Did your daughter get a sewing machine for Christmas? Or maybe you’re teaching her (or yourself) to sew on the machine you’ve had stored away for years. Either way, you might need a starting point. You’re in luck! You don’t have to run to Joann’s and sift through drawers of paper patterns. These days, all kinds of PDF patterns that can be printed on your home printer and assembled with tape is the best way to get started. They include easy-to-follow instructions and color photos to guide you along the way.

My little one (age 7) has been asking to sew something for the longest, and we finally took the plunge over the holiday break. She has sewn items in the past, but this is the first apparel project she was able to make with very little help. I thought I’d share the info here in case you’re interested.

Layne’s Ruffle Shorts by CKC Kids can be made by a beginner sewist in just a couple of hours. It's winter time and we're hoping for cool weather, but little girls need shorts to wear under the dresses (plus, it's Texas)! My daughter wore her new shorts the very same day that she made them. These simple shorts have an elastic waistband and can be crafted with or without a ruffle hem. There are only two identical pattern pieces to cut, plus a piece of elastic. The pattern for these shorts is for sizes Newborn up to size 15/16 and also includes a doll pattern so your little one can make shorts for her American Girl doll or similar 18” doll.

When you visit the CKC Kids website, you can sift through hundreds of sewing patterns, and feel free to sort them by skill level. There are beginner patterns for boys also! Happy sewing!

I don’t know who first came up with the idea of hot cocoa bombs, but in recent years, these little gems have been trending as a must-have addition to your festive mug of hot milk or water. Many local sweet shoppes and independent bakers start taking orders for bombs in the late fall / winter.

Interested in making your own? We did all the Googling for you and curated a list of 5 of the best recipes online, based on recipe reviews/comments and website credibility. Enjoy!

NOTE: For starters, these silicon molds were the BEST ones we found on Amazon (ad) based on user reviews for hot cocoa bombs, so order them now so they’ll be on hand for when you’re ready to use them.

Shugary Sweets - This recipe is our favorite from the list, because instructions are super clear, and the photos show you exactly what to do! 

Real Simple

Hallmark Channel

Borderlands Bakery - Lots of options involved with this recipe, if you want to spend more money on supplies and do something extra special.

Note Quite Susie

Christmas time has arrived! We're excited to present these favorites of the season that you'll enjoy with your little ones! For ease in ordering, affiliate links are included for each recommendation.

If you’re like me, you started off the gardening season with high hopes in the spring. You dutifully prepared your garden beds and planted your seeds, dreaming of the healthy plants and perfect vegetables you’ve seen on websites and in magazines. But by midsummer, the inevitable battles with Texas heat, drought, plant-munching insects, and various blights and diseases dampened your enthusiasm for gardening. And by Labor Day you were relieved to pull out the shaggy, overgrown, not-so-perfect-looking plants, hang up the gardening tools for winter, and plan for better things next year!

Although this desire to "call it a season" after fighting your way through summer's gardening challenges is certainly understandable, there's good reason to press on and plant a fall garden.

When I was little, I used to want to make homemade ice cream, but I never knew the science of it. So I would mix my ingredients, throw everything in a bowl, and place it in the freezer for hours, only to end up with a rock-solid frozen concoction that nobody wanted to eat.

Cut to me decades later, and I’m older, wiser, and now I know how to make soft, fluffy ice cream that’s creamy and delicious! The best part? There’s no need to purchase an ice cream maker, and the kids will enjoy making this – from start to finish – in 13 minutes flat.

You’re going to flip when you see the ingredients list. It’s super simple, but trust me, the ice cream tastes SO good. The only item that you’ll need that you might not already have at home is rock salt. You can buy it from Walmart or pretty much any basic needs / grocery store. Some stores sell it near the ice cream makers; other stores sell it near the regular table salt.

So here you go. Are you ready? It’s probably the simplest recipe you ever made!

You’ll need:

• One cup of whipping cream
• 1/8 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons of Sugar
• A pinch of salt

Here’s what to do:

1. In a small resealable plastic bag, combine whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla. Push out excess air and seal.
2. Into a large resealable plastic bag, combine about 5 cups of ice and salt. Place small bag inside the bigger bag and shake vigorously, 7 to 10 minutes, until ice cream has hardened. WARNING: You'll need oven mitts or gloves to keep this up for 10 minutes! The bag gets extremely cold! 
3. Remove from bag and enjoy with your favorite ice cream toppings.

The science behind making ice cream in a bag is that when salt is added to ice, it lowers the melting point of ice to below freezing. This allows you to shake the bag long enough (before the ice in the larger bag completely melts) to get the ice cream in the smaller bag to solidify. So your concoction gets really cold really quickly (mere minutes), much colder than what it would be if you were just using ice without the salt. And because you’re shaking your bag continuously, the mixture is creamy and the perfect consistency of ice cream!

Feel free to experiment with different topics and different base ingredients. (Some recipes use half & half instead of whipping cream.)

Has your family taken time to find the art benches in The Woodlands?

There are 24 unique public art benches located along The Woodlands Waterway and on the shores of Lake Woodlands in Hughes Landing, and they're all beautiful and fun to take photos with! 

Pictured above is the "Family Tree Bench" sculpted by Don Lawler. This bench is located on the Waterway behind The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel. 
Pictured below is "Bean" by Valerie Theberge. This bench is located at Town Green Park. near the children's literary maze.

For a bit of daytime fun, take your family and friends on an Art Bench Hunt to find 11 of the 24 total art benches! CLICK HERE to visit The Woodlands Art Council website to access a fun Art Bench Scavenger Hunt just for this purpose! The route includes riding The Woodlands Trolley for free. Enjoy!

Enjoy our first installment of Stories in the Woods as local mom, Emily Fulleylove, presents "Jungle Jamboree" by Jo Empson. We're so grateful to Emily for reading this delightful story to our readers and their families! To find Emily online, visit her on Facebook & Instagram at @fullybe. Emily also offers classes at Breathe Pilates Studio in The Woodlands! For this story, she's joining us from Pondera Park located at 9090 Creekside Forest Dr., 77375. 

Summer break is here! And if you're not careful, you'll rip and run and do ALL the things for the kids, while at the same time neglecting your own self care. This list is just for YOU, to give you some ideas for resting, relaxing, and feeding your soul this season:

1. Get a mani/pedi at the local spa. 

2. Enjoy early morning coffee or tea on the porch.

3. Try a new restaurant.

4. Go dancing.

5. Take a nap on the sofa.

6. Start journaling. 

7. Color in an adult coloring book. 

8. Make homemade bread.

9. Treat yourself to your favorite cocktail / mocktail.

10. Go on a bike ride.

11. Pick up fresh flowers for your nightstand.

12. Enjoy a day at the spa - massage, facial, steamroom... the works!

13. Take a hike.

14. Watch a grown-up movie or binge watch your favorite Netflix show.

15. Sleep in.

16. Purchase a new sundress.

17. Get your hair colored / cut / profesionally styled at a salon.

18. Read a novel or self-help book.

19. Indulge in a new hobby.

20. Take a day trip with friends.

If you have a baby who is born too early or has serious health problems, he or she may be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), a hospital unit that provides around-the-clock specialized care to newborns.

If you or someone close to you is pregnant, understanding what to expect if a NICU stay is required can help you focus on taking care of the new baby and yourself. 

Learn the ins and outs of the NICU with information from March of Dimes, the nation’s leading nonprofit that advocates for the health of all moms and babies, which partners with hospitals across the country through its NICU Family Support^® program to provide in-person and online support for families with babies in the NICU.