Holiday Peeps

Get them while you can this Christmas season!

If you are a big fan of Peeps like my family is you will be excited to know that they have their holiday peeps out and ready to sell. They have nine different types you can choose from which include chocolate dipped candy cane, chocolate dipped sugar cookie, gingerbread, Christmas rainbow, peppermint, chocolate covered mint, marshmallow, and even my personal favorite chocolate mousse flavored. No matter what flavor you choose, I'm sure they will be delightful. If you want to look at them in more detail I will have the website linked below. You can even buy them at the site. This would be an easy stocking stuffer gift to get too!

Website: http://www.marshmallowpeeps.com/products/christmas

Sweet Sounds

Christmas music for hours!

While helping my mother prepare for her Christmas party this year we realized we didn't have very many Christmas CDs. I knew the guests would get really tired of listening to the same songs over and over again too. So, while searching the web I found a video that not only has three hours of the best Christmas music but also festive pictures. So, instead of putting the same CD on repeat for the entire party we are going to play this video. We will simply hook my laptop up to a speaker and have it playing the entire time of the party. If you are in the same boat as I was, then feel free to use the video too.  It has been so helpful and I'm sure the music will be a hit now. 

Fun in the Snow

Making Snowmen

Whenever it snows one of my favorite things to do is build a snowman. If you don't normally build one then I challenge you to make one this holiday season.You can even ask your friends or family to help you because that will be a lot more fun.  The more the merrier in this case. Even if they don't turn out perfect, it will be a fun bonding experience with your family and friends. You can make just one, or if there is a ton of snow to work with you can make multiple snowmen. Heck why not make a whole family? Once you have your snowmen made don't forget to decorate them by giving them faces. You can also never go wrong with adding some festive scarves, buttons, and even hats. Trust me, it will be loads of fun. :)

Picture: http://sweetsavoryplanet.blogspot.com/2011/02/snowmen-and-sunshine.html

Tricky Tree Choices

Real vs. Fake

Do you go get a real Christmas tree every year or do you stick with the same fake one each year? At my house we have a fake one that we like to call Old Faithful. Ever since I've been alive we have put this same Christmas tree, and it still looks like it could be new. I personally think we save money each year by putting out the same tree instead of wasting a lot of money on buying a tree that we only will use one  time. But, I can see where people are coming from if they enjoy getting real Christmas  trees.  I bet it would be fun going with your family and picking out the perfect Christmas tree. I'm sure their house smells lovely with the fresh tree scent too. I would like to try that one year just to see what its like, and then maybe I'll change my mind on the whole real vs fake. But for now, I'm perfectly happy with our fake tree.

Picture: http://alntv.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/real-christmas-trees-vs-fake-christmas-trees/

Scrumptious Smells

Holiday scents you'll love!

I always have a candle burning at my house so I'm constantly smelling my favorite scent. I really enjoy buying seasonal smelling candles too. So, of course right now I always have a Christmas candle burning while I'm home. My favorite place to buy my Christmas smelling candles are at Bath and Body Works. They always have yummy vanilla smells, and those are my favorite. Right now I have the 'Winter Candy Apple' one burning. If you are interested in buying some Christmas smelling candles for gifts this year or even for your own enjoyment feel free to browse through their website that I have linked below. They have everything from 'Twisted Peppermint' to 'Fireside' so I'm sure you'll find something that you enjoy. I get their candles every year and I'm never disappointed. 

Website:http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=10787117&cp=4090259.4090324.4090329.4432046&cm_sp=IM-_-Candles-_-View+All+Candles

Perfect Presents Part 2

A gift for Her

All out of ideas to get your female friends and family members? Don't worry I've done the searching for you. Whether you want to spend $15, or $100...there are plenty of gifts for her on the website below. You can find the best picks from anything clothing related to home decor items and everything in between. You are even able to pick a price range that you are wanting to spend. This makes your Christmas shopping a lot faster! I've found a few gifts on this site that I will be ordering for my cousins. If you order now, then I think there are still some cyber sales going on. You may even find some things that you want to add to your own Christmas list! 

Website:http://www.target.com/s/gifts+for+her#?lnk=Utility_GF1103_X0Y0W2H2|X0Y0W2H2|T:Template_Utility1|C:Hero5.0_Full-Image_Underlay&intc=1399066|null

Keeping Cozy

Staying Warm this Christmas season

When I go to other peoples houses during the winter I hate when its cold. Most of the time their reason is to keep their electricity bill down, but I think being warm is more important. But, if you are one of those people and not only want to stay warm but also want to keep the cost down I have the perfect solutions for you. I found a great website that includes 51 Cheap Ways to Keep Warm in the Winter. If you are having a Christmas party this season and want everyone to be nice and cozy then you can check out the link below to get some great ideas. Since you will have so many people over at your Christmas you can set the thermostat down a few degrees. This will save you a little bit of money and also keep it a comfortable temperature. Also, don't forget to serve warm drinks like hot chocolate. I have a whole post about that called "Delightful Drinks" if you need a recipe.  I hope these tips help! :)

Website: http://www.thefrugalette.com/2013/01/cheap-ways-to-keep-warm-in-winter/

Great Gag Gifts

Ugly Christmas Sweater

Need any ideas for great gag gifts this Christmas season? Don't forget about the classic ugly Christmas sweaters! I personally don't have any gag gift exchanges that I'm in this year but I overheard my family member talking about theirs. They weren't sure what to buy and asked me. The first thing that came to my mind was ugly Christmas sweaters. Many other people would probably answer the same thing, but how many people actually go ahead and buy them? Not many! I think they are going to take my advice and go buy an ugly Christmas sweater. If you aren't sure where you can find them, then simply check out the link below to find a wide variety of sweaters. They come in many different designs, colors, and sizes. 

Website: http://thesweaterstore.com/product-category/ugly-christmas-sweaters/

Original Ornaments

25 Easy DIY Christmas Ornaments 

The other day while I was browsing the Christmas ornaments I realized that most of them are way overpriced. A lot of the ones that I liked even looked really easy to make. I feel like its silly to waste a lot of money on some ornaments that will only be out once a year. Some of them are even cheaply made and will break. When I got home I started searching the web for some do it yourself (DIY) ornaments. I found a great website that has 25 different ornaments that you can make yourself. I will be trying a few different ones this year because I can't choose a favorite. So, instead of spending a lot of cash on some fancy ornaments why not make your own? You will be saving some cash, and getting unique ornaments. You can even give some of them as gifts if you want! Check out the website below and try making a few of them yourself!

Website: http://thewhitebuffalostylingco.com/diy-christmas-ornament-round-25-favorites/

Top Ten Teacher Gifts

What they Like and Dislike

 

Not sure what to buy your favorite teacher? I can help you out with things that they want to receive or even things they would rather not get as gifts. I asked my mother, who is a preschool teacher what she would like to receive from her students and she said "I love getting books with puppets, classroom supplies, gift cards, and candles or shower gels. I like getting things I can use not things that will just sit on the shelf like 'World's Best Teacher' gifts." I also found a website that has another teachers opinion if you want to check that out too. The other website I put the link to has other cute ideas like the one in the picture if you thought that was a unique idea too.

Website: http://www.ithinkwecouldbefriends.com/2013/11/09/top-ten-teacher-christmas-gifts/ and http://itswrittenonthewalls.blogspot.com/2011/11/teacher-christmas-gifts-12-days-of.html

Awesome Activity

Christmas Coloring

I don't know about you but I have always loved coloring ever since I was a little kid. Its a great way to pass time, relieve stress, and relax. Its even better when the pictures are Christmas related! You can do them yourself for fun, or even give them to some kids to keep them occupied and quiet. If you don't  want to go out and buy a coloring book or draw any pictures yourself I found a great website you can check out to have access to many different, printable coloring pages.That way you can simply just print out the pages that you want and you have many to choose from. Some kids may want the same sheet so this way you won't have any fights over the pages. Everyone will get to choose the perfect coloring page for them. I hope you found this helpful, and have a blast coloring. :)

Websites: http://www.coloring.ws/christmas.htm  and  http://www.freefunchristmas.com/christmas-coloring-pages/

Elf on the Shelf

Great for  Kids!

Are your kids, siblings, or other family members that are children misbehaving? A great way to get them to stop is to try doing Elf on the Shelf. It is also very simple to do! All you need is a stuffed elf. Bring the elf out around December 1st, and explain to the children that the elf watches everything that they do. So, if they are ever misbehaving the elf will go back to the North Pole and tell Santa. Once they know the elf talks to Santa they are less likely to misbehave because they still want awesome gifts this Christmas. Each night after the kids have gone to bed you can even place the elf in a new place. This way when they wake up they can search for the elf like it is a game.  They will really catch on and enjoy having the elf around. Once Christmas is over simply tell the kids that they will be back next holiday season.

Picture: http://www.elfontheshelf.com/

Cyber Monday Sales

Last Chance for Great Deals

If you were too busy during the Thanksgiving holidays to make it to any of the stores then don't worry you still have one more day. Today is Cyber Monday so most of the stores are going to have free shipping and killer sales. I found a great website to check out that has many links to websites that are having wonderful sales, and they even have some helpful shopping tips. I didn't get all the gifts that I was planning on getting during Black Friday, so this will be great opportunity to get some shopping done. We are already in the month of December so I really need to get in gear on getting all my Christmas gifts. Personally, I will be ordering from Amazon, Target, and Walmart. I have already found gift options that I want to buy from those stores, but odds are I will find more stores that I will buy from. I hope you find some awesome deals for Christmas gifts. :)

Website: http://www.hugecybermondaydeals.com/