Mommy and Addison
Monday, November 23, 2015
Christmas 2015 #3
I am a woman of many varied talents as I'm sure most moms are. We can multitask in our sleep. One of my skills is taking something that my daughter needs and turning into something she wants. My mom always said Christmas is both a holiday of fun and necessity. Here's how I take those two seemingly opposite things, fun and necessity, and make them the same.
1.) Stocking stuffers: You can use the stocking for an opportunity to stock up on some of the little things your little one will need or use over the next year. For example:
-band aids with a favorite character
-toothbrushes with a favorite character
-crayons (we go through a lot!)
-personalized utensils (there must be a lost fork vortex in our kitchen)
-funky socks/underware
-hair bows/ hairbands/ headbands
-character cups or personalized cups (one of those things that also gets left/lost everywhere we go)
2.) Clothing: Unless you have a lot of second hand clothing from an older sibling or family friend (lucky you!!) chances are that you are shelling out a fair amount of money each season for your growing kiddo. Christmas is a time that offers great deals (although if you can wait for any reason until after Christmas you'll find even more discounts). I don't know about you, but when I was little I remember taking my first look at the tree after Santa had come and I could instantly recognize the pile of boxes that contained clothes. They were the least fun presents to open for a few years there. I'm sure there will come a time that no matter what I do my daughter will want to open the boxes shaped like Barbie's first- but to hold that off as long as I can- here is what I do to make clothing exciting.
-Licensed characters are your friend. If your child doesn't have a character that they enjoy, or if you don't expose them to any (no judgements either way!) then maybe a favorite color!
-Favorite activities. If your kid loves ballet class there are shirts with ballerinas, if your little one is in soccer... you get the idea. Make it fun!
-slippers
-Animals (got a dog lover on your hands? panda? There's a top for that)
3.) Milestone development items
If you have a one year old or maybe a two year old who isn't in a bed yet, Christmas might be a great time to get them excited about it by picking up a comforter set. Or if potty training is around the corner for you, maybe Santa could bring a big kid potty and books to match! Maybe Mom and Dad had the same idea as Santa and they bought big boy/girl underwear! In our house we are on the verge of adding a new baby to the mix. So the phrase of the moment is "Big Sister". Many of my daughters presents will revolve around that concept. She's either getting things that encourage her excitement over no longer being a baby, like a purse and flavored chapstick which she refers to as lipgloss, or things for her own baby doll so she can be like Mommy. Some of it is subtle and some is not, but the message this Christmas will be, regression is not fun: being a big girl is way better than being a baby. I'll let you know in a couple of months if it helped to stem the tide.
Monday, November 2, 2015
Thanksgiving DIY
I have a dollar store quick and easy DIY for you guys. It requires 0% craft skills and about $2. Here we go...
Framed seasonal cards. I know- it's laughably easy. But since I still see prints similar to these framed beautifully in home decor stores for anywhere from $15-$40, I thought it was worth the virtual ink to remind you that you can achieve a similar look from the Dollar Tree. They sell greeting cards with beautiful designs for any and all holidays as well as the frames, which I didn't do anything to. These cards are, don't laugh, from my home insurance company. I thought they were pretty so I held on to them. If you can't find a frame thats the right color for you- paint some! A pretty Christmas print in a gold frame would be lovely also! Here are some individual shots of my hard work ;-)
Framed seasonal cards. I know- it's laughably easy. But since I still see prints similar to these framed beautifully in home decor stores for anywhere from $15-$40, I thought it was worth the virtual ink to remind you that you can achieve a similar look from the Dollar Tree. They sell greeting cards with beautiful designs for any and all holidays as well as the frames, which I didn't do anything to. These cards are, don't laugh, from my home insurance company. I thought they were pretty so I held on to them. If you can't find a frame thats the right color for you- paint some! A pretty Christmas print in a gold frame would be lovely also! Here are some individual shots of my hard work ;-)
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Post #2 Christmas 2015
OK I know many of you are rolling your eyes at me. Trust me, I'm not rushing Christmas. In fact, I'm trying to do the opposite. I am trying to make that incredible season be about more than the frantic need to get in all the shopping, party planning, crafting, decorating and outings in the 25 days we're given. I personally would rather pick 1 or two DIYs and a few family traditions to put me in the holiday mood, than rushing about the crowded stores with what I call the "Christmas Monsters" (aka the people who ruin your cheer by being rude everywhere you go). So since I can't get pictures with Santa done in September and the Christmas decorations need to wait, I would rather accomplish the shopping that I can do in advance and enjoy that time with my family. Who's with me??
So my next few tips have to do with surveying your children's activities and make a list of the teachers, coaches, babysitters, dance instructors etc. that you would like to buy/make something for. This is especially helpful if you plan on DIY'ing something for a large number of people because that is just the type of thing that will have you up at 3am on December 20th covered in glitter and hot glue and cursing the month of December. I plan on doing one or two DIY gift posts, but for now here are my thoughts for those who prefer to purchase.
I know this is vague, but there are soooooooo many options out there. The bottom line is, go to Etsy and type in "dance teacher gifts" or "soccer coach gift" or my favorite- "music teacher gift" and you will get everything from adorable tumblers to jewelry that are appropriate for either gender. Even if you decide not to buy, it's a good place to start for DIY inspiration! If all else fails try "personalized ____" and add an item you think they might enjoy like a keychain or a coffee mug. You can hardly go wrong with either of those items and adding their name gives it a special touch.
This may be one of my favorites! I love getting, and people love giving, bath products for gifts. They are especially great for people that you would not feel comfortable guessing sizes for or maybe you don't know them on a personal level. If you wait until the month of December you will have tons of delicious smelling options that are holiday themed. But if you are hoping for a more wide range of scents, or if you are perhaps giving this gift to someone who does not celebrate Christmas and don't want to buy "Santa's Helper Soap" than shopping now for the summer clearance scents is a great idea. This is a particularly awesome time to buy seasonal scents if you are looking for an array of floral and perhaps apple or pumpkin fall scents. I know those are my personal favorites, and if I thought someone thought ahead an entire retail season to buy me those scents I would be very touched. You can also get great deals this time of year!
If you know that you are a one size fits all kind of shopper who sticks to gift cards for anyone that may or may not enjoy what you pick out, why not do your gift card shopping now so that the visa bill doesn't take the color out of your hair in January?! Besides much like the bath and body products, I find that the selection of designs is more appealing as well as neutral this time of year. Maybe I've mentioned this a time or two ;-), but I am a stasher. If I can accomplish gift card purchases slowly over time it doesn't hurt as much in January. It also helps to have a stash in case you have a last minute thank you to give or you forget it's the last day of a certain activity and you want to have a little Starbucks happiness to add to a card or thank you note.
The best thing you can do in order to keep both your stress level and bottom line low, is plan in advance. If you have no idea what you want to give anyone, that's OK. Even if all you do at this point is to make a list of all the people you plan on giving gifts to and set the amount you are willing to spend on each individual then you can plan your budget over the next three months. If you're going to spend a few months paying for the gifts you give, it's better to pay yourself for the few months before, rather than paying the credit card company with interest after.
So my next few tips have to do with surveying your children's activities and make a list of the teachers, coaches, babysitters, dance instructors etc. that you would like to buy/make something for. This is especially helpful if you plan on DIY'ing something for a large number of people because that is just the type of thing that will have you up at 3am on December 20th covered in glitter and hot glue and cursing the month of December. I plan on doing one or two DIY gift posts, but for now here are my thoughts for those who prefer to purchase.
1- Personalized gifts from Etsy
I know this is vague, but there are soooooooo many options out there. The bottom line is, go to Etsy and type in "dance teacher gifts" or "soccer coach gift" or my favorite- "music teacher gift" and you will get everything from adorable tumblers to jewelry that are appropriate for either gender. Even if you decide not to buy, it's a good place to start for DIY inspiration! If all else fails try "personalized ____" and add an item you think they might enjoy like a keychain or a coffee mug. You can hardly go wrong with either of those items and adding their name gives it a special touch.
2- Body products/candles
This may be one of my favorites! I love getting, and people love giving, bath products for gifts. They are especially great for people that you would not feel comfortable guessing sizes for or maybe you don't know them on a personal level. If you wait until the month of December you will have tons of delicious smelling options that are holiday themed. But if you are hoping for a more wide range of scents, or if you are perhaps giving this gift to someone who does not celebrate Christmas and don't want to buy "Santa's Helper Soap" than shopping now for the summer clearance scents is a great idea. This is a particularly awesome time to buy seasonal scents if you are looking for an array of floral and perhaps apple or pumpkin fall scents. I know those are my personal favorites, and if I thought someone thought ahead an entire retail season to buy me those scents I would be very touched. You can also get great deals this time of year!
3- Gift cards
If you know that you are a one size fits all kind of shopper who sticks to gift cards for anyone that may or may not enjoy what you pick out, why not do your gift card shopping now so that the visa bill doesn't take the color out of your hair in January?! Besides much like the bath and body products, I find that the selection of designs is more appealing as well as neutral this time of year. Maybe I've mentioned this a time or two ;-), but I am a stasher. If I can accomplish gift card purchases slowly over time it doesn't hurt as much in January. It also helps to have a stash in case you have a last minute thank you to give or you forget it's the last day of a certain activity and you want to have a little Starbucks happiness to add to a card or thank you note.
The best thing you can do in order to keep both your stress level and bottom line low, is plan in advance. If you have no idea what you want to give anyone, that's OK. Even if all you do at this point is to make a list of all the people you plan on giving gifts to and set the amount you are willing to spend on each individual then you can plan your budget over the next three months. If you're going to spend a few months paying for the gifts you give, it's better to pay yourself for the few months before, rather than paying the credit card company with interest after.
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Christmas 2015
I know some of you saw the title of this post and winced. I know, I know, it's just barely July and beach season is in full swing. You're not ready to think about Christmas yet. But hear me out... the summer is a great time to start your holiday shopping, especially for your little ones. My daughter is only 2, so she's not yet old enough to have a wish list. That makes things in the present department a little easier. However- even if you have older children you can still take advantage of summer savings. Here are some ideas.
1.) School supplies.
If you have a budding artist at home there is no better time to stock up on art supplies than during the back to school sales. Last year I bought my daughter a backpack and filled it with fun art projects for my daughter. (You can see the post on that here) But even if you aren't making a big gift out of it, crayons, markers and the like make great stocking stuffers.
2.) Summer toy clearances.
Many stores are now doing a version of Black Friday sales in July. Amazon and Target are great examples. You can find a great list of Target's toy clearance sales going on now on the krazy coupon lady website. Target Toy clearance
3.) Clothing.
Right now stores are trying to make room for the new fall items that will come out for back to school shopping, which leads to great deals on off season clothes. You can take advantage of the back to school sales as well, but check the clearance racks for extremely marked down sweaters and winter gear. (After 4th of July is also a great time to think of next summer's needs. Pick up a bathing suit that's a size or two bigger than your little ones are right now.)
4.) Spreading out the payments.
My husband and I are firm believers in not leaving a balance on our credit cards. Thankfully we have never been in a situation where we are unable to pay our cards in full. So in order to avoid interest charges as well as not getting whacked with an enormous bill in January- buying presents slowly throughout the year helps spread out the payments.
5.) "Summer toys"
Many toys that are considered summer toys go on clearance at the end of August. But there are plenty of those toys that can be used throughout the year if you're creative enough. For example in our house we have outdoor balls that do not come in the house and indoor balls that don't go outside. You can get those large rubber balls for less than $2 at the end of the summer. There are also a lot of pool or water table toys that can be used as bath toys. Christmas aside for a moment, I also like to pick up things at the end of summer for the next year that tend to wear out. You can store brand new bubbles, swimmies and pool noodles in your garage and next year not only will you not have to worry about buying new ones, but you will have gotten them all for pennies! (Keep those clearance stickers on- it's like a little high to remember the deal you got when all the circulars are showing those same items for nearly 90% more!)
This is the first post in a series about holiday shopping that I will be doing as well as possibly a few posts about the gifts I make for my daughter. Stay tuned! Now forget about the cold and go enjoy the vitamin D and pool time!
1.) School supplies.
If you have a budding artist at home there is no better time to stock up on art supplies than during the back to school sales. Last year I bought my daughter a backpack and filled it with fun art projects for my daughter. (You can see the post on that here) But even if you aren't making a big gift out of it, crayons, markers and the like make great stocking stuffers.
2.) Summer toy clearances.
Many stores are now doing a version of Black Friday sales in July. Amazon and Target are great examples. You can find a great list of Target's toy clearance sales going on now on the krazy coupon lady website. Target Toy clearance
3.) Clothing.
Right now stores are trying to make room for the new fall items that will come out for back to school shopping, which leads to great deals on off season clothes. You can take advantage of the back to school sales as well, but check the clearance racks for extremely marked down sweaters and winter gear. (After 4th of July is also a great time to think of next summer's needs. Pick up a bathing suit that's a size or two bigger than your little ones are right now.)
4.) Spreading out the payments.
My husband and I are firm believers in not leaving a balance on our credit cards. Thankfully we have never been in a situation where we are unable to pay our cards in full. So in order to avoid interest charges as well as not getting whacked with an enormous bill in January- buying presents slowly throughout the year helps spread out the payments.
5.) "Summer toys"
Many toys that are considered summer toys go on clearance at the end of August. But there are plenty of those toys that can be used throughout the year if you're creative enough. For example in our house we have outdoor balls that do not come in the house and indoor balls that don't go outside. You can get those large rubber balls for less than $2 at the end of the summer. There are also a lot of pool or water table toys that can be used as bath toys. Christmas aside for a moment, I also like to pick up things at the end of summer for the next year that tend to wear out. You can store brand new bubbles, swimmies and pool noodles in your garage and next year not only will you not have to worry about buying new ones, but you will have gotten them all for pennies! (Keep those clearance stickers on- it's like a little high to remember the deal you got when all the circulars are showing those same items for nearly 90% more!)
This is the first post in a series about holiday shopping that I will be doing as well as possibly a few posts about the gifts I make for my daughter. Stay tuned! Now forget about the cold and go enjoy the vitamin D and pool time!
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