{Quick, Last Minute New Year's Eve Party for Kids}

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Last year was the first year we celebrated New Year's Eve with the kids (though not as late as midnight!). We decided to have a spontaneous party and knocked on doors to invite all our neighbours with kids (8 adults and 6 kids in all, ranging in age from 1 1/2 to 7 years old). 


In Hungary, New Year's Eve (called Szilveszter in Hungarian), is often celebrated with a large dinner of pork and stuffed cabbage for good luck. (Read more about Hungarian New Year's traditions in my guest post over at Red Ted Art.) Since we decided at around 6pm that night to have a party (after all the shops were shut), we didn't have any stuffed cabbage on hand. Instead, we raided the pantry for whatever we did have and came up with crackers and cheese, cookies, a box of brownie mix, various sweet treats from Christmas, and some frozen meatballs - pork! 


Szilveszter is also a time of superstitions, to ensure good luck for the coming year. In an effort to scare away evil spirits, people make as much noise as they can. Kazoos, paper horns, and other noisemakers keep the spirits away. People often wear silly hats, masks, and accessories, and buy noise-makers, fireworks, and sparklers. Earlier in the day, we had bought some noise-makers and sparklers for our own kids - and we always have lots of silly accessories in our dress-up box!





So after our snacks and drinks, some free play, and a spontaneous 'talent show' put on by the kids in our living room, we bundled the children up in their snowsuits and took them out to the garden to light up the sparklers (fortunately we had enough for everyone to share). They all had a wonderful time waving them around in the dark (with very close adult supervision, of course*), and blowing paper horns and those noisemakers that roll out, making as much noise as they could!


It was such fun, and the kids were all SO excited! Even though we had prepared nothing, it was one of the most fun parties that our kids remember, and they've been asking for months now to do it again this year!



*It goes without saying, really, but children should be supervised carefully whenever they are around sparklers or fireworks, should be shown how to safely hold a sparkler near the end away from the sparks, and should never pick up a sparkler that has burnt out as it remains hot for some time. We also had a designated place to put the burnt out sparklers, to avoid anyone stepping on them or picking them up. Also, please ensure that children are spaced far enough apart to avoid bumping one another with their sparklers.


Boldog Új Évet Kivánok! I wish you a happy New Year!


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{ABCs of Kids' Party Ideas: Kids' Party Themes from A-Z}

Like Mama Pea Pod for birthday party ideas? Please consider throwing a vote our way in the Red Tricycle Most Awesome awards for Birthday Party Ideas! Thanks so much! x





Looking for ideas for kids' party themes that are actually 'do-able' by REAL parents? Look no further!


Coming soon: As part of the Kid Blogger Network's ABCs of ... Series, I've compiled an extensive list of fun Kids' Party Ideas from A-Z! All of the parties linked here were thrown by real parents with varying degrees of 'craftiness' and time on their hands - parents just like you and me (in fact, some of these parties were thrown by me!)



Because there are SO MANY brilliant party ideas to share, I've organized them over 5 posts as follows:


Kids' Party Ideas A-E (goes live on January 7th)

Kids' Party Ideas F-J (goes live on January 8th)


Kids' Party Ideas  K-O (goes live on January 9th)


Kids' Party Ideas P-T (goes live on January 10th)

Kids' Party Ideas U-Z (goes live on January 11th)


When all of the posts are live, I will link them all up here, so bookmark or pin this page as your overall party ideas reference list.

You can also find more ideas, cakes, and party throwing tips on my Parties Pinterest board. And while you're busy planning all your fabulous party ideas, be sure to print out these free printable party planning lists from Delicate Construction!


There are over 70 bloggers participating in the KBN's ABCs of Series, sharing all sorts of topics related to kids. There are sure to be some super resources there that you will want to save for future reference. You might want to start with the rest of the 'Mama Tips and Tricks' category below, or you may want to browse through the entire series.



Kid Blogger Network The ABCs of 

MAMA TIPS & TRICKS - The ABCs of ...
Being a Hands On Mom - Hands On: As We Grow
Connecting With Your Kids - One Perfect Day
Fun, Healthy Snacks for Kids - Juggling with Kids
Kids' Party Ideas - Mama Pea Pod
Mama Survival - The Dizzy Mom
Printables - Mama Miss
Raising a Healthy Kid - Living Life Intentionally
Raising a Thinking Child - The Outlaw Mom
Raising a World Citizen - All Done Monkey
Raising Boys - Boy Mama Teacher Mama
Raising Eco-Friendly Kids - Kitchen Counter Chronicles
Raising Girls - Mess For Less
Raising Toddlers - Home Learning Journey
Simply Celebrating Holidays as a Family - Inspired by Family Magazine
Teaching Kids About Money - Carrots are Orange
The Family Dinner Table - Connecting Family and Seoul
The Organized Home - Mamas Like Me
Trying a New Experience With Your Children - 52 Brand New
Values For Children (Character Development) - True Aim Education


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{Merry Christmas from the Peas}



Merry Christmas from the Pea Family!



Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy holiday!

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{Christmas Around the World - Hungary}


Gingerbread
"Boldog Karácsonyt!" (pronounced more or less like Bowl-dog Car-ah-chont) is "Merry Christmas" in Hungarian.

One of the things that makes our family's Christmases a little more interesting (and a lot more complicated!) is that we celebrate a mix of English and Hungarian Christmas traditions. Our children are half Hungarian and we live in Budapest, the capital city of Hungary. Hungary is located in central Europe, bordering Austria, Croatia, Romania, Slovakia, Serbia, Slovenia, and the Ukraine. 


In Hungary, there is no Santa Claus that comes on Christmas Eve. Instead, Szent Mikulás (Saint Nicholas) comes on the night of December 5th, filling children's newly polished boots on the windowsills with chocolate, tangerines, nuts, and small gifts. You can read more about the Mikulás tradition here

Walnut and Poppy Seed Beigli
Christmas itself is celebrated on December 24th, not the 25th. On Christmas Eve, families enjoy a traditional Christmas dinner of carp soup, stuffed cabbage, and possibly some other meat (could be pork, chicken, or turkey - likely as breaded and deep-fried cutlets known as ránttot hús), followed by beigli, a sweet pastry roll filled with walnut paste or poppy seed paste.



Száloncukor candies to hang on the tree
After dinner, children often go out for a walk or some other such distraction with their grandparents. While they are out, Baby Jesus comes to the house and delivers presents and a fully-decorated Christmas tree. Trees usually have száloncukor candies hanging on them - chocolate covered candies with various fillings (marzipan, jelly, nougat, etc.), and it's not unusual for there to be real candles on the tree instead of lights. Children come home from their walk to this magical sight and open their presents.

Budapest Christmas Market
One of the highlights of Christmas in Budapest is the Christmas markets. They are a great place to find some special, handcrafted gifts, including beautiful locally made pottery and elaborately decorated gingerbread cookies. Or just wander around drinking forralt bor (mulled wine) or hot apple cider from your special Christmas market mug and eating Hungarian specialties such as mangalica sausages, stuffed cabbage, and roasted chestnuts. Nighttime at the market is especially magical, with all the Christmas lights twinkling.



Stuffed Cabbage

Ummm....rooster testicles stew, anyone??


Some of the challenges for us celebrating a multicultural Christmas here include getting a Christmas tree earlier in the month (although they are becoming more popular and easier to find now), since most Hungarians don't put up their tree until Christmas Eve; and buying a whole turkey to roast for our Christmas dinner - we have to pre-order one specifically from a butcher as you can't buy them in supermarkets. And, of course, 'keeping the story straight' for all the various relatives from each culture can be very complicated and confusing!

Despite the challenges, celebrating a mix of cultural Christmas traditions makes our Christmas special, and reflects who we are as a family. We love that our children are growing up bilingually and biculturally!

If you want to get into the spirit of a Hungarian Christmas, why not try this beigli recipe, or have a go at making some of these lovely decorations made from dried fruits and spices? They smell divine! (Follow these instructions for drying oranges)


Hanging decorations made from dried oranges and limes,
 cinnamon sticks, and bay leaves

How do you celebrate Christmas where you live?

This post is part of the Christmas Around the World series from Living Life Intentionally. Catch up on previous posts in the series to learn about how the holiday is celebrated in other countries! And be sure to get your free Christmas Around the World ebook to accompany the series.


Happy holidays to you, wherever and however you celebrate!


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{Christmas Angel Tree Topper}



There's nothing cuter on a Christmas tree than preschoolers' handmade decorations, right? This is one preschool Christmas craft that you will be sure to want to keep for years to come! I remember as a teenager being perfectly mortified when friends would come over to our house at Christmas and see all the homemade decorations on our tree that my mum had kept from when we were little! From the cotton ball snowmen to the gold macaroni tree, I tried in vain to convince her to throw them away. In fact, she still puts them on her tree every year, even though we now range in age from 29-37! (I won't tell you where I fall in there!) But now, as a mom, I totally get it! Nothing makes me smile more than seeing my kids' handiwork decorating our house at Christmas time. ♥

Now, Daddy Pea and I had been searching and searching for the perfect Christmas tree topper for several years, and every year our tree top was bare in waiting. But last year Princess Pea made this adorable angel for the top of our Christmas tree. I just love her! No need to look any further for that perfect tree topper for our family - we've found it and will be using it again and again! What could be better than a tree topper made by your child?


We found the inspiration in the Usborne Christmas Fun book of crafts for the preschool/early elementary-aged crowd, which we LOVE (we are huge fans of Usborne books. I've included links to some of their Christmas books at the bottom of this post).




Making her was really easy and we had such a nice, cozy time creating together - one of my favourite parts of the Christmas holidays at our house is making Christmas crafts together!

To make one, the directions are really simple: 


1. Draw around a plate to get a circle out of coloured paper or cardstock (or you could use old gift wrap, or even white paper that the kids have painted. The thicker it is, the sturdier the angel will be and the longer it will last). 

2. Cut the circle in half. One half is used to make a cone shape for the angel's body, while the other piece is folded in half again and trimmed to make the wings shape. 

3. Cut out a small paper circle for the head and glue on some hair out of yarn or embroidery thread or whatever you have. 


4. Unfold and attach the wings and the head to the body with tape or glue. 

5. Decorate with glue and glitter or glitter glue to add a sparkly holiday touch to it.





Isn't she beautiful? And I can't tell you how proud it makes Princess Pea to see her angel on the top of our Christmas tree!

This post is part of the Creative Christmas Countdown hosted by Creative With Kids and Red Ted Art, and featuring 24 of your favourite Kid Bloggers! Catch up with the rest of the creative advent activities over at the Creative Christmas Countdown 2012 main page.


You might also be interested in:


Paper Curl Christmas Trees (inspired by Usborne's 50 Christmas Things to Make and Do!)


Paper Christmas Tree Forest


Christmas Tradition: Saint Mikulás


Preschool Christmas Crafts


Standing Paper Christmas Trees


Sparkling Star of David Kids' Craft


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Note that this post contains links to Amazon through my Affiliates link. 

{New Year's Eve in Hungary: Guest Post}



Hi folks, hope you're having a happy holiday season so far. Today you can find me over at Red Ted Art guest posting as part of their New Year's Eve Traditions Around the World series about how we celebrate New Year's Eve (with kids!) here in Hungary.

Hope to see you there! Would love some comments over there :-)

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{Easy Homemade Candy Canes}


We made easy peasy 'candy canes' this week for Princess Pea to share with her kindergarten class. These were fun to make (at least the first 6 or so were fun - after about 18 she was getting weary! lol) and are a great kid-made gift for preschoolers to make, too, as it's just like playing with playdough - except it's edible!

These are not your traditional hard minty candy canes. We made these out of marzipan! And because marzipan (also known as almond paste) stays fresh for a long time, these can be made well ahead of time (check the expiry date on your marzipan). Or, if you're like me and do everything at the last possible minute, that works too, as these are fast and easy to make.

All you need is a stick of marzipan - that's it! We bought white and red marzipan because it's relatively easy to get in lots of colours here, but it would be easy to make the red yourself just by adding a few drops of food colouring and kneading (much like dying homemade play dough). (You should be able to get marzipan/almond paste in the baking section of your supermarket, at least around Christmas.)

How much marzipan you need depends on how many candy canes you plan to make, but however much white you use, you need about a third of that amount in red.



All you do is squish the marzipan up (again, just like play dough) to soften it, then roll it out into sticks. For each stick we used a ball of white marzipan about the size of a large marble, and about a third of that in red. Make your white stick about candy cane thickness, and then roll out your red stick to about 1 1/2 times the length of your white stick (since you're using about 1/3 of the amount of marzipan for the red stick, it will be much skinnier than the white one). In the picture below, the red is actually a bit longer than it needed to be, but we just pinched off the end and put it back into the ball.




Then wrap the red around the white stick and roll it some more until the stick becomes smooth again and bend the top over. Leave to air dry and harden a bit.



Voila! Cute and tasty homemade candy canes to share with your friends!

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{Two Christmas Cards Preschool Kids and Toddlers Can Make}

This year one of our advent calendar activities was to make Christmas cards. Because Princess Pea (age 5) is at preschool during the mornings, our toddler, Sweet Pea (age 2 1/2) ended up making most of these. They are easy enough for toddlers but also fun for older kids to make - I even made some myself and enjoyed them just as much as the kids did!



The red one (made by Princess Pea) and the similar one at the top (by Sweet Pea) were made the same way. They used strips of shiny, metallic tape to make the layers of the tree, then Princess Pea stuck on some 'jewels' to add some extra sparkle to hers. I just love it! For Sweet Pea's I had her do it on plain paper because she really wanted to cut the tape herself and I knew it wouldn't end up in progressively shorter pieces. So I just let her stick on her strips of tape and then I cut it into a triangular shape afterwards (which she was actually quite annoyed about - oops!)

The rest were made by Sweet Pea. They were super easy and look really effective. To start, I gave her a piece of white paper and some bits of coloured tissue paper. I instructed her to tear up the tissue paper into small pieces and glue them all over the white paper (overlapping fine), to cover all the white. I showed her how to do the first piece, glueing both under and on top of the tissue with a solution of watered down white school glue and a paint brush. Then I just let her go at it. She did really well with it  and enjoyed glueing with the paintbrush, and she covered most of the paper. I filled in the blank spaces that were left.

The next day, after the tissue had dried, I cut out as many triangle shapes from the paper as I could get. Then I gave her some folded green construction paper cards and she glued the triangles onto the middle of each card. I cut out some rectangles from brown construction paper and we glued those on as trunks. Some she decorated with glitter glue, bits of sparkly sticky foam, or glitter pens. Others she left plain.

Don't they look lovely?

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