Today we are packing up the van and heading down to Florida for a week. Through the week, I have scheduled several guest bloggers who were gracious enough to help me out during my family vacation. Allow me to introduce you to my first guest:

Toni Anderson is founder of The Happy Housewife, a website dedicated to helping families live well on less. Toni is an author, homeschooling mother of seven children, and a military spouse. She has been inspiring and educating readers on frugality, budgeting and how to thrive on one income in a two-income world since 2008.

The First Snow

I was born and raised in Florida. I remember it snowing once, when I was four years old. We lived in an apartment complex and it seemed like the whole world was outside enjoying the flurries.

Many years later I am raising my children a little farther north. I remember the first snow I experienced with my children. It was the Blizzard of ’96 (at least that is what I called it). We had one little girl who didn’t even own a pair of snow boots. We wrapped her tennis shoes in ziploc bags and took her out to play. She lasted about 5 minutes before deciding she had enough.

Thirteen years later I have become a little more experienced with snow, and I am happy to say that almost all of my seven children own a pair of snow boots. My children wait with excited anticipation of the first snowfall, while I wait for one of my favorite family traditions.

In our house snow = hot chocolate. After I bundle my children and send them out to play, I place a kettle on the stove. Depending on how organized and prepared I am for the year, I either get out the hot chocolate packets or get the ingredients out for my Starbucks hot chocolate recipe. Mini marshmallows are a must, whipped cream and chocolate syrup a bonus.

After the children play for a while, they come in tired, wet and cold. I help them remove their “snow clothes” and they sit down at the kitchen table with their mug of hot chocolate. This has become one of our favorite traditions.

Related posts:

1. Who Needs Snow Plows?
2. Lids Don’t Make Good Snow Shoes
3. Three Ways to Enjoy Christmas in the Midst of Change
4. More Snow Day Fun!