I love everything about the festive season of fall! Except for the cocktails! Hot toddies and bourbon filled drinks just don’t do it for me. I decided to create my own signature fall cocktail and let me tell you… it is GOOD! Like seriously, I missed my calling as a mixologist. This is going to be my go-to drink for all our holiday events… and my family is going to LOVE me when I bring a pitcher (or 5.. knowing my family) to Thanksgiving dinner!
My spiked lemon cider is the perfect fall drink, since it makes you feel all warm & fuzzy, while still being light & tasty! I created it using Mike’s Hard Lemonade since I wanted the perfect lemon flavor to create my new holiday favorite. (I am a huge fan of citrus in my drinks) The secret to making this drink pop is Spiced Apple Cider. Regular apple cider is just fine, but for this drink you really want to get the spiced kind. (which should not be very difficult this time of year, I have seen a version of it at almost every grocery store) Finally, maple syrup helps brings the whole drink together… with some serious fall flair! (be sure to buy the good stuff)
Spiked Lemon Cider:
- 1 bottle of Mike’s Hard Lemonade
- 6 ounces Spiked Apple Cider
- 1 teaspoon Grade A Maple Syrup
Mix well & garnish with a cinnamon stick. This drink is simple to make and oh-so-good. Even my husband was impressed.
Now that I have the adults covered for Thanksgiving… it is time for the KIDS! This year I decided we would create a “Thankful Wreath.” It is really inexpensive to make and my kids had so much fun putting it together. I also loved hearing their answers when I asked what they were thankful for.
For this craft you will need:
- Paper or foam crafting in fall shapes
- 12 inch Floral & Craft ring (usually in the artificial flower section of your craft store)
- Sting or Twine
- Sharpies
- Glue
I got a huge foam fall crafting kit for 50% off at Michael’s to use for this craft. My original plan was to only use the two leaf shapes that came with it, since I loved the idea of the wreath being all leaves, but my kids had a different (and much less cohesive) idea.
The kids selected which shape they wanted and then told me something they were thankful for. The kids had TONS of things they wanted to write down, which made me so happy. I wrote them on the foam shapes using a sharpie.
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| Mila is very thankful for herself 😉 |
Then I let the kids go to town decorating the words they selected. We had a variety of pom poms, stickers, gems and sequins. I let them dry for a bit and then we planned out how we wanted them to go on the floral ring. Before you glue anything on… loop the string through one of the holes. This makes it easy to hang, and doing it before helps ensure your words and decorations will be the right way. We glued it all together and now it is hanging in our family room! So cute & super easy.
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| Love it! |
So grab a spiked lemon cider, some craft supplies and remind yourself about all that you have to be thankful for! What are some of your favorite fall cocktails and crafts?
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Awww I love your wreath and cocktail! Kids and mommy are happy! 🙂
Yes! It was a fun and SIMPLE craft.. I was surprised how much the kids got into it. (and the drink.. is amazing!)
Sounds like a yummy cocktail. I need to pick up something like that craft project. The grand kids are coming to visit and then I head back with them to help for Thanksgiving.
i love that "God" & "Frozen" have equal billing on the wreath… 😉
haha.. you should see what didn't make it on the list. (Lizards? Gum?) We are thankful for A LOT.
Ok that spiked lemon sided sounds pretty tasty!!!! Might just have to give that a try!
You would really like it! It is not too strong either.. since no one wants to be "THAT girl" at Thanksgiving dinner! ha!
WOW–THAT LOOKS YUM!!!!!!!! The wreath is uber cute!
This drink is right up my alley! It sounds so refreshing!
You had me at "spiked"….;) Can't wait to try this out!
You always have the best cocktails! This one sounds so yummy. The wreath craft is too cute too.
Looks delish! And the wreath is adorable! Love that 'Frozen' made it on there 🙂
I already like Mike Hard Lemonade so this is right up my alley. Have you tried the black cherry? Yum! I love the thankful wreath, I love crafting with my kiddos!
I have a friend who absolutely LOVES Mike's Harder, and this is going on her Facebook wall. Yum! She's also a teacher, so the Thanksgiving craft could very easily come in handy, too :).
Looks really yummy! I really enjoy Mike's Hard Lemonade, so I'm definitely pinning this recipe so I can try at Thanksgiving. The wreath craft looks adorable & your kids look like they enjoyed making them. 🙂
That drink sounds delicious and I love the wreath! I love projects that remind us what we are thankful for. Only makes them better when there's glitter.
Yum! That drink sounds perfect. And that wreath?! Too cute. We did a wreath too, but it's not quite as cute.
Oh my goodness, that looks so tasty! That wreath is adorable, too!
I agree, I'm not much of a hot toddy person. I will try the spiked lemonade. Sounds great.Thanks for sharing.
simple – i like it! and u like "mike's" i remember another cocktail u mixed with it!
Nola is very thankful for herself ??? this made me LOL. Love the idea of a thankful wreath!!! I'm with you, hot bourbon-filled drinks just aren't my think. I get why people like them but it's just not my cup of tea. I spiked cider on the other hand? That I have to try!!!
MILA*** sheesh autocorrect. Also those are supposed to be laughing face emoticons not question marks. #iPhoneFails like crazy in this comment.
Wow, this drink recipe looks great! Thank you for sharing.. I can't wait to try it! And the wreth for the kids is super cute!
I can't wait to try that drink, we love mike's hard lemonade!
What a great idea!! I want to try it!