ginger bread houses

so i have to say, i was never one to want to partake in the work of a gingerbread house. however my friends having pictures of all the different years houses made me wish we had started the tradition long ago. and actually, once we got the kits and assembled the thing, i realized there wasn't as much to it as some people made it sound. alot of people said it was alot of work etc.... well really, not so much. the hardest part was waiting for the icing to set after the initial assembly so you could start the decorating process. and i do have a few pointers for anyone who has not yet set off on this adventure....

1.) there will be a waiting period for the initial assembly icing to dry. if you don't it will start to fall apart when you put the candy on!

2.) it's not as much of a mess as you think it will be. there will be clean up yes, but the end result is worth it!

3.) no matter how disgusting YOU think the candy and icing would be, your kids who will not try something truly delicious, will try and LIKE the candy and icing that come in that box!

4.) let them decorate it how they want to, no it will not look like the box or even how you would have done it, but it is like seeing a picture they have drawn, you will see their personality in it and that is the best part!

5.) last but not least, do it with some friends.

the kids did not mind waiting for it to set cuz they could go play with their friends until it was ready and they had fun helping each other!

it really is a fun experience and one i hope they will have great memories of later.