How are you holding up?

Over on the board everyone shared the amazing menus and treats they are making during this lovely Snow-In of 2010. We're also sharing photos of our neighborhoods. Post yours on our FB Fan Page or on the BM board.

Snow on the way .... inside we will play

While Maryland is bracing itself for another pounding of 2-3 feet of snow, the moms on BaltimoreMommies.com are preparing for the energized chaos that can happen when kids are cooped up for days.

Caroline posted asking about ways to keep little ones entertained on those housebound days.

Laura searches for online printables and craft ideas (see our archives here for some great ones), breaks out the playdough and paperdolls. She also had a wonderful suggestion for those little ones that can't get out in the big snowdrifts -- bring buckets of snow inside and dump them in the bathtub. She lays a towel on half the tub for sitting and the kids can play in the mound of snow until it melts.

Rebecca relies on baking treats with her little chef, workbooks, a rousing game of Hide & Seek with one parent and little one searching for the other parent and shaking their sillies out with a family dance party.

Cortney and Heather also pull out crafts, games and baking treats. Sara breaks out finger paint and water colors for her twins, along with games like Chutes and Ladders, Candyland and Zingo. Lauren and Amanda are using the time to have their little ones work on crafting homemade Valentine's and treats for next week. Lauren shared this link.

Go mamas!

While I was never a fan of the ring slings (moby/Ergo/tube sling worked best for us) I am

very impressed that they can dance in those shoes while babywearing!!

It proves you can do anything! Go, Mama, Go!!

Around the Board ...

On BaltimoreMommies.com, we have an array of online forums including area groups where you can plan outings with those that live closest to you. All of our moms are in the Baltimore area so you get a real sense of community and an active calendar of events to enjoy each other's company.

There are other forums that cover health, beauty, entertainment, pregnancy and beyond, and much more. Our moms talk sports, recipes, the economy, tips & tricks, work, daily joys and of course, potty training. We share recipes, parenting frustrations, milestones and hurdles. Daily fun can include photo challenges QOTD, quizzes and polls. You'll find support groups for our working moms, children with special needs, single moms and breastfeeding, to name a few.

We hope you'll join the board and give yourself the gift of friendship this holiday season!

Hanukkah

A happy holiday to all our families celebrating Hanukkah on BaltimoreMommies.com

I will miss being at my friend's house this year for Hanukkah -- with all the yummy goodness and family celebration that goes with it. I found this easy recipe for latkes from the Toddler Cafe that I'm going to try.

Home Style Latkes
Recipe by: Jennifer Carden author of The Toddler Café

3 Tbs all purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 russet potatoes, peeled
1 small onion
1-2 cups vegetable oil
For serving
Applesauce
Sour cream

~Whisk the flour, eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl. Set aside. Grate the potatoes on a fine or small grating disk in a food processor, alternating with the onion.
~Mix the potato onion mixture into the egg mixture with your clean hands.
~The mix will be soupy, it is OK, and there is no need to drain it.
~Heat oil in a large skillet on medium until a bit of mixture dropped in bubbles. Be sure not to let the oil start to smoke-you want a shimmer only.
~Using tongs or large slotted spoon and gently drop the mix into the hot oil. Fry until edges are brown and crispy. Remove with tongs draining oil over pan.
~Drain pancakes on brown paper bags or paper towels. Serve hot with applesauce and sour cream on top.

Photo from Real Simple.com

And over at the Crafty Crow she has collected a vast array of fun Hanukkah crafts for the kids.

Enjoy them here.

Christmas Chain ...

A lot of the moms on the board have started a tradition of making a Christmas Chain with their kids to count down the days to the holidays. You can also use an advent calendar with the same idea of a family treat or activity for every day.

You can write a number on the link to correspond with the number of days to the holiday. Inside the link you can write the activity and have your children tear it off. If using an advent calendar you'll put the activity on slips of paper behind the numbered days.

Here is one example.

Oriental Trading has a $5 kit with all supplied here.

Here is a list of possible activities suggested by Kimberly, Angela, Katie & Tiffany:

~Make cookies
~Make cards
~Make an ornament
~Perform a random act of kindness
~Decorate and hang a wreath
~Trim the tree
~Read a new holiday book
~Write thank you note to his teachers.
~Make cocoa and watch a special seasonal movie.
~Take a drive or walk around your area to look at holiday lights
~Take the kids to a train garden
~Let them pick out a special ornament that will remind them of something about this past year.

~Write letters to Santa
~Have hot chocolate with peppermint sticks
~Make a reindeer craft with their hand prints as antlers
~Get dressed up in holiday gear and take a family picture

~Perform a Christmas carol concert for the family
~Do a holiday themed scavenger hunt

~Make snowflakes for the windows.
~Leave a few links blank and ask the kids what they want to do.
~Decorate a gingerbread house
~Spend an evening looking at photos of the past year

~Wrap presents (the ones not from Santa)
~ Make Magic Reindeer Food

~Play I Spy with the ornaments on the Christmas tree.
~Make a bird feeder w/a pine cone, peanut butter and bird seeds.
~Blow bubbles outside to see their reaction to the cold.

I found a few more

~Go ice skating
~Watch It's a Wonderful Life, make spiced cider.
~Make Christmas cookies for friends.
~Find mistletoe, hang it in our house and kiss under it.
~Go to the store and pick out one new Christmas CD.
~Go to The Nutcracker or rent a DVD of a classic version
~Handel's Messiah Sing Along
~Make a popcorn garland
~Drive around to see neighborhood lights
~Make a family traditional dessert
Have a fun family picnic dinner by the Christmas tree
~Make decorative sugar cookies
~Sign up to purchase gifts for a needy child
~Host a Christmas dessert party
~Have a movie party (classic Christmas clips)
~Go to a Christmas concert
~Attend City tree lighting event
~Have a full traditional breakfast while listening to Christmas music

~ Fancy dress for dinner time
~ Decide on a new holiday family tradition - have fun with it!

Festival of Trees & BaltimoreMommies

BaltimoreMommies.com was proud to sponsor a holiday tree at the annual Festival of Trees to benefit the Kennedy Krieger Institute.

Our moms held ornament-making playdates in all our area groups. Here are the ornament crafts our little ones helped design:

Santa Handprint

Rudolph Handprint

Snowman Handprint

and a molded clay handprint

The Festival of Trees is a Baltimore tradition and the way many families kick off their holiday season. We're proud to be part of this wonderful event and hope to see you at the festivities.