{"id":652,"date":"2014-12-26T22:36:34","date_gmt":"2014-12-27T05:36:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/?page_id=652"},"modified":"2015-07-08T20:31:42","modified_gmt":"2015-07-09T02:31:42","slug":"doldrum-buster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/doldrum-buster\/","title":{"rendered":"Doldrum Buster!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"winterprotest2\"<\/p>\n

Winter can bring some dark days that give us cabin fever. What better way to break the doldrums than to celebrate! Just the words, “let’s have a party!” gets everybody happy<\/strong> at my house. An ordinary supper can turn in to a “dinner party” in just 10 minutes! Your kids will be excited to do the decorating!<\/em><\/p>\n

Here’s how we do the magic transformation:<\/p>\n

1. Decorate the table with a tablecloth (or beach towels!) and some decorations (shells, toy fish, fruit, flowers, paper cut-outs, etc.)<\/p>\n

2. Light a candle (or several!) on the table.<\/p>\n

3. Use fancy or not-everyday dishes. Even paper plates are okay. As long as it is something different, it makes it special!<\/p>\n

\"dinnerparty1\"4. If you have them, blow up a few balloons and tie them one by one to a length of yarn. Use a push pin to hang from the ceiling.<\/p>\n

5. And there is always crepe paper to turn it into a party: twist a roll attaching it to the corners of the dining room.<\/p>\n

6. Serve a dessert after dinner.<\/p>\n

If you have ice cream in the freezer that you can serve in fancy little dishes with a cherry on top, that will do great! Or you can make easy cookies, or just slice fruit in a little bowl and sprinkle nuts on top. Set the dish atop a paper doily on a plate. Let the kids prepare the desserts in the kitchen and bring them out on a serving tray for extra pizazz.<\/p>\n

\"Louisa

Louisa sets up all the toppings for Hawaiian haystacks!<\/p><\/div>\n

7. Play a game after dinner just for fun.<\/p>\n

And the party is on! Dreary day gone<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

May I recommend:<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n

\"emily_scarecrow2010\"
\nHost a Harvest Festival
\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\"ammonviolin\"
\nTalent Show!
\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\"13486\"
\nBean Bags
\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Winter can bring some dark days that give us cabin fever. What better way to break the doldrums than to celebrate! Just the words, “let’s have a party!” gets everybody happy at my house. An ordinary supper can turn in to a “dinner party” in just 10 minutes! Your kids will be excited to do […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5820,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[23,10],"tags":[248,249],"class_list":["post-652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nurturing","category-why-homeschool","tag-cabin-fever","tag-party","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/dinnerparty1.jpg?fit=240%2C320&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6IrRN-aw","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":622,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/project-paper-mache\/","url_meta":{"origin":652,"position":0},"title":"Project: Paper Mache","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"Here's an art project that's easy and such fun! You make one too, Mom. A lot of the fun for your kids is working side-by-side and watching Mommy create! Paper Mache Bowl This lightweight bowl can hold napkins, hair scrunchies, paper clips, candies for a gift, dinner rolls, and more.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art\/Music\/Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Art\/Music\/Drama","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/what-articles\/artmusicdrama\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"mache10","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/mache10-300x259.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":850,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/priscilla-stories\/","url_meta":{"origin":652,"position":1},"title":"Priscilla Stories","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"One day when Louisa was nearly 3 years old, I told her to shut the door and she answered, \"In a minute!\". I wanted her to learn cheerful and prompt obedience. I tried to explain that to her, and I made sure she shut the door, but I wondered if\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Molding the Heart"","block_context":{"text":"Molding the Heart","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/why-homeschool\/molding-the-heart\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Abigail_teeth","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/Abigail_teeth-300x198.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5711,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/homeschooling-assignment-4\/","url_meta":{"origin":652,"position":2},"title":"Homeschooling Assignment #4","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0Did you do Assignment #3?\u00a0Here's my favorite assignment: Assignment #4:\u00a0Paint a Picture Easy and fun. Just get out watercolor paints. You can use whatever you have. The cheap kind that are in a box with a brush inside is fine. Or use more exotic art supplies. A fine point brush\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New to Homeschooling"","block_context":{"text":"New to Homeschooling","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/new-to-homeschooling\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"watercolor-487996_1280","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/watercolor-487996_1280-200x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5639,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/homeschooling-assignment-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":652,"position":3},"title":"Homeschooling Assignment #2","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0Did you do Assignment #1? Did your kids enjoy it? \u00a0If so, try the next very simple step!\u00a0 Assignment #2: Read a Book Out Loud That's right. It will just take you 10 minutes. It is fun! Just read your children a story out loud. If they aren't all home,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New to Homeschooling"","block_context":{"text":"New to Homeschooling","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/new-to-homeschooling\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"image-1","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/image-12-197x300.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1177,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/harry-potter-help-reading\/","url_meta":{"origin":652,"position":4},"title":"Does Harry Potter, Twilight Help Reading?","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: My child does not like to read, but she will read Harry Potter, Charlie Bone, Twilight and others on a theme of wizardry and black magic. How do you feel about that? Should I just be happy that she is reading? 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