I'm not ready!

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Hey there!

It's been a wild ride of a week at our house - I've spent the last week at the Stollery with our eldest. Keeping things positive - we're home, we've got a diagnosis after three years of mystery, and a path forward.

(We also have hospital acquired Influenza A, so that's fun.)

Both kids are on the road to being mostly functional humans. Now if I can just get either of them in the classroom for a week solid life would be golden!

✨ What's Happening at Alberta Mamas

After being in the hospital all week not much has happened on Alberta Mamas. I had a few Facebook posts you all seemed to love, though!

DYK: If you have a favourite Canadian creator, give them a follow on Facebook and try to interact with their posts. Facebook is one of the few platforms that pays Canadian creators. Saves and shares are currently the biggest reward, so when you spam your bestie with posts you're helping the creator out, too!

🛍 Find of the Week

Not done Christmas shopping yet? Me either (I wonder why?!).

Consider some of these options:

Toys & Games from Albertan makers under $50 (Etsy)
Family board games (curated Amazon list)
Crafty Gifts for Bigger Kids Under $20 (curated Amazon list)

FYI: Missing Amazon Inventory

If some of your favourite Amazon products are currently unavailable, it may be because of new Government of Canada legislation.

This won't help you get things by Christmas, but don't despair yet! You may be stuck waiting a month or two and it will be listed again soon.

⭐ Feature: Winter Break Escape

We're just over a week away from winter break (where did 2025 go?!)! Do you have any special plans?

Nothing figured out yet? Here are some ideas:

National Park entrance is free until January 15th
Take an Alberta break and book a hotel with an awesome pool or stay in an ice fishing shack
Road trip to check out some roadside attractions

None of that feel inspiring? Check out these Alberta destinations, or look for deals on Expedia, Trip.com, or Trivago!

🏠 At Home Activity

Create a vintage Christmas aesthetic with dried sliced oranges!

I like to make these throughout the year when we have oranges in the fridge that are reaching the end of their edible life. They store well in an air tight container and are ready for crafting once December rolls around.

The crafts come together pretty quickly once you have all your supplies ready.

Thinly slice oranges and arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper so they don't stick.
Bake at 200F, flipping every 30 minutes, until barely sticky. This typically takes 60-120 minutes.
- Once cool the little remaining "stick" should go away. If it's still sticky once cool, put them back in the oven for another 30 minutes. Over-cooking will turn your oranges brown, so it's better to error on the side of "under cooked". They will continue to dry out once you string them up (got to love dry, Alberta air!).
String your oranges! You can create garland, ornaments, or attach to a wreath to create a vintage, homemade vibe.

Options:

Try a mix of citrus fruit for a variety of colours
Use ribbons or twine for completely different looks.
String your oranges with cranberries, salt dough ornaments, wooden beads, or on their own!

If you store these carefully they can be used year after year, but expect some broken fruit each season.

📅 Events Around Alberta (This Weekend)

Find out what's happening wherever you are through a your local event calendar! This list covers spots across the province.

Hit reply and let me know if a spot you're interested in is missing, and I'll do my best to find a local calendar for you!

If you're in Calgary or southern Alberta check out the CPKC Holiday Train this weekend - Barenaked Ladies will be performing!

👨‍🍳 Recipe to Try

It's time to make a gingerbread house! Whether you make them 100% from scratch or buy the pre-built ones from Costco, these are a great family craft!

We've tried most forms over the years. My personal favourite are the pictured mini houses you can pick up at the grocery store.

What to decorate with:

I love getting creative with my decorations and use cereal, pretzels, and other "less common" items to decorate my gingerbread house.
The kids are still all about the candy for theirs. I try to keep some Smarties from Halloween to make decorations go further. Dollar Tree also has some great cake decorating supplies that we often use.

Remember, your gingerbread house doesn't need to be Pinterest-worthy to be a fun, memory-making activity! Relax into imperfection, and expect the activity to take anywhere from 20 minutes to 4 hours.

Share Your Thoughts

What is your favourite holiday memory?

Hit reply and let me know!

Have a great week and enjoy this festive season! (And please excuse me while I go hack up a lung

Jen

P.S. Shopping online anyway? Use one of these links to support Alberta Mamas at no extra cost to you. Retailers include Amazon, Etsy, Lululemon, KitchenAid, Samsung, and many travel and activity websites!