Yes to pumpkin carving being a skippable family activity for now!! I let my boys help scoop the seeds out (which they enjoy doing for about 1 minute) then I carve them myself later with a glass of red wine while watching Hocus Pocus. One thing we learned last year IS a very fun family activity with little kids is bobbing for apples. It was hilarious.
Oct 9Liked by Caroline Chambers, Molly from What To Cook
one of my smart baby holiday moves was just putting my infants in the grocery store pile of pumpkins and taking an up close shot so you can't tell it's not a pumpkin patch. highly recommend.
Oct 9Liked by Caroline Chambers, Molly from What To Cook
Grocery store (specifically Trader Joe’s) pumpkins are so much cheaper!! And you have a cart instead of lugging them and a baby. Just get them there and then visit the pumpkin patch for the cider and donuts.
We still always go and spend all the money on hayrides and donuts and cider. The kids still melt down but we are not also lugging muddy pumpkins. So that’s about as big of a win as we are going to get for forced seasonal family fun.
Oct 9Liked by Caroline Chambers, Molly from What To Cook
LOVE the line about making boxed mac and cheese. When my oldest grandchild was 3, my daughter tried to explain Thanksgiving to him, telling him "Gigi is going to make us a really special dinner." She says his little face lit up and he said, "Gigi knows how to make mac and cheese?"
Oct 9Liked by Caroline Chambers, Molly from What To Cook
I quickly decided that letting my kids eat 5 chocolate chip cookies on Thanksgiving was perfectly fine. I got to eat all this food that was delicious to me, why shouldn't they get to eat food that's delicious to them?
This is so sweet!!! One of my boys will ONLY eat my mom (also Gigi!)'s mac and cheese. It's the microwavable Stoffer's kind, which I've tried to serve at home, but he wont eat it because "it's not Gigi's" <3
We dressed up our 7 month old triplets as avocados and took them trick or treating, only to encounter a person dressed up as a giant pickle at the first house we went to, leaving all the babies hysterical for the rest of the block, when we finally gave up and went home.
Oct 9Liked by Caroline Chambers, Molly from What To Cook
WHY whyyyyyyyy did I insist on having my children visit "Santa in a snowglobe" outside in the rain in Seattle. Thankfully (?), the masks hide their sad faces in the photos. I remember walking away from the whole thing and bursting into tears! What a time.
When my son was perhaps 18 months he was very anti-Halloween costume so I was dressing him as a little basketball player since he could wear shorts and a shirt I had customized with numbers & his last name on the back. He had little converse sneakers and a headband and wristbands (that he refused to wear on Halloween). I went to Target at like 11 o’clock at night on Halloween eve to get tube socks for my 18 month old to wear with his costume!
Twins first Easter, two months old, dressed them in matching first Easter outfits and posed them in Easter baskets. One of the twins is screaming bloody murder in every photo. We are not even religious 😂
Trying to get the baby (first grandchild on both sides) into every holiday outfit gifted for every holiday. There were like four full outfit changes on Halloween and we did the 12 days of Christmas outfits. Now I just send the unworn holiday outfits to school as backup clothes or wear seasonal PJs all year. Turkeys are just as fashionable in March as November.
Oct 10Liked by Caroline Chambers, Molly from What To Cook
I will NEVER forget the Halloween of 2017. I had a 2 year old and a 7 week old. It was pouring rain. We were new to the neighborhood. I was flustered and stressed, but we were going trick or treating. I put a raincoat over the stroller with the baby in in and we pushed ourselves down the street thru the rain. I knocked on one neighbor's door. She opened it and said, "You are SUCH a good mom!" I will never forget it. The newborn is now 7, and has a 3 year old little sister. They would flip over the halloween decor!
that makes me cry!!! we all need to hear that we're good moms. i texted all of my cousins a really bad mom thing that happened to me yesterday and FOUR of them texted me separately throughout the afternoon with versions of "you're an amazing mom". the kindness of those words goes so far.
Went to apple orchard/pumpkin patch with a 3 yr old and a 4 month old. Thank God there was a tractor, which was the only thing my 3 yr old cared about. Stood in line for food for 30 mins, crushed food because we were starving, then left. I'm not sure why it felt like such a good idea?!
I dragged my whole family, in festive cold weather gear to a tree farm while we lived in the panhandle of Florida. It was muddy and hot. It took way too long to get the mud off all our shoes.
I dipped my infant's toes in (non-toxic) paint to make tiny ornaments as presents for my family. Said infant was constantly in motion and it was a total disaster. And no one still has one but me because they were tiny and a weird white blob that everyone forgot was a toe print! :P
Yes to pumpkin carving being a skippable family activity for now!! I let my boys help scoop the seeds out (which they enjoy doing for about 1 minute) then I carve them myself later with a glass of red wine while watching Hocus Pocus. One thing we learned last year IS a very fun family activity with little kids is bobbing for apples. It was hilarious.
wait i never would have thought of bobbing for apples!!!!! doing this with the boys ASAP
one of my smart baby holiday moves was just putting my infants in the grocery store pile of pumpkins and taking an up close shot so you can't tell it's not a pumpkin patch. highly recommend.
Grocery store (specifically Trader Joe’s) pumpkins are so much cheaper!! And you have a cart instead of lugging them and a baby. Just get them there and then visit the pumpkin patch for the cider and donuts.
SO MUCH CHEAPER. i always feel bad not supportling the local pumpkin patches but... geeeze!
We still always go and spend all the money on hayrides and donuts and cider. The kids still melt down but we are not also lugging muddy pumpkins. So that’s about as big of a win as we are going to get for forced seasonal family fun.
Exactly!! Also: bonus Halloween jo-jos at TJs
ok but it's almost peppermint jo jo season and i'm scared for my pants
We just finished our last box from the stockpile. Just in time.
absolutely brilliant
My kids were thrilled by the “grocery store pumpkin patch” aka the produce section this year. Win.
was gonna take my kids to the pumpkin patch tomorrow... might be a trader joe's run instead lol
I love it.
GENIUS!
My craziest holiday story: I took my 7 week old twins to the pumpkin festival. Seven. Week. Old. Twins.
omg I'm stressed just imagining it
i'm sweating just reading this lolol
LOVE the line about making boxed mac and cheese. When my oldest grandchild was 3, my daughter tried to explain Thanksgiving to him, telling him "Gigi is going to make us a really special dinner." She says his little face lit up and he said, "Gigi knows how to make mac and cheese?"
I quickly decided that letting my kids eat 5 chocolate chip cookies on Thanksgiving was perfectly fine. I got to eat all this food that was delicious to me, why shouldn't they get to eat food that's delicious to them?
YES. like why ruin OUR food holiday over them not liking it? no no no. they can eat cookies. love this!
I love this thought process!!
This is so sweet!!! One of my boys will ONLY eat my mom (also Gigi!)'s mac and cheese. It's the microwavable Stoffer's kind, which I've tried to serve at home, but he wont eat it because "it's not Gigi's" <3
i love this so much hahaha
We dressed up our 7 month old triplets as avocados and took them trick or treating, only to encounter a person dressed up as a giant pickle at the first house we went to, leaving all the babies hysterical for the rest of the block, when we finally gave up and went home.
this image is so good though, three lil cado babies omg
WHY whyyyyyyyy did I insist on having my children visit "Santa in a snowglobe" outside in the rain in Seattle. Thankfully (?), the masks hide their sad faces in the photos. I remember walking away from the whole thing and bursting into tears! What a time.
masked santa in a snow globe!!! what could be better!!
God I wish I could leave a photo here. Most depressing Christmas card ever. 🥴😂
OK Santa in a snowglobe sounds like it'd be magical, I don't blame you for trying!! And during covid too - what. a. time.
I look back and laugh. What a time
For Christmas morning, I insisted on making homemade cinnamon rolls with a newborn and a 2 year old because “it’s our tradition.”
this is so me three years ago!!!!!
When my son was perhaps 18 months he was very anti-Halloween costume so I was dressing him as a little basketball player since he could wear shorts and a shirt I had customized with numbers & his last name on the back. He had little converse sneakers and a headband and wristbands (that he refused to wear on Halloween). I went to Target at like 11 o’clock at night on Halloween eve to get tube socks for my 18 month old to wear with his costume!
this is so so so good
Twins first Easter, two months old, dressed them in matching first Easter outfits and posed them in Easter baskets. One of the twins is screaming bloody murder in every photo. We are not even religious 😂
SAME. like why did i celebrate easter by torturing my child into a froofy outfit?!?!
Trying to get the baby (first grandchild on both sides) into every holiday outfit gifted for every holiday. There were like four full outfit changes on Halloween and we did the 12 days of Christmas outfits. Now I just send the unworn holiday outfits to school as backup clothes or wear seasonal PJs all year. Turkeys are just as fashionable in March as November.
YES. so many outfits from every grandmother!!!!
Easter baskets.. during Covid, when he was 6 weeks old. 🤷♀️
Newborns famously LOVE jelly beans
😂
SAME SAME SAME A HUGE ONE
I will NEVER forget the Halloween of 2017. I had a 2 year old and a 7 week old. It was pouring rain. We were new to the neighborhood. I was flustered and stressed, but we were going trick or treating. I put a raincoat over the stroller with the baby in in and we pushed ourselves down the street thru the rain. I knocked on one neighbor's door. She opened it and said, "You are SUCH a good mom!" I will never forget it. The newborn is now 7, and has a 3 year old little sister. They would flip over the halloween decor!
Margaret, you're the winner of the Halloween bundle!! 🎃👻 Will you please email me with your address?! molly@carolinechambers.com
that makes me cry!!! we all need to hear that we're good moms. i texted all of my cousins a really bad mom thing that happened to me yesterday and FOUR of them texted me separately throughout the afternoon with versions of "you're an amazing mom". the kindness of those words goes so far.
Went to apple orchard/pumpkin patch with a 3 yr old and a 4 month old. Thank God there was a tractor, which was the only thing my 3 yr old cared about. Stood in line for food for 30 mins, crushed food because we were starving, then left. I'm not sure why it felt like such a good idea?!
because we are all the same holiday mom dumdums hahah
I cringe thinking about trying to get Santa pictures at six weeks old. No way, no how, no one's having a good time!!!
six. weeks. old. why are we this way.
I dragged my whole family, in festive cold weather gear to a tree farm while we lived in the panhandle of Florida. It was muddy and hot. It took way too long to get the mud off all our shoes.
the myth of tree farms being a magical experience is the biggest sham of christmas.
I dipped my infant's toes in (non-toxic) paint to make tiny ornaments as presents for my family. Said infant was constantly in motion and it was a total disaster. And no one still has one but me because they were tiny and a weird white blob that everyone forgot was a toe print! :P
hahahah obsessed with this