Robots are hot! If you don’t want to chance a huge disappointment, you will need to let Santa know about these gifts early! Some of these toys are for the techno-tyke, and others are pure fun for everyone! First on our list is Fisher-Price’s Elmo Live. This lovable character is sure to please the preschooler [...]
Start thinking about having a family photo taken for your Christmas cards. What will you wear? Do you like to coordinate colors or have matching clothes for the kids? Start thinking about what you want your photo to look like so you have plenty of time to really shop the sales, knit matching scarves, or [...]
Today’s mission is short and sweet. Clean out those toyboxes! This is a great one for the kids to do. Have them go through their toys and select which ones they will donate. If they are considering your Wii, you might want to offer a little guidance, unless you are okay with this. If you [...]
If you aren’t checking the clearance bins everytime you shop at JoAnn’s or Michael’s, you are missing a huge opportunity to stock up on crafting odds and ends. Having boxes of clearance-priced crafting items makes it a little easier to let the kids run wild with their imagination when making decorations, pictures, crafts, or anything [...]
I love to get Christmas cards! I’m not so great at sending them every year, though. I think the motivator to actually sending them out is to have a great card that you are proud of. My favorite option is to upload a photo somewhere and get cool stuff printed using that photo. One site [...]
This tip comes straight from my life. I am, by education and training, a professional musician. Now, while I love music more than many other things, it is something I’m extremely good at and have spent untold time and money getting to that point. Knitting is another story. I love knitting. Am I a professional? [...]
Okay, I’m not really a coffee drinker. I enjoy the occasional cup at Starbucks or Cafe du Monde. Who can resist that? The problem is when we are entertaining over the holidays and dessert time rolls around. “Do you have any coffee?” “Uh, no. I don’t even have a coffee maker.” This conversation has occurred [...]
Unplug the Christmas Machine: A Complete Guide to Putting Love and Joy Back into the Season I highly recommend this book as a great way to get yourself centered and focus on what really matters during the Christmas season. Sometimes, we just do things during this time of year because we’re “supposed to,” or other [...]
Today is easy. Get your box of wrapping paper down and take a quick inventory. This is a great job for the kids! I have an inventory sheet for you and it’s available in 2 formats. Choose one below and print. christmas-wrapping-paper-inventory-doc christmas-wrapping-paper-inventory-pdf Remember, this is not rocket science! It’s giftwrap! This is just a [...]
Last year, we hosted Christmas dinner here for 13, and I’m not eager to repeat that until I get a double oven and another big refrigerator. Don’t get me wrong, a lovely time was had by all, but getting the meal components synchronized was just beyond my reach this time. One of the biggest issues [...]