Spending the holiday time with family and friends has been a long- established tradition for the Western world. However, it got more difficult for inhabitants in the colder climates, so they started looking for alternatives. Holiday break doesn’t necessarily mean crowded airports, long flights, or even staring at the television screen for hours. One can have a relaxing vacation at home or out of town. There are many cost-efficient ways to spend a vacation while still having fun!
Although New York City might be covered with snow during Christmas time, fortunately there are big parts of the world that have their best weather of the year at this time, and are very cheap as well. Most of these destinations are in Central, South, and Latin America, along with parts of Mexico, Costa Rica, the Bahamas and many others. Two quite attractive places are Cancun, Mexico and Jamaica.
Of course, even with deals, vacations can be extremely expensive. Another option is to have fun at home. One longstanding tradition was giving presents to others and decorating your house with colorful decorations that bring joy and warmth inside of you. Of course, decorations can be expensive too, so here are some that can be made at home, for free!
Snow Globes
Materials
- 1 large mason jar
- Trinkets of any kind ( Little christmas trees, snowmen)
- Glitter (Silver and White is most recommended)
- Hot glue gun and sticks
Procedure
- Gather all materials
- Heat the hot glue gun. After the glue is heated, take the trinkets and glue them to the bottom of the lid. Put pressure on it for a few seconds.
- Then take glitter and pour it into
- Screw the lid on very tightly and put it upright.
- Shake your new snowglobe around!
Mini Christmas Trees
Materials
- Twine (white, gold, or green)
- Magazine paper
- Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks
- Tape
- Decorative stars
- Scissors
Procedure
- Twist the magazine paper and use some tape to hold it in place. Then cut the bottom to make a flat edge for the base and cut a small slit on the bottom as well.
- Then take the twine and put it through the small slit to hold it in place and wrap it around the cone to hold it in place.
- Then glue the whole thing with hot glue by making lines by going up and down, but do not glue the twine to the paper
- Then take your tree off the paper cone and glue on your decorative stars.
Peppermint Scrub
Materials
- 1 ½ cups of sugar
- Red food coloring
- Small Mason Jar
- ½ cup Coconut oil ( Look for virgin, organic, unrefined, cold pressed,raw or vegan coconut oil)
- 6-7 drops of Peppermint oil
Procedure
- Take the sugar and put a few drops of food coloring until the sugar is fully a light shade of pink
- In a bowl, beat the coconut oil, and half of the sugar until it’s nice and fluffy (¾ of a cup sugar)
- Then add the oil and mix. After, add the rest of the sugar and fold it in until it’s all mixed together.
- Then put the scrub into the glass jar.
Hot Chocolate Mix
Materials
- Mason Jar (or a clear ornament)
- Hot chocolate powder
- Peppermint candy canes
- Chocolate chips
- Marshmallows
Procedure
- Pour some hot chocolate powder into the jar
- Then take some candy canes, crush them into small chunks, then put them into the jar.
- Then add chocolate chips and finish it off with some marshmallows and embellish the jar to your heart’s desire!
Rice Krispy “Ornament” Treats
Materials
- Mini Marshmallows
- Rice krispie cereal
- Red and green food coloring
- Rolos
- Icing
- Licorice
Procedure
- Take the marshmallows and microwave them until they are soft enough that you can stir them. Then stir them until they are fully melted.
- Then add red food coloring and mix thoroughly, then add cereal and mix until thoroughly mixed
- Then wet your hands and mold the rice krispie treats into balls to get the shape of an ornament and refrigerate them until they are solid.
- Place a rolo on top and glue it on with icing
- Place a piece of licorice on top of the rolo in an arch shape to form a handle on the ornament.
Even if none of these seem appealing, there are always other options. Having a good time doesn’t have to involve spending lots of money!
The BACC Rag 