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Gingerbread houses. Kinda.

This Christmas season I wanted to be really purposeful in finding ways to make the season memorable – without either spending a small fortune or increasing my already-sufficiently-high level of holiday-induced anxiety.


And, taking those two things into consideration, well… doesn’t leave a whole lot of things.

Even gingerbread houses.


But these? With the already-built graham cracker sides? That require no rolling or cutting or baking of gingerbread pieces? Or purchasing of any pre-fab kits?

I was all in.


Especially after calling Victoria and confirming she’d be up for being an extra set of hands to help the kids with their constructions.


Before we got started, the girls and I made a run to WalMart with these little chalets in mind, picking candies specifically for making them extra fun.


Sour Patch Kids.
Dots.
Sno Caps.
Haribo Raspberries.
Sprinkles of all kinds.
Peppermint and mini-marshmallows.
Christmas-colored M & Ms.
Pull-apart Twizzlers (that we pulled apart to separate the colors).
And little butter cookies to use as wreaths for our tiny graham cracker doors.


All held together with Royal Icing.

We’ve made graham cracker houses before but never used Royal Icing. It held up surprisingly well, especially once we got the hang of how much to use to keep the little houses firmly planted and supported.


The exception being one three year old who insisted on covering her roof with small sour people and sugar-covered trees despite numerous warnings to desist.

The un-named three year old might have suffered from numerous construction calamities, (thankfully all resolved by simply adding more Royal Icing).


Overall, the project turned out even better than I could have hoped – all of us had such fun.

And, in the end, we had a village of tiny masterpieces, each joyfully created by one of my babies.

They all wanted me to choose a favorite, but that’s just not going to happen.


I’m pretty convinced that each is the cutest little gingerbread house there every was.

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12.21.17 · cooking, family, Jude, Magnolia, Poppy, Sophie, Tallula, Violet, Vivienne

I'm Stefanie. Wife to one, mom to 13. Occasional blogger and t-shirt maker. Wannabe photographer and exerciser. Constant grace-needer and orphan advocator. more
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our china journeys

magnolia - 2016
clementine - 2014
tallula - 2012
penelope - 2011
vivienne - 2010
shepherd - 2008
jude - 2007
sophie - 2006
isabelle - 2005

ways to make a difference

Love Project

proceed with caution

a dirty secret in adoption
we don't celebrate gotcha day
there's no such thing as an easy adoption
if I can, you can.
co-sleeping, why we do it.
gawsh. the series.
crazy
affording adoption
God and me.
Vivi's diagnosis
the ugly, beautiful truth
special needs: my .02
my testimony
dear anonymous
my chinese son

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