Tag Archives: Winter Ideas

1 Bag of Marshmallows = SNOW Much Fun

23 Jan

8 reasons why you need a bag of marshmallows this winterI wonder if the people who invented marshmallows knew that their product would become a critical resource for wintertime crafting and treat-making.

Allow me to explain…

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Easy Marshmallow Snowman Cupcakes from Catch My Party.

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Simple Water Bottle Snowman Marshmallow Dispenser from Meaningful Mama.

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The Realistic Nutritionist’s adorable Melting Snowman Cookies.

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Marshmallow Snowflakes Craft from Playing House.

I have also seen marshmallow snowflakes made using toothpicks – they come out really cute (you can see an example HERE), but I thought toothpicks might not work for younger Happy Buddies since they are so pokey.

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Marshmallow Igloo from Campfire Marshmallows.

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Super cute FREE Printable Let It Snow Marshmallow Game from Criss-Cross Applesauce.

This seriously looks like SNOW much fun!

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Painting Snowflakes with Marshmallows from Motherhood on a Dime.

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Finally, check out Happy Home Fairy’s quick and fun Marshmallow Snowman Craft or Easy Snowman Snack HERE.

Of course, it wouldn’t be winter without tossing a few marshmallows into a steamy mug of hot cocoa (you can find a bunch of my favorite Hot Chocolate Recipes, Ideas and Crafts HERE).

And, if all else fails, dump a bag of marshmallows on the ground and let your Happy Buddy make indoor snow angels. :-)

Happy Jet Puffed-ing!

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8 Ways To Make Snow Without Actually Having Snow

15 Jan

how to make snow without actually having snow - these ideas are great!Winter in Florida can be a real drag if you have a hankering to play in some snow!

So I did a little research and found 8 ways you can make your own snow – without actually needing snow.

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This fun Snow Dough from The Imagination Tree is soft, silky, easy to mold, and full of sparkle!

All you need are 2 pantry staples to put this wonderful sensory experience together for your Happy Buddies.

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The Chocolate Muffin Tree shows how to make snow in your blender using some ice cubes.

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Seriously, who knew that a can of shaving cream was so important for creating indoor snow fun??

Mom Endeavors mixed up some Snow Paint using shaving cream and white glue for her Happy Buddies to create puffy, wintery masterpieces.

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I love that this snow from Growing a Jeweled Rose is called Frosty Fluff and all you need is that helpful can of shaving cream and some corn starch.

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Crayon Freckles simply squirted out shaving cream (that’s it!) on a pan for her Happy Buddy to play in.

*Side Note – I have friends that put their Happy Buddies in their swimsuits and then let them go nuts in the shower with a can of shaving cream – now that’s what I call a blizzard of fun!  Plus, shaving cream cleans – so it’s a win-win for everyone.  Clean showers and kids having a great time?  Sounds good to me.*

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The Artful Parent picked up a can of Insta-Snow at her local school supply discount store.

You should go see all the ways her Happy Buddies had fun with this amazing stuff!

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A Mom’s Year made these magical Soap Snowballs by shredding some soap and then remolding the soap around a toy so that there are hidden surprises in the snowball.

What a neat favor for a wintertime party!

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And, finally, if you haven’t seen this idea yet – it’s going to change your life.

You can make snow by exploding a bar of Ivory Soap in the microwave!!!

*Don’t worry – your microwave won’t get damaged.  It might even help clean it up a bit.* :-)

Your Happy Buddies are going to be in a flurry of excitement over this.  They can play with it in the tub – add a little water and make tiny soap snowmen.

Check out Come Together Kids for the details on this amazing experiment that will reign over the thrill of real snow any day.

Well, maybe not.  There is nothing like the magic of a real snowfall. :-)

But hopefully one of these ideas will help you out a bit while you wait for one.

Happy DIY Snow Make-ing! :-)

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Popsicle Stick Snowman Door Hanger

14 Jan

popsicle stick man 10This little snowman door hanger is making our Happy Home’s kitchen look so wintery!

He is very easy to make – the perfect activity for indoor fun on a blustery January day. :-)

What you will need:popsicle stick man 1

Black and White Paint

Paintbrushes

7 Jumbo Popsicle Sticks

Hot Glue

Super Strength Scissors

Cute Ribbon

2 Googly Eyes

Orange Foam Nose

popsicle stick man 2Step 1 – Use your super strong scissors to cut one of the popsicle sticks in half.

popsicle stick man 3Step 2 – Place 5 of the popsicle sticks together.  Hot glue the broken pieces and place across the back of the 5 sticks – nestle them in nice and close.

popsicle stick man 4Step 3 – Flip the popsicle sticks over.  Paint the bottom 2/3 of the snowman white.  Paint the top 1/3 black.

popsicle stick man 5Step 4 – Paint the last popsicle stick black.  Hot glue it between the black and white parts.

popsicle stick man 6Step 5 – Hot glue a piece of ribbon right above the horizontal stick.

popsicle stick man 7Step 6 – Add the facial features.  I used the bottom of my paintbrush dipped in black paint to make the mouth – I thought it worked a lot better than a Sharpie marker (which had been my original plan).

popsicle stick man 8Step 7 –  Hot glue a longer piece of ribbon to the back of your snowman.

popsicle stick man 9Step 8 – Let dry.  Hang on a door in your Happy Home or give out as a gift to someone you love! :-)

Happy Popsicle Stick Snowman Door Hanger-ing!

*I got my inspiration for this neat craft over at Mom On Timeout!*

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Easy Snowman Snack

11 Jan

easy snowman snack at happyhomefairy.com - too cute! fun to do with the kids!

I’ve been seeing these cuties all over Pinterest and just couldn’t resist making some of our own!

They are really easy to make.

And really sweet – the perfect combo, in my opinion!  :-)

How to make your Easy Snowman Snack…easy snowman snack

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*I skipped a photo step here – you need to put frosting on top of the first marshmallow and then top it with a second marshmallow.*

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Isn’t he cute?

easy snowman snack at happyhomefairy.com - so cute!I think he looks like he is worshiping.

I find his arms raised heavenward to be kind of inspiring… A position I wish to be in all day long, yes?? :-)

It’s all about Him!

You might notice that I didn’t use the red writing pen that was in my photo… I tried drawing a red scarf on the middle marshmallow, but when I did, it looked kind of like someone had attempted murder on my little snowman!  In other words, it was a bloody-looking mess – definitely not cute scarf-ish.

So I chose to keep it simple with this guy, but you can add all kinds of accessories (I saw a few with red licorice string scarves or Junior Mint hats) or Food Writing Pen details to your heart’s content!

Happy Snowman Snack-ing! :-)

“Because your love is better than life,
    my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
    and in your name I will lift up my hands.“

Psalm 63:3-4

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Thank You Snow Much – FREE Printable!

21 Jan

Do you have great neighbors??

The Happy Hubby and I are always thanking God for surrounding our Happy Home with really sweet and honest people.

I am constantly calling the gal next door for a cup of this or an egg for a recipe or even just to hang out!

So when our neighbors watched over our house for a few days while we traveled recently, we thought we’d better do something special to show them our appreciation…

We took a box of White Fudge Oreos (these might be a seasonal Christmas-y item at your local grocery store, so if you can’t find them, simply dip regular Oreos in some melted white chocolate and let dry) and some gel decorating pens.

Then we transformed those cookies into grateful snowmen!

I added a little snowman note to the whole presentation.

I think they came out super cute!

And, in case you were wondering how the Happy Buddy’s Snowmen Oreos turned out…

A work of art!

If you’d like to print this little Snowman Thank You Note to share your gratitude with someone you know, feel free!

Simply click the link below the image. :-)

Click HERE for your FREE Thank You SNOW Much Printable!

Happy Snowman Oreo Thank-ing! :-)

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For the Birds… Not the Ducks

18 Jan

See those guys?

Let me introduce you to our Happy Home’s ducks.

Every day we wake up to a flock of these birds hanging out on our front lawn, hoping to discover a Cheerio or pretzel bit that has fallen out of the Happy Buddy’s lap when I pull him out of the car.

At first I thought those ducks were charming and I rather relished that nurturing feeling of providing a midday snack for them.  The Happy Buddy and I frequently dropped scraps of bread and crackers for fun on a sunny day.

But then they just kept coming.

Pretty soon it wasn’t just a few ducks looking for a nibble, but instead there were suddenly 75 ravenous crazy beasts taking over our lawn and practically running us down whenever we stepped outside!

To make matters worse, they started leaving their thanks in a very ungrateful manner.The Happy Buddy has become quite skilled at identifying duck poop.

So, dear Happy Home friends, this Winter, may you choose to look after the birds (those sweet creatures that flitter and flutter about and sing pretty songs and wrap your scarf around your neck – ever seen Sleeping Beauty?) and not the ducks.

Your pavement will thank you.

Here are a few ideas to get you started…

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The Moffatt Girls made these super simple bird feeders using just peanut butter, birdseed and a toilet paper roll!

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My Blessed Life had fun with her Happy Buddy making these Pinecone Bird Feeders.

Your Happy Buddies will enjoy mashing the cereal and rolling everything in peanut butter – what messy fun!

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The Chocolate Muffin Tree strung together a simple Bird Feeder Garland that looks almost good enough for a human to eat.

Plus, she shares the title of a really neat children’s picture book that is the perfect read for after Christmas.

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Under the Table and Dreaming just grabbed a box of Cheerios and some floral wire for a really cute and Valentine’s Day-ish Heart-Shaped Bird Feeder.

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You could also use a heart-shaped cookie cutter and this easy peasy recipe from Alphamomfor an early Valentine’s Day lawn decoration!

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Look at this colorful display of unbelievably easy Play-Doh Lid Bird Feeders in the trees over at Meet the Dubiens!

What a dazzling sight!!  Those birds are going to think a party hit their neck of the woods. :-)

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And, finally, Red Ted Art featured this tasty-looking Bird Cake Recipe that will have any of your flying friends coming back for more.

When Winter is toughest, the birds in your backyard will be so blessed by your thoughtful provisions.

So, while you are feeding the birds, I am going to be shooing the ducks away so that we don’t have to worry about stepping in their giant doodoos any more. :-)

Happy Feeding the Birds-ing!

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15 Ways to Celebrate Winter in Florida

17 Jan

I grew up in New Jersey.

Snow was a regular part of my little girl life!

We used to have a trampoline in our backyard and when it snowed, we would jump off the trampoline into the snow.

What a thrill!

We also had this sled that did not have the steel runners (it was basically just a flat board of wood with a rope to hold on to).  When it would snow we would carry the sled to the top of our backyard slide, hop on the sled and race it down the slide.

Some of the best memories I have were whizzing across the snowy lawn on that sled!

And then, of course, there was that unbelievable anticipation for a Snow Day – no school. :-)

When my family moved to South Florida in 1997 and it was 85 degrees in January, we had to get creative about how to preserve all that Winter Fun.

Here’s what we came up with…

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1.  Turn your air conditioning down to 65 degrees or lower and wear hats, mittens, and scarves around the house.

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2.  Have an indoor snowball fight with sock balls or cotton balls.

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3.  Drink hot chocolate as often as possible.

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4.  Go the beach and build a snowman out of sand.

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5.  Decorate your house with lots of paper snowflakes.

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6.  Plan a visit to an indoor ice skating rink.

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7.  Check out books at the library that have Winter themes.

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8.  Have friends over for a soup and cornbread party.

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9.  Drape a white sheet over a folding table to make an igloo, or build an igloo out of sugar cubes (go HERE for directions).

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10.  Lie on the ground and make pretend indoor snow angels, or make them out of cotton balls.

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11.  Make a snowman craft.

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12.  Build an indoor campfire to warm you up (go HERE for directions).  Don’t forget to roast some marshmallows!

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13.  Whip up a batch of Snow Playdough.

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14.  Squirt shaving cream on the table and play in it.  It’s ‘snow.’

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15.  Play Hot Potato with an ice cube.

What do you think?!

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That’s enough Winter Fun to make even the hottest day cool.

Happy Celebrate Winter in Florida-ing! :-)

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Snowflakes

16 Jan

We recently had an opportunity to visit somewhere where snow falls.

Let me tell you!  This South Florida girl spent a lot of time in front of the fireplace!

One night, the Happy Hubby was driving back to the house where we were staying and he called me.

He said, “Babe, I can barely see a thing because there are all these white bugs covering the windshield!”

Turns out those white bugs were snow. :-)

Here are a few fun crafts to celebrate God’s unique and beautiful white bugs snowflakes.

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First things first.

It is a very helpful skill to know how to make paper snowflakes.

You can hang them everywhere – windows, from the chandelier, bathroom mirrors, etc.

Martha Stewart gives a really nice step-by-step guide that will allow you to decorate your Happy Home this month with snow!

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The Artful Parent prefers using Coffee Filters to paper for her Happy Home’s homemade snowflakes.

She even jazzed them up a bit with a dazzling coat of watercolor paints!

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Crafts-n-Things for Children did a neat Snowflake Watercolor Resist project.

Simply draw snowflakes onto a piece of white paper using a white crayon.  Then have your Happy Buddy paint over the page with watercolors.

Such magic!

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Almost Unschoolers made the neatest Snowflake Window Clings (y’all know how passionate I am about those things!) out of glue.

You MUST check out this neat Puffy Paint Snowflake Project from Frugal Family Fun.

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I love this simple Snowflake Craft made out of Honeycomb Cereal from All Kids Network!

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This sweet project from PreKinders uses only a paper plate, a doily, and some paint!  Lovely!

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Grab your popsicle sticks, glue, and buttons to make these adorable Popsicle Stick Snowflakes from Ramblings of a Crazy Woman.

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Mom in Madison did a really fun science experiment!

They created Homemade Snowflakes using pipe cleaners, hot water, and Borax.

And now for a few Snowflake Snacks…

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Motherhood on a Dime gave her Happy Buddies some pretzel sticks and marshmallows to create their own yummy Snowy Snack.

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Family Fun shares an easy peasy way to transform your flour tortillas into Sweet Tortilla Snowflakes.

But the best part about snowflakes, Happy Home Friends, is that they are a wonderful tool for teaching your Happy Buddies about the way God created them.

No two snowflakes are the same.

Likewise, God made people to be unique and special.  No one else is like you or your Happy Buddy.  Jesus had a specific and perfect plan for each person He has made.

What a glorious thought!  And oh, the creativity of our Lord!

So, grab your little one today in a big hug (after you finish one of these great snowflake ideas) and remind them that they are One of a Kind!

Is it snowing where you are yet?

Or do you have White Bugs?

Happy Snowflake-ing! :-)

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A Happy Home Winter Challenge – FREE Printable!

14 Jan

Sharing God’s love with the people in our world is one of the BEST ways to teach our Happy Buddies about God’s greatest commands for us – To Love Him and To Love Others.

Part of my mission as the Happy Home Fairy is to equip you with magical ways to bring the Good News to others.

This Winter, I thought it would be neat to give you a Happy Home Challenge.

The challenge is easy!

Simply print the 8 Snowman Cards (download at bottom of post) that say, “Jesus Loves You Snow Much.”

Cut them up.

Now here’s the fun part!

Decide as a family how you want to share your 8 cards.

The goal is to hand out all 8 cards by the end of January.

Here are a few ideas of ways to use your cards…

When you have visitors to your home this month and they leave their shoes by the door, slip a card in their shoe.

What a delightful surprise to find as they are preparing to leave!

When you are visiting someone else’s Happy Home this month, tape a card to their toilet seat lid before you leave as a happy little reminder.

When you are returning checked out materials to the library, slip a card between the pages of one of the books.

Only God knows who the recipient of such a pleasant message will be. :-)

Whip together a batch of Snow Crunch (AMAZING), slip into bags, and tie cards on with some pretty ribbon for sweet gifts to give out to the people who work at your grocery store or church.My Happy Home friend made a whole family of these Oreo Sucker Snowmen and brought them to our January MOMs group.

She added the cards to the pops for an extra little blessing.

Slip a card into your Happy Buddy’s lunchpail. :-)

Next time you fill your car with gas, leave a note on the nozzle for the next customer to enjoy.

I’ll bet your mail person will LOVE hearing the Good News!

And, yes, I am aware that our mailbox is in desperate need of a scrubbing. :-)

I just love sending notes of encouragement to the bank tellers through that magic little delivery tube.

Those bank employees must get tired of passing money and checks and deposit slips back and forth all day, so why not mix it up for them? :-)

And just the other day I slipped one of my cards into our water bill payment.

Oh, the possibilities are endless!

I can’t wait to hear about some of the fun ways your Happy Home shares Jesus’ love this month!

In the mean time, I’ll be praying for all the many recipients of the Best News EVER!

Have SNOW much fun!

Here’s a sneak peak at the cards… (link at bottom of post.)

Get your FREE Printable Jesus Loves You Snow Much Cards HERE!

Happy Happy Home Winter Challenge-ing! :-)

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Mmmm… Hot Chocolate

13 Jan

When it gets chilly outside, there’s only one drink I can think of that will warm me right up…

Hot Chocolate.

Get ready, Happy Home Friends, for Hot Chocolate Overload.

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Let’s start things off with a recipe for the BEST Homemade Hot Cocoa.

You can find this cup of deliciousness over at the amazing i am baker.

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After you’ve poured a cup of the recipe above, don’t forget to toss in some Snowman Decorated Marshmallows.

Meet the Dubiens simply used some food markers to create these whimsical additions!

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Or, instead of cute marshmallows, Hot Chocolate Spoons from Alphamom are perfect for dipping into your steaming mug of wonder.

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OR…

You could make the homemade hot cocoa, decorate some marshmallows, make some hot chocolate spoons, AND a few other things to create a Hot Chocolate Bar for your Happy Home to enjoy!

I blogged about the Hot Chocolate Bar we did at our MOMs meeting last year, but it pales in comparison to this one I found at the Celebrations At Home blog.

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These yummy looking (and super simple to make) Hot Chocolate Cupcakes from Cupcakes for Party will also warm you up!

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Little Nummies features this adorable Hot Cocoa Sandwich that is so easy to make.

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Aren’t these Hot Chocolate Cup Cookie Treats from Lemon Drop the sweetest things EVER?!?

What a fun after school surprise!

And, of course I had to throw in a few hot chocolate-themed crafts…

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Creekside Learning had the brilliant idea to put together a Pretend Hot Chocolate Cafe for her Happy Buddies.

They spent an entire day creating make-believe cups of hot cocoa (brown foam pieces and white pom-poms) and selling it to friends and family.

You have to see the rest of the pictures from their sweet adventure HERE!

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Finally, Kiboomu featured this adorable Construction Paper Hot Cocoa Cup – complete with mini marshmallows glued to the top!

I hope you found just the right thing to keep your tummy warmed up all Winter long!

Happy Hot Chocolate-ing! :-)

P.S. If you are a fan of white chocolate, then check out Happy Home Fairy’s recipe for Snow Cocoa HERE.

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