DIY Shamrock Shirt with 4-Leaf Cover Stamp

February 21, 2020 by

When the kids are home on a weekday because school is out we find an excuse to craft! And with St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, we decided to make a festive t-shirt for my daughter to wear to school on the holiday. With a cardboard roll, some q-tips, and green paint, you can easily make a shamrock shirt in 30 minutes. 

And, if your child is as excited to craft as mine was, you may also end up with a rainbow and pot of gold over your four leaf clover too! Painting with q-tips is fun and using items from around the house to create things allows the kids to think outside of the box! We share some more tips in the Facebook Live video we did below: 

DIY Shamrock Shirt with 4-Leaf Cover Stamp

What you’ll need: 

  • white shirt
  • green paint (plus rainbow colors if you want to add a rainbow)
  • cardboard tube
  • q-tips
  • hot glue gun
  • scissors

What you do: 

1. Cut cardboard tube into 4 sections. 

2. Make a heart with each section by flattening the tube and turning one point into itself.  

3. Glue all 4 hearts together to form a shamrock. 

4. Position shamrock onto shirt. Using the q-tip, dot green paint onto shirt following the shamrock outline. 

5. Add a rainbow, pot of gold, or sun to your shirt to finish it off. 

6. Let dry fully before wearing. 

How do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? 

Looking for more ways to celebrate? Here are some great recipes to check out! 

Irish Soda Bread Biscuits

Rainbow Cupcakes

Filed Under: Clothing, Crafts/DIY, Holidays Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Minecraft Valentine’s Day Miner Printable

January 16, 2020 by

Have a Minecraft fan at home? Print off these Minecraft Valentine’s Day Miner Printables for your kid to personalize and pass out in class!

Minecraft Miner Valentine Printable, Minecraft Valentine's Day Miner Printable, Minecraft Printable, Minecraft Valentine

You know how I’ve mentioned a few times before how obsessed my son is with Minecraft? Well in an effort to continue the tradition and make handmade valentines for the kids, I wracked my brain to try and think of ideas to make Minecraft valentines. I couldn’t figure out what to use as the treat, edible or non-edible.

And then as my son was building another world and digging through the ground, it hit me. A Minecraft miner valentine! And I could use Hershey’s nuggets as the treat. I thought the gold would be perfect. And then my son reminded me that you can also mine for silver. So I grabbed some milk chocolate Hershey’s nuggets to go along with the chocolate with almond for the kids who don’t eat nuts. Luckily there are no allergies in his classroom.

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These valentines were super easy to make. I used the same process I have in the past and made them in PicMonkey. And while it took a little more work adding each additional square to make the background look pixelated, it was totally worth it! I love how much fun these valentines are to make every year. I sure hope my kids continue to want me to make their valentines (or take over completely themselves!).

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Minecraft Valentine’s Day Miner Valentine

What you’ll need: 

Minecraft Miner Valentine Printable supplies, Minecraft Miner Valentine Printable, Minecraft Valentine's Day Miner Printable, Minecraft Printable, Minecraft Valentine

What you do:

1. Print Minecraft Valentine’s Day miner printable and cut them out.

2. Place a few Hershey’s nuggets in a bag.

3. Fold the valentine in half and measure where on the bag the valentine goes to.

4. Fold over the bag onto itself so there is no overlap when you place the valentine on top of the bag.

5. Using the stapler, secure the valentine onto the bag.

TO PRINT MINECRAFT PRINTABLE CLICK HERE

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What is your little gamer giving out for Valentine’s Day this year?

Looking to customize your own Valentines? Check out this post below:

How to Make Valentines with PicMonkey
How to Make Valentines In PicMonkey

Looking for more Valentine’s Day ideas? Read on!

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Minecraft Miner Valentine Printable, Minecraft Valentine's Day Miner Printable, Minecraft Printable, Minecraft Valentine

This post was originally published on Jan 21, 2018

Filed Under: Holidays, Valentine's Day Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Tissue Paper Jack-O-Lantern Preschool Craft

October 13, 2019 by

Tissue Paper Jack-O-Lantern

With Halloween right around the corner, these tissue paper jack-o-lanterns are a fun and easy project to do with any preschooler. It combines quite a few different skills including cutting, staying in the lines, and gluing the paper down.

This craft is very similar to the paper plate pumpkin we made. We’ve been working on fine motor skills and the steps taken to make this craft definitely helped her practice those skills. Plus, the kids love crafting with glue!

 

TISSUE PAPER JACK-O-LANTERN

What you’ll need: 

  • Pumpkin template
  • orange tissue paper
  • 1 sheet black paper
  • 1 sheet green paper (or a scrap)
  • scissors
  • glue

WHAT YOU DO:

1. Cut one piece of tissue paper into 1″ squares. Set aside.

2. Grab the glue and squeeze little dots a few at a time in clusters.

3. Ball up tissue paper and place on a glue dot. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until whole pumpkin is covered with orange tissue paper.

4. Cut out eyes and a mouth for the jack-o-lantern out of black paper and glue to top of pumpkin to create your jack-o-lantern.

5. Cut out a stem for the jack-o-lantern out of the green paper and glue on.

Tissue Paper Jack-O-Lantern Preschool Craft

My daughter had a blast with this craft and loved practicing her cutting skills, gluing the paper in the lines, and learning what the difference between a pumpkin and a jack-o-lantern are.

She’s already asking what her next craft will be. I guess I better start brainstorming!

HOW DO YOU WORK ON FINE MOTOR SKILLS?

Filed Under: Crafts/DIY, Halloween, Holidays, Kids Crafts, Preschool Crafts, Toddler Crafts Tagged With: , , , ,

3 Ways to Dye Easter Eggs with Toddlers and Preschoolers

February 24, 2019 by

These 3 Ways to Dye Easter Eggs with Toddlers and Preschoolers will make egg dying fun for the whole family! 

Easy Ways to Dye Easter Eggs with Toddlers and Preschoolers

This year our preschooler is ready to jump in with both hands and really have fun dying Easter eggs. We did a few experiments of our own last year to find 3 ways to dye Easter eggs with toddlers and preschoolers that are not only fun but easy too! And as an added bonus, you probably have all of these things in your home right now. How’s that for awesome? 

My youngest had a blast trying these different methods of dying Easter eggs with me last year and couldn’t wait to show her brother and sister what fun they have in store for them. Since we dye Easter eggs the Saturday before Easter, she had a leg up from her siblings and was a pro when it was time to actually dye the eggs. This year? She’s the master…

3 Ways to Dye Easter Eggs with Toddlers and Preschoolers

With small children, it’s hard to use the ready-made kits on store shelves. Their little hands just aren’t ready for holding those thin wire holders and spoons can sometimes be harder to control. So we set the spoons aside and let the kids have fun with these few suggestions! 

1. Use a Whisk 

As I mentioned before, it’s really hard for little ones to use those small wire handles that come with the store bought ready-made kits. So we make it easier by placing hard boiled eggs in a whisk for easy dunking. 

Put some plastic cups in a muffin tin for stability and fill with 1/2 a cup of warm water and 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Then add in some food coloring drops to create the colors you want. Grab your hard boiled egg in the whisk and let your child dunk until they’re done! 

You can also forgo the whisk and cups and simply let your child dunk their eggs in the muffin tin directly! But be prepared for a bit more mess that way. 

2. Whipping Cream and Food Coloring

Grab a tub of your favorite whipping cream and add it to a few muffin tin wells. Then add a few drops of the food coloring of your choice and swirl with a toothpick. 

Add a hard-boiled egg to the center of the muffin tin well and spin with your hands until the whole egg is covered. Pull out and set aside to dry. Wipe off any excess cream with a paper towel and enjoy the beautiful colors it leaves behind. 

Alternatively, you can also use shaving cream! 

3. Dye with Rice

Grab some rice from the pantry and add to a few wells in your muffin tin pan until they’re about 1/2 way full. Add some drops of food coloring and mix around with a toothpick until the grains of rice are coated with the food coloring. 

Add a hard-boiled egg into the muffin tin well and swirl around. Let dry completely and enjoy! 

These 3 ways to dye Easter eggs with toddlers and preschoolers is a fun and easy craft you can do with your kids this Easter. We love setting everything out and sitting back to watch what the kids will think of next when they’re dying their eggs. 

A few alternative tools you can leave out for your kids are stickers, crayons, and paintbrushes. 

Watch how my 2-year-old and I use these techniques last year in a fun Facebook Live video: 

Looking for more Easter ideas for the kids?  

Loved what you read? Read more: 

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Filed Under: Crafts/DIY, Easter, Holidays Tagged With: , ,

The Perfect Easter Egg Hunt Ideas for Toddlers in Playgroups

March 20, 2018 by

Check out these perfect Easter Egg Hunt Ideas for toddlers when you’re planning an egg hunt for your playgroup. We’ve been planning playgroup egg hunts for years and have nearly perfected the art of the perfect playgroup egg hunt! And we’re sharing all of our tips today! 

I am not sure if you know this about me but I actually ran a playgroup of moms and kids for about 5+ years. I jumped in when my good friend moved out of the area and needed someone to take over her playgroup. Because I had such a great experience when my youngest was an infant and had built true friendships, it was a win-win situation for me. Sadly, with work and life (and our kids going to school) we no longer have playdates regularly but we still get to see each other on occasion. 

From this experience, I have a lot of knowledge of all things playdate. And planning the perfect playdate becomes an art form after a while. That includes holiday-based playdates. With Easter right around the corner, I thought it’d be the perfect time for me to share how to plan the perfect Easter egg hunt for toddlers and preschoolers. These ideas are great when paired with an active local playgroup in your area or a good group of friends and kids. 

Easter Egg Hunt Ideas for Toddlers

In a playgroup setting, it can be really fun to gather friends for a classic Easter egg hunt. Especially for toddlers and preschoolers. Not only is it smaller than, say, a community gathering, there’s also more control over the overall experience for your little one. We’re sharing some of our top tips for planning and executing a seamless Easter egg hunt for toddlers. 

Planning the Perfect Easter Egg Hunt 

1. Choosing the right location – The perfect location for an Easter egg hunt is just as important as the planning of the hunt itself. You want to consider the age group you’re planning for and the level of difficulty they’ll need to make the event fun. Here are a few things to consider: 

  • Is the event space easily accessible for parents? Does it have close parking for parents of multiple children or parents of infants? 
  • Does the event space have a large amount of grass to run around on? 
  • Are there taller hiding areas for older kids in your group? Are there areas other than the ground you can hide eggs in or around? 
  • Are there restrooms close to the event space? It may not sound like a big deal but for potty training toddlers, having access to a bathroom is ideal. 

2. Getting the invite out – Planning an event, like an Easter egg hunt, can be very easy if you use services available to you. When I ran my playgroup, I used Meetup.com to faciliate the playdate scheduling and RSVPs. But you can use something as simple as SignUp.com or even evite to set up your event. When you are creating your invitation, make sure to be very clear on a few things: 

  • Ask each parent to bring at least 10 filled plastic eggs per child they’re bringing. That way each child will collect the number of eggs their parent brought (no one is left out!).
  • Be clear on any specifications of what can and cannot go in the plastic eggs. If you know a child with an allergy will be attending, look for non-food options to stuff your eggs with. Some great ideas for this would be stickers, age-appropriate toys like finger puppets, erasers, sticky hands, and age-appropriate jewelry.
  • If you are enjoying snacks before or after the hunt, ask each parent to contribute a dish to the event. And just like with the eggs, consider allergies when preparing dishes for the group. 

3. Setting up the event – As the host, try to arrive at your event about 30 minutes prior to the event starting. That way you can scout out where the best spots for hiding eggs are and can secure a bench or area for your playgroup to create a home base. 

  • It’s helpful to bring a trash bag or two just in case the area doesn’t have accessible trash cans. That way you can take out anything you brought in with you. 
  • If you’re serving food, don’t forget the wipes! 
  • Create a station at your home base for parents to dump in the pre-filled eggs they brought with them so that once everyone arrives, you can hide the eggs while the kids are enjoying their time playing together or sharing a snack. 

4. Starting the egg hunt – Once all of the parents have arrived, it’s time to get the egg hunt started! 

  • Enlist one or two parents to help you start hiding the eggs while the kids are distracted. 
  • Once all of the eggs are hidden, come back  to the kids and make sure each has a basket or bag to collect their eggs. 
  • Instruct the kids to only collect the number of eggs they brought with them. Once they are done collecting that number, have them come back to home base for some fun revealing what’s in their eggs. 

Since each child is collecting the same number of eggs that they’ve brought, you don’t need to worry about starting one age group before the next. The toddlers can take their time collecting eggs (or picking dandelions like my kids do) while the older kids race ahead. 

Easter Egg Hunt Snack Ideas 

If you’re looking for ways to spice up your Easter egg hunt, here are few cute recipes and snack ideas to serve at your Easter egg hunt: 

Peeps Rice Crispy Treats

Easter Basket Cupcakes

Easter Egg Cups

Want more Easter fun? Here are some posts we think you’ll enjoy! 

Inexpensive Easter Basket Ideas for Kids

3 Ways To Dye Easter Eggs with Toddlers and Preschoolers

How to Make Confetti Eggs

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Filed Under: Easter, Holidays, Parenting

Inexpensive Easter Basket Ideas for Kids

March 5, 2018 by

These inexpensive Easter basket ideas for kids won’t break the bank! We take a simple approach to Easter baskets in our family and are sharing our tips and tricks with you. 

Easter is right around the corner and if you’re like me you’ve been racking your brain trying to think of great things to put in your child’s Easter basket. We always try and keep it simple. We definitely don’t want Easter turning into Christmas or a birthday where we shower our children with more than a few gifts. And we want our children to learn that not every holiday is a huge gift-giving event. 

We’ve always used the same guidelines each year since our son was born… simple. The Easter Bunny will only bring what will fit in the Easter baskets (except for the eggs filled with treats that he hides everywhere). These Easter basket ideas for kids are not only simple but ones you can pick up at your local stores. 

This year is no different. I went to a few different places to score the awesome loot found in my kids Easter baskets this year but didn’t spend more than $25 per basket and were purchased at Target (both the Easter section and $1 section) & See’s Candies. Plus, many of these things hold dual purpose and can be used over and over again. 

Here are our Easter Basket Gift Ideas for Kids:

inexpensive Easter ideas for kids

Easter Basket Ideas for Boys

  • Mini LEGO packs – found at the LEGO store and at Target or other retailers (pictured)
  • chalk (pictured)
  • sunglasses (pictured)
  • bug catcher gear (pictured)
  • See’s mini chocolate bunny & duck lollipop (pictured)
  • DVDs
  • wristwatch
  • jump rope
  • bubbles (we LOVE Gymboree bubbles!)
  • Hot Wheels cars

Inexpensive Easter ideas for kids

Easter Basket Ideas for Girls

  • Mini LEGO packs – found at the LEGO store and at Target or other retailers (pictured)
  • chalk (pictured)
  • sunglasses (pictured)
  • hair ties (pictured)
  • lip gloss (pictured)
  • wristwatch (pictured)
  • bug catcher gear (pictured)
  • See’s mini chocolate bunny & lollipop (pictured)
  • DVDs

Inexpensive Easter ideas for preschoolers

We’ll be stuffing fun stickers, temporary tattoos and See’s jelly beans in the plastic Easter eggs as well to hide for our family Easter egg hunt before brunch as well. And since they just saw Peter Rabbit in theaters, we added some fun Peter Rabbit plush toys we found on Amazon here. 

What do you add to your child’s Easter basket?

Love these Easter basket ideas for kids? Here are a few other fun Easter posts to read: 

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Filed Under: Crafts/DIY, gift ideas, Holidays

Irish Soda Bread Biscuits Recipe

February 14, 2018 by

This Irish Soda Bread Biscuits recipe is sure to hit all of the right spots when you pair it with a delicious cup of tea or coffee morning, noon, or night! This Irish Soda Bread Biscuits recipe is easy and quick. Perfect for those times you can’t make a full loaf of Irish Soda Bread for the family.

Irish Soda Bread Biscuits

I love a good breakfast scone. Perfect to pair with coffee or tea and fills me up! With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner I thought I’d take one of my family’s favorite quick bread recipes for Irish Soda Bread and turn it into a mini version to appease the kids. And these unique biscuits really hit the spot.

This Irish soda bread biscuit recipe is not only simple but can be made with ingredients found right in the pantry. And the results are just heavenly! Flakey, soft, and delicious. Especially with a schmear of butter. If you’re looking to start your day off with the luck of the Irish then this biscuit is for you!

Making Irish Soda Bread Biscuits with Kids

By taking our favorite soda bread recipe and turning it into biscuits, I’ve been able to teach the kids how to make quick breads and tips for adapting recipes based on our needs. It’s a great way to introduce kids to bread baking before jumping into yeast recipes. 

Another great part about sharing the baking experience with our kids is that we get to spend quality time together. I’ve found that I can talk about a number of different topics when we’re in the kitchen together that they may not have been as receptive to if we were talking in the car or around the dinner table. 

When the kids are doing something with their hands, they seem to keep the conversation going without any real prompting. It’s a beautiful thing! I find that these types of recipes are good for all ages. From toddlers to teens, you can’t go wrong with an irish soda bread biscuit recipe. 

If you’re looking for a good Irish Soda Bread recipe to try after these biscuits, check out Alea’s Irish Soda Bread recipe. 

Irish Soda Bread Biscuits Printable Recipe

Irish Soda Bread Biscuits

  • 2 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons cold butter (diced)
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk (see note if you don't have buttermilk)
  1. Preheat the oven to 375. If using stoneware, place stoneware in the oven while it’s heating up.
  2. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Work in butter by hand. Make sure to use your fingers to mix it into the dry ingredients.
  3. Add in the raisins and buttermilk and combine together with your hands. Pat out the dough and form into a disk about 1 inch thick.
  4. Divide the disk into 6 equal pieces and roll into 2-inch rounds. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes.

If you do not have buttermilk, grab some low-fat milk and vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar). Combine 3/4 cup milk with 1 teaspoon vinegar. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes.

Irish Soda Bread Biscuits Video Tutorial

Want to see these made instead of just reading about it? Check out this Irish Soda Bread Biscuits video we posted on Facebook: 

This post was first featured on this site on Feb 10, 2013.

More St. Patrick’s Day Celebration Ideas

Looking for more St. Patrick’s Day fun? Check out these activities and recipes! 

DIY Shamrock Shirt

Rainbow Cupcakes

Vanilla Mint Sugar Scrub

Delicious Quick Bread Recipes

These recipes are easy to throw together and are the perfect pairing to any cup of coffee or tea.

Apple Cheddar Quick Bread

Vanilla Chai Banana Bread

4-Ingredient Beer Bread

Recipes to Make With Kids

Get the kids in the kitchen with these fun recipes they’ll enjoy!

Apple Cider Donuts

M&M Monster Cookie Bars

Candy Apple Bars

 

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Filed Under: Holidays, Recipes Tagged With: , , , ,

Robot Valentine Snack Idea

January 15, 2018 by

Looking for a great Valentine’s Day treat? How cute is this robot valentine snack idea! And so easy to make!

Robot Valentine Snack Idea - a simple and easy snack for any valentines party

Today I’m sharing how to make a cute robot valentine snack that’s perfect for a classroom Valentine’s Day party! Not only is it candy-free but it’s also something fun for the kids.

With a few simple supplies you can pick up from the store, and 30 minutes to assemble, these snacks are sure to be a hit. We’ll be pairing them with chocolate covered strawberries and fruit for my son’s class party on Valentine’s Day.

I was able to pick up just about everything at Target and assembled them all within 1/2 an hour. I printed out a simple valentine message and punched out a heart around the message. If you’re passing these out as valentines you can simply add your child’s name to the bottom of the message. The kids are sure to love these treats on Valentine’s Day.

Robot Valentine Snack

What you need:

  • juice boxes
  • mini raisins (I opted for the yogurt covered raisins and regular)
  • fruit rope
  • applesauce
  • glue dots or adhesive roller
  • plastic spoons
  • washi tape
  • sharpie
  • valentines (optional)

What you’ll do:

1. Using the glue dots, secure two raisin boxes to the bottom of the juice box. The raisins will be the feet and the juice box is the body.

2. Place the applesauce cup upside down onto the top of the juice box and secure with glue dots and/or washi tape (whatever allows it to stay on top). This will be the robot’s head.

3. Add a fruit rope to either side to create the arms

3. Add a fruit rope to either side with glue dots to create the arms.

4. Tape a plastic spoon to the back of the robot body with washi tape.

5. Draw a face on the applesauce to add a little character to your robot valentine snack. Or glue on googly eyes and draw on a mouth.

Enjoy!

What’s your favorite Valentine’s Day treat?

This post was originally featured on Keep Kids Busy on February 2, 2015. 

Want to make your own valentines? Design them in PicMonkey by using this tutorial! 

Pinterest Inspiration

Filed Under: Holidays, Keep Kids Busy, Kids Parties, Party Ideas, Snacks, Valentine's Day Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Ringing in New Years with Kids

December 26, 2017 by

Ringing In New Years with Kids

New Years Eve is not the same as it once was. Now that we celebrate New Years with kids, we’ve changed things up to make things more kid-friendly. Including starting a little earlier than we once did.

Below are a few great ways to have a rockin’ New Years Eve with kids. From fun mocktails and food to fun and games, everyone will have a good time!

Start the Party Early!

There’s no need to wait till midnight in your timezone! Consider starting the party early and celebrate when the kids are still awake by choosing a different time zone. My brother in law hosts a GMT New Years Eve party every year where we count down to 4pm PST (0000 GMT).

The kids get the full experience of New Years Eve without having to force themselves to stay awake. Then the adults can celebrate how they’d like afterwards. Or go to bed with the kids at their normal time. I’m pretty sure I do the later every year even though I make an effort to stay up.

New Years with Kids Mocktail

Get Creative with Mocktails

Grab some bottles of bubbly… bubbly apple cider and grape juice that is and start mixing up some fun concoctions (or let the kids make their own). All you need is some sparkling juice or sparkling water and a variety of other juices. Then let the kids have fun mixing them up

Consider adding a few mix ins like maraschino cherries or fresh fruits. And for dessert create an ice cream sundae or ice cream float bar!

Mini Corn Dogs with Ketchup

Serve Up Kid-Friendly Foods

Miniature or small finger foods work best with the littles. Consider cooking up some mini corn dogs or sticking with a simple cheese, cracker and meat platter. And snacks are a must so consider a variety of bunnies, pretzels, fish, and grahams. And I’m sure the kids would go crazy for this Inside Out Garlic Cheese Bread.

Need something for the adults too? Grab a few bags of Pretzel Crisps, and whip up this delicious hot pizza dip. It’s a crowd pleaser!

If you’re looking for more traditional fare, consider making a batch of black eyed peas to bring good luck with you into the new year.

New Years Eve Countdown Boxes - Play Party Pin

Have Some Fun

It isn’t a new years eve party without fun and games! Check out these great ways to ring in the new years with kids in style! From homemade balloon drops to creative ways to count down each hour, these bloggers have you covered!

In Southern California? Check out these kid-friendly New Years Eve parties hosted around town!

How do you celebrate New Years with kids?

ringing-in-the-new-years-with-kids

This post was originally featured on December 26, 2013.

Filed Under: Family Parties, Holidays, New Years, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Best No Flour Monster Cookie Bars + A Cookie Bar Mix Gift Idea

November 30, 2017 by

We’ve whipped up these deliciously satisfying No-Flour Monster Cookie Bars and are sharing how you can create your own Monster Cookie Bar Mix to gift to friends this holiday season. This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Mars Wrigley Confectionery US, LLC. All opinions are mine alone. #SimplySweetness #CollectiveBias

Holiday baking season has arrived! And you know what that means? Lots and lots and LOTS of dishes in our home. Because when we bake, we bake. I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before but the kids LOVE to help out in the kitchen. And when Christmas rolls around, we stock up on all of our baking necessities (like the big Red & Green Holiday 52 oz. Bag of M&M’S® from Sam’s Club). We wouldn’t want to run out mid-holiday baking. 

One thing I love about baking during the holidays is that it’s an inexpensive way to share our love with others. We don’t necessarily have the budget to purchase a gift for everyone we know so we can make fun little platters filled with goodies for others to enjoy. And one of my new favorite gifts to make are these fun cookie bar mixes so others can make our favorite recipes at home. That way we can whip up a batch to share with them now and provide them with a mix to make them later. Hey, who knows? Maybe they’ll even use the kit to make some holiday goodies for their loved ones! 

Red & Green Holiday 52oz. Bag of M&M’S® are a festive and colorful treat to bring into your baking, decorating and every aspect of your holiday celebrations. The Stand-Up Pack will keep your M&M’S® fresh and ready-to-go in an easy resealable package. Heck, if I wasn’t baking with them, I’d probably give these bags as gifts! What says, “I love you,” better than a big bag of M&M’S®, right? 

But for now we’ll stick with gifting some delicious cookie bars and mixes.

No Flour Monster Cookie Bars

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups Old Fashioned oats
  • 1 cup M&M'S®
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 13×9-inch metal baking pan with foil.

  2. Add all of the ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment,

  3. Cover bowl with dish towel and mix on lowest setting. Once mixed up a bit, increase speed and mix until all of the ingredients are combined. 

  4. Spread mixture onto prepared baking pan and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. 

  5. Take out of the oven and let cool for 5 minutes then transfer foil and bars to a cooling rack. Cut into squares and enjoy! 

Remember how I said you could GIFT these bad boys to your friends and family in a fun mix? Well here’s how! 

Monster Cookie Bars Mix

What you’ll need: 

  • 4 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup M&M’S®
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 32 oz jar with lid
  • ribbon
  • hole punch

What you do: 

Layer each ingredient in the order it’s shown above into a 32oz plastic or glass jar with lid. 

Place lid on jar and close tight. 

Print out Monster Cookie Bar Mix printable and cut out and attach to jar with ribbon.

Gift to the ones you love! 

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You can find the big Red & Green Holiday 52 oz. Bag of M&M’S® in the candy aisle of your local Sam’s Club. And while you’re there, stock up on the rest of your holiday baking items! That’ll save you a few trips in the long run. 

And right now you can sign up for a free Ibotta account and earn $2 off with the purchase of a 52 oz bag of Red and Green M&M’S®. Offer valid from 11/1/17 until 12/25/17. 

Don’t forget to check out more awesome ideas you can make with M&M’S® by checking them out on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter! 

Love this recipe? Check out these delicious bites: 

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Filed Under: Baking, Christmas, Desserts, gift ideas, gifts, Holidays, In the Kitchen, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,


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