Giveaway: $500 Amazon Gift Card plus Betty Crocker products
Mazzy will be five next week and Harlow just turned two. For the past few years, we have been able to get away with a pretty minimal holiday celebration. In fact, I’ve been using a sneaky little holiday hack of which I’m quite proud.
Are you ready for this one?
Mazzy’s birthday is December 9th and she always has a birthday party. My trick is stashing away a bunch of her birthday presents to use for the eight nights of Hanukah. Trust me, the last thing Mazzy needs is a double dose of new toys.
But… since Mazzy is now in kindergarten and learning basic math (like “why were there only 7 presents when there were 15 kids at my party????”), I don’t think I will be able to get away with that this year.
To make things even harder, I’ve noticed Mazzy is becoming increasingly obsessed with Christmas. I think she’s a little sad we don’t celebrate it and I find myself looking for ways I can make our holiday season just as festive, without her feeling like she’s missing something by not having a tree at home.
This is one reason I was very excited when Betty Crocker asked me to make a “how-to” video for one of their Top 10 Holiday Cookies for Kids. It seemed like an easy way to amp up Mazzy and Harlow’s Hanukah this year.
FYI- If someone had asked me to make holiday cookies from scratch, I probably would have backed away from the confection oven slowly before hightailing it out of the kitchen. I AM NOT A BAKER. Being in the kitchen with a bag of flour and an electric mixer STRESSES ME OUT.
But cookies from a mix in a box, I can handle.
In fact, I told Betty Crocker I would do them one better.
“If you want to show how easy it is to make Betty Crocker cookies, can I have my four-year-old bake them for me?”
They agreed and another Mazzy Baking Tutorial was born.
If you are not familiar with Mazzy’s tutorials, she has made cookie lollipops and mini turkey meatballs in the past with a confidence I cannot muster in the kitchen. And now, I think Mazzy has done her best work yet— baking Betty Crocker Holiday Present Cookies.
They’re square peanut butter cookies decorated to look like presents with a little frosting, food coloring and sprinkles.
I think you can see in the video how much Mazzy genuinely loves baking. I like to think she also loves spending some quality time with mom. Although I’d venture to guess that dipping her fingers in frosting probably has a lot to do with her enjoyment level as well.
In any case, I can’t think of a quicker or easier way to make it feel like the holidays than baking some festive looking cookies FROM A BOX.
Hope you enjoy this video as much as Mazzy and I enjoyed making it!
You can find the full recipe here, plus lots more kid-friendly cookies ideas at Betty Crocker’s Kid’s Cookie Corner.
Do you have a holiday hack or shortcut you want to share?
It can be about anything from baking to gift wrapping to holiday travel. I’ll be posting my favorite holiday hack responses in a follow-up post, with one answer selected randomly to win a $500 Amazon gift card and a portfolio of Betty Crocker products.
Winning $500 in a Mommy Shorts giveaway is a pretty good shortcut to holiday happiness, don’t you think?
GIVEAWAY RULES:
1. You must be a Mommy Shorts facebook fan to enter. If you are not one already, you can become a fan by clicking here. Then leave a comment below explaining your favorite holiday hack. I will also be accepting entries on my facebook page.
2. If you’d like a second entry, subscribe to the Mommy Shorts daily or weekly email and leave a second comment saying you did so. If you are already a subscriber, just say so in your comment.
3. If you’d like a third entry, tweet the following and then leave a third comment saying you did so.
I’m sharing my holiday hacks for a shot at a $500 Amazon gift card from @mommyshorts & @bettycrocker! http://bit.ly/1tElJtx #getyourbettyon
Winner will be announced on December 15th. You can read the full rules here.
Good luck!
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This post was sponsored by Betty Crocker, but all thoughts and finger licking children are my own. Be sure to check out their Kid’s Cookie Corner for some really fun baking ideas easy enough for your kiddos.
My favorite holiday hack is using a service like http://www.cardstore.com to send out my Christmas cards. After my first three years of making them and never sending them, this is a godsend. AND on Cyber Monday, it isn’t expensive!
I am a fan on FB and subscribed to the newsletter
oh ok, second comment: I subscribed,
I do all my shopping online.
My holiday hack is for gift wrapping! I keep all my gift wrap supplies in a tub together. Instead of searching all over the house for scissors, ribbon, gift tags, pens and tape, I just have to go to the tub! It has saved me so much time. No more running around looking for things that my kids have probably misplaced!
My Holiday hack is reusing gift bags and gift boxes! Recycled frugality for the win! This does however mean I have a mountain of boxes taking up valuable junk space in my attic for 364 days of the year.
I tweeted my entry as well 🙂
I order all my gifts online and well in advance of Hanukkah so I am not rushing at the last minute. I also wrap everything in advance.
Favorite Holiday Hacks
Baking: put the dough in the fridge before scooping and baking and you get softer cookie.
Wrapping: put everything in a square box. square/ rectangle boxes are the easiest to wrap.
travel: Dont at all costs…JK I have no clue how to make this easier.
I’m a fan and a subscriber – what a great post!
Im not super crafty but my holiday hack is to not leave all the cards we receive in a pile. Instead we hang them from clothespins on a strong across a wall so everything is really well displayed and festive. My kids decorate the clothespins first as decoration. Paint, glitter voila holiday.
She’s a natural. Cutest baking video ever
My holiday “hack” is making sure to enjoy some wine at any holiday gatherings. I’m usually a control freak, and constantly checking to make sure that all the details are going smoothly and tidying up. But a little wine lets me relax and enjoy the company rather than stressing about if everything is perfect.
I’m also a subscriber–and really love following you!
I want to eat Mazzy up. It’s turquoise!
Okay, no joke, I was cynical about her going it alone. I’m sold.
Now, tell her to forget those other boys and let’s get her and my 5 year old together.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME THAT I THINK IT’S APPROPRIATE TO SET OUR KIDS UP?
(Tell her if she bakes, he will follow her anywhere.)
Okay, okay, my hack. I just add crushed candy canes to everything. My favorite is saltine toffee (aka Brickle). It’s just butter and sugar caramelized and drizzled over a sheet of saltines, then baked until bubbly, covered in chocolate chips that you spread as they melt (and candy cane bits, because holiday hack). Then cool the sheet and break it up into bits. Yum. For serious.
And, of course, I Tweeted, I follow you everywhere, I subscribed to the newsletter.
My holiday hack is Chex Mix. A few years ago, an aunt and I decided to bake Christmas goodies for everyone. We made lots of cookies, Rice Krispies Treats, you name it. The thing everyone loved the most? Homemade Chex Mix.
So now I make a huge batch, keep it in airtight containers, and have it for everything from Christmas to New Years, and all it takes is an hour in the oven.
(I am already a facebook fan.)
Second entry – I am already an email subscriber.
Third entry – I tweeted!
https://twitter.com/lizneilvoss/status/540927074652147712
I subscribed to your weekly emails. Can’t wait, I love your blog!
My holiday hack is ha
My biggest holiday hack is inviting my parents over to help us decorate the Christmas tree, and letting my dad and daughter do all the work. My mom always brings dinner over too. Doesn’t get any easier than that.
Like you on fb as Deb Jackson
devyjackson at gmail.com
I am a subscriber
https://twitter.com/devyjackson/status/541361594249121792
Favorite holiday hack- no presents for the grown ups. Mommy and daddy just get presents for the little one. They’re the one who really enjoy it anyways.
My hack is I buy everything I can (wrapping paper, decorations, stockings, festive extras etc) after the holidays each year when they are 50%-75% off! Saves me some cash for the following year 🙂
Wrapping hack- let each kid pick out their wrapping paper at the store and all their gifts get wrapped in “their” paper. No squinting at gift labels on Christmas morning figuring out who’s is who’s. Color coded gifting!
Decorating hack- EVERY homeschool lesson gets done on construction paper with winter/Christmas themes. Then we stick all the schoolwork on the tree instead of it just sitting in a folder. Instant tree/mantel decorations!
“Stop Asking Me When You Can Open Your Presents” Hack- Countdown to Christmas calendar on the wall next to the tree. They learn how to count backwards and about dates/days of the week.
My favorite holiday hacks:
-we stay home Christmas Day and let grandparents come to us. We do dinner Christmas Eve with my family and our gift exchange and then the boys go home in their new Christmas pajamas and ready for bed 🙂
-I let Costco do the pie baking!
-Lots of crockpot cooking this month so I’m not stressed over dinner and the boys don’t eat milk and cereal every night!
Im a FB fan and subscribed to your email!
My holiday hack is to prepare a breakfast bake casserole the evening before Christmas. That way we can pop it in the oven right when we wake up and it’s done when we are finished with gifts. We usually have a lot of family visit during breakfast. We can enjoy the company without stressing over the cooking. I am a Facebook fan and subscriber. 🙂
I do not mix wrapping paper, each kid gets their own kind and I just cut off a little piece and write their name on that price so they know which presents are theirs. Also, not really a hack but after a ‘wardrobe malfunction’ that was caught on Xmas morning pictures, they get to Open 1 present of my picking on Christmas Eve. They all know by now that it’s always pajamas so at least they’ll look semi decent in the morning. Also, I use layaway not just for the conscience of payments but I leave it all at the store until last minute so there’s no worrying about stashing it all over the house.
I’m a subscriber. I like to take some of my daughter’s presents she gets and put them away in a closet so she forgets about them, then later in the year if she’s having a bad day, or is bored, we take one out and its a special treat.
Sounds crazy, because otherwise I am not much of a plan ahead type of person, but with working in retail and law enforcement and two Christmas Day birthdays in our house, planning is a must. A few of our hacks…
1. I christmas shop, in October at toys r us because they have lawayay. Then I’m able to pay cash, avoid the crowds and pick everything up this week!
2. I also start baking in October, and freeze the goodies!
3. My husband and I started a Pinterest page and have pinned gift ideas-an easy mobile gift list
If you’re like me and you get a gazillion Christmas cards every year, cut off the tops and use them as gift tags.
I subscribed the the email
I tweeted
My holiday hack would have to be that I use the internet as much as possible to buy gifts so I don’t have to step foot in a store during the holidays.
I am a subscriber.
My favorite hack is that we created a new tradition to have Chinese food on Christmas. No cooking required.
I am a subscriber.
Two hacks this year – avoiding meltdowns at the store with my 4.5
year old when she finds the toy she just MUST have by taking a picture of it so I can send it to Santa, then putting all those things on an Amazon wish list for family. Also, ordering th vast majority of our gifts on Amazon (prime) and ordering each item separately. Choose no-rush shipping and get $1 per item towards digital purchases or books. Ordered books for a few family members basically for free today!
My holiday hack is that we don’t buy presents for our kids! Since we are always at one of the grandparents house for Christmas they get SO many presents they don’t know the difference. Their stockings get filled with stuff they need and I’d buy anyway (ie: new toothbrush and paste, leotard and tights for ballet class, etc).
My Christmas hack is using elfster to do secret Santa with my side of the family so that I don’t have to buy like 10 more gifts for my parents and siblings 🙂
Already a subscriber!!!
My Christmas hack is wrapping presents as they are purchased or delivered. But I do something EXTRA special to make it SUPER organized for present distribution and delivery…I color code bows and wrapping paper for each person and family. It is soooo much easier to pack up and or pass out presents if I can just look at them to see who gets what and what present goes where. PLUS… It makes our tree look extra festive and cheery for the WHOLE season!
I tweeted too!
My holiday hack this year has been BREATHE! Holidays can be very stressful. This year I was lucky enough to get a few free shutterfly codes, I now only have 2 people left to get presents for. Sometimes the best, most heartfelt gifts are pictures of your family. And remembering the joy, and love of this season is truly the important thing no matter what we celebrate.
Thank you Mommy Shorts for giving me such a fun and positive blog to read!
I’ve made a habit of collecting various small projects my children have made over the years to use as Christmas tree ornaments. I label each with their name, age and date of when it was made. I also collect a small toy each year for each child that represents something he was into and save it as an ornament (i.e. Lego Star Wars minifigure). Decorating the tree every year is the funnest trip down memory lane and I save a bundle on ornaments, plus, our tree is filled with playable toys, not breakable glass.
My favorite Xmas hack is to put together a French toast casserole or maple bacon biscuits the night before and pop in the oven in the morning so I don’t miss any of the fun.
My holiday hack this year is suggesting the cousins (my three kids, two nieces and a nephew) draw names to give gifts. My kids must now come up with gift giving ideas, not me. 🙂
I am a subscriber.
Having cheese and crackers on hand for those times when you need to take something last – minute or have an unexpected visitor. Works all year!
My hack is being stealthy enough to still buy presents for my daughter while she’s with me. She’s 2 and 1/2, so we’ll see if I can still pull it off next year.
Tweeted for a third entry!
My holiday hack is that my husband and I don’t exchange Christmas gifts. Instead, we make a large purchase for the house or put the money toward a vacation. It really cuts down on the gift buying frenzy!
I’m also a Mommy Shorts subscriber!
Tweeted!
I subscribed!
I recycle picture frames and give family photos as gifts. But I spruce up the gently used frames by hot-gluing ornaments and bows on the corners to make them more festive.
I’m also a subscriber!
i also tweeted! https://twitter.com/SClivati/status/542048383469232128
Subscriber!
For christmas dinner I use the Williams-Sonoma Pinot Noir Shallot Peppercorn Finishing Sauce. Saves me a ton of time and is amazing with a standing rib roast!
Also I’m a weekly subscriber!
And….I tweeted!
Parchment paper. For everything.
I (already) am a fan of Mommy Shorts on Facebook.
I just tweeted the giveaway!
Super Duper Strong Gingerbread Glue
– 3 TBS. meringue powder
– 1 LB. powder sugar(about 3 3/4 cups)
– 4-6 TBS. cold water
In a glass bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add 2 TBS. water, mix well. Add more water as necessary to reach a very thick consistency. When you drag a knife through it, you want to see a clean path left. If it’s too thick, add a tiny amount of water, mix, and pull your knife through again. If it’s too runny add more powder sugar.
Last Christmas I started using a syringe to decorate my ginger bread man cookies for easy decorating!
I just subscribed! 🙂
My biggest holiday hack – there are always a gazillion get togethers – for work, friends, not even including the actual holidays with family. I always sign up to make either a dessert (which I can make from a BOX), or like potato salad, macaroni salad, etc – something where I can take store-bought, throw it in my own container, and viola – home-made shit 🙂
Also already a subscriber!
My holiday hack is the artificial tree…love it – no fuss, no extra excursion to get one! (facebook subscriber!)
Our holiday hack is shopping on clearance. The day after Christmas we head out as a family ( 5&2 yr old in tow) and hit up the deals. Wrapping paper, bows,tags,decorations. Anything we can find. We now have a hugs supply of holiday stuff, and I love it.
Holiday hack: I take the presents OUT of the packaging before wrapping so we don’t spend hours Christmas morning trying to hack Barbie out of her plastic fortress of doom.
I’m a subscriber!
I tweeted! https://twitter.com/KayleyMaybe/status/542416479782596610
I’m a subscriber
I do a ton of shopping online, frees up time and causes me less stress, plus I can sometimes just have them shipped directly to the recipients so that saves time and money. I also store my tree year round still together wrapped in a bag( I do take the ornaments off) , because I hate trying to put that thing together.
I subscribed 🙂
I use Betty Crocker mixes for my peanut butter blossoms, sugar cookies, and thumbprint cookies. So much easier. I make all the rest from scratch but cheat on those three. Even better, I start baking December 1st and freeze cookies in our deep freeze. They make a perfect treat to bring to parties… And yes they are homemade but doing them in advance helps with the stress. Most cookies freeze perfectly.
Amazon prime is my holiday life hack. I just pray for packages to arrive while my son’s at preschool!
I’m a subscriber.
My holiday hack is my glue gun!! Not sure if you have ever made a gingerbread house, but trying to glue those walls together with frosting is next to impossible, especially if your kids are helping. We use a glue gun! Who wants to eat what little fiery hands have been touching?? My kids think they are just for decoration. 🙂
My comment should say dirty hands…darn auto correct 🙂
When we travel for the holidays I pack surprise bags for the airplane with a small new stuffie, favorite snack, crayons and a coloring book. Then I encourage the girls to color pictures for the family we are going to visit!
My holiday hack is inviting my neighbor’s kids over to decorate cookies. I love baking, but I don’t really care to take the time to decorate all the cookies. So not only does my son get the fun memories of decorating cookies, the neighbor kids get to take some home so I’m not left with so many!
I’m a FB fan as well as a subscriber (:
My holiday hack is not anything big, but I have been trying my hardest to get my kids to understand that the best part about Christmas is GIVING and not GETTING.
It started out simple by letting my older daughter pick out a toy for her brother and sister that she knew they would really like. She was so excited to see them opening it!
Now at 8 and 3 my older two got to go to the store and pick out a toy each to donate to toys4tots. It was a little harder to understand for my 3 year old why I let him pick out a toy and made him leave it, but that’s the point really, to get him used to giving to others. His big sister is a great helper and helps explain it to him as well.
Now she is always asking if she can give some of her old toys and clothes to other kids in need, she thinks it’s awesome and is think THAT is awesome.
I’m a subscriber
I’m a subscriber
My holiday hack…AMAZON PRIME! Done!
My favorite Christmas hack is a sugar cookie recipe that’s versatile and doesn’t spread. It’s more of a shortbread so the cookies hold their shape. I also use powdered sugar for rolling out, it tastes better than flour. Also, high quality, gel food coloring makes frosting vivid colors without making it taste bad. Lastly,
Keep lots of booze around. No one will notice the mess ups if they’re tipsy.
We leave our Christmas lights and decorations up all year so we don’t have to put them up during the busy Christmas season. Just kidding. We made a huge batch of several different cookies and portioned them out among the 6 people we send gifts to. We knocked all of those gifts out in one afternoon. which is a time-aving hack we will repeat next year.
I follow you on facebook as David Lintz
I subscribe to your emails with the email attached to this comment.
I tweeted at https://twitter.com/1froglegs/status/542423186256580608
I love container store Christmas wrapping paper and ribbon – it’s quite pricey but they typically have the same styles each year so I buy it after Christmas on sale and use for next year – this way Santa is consistent in using the same wrapping
I am not a baker either so my holiday hack is making my husband do the baking! Thankfully he is better at it than I am!! lol
I subscribed to emails!
I am already a Facebook fan and a subscriber to your newsletter. My holiday hack is just an easy way to save money. We always order our holiday cards through Sam’s Club on their Black Friday sale! You can get 100 Holiday cards for $15!!! What an easy way to save money during this time of year! Now I just need to find a way to save on postage ;)!
I tweeted!!!! @monstersmom0212
My hacks have all come from compromises. After having kids, our holidays centered at our house but there was so much drama about which traditions would be continued, and I finally had to put an end to it–and I tried to do so with an eye toward making it easier. My parents and grandmother can’t be here, so when they send presents, I start weaving them in as treats to open early. That usually gets us through the last week or so with minimal whining. I broke the food standoff by ordering pizza (my family’s go to) on Christmas Eve, and then “letting” my in-laws decide which of their traditional meals they wanted to make on Christmas day–they buy most the groceries, do most the prep/cooking/cleanup. We also open gifts from each other before they arrive on Christmas Eve, so the kids are entertained, and we honor my family’s tradition; then Santa (for however long he lasts) and the in-laws gifts Christmas morning for their tradition. This way the kids don’t get overwhelmed, and we get to enjoy and appreciate each family group’s gifts separately, instead of having to share the spotlight with the other branch. It’s made things soooo much easier!!!
My fave “hack” is to get pre-made side dishes and add ingredients to make them my own and also taste better!
I subscribe to the e-mail and I’m a FB fan
Go to the dollar store and buy $1 rolls of kraft paper. Makes the best (and cheapest) gift wrap. And then it also can be used later in the year for birthday presents.
As much as I love wrapping gifts, I have switched to using gift bags for all gifts (except the Santa gifts). So much easier & faster, plus so much easier to transport 🙂
Favorite holiday hack: freezing all of the cookie gifts we are given so we can pull them out at a moment’s notice of a house guest or last minute holiday party! I am a subscriber, also! If I still lived in NYC I would find you and make you be my friend, too 🙂