MelissaStuff

  It's been awhile since I've shared, but when I saw this event, I knew I needed to let everyone else know about it too.  This December in Mckinney, there will be a special event - Christmas JoyPark.  In addition to activities like games, face paint, inflatables, a petting zoo, and story time with St. Nicholas, there will be a live Nativity that you can walk through with your family to remind them of the true meaning behind Christmas.  When all of those activities have wound down, you can enjoy the food trucks and the Christmas shopping featuring local artisans. The best thing about Christmas JoyPark is that its entire purpose is to raise funds to support underprivileged children and families around the world through faith education and the enjoyment of Christmas.  Use code CYBER25 before Cyber Monday to save 25% off the regular price of admission . Tickets start at just $10.  Maybe, we will see you there!

My boys are now 8, 7, 7 and 4. Each year for the past several years we have loaded everyone up and visited Santa. We have done it in all different ways. We have waited in long lines and fought the children from getting into everything we walked past in Bass Pro. We have made a reservation and waited to be called on at Watters Creek . This year we are doing something different. My boys are older. They understand a little more what this Santa tradition is all about and how it works. They're not quite as smitten with just being in the presence of someone who looks like Santa should. So tomorrow we will be going to KJ3 Photography in Princeton . Kids that go to these Santa sessions have a chance to sit and talk with Santa, eat milk and cookies, read books and (if Mom and Dad supply them) even get gifts directly from Santa! For $45, your kids will get a half hour with Santa to really spend some time and enjoy themselves. In addition, you will get a disk with 5 edited images for you...

Oh my, this holiday is racing towards us full speed ahead. I am trying to slow it down enough to enjoy the moments . . . I'm not quite sure if it's working yet.  But I am so glad that I have been able to mark one item off my list - the food for our celebration. We bought both a Honey Baked Ham and a Honey Baked Turkey! Since Christmas is typically a ham holiday, I bought a bone-in, half-ham and then a roasted turkey breast. Both are covered in the traditional Honey Baked sweet, crunchy glaze that they are famous for.  The Hon ey-Baked Hams are hand chosen for their leanness and smoked for 24 hours.  They come already spiral sliced down to the bone.  The Honey Baked Turkey Breast is glazed with the same amazing flavors as the traditional hams. You can buy them roasted or smoked.   In addition, you can buy a whole slew of sides that are just heat and serve. Just move them into a new dish and your sides will look homemade without all the ...

If you're looking for a unique way to celebrate Christmas this year, you should consider having Tea with the Angels at the Degolyer Estate inside the Dallas Arboretum. I had the chance to visit this week - and the DeGolyer Estate is decorated gorgeously with over 500 different angels on loan from the Dallas Pi Beta Phi Alumnae group. In addition to enjoying the holiday decor throughout the historic home, it was fun to try to spot all of the angels in their various places throughout. You can tour the home now through the end of December from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Right now you can get a  two discounted tickets for just $14  that will give you entrance to the Arboretum and specifically into the DeGolyer Estate. Through the 22nd of December, you will be able to meet Santa and at least one of the reindeer on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. During this same time frame Frosty and Rudolph will also be around to greet the children and take pictures. However,...

This last week my entire household dressed up and headed over to the Watters Creek shopping center in Allen to see Santa. There was no wait when we went and we were able to walk up, climb directly into Santa's lap . . . and ask for an iPhone 5. Yep, seriously. My six-year-old who has to this point been considering options that include Silly Slippez , PS3 games and LEGOs chose that moment to bust out with the biggest wish he could think of - an iPhone5. The adults all had to laugh when Santa's response was, "Well, son, that's the one thing we DON'T make at the North Pole." Interestingly enough, this is the child who had a horrible day at school that very same day. Horrible enough that I had spent almost an entire hour on the phone with his teacher after school. So when Santa said, "Be Good!" Momma had to take the moment to point out that if his days continued to be like they were that day, Santa would be bringing coal and not toys. Then, said c...

If you're looking for a good way to celebrate the holidays with your kid, Legoland and Sea Life Aquarium have lots of fun holiday activities you can participate in. Scuba Santa will be at Sea Life Aquarium at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 11 and 18 and Saturday Dec. 14 and 21. You can also write and mail Santa a letter at Sea Life Aquarium from 12 - 2 p.m. on those same dates. LEGOland also has amazing events planned - you can join in a scavenger hunt through Miniland to find Saint Nick. There are actually 11 Lego Santas hidden throughout the 1.5 million Lego bricks in Miniland from December 11 - 25. You can also write and mail a letter to Santa while enjoying free milk and cookies in the cafe (while supplies last) - on Wednesday, Dec. 11 and 18 from 2 to 4 p.m. One of my boys favorite activities was the LEGO ornament build. For a minimum donation of just $1 to Merlin's Magic Wand, your child can also build their very own LEGO ornament to hang on the LEGOland Disc...