Month: November 2014

Advent with Kids – Reading Song of the Stars & Playing with the Nativity

Advent with Kids Reading Song of the Stars and Playing with the Nativity

The Advent season is one of my favorite times of the year, as we celebrate the awaited arrival of Jesus. My goal this year is to involve the whole family in our Advent traditions to make the joy of Christmas real and full for our kids. We will be using a Jesse Tree and the Jesus Storybook Bible each day starting November 30th, along with a fun activity each day. I’ve joined with a group of other Kid Blogger Network bloggers to bring you a special Storybook Advent series to help you incorporate books and kid activities in to your holiday celebration, as well as a Christmas Read and Play series all about our favorite holiday books. I’m sharing a quick and fun way to bring the Christmas story to life with your kids using The Song of the Stars: A Christmas Story along with a children’s nativity set and a few extra friends.

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5 Must Have Beauty Gifts + My REVERSE Regimen Review Follow Up

Taking better care of myself has been a goal of mine this year, one that I’m still working on. My weight and fitness level are not where I want them yet, but one part of self care where I’ve greatly improved is my skin care routine. I shared with y’all a few months ago about starting the REVERSE Regimen from Rodan and Fields. Today I’m sharing an update after using the regimen for a few months as well as 5 must have beauty gifts to think about when shopping for a loved one (or yourself). Please promise to ignore my greasy hair in the photos below…
5 Must Have Beauty Gifts

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20+ Ideas for Preschool and Toddler Christmas Fun

20+ Ideas for Preschool and Toddler Christmas Fun

The most wonderful time of the year is here and we are so ready to create special Christmas memories with our family. With a toddler and a preschooler in our house, the wonder and magic of the season is in full effect. I’ve spend time gathering the best ideas for preschool and toddler Christmas fun to share with you and your wee ones. Pick a few ideas and spread holiday cheer in your home. Don’t forget to enter to win one of 4 $500 CASH prizes we’re giving away at the bottom of this post to make your holiday extra special. If you’re looking for gift ideas for your favorite toddler, you’ll find our gift guide for 1-3 year olds here.

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Ten Fun & Festive Family Christmas Traditions

Ten Fun and Festive Family Christmas Traditions to start with your family.

Holiday traditions can be full of joy and meaning, and are different for every family. You may bring in traditions from your own childhood as well as from your spouse’s family of origin, and combine them to make new ones for your own children. As I shared in this post about Ways to Simplify the Holiday Season, we make a list of all the things we want to experience during the holidays at the beginning so we make sure to prioritize and not get caught up in the busyness. Today I’m sharing ten of our favorite Christmas traditions with you, and I’d love to hear about your own in the comments section. Don’t forget to check out the links at the bottom of this post to find more Festive Family Fun ideas from the Festive Family bloggers. Our MASSIVE Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway ends tonight (11/17) at midnight, so be sure to enter at the bottom of this post. (more…)

Ten DIY Holiday Keepsake Ornaments

10 DIY Holiday Keepsake Ornaments

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is creating DIY holiday keepsake ornaments each year to remember important events, stages in life, and vacations. The next year as we decorate the tree as a family we are reminded of those precious memories by the ornaments we hang. I’ve compiled a list of 10 easy DIY holiday keepsake ornaments you can make yourself. They are simple and frugal options and I hope they will become family favorites at your house as you create them. At the bottom of this post you’ll find links to other DIY holiday posts from the Festive Family bloggers as well as the entry form for our HUGE Festive Family Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway with over $1800 in prizes that ends November 17th.

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Gifts for Toddlers ~ Educational, Active, & Fun Ideas

The Best Gifts for Toddlers Educational Active Fun Ideas

Toddlers are fun all year round, but especially during the holidays. They can be a handful, but fill my heart with joy as well. Their eyes aglow with wonder at the lights on the tree, singing carols with the words all wrong, throwing a fit during that visit with Santa, caring more about the gift wrap than the present itself… all of it makes for a special holiday season. If you are looking to be strategic with your toddler gift giving this year by choosing gifts that will grow with your child and benefit them throughout the year, I’ve got the list for the best gifts for toddlers with options for every budget. With an 18 month old and 3 year old in our house, we are not looking to pile a bunch of stuff under the tree, but want to give our kids meaningful, useful gifts they’ll love. At this age you get to choose the gifts you want them to have rather than the latest toy they’re obsessed with, because they don’t really know any better. Read on to find our ideas and share your own in the comments section.

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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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