enjoying so much, and this time they will have their treat to enjoy. The sky’s the limit with this, really, so get creative with whatever you decide to make, and we’re sure you will both have a great time!
Have any questions regarding the topic How to Include Your Pets in Your Christmas Celebrations? Feel Free to comment below.
Also Read: Staying healthy during Christmas time
