Thank you Night of Lights OC for providing this prize!

Kicking off the holiday season on Friday, November 26th, the Night of Lights OC offers a magical and winter wonderland drive-thru spectacular at the OC Fair & Event Center. It’s a family-friendly and safe way to celebrate as you drive through the mile-long course filled with one million colorful lights set in themed holiday scenes and immersive vignettes. Be delighted by animated light shows, snow flurries, and tunnels with synchronized music and special effects.

Make Night of Lights OC Your Holiday Tradition

Make the Night of Lights OC a holiday tradition with nostalgic nods to your holiday favorites. You’ll also be impressed by all-new experiences.

New for 2021:

• Santa’s Workshop An interactive experience with lights synced to music will make you oh so jolly.
• Toyland Watch as a toy chest comes to life!
• Steam Engine Springs Choo choo on over to check out the model trains.
• Santa Takes Flight And to all a good night as St. Nick greats guests (through December 24th)

Back from last year, the Winter Wonderland offers even more snow flurries!

Tickets for Night of Lights OC

Kick off the holiday season Friday, November 26th. The holiday drive-thru experience runs Wednesday to Sunday nights through January 2nd. Tickets do sell out, so make sure to buy them in advance online.

Hours:

• 5:00 PM-10:00 PM Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday
• 5:00 PM-11:00 PM Friday and Saturday

Purchase your tickets online at https://nightoflightsoc.com.

Add In-Car Holiday Treats

Looking to add a little more festive fun to your visit? Check out the holiday favorite treats available for pre-order. You can hot cocoa, treats, meals, and more!

Order online by 10:00 AM the day of your visit and pick up before entering the drive-thru.

Night of Lights OC Discounts

Check out these local commuity heroes discounts! Every Wednesday, Night of Lights OC will honor local community heroes with a special $5 off online coupon code for teachers, military personnel, medical workers, firefighters and law enforcement. Tickets must be purchased in advance online using the online code. You must bring ID for onsite verification for each discount.

• December 1st Salute to Teachers: Eligible guests can use the online code “TEACH”
• December 8th Salute to Military: Eligible guests can use the online code “HERO”
• December 15th Salute to Medical Workers: Eligible guests can use the online code “FIRSTAID”
• December 22nd Salute to Firefighters: Eligible guests can use the online code “FIRE”
• December 29th Salute to Law Enforcement: Eligible guests can use the online code “SERVICE”

Night of Lights OC Giveaway

As a special way to celebrate the season, I have a giveaway opportunity to share with you!

One (1) lucky winner will receive:

• 1 Silver Large Group Vehicle Ticket — entry for (1) vehicle (6 to 9 people maximum)
• In-vehicle digital photo
• Express entry lane

It’s a prize valued at $99.99! Ticket is valid for any night, depending on availability.

For more information, visit NightOfLightsOC.com 

or follow Night of Lights on Facebook, Twitterand Instagram.

We are decking the halls and rocking ’round the Christmas tree. Lots of our holiday decor comes straight from our craft bin. And truth is, those handmade decorations are some of my favorite holiday pieces.

These paper chains are a great Christmas craft for holiday vacation or even for a classroom activity. All you need to make them is the free printable, coloring supplies, scissors, and glue. Color the holly, the candy, and gifts galore!

Knowing that the symbols of the holiday might be different for each child, there’s also a blank template for your use.

Free Christmas Paper Chains Printables

Get your FREE Christmas Paper Chains Printable HERE.

Would your little elves prefer to design their own? Use this template to make paper chains that are as unique as you are!

Get your FREE Paper Chain Template Printable HERE.

Looking for a blank template? Click HERE.

How to Make Paper Chains:

It’s super simple to make your own Christmas Paper Chains! Color them with all your favorite colors!

Cut out the strips of festive designs. Make sure to leave the part that says “Glue.”

Add glue to the end, and adhere the other end of your strip with the design facing out. Before closing the loop of the next strip, make sure you link it to the first.

How to Decorate with Paper Chains:

Once complete, the paper chains make for adorable decorations all over the house.

• Hang them as garland around the house.
• Use them to decorate your tree.
• You could also print several sheets and use them as a countdown to Christmas. Just remove one link each day!

Looking for more Christmas Printables?

Free Printable Gift Tags

Have you heard of this gift-giving policy? To keep the gift giving reasonable, you can share something you WANT, something you NEED, something to WEAR, and something to READ.

Print these gift tags to mark your gifts. They’re a visible reminder and super cute.

All thoughts and opinions are my own.  Please read my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Tis the season to be jolly, they say.  And a season we make it.  When I posted my first holiday recipe of the year, my sister jokingly reminded me it was October.  Too early? Maybe for some, but not for me.

I celebrate Christmas for an entire season, starting typically as soon as November 1st.  What about Thanksgiving? Sure.  But my typical celebration pattern is: Halloween, Christmas, break for Thanksgiving, more Christmas.

I grew up in a Christmas-loving household.  There was no Elf of the Shelf or Black Friday, but lots of merry preparation.  My mom transformed our childhood home into a festive wonderland.  Then I married a man who loves the holidays as much as I do.  Having a partner in cheer only intensified my love for the season.  Add in young kids? Dude.

But why do we deck the halls from November 1st through December 25th?

Why We Celebrate Christmas All Season

Reducing Pressure for Christmas Day to be Perfect

The kids are crazed with all the sugar and new toys.  There’s not enough coffee to make up for the fact that I stayed up all night helping Santa.  The relatives are running late so the side dishes are cold.

All the anticipation leading up to Christmas put an awful lot of pressure on one day to be magical.  By making the whole season filled with fun reduces the pressure to make that one specific day amazing.  My family will still get warm fuzzy feelings when thinking about the holidays.

It’s similar to people warn against spending too much time planning a wedding.  You plan for your life together, not the party that lasts one day.   I’m focusing on making winter memories, not just one day of magic.

Our Holiday Bucket List

We are fortunate and live in an area filled with so many unique entertainment options.  At the beginning of the season (i.e. the day after Halloween), we sat down and made a family holiday bucket list.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Melanie Walsh (@clementinecounty) on Nov 24, 2018 at 7:12am PST

Some of our favorites:

• • Knott’s Merry Farm
  • Seeing Santa at the Grand Californian Hotel 
  • Road trip to Solvang
  • Christmas caroling with the neighbors
  • Baking cookies for Santa
  • Watch all the cheesy Christmas movies
  • Gingerbread house making with school friends

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Melanie Walsh (@clementinecounty) on Dec 5, 2018 at 12:56pm PST

Here we are days away from Christmas, and the kids and I are all sick.  None of us are moving off the couch.  We probably won’t finish our bucket list, but since we started knocking things off the list in advance we made a significant dent early on.

Want to see more of our Holiday Bucket List in action? Follow along on Instagram!

Start Early to Lesson the Drain 

Starting to celebrate early means I start filling my head with sugar plum thoughts early on.  With a gigantic family, it helps to spread out the spending.

What is harder for me than the draining pocket book is the mental drain.  I’m definitely feeling the fatigue from all of the decision making.  As we get nearer to the actual holiday, making decisions is getting harder for me.  I’m overwhelmed.

Even little things like nuts or no nuts in the fudge are way harder than they should be.

Starting early saved me a ton of stress in all of the decision making.

Let’s Me Be Present

With Christmas falling when it does this week, I’ll be working all the way up to the holiday.   The stores are filling up quickly with lots of people who could be cast as angry elves.  Because stress makes us less than jolly.

Starting our celebration and preparation meant I could fit in the responsible “Buy extra flour” in November so I didn’t have to miss out on the fun with my family racing from store to store this week.

Reminds Me to Focus

I adore my family, like I’m obsessed with them.  But the truth of the matter is, I’m a work horse.  I put my head down and plow through to-do lists.  If there’s no work to do, I create some.

But the holidays are an amazing reminder to focus on what matters most.  I’ve been unplugging in the evenings these past few weeks.  That rarely happens.  Snuggling with att and Georgia and watching Christmas movies, baking with Harper, caroling with Poppy — I’m loving spending more time with my people.  And having the reminder to end the year strengthening our family bond is the best gift I can give myself.

We’ve been rocking around the Christmas tree for weeks now, and I am loving the festive season.  But there is still time to make our days merry and bright.  I’d love to know what you do to celebrate the season so we can add it to our holiday bucket list.  Share your festive favorites in the comments!

This post may contain affiliate links.  Please see my Disclosure Policy for more information.

We basically started watching Christmas movies when the kids were still wearing their Halloween costumes.  Thankfully the explosion of popularity in cheesy Christmas movies kept us entertained most of November.  When December hits, it’s time to pull out the classics and other family favorites.

Elf is hands-down my favorite Christmas movie.   Will Ferrell is genius as the adopted elf growing up in the North Pole who goes on a journey to find his birth father, who just so happens to be on Santa’s naughty list.  It’s filled with holiday spirit and so many quotable moments.

Best Elf Quotes

• Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?
• You sit on a throne of lies.
• SON OF A NUTCRACKER!
• You smell like beef and cheese.
• Deb, you have such a pretty face.  You should be on a Christmas card.
• I like to whisper too.
• I’m in a store, and I’m singing!
• I’m a cotton-headed ninny-muggins.

Buddy’s got a thing for sweets, and when asked what he loves to eat for breakfast he shares another classic quote: We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup.

Inspired by Buddy the Elf’s favorite breakfast meal, these cupcakes are the perfect treat to share for an Elf movie night.

Buddy the Elf Inspired Cupcakes

With the busy holiday season, it can be a huge time savings to use a cake mix as the base for your cupcakes.  These are made with French Vanilla cake mix, and then topped with some of Buddy the Elf’s favorite breakfast foods: “spaghetti”, M&M’s, sprinkles, and marshmallows.

It’s not advised that you actually eat these for breakfast, but who am I to judge?

Any Elf fan will adore these sugar-filled treats.  We think they’re prefect for a family movie night or holiday Christmas party!

Looking for more Elf party ideas?

Want to make an Elf-themed movie night even more fun?

Try these Elf-inspired activities

• Make paper snowflakes to transform every room into a winter wonderland.
• Spread Christmas cheer by singing loud for all to hear.
• Dodge taxis.  Watch out for the yellow ones; they don’t stop.
• Read holiday stories.
• Play telephone since everyone likes to whisper!
• Throw snowballs.  If you live in a warm climate, like I do, you can use cotton balls and throw them in buckets.

I adore Elf and all its holiday cheer.  Do you have a favorite Christmas movie?  Share it in the comments!

All thoughts and opinions are my own.

There are certain recipes I need each year to make it feel like the holidays.  The most delicious fudge that takes hours of stirring; my aunt Betsy’s mint chocolate brownies with their layers of chocolate, mint, and perhaps heaven.  Each year I know that I need the traditional favorites, but I also love to add in new treats to the mix.

These Holiday Thumbprint Cookies are going to be your new favorite cookie!

You may have had the peanut butter blossom cookies before.  The yummy peanut butter cookie is rolled in sugar.  Once baked, a Hershey Kiss is added to the top.  The peanut butter/chocolate combo is to die for.  Let’s mix it up this holiday season by combining these traditional blossom cookies with some hints of red velvet goodness.

One of the things I love most about these cookies is that there’s something for everyone.  My peanut butter lovers are happy; my chocolate lovers are happy.  Plus, having a job for each of my three daughters is a huge win too.  You would be surprised that they are all actively looking for jobs, but when it comes to baking they all want to get their hands dirty (literally and figuratively).

Unwrapping the Hershey Kisses is  great job for my preschooler.  She also is very good at “poison testing” to make sure the kisses are suitable.  The peppermint bark flavor is like a chocolatey cane cane.  The red and white striping of the kisses is perfectly matched to the red cookies and white sprinkles.  If you can’t find them in your local store, feel free to swap in any flavor of kiss that you adore. 

Cookie Exchange Recipes

Looking for more recipes to bring to a cookie exchange this holiday season?  Remember that it doesn’t have to be a cookie.  Any sweet treats are popular for swapping with friends and family.

Cotton Candy Fudge

Looking for a way to treat your little ballet dancer?  Make Sugar Plum Fairy-inspired fudge that’s filled with cotton candy flavored sweetness.

Maple Butterbeer Cookies

Accio cookie!  These maple butterbeer flavored cookies are downright magical!

The holidays are here, and it’s time to start baking.  What treats will you be making this holiday season? 

This post may contain affiliate links.  Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

There’s something so jolly about this year.  Perhaps it’s because we’re so optimistic about 2018.  After taking the Blogging Fast Track course, my blogging career has taken off.  I’ve got a pretty big announcement in regards to that, but you’ll have to check back later in the week for that one!  Additionally, Matt finished his masters program this month.  Besides being super proud of his accomplishment, having my husband back in the evenings is enough reason to cheer.  There are so many things to celebrate this season!

Celebrating the season has always been a big deal for us.  In attempt to make each day of December, we’ve planned activities for the days leading up to Christmas.  Don’t worry, I’m not going to suggest you spend zillions of dollars or even tons of time.  Remembering to move that darn elf is tricky enough without adding unnecessary pressure to parents.

5 Easy Christmas Traditions

• Sleep Under the Christmas Tree Break out the sleeping bags & have the kids cuddle up by the tree.  The glow of the Christmas lights acts as a nightlight and the perfect backdrop for a holiday story.
• Wrapping Party Grab the rolls and put on a Christmas movie.  If you’re wrapping for people in the room, stick them in plain boxes & mark the receiver with a sticky note.
• Festive Manicures This was suggested in the comments for my Tween Holiday Traditions post, and I’m so doing this.  My littles will love painting their nails red & green in preparation for the holidays.
• Holiday Brunch There are just not enough weekends to fit in all the fun.  With work parties and family obligations, it can leave me longing for a way to make merriment with my best friends.  Pick an unlikely time to get everyone together.  A Sunday brunch works for us.  We also have an annual PJ bowling party post-Christmas because we like to keep the party going.
• Christmas Caroling I live in the cutest neighborhood in all the world.  One fun thing we do together is gather all the kids to go Christmas caroling.  My next door neighbor cried through the kids’ entire rendition of “Silent Night” last year, and how touched she was to have us at her doorstep made the night so special.

But the merriest event for us all is visiting Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa! The California craftsman-style hotel blends elegance with comfort in a way that must be magic.  The hotel holds special meaning for Matt and myself as it’s where we stayed as part of our wedding celebration.  During the holiday season, the Grand Californian offers guests a breathtaking festive experience.  When you enter the Grand Lobby, the beautifully decorated tree fills the center of the room.

Santa Claus stops by in the evenings for complimentary photos.  If you’d prefer to have the Disney PhotoPass photographers snap your family photo, you can add your pics to your account.  Perfect if you have MaxPass! On our most recent visit, Santa arrived at 4:30 PM.  I would advise calling (714) 635-2300 in advance to confirm his sleigh’s arrival.

Free candy canes motivation for even hesitant visitors.

But treats are not in short supply.  There’s also a special booth available for purchasing goodies for the kiddos and yourself.

Holiday Treats at the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa

Holiday Treats

• Gingerbread Man $5.00
• Snowman Shortbread Cookie $5.00
• House-Made Pumpkin Cream Cheese Coffee Cake $9.00
• House-Made Large Ornament Cookie $18.00
• House-Made Small Ornament Cookie $8.00
• Assorted Chocolate Boxes $6.00-$32.00

House-Made Specialty Drinks

• Hot Chocolate $4.79
  • with RumChata $11.00
• Peppermint Hot Chocolate $5.49
  • with Peppermint Schnapps $11.50
• Hot Cider $4.79
  • with Spiced Rum $11.00

With a treat in hand (and an adult beverage), we marveled at the large gingerbread house.  Each house, Disney bakers design a unique and immersive handmade house.  You can check out the 2016 display here.  My littles loved looking for Hidden Mickeys all over the house.  But the biggest hit was the addition of Chip & Dale.

It’s these things we do year after year that make it feel like the holidays.  There’s something to be said for tradition, for visiting the places that feel like home.  As much nostalgia as the Grand Californian holds for our family, the hotel has just completed its largest refurbishment since it’s opening in 2001. You can see some of the changes in this video.

As part of the Disneyland Holidays celebration, I was able to get a sneak peek at some of the changes planned for the hotel.  Our guide explained the upgrades with this analogy.  Imagine inheriting your grandmother’s craftsman-style home.  You’d keep the charm, while providing modern upgrades.  That’s exactly what hotel imagineers have done.  Inspired by the designs of Arts & Crafts visionary Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

The renovations for the 17-year-old hotel continue to offer family friendly accommodations which are in-tune with the current guests.  There are more device plugs (because no one wants to fight over whose phone is less charged), additional lighting, and interactive televisions.  The look of the rooms is brand new also.  My mama will tell you stories of playing in the orange groves that used to reside where the Disneyland resort resides.  To honor that piece of Orange County history, orange trees play a larger role in the decor.  Plus, there’s a little surprise visit from Chip & Dale.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that they appeared in this year’s gingerbread house after seeing the upgrades.

Other changes in the rooms at the Grand Californian Hotel and Spa included streamlined rooms to create more space.  For example, the beds are taller to allow for luggage to be stored away.  Each room is decorated with different art work.  This Disney-lover was thrilled to see glimpses of Walt.  Overall, the rooms feel modern and homey, with a strong connection the arts and crafts history.

A dramatic change to the hotel is the concierge lounge with 4 signature suites and 40 standard rooms.  We were able to tour the The Veranda.  It was still under construction during my tour, but I could see the vision for what the special space would become.  Imagine Disney hotel staff predicting your every need prior to your arrival.  Smoothies and mimosas in the mornings, signature cocktails in the evenings.

Visiting the Grand Californian Hotel and Spa is part of our holiday tradition.  I look forward to adding more stays in the hotel to our family memories in the new year.

More Disney Holiday Fun

Festival of Holidays

The 2nd annual Festival of Holidays returns to Disney’s California Adventure Park.  Enjoy the tastes of the seasons at food kiosks while enjoying seasonal entertainment and shopping.

Solo Disney Day

Can a trip to the parks be fun all by yourself? Oh my goodness, YES! Check out my Solo Disney Day.

We love that we can make Disney a part of our holiday traditions.  I’d love to know what you look forward to each holiday season.  Share your holiday traditions in the comments!

 
The Merriest Place on Earth makes for the merriest memories.  We love the decorations on Main Street, and the holiday takeovers on our favorite rides.  One of my favorite holiday traditions actually takes place at the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa at the Disneyland Resort.  Each year my sister Carolyn and I round up our collective six children and bring them to the hotel.
 
The Grand Californian is nothing short of gorgeous all year round, but hosts some free (or inexpensive) festive fun this holiday season you won’t want to miss!

All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Holiday Traditions at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa

Santa Snuggles

 
Jolly Old Saint Nick is available for photos, snuggles, and wishlist sharing in the lobby of the Grand Californian.
 
Look at how cute they were back in 2014!
 

Cousins make the holidays merrier! @carolynisrad @patrickisrad #georgialeigh #harperclementine #poppyjune #DisneyHolidays

A photo posted by Melanie Walsh (@clementinecounty) on Dec 23, 2014 at 8:42am PST

 

The year my middle daughter was picked to sing!
 

This year we made the rookie mistake of not calling first to make sure Santa wasn’t up at the North Pole.  Rookie mistake.  It’s ok. The kids still had fun (as proven with a less than great camera phone pic!).
 

Don’t fret, I’ve got it all figured out.  Until December 16th, Santa will be available at these times:

• 4:30-5:15 PM
• 6:00-6:45 PM
• 7:00-7:45 PM
• 8:00-8:30 PM

 
But by calling (714) 635-2300, you can confirm his timing after the 16th.  He’s very busy this time of year after all!
 

Christmas Carolers

 
Once you’ve snuggled Santa, stick around the lobby for some free entertainment and general merriment from the carolers.  The Beverly Belles performed the night of our most recent visit.  The trio of singers brought some vintage-inspired flair.  Their show also included audience participation, which the kids just adore!
 
Caroler performances, whether it be the Beverly Belles or another talented group, perform in front of the gingerbread house.  The set times are listed below:

• 5:15-5:40 PM
• 6:30-6:55 PM
• 7:40-8:05 PM
• 8:35-9:00 PM

 
I’d recommend calling ahead of time to confirm as these are approximate.
 

Gingerbread Galore

 
The grandest gingerbread house you’ll ever see is at the Grand Californian. The 7-foot-tall and 12-foot-wide house is fit for gingerbread royalty.  Posted to the side of the house is a “recipe” of sorts. 6 craftsmen and 16 bakers and pastry chefs outdid themselves in this year’s display.
 

 
While checking out what the Disney designers dreamed up, be on the lookout for the 25 Hidden Mickeys on the house. Read more about the creation here.
 
Probably my kids favorite part of the Grand Californian tradition is getting to sip hot chocolate and eat goodies. There are tons of treats to choose from:

• Gingerbread Men ($3.99)
• Snowmen Shortbread Cookie ($4.00)
• Trio of Cake Pops ($6.00)
• Panettone- Small ($3.99) or Large ($17.99)

 
This mama loves it too as there are some specialty drinks to warm your spirits.

• Hot Chocolate ($4.29) or with RumChata ($10.50)
• Peppermint Hot Chocolate ($4.49) or with Peppermint Schnapps ($11.00)
• Hot Cider ($4.29) with Spiced Rum ($10.50)

 
Get there early for a full assortment. When the stand sells out, you’ll have to find treats elsewhere.  While you’re enjoying your treats, enjoy the piano players.  They take requests and know the Star Wars theme!  Our littlest adore the Mickey cartoons in the lobby & child-size armchairs also.
 

 
I nibbled on a gingerbread man cookie while walking around California Adventure, and was hooked.
 

Gingerbread Bundt Cake-Festival of Holidays Recipe

 
Now fully aware of my love for gingerbread, I was thrilled when I found a Gingerbread Bundt Cake at the Festival of Holidays.  In addition to the numerous food stops offering a variety of globally-inspired cuisine, there are desserts you just can’t miss.
 
The Gingerbread Bundt Cake is moist and sweet with hints of orange, perfect for this Orange County girl.

Yields 20 small bundt cakes or 2 large bundt cakes

Cake Ingredients

• 1-12 oz amber lager beer
• 2 1/4 c. dark molasses
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1 2/3 c. ap flour
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. ground baking bowder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 4 each large eggs
• 3/4 c. vegetable oil
• 2 1/2 tsp fresh ginger-zested

Toppings:

• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp. water

Orange Vanilla Sauce

• 1 1/4 c. milk
• 1/4 c. granulated sugar
• 3 egg yoks
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• 1/2 fresh orange for zest
• 1 tsp. orange oil (available at specialty stores or online)

How to Make Cake:

1. Add the beer to a medium sized pot & bring to a boil, remove from the heat & slowly add the baking soda.
2. Once it stops foaming, add the molasses & brown sugar–set aside.
3. Sift together the flour, ground ginger, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg over a bowl.
4. Add the flour mix in three batches to the molasses mix.  Scrape down side of bowl after each section is added.
5. Whisk together the eggs, oil & fresh ginger–mix together with the flour mix until all is combined.
6. Mixture will look thin.
7. Bake at 350º for 18-30 minutes, depending on size of pan.  Toothpick should come out clean.

• Once cake is cool, unmold gently.  Cake is moist and may break if handled roughly.

How to Make Orange Vanilla Sauce:

1. Cut vanilla pod in half and scrape out seeds–set aside.
2. Add milk, sugar, and vanilla beans to a medium-sized pot.  Bring to just below a boil.  Milk needs to be hot, but not boiling.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs yolks.  Add about 1 cup of hot cream to the eggs to bring up the temperature.
4. Add the egg mixture back into the pot and cook for another minute or until the sauce becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Take off heat.
5. Continue to whisk for about 3 minutes after taking off of heat.
6. Pour mixture into a glass bowl set over ice to cool the sauce.
7. Once sauce is cool, add the orange zest and orange oil.

Finishing the Bundt Cakes:

1. Sift the powdered sugar in a bowl.  Slowly start adding your water to the bowl.
2. Swirl icing on top of cake in pattern.
3. Right before serving cakes, pour orange vanilla sauce into center of bundt cakes.

If you’re add the gingerbread bundt cake to your holiday traditions, I hope you’ll also stop by the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. It’s a festive evening with a wink of Disney magic.

Growing up in Orange County, California, Knott’s Berry Farm has always been an institution. For my husband it holds special holiday memories.  Every year for Christmas Eve dinner, all throughout his childhood, his family would head to Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner House.  Now that we are parents, we’re looking to make some holiday memories of our own.

My family and I received complimentary admission to the park.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Full of hometown feelings in the midst of Orange County, we were thrilled to enjoy all Knott’s has to offer.  And during this merriest of seasons, there’s so much to see and do!

Holiday Sweets & Santa Snuggles

Merry treats at Santa’s Christmas Cabin. ?? @knottsberryfarm #MerryFarm

A photo posted by Melanie Walsh (@clementinecounty) on Nov 20, 2016 at 3:06pm PST

Head over to Santa’s Christmas Cabin for the sweetest flavors of the season! Guests can enjoy milk & cookies, themed desserts, hot chocolate, and so much more! Also inside Santa’s Christmas Cabin, park guests can get their snuggles in with Santa Claus. His elves will happily take your photo for purchase, but you can also use your own camera.

While we’re on the topic of treats, you can’t miss the famous funnel cake. The powdered sugar on a windy day almost makes it feel like it’s snowing.

You haven’t done @knottsberryfarm until you funnel cake. #MerryFarm

A photo posted by Melanie Walsh (@clementinecounty) on Nov 27, 2016 at 3:08pm PST

 

Heartwarming Decor

With its craft vendors and rustic decor, Knott’s Merry Farm feels like an escape into a small town.  All throughout the park, large bows and festive garlands add to virtually everything. You may even see a familiar face hidden in the decorations.

The large Christmas tree makes for a festive photo op with the family. And having it set up for photos on multiple sides means there’s not a long line.

The day of our visit, the tree lighting ceremony was held at 5:15, but you’ll want to check showtimes  the day of your visit. They’re handed out with park maps also.

Show-Stopping Snoopy

As luck would have it, it ended up raining the day of our visit.  Where normally I’m cranky about weather in Southern California, it turned out to be such a blessing.  We were able to enjoy the many performances by our main man, Snoopy and his cast of characters.

A Christmas Carol & Gift of the Magi

Fly over to the Birdcage Theater (the one where Steve Martin took the stage) for one of the two Christmas classics.  Both offer multiple showings throughout the day.

A PEANUTS Guide to Christmas
My youngest and I had a blast watching the Peanuts gang sing about their survival during the holidays over in Camp Snoopy.  The show was approximately 15 minutes, and perfect for younger park guests.

It’s the Merriest Christmas Show Ever, Charlie Brown
When I saw the great stage at the outdoor Calico Mine Stage, I knew that director Charlie Brown must have something great up his sleeve.  You’ll won’t want to pull a football away from him after you see his one-of-a-kind Christmas pageant.

Snoopy on Ice
During the holidays, I’ve made it a tradition to take my children to see a holiday show.  Whether it be “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “The Nutcracker,” the holidays are a great opportunity to add a little exposure to the arts.  The Snoopy on Ice show was seriously fantastic, and worthy of a separate admission.  The skaters are phenomenal, the music both nostalgic and contemporary, and the Christmas message so perfectly tied into the presentation that the audience clapped.

“Merry Christmas, Snoopy” Ice Show was a family favorite! Full of holiday nostalgia and incredible performers. And it snows! @knottsberryfarm #MerryFarm

A photo posted by Melanie Walsh (@clementinecounty) on Nov 20, 2016 at 6:44pm PST

Definitely not to be missed, so make sure you line up in advance.

Enjoy the fun of Knott’s Merry Farm now through January 8th, 2017.  For more information & to buy your tickets, click here. It’s a season of fun your family won’t want to miss!