FREE 8x10 Canvas Print from Canvas People!

 

Turn your favorite photo into a FREE 8 x 10 canvas at Canvas People, just pay shipping and handling ($14.95)

Want something bigger than an 8x10?  You can get $50 toward any size canvas instead (shipping charges still apply).

At just $14.95 for shipping these canvases are a steal!  My friend has two and they are soooo nice!  I'm seriously thinking about having some nice pictures of Bug turned into canvas prints to give to his grandparents for Christmas!
 

12 Days of Christmas Traditions - the countdown! (and craft idea!)

Don't forget to submit your own traditions for a chance to win a coupon prize pack!

How do you countdown to Christmas?

I had this calendar with pockets in it.  Each night you moved the little mouse until you got to the last pocket, and this it was Christmas Eve!

Now the calendar is Bug's.  Last year he had no idea.  This year, he doesn't understand it but he loves "my mouse" as he calls it.



Here's a craft idea to make your own countdown to Christmas.

Cut out of construction paper or cardstock and Christmas shape (star, tree, bell, etc.  I do bells with my preschool class).  Make it large - use the entire sheet of paper for the shape.  Punch a hole in the top (for hanging) and the bottom (for attaching the chain.)
Using 1/2-3/4 inch wide strips of paper (I use red and green) make a paper chain.  (You know, fold one strip over into a circle, secure with glue or tape.  Take the next strip of paper and feed it through the circle and make it a circle, etc., etc.)
Use as many strips of paper as you have days left until Christmas.  Tie the completed chain to the hole in the bottom of your shape.  Each night at bedtime, take one ring off the chain.  When the lest one is gone, it's Christmas Eve!

12 Days of Christmas Traditions - The Christmas Picture

Don't forget to submit your own traditions for a chance to win a coupon prize pack!

This tradition was a happy accident!  My husband bought me the picture frame in the front three Christmas' ago.  I put the picture of us by our tree in the frame and left it out all year.

Last year I bought the frame in the back right.  It says Christmas 2009.  I put our picture from last year in it.  I packed up the first frame with the Christmas decorations and just left the 2009 frame out this past year.

This year I bought a Christmas 2010 frame.  I'll put a picture of us by our tree this year in it.  I also got our 08 picture back out.  When the Christmas decorations are packed away, I'll pack up the 08 and 09 pictures and just leave the 2010 picture.

Each year I will get a new frame and it will stay out all year.  The previous year's picture will come out when the decorations do.  I think this will make a nice Christmas display as the number of frames grow!

12 Days of Christmas Traditions - Reindeer Food

We started the tradition of reindeer food last year.  I plan on doing it again this year.

On Christmas Eve, we mixed up some "Reindeer Food".  Which is a handful or two of dry oats, a (small) handful of sugar and a handful of glitter.  (If you have more than one child, each one can put their own handful of each item in the bowl).  Mix it all up and then spread it out in the yard.

Why?  You ask.

The glitter helps Santa see your house from the sky.  The oats and sugar are a snack for the reindeer while Santa is leaving your presents in the house! 

Makes perfect sense, right?  ;)

Can you see it in the yard? 

It rained Christmas Eve last year and the next morning the oatmeal was a bit of a mush but it only took a couple days and you never knew it was there.

12 Days of Christmas Traditions - What to eat?

Why is that we feel like there are certain foods we can only have certain times of the year?  I mean, I never decided on a random night in the middle of May that I'm going to make a sweet potato casserole for dinner.  Do you?

With that said, here is a list of things I love, but only actually eat them between Thanksgiving and Christmas:

• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Watergate Salad
• Dressing
• Mexican Layer Dip
• Sausage Balls 
• Red Velvet Cake
• Pecan Pie

As I was typing this list, it occurred to me that aside from the Watergate Salad, everything on that list is a bear to make.  Which may be why it only gets fixed 1-2 times a year.

What about you?  What's something you can't get enough of to eat during the holidays?

12 Days of Christmas Traditions - Reading the Christmas Story

We started on Bug's first Christmas, reading the Christmas story before we went to bed (in our new pajamas of course!)  We read it out of a children's book right now but that will change as he gets older.




Another book to read on Christmas Eve is the classic The Night Before Christmas.  We have the Little Golden Book copy.  In fact, it was part of Bug's first Christmas eve gift!




What are your special traditions on Christmas Eve?

12 Days of Christmas Traditions - Breakfast on Christmas morning (and sausage ball recipe)

We have a tradition when it comes to breakfast on Christmas morning - Sausage balls!

My mom began this many years ago as a way to keep her out of the kitchen on Christmas morning so she could be part of everything going on in the family room.

She would make the sausage balls up the day before and put them in the fridge.  Then on Christmas morning, all she had to do was put them in the oven.

Her sausage ball recipe is sooooooo yummy that I continued to do this on Christmas morning after I got married.  Hubs loves sausage balls.

Here is the recipe:

• 1 lb sausage
• 2 cups Bisquick
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 water

scramble sausage, drain.
add Bisquick, cheese and water
roll into small balls
bake 400-450 degrees 12-15 minutes until brown  (I've found that 450 for 12 minutes works in my electric oven)

balls can be frozen and baked as needed.

recipe makes 36 balls.  you can double it and get 75.

Do you have something special that you make for breakfast on Christmas morning?

12 days of Christmas Traditions - "Santa"

I'll start by saying, I am a Christian, I was raised in a Christian household and my faith is very important to me.

With that said, I believed in Santa as a child.  My son will believe in Santa.  From a very early age, I knew the real reason for Christmas and that Santa and presents was just an extension of the Christmas spirit.  From a very early age, my son will know the real reason for Christmas. 

I personally can't stand when people get "holier than thou" about believing in Santa.  If you don't want your kids believing in Santa, then fine, but don't act like it makes you a better Christian than me.

Whoa, I really didn't mean to get on a soapbox.  But that's been bothering me this year...

Anyway, the purpose of this post was to talk about how "Santa" works in our house.  Some "Santa's" leave the gifts all wrapped, some leave then out, unwrapped and sometimes even opened.  Some Santa's leave allllllll the gifts, some just leave a few and let Mom and Dad do the rest.

As much as I can remember and have pictures to jog my memory, Santa always left my presents unwrapped and almost always out of the packaging.  Because, I mean, if Santa's elves make the toys, why do they need to in store packaging?  I digress...

I always had some presents from Mom and Dad to open but I loved walking into the living room and turning on the light and being overwhelmed (because my Mom LOVED Christmas) at everything Santa had left.  I didn't have to open each gift, they were all out and I got to bounce from one toy to the next all happy and giddy.  Each toy could be played with right away - there was no packaging to deal with taking off and it was so exciting.  Once I had time to explore everything, then we'd settle in to open the wrapped presents under the tree.

So now, Santa does the same for Bug.  He leaves his presents unwrapped around the tree. 

How about you?  Does Santa wrap your presents or not?

12 days of Christmas Traditions - New Pajamas

I told you on the first day about my favorite tradition from my childhood was getting to open one present on Christmas Eve.  This is a tradition my husband and I have continued to do.

But last year, we shook things up a bit and modified our tradition.  We have a child now and it's time to make new traditions!

Our new tradition is getting NEW PAJAMAS on Christmas Eve! 

<--- Here's us in our new pajamas last year (except this picture was taken Christmas morning and I just realized Hubs had on a different shirt...)

I have a new Christmas book for us to read on Christmas eve so I wrapped it with Bug's pajamas.  I have a feeling that as he gets older he'll get new pajamas and a small toy on Christmas eve.  :)))  It's like the best of both traditions!

Feel free to share your favorite traditions with us!

12 Days of Christmas Traditions - My Very Own Tree

Well, obviously, I have my very own tree.  But when I was a kid, I got my very own tree in my room for me to decorate.  It was a small tree of course, but I loved having my own tree!  My last Christmas I spent living at home, I was 21 years old and I still had my very own tree in my room.  (By that time, I had upgraded myself to a small four foot tree instead of a tabletop tree).

My son has had his own tree in his room since his very first Christmas.

This Christmas was the first one where he was actually big enough to help decorate his tree.  My plan is to have all the ornaments on his tree mean something.

He is all into trains right now so I made sure he had a train to put on it this year.  It's his favorite ornament.  In fact, he calls his tree "my pretty choo choo train tree".  LOL!

He picked out the duck ornament last year.  My dad has a lake and he keeps ducks on it.  It's a big deal with all the grandkids.  We were going through the store last year and Gavin says "Duck!"  So I'm looking around trying to figure our what he's seeing.  And there, hanging with some ornaments is a wooden duck that looks like Buddy, our beloved duck of 10 years who sadly passed away this year. 

We've also started the collection of the numbered ornaments.  He'll get a new one each Christmas.

The ornament he is putting on the tree in the picture is a crystal angel.  It was an ornament that belonged to me mom.  It's important to me that he have something of hers to put on his tree and an "angel" seems fitting.

The other ornaments (which you can't see in the picture) are all ornaments he's been given by friends and family.

I'm so glad to have this tradition with my little boy!

12 Days of Christmas Traditions - Presents on Christmas Eve

One of my favorite things about Christmas is all the traditions.  And most of traditions don't cost anything!  That's the frugal side of Christmas!  :)))

So I'm going to bring you 12 Days of Christmas Traditions!  Hopefully you'll find a couple in here that you can start doing!

I'm bringing you this feature early in the month, so you have time to plan if you choose to start any of these traditions yourself!

Twelve Days of Christmas Traditions - Day 1:
Getting a present on Christmas Eve

This is probably my favorite Christmas tradition from childhood.  Getting a present out from under the tree and opening it!  I couldn't pick any present but my mom always had two or three things and she would say "Pick one of these."  And I'd think, and I'd feel the presents, shake them.  And think some more.  And then I'd unwrap one.  It was always something I could use right then, a small toy, a book, a craft, nothing big but something to take the edge of the unnerving excitement that I always felt by Christmas Eve.  So since I liked it so much as a child, I carried the tradition into adulthood.  My husband and I have always exchanged a small gift on Christmas Eve!

What about you?  Do you open any gifts on Christmas Eve?

Get a personalized letter from Santa!!

Bug is still a little young to understand a "letter from Santa".  But I can't wait until he is!

These personalized letters from Santa are fancy!  I can only imagine how a child's face would light up when they see the shiny red envelope from the North Pole in their mailbox!  What fun!

Order your personalized letter from Santa today!

Cyber Monday Deals at Vistaprint good all week!

Here are two awesome deals going on this week at Vistaprint!

50 holiday cards for $12.99.  Free shipping!






Personalized Photo Mug for $1.99 + shipping (shipping starts at $5.79)

Another FREE 8x10 Collage from Walgreens!

You know about the Black Friday code that expires tonight.  At least, you should know about it!  Create an 8x10 collage print at Walgreens.com, use coupon code BFCOLLAGE and select instore pickup for a completely FREE collage print!

There is another code out to that also expires tonight.  It's THANKSGIVING

You can't use the codes in the same order.  You'll have to order each collage prints separately.  (Make one, use code, select in store pickup, submit - then repeat using the other code.)

I just made two Christmas gifts!

Hurry!

FREE Christmas Music!

Amazon.com is offering several FREE Christmas song downloads!

• Deck The Halls
• This Christmas
• 12 Days Of Christmas
• The Incredible Singing Christmas Tree (Veggie Tales)
• Winter Wonderland – Album Version (Point of Grace)
• Come, O Come Emanuel/ What Month Was Jesus Born
• The Karaoke Channel – Best Traditional Christmas Songs (entire album!)
• The Bell Medley
• Timeless Christmas (Amazon MP3 Exclusive 6 track Sampler)
• O Christmas Tree
• Do You Hear What I Hear (Mary McBride feat. Patrick Wilson)
• Silent Night (Celtic Lore)

Great, Frugal Christmas Gift Ideas!

We are having a Frugal Christmas!  Would you like to have a frugal Christmas too?

Here are some gift ideas to help you with your Frugal Christmas!

• Walgreens will be having a FREE 8x10 collage print deal on Black Friday.  These collages filled with pictures of your kids make a nice gift for their grandparents!  You can do the deal online 11/25 - 11/27 (with coupon code BFCOLLAGE) and pick up in-store later if you weren't planning on going to Walgreens on Black Friday.  If you do it in-store, you'll have to use the coupon in the ad.

• Shop Restaurant.com  Click Here to get a $25 restaurant gift card for $10!

• Create a FREE photo canvas at Canvas People!  Just pay shipping.

• Vistaprint is having a huge holiday sale!  Including Wall Calendars (personalized with your pictures) for FREE!  Get one for FREE or buy 3 for the price of ONE ($15.99).
  You can also get a FREE photo flip book!  (S+H charges on all items - still a great deal!)

Vistaprint - 20 Christmas cards only $1.99!

Christmas Cards from Shutterfly

I used to send out handmade Christmas cards.  Seriously - I would start sometime in October by coming up with my design and buying the supplies.  And then I would make 50-70 Christmas cards.

Now I have a 2 year old and I am alright with saying those days are behind me.

But it's okay, because this year I'm getting my Christmas Cards from Shutterfly!!

I mean, look at all the designs I can choose from!  They have a nice selection of religious Christmas Cards.  I like this one in particular.  But I also like this one because you can include a summary of your year - like a Christmas letter!  Which I do every year anyway!

I've ordered pictures from Shutterfly before and have been happy with the quality.  I can't wait to order my cards from their too!

You can also order Christmas Party Invitations, Business Christmas Cards and Christmas Gift Tags.