Featured Holiday Posts Archives - Page 3 of 4 - mamachallenge | Real Solutions for Real Parents

Holiday Help: What to do with the Kids During Holiday Break

December 17, 2016 By Autumn Rose Reo Leave a Comment

Now that the kids are out of school…what to do, what to do… Here are ideas on what to do with the kids to make the holidays special without all the work.

Go Elsa with Ice Skating

You can sign up for skating school at the Galleria Dallas Ice Rink for a three-day workshop on the ice around the tallest indoor Christmas tree. For only $42 – your child can have three days of skate lessons, skate rentals, free skating – December 19-21 and December 26-28.
Visit Panther Island ICE in Fort Worth for skating fun now – Jan. 16!
Gaylord Texan Lone Star Christmas also is featuring an ice skating rink outside as part of their ICE! Activities this year, so you can make a day of it in Grapevine.

Let’s Lego with Sci Tech Discovery Center

If you have a LEGO lover (ages 3-12), they’ll love seeing and learning about castles made with LEGOs and be able to make their own at the Castle Builder Exhibit at Sci-Tech Discovery Center in Frisco.
They are also offering Winter Holiday Wonderland Camps and Maker Space Camps for opportunities for learning about winter activities. Choose 1 day or all 5 days. Grades 1st – 3rd and 4th – 6th. $75/day member $85 non/member.
Check out MindStretchingFun.org for all the details.

Celebrate German-Style with Lebkuchen and Lace

Arlington goes big and the holidays are no exception! Head over to the 6th Annual Texas Christkindl Market now until Dec. 23.
Saturday, December 17 the event hosts Vocal Majority singing at 4 PM. Next week you can bring the kids for extended Peppermint Park hours and slide down the Arctic Blast Tubing Run while getting your holiday shopping complete.

Reign them in with Reindeer

These are my favorite because they are also great gifts for the kids to give to grandma or grandpa or friends. Love this tutorial from Everyday Best.

Fun with Frosty: Snowman Crafts

Crafts don’t have to be complicated to be fun! Get in the spirit with these beautiful snowman crafts from Julie Measures.
With a trip to the Dollar Store or Michaels, you can create making fun crafts while spending time together.

Visit mamachallenge.com for links to these recipes, ideas, giveaways and more!

Follow us on Facebook @mamachallenge, Twitter @mamachallenge, Pinterest @mamachallenge, and Instagram @autumnreo.

Last Minute Holiday Shopping with Grapevine Mills

December 16, 2016 By Autumn Rose Reo Leave a Comment

Feel like an elf trying to get the holidays together before they’re over? With the help of Grapevine Mills you CAN mark off your last minute holiday shopping list – all in one place!

Thanks to Grapevine Mills for this special collaboration to bring you the lowdown on how it needs to go down this holiday season!

I love Christmas, so I thought I’d never be working to the nth hour to get it done.

Unfortunately, all the other stuff around this time of year made time to shop impossible! But with extended shopping hours (10 am – 10 pm), you can find a way to fit it all in, down to even pictures with Santa until Christmas Eve!

Reserve Your Spot with Santa

New this year to Grapevine Mills, you’ll find a whole new Santa’s World of Wishes in Center Court. With beautiful new decorations, Santa loves his new home away from the North Pole and you will too. However, what I love is the opportunity to skip the line to make the most of your few shopping days ’til Christmas with a new Santa by Appointment so you can reserve your spot! And as a part of a teachable moment, if you’re in the giving spirit (and we should all be), you can donate to Save the Children while you’re there and help other children in need!

Photo Credit: The Mills

Looking for a little more time with the big guy with your little guys? There are spots still available for Breakfast with Santa at Rainforest Cafe! Reservations for December 17, 18 & even December 23 can still be made – and include:

Greet by Cha!Cha!
Breakfast Buffet
Fun Activities
Visit from Santa
Photo opportunity with Cha!Cha! and Santa
Raffles
Arts & Crafts

And then there was Shopping!

With more than 180 stores and 1.6 million sq. ft., you have plenty of options for whomever is on your list! I actually remember when Grapevine Mills open and how exciting it was with all the cool entertainment, outlet retail and restaurants! Recently, the center underwent a multi-million dollar renovation to continue to make it a cool destination for the whole family in the middle of DFW! So if you haven’t been here, you definitely need to check out big changes as well as the small details that have revitalized the look of the center as well as the comfort to its guests!

Photo Credit: The Mills

Just a few of my favorites here:

Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH
H&M
GameStop
Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop
Coach Factory
LOFT Factory Store
Disney Outlet
Jack and Jill
Abercrombie & Fitch
Helzberg Diamond Outlet
Ross Dress for Less
The Children’s Place Outlet
Oakley Vault

And those are just the highlights! I mean you really can find what you need and at the price point you need it for everyone on your list (hubs totally loves his Bass Pro Shop!) Get the full list of stores here and especially the deals you can only find at Grapevine Mills!

Still looking for ideas? Then join us December 16 at 3 pm for a special FACEBOOK LIVE! with Grapevine Mills! We’ll be sharing some of our favorite holiday finds and tips to how to get ready for the holidays! And you’ll be able to win $50 Simon Gift Card just for joining in. Visit Facebook.com/mamachallenge at 3 pm CST whereever you are – on your desktop, phone or tablet. Just consider us your holiday helpers!

Looking for Holiday Fun

you bring the crew or are looking to ways to spend time together without driving all over DFW, then Grapevine Mills is your place. With AMC Grapevine Mills 30 with Dine-In Theatres, LEGOLAND Discovery Center, SEA LIFE Aquarium and Rainforest Cafe you have it all! And if you still need to get in your ice skating, holiday lights, and more, then just only a few miles away, you’ll find the Gaylord Texan Lonestar Christmas and the rest of the Christmas Capital of the World!

Photo credit: SEA LIFE Aquarium

Now aren’t you ready to hit the ‘Mills for the holidays?

Santa’s Cookie Ideas

December 13, 2016 By Autumn Rose Reo Leave a Comment

Cookies for Santa is a time-honored tradition, but what happens when the big guy gets tired of eating about a trillion of them in one night? So mix it up Christmas Eve with these Santa Cookie Ideas.

Chocolate chip? Peanut Butter? Sugar? Oatmeal?

What does Santa get under the tree at your house?

With more than 132 million homes to visit on Christmas Eve, that’s a lot of cookies to eat. So give Santa a little something different with a few new Santa Cookie Ideas.

1. Up the ante on that chocolate chip cookie with the quintessential Dallas recipe for the Neiman Marcus Cookie.

2. Looking for something the kids can make? Make your own little Frostys with Nutter Butters, candy and fruit snacks with these Snowman Cookies.

Brown Eyed Baker (http://www.browneyedbaker.com/nutter-butter-snowmen)

3. Does Santa have an allergy or need a pick me up for his late night? Go with No Cook, Gluten-Free Energy Balls.

4. Consider yourself a traditionalist but no time to make those beautiful sugar cookies? La Madeleine has beautiful cookie options in their Holiday French Market.

5. Santa’s not the only one doing the work – don’t leave out the reindeer or the elves. Make snacks for them too with this easy Reindeer Mix.

Everyday Best (http://everydaybest.com/reindeer-food-recipe-and-free-printable/)

6. Sometimes it’s more than just the cookies. Teach kids to be the sweet ones by showing their gratitude with a thank you note with eggnog for a nice way to say thank you to Santa.

Don’t miss this #mamachallenge moment:

Holiday Hot Picks Gift Ideas 2016

December 7, 2016 By Autumn Rose Reo 22 Comments

Still working on starting finishing your holiday gift list? We’ve made it a #joyworthgiving with these Holiday Hot Picks Gift Ideas for Everyone at JCPenney.

MamaChallenge.com is thrilled to partner with JCPenney for this fun holiday collaboration. This post includes affiliate links.

Bucket list #9…CHECK!

I’ve dreamed for a long, long time to have my “Oprah moment” by sharing with the world my “favorite things,” then flooding folks with presents and announcing “you get a card, you get a car, and you get a car!”

While I wasn’t giving away automobiles this weekend, I did, along with Rebekah of A Blissful Nest (beautiful home design/style blog), give away presents and unveil our Hot Holiday Picks at a special party inside JCPenney at Stonebriar Centre. We had your gift list covered for everyone from your spouse, kids, girlfriends, white elephant gift exchange, and of course, a few for you to stuff in your own stocking, too!

One of picks to make the holidays sweeter was this fun “All the Jingle Ladies” top I sported from the JCPenney Ugly Christmas Sweater collection. Bling, bells and an added scarf make this one of my favorite holiday hot picks FOR ME!

Together we revealed each of our favorite gift recommendations for finding amazing gifts at JCPenney at any price point! Paired with some of the great incentives and promotions offers both online and instore like Customer Appreciation Days and JCPenney Bonus Cash, JCPenney is making the holidays a #JoyWorthGiving!

For many of us, busy schedules and the added holiday stress, have really taken the joy out of the season of giving, making it really hard to find “that special thing to show you care.” JCPenney has made it much easier to be able to get just the right thing with “Gifts Under $15, $20, $50 and more” price points so you can stay in budget, while making your gift count and organizing things just for her, him or anyone. And for me, that’s exactly what the holidays are supposed to be – joyful and giving!

So finally, here are my Holiday Hot Picks – all under $25! And many of these ideas could be used for anyone (since I’d love any of these things under the tree with my name on it!)

HOLIDAY HOT PICK: For the Teacher / Hostess Gift

There’s nothing like a soft, blanket to wrap yourself in with a good book and a cup of cocoa during the holidays to make the world seem perfect! This Velvet Plush Throw from JCPenney Home™ (available in prints and solids) is the perfect gift for a teacher, a hostess, gift, your aunt, your girlfriend – actually everyone will love this. And your wallet will love it even more at this price (I’ve spotted this from $9.99 – $11.99!)

HOLIDAY HOT PICK: For the Tweens / Teens

I want this and so does my husband, so to say it’s for the Tweens/Teens just gives us an excuse! Everyone will want in on the action to upgrade that smartphone to a virtual reality! With several models available instore and online starting at just $14.99, this gift idea has been flying off the racks. But you can still get your hands on the Merge 360 Vr Headset as your tween/teen gets jetted to a far away dimension – from the comfort of your living room! (I gave this away to one of our lucky guests at our Stonebriar Holiday Hot Picks Party!)

HOLIDAY HOT PICK: For the Music Lover or Traveler

Do you have loved one that loves music or travels? Keep them connected without all the wires. These Wireless Headphones with microphone will make listening to music or watching movies on the plane way easier, more personalized (with pink, blue and black options) and much more comfortable. And with such an affordable price, you can get a pair for everyone!

HOLIDAY HOT PICK: For the Techie

For under $30 and plug-and-play magic, your giftee can get caught up on all their favorite shows and find some new favorite movies with the ROKU Express Streaming Media Player 3700. It doesn’t get much easier to be access 350,000+ paid or free movies and TV episodes with no installation! This is a great gift idea for someone on a budget, who doesn’t want to mess with a cable bill, like a college student or a first-time apartment owner!

HOLIDAY HOT PICK: White Elephant Exchange

No one should be without a Slow Cooker. One of my #mamachallenge must-haves to get food on the table with little to no work, the slow cooker is always a favorite for anyone who basically likes to eat! And for those that really love to cook, they will always appreciate a slow cooker to make some great dishes! There are several options for different size slow cookers at JCPenney, but this deal for the Cooks Slow Cooker at ~~$12.99~~ now $9.99 make it too good to pass up!

HOLIDAY HOT PICK: For Him

My hubs likes to keep it easy and light, so it doesn’t get much better than this Dockers Leather Magnetic Money Clip Front Pocket Wallet. Equipped with both a clip for cash and a few places to slide his ID, credit cards, and a few business cards, this is a staple item that any man of any age will appreciate! And with a nice presentation and a nice price of $11.99, you can’t go wrong!

HOLIDAY HOT PICK: For Her / For You

From his wallet to yours, any woman with a smartphone will LOVE this! A huge hot list item apparently on everyone’s list (I’ve seen it sell out and restock a few times), the Liz Claiborne® Phone Charging Wallet comes with a built-in charging bank and in several colors and styles. You’ll (or the lucky lady who gets this gift) be able to charge your phone, keep your lipgloss and other essentials handy, all while looking accessorized on-the-run!

…And I couldn’t resist sharing this incredible find that is a huge #mamachallenge find: Elf on the Shelf Helper!

Forget trying to be creative and come up with fun new settings for your Elf on the Shelf. The ones you find online might give you a chuckle, but who has time to put together all that!?! The pressure is gone with The Elf on the Shelf® Scout Elves at Play Book – full of 10 props and 100+ how-tos to make it a cinch to keep the spirit of Christmas alive with just a few minutes to spare!

Running late on holiday time? No problem! You can run in store to catch many of these gifts or click online at JCP.com and with affordble 2-day shipping and even a 1-day express option, you can get your gifts all under in the tree or in the mail with time to spare!

And that’s just another way JCPenney is making the holidays a #JoyWorthGiving!

Christmas at the Anatole

December 3, 2016 By Autumn Rose Reo 2 Comments

There’s tons to do in Dallas and Fort Worth during the holidays. One of our mamachallenge favorites is indoor fun for everyone at the Christmas at the Hilton Anatole. Thanks to the Anatole for the opportunity to experience this holiday spectacular!

Our family enjoys our staycations at the Hilton Anatole and when we went we loved Sparkle! at the Anatole. This year we are excited to visit Geppetto’s Marionette Theater featuring Winter Wonderland again. The hotel lights up with lots of fun and with other fun at activities for their Christmas at the Anatole!

Breakfast with Santa (and Mrs. Claus) is a big way to make Christmas magic. This special morning includes a big delicious breakfast buffet, storytelling with Santa Claus, fun on the Santa slides, gingerbread cookie decorating in the Gingerbread House, parking and a super scavenger hung with face painting, hot cocoa station and more. Breakfast with Santa is open to both hotel guests and the public, but seating is limited for purchasing the tickets without a hotel package.

Starting at $189, the Breakfast with Santa Package includes:

Guest room
Breakfast With Santa for up to two adults & two kids at 9 AM
Self-parking
Christmas At The Anatole Weekend Activities
- Holiday movie night at 7:30pm on day of arrival with kids popcorn bar
- Gift bag per child given at breakfast with Santa
- Breakfast With Santa Experience (Activities Include: breakfast with Santa, holiday scavenger hunt, face painting, Gingerbread Bakeshop cookie-making, stories at Rudolph’s Reindeer Barn, Snapshack photo opps, letters to Santa and more!)

*Photos with Santa are available from 11am – 1pm. Photo packages start from $25 and can be paid for directly to the photographer.

*Late checkout at 2 p.m. is included.

After you filled your belly and Santa has checked your list (twice), pair your morning with an afternoon adventure to Geppetto’s Marionette Theater featuring a Winter Wonderland. More than 60 hand-carved marionettes will take you on a magical experience as you meet the Winter Wizard, North Pole dancing elves and other toys from Santa’s workshop. My 4 year old and 7 year old love the theatre and I love seeing their faces light it when “it begins to snow.” Get your tickets for the show times in advance here.

Crazy kids loved Winter Wonderland at Geppeto’s Workshop in the Hilton Anatole! Their favorite part included Elsa, Ice Ice Baby and of course when it snowed! Just part of the fun at the #ChristmasattheAnatole weekend! Win yours now at MAMACHALLENGE.com! #Christmas #mamachallenge #Dallas #win

A photo posted by MamaChallenge.com | Autumn Reo (@autumnreo) on Nov 28, 2015 at 2:23pm PST

There are only a few more weeks left for Christmas at the Anatole activities, so make sure you buy your tickets today!

Cauliflower Recipes You Must Make

July 12, 2016 By Autumn Rose Reo 9 Comments

Move over kale, cauliflower is the new star of produce! This vegetable is so versatile and full of health benefits! Try cauliflower as a great side, entree or even pizza crust with these cauliflower recipes you must make that your kids will love as much as you! *Affiliate links may be included to products used here.

I cannot begin to profess my love of cauliflower. It’s been a long road that we’ve been down together…covered in cheese, butter, or both. However, this cruciferous vegetable also plays the part not just as glutenous goodness, but also as healthy lead in many recipes – as entree, side, or both. So if you’re feeling a little kale or quinoa-ed 0ut, then open your eyes and your mouth for these cauliflower recipes you must make now.

A little note: Now before you get started, I highly suggest using steam bags to make your life that much easier. Since many times you’ll be using steamed cauliflower as your base, using steam bags will cut down dramatically on your time (and dishes) when making successful cauliflower recipes! I’ve used several brands, but these cheaper ones work pretty good.

Cauliflower “Mashed Potatoes” or Taylor’s Taters

My daughter hates vegetables of any kind – except for potatoes, which in reality we all know aren’t veggies at all. However, I had to find a way to increase the selection of foods in her diet before my pediatrician (and her health) completely hit the wall, so one day my mom made her “Gigi Potatoes,” which she proceeded to eat the entire bowl. What she didn’t know is that my mother had made her cauliflower mashed potatoes or what she now calls “Taylor Taters.” It’s the easiest recipe in the world and around a decade ago most of us were eating due to the South Beach Diet (affiliate link) craze. However, for my little girl they were the most amazing stuff ever and she was eating healthy!

Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes “Taylor’s Taters”

Author: Autumn Reo of mamachallenge.com

Print Recipe

Description

Healthy and so good, you’ll never know it was cauliflower! Perfect for kids who don’t love veggies!

Ingredients

Scale

1 head cauliflower
2–4 tablespoons butter, optional
12 cup Manchego cheese, grated
salt and pepper

Instructions

Steam cauliflower in the microwave until soft, but not mushy (I use steam bags!)
Transfer to bowl.
Add butter and blend with handheld blender or emulsifier until your preferred “mashed potato” consistency.
Mix in Manchego cheese
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve!

Notes

The nuttiness of the Manchego cheese and cauliflower pair perfectly for this nutritious and delicious side dish that will have them all wanting more!

Roasted Cauliflower

In a fix to get dinner on the table or want to make something else besides potatoes? Then go for the roasted cauliflower. This dish can actually be your main entree when you want to eat light on calories and not on flavor or just prefer a “veggie kind-of-night.” Paired with a Chimichurri sauce (a blend of garlic, parsley, cilantro and spices with an olive oil/vinegar), roasted cauliflower is my go-to must have for hot summer nights! And because it only takes a few steps, throw it in the oven and in minutes, you’ll come back with an impressive recipe that will have you call for triples!

And did I mention that cauliflower is full of Vitamin C, potassium, folic acid, fiber and whole lotta other good stuff? So bottom line: you should be eating this and this recipe is a good way to enjoy it, too!

Roasted Cauliflower

Author: Autumn Reo of mamachallenge.com
Prep Time: 5
Cook Time: 30
Total Time: 35

Print Recipe

Description

Make it as your entree or your side, eat it once and you’ll want it all the time!

Ingredients

Scale

1 head cauliflower, sliced vertically like a steak
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
cooking spray

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the cauliflower into steaks, vertically (remove the stump.)
Spray a cooking sheet with cooking spray.
Lay “steaks” on sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place in oven and allow to get browned (25 minutes.) In a hurry – broil on low until brown.
Remove from heat and serve.
Optional: add a chimichurri sauce for a nice kick!

Nutrition

Serving Size: 2
Calories: 316
Sugar: 6
Sodium: 167
Fat: 28
Saturated Fat: 4
Unsaturated Fat: 23
Trans Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 15
Protein: 6
Cholesterol: 0

Best-Ever Cauliflower Pizza Crust

I was working on this cauliflower pizza crust recipe one day and the finished product was sitting on the table. My son, who had no idea what I was making, so the pizza and asked if he could PLEASE have a bite. “Mama, you know I love pizza!”

The words almost came out my mouth to tell him, “hey baby that’s not what you think it is”…but instead, I let him bite into it and give me his honest opinion.

Of course, kids are the pickiest eaters (especially mine I’m afraid to admit), so I was waiting for that grimace he makes when he tries something new.

Instead he said, “that’s SO good!” he shouted. “Can I have slice? We need to make more of this since I’m gonna eat it all!”

His reaction signaled this recipe was a WINNER and it would become a staple in our menu. With two gluten-free diets and a corn allergy to now add to the list, I needed more recipes to start circulating. And this recipe for Cauliflower Pizza Crust can be made with any of your own toppings. You just have to get the whole “wringing out the cauliflower part” down. It’s not a hugely quick process, but after a few times, you’ll get it even quicker than making traditional crust that still needs time to rise. Instead, you’ll already have yours out of the oven and ready to serve with this no carb, no gluten, and good cauliflower pizza recipe.

Best Ever Cauliflower Pizza

Author: Autumn Reo of mamachallenge.com

Print Recipe

Description

A pizza crust recipe that tastes better than the original – and no gluten, no carbs!

Ingredients

Scale

1 head cauliflower
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon basil, dried
1/2 teaspoon oregano, dried
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, powdered
1/4 cup mozzarella/pizza cheese, shredded
1 egg
red pepper
Cooking spray

Instructions

To make crust

Wash and dry the cauliflower.
Cut off the florets, remove the stem.
Using a food processor, pulse cauliflower until it’s the consistency of snow.
Place the cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl and cover (I prefer a steam bag.) Cook for 3-4 minutes.
Allow cauliflower to cool slightly.
In a strainer or over another bowl draped with a tea towel, place cooked cauliflower into the towel.
Using the towel (the thinnest is best), and wring the cauliflower until there is no more water and it’s “dry.” (You’ll need to do this several times as there will be lots of water (more than a cup is normal.)
Next place cauliflower into a dry bowl, add cheeses and seasonings and mix.
Now add egg and mix until it resembles dough.
Place dough on an parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray.
Now roll out dough into a thin crust (be careful to not be too thin.)
Once complete, place crust on cooking stone/pan and place into preheated oven at 450 degrees for 10 minutes until golden brown and remove from the oven.
Now add your toppings as normal for pizza.
Return pizza to the oven and cook 6-8 minutes until cheese is golden.
Remove from oven, cut, cool, and eat!

Don’t miss this #mamachallenge moment:

What Kind of Christmas Are You? {Quiz}

December 10, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo Leave a Comment

I love Christmas decorations.

I mean REALLY love them. I actually have a room that I store them and love the moment I can put them up and coordinate my wrapping paper for Christmas.

So are you the type who starts putting up their decorations as soon as the turkey leftovers are put in the refrigerator or do you become Martha Stewart and meticulously place each item around your house over the course of a week?

No matter what kind of Christmas are you, At Home has all the supplies, from Christmas trees to stockings to nutcrackers, you need to transform your home into the holiday scene of your choice. Plus, they have a fun quiz on their website that will help you narrow down your personal holiday decor style. This quiz will reveal if you choose a traditional Christmas style, Vintage Christmas, Regal Christmas, Nautical Christmas, a Peppermint Jazz-themed Christmas or if you should turn your home into a Winter Wonderland.

TAKE THE QUIZ

To start, we have to take a virtual tour of your home. First stop – your dining room. Table setting is everything! It will be the centerpiece of your home as family and friends gather around to share in holiday feast that you, no doubt, have slaved over for hours. It will be the focal point of pictures as the ham, prime rib or lamb is sliced. Glasses and glasses of wine will be consumed at this table followed by countless slices of pie. This is where the magic happens. So, let your table start your holiday decor theme. You can wrap the table in gold, gold or more gold or keep it traditional with light touches of red, white and green. Whatever you choose, your table setting will set the tone for your whole house. And who knows, it may even go viral if you post it on Pinterest.

Next, we’ll venture into the family room/den/whatever you call the main area where your family hangs out. After ornaments, stockings are probably my favorite part of Christmas decorations. They represent my family – new additions, life transitions and everything in between. Stocking are special pieces of fabric that hang from the mantle and remind us what’s really important during the holidays seasons.

The most important thing to remember when determining what kind of decor you choose is all the visitors you will have during the holidays. And no, I don’t mean your dear Aunt Sally who smears on the lipstick before slobbering your cheek. No, I’m talking about that jolly guy with rosy cheeks and a cloud-like beard. Will you leave him milk & cookies on a festive red-and-white plate or maybe you’ll DIY the setting and wrap it in burlap or place in a white and gold sparkly cup.

Finally, let’s go outside, what object will greet your guests this holiday season? I don’t want any ghosts of Christmas pasts or Krampuses entering my home, so I will always find something festive that will put my visitors in the best mood as soon as they get to the porch. You can keep it simple and place a nice wreath on the door or make it colorful and fun with a festive elf or singing Santa – just add a little touch of holiday cheer.

Now walk a little bit further and turn around. What do you see? That’s right, your house! Because at the end of the day, it’s not just a house, but your home. It’s your personal piece of property where memories are made year round. So it really doesn’t matter if you pay an interior designer to decorate your home or if a Charlie Brown-like Christmas tree provides the perfect bit of holiday cheer.

At home is where holidays are made.

Gaylord Texan Lone Star Christmas

December 6, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo 2 Comments

There’s tons to do in Dallas – Fort Worth during the holidays. One of our mamachallenge favorites is indoor fun for everyone at the Gaylord Texan Lone Star Christmas. While only a few miles away from home, it feels like we’ve traveled to a winter wonderland.

We already had breakfast with Santa and experienced some of the magical activities the America’s Dream City has to offer. Now we’re going to hop in our cars and drive a little farther west to Grapevine, home of the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center for a Lone Star Christmas.

You and your family will marvel at displays that include:

2 million holiday lights decorating the resort’s indoor atriums
2 million pounds of hand-carved ice for ICE! featuring “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town”
2 million pounds of real Texas snow for a two-story tall, 12-lane snow tubing hill
6,000-square- foot outdoor ice skating rink
54-foot- tall Christmas tree adorning the center atrium
Magical miniature train sets throughout the property
25-foot-tall Nutcrackers overlooking joyful families
2,300 decorated wreaths, 5,600 feet of garland
15,000 festive ornaments…

“And a patridge in a pear tree!”

A Lone Star Christmas has activities that will put every member of the family into the holiday spirit – from the little ones who still leave out cookies for Santa to your hashtag-talking, slightly know-it-all teenager who would rather be at home than at a family outing. . You can enjoy visits with Santa, Snow tube and drink milk & cookies with Mrs. Claus, participate in The Elf on the Shelf Scavenger Hunt or walk through the ICE! that features an all new theme this year – Christmas Around the World!

We don’t get a lot of snow here in North Texas, but the folks at the Gaylord have made sure that we still are able to enjoy a Winter Wonderland with real snow! Twelve lanes of tubing fun are available, and you can slide down by yourself or with a friend. There are a few restrictions for the tubing, so make sure you visit the website for all of rules, requirements and hours of operations.

If you haven’t gone through the ICE! exhibit, than my friend, you are in for a treat. They start assembling the middle of October when 40 ice artisans travel all the way from China to Grapevine to start carving away at 2 million pounds of ice into magical holiday scenes, brilliant characters, and “On the Blocks” ice bar (21 & up), five ice slides and take the visitors on a journey of through holiday’s favorite cartoon, “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town!”

Plus, as you travel the world through the 14,000-square-foot that is kept at chilly 9 degrees, you get to wear these warm parkas that maybe one of the best parts of the whole trip. There’s no way you can put on these coats and not instantly feel all warm, fuzzy and “Christmasy.” No other way.

If you’re traveling from out of town, the Gaylord Texan offers several overnight options that will make your it is encouraged to make a full experience and stay at the Gaylord Texan. There are several overnight options that will be cost effective for your visit. Another good thing to note is that there are several combo packages available if you want to do both the ICE! and the snow tubing. The Gaylord Texan is making it super easy to have a Texas-size Christmas!

Check out our SNEAK PEEK of the ICE! 2016 at the Gaylord Texan

Gaylord Texan’s Lone Star Christmas

November 10, 2016 – January 1, 2017

1501 Gaylord Trail

Grapevine, Texas 76051

Website

Best Dallas Bloggers Online Holiday Cookie Exchange

December 9, 2014 By Autumn Rose Reo 4 Comments

A holiday cookie exchange is the ideal way at the holidays to reconnect with friends while stocking up on your own buffet of cookies! While I’ve hosted many exchanges, large and small, over the years, I think there are only a few guidelines to hosting the best cookie exchange. However, if you want the real lowdown on how to hand to do it by the book I suggest you the official website for cookie exchanges.

Unfortunately, as busy as many of my friends are, we decided to host an online cookie exchange featuring the tastiest recipes from some of the best bloggers in Dallas.

Since I am talking Dallas, you have to include the infamous Neiman Marcus cookie. If you’ve ever heard the myth, there was a woman who ate lunch at one of Dallas’ legendary luxury retailer. She enjoyed eating the cookie so much, she asked for the recipe. However, when she finally got her credit card bill that month she saw she had been charged $250 for the recipe. So out of revenge, she shared the recipe with everyone.

Neiman Marcus says it didn’t happen, however, the folklore is so popular, even they have put the story on their website. Funny enough I’ve actually come across multiple recipes for “the official” NM cookie recipe. However, I’ve tracked down the real one recipe – at least the one that NM claims to be the original. While basically a chocolate chip cookie recipe, it’s the special espresso powder that really give it the special something that makes you understand why you’d also pay $250 for a recipe…

Neiman Marcus Cookies {Real Recipe}

Yield: 2 dozen cookies 1x

Print Recipe

Description

Whether or not the story of this recipe is true or not, the recipe is the real deal. While you can make modifications, start with this recipe for the best cookies. Ever. At least worth $250. (Thanks to the Neiman Marcus for the recipe! http://www.neimanmarcuscareers.com/index.shtml)

Ingredients

Scale

1/2 cup butter (one stick), softened
1 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 egg, large
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, semi-sweet or darker
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds). Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds.
In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips. Using a 1-ounce scoop or 2-tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart.
Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2-inch circle. Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges. Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie. – See more at: http://goodtaste.tv/recipes/showrecipe/display/neimans-authentic-chocolate-chip-cookie#sthash.I0XA6sMC.dpuf

Dallas Blogger Cookie Exchange Recipes

Dawn Monroe | The Frugal Mom

Kim Croisant | Mommie Again

Julie Grimmett | Julie is Coco and Cocoa

Arena Blake | The Nerd’s Wife

Valerie Preston | Family eGuide

Shannon Schmid | Milk and Cuddles

Becky Moseley | Tales of Beauty for Ashes

Teia Collier | TeiaCollier.com

Betsy Segars | Lipstick & Highheels

Tammy Litke | Three Different Directions

What’s your favorite holiday cookie?

How Chef Tim Love Remeals Thanksgiving Leftovers

November 26, 2014 By Autumn Rose Reo 1 Comment

Thanksgiving is full of deliciousness.

Mom’s Turkey, grandma’s cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie…they all get to play centerstage on Turkey Day, but after its first appearance at the table, it’s never quite as special.

So they all turn into leftovers.

But what can you do those dishes just as good as they were when you served them?

Recently, I was invited to eat with a few of my friends to cook up Thanksgiving leftovers with Chef Tim Love.

The chef known for his original urban-Texas dishes (and his iconic cowboy hat as he cooks up first-class food on Food Network), opened up his kitchen for a few of us to challenge him to retool/remeal using Thanksgiving leftovers.

A long-time fan of Chef Tim Love, (who hangs his hat in Fort Worth) the afternoon was full of lots of laughs, tons of tips and of course, phenomenal food. Honestly, this was one of those moments I could have just pinched myself. “Kitchen redevelopment with Tim Love” – I could mark off my bucket list.

We create many interesting dishes (Nutella, blue cheese and pickled peppers were just some of the ingredients we used, but we did come up with one real winner – The Thanksgiving Leftovers English Muffin…And in Chef Tim Love fashion, we added a little quail egg to make it complete.

The only other thing better I could have asked for is to spend Thanksgiving with Chef Tim Love…

However, since he had already bought the tickets for his family to spend Thanksgiving in Europe and eating Turkey Day at his favorite restaurant in Paris, I guess I understand why I didn’t get an invitation. 😉

Arsenal! Arsenal! Unfortunately we lost to Man U on an own goal! Stadium was awesome! #London

A photo posted by Tim Love (@cheftimlove) on Nov 11, 2014 at 5:39am PST

Make sure to watch the video for the recipe!

« Previous Page

Now that the kids are out of school…what to do, what to do… Here are ideas on what to do with the kids to make the holidays special without all the work.

Go Elsa with Ice Skating

Let’s Lego with Sci Tech Discovery Center

Celebrate German-Style with Lebkuchen and Lace

Reign them in with Reindeer

Fun with Frosty: Snowman Crafts

Visit mamachallenge.com for links to these recipes, ideas, giveaways and more!

Feel like an elf trying to get the holidays together before they’re over? With the help of Grapevine Mills you CAN mark off your last minute holiday shopping list – all in one place!

Reserve Your Spot with Santa

And then there was Shopping!

Looking for Holiday Fun

Now aren’t you ready to hit the ‘Mills for the holidays?

Cookies for Santa is a time-honored tradition, but what happens when the big guy gets tired of eating about a trillion of them in one night? So mix it up Christmas Eve with these Santa Cookie Ideas.

1. Up the ante on that chocolate chip cookie with the quintessential Dallas recipe for the Neiman Marcus Cookie.

2. Looking for something the kids can make? Make your own little Frostys with Nutter Butters, candy and fruit snacks with these Snowman Cookies.

3. Does Santa have an allergy or need a pick me up for his late night? Go with No Cook, Gluten-Free Energy Balls.

4. Consider yourself a traditionalist but no time to make those beautiful sugar cookies? La Madeleine has beautiful cookie options in their Holiday French Market.

5. Santa’s not the only one doing the work – don’t leave out the reindeer or the elves. Make snacks for them too with this easy Reindeer Mix.

6. Sometimes it’s more than just the cookies. Teach kids to be the sweet ones by showing their gratitude with a thank you note with eggnog for a nice way to say thank you to Santa.

Don’t miss this #mamachallenge moment:

Still working on starting finishing your holiday gift list? We’ve made it a #joyworthgiving with these Holiday Hot Picks Gift Ideas for Everyone at JCPenney.

So finally, here are my Holiday Hot Picks – all under $25! And many of these ideas could be used for anyone (since I’d love any of these things under the tree with my name on it!)

HOLIDAY HOT PICK: For the Teacher / Hostess Gift

HOLIDAY HOT PICK: For the Tweens / Teens

HOLIDAY HOT PICK: For the Music Lover or Traveler

HOLIDAY HOT PICK: For the Techie

HOLIDAY HOT PICK: White Elephant Exchange

HOLIDAY HOT PICK: For Him

HOLIDAY HOT PICK: For Her / For You

There’s tons to do in Dallas and Fort Worth during the holidays. One of our mamachallenge favorites is indoor fun for everyone at the Christmas at the Hilton Anatole. Thanks to the Anatole for the opportunity to experience this holiday spectacular!

Cauliflower “Mashed Potatoes” or Taylor’s Taters

Description

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Roasted Cauliflower

Description

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition

Best-Ever Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Description

Ingredients

Instructions

To make crust

TAKE THE QUIZ

There’s tons to do in Dallas – Fort Worth during the holidays. One of our mamachallenge favorites is indoor fun for everyone at the Gaylord Texan Lone Star Christmas. While only a few miles away from home, it feels like we’ve traveled to a winter wonderland.

Description

Ingredients

Instructions

Pin This!

Pictures Say a 1000 Words

mamachallenge

Follow Along!