Sometimes we have the best intentions around the holidays before real world time issues mess them up. Let's face it, Elf on the shelf is a cute idea and fun for the kids but when exactly am I going to set that scene up? The gist seems to be that the elf hides (or is in plain sight) around the house and watches children to make sure they are on their best behavior for Santa. Who wants to get on the naughty list? The trend I see with other moms on social media are elaborate mini stages and cute handmade props that are pretty Keep Reading
Free Printable Dear Santa Letter for Kids
One of my favorite things about Christmas each year is seeing the season through my kids' eyes. They get SO EXCITED about everything, and it infuses some much-needed holiday magic into the everyday. Want to guess what makes them most excited about this season? LOL, you probably guessed it...Santa! They love seeing him at the mall and in movies and put a surprisingly great amount of thought into what to ask him for each year. Every year we write a letter to Santa together with each kid using a free printable Santa letter template–now you can too! Keep Reading
Blank Letter to Santa Template {Free Printable!}
Christmas is one of my favorite seasons! Every year I look forward to all the magic of Christmas—the lights everywhere, the festive atmosphere, and, of course, our yearly traditions! One big tradition we do every year is to fill out a printable letter to Santa with the kids' wishlist on it. Mainly because this is how they tell us exactly what they want for Christmas. hehe Super Cute Idea - Writing a Letter to Santa :) Filling out this template makes life so much easier when it comes to figuring out what on earth you should tell your child to share with Keep Reading
Free Printable Letter to Santa Template ~ Cute Christmas Wish List
I just love getting into the Christmas spirit. Our kids love Christmas, learning about Jesus, and of course, getting a visit from Santa Claus! My oldest is almost old enough to find out the truth...I'm sure we only have another year or two before the magic is over for her, so while it lasts, I'm hanging on to it! I used to grapple over whether or not I'd let my kids believe in Santa, but I finally decided that we could as long as Santa didn't take over the meaning of Christmas. If You're Here, Then I'm Sure Your Kids (or grandkids) Also Believe In Keep Reading
{Easy Holiday Tradition} Write a Letter to Santa with a Free Letter to Santa Template
'Tis the season to do all the things. I love Christmas, truly, but sometimes I can get a bit overwhelmed with all the tradition crammed into a single month. I've learned to simplify and pick and choose which traditions to participate in yearly...and one thing I LOVE doing every Christmas is helping the kids write a letter to Santa! It's easy and makes such a sweet memento to look at year after year. Guess what? You can do it too...honestly! I've made it super simple for you—check it out! What Should You Say in a Letter to Santa? Of course, there are so many Keep Reading
Printable Christmas Gift List
Every single year, I vow to get my Christmas shopping done at least a couple weeks before Christmas. I hate having to rush around a few days before December 25th finding last-minute presents, but poor planning usually has me there. I did a little bit better than usual last year, but still found myself at the mall two days before Christmas looking for a couple of items. What Will It Take To Get My Christmas Gift List on Track? This year’s gonna be the year I achieve my goal. I can feel it. No more rush shipping packages to my nieces and nephews Keep Reading
Free Santa Letter Templates + How to Mail a Letter to Santa
I'm so excited to share this with you all—I've been planning this post for years it feels like (you mamas know how that goes, right?). I know there are a lot of super fun things you can do during the holidays, and a lot of traditions, but this one is one of my favorites: writing a letter to Santa! Okay, so I don't write a letter, but my kids do. And it's so cute! I love seeing what they ask for and how their dreams change year after year. It just makes a really sweet thing to hold onto and look back on! So, I created 4 printable Santa letter templates so you can Keep Reading
5 Ideas to Help You Have a Low Stress Holiday Season
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Food Lion. All opinions are 100% mine. As you all know, I love the holiday season. There’s nothing that can match the magic of Christmas, especially as a mom. But it can also be a time of feeling stretched really thin. Between school events for 3 kids, family gatherings, parties and holiday shopping, it’s easy to feel stressed when you are running from place to place while trying to keep up with all the normal day to day stuff too! That’s why when my friends at Food Lion asked me to partner with them and Keep Reading
21 Easy Essential Oil Gift Ideas
It's no secret that I love using essential oils! With the holidays coming up, I'm trying to get ahead of gift-giving this year. It's no fun to be frantically searching the aisles of an over-crowded store the week of Christmas, trying to figure out what on earth to get for my neighbors or cousins! This year, I'm doing better and am even thinking about making my own homemade gifts. I know, that sounds like a lot of work but thankfully I found a ton of great gifts for essential oil lovers - which is pretty much everyone these days! 21 Amazing Essential Oil Gift Ideas Keep Reading
Why I’m Letting My Kids Believe in Santa
When I first became a mom, I wasn't prepared for a lot of things. I was probably MOST unprepared for the fact that my children would start asking me hard questions. As a mom, you know that when your kids ask you a question you BETTER have the answer! If you don't have it, who possibly could? You are everything to them and they look to you for advice. I didn't realize I would have to take a hard stance on so many issues I didn't even realize were issues before! Oh the questions I was unprepared for! Does the Easter Bunny come to our house? What happens when you Keep Reading
10 Creative Ways to Give Gifts Cards + Cash as Gifts
Sometimes, there's no better gift than cold, hard cash. It allows the receiver to choose a gift or experience they will be guaranteed to love. But it can feel a little icky or anti-climatic to give money at times. RIGHT?!! But never fear...I have the solution. Get creative! Creative ways to give money as a gift at Christmas There are SO many ways to give money at Christmas or any other time of the year. If you are just sticking it in an envelope and calling it a day, it might be time to step your game up a little. Thankfully, my online bestie, Amazon has a ton of Keep Reading
26-Week / Extra $1,000 by Christmas Savings Plan – Start with $26, End with $1,000 to Buy Christmas Gifts!
This Christmas Savings Plan will prepare you for the holiday shopping season! Hello! If you've never been to my blog before, let me introduce myself. My name is Lena, and I'm so glad you're here! This blog is where I share all the creative money making and family budgeting ideas that pop into my head, as well as other fun stuff like recipes and coloring pages. Today I want to share with you something I created to help us make a game out of saving money. It's a 26-WEEK EXTRA $1,000 BY CHRISTMAS SAVINGS PLAN that starts with $26 and ends with exactly $1,001. You start with $26 the Keep Reading
Cute Redbox Neighbor Christmas Gift Idea
This post was sponsored by Redbox as part of a program with Influence Central. I received complimentary products to facilitate my review. Happy holidays everyone! This year I’m taking a different approach to the holidays. Instead of stressing myself out by rushing around to create & mail Christmas cards and do other things I don’t necessarily want to do, I am focusing on the things that make me happiest. So that means I’m inviting people over for potluck dinners, visiting with friends, and giving gifts to people I care about. Normally, I only give gifts to family, but this Keep Reading
Easy Christmas Cookie Recipe – Sugar-Free Snickerdoodles
This year I am attending my friend's annual Christmas cookie exchange. I try to take at least two different recipes so I have a variety to offer (we have to take 6 dozen total!). I usually take my go-to no bake dark chocolate truffles, but I've been on the hunt for a second easy recipe that everyone will love. I found out that a few of my friends are on diets during the holidays (including me!), so I searched high and low for a cookie exchange-worthy recipe that won't break the calorie bank or load us up on sugar. I think I found the winner today....it's a SUGAR-FREE SNICKERDOODLES Keep Reading
7 Make Ahead Christmas Brunch Ideas
Christmas is fast-approaching, and the last thing I want to do is stress out while family is visiting. I like to relax and have a good time. This includes not getting up ahead of everyone on Christmas morning to make breakfast. :) So I've decided this year I will make Christmas breakfast ahead of time. Depending on our schedule the night before, we might eat later in the morning, so I guess this is officially my Christmas brunch plan! Here are 7 recipes I'm considering...I'm strongly leaning toward something cheesy and delicious, in case you hadn't noticed! 7 Make Ahead Christmas Keep Reading
