Krista, Author at While He Was Napping

December 4, 2012 by Krista

Holiday Gift Guide {for the men}

I don’t know about you, but gifting for the big guys in my life is the absolute HARDEST part of Christmas. It’s so hard to find something they want and will use. My dad doesn’t want anything, my husband has everything he wants (that we can afford) and my brother never asks for anything. The Emergency Car Kits I made my dad and hubby last year… yeah, my dad’s is still sitting on the steps at my parent’s house. That’ll be super helpful when he’s out in the middle of the desert somewhere, right?! But, I’m not bitter. Hahaha. And hubby’s… I don’t actually know what happened to it…

So, I scour the web for guy gifting ideas all year and that is my go-to pinterest board when Christmas and Father’s Day rolls around.

On my list of gifts for the guys this year:
1. The Utili-Key 6-in-1 Keychain Multi-Tool by Swiss+Tech. My husband gets one of these just about every year. He uses it so much, we have to replace it that often. These are great, they clip easily on a regular key chain for easy access and portability. The most common problem we have with these is that the clip at the top breaks, but they fit really well in the kitchen “gadget” drawer and in the glove box when Mom is looking for a screwdriver to take the pop-up toy apart because your three-year-old thought it would be cool to drop legos in there. Just sayin’… it works.

2. Custom USB Drive. How cool is this lego USB drive?! Too cool, right? It would appeal to both the geek and kid-at-heart in my husband. My student brother would probably get a kick out of it too… You can find the basic instructions HERE. Or a more detailed set HERE.

3. Get the kiddos involved with this Me & You Book. Each book is handmade and completely custom to your kiddos and their daddy. Every daddy would treasure this forever. At least, they should…

4. For the guy that likes to grill… I am LOVING this apron. My Hubby loves to grill. He doesn’t usually wear an apron, but it would be a fun little gag gift for him and I think it would still look awesome just hanging in our kitchen. We hang out in there a lot… he cooks more as much as I do. Unless I’m pregnant, them he cooks simply to survive. Head to I Heart Naptime for the tutorial on this apron. You could also use freezer paper and fabric paints…

5. And what better to go with that awesome apron than some homemade spice and rub mixes?! You can find the how-to from The Creative Maven over at Kojo Designs on this bad boy. Easy and useful. Definitely going on my list!

6. It’s only cool to dress like your daddy for so long… so, make the most of it. Any father would be proud to claim their little munchkin and having a shirt just like daddy’s is totally awesome… if you’re under the age of, oh say, five. Get a set at Zoey’s Attic Etsy shop for only $35!

7. What man doesn’t carry around a key chain? Give a little personalization to your man’s keys with a handstamped washer. Crafty, masculine and classy. I love it! Get the directions at Helping Little Hands.

8. What a cute idea! Find out how to make your own personalized cutting board over at Greene Acre’s Hobby Farm. P.S. you can get chopping blocks at IKEA for super cheap… if you’re lucky enough to live near one.

9. I made this for Mr Napping for Father’s Day. It’s one of the few things he has actually hung in his office at work. I had planned to use it on my gallery wall if he didn’t take it out there. He loved it though. Find the tutorial HERE or order yours HERE.

10. Whew! Ten whole things for guys! Wasn’t sure I could do it… Last, but not least is a date night kit. I’m a big believer in date night. If you don’t take the time to reconnect with your spouse everything is so much more tense and fights break out easier. At least that’s how it seems at our house. Not that we ever fight, right?! Ha, “yeah, right” is more like it! These Choose Your Own Adventure Dates – one at home and one for a night out – come with everything you need to have a fun a memorable night with your special someone. The Date Night Jar might be something to consider if you find yourselves doing the same “dinner and a movie” routine and want to add some fun and variety to your dating!

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.

November 30, 2012 by Krista

Weekend Wander #104

Welcome, friends! I hope your November has been wonderful! As we continue on in this holiday season, I hope you are all doing well. I can’t wait to see what you’ve been up to! So… let’s get to it. Show me whatcha got!

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.
If you’d like to get more While He Was Napping, you can find me here:

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November 29, 2012 by Krista

Advent Calendar

Last year, I attempted an activity advent calendar with Little Monkey, but being eight months pregnant, helping with wedding preparation, and chasing my two year old didn’t leave a whole lot of time for putting it all together and carrying on with it. THIS YEAR, this year it’s up and ready to go! Christmas fun, watch out! Here we come!

Woohoo! Now I just have to keep my kiddos at bay until the 1st!

Here’s the How
Materials:
1. Envelopes (4 1/8×9 1/2 inches is the size I used)
2. Paper Cutter
3. Advent Activities (Print mine out HERE – free printable)

4. Number Labels (If you’re interested email me. I haven’t decide if I want to give them out as a freebie yet or not… they took A LOT of work and time)
5. Stapler and Staples (mine were green and silver – fun!)
6. Twine, jute or string of some kind.
7. Wall anchors or hooks
8. Clothes pins

Directions:
1. Print out your advent activities. Follow the link above for a free download of our activities. Some of them will need to be changed (my son’s pre-school teacher’s name, for example) or adjusted. There are more than 24 activities so you can pick and choose what you want to do. You can find the Snowman Bowling printables on this post – scroll to the bottom of the post to find the link.
2. Cut the envelopes in half vertically and seal them.
3. Cut out the activities and cut out the number labels.
4. Slide each activity into one of the envelopes.
5. Use the stapler to attach the number labels to the envelopes. Make sure you don’t staple the activities inside the envelop. I used them to place my staples so the advent activities will stay upright better inside the envelop.
6. Cut your jute or other sting. Hang the wall anchors on the wall. Tie the sting to the anchors.
7. Use the clothes pins to hang the envelopes.

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.
If you’d like to get more While He Was Napping, you can find me here:

November 26, 2012 by Krista

Holiday Gift Guide {for the kids}

Holy Cow! Everything I had planned for this past month totally didn’t happen! And I mean everything! Psshhaw on real life, right?! But, it’s Christmastime, “the most wonderful time of the year”, as they say. And, even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, you can ‘t help but be caught up in the holiday season! I love it.

Well, I hope everyone (here in the US) had a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend and the rest of you, I hope you had an awesome normal weekend. With the passing of Thanksgiving we are now OFFICIALLY in holiday shopping mode. Confession: I’ve been shopping since August… and I still don’t seem to have enough hours in the day to complete everything I want to.

For me, the hardest people in my life to shop/gift for are the guys and the tween/teens. I’m not made of money, unfortunately, and they seem to want pricey gifts. What to do? What to do? I usually resort to handmade, partially because of cost and partially because then maybe they will feel too guilty to realized it’s not something from the top of their wish lists… diabolical? Maybe. But, I love handmade gifts and, to me, they are usually more meaningful than something off the shelves.

GIFTS FOR THE KIDS:
Our kiddos are 3 and 10 months this Christmas. This is what is topping my list of gifts for the kids this year:
1. Gizmos and Gears. My Little Monkey (3) would love this. Not only does he get to build it, it moves when he’s finished! And he can play with it again and again, each time building something new.

2. Playskool Busy Basics Form Fitter. Little Gator (10 months) would probably chew on this more than anything at this point, but he’s starting to show an interest in puzzles and what’s better than a waterproof puzzle for the guy who has to taste everything?

3. One of our faves is Monsters, Inc. and Little Monkey would love this Mike Wazowski shirt. Get the tutorial at A Little Tipsy on creating this awesome shirt for cheap.

4. My kiddos need some hats this winter. This is one I made for my cousin’s little cutie in a Minnie Mouse version. I’m thinking my boys might need one too… Mickey version of course.

5. Little Monkey will be getting a DVD coloring case. I love that this is small, easily transported and all contained. Get the tutorial on this at Handmade by Stacy Vaughn.

6. This one is for my Gator. I have seen similar ideas with fabric books and love the idea… however, I have a feeling it would take me clear til Christmas to get all that sewing done. My kids are just too curious about the sewing machine to use it when they are awake and they rarely sleep at the same time, so that time is too precious to spend it on one project. But this photo version… this I can do! Get the details at Everyday Chaos.

7. How cool is this DIY Geoboard?! Get the details on making your own at Mama Jenn Blogs. I used to love geoboard days in school. I can’t wait to show Little Monkey how to make different shapes!

8. Some days I need a little help coming up with things to do with my kids to keep them busy and entertained. It seems to work better for me to have a list of activities somewhere other than on Pinterest because I always get sucked in to that darn site. It’s all the pretty pictures, I tell ya! To keep the temptation away and my kids out from in front of the screen I often reward my three-year-old with activity cards like these Kid’s Stocking Stuffer Activity Coupons.

9. I want to get my Gator one of these. Stacks and it’s a teether?! Scoooore! This kid puts everything, and I mean every stinking thing, in his mouth. It would be nice to have some toys with that purpose in mind.

10. Last, but not least, are books. I am a BIG believer in books. I loved to read as a kid (still do, but two kids of my own don’t leave much time for reading) and I want my children to know that it’s okay (heck, it’s awesome) if they would rather read than sit in front of a TV, computer, tablet or phone screen. I don’t think you can ever have too many books. Because books can be spendy, I like to buy off of half.com. I don’t need a brand new copy so this works perfectly for me. If I’m buying myself a book, I’ll probably only read it once and don’t feel the need to have a crisp, new book. And my kids are only going to trash the books further, so if it has a little more loved feeling to it than one at Barnes & Nobel, I’m okay with that. The $10+ savings helps me see right passed that “loved” quality. As long as pages aren’t torn, scribbled on or missing and the binding is in decent shape, it’s good enough for me. Get some ideas of the best kid’s books at Children’s Books Guide.

What are you getting your kiddos this Holiday season?

P.S. Today is the last day for the Black Friday sale in my Etsy shop. Save 35% off your order with BLACK12 in the coupon code box, plus take advantage of the digital BOGO. Ends at midnight tonight PST.

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.
If you’d like to get more While He Was Napping, you can find me here:

November 10, 2012 by Krista

{Deal of the Day} 8×10 Thanksgiving Subway Art

8×10″ THANKSGIVING SUBWAY ART

Print-at-home or have it delivered

Add some flair to your Holiday Season with this subway art format printable. This includes one .jpg file or a single 8×10″ print. The image has multi-colored text with a white background. I can resize the files for an additional charge. If interested, please contact me. Additional shipping and printing time required for larger files.

Files or print will ship within 24 hours. If you choose printed delivery the image will be printed on Archival Photo Paper and shipped first class mail between cardboard for protection. Shipping takes 2-5 days. If you choose digital delivery, the file will be emailed to you after I receive payment. You can then save it and print on any paper you would like or upload it and have it printed professionally. Of course, your file will come without a watermark.

This is a great way to decorate. Print out your piece, frame and hang. Want a little change of scenery? It’s as simple as changing what’s in the frame. Five minutes to a whole new look!

Please double check that you enter a valid email address at checkout. I don’t resend things due to incorrect addresses, unless the fault is my own.

The option to get this piece in vinyl is also available, for an additional charge, plus postage. Please convo me for more details. The vinyl is a single color (brown). Not multi-colored as the image is.

FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY PLEASE. Do not forward or share this piece. I retain all rights to this image.

Purchase this through Etsy HERE or through PayPal below.

Shipping Option

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.
If you’d like to get more While He Was Napping, you can find me here:

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