One of the nicest family activities during the holidays is to take a drive to see all the Christmas lights around town. And with a little planning, you can make this fun little event even more special and holiday themed. So pile the kids into the car, turn on your favorite Christmas tunes, and pack some treats like the ones described below and it will a fun day to remember.
When I was a girl, one of my parent’s favorite things to do was to take a drive. We’d all pile into the Crummy and set out on an adventure. Inevitably, we’d end up on the steep and twisty roads of the Salmon River, where my mom would hunt for river rocks to bring home. Once the Crummy was full of rocks, we’d stop at the little country store for an It’s It (a chocolate chip cookie ice-cream sandwich).
The ice-cream was a really big deal for us, as our mom wasn’t big into sugary treats, so we’d make them last for as much of the ride home as we could.
Now that I’m a mom, I love family drives too. And I especially enjoy packing treats for us to enjoy.
Packing is half the fun because you can make it all pretty – which makes everything taste even better.
Tips:
Vessels like old enamelware (as seen below), wooden pop crates, and wire baskets work really well for holding the goodies.
Vintage thermoses are perfect for keeping cocoa hot.
Mugs can be stacked with little cloth cocktail napkins in between each one, which not only provide cushioning for the glasses, but also can be passed out to your family members once you pour the cocoa.
Caramel corn, nuts, or trail mix packaged in handy little paper bags are a simple, tasty, toteable treat.
P.S. Did you know that “Crummy” was the name of the vehicle that would haul the logging crews around on the job? My dad was a logger and during fire season, my mom would oftentimes become the driver for the fire crews. And since we were a family big on nick-names, our family car was always called the Crummy.
Image by John Granen.
IT'S ME, SERENA!
I bounced through the first years of my life in a hippie gypsy wagon, hand-built by my father, wandering the back roads of the U.S., Canada and Mexico. My family eventually settled into a tiny cabin in the woods on property that was once inhabited by Native American Indians.
I spent my childhood days searching for arrowheads, teaching myself to sew on a treadle sewing machine and to bake in a wood-burning stove, with no running water, refrigeration, or electricity in our home. My family lived frugally and early on, inspired by my parent’s thriftiness and style, I gained a knack for thrifty creativity and turning ordinary objects into something useful. And I dreamed of the home I would create for my own family someday.
Now I’m married to my husband, Colin, and our children are all grown. After 24 years of producing The Farm Chicks Vintage & Handmade Fair, I'm spending time visiting other markets around the world. You can watch episodes of Serena Goes to Market here.
I share more about my life story from time to time, here on my blog. You can also find me on Instagram, and Facebook.
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THE FARM CHICKS
P.O. BOX 9866
SPOKANE, WA 99209
COPYRIGHT 2026
THE FARM CHICKS
P.O. BOX 9866
SPOKANE, WA 99209