The holidays are here, and chances are, you've seen the stores putting out all the baking needs. Festive sprinkles, colored frostings, chocolate chips, and candies galore adorn the entryway displays, and people are stocking up for Christmas baking.

We have a question for you though; How often, when pulling out those ingredients each year, have you heard the words "Can I help?" asked excitedly by your children? It's no secret that the kitchen tends to draw little ones (and even older ones!) in, but it's also well-known that baking with kids can be messy and take a good deal longer than it would if you were just left to your own devices. After all...isn't it quieter and cleaner to work on your own while the kids watch a favorite Christmas movie?

Maybe. Well...probably.

However, this year, we encourage you to bring your kids into the kitchen! Why? Well, here are some reasons experts say baking together can be beneficial for you and your kids this holiday season (even if the ingredients aren't necessarily on the healthy side)...

Family Bonding. Cooking and baking together gives you a common goal to work toward, and then everyone can enjoy taking pride in the results! Instead of everyone being engrossed in phones, tablets, video games, or the television, you're all engaged together. Some great conversations can take place around the kitchen island!

Hands-On Learning. Cooking offers practical application of math skills through measuring, weighing, following directions (recipe reading) and even reading temperatures! It's a great way for young students to continue what they've learned in the classroom over holiday breaks. For older kids, it helps give hands-on practice with life skills. You won't always be there with them to make the Christmas cookies or Grandma's famous cake!

Passing down traditions. Speaking of Grandma's famous cake, many families have recipes that have been made during certain holidays for generations. Letting your children participate in creating these recipes, and allowing them to see slips of paper in loved ones' handwriting or recipes clipped from old magazines, , you are passing down a love of, and appreciation for, family history without even realizing it. Tradition is often passed through the family line on a plate!

Time to talk. How often are your children attempting to talk to you, or you to them, with a phone, work project, or household task taking part of your attention? Being in the kitchen offers an opportunity to shut out the world around you and just focus on spending time around the mixing bowl with your family.

Share the gift of giving! Baked goods are a great way to show someone you care! Teach your children about the joy that can come from working hard to make something for someone else. It's a wonderful way to incorporate a lesson in what Christmas is supposed to be about.

We hope this year you'll consider making family time in the kitchen a new tradition of your own if it isn't already. Don't consider yourself a "chef extraordinaire"? Don't worry! Your kids won't care if it's a from-scratch recipe, or a box of cookie mix and some pre-made frosting. The memories made together go FAR beyond the results that come out of the oven. While you’re busy making memories with the ones you love, we’ll be busy continuing to grow your business behind the scenes. Social media never sleeps, and making sure you are represented well online is a 24-hour job. Let us take the work of branding yourself off your plate! Call Newton Peach Marketing and let us help your business reach its full potential in 2023!

Just a year ago, Hurricane Irma pounded the entire state of Florida with powerful winds, heavy rains that resulted in flooding, and major damage to homes and businesses alike. While much of our state has recovered, or are in the process of recovering, we are no stranger to the catastrophic impact of a hurricane on daily life of residents in the path of the storm. In our time of need, states surrounding us offered a helping hand and support, whether it be countless linemen that gave their time and efforts to restore our power more quickly, relief organizations that sent food, water,r and clothing, or simply friends and neighbors out of state that offered a place of refuge for those who chose to evacuate. Now, Hurricane Florence is threatening our neighbors to the north, and we have a chance to pay back some of the kindness shown to us last year. So, how can we help those preparing to go through a storm of this magnitude?

First, a friendly word of encouragement and some advice based from experience can go a long way. If you have friends or family who have never ridden out a storm like this before, let them know they'll likely be ok, and offer some pointers on preparing. No one knows hurricanes like Floridians! Tips like stocking up on more water than you think you'll need, non perishable food items, flashlights and batteries, etc. as well as charging all devices ahead of the storm are very helpful for those who have never had to do anything like this in the past. Additionally, your advice could help them get ahead of the game and purchase their supplies before the stores are overrun and shelves empty out. Offer a listening ear if they're feeling anxious, and give insight on ways they can best feel prepared and ready for Florence to come into town.

If you have the means, offering your own home as a place of safety is often appreciated. Many people haven't budget for multiple days in a hotel, and if you pair that with the gas money needed to travel, they might be tempted to ride out the storm even if in an unsafe location. By offering your home, you take away the financial obligation of evacuating, meaning they're free to make the safest choice, not just the most affordable. For those of us here in Central Florida, we are (for once) a safe distance from the storm's impact, which means many locals could offer this gesture of kindness.

Donate and volunteer. If you can, volunteer with local relief agencies in your area to pack trucks with water and other needed supplies. These organizations often go in after the storm to help with recovery efforts and to assist those who are running out of supplies and are unable to get more. In addition to your time, donating monetary gifts, or donating actual supplies like cases of water, canned goods, diapers, etc. go a long way in helping them help other people. In Winter Haven, Lakeland, and surrounding towns, call your favorite local missions, churches, and relief organizations and find out if they have plans in place to offer support before and/or after the storm. If not, you could be the catalyst that starts a drive for needed items in our community!

Finally, practice kindness. While we might not be preparing for the storm this time around, we remember well the stress and anxiety that come along with a hurricane of this magnitude. Instead of getting frustrated by heavy traffic caused by people feeling the storm, take a minute to let some people in front of you on the highway. When you're tempted to complain that your store is out of a particular item because the excess was shipped up north, instead be thankful that your home and community isn't threatened this time around. There is always a way to practice kindness, and that is perhaps the most important thing you can remember during any type of crisis.

Newton Peach Marketing is proud to be a small business in the heart of Winter Haven, and we believe in supporting our neighbors, our community, and other local companies and brands. We are trusted by locals because we are locals. As a marketing company based in Florida where severe weather is commonplace at certain times of the year, we have an extra dose of compassion for those preparing for Florence in the coming hours and days. Good luck to our friends and neighbors up North! You are in our thoughts and prayers.