Help Your Kids Host a Grinch-Themed Holiday Party

With the new Benedict Cumberbatch hit The Grinch movie in theaters this holiday season, it’s fun to share the silly bah-humbug spirit with your kids and their friends!

This holiday season, serve up an extra helping of good cheer with a wonderful, whimsical Grinch party! Our ideas will make it easy with tips for Grinchy crafts, games and even a Grinch-tastic meat roll-up. So gather your favorite Whos, young and old, and start your own Grinch celebration tradition!

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WH2O water bottles

Everyone in Whoville realizes that drinking water is super good for you! Now your little Whos can enjoy some arts and crafts time making their own WH2O water bottles with this fun craft — perfect for holiday parties!


Crumpit Popcorn

Put a pop in your Grinch party by serving our Italian-flavored popcorn—Whoville style. Topped with herbs, oregano and basil, Crumpit Popcorn adds just the right amount of crunch— and green — to your party spread.

To make, simply drizzle popcorn with one tablespoon of olive oil. Combine basil, parsley, garlic powder and salt, then sprinkle over popcorn and toss.


Pin the Heart on The Grinch

Help! The Grinch needs a bigger heart so he can enjoy the holidays! Young party guests come to his rescue with this fun spin on the classic game. You or the kids can draw your best green Grinch and cut out some red hearts (put double-sided tape on the back). Then tie on the blindfold and let the game begin!

Grinch Santa Hat Kabobs

Kids love playing with their food, and with our Grinch Kabobs, now they can! Just grab some toothpicks, green grapes, strawberries, bananas and mini-marshmallows for a party activity they’ll eat right up!

Meat Roll-Ups

A feast wouldn’t be a feast without the Whos’ Roast Beast! Fill all the tummies at your Whoville party with this healthier take on the Grinch’s main dish! Roll low-sodium deli turkey in spinach tortillas with chopped veggies and low-fat cream cheese for a treat that will warm any heart!

A Mom's Guide to Surviving the Stress of the Holidays

You’ve survived Friendsgiving parties and Thanksgiving dinners.  But now the whole crush of holiday activities soars forward until New Year’s — so many chances to make memories with your little ones and family.

BUT WARNING! Holiday stress can add to mom stress and build into a perfect storm for husband hysteria, child tantrums and even mom meltdowns.

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Check out tips for avoiding being overwhelmed and keeping the season fun—for you and your family!

Yes, of course this is the season of giving and expressing gratitude yet, we’re often so rushed trying to buy everyone their perfect gift or create their perfect meal that we feel exhausted by the end of it.

This year, as the holiday chaos begins, set aside some time to envision the memories you want to create this year. What sort of memories do you want your family to have this holiday season?”


When you’re trying to cook a meal or decorate the house with little ones underfoot, it can be challenging. Sometimes, you’re doing your best just not to ruin or break anything as you avoid tripping over toys in the kitchen.

Find ways to get your kids involved in the process. Ask them to help wrap presents, mix ingredients for a recipe, draw holiday cards, or come up with a silly play routine for their favorite holiday song. They’ll feel involved and proud that they could help with holiday activities.

In 2018, we’re lucky that kid-friendly holiday parties and events are popular.  They are great because they keep our kids busy and entertained for hours and usually make your kids tired and ready to nap (Yes!). But too many activities can leave your kids feeling more worn out and exhausted over time. It’s easy for babies to get overstimulated—and fussy—with all of the extra activity so you might want to be prepared to take baby to a quiet place during a party if needed. Decide what events are most important to you and make sure those happen. It’s important to make sure little ones are still getting enough sleep and eating well so they can enjoy this special time. Put family events and downtime on the calendar to ensure balance.

As moms we feel a lot of pressure to do it all, and to do it all by ourselves. For some of us, it’s uncomfortable to admit we need help, but allowing others to help us also creates a stronger network of social support. It’s reassuring to know there are other adults in our children’s lives whom we can trust.

And remember: You’re not the only mom who needs a break. Don’t forget you can always return the favor and offer to watch a friend’s children, too.

The most important thing at the holidays is to be kind to yourself and not beat yourself up for things you didn’t do, or that didn’t go exactly as planned. You’ll be late to activities, and everyone will understand. Your table might not look exactly like the Pinterest image you were aiming for, but your guests won’t even know.

January 2 will be here soon enough, and you’ll be back to a more normal routine. So, just like the baby years, remember that the during the holiday season the days are long but the months are short. Enjoy what you can and let the rest go.

Happy Holidays!

Thanksgiving Lesson: Can’t Judge a Person by Their Neighborhood

Written By

Kenna McHugh

“The love of family and the admiration of friends is much more important than wealth and privilege.” Charles Kuralt

When I was nine years old, my Girl Scout troop organized a Thanksgiving project sharing home cooked meals from four different nationalities. The project not only taught me about ethnic foods but it taught me you can’t always judge a person by their neighborhood.

Many proud parents just like you appreciate multi-cultural education for your children.  Find this award-winning book series by clicking here. 

We had Japanese, Chinese, Russian, and Mexican families who agreed to share their traditional meals. The troop leader organized a chart, so everyone knew where to go on which night during the month of November.

Teresa’s family was sponsoring the Mexican dinner. They lived in a neighborhood with low rise houses, the driveways overflowing with rusting pickup trucks and low riding cars. Truthfully, I was afraid to go to her home. I thought, her family and neighborhood were too dangerous.

The irony of my fear came from a project my mother arranged with my brother’s scout troop. She drove the scouts and me through the same neighborhood where Teresa lived. 

I sat in the front seat and looked out the passenger window as my mother slowly drove past abandon buildings with broken glass and crude graffiti “Kill Whites”, “Cop Killers” and “Bring destruction on your head!” There were other dirty words and swear words. Piles of litter sat against the buildings.

My mother said nothing and just drove. We viewed dilapidated houses, homeless people with shopping carts, adults passed out on benches and women in scanty outfits. I was terrified because I had never seen a poverty-stricken neighborhood.

When I found out Teresa was from the same neighborhood, I was afraid of her. I stayed away from her during the Girl Scout meetings.

Knowing I was to have Mexican food with her family petrified me. I worried for two weeks. I couldn’t beg out of it either because it was part of our troop’s badge project.

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Two hours before I was to arrive at Teresa’s home for the Mexican dinner, I had a meltdown and called her. I told her I was sick and couldn’t make it.  My mom came home. “I am not going,” I cried.  My mom asked what was wrong, I told her my dilemma. “My life is in danger! They might poison me!”

My mom looked pensive and explained that even though Teresa lived in that poor neighborhood her family and home were safe. “Not all the streets and homes are like the ones we saw.”

Teresa’s family lived in a small, old house on a beautiful street with lots of trees. Their home was clean and comfortable. Teresa greeted me, and I apologized. She smiled and said she understood. She and her family were nice and friendly, and the meal was delicious. Not a Thanksgiving goes by where I don’t remember having that meal with Teresa’s family and what I learned. Don’t judge a person by their neighborhood. Feel thankful for friends; feel grateful for experiences; feel grateful for family.

How A Mom Helps When Holidays Go Wrong

Guest blog by Kenna McHugh

“When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things - not the great occasions - give off the greatest glow of happiness.” 

― Bob Hope

My children have always loved Christmas.

My sister-in-law announced, “We’ve decided to celebrate Christmas with the family on Christmas Eve. I know, we haven’t done it before, but we have an early flight to Mexico the day after Christmas, and we don’t want to be tired for the flight.” 

Looking at my brother’s wife, Karen, I never thought switching the date would adversely affect my family’s holiday celebration.  I said, “I am all for it. It will be fun celebrating on Christmas Eve.” 

My other sister-in-law, Cindy, voiced some doubt, “Don’t think Bob is going to budge. You know how he insists we go to his sister’s every Christmas Eve. I am just saying. I don’t think it will work."

The Moms Code author Eileen Wacker also writes the acclaimed childrens books The Fujimini Adventure Series.  Many proud parents just like you appreciate multi-cultural education for your children.  Find the book series by clicking here.

I lamented to myself, “Why couldn’t I be as wealthy as my brother, then my house would be large enough to accommodate the whole family. We could celebrate as usual on Christmas Day. His family can leave early, and nothing would change.”   

I informed my family about the change, and they didn’t want to budge either. My kids spoke of the tradition of opening the one present, new pajamas, every Christmas Eve. My husband reminded me that he usually works late on Christmas Eve. It’s one of the busiest days for his company.  

“It will be great because you will be with your cousins. We’ll open the pajama presents when we get home from the family’s party. Christmas will be our day together.” 

I forced a smile at my husband, “It will all work out.”

 On Christmas Eve the bad vibes arrived. My husband texts, “Snow is falling, roads are closed. I am not making it home tonight.” 

My kids were not happy, “Can we still open our pajama presents when we get home?”

“Yes. You can open your pajama presents. We still have our family to celebrate Christmas with, and Dad will be home by morning.” 

We arrived at my brother’s on time, and they were already opening presents.  My son and daughter looked at me like, “What is going on?”  

I quickly passed around the presents, confusion everywhere with my nieces and nephews playing with presents they already opened.  Their parents corralled them together to open our presents. 

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Cindy left with her family to go to Bob’s sisters house. We had no time to talk or acknowledge presents. My daughter’s favorite cousin left. She will have no one to hang out with, and she gave me the teary-eyed look, “My night is ruined.” 

My son ran upstairs with my nephew, and my daughter latched on to me.  I poured a red, and hoped for the best. Soon one of my brother’s clients and his wife and children arrived. I couldn’t control the sentiment, “I thought this was a family affair.”

My daughter and I were completely ignored, and we went home early. But then, my husband arrived in time to open the pajamas. Something as small as opening pajamas lifted the mood and we were truly happy to have Daddy back and our family together. Everything else melted away.

 The next day was wonderful, celebrating Christmas as a small family and grateful for the simple occasion. The kids, of course, loved opening the gifts and I appreciated my small circle of happy people celebrating. I changed my mind about the big house. Christmas is not about the size of the house, it’s about who is in it. 

How a Mom Handles the Holidays

Written by Guest blogger
Shelle Lenssen

As a kid, I remember holidays and special occasions being a these fun and magical times filled with family togetherness, my favorite foods, and exciting activities. Depending on the holiday, I looked forward to a house full of visitors, opening dozens of presents, drinking out of the “fancy” glasses, and dressing up in a pretty dress and donning new shoes. I don’t think I ever once pondered the amount of time, energy, and work that went into making these childhood memories. But now that I’m a mom, and the one in charge of making holidays memorable, I know exactly how much preparation and hard work go into one simple day or event.

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I’m a list-maker, so when a holiday is on the horizon, my lists just get longer and longer. Ideally I plan the guest list and menu first, and then fit in activities and any other extras that might make the event special. But ideal situations, are just that, ideal, and aren’t what typically happens.  Inevitably, a guest (or two) is added last-minute, travel plans change, a kid spills punch on their nice clothes, or someone suddenly decides they’re only following a vegan diet. Those are the times I’ve wanted to freak out, but instead I took a breath, kept a smile on my face, and tried my best to come up with a reasonable solution. An extra place setting can be added, dinner can be re-heated for tardy guests, children can wear different outfits, and I can always throw a bag of steamed veggies in the microwave. As much as I try for ‘ideal’, sometimes settling for ‘okay’ allows me to not put as much pressure on myself and actually enjoy the event I’ve worked so hard to create.

The Moms Code author Eileen Wacker also writes the acclaimed childrens books The Fujimini Adventure Series.  Many proud parents just like you appreciate multi-cultural education for your children.  Find the book series by clicking here.

My absolute worst holiday near-disaster happened last Christmas. I had planned an extensive menu for my family and out-of-town guests, with a large prime rib beef roast serving as the meal’s shining star. Midway through roasting, my trusty meat thermometer quit working, and despite my best guess about cooking time, the slices of prime rib looked raw instead of the medium rare perfection I’d envisioned. I wanted to cry, have a tantrum my toddler would be proud of, and lock myself in my bedroom and not come out until Christmas was over. My good husband has learned to recognize the signs of a pending meltdown, and swooped in with a resolution to save his drowning wife. Roast slices were quickly grilled on the stove and no one had to eat raw meat. The meal turned out just fine, and by the time dessert was served, everyone was laughing over shared jokes, pouring another glass of wine, and not at all thinking about the underdone roast fiasco.

I certainly don’t want to ever have a holiday disaster like that again, but if (or when) it happens, I hope I can be cool-headed enough (or have my quick-thinking husband nearby) to go off-script and improvise.

Thumbs down on Halloween

Written by Eileen Wacker

We are still in the middle of back to school nights, sports are ramping up and homework is starting to roll in. I feel like I’m losing time because every store I go into already has Halloween decorations and candy. Since I have four kids, I really love and embrace holidays as a chance to celebrate and create happy childhood memories.

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I’m going to make a confession. I don’t like Halloween. Orange and black with a hint of green don’t go together for me as a kid color palette. They are perfect for a tiger. Too harsh and scary for little kids. And I don’t like pumpkin carving at all. There are tools for sale at every store and almost every classroom across the U.S. holds a pumpkin carving event. My son summed up the insides of a pumpkin quite correctly, “Pumpkin guts are gross!” Ninety percent of the mush gets thrown away and then the trash smells. Room moms count on dads taking a half day off to come in and help carve the pumpkins. The kids are not carving them. So the dads either ask the mom to fill in for this gruesome task or enter into a massively competitive pumpkin carving war with each other.

ONCEKids Publishing is run by literacy advocate and Mompreneur Eileen Wacker.  Click here to find her acclaimed books

The night of Halloween, my children attempt to collect massive amounts of candy. I don’t mind the sweets. And, there are two elements of Halloween that I adore. I love homemade costumes and that my child can be anyone he wants to be for that day. I also love the ‘pause for humanity’ when a porch light on signifies an individual is behind his or her door waiting with a smile, compliment and a treat for every neighbor or stranger who knocks. I also find Jimmy Kimmel’s annual video of children’s responses to their parent’s telling them they ate all of their Halloween candy to be hilarious.