Family Time During the Holidays

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This post on Family Time During the Holidays is sponsored by Stephen’s Gourmet Hot Cocoa through the Mom It Forward Influencer Network.  All opinions are my own.

When the calendar is quickly approaching December, I can easily feel some dread set in. I love the holiday season, but it can also create a lot of tension.

The one thing that I know helps me is to keep the primary focus on family time during the holidays. After all, it is the time spent together that forges bonds and creates memories to last a lifetime.

Focus on Family Time During the Holidays

I will be the first to admit that it isn’t always easy. Instead of planning big things, I tend to focus on finding time to build memories through the small things.

This could be taking a hike in brisk weather or just snuggling up on the couch to read a book together. At times, it is the boys heading out to go sledding while I say warm inside.

One of the things we just spent time doing was decorating the tree.

Decorating for the Holiday as a Family

Having just moved across the country, it is interesting digging out all the decorations from the multitude of boxes. However, I know that the boys expect to have a tree and I really want one as well.

I had to first buy a new tree as we donated our older one before the move. Just picking out a tree was a fun process with the boys as everyone had opinions. One of the teens dared to suggest we forgo a tree and just cut one out of the moving boxes to save money. Lucky for the rest of us that he isn’t the decision maker!

Although the local stores were sold out of the model we liked the best, I was able to order it online and have it delivered to our door. My 17-year-old son gladly put the tree together and got it stationed in the space we’d set aside for it. Then we made time to decorate it as a family.

Something that I am totally loving during the process is seeing my youngest son look at different ornaments as they are unpacked and hung on the tree.

Every few minutes he came over to me holding a different ornament.

For each of them, he shares the stories he remembers for ones that are his. “Hey, Mom, here’s the ornament from the year I was born. It’s even got the date on it!”

And, he kept coming over to me when he found ones that my aunt had given me over the years. “Look! This one has your name on it. 1982 sure was a long time ago!” 

Okay, I had to resist from saying “gee, thanks kid! Way to make mom feel old.” when he made that comment.

Setting aside an hour or two for decorating is time well spent for me. I want to have time where music plays and people are chatting while working on a common goal. These are the times when I feel those family bonds strengthened and memories being created.

Of course, a good tree decorating ‘party’ needs something to drink and eat. If there is one thing my boys are all for it is refreshments!

Warm Bellies and Hearts with Stephen’s Gourmet Hot Cocoa

When the temperatures dip, hot cocoa becomes a go-to beverage for my family. Just sipping some helps to warm their bellies and bring joy to their hearts.

They love hot cocoa so much that they will sometimes run around outside for a few minutes just to come ask for a cup!

A favorite choice for our family is Stephen’s Gourmet Hot Cocoa. My youngest is quite partial to the CandyCane one while my teens go more traditional with the Milk Chocolate.

Other Stephen’s Gourmet signature cocoa flavors include:

• Salted Caramel
• Mint Truffle
• Dark Chocolate
• S’mores

When we are engaged in an activity like decorating, I like to heat up water and have it ready in a thermos. It is so easy to then set up an area for the refreshments so people can get what they want when they want it.

Mini-marshmallows for my crew are a must have, too.

With a few choices of Stephen’s Gourmet Hot Cocoa at the station, my crew was ready to go.

They adore how rich and creamy the different options are. To see all of their delicious and unique cocoa flavors visit: https://www.indulgentfoods.com/

And when everyone was done, my youngest took time out for hugs on the couch. That is something I will never tire of receiving!

Enhance Your Family Time with a Stephen’s Giveaway

Enter to win a year’s supply of Stephen’s! We’re giving away 15, one-pound cans of our delicious, one-of-a-kind cocoa to a very lucky winner! What’s more, you get to choose which of our 22 flavors you’d like to try! From bestselling classics (like Candycane and Mint Truffle) to our newest creations (including Old Fashioned Chocolate Malt, English Toffee, and Salted Caramel), the choice is yours!
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Does your family enjoy drinking hot cocoa?
What are some ways you spend time together as a family during the holidays?