In just 8 super easy steps and an afternoon, you’ll create a one-of-a-kind set of DIY scratch off cards that will add a little fun and mystery to date night. They are perfect for romantic gifts or just for a little change of pace.

DIY SCRATCH OFF CARDS: SPICE UP DATE NIGHT WITH A LITTLE FUN AND MYSTERY

The best part about these DIY scratch off cards are that you can customize them to fit your needs. If date night has become predictable and lost it’s excitement, then something like a Date Night Lotto card would liven things up! Scratch off a square and you have a great date idea without adding a ton of stress or prep to date nights!

Or maybe you’re looking for a way to reconnect with your sweetie or to spice things up in the bedroom a bit? Then a set of Lover’s Lotto or Spicy Lover’s Lotto cards might fill your needs best. Scratch off one of those squares and forget your boring, old routine! Right at your finger tips is a great new romantic idea to fill your evening!

And I’ll give you the blank templates in just a minute! Doesn’t get much easier than that!

(But, if you do want it to get easier, I have pre-filled, ready-to-print cards as well as an editable PDF you can just plug your own ideas into in my Etsy Shop.)

ARE DIY SCRATCH OFF CARDS YOUR KIND OF PROJECT?

This project is pretty simple, but it’s not for everyone. So, how do you know if it’s the kind of thing you’re looking for? Who is this post written for? What demographics will benefit from this information? Make an emotional connection and hit a pain point.

• Do you enjoy a good, simple DIY project?
• Are you looking for a way to liven up your love life?
• Do you need a romantic gift idea that doesn’t cost a lot, doesn’t take a ton of time to put together and is something your gift receiver will love?
• Are you trying to stick to a budget?

If you said yes to those – or any combination of those – then this project is exactly what you’re looking for.

However, if you’re looking for something RIGHT NOW or don’t like DIY projects this might not be what you’re looking for. (My printable Date Night Jar or printable Truth or Dare: Couple’s Edition bedroom card game might fit your needs better right now. They are literally print and cut and done.)

HOW TO MAKE DIY SCRATCH OFF LOTTO CARDS

With just a few simple supplies and an afternoon, you’ll have custom DIY scratch off cards perfect for your needs. A quick print job, some trimming and laminating, and a splash of paint is all you need to get one step closer to a spicier love life.

And don’t worry, most of the project time is waiting for the paint to dry. While it will take a few hours for your DIY scratch off cards to be all ready to go, you don’t need to carve out a whole afternoon to spend slaving away.

DIY SCRATCH OFF CARD SUPPLIES:

• Blank scratch off card templates – Print your free blank templates HERE or you can grab all the pre-filled, ready-to-print cards and the editable PDF files to fill in yourself RIGHT HERE)
• Printer and Paper
• Scissors or paper cutter
• Clear contact paper, cold laminating pouches or a thermal laminator and thermal pouches (I absolutely LOVE this thermal laminator starter kit – works great and totally affordable. I have the older model and it still works like a charm.)
• Acrylic paint and paintbrush – any color will work, but a metallic paint will look most like a typical scratch off card. Follow your colorful heart, there is no wrong choice.
• Paint palette or something to mix your paint on
• Dish soap – the kind you hand wash dishes with, not the kind you put in the dishwasher.
• Skinny 3mm washi tape – optional

PRINT & FILL IN YOUR DIY SCRATCH OFF TEMPLATES

Step #1: Download and print your blank lotto card templates. I recommend printing with a laser printer and on card stock for durability. Ink jet and regular paper will work just fine though.

*If you choose to grab my editable PDF files from my Etsy shop, you’ll want to fill those in before you print them.

Step #2: Fill in the blank templates with a pen or marker. Leave some space around your writing to make sure it won’t stick out from under the paint when you cover them up. You don’t need to leave a lot of space, but try not to write all the way to the borders of the boxes.

COVER AND CUT YOUR DIY SCRATCH OFF CARDS

*If you use laminating pouches or a thermal laminator, you will want to switch steps #3 and #4. Cut the cards apart first and then laminate each individual card. After each card is laminated, cut it apart and trim the cards, if desired.*

Step #3: Cover the front of your lotto card templates with the clear contact paper. You can cover the back too, if you want, but it’s not necessary. This cover will help protect the cards and is how the paint will scratch off your DIY scratch off cards.

Step #4: After the contact paper is on the cards, cut the cards apart. The files are formatted to cut an 8.5″x11″ paper into quarters. You absolutely can cut the cards smaller though. I did trim mine smaller for neater edges and smaller margins.

PREPARE YOUR DIY SCRATCH OFF CARDS FOR PAINTING

Step #5: If you choose, mask off the edges of the cards. 3mm washi tape is perfect for this! Just put a line of tape on all the grid lines on the card. It’ll keep your paint lines nicer. Repeat with each card.

Step #6: Mix your acrylic paint and dish soap with an approximate 2:1 ratio – 2 parts paint, 1 part dish soap. It’s not rocket science and you don’t have to have precise measurements for this to work, so don’t stress over it.

PAINTING YOUR DIY SCRATCH OFF CARDS

Step #7: Apply a thin layer of paint over the words on your card. Let the paint dry thoroughly.

Step #8: Repeat step #7 until you can no longer see the text through the paint. Depending on what color paint you use, you may need 3-5 coats. Let dry overnight once you can no longer see text through the paint layers.

That’s it, your ready to spice things up!

DIY SCRATCH OFF CARD TIPS & TRICKS

** A laser printer will keep your ink from smudging, should the cards get wet. Using laminating pouches will also accomplish this. An ink jet printer will work just fine, just be cautious not to get the cards wet if you don’t laminate them with pouches.

** Skinny 3mm washi tape is perfect for masking off your grid lines while you paint, however it is NOT a necessity. It will keep your paint lines neater, make painting easier, and make your cards look better overall, but free-handing the painting process is definitely an option and will save some time if you don’t have to mask off your grid lines. You could also cut down and use masking tape or scotch tape, if you prefer.

** Use fresh paint. By that, I mean not paint you’ve had in a cupboard for a few years… As you can see in that last photo, I started using silver paint. But it was old. It was clumpy and kept separating and didn’t mix well with the dish soap, so I ditched it for the red and pink paints. Newer, non-clumpy paint will give you a much better result with far fewer coats of paint.

** The painting and waiting to dry process is the longest part of this project, but it will turn out so much better if you do thin layers rather than a thick, globby one. You can use a blow dryer on low heat, low air flow to speed this process up.

** If all this masking off and painting thing is more than you want to deal with, you can use scratch off stickers to cover your date ideas instead. Take this cute idea and simplify! Find scratch off stickers on Etsy or on Amazon.

Got more questions? You’re always welcome to leave a comment or shoot me a message!

READY TO MAKE SOME DIY SCRATCH OFF CARDS AND SPICE UP YOUR LOVE LIFE?

In just an afternoon you can spice up date night and add some fun and mystery to your romantic life. This project is simple and fun. It’s a great romantic gift idea that is customizable to fit your exact needs. And who wouldn’t love to get some DIY Scratch Off Cards like these?!

Turn on some mood music, grab a coin and start scratching off those fun ideas!

If you want more romantic gift and date night ideas, check out the Date Night Jar (or HERE is a printable version!)

The post DIY Scratch Off Cards that will Spice Up Date Night appeared first on While He Was Napping.

MAKE YOUR HOME COZY AND INVITING WITH FALL SIMMER POT RECIPES

I am the first to admit that, with three young boys in my home, it doesn’t always smell like roses. Let’s be honest, if I didn’t make my boys wipe down the toilet on an almost-daily basis (and sometimes two or three OR FIFTY times a day), my house would smell like pee.

#boymomproblems

Thankfully, simmer pot recipes have helped me control what my house smells like. Because that kind of stuff makes an impression and “lady with the pee house” isn’t exactly how I want people to remember me.

One of my criteria for simmer pot recipes is real ingredients that are easy and inexpensive to get my hands on. And that is exactly what you’ll find in these recipes.

These fall simmer pot recipes use 12 real ingredients – no weird things you can’t find at your local grocery or out in nature and definitely none of those chemically smelling wax melts! There are 12 different combinations to bring the best things of Fall into your cozy home, so you’re sure to find one that will suit you.

Because Fall smells like cinnamon, not cinnamon scented chemicals.

A SIMMER POT MIGHT WORK BEST FOR YOU IF:

Sure, there are lots of ways to make your home smell better. Deodorizers, cleansers, candles and other aroma diffusers are widely available. Because, who wants the gym stank to hang around or the funky game day laundry you haven’t had a chance to do yet?

I’ve tried a million ways – I swear it feels that way – to try to keep the stink and funk under control. Living with a bunch of boys can be a real stinker, especially in the winter when we keep the house closed up and heated. A simmer pot works best if you’re looking for:

• a set and forget method to make your home smell amazing that is easy to turn off and on.
• no open flames or melted wax to worry about – a huge perk with little ones wandering around!
• inexpensive options that don’t bring a lot of chemicals into your home.
• options that don’t clutter your electrical outlets.

HOW DO YOU SIMMER? WHICH METHOD IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

There is more than one way to simmer a pot. I’m going to present you with three ways and leave it to you to choose which method fits your life best.

Let’s discuss the pros and cons of a small simmer pot or candle/wax melt warmer, a small slow cooker, or a pot on the stove.

SIMMER POT

A simmer pot is electric and you plug it into a wall outlet. It uses a light bulb to heat whatever you put in the small bowl.

If you want a simmer pot, I suggest this ceramic one that you can find on Amazon. The ceramic will make it easier to clean up and this one has pretty good reviews. It has a decent size bowl for a simmer pot, but you’ll need to keep an eye on the water and refill it more often since the bowl is small. (You can also search wax melt warmer or candle warmer and see some other options.)

I personally don’t own a simmer pot currently, but have in the past. My biggest complaints were having to change the light bulb when it dies, constantly refilling the water and inconsistent heating.

SMALL SLOW COOKER

Personally, I like to simmer in a small slow cooker like this one. I have this pot and it works great! Why do I recommend a small slow cooker over an actual simmer pot? Here’s why:

• It can hold more water and ingredients, which means you can scent more square footage with just a single simmer pot. And there are fewer water refills to keep your pot simmering.
• The adjustable temperature control. Almost every single simmer pot I’ve researched – and definitely every budget simmer pot – one of the biggest complaints is how hot or not hot they get. Adjustable temperature takes care of that.
• It’s super easy to clean. Clean it out, rinse and put it in the dishwasher. If you forget to clean it out or don’t have time when you turn it off, just clean out the loose stuff, soak the removable crock and wash. Easy peasy.
• Budget-friendly and multi-functional. Off brand small slow cookers usually cost less than a decorative simmer pot; sometimes, you can find them for less than half as much. I simmer in my kitchen, so a small slow cooker on the counter is no big deal. And, because I only simmer with natural ingredients, I don’t worry about putting food in my slow cooker after it’s been cleaned.

STOVE TOP IN A POT

This is great if you need a large batch that you can set up in the morning and then just leave it alone all day. If you have company coming that evening, but still have cleaning to do, a large batch on the stove top is a great option. Again, just make sure you don’t run out of water.

My biggest hang up with this method is that it heats the house (which is fine in November, but less desirable in September here in the hot desert) and it takes up a burner on my stove. But my biggest issue is that I have to leave the stove on and, with all my little kids around, I just cringe at all the things that could go wrong with that scenario.

SIMMERING IS SUPER EASY WITH THESE NATURAL INGREDIENT FALL SIMMER POT RECIPES

If you’ve never simmered anything before, let me tell you how easy it is. Pretty much if you can boil water, you can simmer. Actually, I think boiling water is harder. In just 3 simple steps, you’ll be ready to simmer your way into Fall aroma heaven.

1. Gather natural ingredients in your pot
2. Fill pot with water
3. Place pot on warmer and turn the warmer on

Yep, for real, it is THAT easy.

The only thing you have to remember is to keep the water topped off. You can even reuse your pot for 7 consecutive days if you put it in the fridge overnight, which can help your pennies stretch even further without giving up those Fall scents we all love.

ALL NATURAL FALL SIMMER POT RECIPES PRINTABLE

Keep your home smelling amazing all season long with these 12 Fall simmer pot recipes. All 12 recipes use 3-5 all natural ingredients. Your home will be cozy and inviting with the best scents of Fall greeting guests and visitors. Kick the funk to the curb and instead fill your home with the cozy smells of Fall.

Click the image or link below to get your printable copy of my favorite 12 Fall Simmer Pot Recipes. The download page will open in a new tab. Just click the download button and then save the image to your computer. Print a copy to keep near your simmer pot. Be sure to follow those steps so you get the full resolution image and not a grainy web version.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PRINTABLE

BANISH THE FUNK AND ENJOY THE BEST FALL AROMAS ALL SEASON LONG

Whether it’s boy bathroom stink, Halloween costume sweat or ski trip laundry funk, banish the nose-scrunching smells and fill your home with the sweet and savory smells that we all love about Fall. Invite visitors in with warmth from the moment you open the door this Fall season. These Fall Simmer Pot recipes will make your home a place everyone wants to escape from the chilly air.

Happy Fall!

Ever wish you could focus better? Check out these Essential Oil recipes that will help improve your focus!

The post Amazing Fall Simmer Pot Recipes – All Natural Ingredients! appeared first on While He Was Napping.

We’ve put the very best Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Spring printables all in one place!

If you’re new to these bundles, trust me when I say- you DO NOT want to miss out on this!

But, that lovely little timer below? It’s counting down FAST! When it hits zero, this deal DISAPPEARS FOREVER!!

I’ve teamed up with 25+ extremely talented bloggers and designers to create this ULTIMATE Spring Printables bundle!

This bundle is so full of fun, I don’t even know where to begin. You’ll find things from some of your favorite bloggers and online shops and maybe even discover some new favorites too!

What you’re looking at is OVER 540 PAGES of Spring printables for you, all in one handy dandy place.

Not only have we all come together to offer these great products to you in one convenient place, you can SCORE THEM ALL for 90% OFF! No, that’s not a typo. TONS of crazy, cute printables—ONE crazy, low price!

You’ll get $242 of ADORABLE items for only $18!

Here’s the catch—this deal only lasts for THREE DAYS!

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

This is a 3-Day sale!

• Buy on January 24th, 25th or 26th for ONLY $18
• You’ll get 540+ pages of high quality Spring printables you can reuse and refer back to again and again
• These products are worth over $240 on their own from 25+ online shops
• After Jan 26, 2018, this deal is GONE FOREVER!

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

This baby seriously has EVERYTHING you could ever want or need for Spring including…

• Classroom Valentines
• Valentine’s Day Activity Book
• Romantic Valentine’s Day Gift
• Easter Basket Gifts
• Christ-Centered Easter Countdown
• Easter Egg Hunt
• Spring Wall Art
• Spring Cleaning Kit
• Printable To-Do Lists
• Favorite Freezer-Friendly Meals
• AND SO MUCH MORE! {See all the goods below!}

My contribution to this bundle sells in my Etsy shop for $10, that’s more than half the cost for this insane bundle! And you get 25+ MORE products for just $8 more?! This is a no-brainer!

WANT TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT WHAT’S INCLUDED?

Thought so! Just wait until you see all of the printable goodness…

VALENTINE’S DAY

1. Kids Printable Valentine Bundle by Paper & Taigh – Love is in the air! Your kiddos will be the hit of their class with these darling printable Valentines! There are even two options to choose from: superhero suckers or mini Valentine s’mores kits. Both equally darling and fun.
2. Valentine’s Jumpstart Pack by Love Hope Adventure– Need a done for you Valentine’s gift for your sweetie? Print of this romantic Valentine’s card, Week of Love gift tags with ideas for each day, and a sexy game to play as the grand finale’ to the holiday.
3. Valentine’s Day Printable Cards by Whispers In Design – This Valentine’s Day Printable Card set includes 6 beautiful hand lettered designs. These original cards will be perfect to gift on Valentine’s Day, but can also be used for many other occasions like Anniversaries, Birthdays, or just to tell someone how special they are! The cards measure 5”x7” and can easily be framed and used to brighten any room as well.
4. Heart Attack Printable Kit by Our Kerrazy Adventure – These printables will make it so easy to spread sunshine and love. Simply print and trim and heart attack your neighbor, friends, and loved ones.
5. Valentine’s Day Kids Activity Book by Kids Activities – Kids are most likely to learn when they are being creative and having FUN! So we grabbed our crayons and gave our inner child some chocolate in order to create this 15-page, Valentine’s Day Activity Pack for your kids. Grab it now for Valentines’s Bingo, Color-by-Number, Word Searches and more!
6. Emoji Valentine’s Breakfast Pack by Paging Supermom – Show your emotions this Valentine’s Day with this super-cute Emoji Breakfast Pack. It’s 25 pages of ideas and printable templates including decorative banners, placecards, party flags, toppers, tray liners and table confetti. There’s even a printable template for making those adorable Emoji Pancakes! The pack has everything you need to create your Valentine’s breakfast, including Paging Supermom’s best-selling Emoji templates, which aren’t just for Valentines — use them for birthday parties, baby shower and really anytime.
7. Printable Classroom Valentines by Skip to my Lou – Your kids will have the cutest Valentines this year! 50- YES, we said 50- printable Valentines! Just print and attach a small gift! There are so many cute ideas to choose from- you can use these printables for years and years to come.

VALENTINE’S DAY & EASTER COLLECTIONS

8. 3 Printable Collections by Piggy Bank Parties – No, not just one- you’re getting THREE different collections: 1. Sugar Cookie Valentines Collection, 2. Springin’ Gingham Easter Collection, and 3.Noah’s Ark Collection! Throw a sweet Valentine’s Day party with our Sugar Cookie Valentines Collection! These sugar cookie inspired print at home party decorations and valentines are perfect for school parties, bridal showers, Valentine’s Day events or an anniversary party. Celebrate Easter with our Springin’ Gingham Easter Collection! These sweet print at home pastel gingham party decorations are perfect for an Easter egg hunt or your family’s Easter celebration. Celebrate the mother of twins, a twin birthday or your favorite two-year-old with the Noah’s Ark Collection! These two-of-a-kind print at home party decorations are perfect for your next baby shower and birthday party.
9. Valentine’s & Easter Set by Papers&Plenty – This printable set includes Valentine’s Day Cards, Easter Basket Gift Tags, AND an Easter Basket Checklist. These sweet treats Valentine’s Day cards are so fun, everyone is sure to love them! Set includes 7 cards, each with a doughnut or cupcake and matching saying. Just fill-in the names and add them to your treat, perfect for kids and adults! You’ll also receive adorable Valentine’s Day vehicle cards! Set includes 8 cards, each with a different mode of transportation and matching saying. Just fill-in the names, great for kids, teachers & more! The perfect addition to any Valentine’s Day party! Finally, we’re also including cute Easter tags to attach to all your Easter goodies! Two sets of tags, “From the Easter Bunny” or blank cards to write your own message! PLUS a bonus checklist full of ideas to fill those Easter baskets for all ages!
10. Spring Planner Sticker Printable Set by Mod Podge Rocks – You’ll love these THREE sheets of printable planner stickers for Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, and Easter!! These stickers are perfect for spring and fits a variety of planner types like Happy Planner, Erin Condren, Day Designer, bullet journal and more.

EASTER

11. Christ Centered Easter Countdown by The Dating Divas – Behind all of the giant chocolate bunnies and treat-filled baskets lie the real reason for this incredible season – Christ. With our Christ-Centered Easter Countdown, you will be able to celebrate, for 14 truly amazing days, all that He is and what He teaches us!
12. Kids’ Easter Basket Activity Coupons by While He Was Napping – Looking for something to put in your kids’ Easter baskets besides candy? Stop looking, because you’ve found the perfect alternative to fill those eggs with! Give your kids memories this Easter rather than a basket of cavities! Kids can trade in their coupons for fun activities and rewards with these 45 printable coupons that will keep on giving long after that bunny has come and gone!
13. Mini Easter Kiddie Table Printables by The CreativiDee Workshop – Create a cheerful Easter table for the kids with this mini printable collection! You’ll find place mats to color, napkin wraps, cupcake toppers, treat bag toppers, mini place cards or food tents, favor hanging tags and a centerpiece for the final touch. Just add jelly beans and have a Happy Easter!
14. A Walk With Jesus–Journaling Through Holy Week by 4The Love ofMy Heart – Have a closer walk with Jesus during Holy Week by taking a step further into what was happening at that time. For eight days, you’ll study the events from a different view. Then follow the journal prompts as you study this most precious time of year.
15. Easter Planner & Easter Egg Bingo Bundle by Sunny Day Family – Everything you need to plan your Easter celebration! From activities & crafts to egg hunts to the Easter meal, you’ll find planning tools, invitations, and thank you cards for the perfect family holiday. Plus a super fun Easter Egg Bingo game to bring your egg hunt to the next level!
16. Easter Party Printable Set by Everyday Party Magazine – This Easter Printable Party Package comes with everything you need for a sweet party! Including: Food Tents, Party Circles, and Mini Easter Basket Bunting!
17. Printable Easter Coupon Book & Egg Hunt by Edventures with Kids – In this fun printable pack you’ll receive 24 printable coupons, including a few blank ones you can customize, along with your choice of 2 Easter Coupon Book covers! We’ve included activities for kids ages 3 – 16 years old too. Choose the activities that fit your child and personalize EACH coupon book for EACH of your kids! You’ll also receive a set of pre-printed Egg Hunt Clues and a detailed list of where to hide them for an Easter Egg Hunt that works in any home!
18. Easter Planner by Peoples Life on Paper – Spring into action and get organized for your family’s Easter celebration with this 28-page printable planner! With everything you need to prepare your holiday dinner, fill the Easter Baskets, plan the annual Easter Egg Hunt, and squeeze in a craft or two, this Easter Planner is your must-have guide to stay organized and enjoy the holiday with your family and friends.

SPRING

19. Hello Spring Bundle by A Lively Hope – This Hello Spring Bundle features a beautifully hand-painted watercolor flower wreath in happy pinks and greens. It includes: one 8.5×11″ Hello Spring art print, one 4.5×6.25″ (folded) greeting card and seven journal cards in various sizes. I love to add journal cards like this to my journal and memory keeping pages! And sending this beautiful card to a friend will make their day, guaranteed.
20. Spring Cleaning Organized Package by Homemaking Organized – Maximize your Spring Cleaning Efforts with our Organized Spring Cleaning Package! Informative ebook, blank Spring Cleaning Planner, and Gorgeous Room Cleaning templates make cleaning your home a breeze!
21. Speed Clean the Deep Clean: A Collection of Time-Saving Cleaning Tutorials and Tips for Busy Moms by What’s up Fagans? – Speed Clean the Deep Clean is the perfect cleaning handbook for moms who want a clean house but aren’t really sure how to clean the various stains and messes in their homes. With more than 50 proven cleaning tutorials and tips, complete with step-by-step instructions, written by a former cleaning professional, you will finally know how to clean the various home and kid-related stains with ease.
22. Printable To Do Lists by Jessica Marie Design – Keep track of your spring holiday to do items with this printable To Do Lists set! The To Do Lists set includes four different page layouts to fit your needs. Simply download the PDF file, open it with Adobe Reader, add text to the fillable sections, and print. Use the files over and over every year!
23. 100 Printable Encouragement Cards by Life is Sweeter by Design – Encouragement cards are the perfect way to stay on track with positive thinking and goal setting. This set of 100 Printable Encouragement Cards make a great gift for a friend or coworker. Pull out a new card each day for and uplifting thought!
24. Garden Shop Printable Pretend Play Kit by The Littles & Me – Get ready for Spring and Summer with some fresh flowers from your very own garden shop. Your kiddo will love setting up shop with this bright and colorful kit that’s sure to provide hours & hours of creative play. It’s no secret that children learn best by learning and doing, which is why pretend play is so important. This kit will help your child learn about themselves and the world around them in a creative, fun, and imaginative way. It’s the perfect addition to your playroom!
25. 30 Favorite Freezer-Friendly Meals e-book by Fun Cheap Or Free – Save not only time, but also save money with the 30 Favorite Freezer- Friendly Meals e-book. 30 tried and tested freezer recipes that can be eaten right away, or frozen for later. Recipes include how to best freeze, then prepare you meals for quick and delicious home-cooked dinner when time gets in the way.
26. Carrie Elle Spend Well Budgeting System Digital Files by Carrie Elle – Are you tired of struggling with your finances each month? The Spend Well Budgeting System digital files give you all the tools you need to succeed at budgeting. You’ll receive an editable spreadsheet, several financial worksheets, labels to create your own cash envelope system, and access to the 60 Day Budgeting Challenge.
27. Turn Chaos Into Peace, 5 Trainings To Change Your Home From Surviving To Thriving by The Mom Conference – 5 interviews with different experts to give you tools that are practical and actually work for those part of motherhood that are hard. We cover how to budget effectively-even if you hate budgeting, dealing with screens in a way that won’t make your kids hate you, raising kids to be successful teens, how to create a life that you love, and my favorite an interview on sibling rivalry you won’t want to miss!

BUT WAIT…

I’ve got a BONUS just for you!

If you purchase the bundle through any of the links on this page, I’ll send you this set of 12 Kids’ Valentine Coupons just because you are awesome – with no watermarks, of course.

You can click the photo to see the listing and everything you’ll be getting in your bonus, plus it includes a blank template, in case you want to make your own coupons.  This would be super fun to pair with the Kid’s Valentine Activity Book (see #5 on the list above).

This coupon set also sells in my Etsy shop for $10 – which means between my Easter egg stuffer activity coupons and the Kid’s Valentine’s Day coupons, you’re already saving a couple bucks when you buy this bundle! And you’ll be making some awesome memories with your kiddos! Win-win!

WHEW! So there you have it. Pretty much everything you could ever want for the Spring holidays. I am dying from all that goodness and I just CAN’T WAIT to use all those goodies.

And for only 18 buckaroos {for OVER $240 worth of goodies?!} SHEESH!

Sign. Me. Up.

Two super, duper important things to remember:

#1- It’s only available for THREE DAYS!
#2- Midnight MST on the 26th, this deal is gone FOREVER!

What are you waiting for?!

HAPPY SPRING!

PLEASE NOTE: The Dating Divas are hosting this fun bundle. If you purchase, you will receive a receipt and delivery email from The Dating Divas. If you have any troubles or questions at all you can always contact me and I will reach out to them for you or go straight to our fabulous hosts and shoot an email to divas@thedatingdivas.com

The post 27 Spring Printables You NEED! appeared first on While He Was Napping.

I’m a sucker for a good, and easy, Christmas countdown; but, December is a busy month! Can you relate? So, when the calendar gets around December 8th, I find myself struggling to keep up with the fun we started just a week before.

I need simple. Do you need simple too?

A countdown where, if you miss a day or two (or five), it doesn’t ruin the whole thing. I totally get that! I also wanted a visual representation, because my kids ask “how many days until Christmas?” every single day. For 25 days. This year I plan to just point my kids to this countdown.

EASY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN CHAIN

WHY SHOULD YOU USE THE EASY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN CHAIN?

Of course, we have some Christmas traditions that I look forward to every year. But, not having an activity assigned to every single day means I can relax more. I can enjoy the traditions without worrying about tomorrow’s activity. This countdown was designed with busy families in mind. This easy Christmas Countdown Chain will help you because:

• It’s super simple. 20 minutes and it’ll be ready to go. Or just print it and give it to the kids to put together.
• If you miss a day or two, just remove the extra links to catch up. No stress or drama when life gets crazy.
• And the kids can see just how close Christmas really is. You won’t feel like you’re stuck on a month long car ride with the kids asking, “are we there yet?” on repeat.

KEEPING TRADITIONS PART OF YOUR EASY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

But, what about the traditions you DO want to keep? Don’t worry, I thought of that. There are THREE ways to put together the Easy Christmas Countdown Chain so that it works for your family:

1. One of them has nothing but numbers and is simply just a countdown.
2. The other one, though, has some fun Christmas activities to do. There’s even blank chain links so you can add your family’s special traditions.
3. A combination of the two, with activities interspersed through out the month on days you think you’ll be able to accommodate.

So, now you get to customize your chain in whatever way best fits YOUR family. Use whichever Easy Christmas Countdown fits into your schedule better – or – combine the two!

Want an example? My kids will be in school until 3 days before Christmas, so we will have to keep up our school routine during the week. We will also have a brand new baby (we’re talking less than a month old). We won’t have a lot of time this year to throw in extra activities. Weekends will be our best bet, so those days will get an activity link and we can make sure our favorite traditions make it into our schedule.

MAKING YOUR EASY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN CHAIN

When I said this is simple, I really meant it will take you about 20 minutes to put together. Maybe 30 if you let the kids “help”. Simple, yeah?

There’s one more thing you need to know before we get started. You already know there are two versions of the chain (the one with the daily countdown and the other one with the activities), but each version of the Easy Christmas Countdown Chain is also available in color and in monochrome.

This is meant to help you save ink by printing on colored paper instead of on white paper. Or in case you only have a monochrome printer (I dream of upgrading to a color laser printer someday). So, just be aware of that when we download your chosen files.

MATERIALS NEEDED FOR YOUR EASY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN CHAIN:

• Easy Christmas Countdown Chain Printable Files (preview the different files below under step 1)
  • Countdown Only: Color | Monochrome
  • Countdown with Activities: Color | Monochrome
• Printer and paper
• Scissors or paper cutter
• Tape, glue or stapler and staples

DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING YOUR EASY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN CHAIN

1. Print the Easy Christmas Countdown Chain links. If you’re using the countdown only monochrome file to print on colored paper, make sure the pages alternate colors. For two colors, page 1 and page 3 should be the same.

2. Cut the chain links apart with the scissors or paper cutter.

3. Take the first chain link and bend it until the ends overlap and the strip forms and circle.
Secure with glue, tape or a staple.

4. Slip the next chain link through the first link and bend until the ends overlap. Secure.

5. Repeat the process with each chain link, slipping the new link through the previous one and
creating a chain.

6. Hang your Easy Christmas Countdown Chain where you can remove a link each day.

That’s it, super easy, right?

I hope this makes counting down to Christmas with your family simpler. And I hope you have a very Merry Christmas with your family, making memories and having fun together.

Happy Holidays!

The post The Easy Christmas Countdown You Need This Year appeared first on While He Was Napping.

THANKSGIVING ACTIVITY PLACEMAT

I tried to include at least one activity that almost all ages could complete.  Hopefully, with a word search, maze, fill in the bubble and a word match game there will be something that everyone can enjoy. When the kids get wiggly again, turn the paper over and make turkeys by tracing their hands and making the fingers into feathers.  That’s one of my favorite memories of Thanksgiving with my grandma.

All you need to do to get your copy of this Thanksgiving Activity Placemat is to download the file to your computer and save it. Hit that big green button above to open the file on Google Drive. You can then save it to your computer. Then, print off as many copies as you need. This printable is free for personal use. Do not sell, share or reproduce any part of this image. Thanks.

Hand out the crayons and watch what happens. We often have more than just the kids try out these Thanksgiving activity placemats. Which means there are usually other adults around to help keep an eye on the kids while I finish kitchen preparations.

Happy Thanksgiving… I can almost taste the mashed potatoes now!

This While He Was Napping original printable first appeared on AskAnnaMoseley.com in a guest/contributor post. It has been updated and re-posted here for accuracy and relevancy. Enjoy!

The post Thanksgiving Activity Placemat Printable appeared first on While He Was Napping.

GIFTS FOR KIDS THAT MOM AND DAD WON’T HATE

GIFTS FOR KIDS THAT MOM AND DAD WON’T HATE #1: LEGO BRICKS

Lego Bricks. While there’s definitely an appeal to the cool sets (we own so many Star Wars sets, I’ve lost count), I like the basic standard bricks too. We started our collection with the LEGO classic medium box and it served us well for many years. We still play with this set of classic blocks often. It’s perfect for building houses, vehicles, and more!

GIFTS FOR KIDS THAT MOM AND DAD WON’T HATE #2: GIZMO GEARS

Gizmo Gears. We got this set back in 2012. They have been through all of my kids and are still holding up. There have been a few casualties, but the majority are still in great shape. My 8-year-old doesn’t play with these as much any more, but he’ll still sit down with his brothers and build for a while. My 5-year-old enjoys pulling them out and my 3-year-old is obsessed. They snap together relatively easily, but little hands might need some help.

GIFTS FOR KIDS THAT MOM AND DAD WON’T HATE #3: SNAP CIRCUITS

Snap Circuits. These are great for a little bit older kids. My 8-year-old LOVES them and making different contraptions, including a radio. My 5-year-old doesn’t quite understand the science behind it. While he likes to snap the pieces together, he gets frustrated when nothing happens because the pieces aren’t put together correctly. This is perfect for teaching the basic laws of conductivity and electric currents.We bought the larger set because I knew my science-loving boy would grow with this set. They do have a smaller Snap Circuit set, if you want to try them out first before you shell out for the big one. However, the big one is TOTALLY worth it!

GIFTS FOR KIDS THAT MOM AND DAD WON’T HATE #4: TOY CARS

Toy Cars. My kids have all loved to play with cars. For hours. Sometimes they like to play with a car mat, but you can almost always find a few cars in our diaper bag… and there might even be one or two in my purse. The chunky cars with big wheels are perfect for little hands and we have more die-cast cars than I can count. These Blaze and the Monster Machine cars are a big hit with my boys, especially the younger ones.  And I really love the variety of vehicles available in die-cast cars. This Matchbox set has lots of cool options to play with.

GIFTS FOR KIDS THAT MOM AND DAD WON’T HATE #5: WOODEN TRAIN SET

Wooden Train Sets. We have been building our wooden train set collection since my 8-year-old was born. We scored some at garage sales, were gifted some, have found great deals and our collection has just kept on growing. It’s one of the first toys that come out when we have play dates and everyone loves to play. This is one I like to play with my kids. We work together to build amazing tracks.This set of tracks is a great starter kit and these train cars are fun, brightly colored and will fit with any future wooden train toys you decide to acquire. This is a toy that all my kids like to play with, despite their age differences and has grown with my kids.

GIFTS FOR KIDS THAT MOM AND DAD WON’T HATE #6: MAGNETIC TILES OR BLOCKS

Magnetic Tiles or Blocks. We got a set of the real-deal Magformers a couple years ago for Christmas and my boys LOVED them. I got a few more to supplement their stash this past summer when I knew they would all be playing with them at the same time, but this time I tried a knock-off brand of magnet tiles and they fit in well with our brand-name tiles. There is a slight size difference, but all the tiles still line up and stick together. We will be adding more tiles to our collection yet again this Christmas and Santas is going to throw in these cool train car bases as a little bonus. All of my kids still play with these usually 2-3 times a week, even though they’ve been around a few years. Those are the toys I find worth having!

GIFTS FOR KIDS THAT MOM AND DAD WON’T HATE #7: BOARD AND CARD GAMES

Board and Card games. We love a good game night, but it can be hard to find games the whole family enjoys playing together. My mom gifted my oldest with Grabolo this past year and we just love it. All of us really legitimately enjoy playing this game together. It’s fast action, it’s all about observation, reaction time and memory. But, the rules and game play are simple enough for my littlest kids (3 and 5 years), even though the box says 6+ years.

We also really like Suspend – there’s also a Junior edition that has plastic sticks instead of metal ones. I like the durability of the metal ones, but I’ll admit the sticks have tried to become swords in our home. Both games are a blast and I recommend them both. Rack-O is another family favorite that we have recently been playing with our boys. The two little boys (ages 3.5 and 5.5) play on a team with mom or dad and our 8-year-old can play on his own, with minimal help. This has been perfect for helping my kindergartner practice his numbers to 100.

GIFTS FOR KIDS THAT MOM AND DAD WON’T HATE #8: ACTIVITY TUNNEL

Activity Tunnel. I got one of these for my kids a few years ago and they still play with it. It’s is great shape, considering how my boys play with it. It wasn’t super expensive so I didn’t have to worry about it getting ruined. It’s been used as a hiding spot in Hide-&-Seek, as a tunnel to play with cars in, as part of countless obstacle courses and even as “secret play place” – that was the easiest “fort” I have ever set up! We have one very similar to this Doug & Melissa caterpillar version – the exact one we have isn’t on Amazon anymore and is an off-brand. All of our other Doug & Melissa toys have held up well and this tunnel reviews great. These activity tunnels provide a contained outlet for some of the crazy energy they always have, can be played with indoors and folds up super compact for storage.

GIFTS FOR KIDS THAT MOM AND DAD WON’T HATE #9: SMALL SLIDE

Small Slide. A small slide offers the same pro of helping the kids constructively use all that pent-up energy when it’s too cold to play outside. Ours is used mostly indoors and comes out to play when my kids are good helpers and clean up our family room or when they are jumping off my furniture and clearly need a better outlet for their energy. Even though my oldest has outgrownn this slide, he still enjoys playing with it. And, it makes a really cool ramp for cars… and stuffed animals too. This little slide is great for younger toddlers (1-3 years).

There is a big kid version if you are hoping for something a little taller for your kiddo to grow into. This one fits older toddlers and preschoolers well. I really like the size and compactness of the little one, but my kids love playing on their cousins’ larger slide too, when we visit. And I like that our small one is less distance to the ground if (and by if, I mean when) my kids fall.

GIFTS FOR KIDS THAT MOM AND DAD WON’T HATE #10: DRESS-UP CLOTHES

Dress-Up Clothes. Dress up clothes are definitely NOT just for girls. We have a huge bin full of dress up and it’s one of my boys go-to activities. It often gets pulled out when their friends come over too. Dress up offers so much room for imaginative play! I love that. Most of our dress up collection from old Halloween costumes; but, a couple years ago, our kids received Star Wars costumes (Jedi, Darth Vader and Yoda). We made them lightsabers out of pool noodles. Those were the coolest gifts they’d ever been given. And – bonus – we just raided the dress up box for Halloween the next year and we did a family Star Wars theme. It was super fun (and totally affordable, since we had half the costumes already)!

These superhero capes are awesome for every kid who wants to run like The Flash or shoot webs like Spider-Man! If your kiddos are into more realistic pretend play, this doctor costume and accessories set look like a ton of fun and are perfect for exploring caregiving. Or maybe you just have a kiddo who loves Doc McStuffins and wants to run their very own little stuffed animal hospital. And, sometimes you don’t need the whole costume. I really like this set of hats that will get the creative juices flowing. I can only imagine what my kids would come up with between the crown and the cowboy hat.

GIFTS FOR KIDS THAT MOM AND DAD WON’T HATE #11: WOODEN BLOCKS

Wooden Blocks. If you only get your children one kind of blocks, get a set like this! Seriously. These blocks are so versatile. My kids love to build towers with them, of course. But, they also use them with their toy cars, their dinosaur and super hero figurines, and they make race tracks for their hex bugs (another super fun toy). They test their building skills with competitions on who can make the tallest towers, who can build the tower with the most blocks and anything else they can come up with. All of my kids still play with these (and so does my husband…); it’s definitely a must-have toy in my opinion.

The biggest con is the storage space; but, if you take the time to put them away neatly, it really isn’t too bad. We keep our set in a treasure chest box my mom found at a thrift store. Having a specific container to put them all in definitely makes a big difference and this set comes with a great wooden box just for that purpose.

GIFTS FOR KIDS THAT MOM AND DAD WON’T HATE #12: KEVA BLOCKS

Keva Blocks. We first discovered these fun, seemingly too simple toys at our local children’s museum. How much fun can you have with a bunch of wood planks that are all the same size and shape? Well, we easily spent an hour playing with just these blocks the first time. We’ve since been back to our museum and have played with only these – for the whole entire visit. So, turns out, you can have a TON of fun with them. I love that they allow for open-ended play and cater to a variety of skill levels. My husband was building structures several feet tall while out 8-year-old was trying his hand at building bridges he’d learned about at school. My 5-year-old spent time exploring basic balance and weight principles. And my 3-year-old and I built small towers that he thoroughly enjoyed knocking down.

The box says ages 7+ and I would say that is an accurate suggestion for solo play, but our whole family enjoys playing with these. This beginner kit isn’t huge (it only has 20 planks and 30 instruction cards in it), but this is a case of less is more. The idea is to figure out how 2-dimensional images become 3-dimensional when you build them. It’s a great STEM activity and, of course, you can use them in free play too. If you want to expand your collection, you can get this expansion pack and increase your fun and Keva planks by 10 times! You’ll build some pretty great things with 220 planks. Or check out this cool contraption set with 50 more planks and 6 ideas for some fun Rube-Goldberg type contraptions (my kids are super into dominoes right now and they would LOVE the contraption set).

GIFTS FOR KIDS THAT MOM AND DAD WON’T HATE #13: A SUBSCRIPTION BOX

Subscription Boxes. These are all the rage right now and why wouldn’t they be?! Everyone likes to get mail, especially kids. And there are some really cool subscription boxes for kids! While these may not technically be toys, I couldn’t leave them off this list of Gifts for Kids that Mom & Dad Won’t Hate because these are awesome gifts! My favorite subscription boxes for kids are the KiwiCo Boxes because they have an awesome variety and you’re sure to find a box your kids will love. But, there’s a lot of options out there, so do a little research and check them all out. If you decide to check out KiwiCo, make sure you scroll down under the image and hit that 60% off link to get the best deal!

KIWICO HAS SUBSCRIPTION BOX GIFTS FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES!

The Cricket Crate is designed for kids 0-2. In each box you’ll receive a toy (think soft toys, wooden blocks, bright colored toys and chewables). You’ll also get a board book, which I love. I want all the books. There’s a magazine on child development for mom and dad and access to more online resources. There is a “Newborn Crate” specially designed for babies 0-3 months.

The Koala Crate is designed for ages 3-4. Each of these boxes focuses on one topic – like transportation or reptiles. It contains “creative materials” (mostly art supplies for your child to explore). There’s a guide for parents with activity ideas that support inquiry-based learning. A magazine with information on the topic of the box will expound on the things your child is learning. This magazine makes learning about the topic easy and fun. And all the information is right there, done for you. You’ll also be able to access more online resources and ideas.

The Kiwi Crate was the original boxes this company started with and they were amazing back then. Kiwi Crates are designed for 5-8 year olds. Each Kiwi Crate contains an age-appropriate project. Sometimes it focuses on art. Sometimes it’s more STEM. They’ll get creative learning materials and kid-friendly instructions to encourage their imaginations and tinkering. The Explore magazine with games, experiments and comics will further increase your child’s understanding of the project they did. And, of course, access to more online ideas and resources is also included.

DON’T FORGET THE OLDER KIDS!

The Doodle Crate is for kids 9-16+ and focuses on creative DIY projects. These aren’t just some lame projects, though. It’s things like making color-blocked candles or a wooden clock. If your kiddo is all about visual and creative arts, this is perfect for them. Each box includes everything your child needs to complete these projects, including all materials. There are also step-by-step instructions so they can do the projects and a guide with inspiration and ideas. If the written instructions and inspiration guide aren’t quite enough, they’ll be able to access online videos of the project.

The Tinker Crate is for kids 9-16+ and focuses on STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) projects – projects like building a trebuchet or hydraulic claw or using fiber optics to explore constellations. Each box includes all the materials needed to complete each STEM project and a detailed blueprint with step-by-step instructions. They’ll also get the Tinker Zine that has additional experiments and other activities. And there’s the access to online guides, in case the written instructions aren’t enough.

If you order anytime from now until November 28th, 2017 you can enjoy 60% off your first box. That’s double their usual first month promotion! Try out KiwiCo for less than $15, . Cancel your subscription any time.

Do you have any suggestions of gifts your kids have been given that you’ve loved? Share in the comments! I’m always looking for ideas to pass along.

The post 13 Gifts For Kids that Mom & Dad Won’t Hate appeared first on While He Was Napping.

Sometimes, I get some of it done and a lot of the time, I don’t. I hope what they say about good intentions isn’t true. I hope, in this case, it really is the thought that counts.

There are some traditions that I really try to make sure don’t get overlooked in the chaos that leads up to the holidays. One of those is our Thankful Tree and I try to have a toy purge before we’re invaded by gifts from relatives and that jolly old Santa Claus.

But, most of all, I try to find ways to encourage gratitude and get my kids to think about others. While we try to do those things all year long, it seems to be a little easier and more natural when November comes around.

ENCOURAGE GRATITUDE IN YOUR KIDS BY MAKING IT A GAME

I want to help my kids focus on what we have, not what they want. With Christmas coming, the inevitable “I want, I want” is about to get stuck in high gear.

I want to encourage them to do things for others; but, when you’re little, it can be hard to think about others before yourself. I want to offer my kids the opportunity to learn to put others ahead of themselves. But, it always works out better when they think it’s their idea or that it’s a game. So, a few years ago, I introduced them to The Gratitude Jar.

A big part of gratitude, to me, is being willing to help others. And to say thank you when others help you. That’s what The Gratitude Jar is all about.

HOW TO ENCOURAGE GRATITUDE WITH THE GRATITUDE JAR

The best part about The Gratitude Jar is that you can use it however it best fits into your home.

We have used it as a boredom jar in the past. This year, though, we are making it into a game.

When my kids have a free minute, they choose a slip from the jar and do the activity. What has made this successful so far is that The Gratitude Jar is constructive, it’s a privilege. And it’s individual. Sometimes, they do the same activities at the same time. But, if one of them doesn’t want to do the activity that was drawn, or has already done it, they can choose their a different one.

We’re keeping track of how many good deeds each of them do. At the end of the month, they can choose a reward based on how many activities they complete. There’s 10 activities included that will encourage gratitude and serving others. My kids helped come up with rewards.

• When they complete 1-3 activities, they get to choose a special treat or candy.
• When 4-6 activities get completed, they can stay up an extra 30 minutes.
• If they do 7-9 activities, they can get out of one chore.
• If all 10 activities get done, we’ll have a family movie night and they get to choose the movie and the snacks.

The competition is against themselves, not each other. They are trying to do their best, not better than their brothers.

READY TO ENCOURAGE GRATITUDE IN YOUR OWN FAMILY?

If you’re ready to encourage gratitude in your family this holiday season, download your own high-resolution copy so you can create your own Gratitude Jar.

All you need is

• a printer
• a pair of scissors or a paper cutter
• and a clean container to store the slips in

A dozen snips to more grateful children…?  Can’t hurt to try, right?

DOWNLOAD YOURS HERE!

Get your gratitude growing!

Like this chalkboard print? You’re in luck, it’s a free printable! Click here to get this print!

The post 10 Activities that will encourage gratitude in your kids appeared first on While He Was Napping.

Halloween is almost here!  Do you have your candy all picked out and stashed away?  What about the costumes?  All set? Just in case you need a last minute Halloween costume on a budget, I’ve got 5 tips and tricks to help you out.

Last Minute Halloween Costume Tip #1

1. Pajamas.  How easy would it be to turn this set of Batman pajamas into a costume?! All you need is a mask, the pajamas come with a cape! And the purple girly version is an option too if your little lady wants to be The Dark Knight for a night. And bonus: your little one can wear these for more than just a single night (or a couple of nights if you’re a bit of a party animal).  Just add a mask and ta-da!

We found a Chewbacca pajama set – similar to this one – that Little J wore last year. The costume was pretty simple and didn’t need much added to it, so we concentrated on face make up instead and it turned out awesome. And Little J still wears those pajamas at least once a week – 1+ years later!! Totally worth it!

Last Minute Halloween Costume Tip #2

2. Sweats. You can turn sweat pants into almost anything. Seriously. Some of our best Halloween costumes EVER have been glorified sweats. And they all turned out incredibly cute. It doesn’t get more comfortable than sweats and they are warm too. Perfect for little ones and trick or treating. If you do it right, they can wear them again or just add them to the dress up stash. Sneak peek of our sweats costumes:

Last Minute Halloween Costume Tip #3

3. Raid the closet. You would be surprised what you have already in your closets. Big J insisted on being a scarecrow when he was 3. Yes, a scarecrow. I didn’t want to have to buy a scarecrow costume… when was that ever going to get used again? After going through his closet, and attaching a few embellishments, he was a pretty darn cute little scarecrow… for FREE!  That same year, Little J was a dinosaur made from a one-piece pajama set he already had in his closet, a bit of felt, hot glue and a couple googly eyes.  If my husband hadn’t re-organized the server and hidden our family photos somewhere, I’d show you… Completely FREE costumes and everything came out of our closets!

Last Minute Halloween Costume Tip #4

4. Only buy accessories.  A full Halloween costume can be pricey!  And, even late in the game, you don’t have to cough over the big bucks or settle for what ever is left to have a great costume.  Use what you have and only buy the extras.  When Big J was two, he was a cowboy for Halloween.  He already had jeans, a button-down shirt, a bandanna and shoes that passed as boots.  We found a costume set for $10 that had a soft hat, chaps, and a vest.  Because his costume only cost us $10 we decided to splurge on a $20 stick horse that made the costume. The hat, vest and chaps are now in our dress up box and the stick horse is still used as a weapon toy at least once a week.

Last Minute Halloween Costume Tip #5

5. Buy things you’ll be able to wear after you use them as a Halloween costume.  This year, Mr. Napping and I needed costumes that matched.  Do you know how hard it is to find matching clothes in men’s and women’s sizes?!  And Mr. Napping is three sizes bigger than me…  We both ended up getting a new pair of pants and a matching men’s shirt, but we can wear the pants after Halloween and Mr Napping says he’ll wear the shirt too.  My shirt will probably get turned into a kid-sized apron after Halloween.  While this is a little more expensive, you’ll get use out of it for more than one or two nights.

And there you have it.  How we keep our Halloween costumes in our budget and make excuses for what expense we do incur. Halloween was never a big holiday in my home while I was growing up. I can count on one hand the number of times I went actual Trick-or-treating. I don’t want my kids to miss out on all the fun of Halloween. We did our first family themed costumes a few years ago – #2 and #5 are the methods I used to put these together…

How do you keep Halloween costumes in your budget?

The post 5 Ways to Get a Great Last Minute Halloween Costume {on a Budget} appeared first on While He Was Napping.

The Dating Divas have done it again! They have collaborated with some of your favorite digital designers and bloggers to bring you this amazing bundle of holiday printables.

AND, as with all the Dating Divas Bundles, they have put together a KILLER deal for you so you can get in on all that awesomeness for a fraction of what it would cost to piece all this awesomeness together yourself. {Trust me when we say you DO NOT want to miss out on this one!!}

But, you see that lovely little timer below? Well it’s ticking down FAST! And when it hits zero, this deal DISAPPEARS!!

32 extremely talented bloggers and designers teamed up with The Dating Divas to create this ULTIMATE Holiday bundle!

And we are hooking you up with EVERYTHING you need for…

Thanksgiving, Christmas, AND New Years!

There’s even a little Dia de los Muertos in there too!

This bundle is so full of festive fun, you won’t know what to do with it all.

What you’re looking at is OVER 480 PAGES of printables WORTH OVER $300
all in one handy dandy holiday bundle!

And, we slashed the price for you! So much that you’ll think it’s a typo. It’s not. The deal is THAT FREAKIN’ AWESOME.

You can get over $300 worth of FABULOUS items for only $15-$20!

Holiday decor, countdowns, activities for the kids and for the whole family, planners, gift ideas, gift tags, relationship ideas and MORE – all from your favorite bloggers!

BUT WAIT… no, seriously. It’s about to get real good.

If you buy your bundle through one of my links, you’ll get BONUS printables from me!

Something for the kids and a little something (something) for you, too. Wink.

These bonuses alone sell in my Etsy shop for $15. So, this deal is seriously FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!

Your bonuses will be delivered next Monday, October 16th, 2017 – after the bundle sale is over – to the email address where you choose to receive your All Things Holiday Bundle. So, don’t freak if you don’t see them right away. You WILL get them. Pinky promise.

Are you convinced? Want this bundle RIGHT NOW? Click that yellow button and GET YOURS!

Hmmm, does this sound too good to be true? Are you waiting for the catch? Well, there is a teeny, tiny one…

You’ll have to ACT FAST—this deal only lasts for THREE DAYS!

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS:

This is a 3-Day sale, but the price goes up a little each day. Here’s the breakdown…

• Buy on the 11th for only $15
• Buy on the 12th for only $18
• Buy on the 13th for only $20
• After that, this deal is GONE FOREVER!

Buy early and SAVE BIG. But wait too long {like after the 13th at midnight MDT} and this deal will be gone FOREVER!

Okay, okay. So what’s actually in this bundle, right? Here’s what you’ve been waiting for: THE BIG REVEAL.

This baby seriously has EVERYTHING you could ever WANT or NEED for the holidays {AND MORE!} Including…

• Thanksgiving Countdown and Gratitude Prompts
• Thanksgiving Planner
• Thanksgiving Table Decor
• Christmas Countdowns
• 12 Days of Christmas
• Christmas Memory Pages
• Christ-Centered Christmas Service
• Cookie Exchange Party Printables
• Holiday Gift Bags and Gift Tags
• Letters from Santa
• New Year’s Goal Planner
• AND SO MUCH MORE! {See everything in detail below!}

Yes, you get ALL THAT JAZZ for the same price as many of these sell for all by themselves? This is a no-brainer! Click that yellow button to get yours now!

So, that sounds good and all, buuut
EXACTLY WHAT IS IN THIS BUNDLE?!?

I hear ya! I want to know what exactly I can expect from these things. So, below is every single item that is included in the purchase of an All Things Holiday Bundle!

HALLOWEEN PRINTABLES

1. Dia De Los Muertos Party Pack by Mod Podge Rocks – Get everything you need to host a colorful and FUN party for Dia de Los Muertos! Do this as an alternative/in addition to your Halloween festivities. Included is a printable banner, favor bag toppers, candy bar wrappers, cupcake toppers, water/soda bottle labels, photo booth props, and a decorative sign. This all in one party kit allows you to focus on the food since you’ll already have the decorations!

THANKSGIVING PRINTABLES

2. Thanksgiving Countdown by A Lively Hope– A 12 page kit with everything you need to make a darling and memorable countdown to Thanksgiving! Includes an activity idea for each day (plus extra blank cards so you can include your own family traditions). This is the perfect way to help your family express gratitude for your blessings and make the most of the days leading up to Thanksgiving.

3. 2 Thanksgiving Countdowns PLUS 30 Gratitude Prompt Cards by Timesavors – Countdown to Thanksgiving with this darling turkey or fall tree advent calendar! Simply print, cut, and you’re ready to go! Each day, say something you are grateful for as you by using the included prompt cards to stimulate ideas and dinner conversations. Happy Thanksgiving!

4. Thanksgiving Table Printable Bundle by Paper & Taigh – Impress your guest with these swoon-worthy Thanksgiving Table Printables! It’s everything your table needs for an inviting Thanksgiving dinning experience!

5. Printable Thanksgiving Planner by Peoples Life On Paper – This 23-page kit includes everything you need to plan and host a successful Thanksgiving dinner. From planning checklists and recipe organizers to menu planners and cooking schedules, you’ll stay organized and stress less!

6. Apple and Cherry Pie Favor Box Set by Piggy Bank Parties – Send your guests home with a slice of pie without having to turn on the oven! These yummy full-color digital favor box templates are great for holiday gatherings, backyard picnics and afternoon playdates. We love filling these mouth-watering slices with wrapped caramels and sour cherries!

7. Kids Table Manners Kit and Thanksgiving Bonus by The Little Inkspot Co. – This Table Manners Kit is perfect for teaching basic table manners to kids and toddlers (ages 3 – 10). Kit includes 2 printables, 1) 11 x 14 poster to hang by the dining table and 2) 8.5 x 11 table manners reward chart to help kids and parents keep track – a great way to help make family mealtimes less stressful and more enjoyable for the whole family and teach basic beginner table manners that will last a lifetime! Add these adorable Thanksgiving Tags to fresh baking, jams, or your garden’s harvest and give as a thoughtful token of thanks to neighbors, friends, and family!

CHRISTMAS PRINTABLES

8. Christmas Town Advent Calendar by Little Paper Racoon – This beautiful paper Advent calendar is also a great Christmas decoration and a great construction game ! Once the boxes are filled with chocolates or trinkets you can create your very own Christmas town. Each box has its own design, and represents a piece of building (window, door, roof) or a Christmas tree. These building boxes let you choose between two colors, red or light brown to create different houses or buildings, so the combinations are endless!

9. Christmas Advent Countdown Activity Jar by While He Was Napping – Ever wish you could simplify Christmas, focus on family and make memories instead of your stress taking over during the holidays? Then you need this Christmas Countdown Jar because that’s exactly what it will do. Make lasting memories with your whole family during the cold countdown to Christmas with easy and fun activities that focus on the important things – each other! Use the activities as an advent calendar by choosing one per day or use them as boredom busters over the winter break.

10. 12 Days of Christmas Service Idea by The Dating Divas– ‘Tis the season for giving! Get your family in the holiday spirit with our 12 Days of Christmas. Each night for the 12 nights leading up to Christmas, you can use this festive printable pack to leave little surprises for a lucky recipient. We have created not one, but TWO options for your holiday service spree. We have an entire pack of tags, poems, and more for gifting a neighbor, as well as an entire set of poems designed specifically with your spouse in mind! This Festive Pack Includes: Shopping List and Organizer- Gather ideas for gifts in advance and keep track of them all with ease! Bag Covers- Give your Gifts in Style! Your service recipient will look forward to these colorful bags night after night! Gift Tags- Each tag coordinates with a day and includes a poem. There are two versions available in this pack, one for your neighbor and one for your spouse-be sure not to mix them up!

11. Camp Christmas by 4 The Love of My Heart – Celebrate Christmas with the family in a new fun, creative way with Camp Christmas! This bundle has everything you need to plan your “camp” with crafts, activities, care packages, and more for the entire month of December. Who doesn’t love Christmas, and who doesn’t love camp? When you combine the two together, just think of all the fun your family will have this Christmas!

12. Christmas Memories Printable Pack by A Girl and a Glue Gun – Keep track of all those fun Christmas memories with these great printables! There are printables to help you remember the food you ate, movies you watched, songs you sang, how your Christmas tree was decorated, people who visited, and presents you gave and received! Print it year after year and your kids will have a blast reading about all the fun things they have done over the years! (I wish I had this growing up! Don’t you wish you could remember what you got for Christmas when you were 10!!)

13. Disneyland Holiday Bundle by Beauty, Baby, and a Budget – Thinking about taking your little elves to Disneyland for Christmas this year? Or maybe even giving them a Disneyland trip for Christmas (because who wouldn’t love that?). Then this is the perfect bundle for you! It comes with a 2017 Disneyland Holiday Checklist which includes 25 things you MUST do at Disneyland during the holiday season. It also comes with a Disneyland countdown and a “We’re going to Disneyland sign” perfect for a photo op with your cute family!

14. Christ-like Christmas Service by Chicken Scratch n Sniff – Light your Christmas with acts of service this year with over 40 pages of adorable and festive printables to help you fill your season with acts of love. Sprout candy canes in your friend’s yard, leave random acts of love behind, say Thank You to those with the most festive houses. From bag toppers and advents to gift tags and candy wrappers; you’ll discover what you need to make this the best Christmas yet.

15. Cookie Exchange Party Printables by Everyday Party Magazine – The Printable Rustic Cookie Exchange Party Collection Includes the following: Cookie Box Labels, Recipe Cards , Voting Card, Favor Hang Tag, Folding Label, Party Circles, and Editable Invitations. Instructions and printing recommendations are also included.

16. Holiday Cookie Exchange Bundle by How Does She – Have you ever done a holiday cookie exchange? It’s one of our favorite traditions and a great reason to throw a party with your BFF’s. This bundle includes everything you need to throw a mean cookie exchange…well, everything except the cookies!

17. Printable Holiday Gift Bags by Homemaking Organized – Three printable Holiday Sparkle gift bags give you a PERFECT way to present your tokens of appreciation this season.

18. Letter from Santa Printable by Hoot Invitations – Create some magic and surprise your child with a personalized letter from Santa this holiday season! Let them know Santa is watching and on his way with this 8″ x 10″ PDF editable letter from Santa. All text in main body can be edited. Just print at home on a color printer – fits on 8.5″ x 11″ paper or A4 paper.

19. Vintage Santa Letter Kit by The CreativiDee Workshop – This stylish Vintage Santa Letter Kit has everything you need to create fun holiday memories for everyone! From Wish Lists and Letters to Treat Labels for Christmas Eve, your family is sure to have a great time with this festive collection.

20. Holiday Jam Labels & Matching Cards by Our Kerrazy Adventure – These cute jam labels make it so easy to give gifts to neighbors and teachers. Print and place them on your canning jar. You can even print out a coordinating card to write sweet note. Our printables make gift giving a breeze this holiday season!

21. Christmas Gift Name Tags, Wish Lists, & Treat Gift Tags by Papers & Plenty – These adorable, buffalo plaid Christmas gift name tags are fun and easy to use! Set includes 8 tags, personalize them with a name(s) or special message on the back, the perfect addition to any Christmas gift! Then, make Christmas shopping a little easier on Santa this year with these adorable, kid-friendly, buffalo plaid Christmas wish lists! These fill-in-the-blank lists are fun and easy to use for kids and adults! Finally, dd these adorable, buffalo plaid Christmas treat gift tags to any special holiday treat! Set includes 6 tags, write in a name(s) or special message at the bottom, fun for kids, neighbors, teachers and more!

22. Fun Holiday Gift Tags by Pretty Paper Violet – Give your family and friends a smile this holiday season with this collection of printable gift tags. Perfect for your DIY gifts and anything else that lands under your tree. Print as many as you need for this year and next!

23. Holiday Fun Coloring Pages by Printable Crush – Enjoy Coloring these Holiday Coloring Pages for adults or kids! Includes 10 pages for the major US Holidays. Print these pages over and over again and try new coloring styles for gorgeous holiday art.

24. All Inclusive Holiday Binder by Thirty Handmade Days – Get ready for the holidays with this awesome All Inclusive Holiday Binder. Not only is it fun and colorful but it will help you stay organized during the chaos. You can download party prep, calendars, checklists, budgeting sheets and more!

NEW YEAR’S PRINTABLES

25. New Year’s Photo Booth Props by Simply Everyday Me – You’ll enjoy ringing in the New Year with these whimsical & kooky photo booth props by SimplyEverydayMe. This kit consists of 45 DIY printable props including: Top Hat, Happy New Year’s Hat, Bowler Hat, Party Hat, Party Crown, Champagne Bottle with Cork, Champagne Glasses, Martini Glasses, Father Time Beard & Mustache, Sickle, Pocket Watch, Hour Glass, Big Clock Face, Baby New Year Hat/Hair, Baby New Year Sash, Baby New Year Mouth, Binkie, Glasses, Star Glasses, Bow Tie, Pearl Necklace, Party Blower, Party Blower Fringe, Camera, Snap Burst, Fizz Burst, Pop Burst, Mustaches, Lips, and Instructions. Plus information for materials needed & paper suggestions.

26. Make Over Your Year Course by Money Saving Mom – Make Over Your Year is a simple, effective 4-week, hands-on course to help you take your big dreams and ideas and turn them into realistic goals and a doable action plan. When you download this course, you’ll get immediate access to 4 group coaching session videos, a 47-page printable PDF workbook, weekly projects to break down the goal-setting process & set yourself up for success, and printable worksheets to take you step-by-step through each of the projects in the course.

27. New Year- New Marriage Pack by Enduring All Things – Commit to making this year the best yet for your marriage! We make all kinds of resolutions in the new year, why not add your most important relationship to that list? The New Year – New Marriage Pack includes a cheat sheet to use for weekly couple check-ins, a list of fun holidays to celebrate together this year, a template for a date night bucket list and more. Use these to bring your marriage back to the top of your priorities this year!

28. Couple’s Journal by The Happy Life Balance Co. – Bring positivity and kindness into your relationship with this Couple’s Journal. In this journal, you will complete a series of daily and weekly exercises which are designed to help you gain a deeper appreciation for each other and learn to enjoy the time you spend together more.

29. Printable Goal Planner by Jessica Marie Design – Stay organized and keep up with your goals with this printable Goal Planner. The printable planner can be instantly downloaded and printed at home or a local print shop. The Goal Planner is perfect for organizing and keeping track of your goals. The Goal Planner includes 10 unique pages including yearly overview pages, goal overview pages, a goal breakdown page, and goal tracking pages. Simply download the PDF files, open them in Adobe Reader, add text to the fillable sections, print on Letter size paper, and insert into a binder. Use the files over and over every year!

30. Clean & Colorful Cooking by Ashley’s Fresh Fix– 32 deliciously colorful recipes made exclusively with whole, real food. All are dairy free, sugar free, and grain free! Including a variety of breakfasts, entrées, light fare items, dips, and desserts! Perfect for helping you stay on track during the holidays and into those New Year’s resolutions.

31. Printable Meal Planner by Carrie Elle– This printable meal planner has everything you need to take control of dinner once and for all! Plan your weekly meals and also holiday gatherings and parties with this pretty and functional planner.

32. 11×17 Themed Table Setting Placemats by Linda Winegar – Themed Table Setting Placemats meant for families, teens & kids! Perfect for at home practice, at a restaurant as a reminder, while teaching an Etiquette Class or for table setting relay races! Patterned after the official standards of etiquette which The Emily Post Institute continues to teach for proper Table Settings. Each theme adds a special flare to your table!

And remember, if you order your All Things Holiday Bundle from me, you’ll get those awesome bonuses listed above!

WHEW! So there you have it. Pretty much everything you could ever want for the holidays. We are dying from all that goodness and we just CAN’T WAIT to get our hands on it.

Only 15-20 buckaroos {for OVER $300 worth of goodies?!}
SHEESH! Sign. Me. Up.

Three super, duper important things to remember:

The price JUMPS tomorrow!
It’s only available for THREE DAYS!
Midnight MDT on the 13th, this deal is gone FOREVER!

What are you waiting for?!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

The post All Things Holiday Printable Bundle! appeared first on While He Was Napping.

Are you looking for some new October traditions? Does the witching hour seem to hit even harder once the weather starts to chill? Do you want to celebrate this month but don’t know how to squeeze it in? Then this Halloween Countdown Printable Boredom Jar will be a great addition to your October!

WHO IS THE HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN PRINTABLE BOREDOM JAR FOR?

In less than 30 minutes and with just a handful of materials, you’ll have a whole bunch of fun activities to celebrate this month that you can grab when you need it most. Are you:

• looking for some fun new traditions?
• just trying to keep the kids from demolishing the house?
• fighting to keep cool and sane until bedtime?
• making family time a priority this month?

Don’t miss out on all the fun that October has to offer with this fun project the kids can help put together and then use when you need a little fun and family time or a few minutes with the kids occupied.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN PRINTABLE BOREDOM JAR:

Materials Needed:

• Clean jar or other container to store the activity slips
• FREE download of my KIDS’ HALLOWEEN ACTIVITY JAR
• Scissors or paper cutter
• Tape or glue to adhere the label to the jar

Directions:

• Print out the Halloween Jar Activities.
• Cut out each colored rectangle and the square jar label with the scissors or paper cutter.
• Fold each activity in half or in fourths, whichever you prefer, and put them in the jar.
• Apply the label to the outside of the jar and you’re all set for some Halloween fun!

WANT MORE HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN FUN?

This set includes 10 activities plus the jar label – perfect for a weekend activity or those after school evenings when there’s just a little too much free time, the weather is a little too chilly or you need something to entertain the kiddos for a little bit. If you’d like to download the entire set – which contains 36 activities+a blank template to write in your own traditions and activities. Full set also includes updated labels and full printable instructions – you can get it in my Etsy shop.

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