Holiday Archives - The Daily Soul Sessions

The Spirit of The Season

November 27, 2018

Happy week after Thanksgiving, Mamas! If you are anything like me, the holiday season is already in FULL swing around here. Decorating, parties, baking, kid events and a packed schedule can sometimes dull the brightness that surrounds this beautiful time of year.

We have a few ideas that will help you slow down and enjoy the magic of the season with your family and friends. None of us need the stress and anxiety that can sometimes surround us throughout the month of December.

Here is a short list of things to help you navigate the crazy 🙂

Wake up a half hour earlier than you normally do. Give yourself that time to do whatever it is that makes your soul happy. Is it sitting in the quiet by the fireplace enjoying your coffee? Do that. Is it a workout before the rest of the family is awake? Yes Mama. Is it sitting down to journal or read your favorite devotional in the blissfully quiet morning? DO IT. Anything that gives us a few minutes to focus on ourselves will help us keep the stress at bay throughout the day.
Purposefully plan out your day. There is nothing that makes me feel more frazzled than a long to do list that has no direction on how to get it all done. Take a few minutes and look at the week ahead. Make a schedule that maximizes your time, and makes you feel good as you get everything checked off that list!
Start your gift list NOW. There are SO many amazing bloggers out there sharing fantastic gift guides ….take advantage! I find that if I wait until the last minute the stress level just keeps getting higher and higher. How great would it be if this year, we had everything done in advance and we could relax and enjoy the season?! One of my favorite bloggers has an amazing gift guide-check it out here. https://www.livingwithlandyn.com/holiday-gift-guides-1/
VOLUNTEER! Nothing feels as good as giving back to those in need. There are so many places you can do this. My son and I are going to be volunteering at an event this year for families who need a little extra help around the holidays. The parents get to “shop” donated items for their families’ gifts and we get to help kids do holiday crafts and projects while they do. I am excited to do this with our son, so he can experience helping those a bit less fortunate than we.

These are just a few ways you can combat the chaos and stress of the holidays. We’d love to hear your ideas as well-share them below!

Our wish for you this holiday season is to slow down and enjoy the magic with your family and friends. Hopefully these tips will help you out just a little bit along the way.

xo,

Kara

Classic Fall Thanksgiving Table Decorations

November 20, 2018

Classic Fall Thanksgiving Table Decorations

This is one of my favorite Thanksgiving Tables we have done. The idea started with the colors dusty turquoise and burnt orange. And it quickly spiraled in to this!

For this table top, we laid a runner of burlap down and layered a narrower runner of dusty turquoise on top. Both pieces of fabric we purchased at Hobby Lobby. Then the fun part begins – scavenging for candles, fruit, nuts, candle holders, leaves in burnt orange, rusty red, yellows.

Classic Fall Thanksgiving Table Decorations

We gathered leaves and branches from my parents’ yard that we placed in different vases and urns. As you can see, we used some antique brass and some turquoise sea glass for vessels.

Classic Fall Thanksgiving Table Decorations

Apples made an appearance too! We filled bowls and scattered pretty apples all across the table. Then we included burnt orange candles and cream colored tapers to set the mood.

Classic Fall Thanksgiving Table Decorations

We decorated each place setting with a real, fall leaf from outside. You could even write each guest’s name on the leaf with a ball point paint pen.

Happy Thanksgiving!

xo,
Kate

Check out our other Thanksgiving ideas through the years:

Moss green + cobalt blue Thanksgiving table decorations

DIY Gratitude Quote Place Cards

Thanksgiving Fall Wreath

Thanksgiving Appetizer “Turkey” Veggie Tray

DIY Fall Thanksgiving Wreath

November 5, 2018

This DIY fall wreath is perfect for Thanksgiving. Welcome your guests to your home with a festive first impression! Not only does it look lovely on your door, it also makes a gorgeous centerpiece for a table…just lay the wreath flat and position candles and food around it.

Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays of the year. It kicks off that “most wonderful time” of the year, right? I love when Fall hits, and every month is full of festivities, decorating, cooking, and celebrating. Thanksgiving is such a great holiday – there’s no pressure to buy presents, just getting together with family and friends to celebrate all that we are thankful for.

DIY Thanksgiving Fall Wreath
you’ll need:
*Wreath frame (12 – 14″ depending on how big you want
the wreath to be; we used a cardboard frame)
*burlap ribbon
*approximately 30 small indian corns
*hot glue and gun

1. Wrap burlap ribbon around wreath frame to hide cardboard. Hot glue ends to frame.
2. Position corn around wreath first – don’t glue yet.
3. Slowly hot glue the corn to wreath, trying to keep the opening circle in the center as perfectly round as possible.
4. Hang your wreath! Once it’s up, you can judge if any of the corn needs to be repositioned to make the center circle more perfectly round. It’s very simple to pop off the corn, reposition, and re-glue.

What are some of your Thanksgiving traditions? Decorating the table is a big one of ours. Honestly, this wreath may be the shining star of the table this year. You could even make 2 smaller ones to sit on either side of this big wreath on the table. Add a little height with candles and food, but as you know, you don’t want anything that blocks eye sight or conversation. So these flat wreaths would be ideal!

Stay tuned for more fun Thanksgiving DIY’s and table decoration ideas – like this adorable Thanksgiving “Turkey” Veggie Tray that will steal the show at any party you arrive at!

xo,
Kate

Check out our Thanksgiving tables:
Cobalt Blue + Moss Green Thanksgiving Table Decorations
Classic Fall Thanksgiving Table Decorations
DIY Gratitude Quote Place Cards

Skinny Margarita Recipe

May 1, 2018

As summertime approaches, we all start being a little more mindful of what we eat and drink. We take in more fruits and veggies and less comfort foods and cookies. That is why this Skinny Margarita is seriously amazing, it is full of all natural, healthy ingredients (well outside of the Tequila!) and tastes fantastic.

It’s also perfect for upcoming Cinco De Mayo festivities! Yummmmm

Skinny Margarita
(recipe adapted from cookieandkate.com)

Ingredients
-Kosher Salt
-2 Ounces (1/4 cup) of Silver Tequila-I used Hornitas 100% Agave
– 3 Tablespoons (about 1 1/2 limes) Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
– 2 or 3 Tablespoons Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
(about a half of a medium Orange or a quarter of a large Orange)
– 1 teaspoon of light Agave Nectar
– Lime round or wedge for garnish

Start by prepping your margarita glasses. Pour a generous amount of salt on a small plate. Take a small slice of lime and run around the rim of the glass. Run the edge of your glass in a circle around the plate at an angle to get desired amount of salt. Fill your glass with ice.

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add all the ingredients above. Shake, shake, shake your cocktail shaker for about 20 seconds or so and then pour your tasty skinny margarita into your salt rimmed glass.

Enjoy, mama!
Kara

Cinco De Mayo Sombrero Craft For Kids

April 30, 2018

It’s almost Cinco De Mayo, so obviously it’s time to do a kid craft!

We all remember this fun holiday well…pre kids.

Margaritas and tacos for lunch at your favorite local cantina followed by some Coronas on a patio with all your best pals. Not a care in the world, and if you had a few too many it was alllllll good because you could nurse your hangover in bed, or on the couch, or maybe even with the hair of the dog at brunch the next morning 😉

Because…no kids. LOL

I realized that I haven’t really celebrated this day since my sweet little babes came along, so this year I wanted to them to get in on the fun as well…a different kind of fun perhaps, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Wait, who am I kidding…I could still go for the old kind of fun too.

Anyway, I ran into Michaels after school drop off this week and grabbed a few supplies to create these fun Sombreros to hang up while we have our little fiesta on Cinco De Mayo! No party is complete without decor, right? Depending on what time you start your crafting and if you need a little liquid courage to craft (there is glitter involved), you could definitely grab a Corona or a Marg (see our skinny Margarita Recipe here!). It might get your creative juices flowing! Just saying.

xo,
Kara
(See craft instructions below!)

Gather up all your decorating supplies:

1.) Construction paper, poster board, or foam paper will all work to cut out your Sombrero
2.) Scissors
3.) Mini pom-poms, tissue paper, stickers, glitter (if you dare), pipe cleaners, sequins, beads.
4.) Glue stick – because who has time to use actual glue that gets everywhere and takes a year to dry.

Instructions:

1.) Cut out your Sombrero. If your kiddo is good with the scissors you can draw the pattern and let them cut it out 🙂
2.) Decorate!

Our Easter Tablescape

March 26, 2018

Welcome to our Easter tablescape!

For some reason, the Easter holiday always sneaks up on me. Thanksgiving, Christmas – we have major build up for those guys. But all of a sudden, spring has sprung, and Easter is here. So simple is better (these days, that’s true for pretty much everything in my life!) I actually had most of the items for this table – I just rummaged around all of my “hiding spots”….ahem, please don’t tell my husband how many hiding spots I actually have 🙂

This year we incorporated:

Simple White Lenox Tin Can Alley Dinnerware

Gold flatware from West Elm

Anthropologie Horta Champagne glasses

Fantesca Chardonnay!

Pewter Braided Placemats from Amazon

Couleur Nature Batik Bird Printed Napkins from Sur La Table – these would be beautiful too!

This is a fun DIY project to do with your kids! I mean, they incorporate glitter, sooooooo what’s not to love?

DIY Glitter Filled Easter Eggs
Glitter – (we used this Glitter Pack)
Clear Easter eggs from Michaels ($.99 each!)
Quickie Glue pen

1.) Take off top of clear egg and fill up with glitter about 1/4 full.

2.) Pop top back on egg.

3.) Using a glue ballpoint pen, write down names for place cards on a thin strip of white paper.

4.) Sprinkle glitter over glue.

5.) Brush off glitter (funnel back into tube to re-use).

6.) Roll both ends of paper for a fancier look.

Each place setting has a slightly different look…

Kara: old wine corks add a festive feel

Kate: dried lavender from the garden

Kacey: small white stones and mini purple carnations

Sorella: A beautiful pink flower

You could also scoop up a whole bunch of these eggs, fill them with coordinating glitter and hang them together all at random lengths with flowers behind it as a spring wreath. Or even hang them at various heights from your chandelier over your Easter table.

Happy Easter everyone – don’t forget to light some candles, put some flowers in a vase, and use whatcha got! Get creative, but keep it simple is my mantra. And now you’re ready for the food – who is making these this weekend?

xo,

Kara, Kate, and Kacey

How To Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day With Kids

March 13, 2018

How To Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day With Kids

Behold! Our easy “How To Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day With Kids” guide. Remember when St. Patrick’s Day used to only be centered around where to find green beer and how not to have a green mouth by the end of the night?

Not anymore, mama, not anymore. I mean, you can still drink a green beer, but you can also make this fun holiday about your kids, too! Aren’t holidays so much better with them around? I mean, sure. Now they are super busy, and you have to craft 4,000 things for school, and God forbid you don’t have the right color clothing! But if we take out all of the pressure and just absorb the FUN and magic these little holiday’s bring to our kids? So much better!

Here’s what we are doing with our kids for St. Patrick’s Day this year:

Step 1: Make a Leprechaun Trap with your child

We decided to try and catch a leprechaun this year so that we can find his Pot O’ Gold. So clearly we needed to make a Leprechaun Trap. There is no right or wrong way to make a Leprechaun Trap. (Guys, I had to google how to spell Leprechaun while making this.) You simply find a small box and let your kid go wild decorating it with green paper, stickers, markers, paint, glitter at your own risk, whatever!

Step 2: Head To The Dollar Store For Some St. Patrick’s Day Treats

This part you have to do solo so you can surprise your kids on St. Patty’s Day. I picked up that green slinky, shamrock necklace, paper plate and cup, and bunny (What does a bunny have to do with St. Patricks Day, you ask? Honestly, she had a fit when she saw it and couldn’t have it the other day, so I decided the Leprechaun would give it to her) at the Dollar Store down the street and spent a whopping $5. The green shamrock balloon is from Vons.

Step 3: Raid Your Kitchen For More Goodies

Now you just go on a treasure hunt of your pantry for green items. I had those green lollipops, green wrapped granola bar, and fruit snacks in our cupboard.

Step 4: Set Up Your Trap

On St. Patrick’s Day Eve, you set out your trap. Add a few chocolate gold coins to try and lure the leprechaun in! Then, after the kids go to bed, put out all the rest of the surprise treats—all of stuff you got at the dollar store. This is what the leprechaun will “leave” them when they escape from the trap. And maybe make green pancakes to go on the green plate!

Now for the really cute part. Of course, Sloane will be wondering if her trap worked right!? Did she actually catch her Leprechaun!? Well…..let’s see what happens when we open the trap!

She is going to LOVE the little note her Leprechaun leaves her (and all the treats he leaves behind). She still carries around the note that Santa Claus left her last Christmas. So it’s all fun and games—nobody is trapping any small and kinda creepy elf. And said elf is leaving your kid a few fun St. Patrick’s Day goodies!

These memories are the ones that stick with our kids. The projects we do together, the whimsy we sprinkle on any random holiday. It’s worth it, mama. It makes everything so much more magical.

Tag your leprechaun trap picture on Instagram with @thedailysoulsessions – I want to see them!

Top O’ The Mornin’ To Ya,
Kate

Deviled Eggs Recipe

March 14, 2016

With Easter almost here, it’s the season of Deviled Eggs! These are so delicious and so easy…you can’t mess them up, and everyone will devour them. Enjoy!

Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs

Place eggs in pot large enough so eggs can sit in one layer. Cover eggs by at least an inch with cool to room temperature water. Bring water to a boil. Let water boil for 2-3 minutes. Then turn off heat. Cover the pot and let the eggs sit in the water for 13 more minutes. When 13 minutes are up, dump out hot water and immediately cover eggs with cold water again. Let eggs cool in water. Refrigerate immediately, or peel to make Deviled Eggs!

Delicious Deviled Eggs

1 dozen eggs
Yellow Mustard
Mayo
Ranch Dressing
Italian Salad Dressing (optional)
Paprika

1.) Hard boil 12 eggs. Once cool, peel all the eggs.
2.) Gently slice the eggs in half lengthwise. Scoop out the yoke, and set aside in a bowl.
3.) Add to yokes 2 heaping tablespoons of Yellow Mustard, 2 heaping tablespoons of Light Mayo, 1 heaping tablespoon of Light Ranch Dressing, and a splash of Italian Salad Dressing (optional). Mix together.
4.) Spoon the mixture into a small plastic Ziploc bag. With scissors, snip off a small corner of the bag. Squeeze the deviled egg mix into each waiting egg half.
5.) Sprinkle with Paprika.

What are you doing for your Easter tablescape this year? Designing what the table will look like for big meals has always been a love affair of mine. However, since having kids, I find I’m not quite as …’involved’ shall we say? So lately, I’ve been just rummaging through the house and choosing things I already have lying around…check out this years table!

cheers!
Kate