This guest post is brought to you by my friends at the Ornament Shop. I did not receive compensation for this post, but some affiliate links below are mine. Visit the Ornament Shop They say there’s an art to gift giving and that a gift’s meaning isn’t tied to its price tag, but to the story and intent behind it. If you subscribe to this philosophy and feel that the best gifts aren’t about cost, size, or quantity, but the thought and love that goes into them, you're certainly not alone! The best holiday gifts take time, consideration, and a strong intuition that comes with an understanding Keep Reading
Free Printable Christmas Menu Shopping List
It's a few days until Thanksgiving, and my sister-in-law and I are already discussing Christmas plans. It seems like time speeds up on you at the end of the year, doesn't it? We barely have time to breathe, and then we're on to planning the thing after next! Oh boy! So to stay ahead of the game, I decided to start thinking about our Christmas menu. We are not only having family stay at our house, but we are likely going to be hosting a church gathering on Christmas Eve. So I better get planning! :) Whenever I have lots to plan, I always throw a checklist at the issue. This occasion is no Keep Reading
7 Super Easy Christmas Cookie Exchange Recipes
I have to make 6 dozen (yes, DOZEN!) cookies for a Christmas cookie exchange next month. I am completely stressing about having to make so many. Baking is so not my thing, but I really want to go! The catch is that they have to be homemade, so no cheating by going to the store and getting a log of cookie dough! LOL Good thing I saw that rule or I woulda totally done that! :) I’m keeping things simple this year and sticking to the easiest recipes I can find. Since I’m bringing 6 dozen, I’m going to bring a variety so we’ll have different options to choose from, so I need to make 2 or Keep Reading
10 Weird Ways to Make Extra Money to Pay for Christmas Presents
Every October, I print out this Christmas gift list template and write down everyone we need to buy presents for. I estimate how much I think I should spend on each person and add up the total. Then the fun starts. Because I love thinking up ways to make extra money, I have fun with our Christmas budget. It doesn't stress me out one bit - I look at it like a challenge! I like figuring out ways to make money between October and December 25th to pay for all of the Christmas gifts on my list (that, and also trying to see if I can find coupons & deals along the way so I can come in lower Keep Reading
Christmas Wreaths to Make and Sell for the Holidays
As the holidays are approaching, I know many people are thinking about being able to afford Christmas presents. I love helping people figure out ways to make money, so I've been brainstorming easy ways to come up with extra cash for Christmas. The obvious solution hit me today - make and sell Christmas wreaths leading up to the holidays! Everybody with a front door needs one, and they are fun to make. DIY Christmas Wreaths to Sell for Extra Cash - 10 Ideas The ten Christmas wreaths pictured above are listed below with descriptions to help you figure Keep Reading
“Emergency Stash” Money Gift Idea
A little thing I like to do is give money in unique & creative ways. Today I came up with a new way to give money to someone in your life with a sense of humor. I give you - an "EMERGENCY STASH!" When I saw this First Aid Kit at Target (for about $3), I thought, "I would pay this much for a gift bag, so....why not?" :) I just know this would be such a pleasantly unexpected surprise for any teenager or college student you know! How to Use the Emergency Stash Money Gift Idea First, you'll want an empty first aid kit box or case to put the gift money inside. Amazon has some Keep Reading
Free Printable Christmas Tree Templates
Even though the Christmas season is almost over, the crafts are still going strong in our home! I have a couple of templates we’ve been using for various projects to share with you. I have a beautiful Christmas tree outline as well as a Christmas tree coloring page complete with ornaments and garland and a plain shape for all kinds of holiday projects. Free Printable Christmas Template I just love this Christmas tree outline. We use it mainly for coloring, but I also have plans to use it as tracing pages and for a pillow sewing project as a tree shaped Keep Reading
When is the Last Day to Mail Christmas Gifts?
Each year I vow to complete my Christmas shopping and shipping early. This year I vowed to get it done no later than the first weekend in December. Did that happen? That's a big fat NOPE! I started my Christmas shopping earlier than ever, but, alas, here it is 1 week before Christmas, and I haven't mailed a single gift that needs to nieces and nephews who live states away. My new goal is to not come down to the very last second (which I usually do, scooting into the post office near my house as the trucks are lining up to grab the last round of packages). Luckily, the postal Keep Reading
Christmas Themed Crafts, Games & Activities for Kids
I love Christmas for so many reasons. One of them is it gives me a reason to do Christmas-themed crafts and activities with my kids. I not only love themed playdates, I adore all holiday themed activities in general! I asked some blogging friends to show me some of their best Christmas themed games, crafts, and activities, and they came up with some awesome stuff! See below for some ideas for family fun over the holidays. Christmas Themed Games & Activities Now that my two oldest kids are getting old enough to sit still long enough to play games, I'm on the hunt for Christmas Keep Reading
30 Christmas Break Activities That Require Little to No Planning
It's Christmas Break - What Do I Do with These Kids?! I don’t know about you but if I don’t have activities planned ahead of time to do with the kids then I have a hard time thinking of something to do. Having a list of ideas always makes it easier. Sometimes the list makes me think of a different activity that I want to do. 30 Easy Christmas Break Activities Ideas I hope this list of little to no plan activities makes Christmas break easier for you. Have a day where your kids pick what you do. Let them pick what to eat and do for the entire day. You should let them know that Keep Reading
Awesome 1980s Toys That Are Still Totally Rad
Today as I was thinking about Christmas time from my childhood, I reminisced about all the awesome toys we had back in the 80s. Best Vintage 1980s Toy? Enter: The Lite Brite There was nothing more I wanted than a Lite Brite. I am pretty sure I begged my mom, grandmother, aunt, and anyone who would listen for one for at least 2 years before my dream came true. I played my Lite Brite ALL. THE. TIME. Then I saved up my money and bought refill pages whenever I could. Fast forward 25 years, and I think it would be so cool to introduce the Lite Brite to my 7-year-old daughter. We are so much Keep Reading
Cute & Modern Printable Christmas Gift Tags
Just in time for Christmas, I am excited to unveil my newest creation…a set of printable Christmas gift tags and templates! These templates have a modern blue quad design, print 6 to a page, and have plenty of room for writing a personalized message to the recipient. Click on the image below to download my Merry Christmas Gift Tags (pdf file) More Free Printable Christmas Gift Tag Templates Not to leave you with only one Christmas gift tag option, I rounded up some more holiday printables from around the blogosphere to give you some variety to choose from! MODERN Keep Reading
7 Family Christmas Tradition Ideas That Won’t Break Your Budget
As my children move out of the toddler stage, I'm conscious of the need to make recurring memories as a family that they can look back on with fondness later in life. So I've been thinking of family Christmas tradition ideas that I might like to incorporate this year. I also have a penchant for keeping costs low when it comes to family fun, unless we're going on a destination vacation like Disneyworld or the beach. So I came up with a list of 7 inexpensive family Christmas traditions that are low on cost yet high on the potential to stick and becoming a recurring tradition in my Keep Reading
Printable Christmas Tree Lined Note Paper
Sometimes I get a little carried away with the holiday spirit. I guess that's a good thing, right? I'm not one to decorate my house to extremes, but I like injecting Christmas themed things into my daily life. Since I need so much note paper on a daily basis (for blogging, grocery lists, etc) and I am big PAPER person, I like having cute notepads all around the house for when inspiration strikes. I came up with this cute little Christmas tree note paper to print out for general use and thought my readers would like it, too. Printable Christmas Tree Lined Note Paper To download this Keep Reading
Why I’m Getting Rid of Almost ALL My Kids’ Toys Before Christmas
The toy situation in our home is getting out of control. Four months ago, I started slowly getting rid of my kids' toys. By Christmas, they will all be gone. And my kids are cool with it. Let me explain A few years ago, they played in the playroom all the time. Back then I only had a toddler and a baby. I had to keep them contained in a small play area because I needed to keep an eye on the baby (to make sure she didn't put any small items in her mouth), and I needed my toddler to stay nearby so she didn't do anything dangerous out of my eyesight. We spent a lot of time Keep Reading
