The upcoming holidays may not be exactly what we are used to for our families.  While the table may not be as full of family members here are some ways to remember family traditions, but also embrace new ones that can create memories for future holidays.

  • Embrace the past– Find a recipe passed down from your grandparents or great-grandparents and recreate it for your own family.  If you are lucky, you will have a hand-written copy of the recipe.

Gingersnap Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

¼ cup molasses

½ cup cinnamon sugar

  1. Mix all dry ingredients together and make sure to sift them
  2. In a pot, bring to boiling butter, brown sugar, egg and molasses
  3. When boiled, gradually mix in the dry ingredients until cookie dough is created
  4. In your hand, round the dough into balls
  5. Roll the dough balls in the cinnamon sugar
  6. Set oven to 350 degrees and bake for approximately 10 minutes
  7. The tops of the cookies will start to ‘crack’ and you will know they are ready

  • Advent Calendars aren’t just for your kids – Traditionally, we always buy the chocolate filled advent calendars for our kids and sneak the candy from them! Tim Hortons has created an advent calendar that is a coffee lover’s dream that is filled with K-Cup pods.  From coffee to tea, you have your daily coffee for the month of December.  The best part, for every advent calendar or holiday giftable item, $1 is from every purchase goes right to the Tim Hortons Foundation Camps.

www.timhortons.ca

  • Family time – We will continue to be having more time together as a family at home so let’s continue to enjoy it while we can. In the runup until the holidays, watch holiday movies together, eat popcorn and be comfy!  Giant Tiger is your go-to holiday headquarters.  Save money and shop safely (one reindeer apart) or online for everything you need this holiday season.  Enjoy family nights in matching PJs or festive socks as we know when life is back to normal we will have less time together.

www.gianttiger.ca

  • Make a tradition to give back – In our home, we have no sports happening and my youngest in school and oldest virtual school. While we may be struggling with school and sports here, many children around the world do have access to education and sports.  The holidays are a time for giving, and longstanding Canadian charity, Children Believe, is here with an opportunity for Canadians to delight everyone on their list. Through the Gifts for Good catalogue there are over 40 gifts that you can help change children’s lives for the better. We can help by giving to these children so they can receive necessities like food, water, healthcare, and education

www.childrenbelieve.ca

  • Document wishes – While we are always thankful during the holidays, have your family write down wishes for 2021 and place them into a clear ornament that you can decorate your tree with. Pull them out and see what you wrote when you decorate your tree in 2021.

  • Milk and cookies tradition – Our family leaves Santa cookies and milk every Christmas Even and the Dairy Farmers of Ontario want all Ontario families to support both children in hospital as well as the health care workers that won’t be at home this holiday season. Everyone can participate!  Head to social media with words of encouragement using the hashtag #FillUpWithLove and tag @ontariodairy to let patients, their family and health care workers are not alone.  December 1, 2020 there will be an 18 foot glass of milk in Toronto’s Distillery District showing all of the comments from social media!

Visit fillthemilkglass.ca

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