Tag: christmas

Festive Activities for Kids: Create Time Capsule Christmas Ornaments {Free Printable}

Create Time Capsule Christmas Ornaments with Kids

Looking for a sweet keepsake ornament to make with your kids that captures a bit of who they are right now but requires zero craft skills? You’ve come to the right place. My DIY Time Capsule Christmas Ornaments are super easy, get the kids involved, cost almost nothing, and will be a precious memento for years to come. Read on to find out how to make your own. You’ll find festive kid activities from the Festive Family bloggers at the bottom of this post as well as the entry form for our MASSIVE Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway with over $1800 in prizes. Don’t forget to enter!

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Festive Family Holiday Gift Guide Favorites ~ Gifts for Everyone on Your List

festive family holiday gift guide giveaway $1800 in prizes

Holiday shopping doesn’t have to be stressful. I’ve chosen my favorite items from each of our fabulous Festive Family Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway sponsors to help you knock out your shopping quickly and easily, and hopefully on budget. To read more about each brand, check out the full Gift Guide event here. At the bottom of this post you’ll find not only our HUGE $1800+ giveaway to win prizes from each of these sponsors, but also Gifts for the Season posts from the Festive Family bloggers.

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Creative Christmas: 15 Easy Christmas Crafts You CAN Make

15 Easy Christmas Crafts You Can Make #FestiveFamily #holiday #craft

Around our house, Christmas is a time for crafting. I’ve had my fair share of craft fails so I thought I’d share 15 easy Christmas crafts that are really and truly doable. I’ve made several of the ones on this list and plan to do a few more this year. All of these projects are frugal and can be done while you watch a favorite Christmas movie. Pick a project, turn on Elf, and get to crafting. Don’t forget to check out the other Creative Christmas posts from the Festive Family bloggers at the bottom of this post, and enter our HUGE Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway.

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Peg and Plum Peg Dolls Review

Peg and Plum Handmade Peg Dolls Review #KBNWishlist #FestiveFamily

Holiday shopping for kids can be a daunting task. With millions of options, how do you find the best gift for your child that they will love and treasure? I’ve teamed up with a group of fabulous Kid Blogger Network folks to bring you real reviews of items from your kid’s wishlist. Peg and Plum is an Etsy shop focused on making high quality peg dolls perfect for imaginative play. Nativity sets for Christmas, Thanksgiving sets for the kids’ table, wedding and birthday cake toppers, custom sets made to look like your family, favorite characters, community helpers, and just about any type of peg doll you can imagine are available at Peg and Plum. Read on to find out what we thought about the peg dolls and enter to win a set of your own.

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Create a DIY Holiday Garland with Your Child’s Art

Create a DIY Holiday Garland Using your Child's Art

If a child lives in your home, the chances are good you have a collection of their art stashed in an ever growing pile. My kids love to color and paint and create, and their masterpieces start to really add up. I love their little creations, but I’m not trying to end up on Hoarders. You just can’t keep everything, right? I came up with a way to keep pieces of their paintings without hoarding and creating something lovely and decorative at the same time. I shared a garland we made for the Bear’s room here, and this time we decided to make a DIY holiday garland and love how it turned out. Read on to find out how to make one of your own.

DIY Holiday Garland Prep

You’ll need a collection of drawings or paintings. This project works best with toddler and preschool art because it is typically a little more “abstract”. If letting your kids paint intimidates you, read about how we finger paint without stress here.

Materials:

Measuring for a DIY Holiday Garland

Strategically punch out shapes from the paintings. You may have to cut pieces to get the look you want. I try to get a good mix of colors. After you get a pile punched, line them out how you want them to hang. I did mine about 4 inches apart. This will help you measure the string you need. I always leave a little extra when i cut the string in case I need more. Punch holes in the shapes and then let your child string them on your garland. This is great fine motor skill practice. If your child is older they can help with the punching as well.

practicing fine motor skills threading the garland

Let them thread all of the shapes on to the string. We had a lot of fun with it. They were so excited to be making something with their artwork.

Creating a DIY Holiday Garland with Kids

After the kids were done stringing the shapes on to the twine, I went back and knotted each piece in to place. Now it is ready to hang and decorate our home for Christmas.

Create a DIY Holiday Garland with your Child's Art

Don’t forget to visit our Festive Family Holiday Gift Guide & Giveaway for prizes and more holiday fun. Read more about how we simplify the holiday season here. How do you make the holidays special for your kids?

Follow Becca Eby ~ Bare Feet on the Dashboard’s board Festive Family Holiday on Pinterest.

Five Ways to Simplify the Holiday Season & the Festive Family Holiday Giveaway {$1800+ in Prizes}

5 Ways to Simplify the Holiday SeasonThanksgiving, Christmas, Hanakkuh, Kwanzaa, Pancha Ganapati, New Year’s Eve… whatever you are celebrating during the November and December holiday season it is a busy time that can be taken over by stress, social engagements, financial worry, and anxiety. This year I want to have a festive family holiday full of joy without stress. I’m sharing 5 ways we can all simplify the holiday season so we can focus on the joy and share it with others. I’ve teamed up with an amazing group of bloggers from around the world for our Festive Family Holiday Hop and Gift Guide Giveaway. At the bottom of this post you’ll find a HUGE giveaway with 4 prize packages to take care of everyone on your shopping list plus links to find out how the other bloggers are sharing the joy of the season.

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Minted Holiday Cards & Gifts Review ~ Festive Family Holiday Gift Guide

minted collage holidayA few years ago, my sister told me about this shop where I just had to look for Christmas cards. As with most tips she gives me, she was totally right.  Minted is now my favorite place to shop for holiday cards every year. When they signed on to be a headline sponsor of my Festive Family Holiday Gift Guide, I was totally thrilled. I can’t wait to tell you all the reasons we love their cards, and what we thought about their holiday gifts as well. BONUS: Use the code CHEER25FS to get $25 off your order AND free shipping through 11/10/14.

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Frugal Holiday Guest Post: Spending Less and Giving More with The Three Gifts of Christmas

Today’s guest post is brought to you by author Jamie Younker, a mom of four and contributor to the brand new SmartMom.co.  Take it away, Jamie.
  
Last night the kids and I cozied up together on the couch to watch what is possibly one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time, the old cartoon version of Dr. Seuss’s iconic tale- The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. We sat close together, watching in delight as the Whos down in Whoville, the tall and the small, celebrated Christmas without any presents at all. I felt the familiar tug of my heart strings as the narrator recited my favorite part of the story:


“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling. How could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

I remember my daughter’s first Christmas like it was yesterday. It was so fun to watch her wrestle with her presents, scratching at the wrapping paper with her chubby little uncoordinated fingers. She seemed to get more enjoyment out of the packaging than she did with whatever was inside. It wasn’t until her presents had all been opened, leaving her shipwrecked in a sea of wrapping paper, that we realized our mistake. We had been so excited to finally have a baby to enjoy Christmas with that we may have gotten a little carried away.

That got us thinking- what do we really want our children take away from the Holidays? Gifts? Toys? Santa? Christmas is so much more than that. It’s about spending time with the people we love. It’s about giving, not receiving. Most importantly it’s about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.  

No, Christmas certainly does not come from a store. But that’s not what the media would have you believe. So how can we protect our families from the enticing voices of commercialism that seem to be particularly loud this time of year?

I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I will tell you 2 things that have worked for us:

First, we wanted our children to spend less time thinking about gifts and more time thinking about others, so we started doing The 12 Days of Service for people in our community. As the kids have gotten older this has become one of our favorite traditions. Watching our children learn to put the needs of others before their own has been an incredibly rewarding experience.

Secondly, we came up with a plan to make it easier to resist buying unnecessary presents. When the wise men visited the Savior they brought him three gifts- Frankincense, gold, and myrrh. Frankincense was a useful herb with many medicinal purposes. Myrrh was popularly used as a perfume and burned as incense, for enjoyment. And gold was something valuable, something to be treasured.

(Now, before you tell me I’m wrong about these interpretations, please know that I’ve done a lot of research and I know there is much more to these gifts than my simple explanation. I also know that there is a lot of symbolism behind each one. However this is how I chose to break it down because it’s clear and simple, and I knew it was something my children could understand.)

We decided to implement the same philosophy in our family, so for Christmas our children get three things:

1. Something they need- A new coat, new socks, snow boots, etc…

2. Something they want- A toy from Santa

3. Something they will treasure- a homemade gift, or a family experience  

We figured if the three gifts were good enough for the Christ child then they are surely good enough for us.

And yes, you read that right- they get ONE toy. Before you feel bad for our kids, please understand, there is no shortage of toys at our house. In fact I am always shocked at the amount of gifts we accumulate during the Holidays. To my thoughtful friends and relatives who are so sweet to give my children gifts- I want you to know that we appreciate them. We honestly and truly do! So don’t feel bad when I say this- But what if, instead of giving our kids more stuff, we gave them what they really want? Us! They want our time, our attention, and our love, and it’s easier to give than you may think.

Which brings me to gift #3-Something they will treasure. This can mean so many things! Some years it’s a scrapbook documenting all the great memories we made over the past year. Sometimes it’s a coupon for a special date, where we can enjoy some much needed one-on-one time. Without fail, these are always our children’s favorite gifts. In fact, giving “treasured gifts” has been such a hit we recently carried the tradition over to birthdays as well. For example, my oldest girl is obsessed with princesses, and over the years she has collected more princess memorabilia than we know what to do with.  So for her birthday, instead of getting her another toy, we took her to The Princess Festival with her sisters to enjoy an afternoon together as family. She still talks about it being the best birthday she’s ever had! 

The reality is, years from now the majority of their toys will either be lost or broken, but the memories we create together will last forever. Our tradition of The Three Gifts of Christmas has blessed our family in many ways! We are more content to spend less. And we are able to fill our lives with relationships and experiences, instead of things. So as Christmas approaches and the store ads start popping up in your email and your Facebook feed, luring us in with their steep discounts and “Gotta have it NOW!” philosophies… just turn off the computer and turn on The Grinch, and rejoice in the wise words of Dr. Seuss. After all, there is no way that Christmas could come from a store! Because Christmas, of course, means a whole lot more!

About the Author: Jamie Younker is a contributor for SmartMom, an easy way to receive fast answers to all of your parenting questions from the convenience of your mobile device. Jamie has four beautiful children, and is married to her Superman. She’s a former Elementary School Teacher who dabbles in photography, musical theater, Zumba and baking… sometimes simultaneously 

Thanks so much for sharing your story with us, Jamie.  We are trying hard not to get sucked in to the consumer craziness of the season and stick to our Christmas budget while creating special memories for our family.  I love hearing ideas from other folks.  How do you teach your kids about giving during the holidays?  Do you keep a Christmas budget?  You can read more of my frugal Christmas tips here.
 

DIY Baby’s First Christmas Footprint Ornament {For Under $2}

Teeny tiny baby footprints are one of my favorite ways to preserve a snapshot of a child’s growth.  I made a sweet and simple ornament for our Pearl girl’s first Christmas using one of her newborn footprints.  It was so easy to make and really inexpensive. Make your own Christmas footprint ornament to celebrate your baby’s first Christmas with the instructions below.

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Fun and Funky Gifts for Everyone on Your List: An Uncommon Goods Review

If you are one who likes to give the unexpected, the creative, the responsibly sourced, or the incredibly unique, Uncommon Goods is the place to shop.  When they contacted me about doing a review, I was quickly sucked in to the rabbit hole of shopping on their site.  A few of my favorite items are shown above: a men’s belt made from recycled bike parts, blocks with braille and sign language, sleeping bear and pig slippers, and a gorgeous rough stone ring.  Click here to find the perfect holiday gift for everyone on your list from Uncommon Goods.  Besides featuring a plethora of recycled, upcycled, eco-friendly, and handmade goods, Uncommon Goods uses sustainable environmental and fair wage practices. I’m giving away a $25 gift card from the generous folks at Uncommon Goods as well, so click here to enter.  
I chose to review gifts for the Bear and Jed – Kinetic Sand and a Pick Punch. 
For review purpose I gave the gifts early, and they were both a big hit.
We all agreed the Kinetic Sand is one of our favorite review items EVER.  
If you have a curious kid on your list, this stuff is ridiculously amazing.
We received the small package weighing 2.2 pounds (1 kg) that retails at $15.  It pretty much saved us during the crazy ice storm we had this weekend. We got it out 4 times the first day and 5 times the second day, playing for 20-30 minutes each time.  That is an eternity in toddler years, people.   

I was worried about the mess so I put it on a cookie tray on a sheet.  Turns out I didn’t need to worry.  The stuff is pretty much magic.  It sticks together and if some gets away you can pick it up with a chunk of the sand.  Crazy and awesome.  It feels like a fun science experiment mixed and we all seriously loved it.  I was skeptical at first, but I played almost as much as Bear. 

I’ve missed my calling as a sculptor, obviously.
You can mold it, shape it, cut it, let it drift through your fingers, and then roll it up and do it over again.
The Bear’s favorite game was to build a castle and then promptly bash it.  

I don’t know what kind of wizardry is used to keep it together, but I’m dying to find out.
The girl who spent a summer at science camp and was the historian of her high school science club came out to play for sure.  Nerd alert.  Jed was fascinated as well.  He starting teaching Bear how to use a butter knife to play with the sand.  Then we got out the cookie cutters.  The possibilities are endless.  

If you have a kid or kid-at-heart on your list, this is the perfect gift.  
We could not recommend it any more.  We truly love it. 

My husband, Jed, loves to play the guitar.  I gave him the Pick Punch to review, and he thinks it is really fun.  He used an old Starbucks gift card to test it out, and was able to create three picks from one gift card.  They are the same size as the picks he purchased, and work perfectly.  

If you have a musician in your life, the Pick Punch would make a great gift.  It retails for $25.  Teenagers who’ve taken up the guitar would be prime recipients, as would rock start dads like my husband.  In my experience, men and teenagers are the most difficult to buy for.  My husband is picky, and he loves this little machine.  If you need more gift ideas for men, click here.  

Uncommon Goods is also budget friendly.  Click here to find a great selection of gifts under $50.

Check out Uncommon Goods and come back and tell me your favorite item.  
Be sure to enter my giveaway for a $25 gift card here (ends 12/16).