Post-Christmas Deals

Hello small collection of readers!

I took a break from posting during the Christmas season, but I'll be back in business soon with some more fun and helpful posts. I wanted to pass along a few post-Christmas deals I have come across for now.

Remember Ngyugen : www.remembernguyen.com

I love this brand and have bought a few outfits before from another website. They apparently have a Bin Sale occasionally and put certain clothes for $5/$10/$15. Someone shared this on Facebook and I got several spring and summer smocked outfits for our daughter for $5 or $10 each. She is getting bigger and it's very hard to find smocked dresses and less mature clothes in her size, so I was very excited! Even since last night, several things had sold out this morning, so go check it out!

Extra 20% off Clearance.

 

If you take advantage of the Target Cartwheel App, be sure to add this one before your next shopping trip. It expires 1/2/16 and there is a limit of 20 items.

 

www.Kohls.com also has 20% off clearance items online.



Christmas Décor

 

This is the time of year to stock up on all things Christmas (for next year, of course!). If you were low on lights, grab an extra couple of boxes, or even an additional tree. I get entirely too excited to open up the cheapo things I bought in the previous year when I get out our decorations each year. Don't buy things you won't use, but if you need it anyway, get it now at a discounted price and store it until next year. I know Lowe's has most Christmas items at 50% off, and if you go in most any store, they have holiday items marked way down.

 

L.L.Bean

 

L.L.Bean always has free shipping, and now they have a pretty decent winter sale going on. www.llbean.com

 

 

Happy Shopping! And I probably won't be back until 2016, so Happy New Year!





Christmas Fun - Part Five

Displaying Pictures with Santa!

Visiting Santa and taking a picture in his lap is a yearly tradition for us, as it is for most families. I put our new annual photo in a simple black frame and love to have them out during the holidays. I usually just clear a shelf or two off and replace what is typically there with these pictures.  When Christmas is over, I wrap the frames up in plastic bags and store them with the rest of my Christmas decorations. I love getting them out each year! 

This is just another fun idea to make the holidays special for your family! 

Christmas Fun - Part Four

Continuing on the Holiday Tradition theme I've got going, I'll share our yearly gifts that are from mama each year to each child.

I buy each of our three children something special each year that is from me and they expect every year. Our daughter gets a snow globe every year. Our middle son gets a nutcracker (to add to the collection his daddy had growing up). Our youngest son gets an ornament for the tree that is some sort of vehicle.

I love the idea that the kids get something special from me and so far, our daughter always wants to open the gift from me first. Isn't that sweet? She can't wait to see what kind of snow globe she will get.

Ours boys are younger and haven't quite caught on that I get them the same thing every year, but I hope it's something they also look forward to opening every year.

Christmas Fun - Part Three

Christmas Wish Lists

 

 

Our kids are like most and love all sorts of toys. We are like most parents and know they don't need tons of toys. But, it's Christmas, so we do like to treat our little ones to an exciting Christmas morning! For the past couple of years, we have been making simple Christmas Wish Lists. I usually just print one on my computer. Here is where I got the idea: Christmas List Printable. The list typically has four categories {I Want, I Need, I'll Wear, I'll Read}.

 

I love the idea of keeping what they ask for to a minimum. This makes them really think about what they really would like and then anything extra can be a surprise from Santa, or from Mom and Dad.

 

I usually put the letter in an envelope once it's filled out, then stick it in the mailbox addressed to Santa. I always get the letter out of the mailbox and put it into each child's keepsake box to look at in the future, before the mail actually runs. I also take a picture of the lists to store on my shutterfly account, in case something ever happened to their boxes. Needless to say, the kids are not allowed to look through their boxes until they get older :).

It is so fun to get a glimpse into little ones' heads and live vicariously through them, especially at Christmas!

 



Christmas Fun - Part Two

To me, one of the neatest things about the holidays is continuing traditions and starting new ones. There are several little things we usually do during the month of December as a family. We have been taking the "putting the star on the tree" pictures for 7 years now. There are some pictures of my husband doing this same thing as a little boy. It is a special memory each year and it is the final stage to our tree decorating!

This is just one example of a fun holiday tradition we try to do every year (I couldn't find a picture from 2010 - hey! We're not perfect!). Our oldest is big enough now to remember doing things in years past and gets very excited to do the things "we've always done". It's a small part of what makes us our family. No matter what age your kids are, if you don't even have kids, it is fun to have holiday traditions! Maybe your kids will even want to continue them with their own families as they grow up. These days are precious!

We also have these traditions that we try to do each year (but we realize not everything can be done every year for one reason or another and that is okay!):

- Drive through the Galaxy of Lights

- Sit in Santa's lap

- Make Christmas wish lists

- Walk the Tinsel Trail

- Read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas

- Put out cookies for Santa and carrots for reindeer

- Elf on the Shelf

- Make handmade ornaments for our tree and grandparents'

 

What are some of your favorite holiday traditions??