Many of us have a special childhood memory of Christmas or the holidays. Do you? Perhaps it’s a special gift you were surprised to receive, trips to grandma’s house, or building snow forts with your siblings during the long break from school. Make this holiday season one your family will never forget by gathering everyone around the fire and creating memories that will last a lifetime…

Construct an Unforgettable Gingerbread House
Celebrate the joys of the season by building a gingerbread house together. This time-honored family tradition even has a day set aside for it – Dec. 12 is National Gingerbread House Day.

If you’ve ever made one before, you know that the structure of the house is the gingerbread. You can make it from scratch or use graham crackers. Then all you need is icing to hold it all together, and holiday candies like gumdrops, licorice and peppermint for decorating the house. If you’re pressed for time, you can buy prebaked gingerbread house kits that contain everything needed.

Work together on one masterpiece, or have a competition to see who can build the most original, most over-the-top, most delectable gingerbread house of them all!



Go Indoor Camping – Holiday Style
That’s right – dig out the sleeping bags and set up the tent in your living room! Your kids will love this and remember it for years. Have them pick the perfect spot for the tent near the glow of your holiday decorated tree (finding level ground has never been easier). Outfit the tent with pillows, flashlights and stuffed animals.

Next, light a fire in your fireplace or stove for the “campfire” and gather everyone around it. Instead of telling ghost stories, take turns reading holiday classics like Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman.

No camping trip is really complete without sharing s’mores around the fire. A fun and safe kid-friendly microwave recipe for s’mores is here (courtesy of Food.com). These s’mores turn out perfect every time!

This mosquito-free camping “trip” is one that your kids (and you) will remember for years.

Make this holiday season stand out by doing something out-of-the ordinary with your family! From all of us at Fireplaces.com, happy holidays to you and your loved ones!