‘Tis the season for shopping for presents, cooking fancy meals, decorating our homes for the holidays, and celebrating with friends and family. The holidays are a fun and exciting time, but all of that fun can start to stretch the pocketbook. No matter your budget, families can still enjoy meaningful holiday traditions:
1. Make Cookies for Santa (and for Others)
Bake some special cookies for Santa, but set aside a few dozen for local firefighters or police officers and deliver them with your kids.
2. Have a Holiday Movie Marathon
Watch your favorite holiday movies as a family while enjoying some popcorn, hot cocoa, and candy canes.
3. Make an Ornament
Make a new ornament as a family each year. When the kids move out, they will have a box full of decorations for their own tree. Easy ideas could be salt dough ornaments or filling a plastic ball with photos, ticket stubs, or glitter and adding the date.
DIY Snow Globe Ornaments
Supplies:
- Camera or smartphone
- Cardstock or photo paper
- Color printer
- 4” clear snap-on plastic ball ornaments
- Holiday bows and bells
- Hot glue gun
- Scissors
Instructions:
- Have you kids stand in front of a plain background and strike a wintry pose. Take three to four pictures to ensure you have a favorite.
- Print out their poses on a color printer using thick cardstock or photo paper.
- Trim the background out of the photos, leaving a small tab at the bottom to apply your glue.
Add a drop of hot glue to the tab you created for your cut-out people to attach them to the inside of the ornament. - Add enough glitter to cover the bottom ¼ of your ornament.
- Add a couple dots of hot glue or super glue to seal your ornament closed and prevent a glitter-tastrophe from happening.
- Thread a string or ribbon through the top of your ornament for tree hanging and add a holiday bow or bell for embellishment, then your ornament is ready to go.
– Natalie Davis
4. Holiday Countdown
Create a homemade countdown with construction or scrapbook paper.
5. Holiday Tunes
Play holiday music each morning as you are getting ready for your day.
6. Lights Tour
Load up the family car and go on a tour of holiday light displays in the area.
Broome County Festival of Lights
Where: Otsiningo Park, 1 Otsiningo Park, Binghamton.
When: Daily, through Jan. 5.
More information: bcfestivaloflights.com.
Holiday Nights
Where: Rosamond Gifford Zoo, 1 Conservation Place, Syracuse.
When: Fridays and Saturdays in December.
More information: rosamondgiffordzoo.org.
Jungle Bells: Holiday Lights
Where: Animal Adventure Park, 85 Martin Hill Road, Harpursville.
When: Thursdays-Sundays (except Christmas Eve and Christmas), through Dec. 28—plus Dec. 23.
More information: theanimaladventurepark.com.
Lights on the Lake
Where: Onondaga Lake Park, Onondaga Lake Parkway, Liverpool.
When: Daily through Jan. 13.
More information: lightsonthelake.com.
Winter Wonderland of Lights
Where: The Wild Animal Park, 7621 Lakeport Road, Chittenango.
When: Dec. 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31 (and Jan. 1).
More information: thewildpark.com.
7. Provide a Meal
Check the needs of a local food pantry and help them stock up on items that can be used for holiday dinners.
8. Family Pajamas
Pick out matching pajamas for the whole family to wear. For a low-cost option, use plain colored t-shirts and basic flannel pants.
9. Bless Others
Have the kids pick out a new toy to donate to a local charity that provides gifts to children in need. Also consider sorting through old toys and clothing to donate to charity before any new gifts arrive.
10. Visit Santa
Take the kids to visit Santa or write him a letter and mail it.
Bass Pro Shops
Where: 1579 Clark Street Road, Auburn (Auburn location); 710 Horatio St., Utica (Utica location).
When: Daily, through Dec. 24.
More information: basspro.com.
Beaver Lake Nature Center (Breakfast with Santa)
Where: 8477 E. Mud Lake Road, Baldwinsville.
When: Saturday, Dec. 7 from 9 a.m.-noon and Saturday, Dec. 14 from 9 a.m.-noon.
More information: beaverlakenature.org.
Chuck Hafner’s
Where: 7265 Buckley Road, North Syracuse.
When: Sunday, Dec. 1 from noon-4 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 7 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 8 from noon-4 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 14 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 15 from noon-4 p.m.
More information: chuckhafner.com.
Destiny USA
Where: 1 Destiny USA Drive, Syracuse.
When: Mondays-Fridays from 2-7 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; and Sundays from noon-6 p.m.
More information: destinyusa.com.
Rosamond Gifford Zoo (Brunch with Santa)
Where: 1 Conservation Place, Syracuse.
When: Saturday, Dec. 8 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 15 at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 22 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
More information: rosamondgiffordzoo.org.
Sangertown Square
Where: 8555 Seneca Turnpike, New Hartford.
When: Mondays-Fridays from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 4-7 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. and 4-8 p.m.; and Sundays from noon-3 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. (and Christmas Eve from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-5 p.m.).
More information: sangertown.com.
11. Coat Drive
Start a coat drive by going through your coat closet and donating items no longer needed to those less fortunate. Collect new socks, hats, and gloves in your community to donate as well.
12. Go on a Sleigh Ride
A sleigh ride is a great way to get in the holiday cheer. Don’t forget the hot cocoa!
Holiday Hayrides at Burnet Park
Where: 299 Coleridge Ave., Syracuse.
When: Dec. 13, 14, 20, and 21 from 5:30-8 p.m.
More information: syracuse.recdesk.com.
Scenic Wagon Rides at Critz Farms
Where: 3232 Rippleton Road, Cazenovia.
When: Wednesdays-Fridays from noon-dark and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m.–dark (through Dec. 17).
More information: critzfarms.com.
Horse-Drawn Sleigh/Wagon Rides at Highland Forest
Where: 1254 Highland Park Road, Fabius.
When: Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (Dec. 21 through mid-March, plus Dec. 23, 24, 26, 27, 30, and 31).
More information: onondagacountyparks.com.
The Santa Expedition at Springside Farm
Where: 1850 NY-91, Fabius.
When: Dec. 1, 7, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20 and 22.
More information: springsidefarm.net.
13. Caroling
Gather friends and family together and go caroling in your neighborhood or at a local nursing home.
14. Holiday Hunt
Fill Easter eggs with Christmas candy or hide candy canes around the house and let the children find them.
15. Make Reindeer Food
Mix rolled oats with red and green sugar sprinkles. Have the kids sprinkle it on the lawn before bed for the reindeer to snack on while Santa is visiting your home.
16. Holiday Reads
Collect holiday books, wrap them in festive paper, and have the kids open and read one each day. Consider adding a new book each year.
17. Camp Out
After trimming the tree, get out the sleeping bags and “camp out” under it for the night.
18. Christmas Breakfast
Make a big breakfast Christmas morning. Cook a breakfast casserole that can be prepared the night before, letting you enjoy the morning with your family.
Eggnog and Cranberry Christmas Morning Cake
Recipe and photo courtesy of Hood
Ingredients
- ½ cup (8 tablespoons or 1 stick) butter
- ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup Hood® Golden, Light, or Vanilla Eggnog
- 2 cups fresh cranberries, washed, drained, and dried
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour plus 1¾ cup
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
Directions
STEP 1
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan with butter or coat with vegetable spray.
STEP 2
Place the butter in a large bowl of a stand mixer. Beat the butter, ¾ cup sugar, and orange rind until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and eggnog, and beat until thoroughly combined.
STEP 3
In a medium bowl, toss the cranberries with the 3 tablespoons of flour, coating them completely. In another medium bowl, combined the remaining 1 ¾ cup flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt.
STEP 4
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the cranberries along with any flour left in the bowl.
STEP 5
Pour the batter into the pan and sprinkle the top evenly with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes before cutting.
