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.

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.

Every year, Santa would leave my siblings and I a letter after he’d stopped at our house, dropped off our presents, eaten our cookies and fed his reindeer the carrots we’d left out. I don’t remember exactly what any of those letters said, but I sure do remember getting them! It’s a tradition we have in our home with our boys now too. It’s a tradition I love!

Big J came home from preschool last week and asked “How come Santa doesn’t love us?”

Uhm, say what, little 4-year-old? and my Mommy Brain started trying to formulate lies excuses ways to explain the deep, dark questions a 4-year-old has about Santa Claus. The ultimate mommy moment.

Where was this coming from? Finally, he asked, “How come Santa doesn’t send an elf to watch us?” Ah ha! Finally, we were getting somewhere. Turns out, somebody at school had been telling him about their Elf on the Shelf and he wondered why we don’t have one too.

I am NOT a fan of Elf on the Shelf, but I’ll save you my ranting on the subject. Explanations bounced around in my head of ways to answer my 4-year-old and I settled on telling him that Santa didn’t have enough elves to send one to our house. He needed all the elves he could get to help keep the workshop running so there weren’t extras.

I added in, “Santa must know you can be good all by yourself and you don’t need an elf to watch you.” Famous last words there, Momma! Big J seemed to accept that a little halfheartedly and ran off to play. The end.

Or was it? Mommy guilt ate away at me. I thought for about .00000001 nanoseconds about caving into Elf on the Shelf. But there had to be a better alternative that didn’t involve a creepy doll and more work for me.

This idea hit as I was cleaning up in Big J’s room and found a little note I’d written him. A note from Santa himself would be way better than a bug-eyed elf doll, right? But, it had to be official, so I designed up so North Pole Note Cards straight from the Big Man’s desk.

He has loved getting his little notes. And, the best part is that I explained up front that Santa only leaves notes when he gets the time. So, if I’m too busy or forget to leave a note one morning? Guess Santa had a lot of work to do getting ready for Christmas. And, if Big J has had a rough day, he might get a little reminder that the nice list isn’t set in stone (like the note in the mailbox in the photo…) and he better shape up soon.

Side note: I had a small mailbox from Target’s dollar section I got around Valentine’s Day one year and that’s what we use to deliver Santa’s notes, but here’s one on Amazon that would do the trick. Also, the notes can come any time.  First thing in the morning, after preschool, after lunch, during nap time, whenever Momma Santa wants to…

No stress and it’s fun for my kiddo.  I takes a couple of minutes to write the note and that’s it… My kind of tradition. Want to start your own Notes From Santa tradition?

Get your own copies of Santa’s Stationary with the downloads below.  They are high resolution and available as full-size sheets or note cards.  If you share this printable, please link back to this blog post and not the download page.  Kay?  Thanks.

The post Santa’s Stationary Printable – A New Tradition appeared first on While He Was Napping.

Are you getting ready for the holidays yet?

Do you wish there was a way to make your holiday preparation easier?

Do you just love the most wonderful time of the year?

If the holidays have you in a stressed out craze already or if the mention of mistletoe, sipping hot cocoa, and winter wonderlands make you a little giddy inside, listen up! Christmastime is my favorite time of the year! But, it’s busy and crazy and sometimes even stressful! Well, you can just call me Santa; because, I have a holly jolly surprise just for you that will help you calm the stress so you can enjoy the season!

Pay attention because… This. Is. Amazing! {And it’s only for a limited time so you gotta hurry!}

Okay, ready…

Remember the fall bundle that I and some other great digital designers put together a couple months ago? It was a complete and total HIT; and, as soon as it was over we had tons of you asking us if we could do this again for Christmas!

Well… You asked. We listened!

That’s right! We’ve done it again! I teamed up with 20+ other extremely talented designers. Some of them are big names you already know and love, and some of them are up-and-comers; but, they are all spectacular at what they do. This time, we created the ULTIMATE All Things Christmas bundle!

ANNND – of course – we’re totally hooking you up with a crazy, killer not-gonna-believe-this deal!!

Yes, this one is EVEN better than the last! Not even kidding. There’s tons of value in this bundle. If you’re like me, you’re on a strict budget for the holidays and don’t have a lot of extra cash to throw around. This is gonna help you out and be totally worth the cost. I cross my heart, pinky promise it’ll be worth every penny.

Let’s take a look!

There’s over 500 pages of printables that will bring out the best kind of cheer for your holidays.

22 helpful Christmas printables— all for a CRAZY LOW price!

You can get over $200 worth of ADORABLE items

for only $15!

No. That’s not a typo. You really will save over 90% when you grab this holly jolly bundle!

Get gorgeous wall art, gift ideas, stocking stuffers, service ideas, holiday organizers, holiday recipes, and MORE all from your favorite bloggers!

Order from me, and you’ll get a mini bundle of some of my most popular holiday printables as a FREE bonus! My bonuses alone are valued at more than you’ll pay for the whole bundle+bonuses!

How’s that for a KILLER steal?!

You’re waiting for the catch, right? Well, there is a teeny, tiny one…

You’ll have to ACT FAST- this is for THREE DAYS ONLY!

If you miss it, you’re out of luck and it will cost you hundreds to piece it together yourself.

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS:

This is a 3-Day sale, but the price goes up a little each day. So, you can snag the whole All Things Christmas bundle for ONLY $15 today! BUT the price is going up tomorrow! Here’s the breakdown…

• Buy on the 16th for only $15
• Buy on the 17th for only $18
• Buy on the 18th for only $20
• After that – this deal is GONE FOREVER!

You definitely want to act fast to lock-in the best price!

Okay, are you ready to see what’s included?! I think you’ve waited long enough…

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

• Beautiful Christmas Prints to Decorate Your Home for the Holiday Season
• Fun and Creative Christmas Gift Ideas and Stocking Stuffers
• Meaningful Family Countdowns and Advents for Making Memories
• Delicious Holiday Recipes and Party Printables
• AND SO MUCH MORE! {See EVERYTHING in detail below!}

All together – it’s a collection of OVER 500 PAGES of darling printables… only available for a limited time!

Yeah, {Santa} BABY!

Get Yours Now for just $15!

WANT TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT EVERYTHING INCLUDED? WHAT EXACTLY IS IN THIS KILLER ALL THINGS CHRISTMAS BUNDLE? CHECK IT OUT!

1. Christmas Memories Printables by A Girl and a Glue Gun – Keep track of all those fun Christmas memories with this printable pack! These 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! There is even a calendar to give a day-by-day of fun events and spots to glue on pictures and your Christmas card! AND BONUS kids printables! Kids can draw their presents, what the Christmas tree looks like and their favorite Christmas activity! 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?!)

2. “Bust out the Ugly Sweater” Party Printables by A Pretty Little Party – Bust out your ugly sweaters for the most wonderful time of the year! Entertain your friends & family in style at the ugliest party in town. This printable pack includes everything you need to print, cut & create your own party. Including: Assembly Instructions, an 8×10 Voting Sign, 3×5 Official Voting Ballots, Award Badges for 1st, 2nd & 3rd place, Cupcake Toppers and Decorative Decals, Fold Over Menu Cards, Straw/Appetizer Flags, Wine/Sparkling Cider Bottle Labels, AND an “Ugly” Banner with two decorative pennants!

3. Gorgeous Hand Lettered Christmas Prints by Alexa Z Design – Tis the season for holiday decor! Use these darling printables to spruce up your walls or pop in a frame for an easy holiday gift. Each of the 3 prints is sized as an 8×10 and hand lettered by the crazy talented Alexa Lurcher. (Honestly, I would buy this pack for these prints alone. Not even kidding!)

4. “Oh Joy” Banner by Andrea’s Notebook – Deck your halls with this fun and festive banner! All you have to do is: cut, hole punch, thread, and hang! Doesn’t get much easier than that. And don’t you just adore this fun Christmas sweater pattern?

Ready to get yours?

5. Watercolor Holiday Printables by Bella Love Letters – What’s better than curling up in a comfy chair listening to Dean Martin croon your favorite holiday tunes? How about a collection of watercolor printables – so gorgeous they’ll make you forget how cold it actually is outside? Each and every element was hand painted with love by Bella Love Letters and is print-ready. Use the charming “Baby, it’s Cold Outside” print as cheerful holiday decor (or heck, a quick gift for a neighbor!), send the “Merry and Bright” greeting card to your grandmother (she’ll love it), attach the recipe card to a gift plate of your famous homemade cookies, and have the kiddos write their letter to Santa in style this year!

6. Christ-Like Christmas Service by Chicken Scratch n Sniff – Over 40 pages to help you fill your Christmas season with acts of love. Perfect to do as a family or for date night! From bag toppers to gift tags and candy wrappers, you and your family will discover just what you need to compliment your acts of kindness.

7. Two Christmas Countdowns AND Stocking Stuffers by The Dating Divas – TWO of our best-selling countdowns, the Spouse Christmas Countdown AND the Family Christmas Countdown to help you celebrate each day leading up to Christmas! Our adorable Stocking Stuffer Kit complete with gift card holders, coupon booklets, Santa letters, and SO much more!

8. Intentional Christmas Planner by Faith Filled Parenting – The holidays can be so chaotic. We sometimes forget the true meaning of even enjoying the holiday season. This intentional planner will walk you step by step to a less-busy holiday. We will talk decor, meals, gifts, and more. This Christmas is all about simple, and this guide is your ticket to enjoying your Christmas with your family.

Don’t miss out on this amazing deal!

9. Your Santa’s Family Initiative Kit by Frugal Confessions – Santa has issued your family an initiative this holiday season and a family reward under the Christmas tree is up for grabs upon successful completion. Are you and your kiddos up for the challenge? You will decide which of the 3 initiatives − spreading Christmas cheer, volunteering at a location, or completing a household project your family will complete together, and what the family reward will be. (Pssst: don’t worry about coming up with ideas yourself! Santa’s included a sheet of ideas to get your brain working).

10. Merry Christmas Party Pack by Happy and Blessed Home – This printable party pack includes 30 pages of Christmas Party Printables including a Merry Christmas banner, Santa and his sleigh cupcake toppers, napkin rings, straw toppers, labels, invitations, and Christmas party decorations.

11. The Christmas Story- A 12-day Advent Banner by How Does She – A simple way to focus on the real meaning of Christmas: Christ! This darling 12-day advent banner features the story of the birth of Christ, as found in the Bible. Simply print the double-sided banner and flip over each day to reveal the full Christmas story by Christmas Eve. Perfect for stringing across the mantle or hanging on the tree.

12. Christmas Cootie Catcher with Bonus Christmas Lunch Jokes by Inspiration Made Simple – Worried about having a silent night around the Christmas dinner table? Well don’t be! This Christmas Cootie Catcher is the perfect way to keep conversation light and fun. Bundle includes a pre-filled cootie catcher full of fun Christmas themed questions and jokes, as well as a blank version so you can come up with your own! BONUS! Also included is a set of 8 Christmas themed lunch jokes, sure to get the kids in the Christmas spirit.

The Holiday Cheer is waiting for you…

13. Holiday Gift Tag Variety Pack by Less Ordinary Designs – Spruce up your holiday packaging with these printable gift tags from Less Ordinary Designs. They are incredibly easy to download and print and they take your gift wrapping to the next level. With 8 unique designs included, you will surely find something to coordinate with your wrapping paper or gift bag. Print one style or print them all! Why buy tags when you can print as many of these as you’d like, year after year? These are the perfect finishing touch and will look great top your holiday gifts.

14. Christmas Printable Art Bundle by Lolly Jane – No time to decorate for the holidays? Need a festive gift tag to tie onto holiday gifts? Want to make a bunting that’s Christmas-y and cute but easy to make? Print off this 3-pack of holiday themed printable art and size it to whatever suits your fancy! Frame for easy decor, size down and punch a hole in the corner to make a gift tag, or print all 3 cute styles and string up for an easy holiday bunting! All 3 styles are perfectly coordinated in the popular buffalo check and handwritten fonts together OR print separately to break them up. Whatever you do, we know you will love these cuties!

15. Favorite Holiday Recipes by One Good Thing by Jillee – Jillee says… Holidays = Happy Times in our house! There’s no place like home for the holidays, and not just the ones that take place in November and December. No holiday celebration would be complete without some really good food thrown in the mix! Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without My Mom’s Famous Sour Cream Cookies…and the 4th of July wouldn’t be the 4th of July without my Mom’s Homemade Ice Cream and Snickerdoodles! I love sharing the recipes that have become traditions in our family and a delicious part of our “happy times!” Find a new tradition for YOUR family in this beautiful collection of recipes my family uses to make the holidays special throughout the year!

16. Printable Christmas Planner by Planning Inspired – Get organized this holiday season! This Christmas Planner includes everything you need to take the stress & chaos out of the holidays! Use these holiday planner printables to create your own Christmas Binder and have the most organized Christmas ever! Print and punch for your 8 1/2 x 11 inch binder or similar sized planner!

You’ll be oh, so organized with those printables! Get ’em now!

17. Ultimate Road Trip Bundle by Printable Crush – This Ultimate Road Trip Printable set includes everything your kids need to prep for your road trip, activities for the car, and pages to keep track of all the memories you make along the way! Set includes over 40 pages of bright, colorful and fun printables for all ages.

18. 10 of the Best Cookie Recipes for Santa by Six Sisters’ Stuff – Santa will definitely leave you the best gifts on the block with this eCookbook! From festive and cutesy, to downright delicious – these cookie recipes will be the highlight of the season. Download the simple PDF eCookbook to any device and use it all season long.

19. “Pun”ny Christmas Song Neighbor Gift Tags by Somewhat Simple – Such a clever and simple way to put a smile on your neighbors’ faces this Christmas! These tags will take the guesswork out of gift-giving this year – grab some muffin mixes, Sprite, Hershey Kisses, Joy Dish Soaps, seasonings, Jolly Ranchers, etc. and start ‘singing” your way to a less stressful holiday season!

20. Essential Holiday Recipe Guide Book and Holiday Printable Art by That Crazy Oil Lady – Do you LOVE essential oils? Whip up some crazy-awesome Christmas recipes in the kitchen and in your home with the Essential Holiday Recipe Guide and Holiday Printable Art set! These beautiful recipe cards are great to create family memories with, gift to a loved on this holiday season with some essential oils, or use as a gift tag along with the recipe you make yourself! You are not going to want to miss out on this beautiful bundle, that includes beautiful framable wall art as well! Simply print on paper or card stock and cut out the recipe cards! Use the outer red edge as your guide, (cut if off completely) leaving the outside edge of your Recipe cards white.You can use these recipe cards yourself, or gift them along with essential oils, a hot-cocoa ready mug with an essential oil bottle, or one of the fab brownie recipes in here, this holiday season! The recipe cards are the perfect size to put into a standard 4×6 photo album if you are looking to share this as a gift, or if you’re looking for a cute and pretty way to store the recipes in your own kitchen!

Everything you need this holiday season is waiting for you!

21. Christmas and Holiday Gift Tag AND Banner Set by Thirty Handmade Days – This adorable Christmas Gift Tag Bundle is perfect to make all of your gifts sparkle this holiday season. There are over 50 tags – from movie lines to handlettered awesomeness, for Christmas and the holidays in general. There’s also a Merry & Bright banner in there too. You will love all 7 pages included in this set!

22. Naughty or Nice Love Coupon Set for Couples by While He Was Napping – Spice up your love life when your sweetie opens up these Naughty or Nice Love Coupons this holiday season! This is one naughty list your sweetheart should definitely be on! You’ll both thank me later. Included are 66 ready-to-print coupons, 4 cover options, and blank templates so you can customize them just for you and your lover; plus, printing is a breeze and assembly is simple – just print ’em out, cut ’em apart and wrap ’em up!

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL! DON’T MISS OUT ON THESE BONUSES!

If you grab your copy of the All Things Christmas Printable Bundle through one of my links, I’m going to throw in my own little mini bundle just for you! My little mini bundle is valued at $24 – that means you’ll get your money’s worth just from my bonuses!

See?! Told ya! EVERYTHING you could ever want or need this Christmas! Buy now and save BIG! This All Things Christmas bundle has a value of well over $200 but you can get it all for just $15 – $20!

Remember the price goes up tomorrow and this is only a 3-day sale!

What are you waiting for?! RUN, don’t walk!

Put a little hustle in your step and get the All Things Christmas printable bundle because the price jumps up tomorrow and it’s ONLY AVAILABLE FOR TWO MORE DAYS! Get on it!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The post 22 things that will make Christmas easier this year! appeared first on While He Was Napping.

WHY IS THIS SO AMAZING?

This bundle will help you:

• deck the halls with some gorgeous decor and art.
• plan the perfect holiday party in a snap! You’ll have everything you need to organize your party, step by step.
• plan and prepare a delicious holiday dinner with amazing recipes your whole family will love.
• find great gift ideas and stocking stuffers to help with your holiday gift giving.

I can’t say too much more about exactly what is in the bundle. Sometimes, the best part is the surprise and I’m not going to ruin it. Come back tomorrow and I’ll give you all the details, pinky promise. You won’t want to miss this. Trust me.

WANT MORE HOLIDAY CHEER?

I CAN tell you about the extra fun bonus you’ll get from me if you order your bundle from one of my links, though. It’s actually a little mini bundle all on its own! Some of my most popular Christmas products will be all yours, just for getting your awesome bundle of Christmas Cheer through my link.

HOW ABOUT SOME FREEBIES?

How would you like:

• an activity the kids can make themselves that will keep giving all December long?
• something to spice up the holidays with your sweetie?
• a super simple stocking stuffer the kids will LOVE?
• a countdown for New Year’s Eve the whole family will enjoy?

You want all that? Well, you GOT IT! But, ONLY if you order your bundle through my link.

HOW TO MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR FREEBIES:

How do you know if you have my link? There’s a few ways, just choose your favorite option:

• Subscribe to my email list and I will send you the link right to your inbox.
• Join my Facebook group and I will post the link in the group each day of the sale.
• Come back to my website tomorrow and find the post all about the Christmas Bundle Sale.
• Follow me on social media and follow my links on my posts about the All Things Christmas Bundle.
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Google+

This is going to be AMAZING! Make sure you don’t miss out on this once-in-a- lifetime bundle. After Friday, this bundle will break apart and you will have to get all the pieces separately. And I definitely WON’T be giving away my mini bundle again. It’s worth more than the price of the bundle all by itself. Don’t miss out!

See you tomorrow!

The post Sneak Peek: All Things Christmas Printable Bundle appeared first on While He Was Napping.

My goal this year is to have all the technicalities of Christmas taken care of by the beginning of December so that we can just enjoy the season. It’s my attempt to reduce my stress level. With this list, it’ll be a snap to give your little ones just the things they want this holiday season. You can click any image in the collage below or use the links below the image to get more info on each gift idea.

Links in this post may be affiliate links and I will receive a small percentage of any purchases you make. Your cost is changed in no way and you help my keep this site running. Thank you for your support!

23 AMAZING STAR WARS GIFTS FOR KIDS

1. Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar
2. Little Golden Book Star Wars Series
3. These Aren’t the Droids You’re Looking for Search & Find
4. Star Wars Everything You Need to Know
5. Darth Vader and Son
6. Goodnight Darth Vader
7. Vader’s Little Princess
8. Stormtrooper Potato Head
9. Playskool Millennium Falcon
10. C-3PO and R2-D2 Playskool Figures
11. Star Wars Bath Toys
12. Playskool Heroes and Villians Figures
13. Original Trilogy Figurines
14. Star Wars Tent
15. R2-D2 Bop It Game
16. The Force Awakens Figurines
17. Star Wars Battleship
18. Star Wars Lego Microfighters
19. Darth Vader RC Car
20. Star Wars Band-Aids
21. Stormtrooper Alarm Clock
22. Rebel Alliance Boy’s Tie
23. Lightsaber Toothbrush

Whether you’re looking for books or toys or practical gifts, there is something on this list that your kids will love! We have the Little Golden Books and my boys love them! And my 7-year-old would love the Search and Find book and the fact book. I’m still debating on the Lego advent calendar, but I know my boys would LOVE it!

What Star Wars gifts for kids would your lightsaber-lovers just love?

The post 23 Galactic Star Wars Gifts for Kids appeared first on While He Was Napping.

Click on any image in the collage below and you can find more information about that item. Or use the links below to navigate to the Star Wars gift ideas you like most.

Links in this post maybe affiliate links. I will receive a small portion of any purchase made through these links. Your cost is in no way changed. This is one way I keep this site running. Thank you for your support.

24 STAR WARS GIFTS FOR YOUR FAVORITE CHEF

1. R2-D2 Teapot
2. Death Star Tea Infuser
3. Heat Activated Lightsaber Mug
4. Death Star Waffle Iron
5. Lightsaber Immersion Blender
6. Darth Vader Toaster
7. Darth Vader Apron
8. Star Wars Cupcake Wrappers
9. R2-D2 Oven Mitts
10. Death Star Timer
11. R2-D2 Cookie Jar
12. Star Wars Rolling Pin
13. Darth Vader Cookie Jar
14. R2-D2 Measuring Cup Set
15. Lightsaber Chop Sticks
16. Stormtrooper & Vader Salt & Pepper Shakers
17. Lightsaber Pizza Cutter
18. Death Star Cutting Board
19. Death Star Popcorn Popper
20. Darth Vader Mug
21. Set of 4 Star Wars Mugs
22. Set of 4 R2-D2 Bowls
23. R2-D2 Salt & Pepper Shakers
24. Star Wars Cookbook

Which of those galactic gadgets do you want in your kitchen? That tea infuser and the heat activated lightsaber mug are pretty high on my wish list! And that Death Star waffle iron?! Now that would be some pretty awesome waffles to wake up to.

So, which gift would your favorite chef just love to have?

The post 24 Star Wars Gifts that your favorite Chef needs appeared first on While He Was Napping.

I love that Star Wars fandom spans across generations. I love that my niece loves to receive Star Wars gifts just as much and my boys – and her dad – do. And I’ll admit, I love a good Star Wars gift too, even if it’s just because I know my little Jedi-in-training picked it out just for me.

But, are there really awesome Star Wars gifts that Mom would actually want and use? Absolutely! I’ve put together a whole collection of Star Wars gifts that will get mom through her day so you can be sure she will use it and love it! Here’s 19 Star Wars gifts that mom will love and actually use this holiday season.

STAR WARS GIFTS FOR MOM

From day break and that first coffee, what to wear and how to accessorize, all the way to bedtime, these are some awesome gifts that will get mom through her whole day:

1. The Force Awakens Travel Mug
2. Yoda Keep Calm Mug
3. Yoda Best Mom Mug
4. Every Great Mom Teaches her Children Tee
5. The Force is Strong with This Mom Tee
6. Star Wars Heads panties
7. Star Wars R2-D2 Death Star panties
8. Millenium Falcon Necklace
9. Millenium Falcon Earrings
10. Star Wars Watch
11. Darth Vader Slouchy Beanie
12. R2-D2 Scarf
13. Lightsaber Umbrella
14. May the Force be with You Tote Bag
15. Stormtrooper Satchel
16. Stormtrooper Wallet
17. R2-D2 tank top
18. Chewbacca Slippers
19. Yoda Pajamas

I’m pretty certain I need “the force is strong with this mom” t-shirt and those Chewbacca slippers just make me happy. How could you not love to open those gifts this holiday season?! Whether it’s starting the day off with a cup of Keep Calm from Yoda, fighting off gloomy raindrops with a lightsaber umbrella while running errands or ending the night with a wookie keeping toes warm, Star Wars will be there to get mom through the day!

The post 19 Star Wars Gifts that will get Mom through the day appeared first on While He Was Napping.

SPREAD CHEER WITH SIMPLE SURPRISES

The kids are out of school and I am trying to find a balance of attention for them and not letting my other responsibilities get left behind or completely overwhelm me. We have been looking for lots of fun activities that aren’t too time consuming or involve a lot of preparation or supplies. We’re working with little attention spans and all. That also lets me spend time with my boys and still not have too much mom guilt when I tell them I need to do some work or a few chores.

Betty Crocker®  cookie mixes have come to our rescue more than once this past week! We love cookies… because, who doesn’t? We used Betty Crocker®  mixes to make our cookies for Santa and he loved them. He told me so. We’ve shared cookies with lots of family and friends this past week too. It’s been fun to spread some cheer with simple surprises, like a plate of cookies.

I knew that Christmas Eve would be a busy day and we had quite a bit of baking we needed to do. Among the pies, rolls and waffle dough we needed to make we also needed to make cookies for Santa. I knew we weren’t going to have a lot of time so I went with one of my favorite flavor combinations. Peanut butter and chocolate!

I picked up the Betty Crocker® peanut butter cookie mix at Walmart. I grabbed a sugar cookie one too because I knew my kids would be home for the next three weeks and we might need a project to do. We haven’t made the sugar cookies yet, but there’s still two weeks of Winter Break so I’m not tucking it away into the cupboard just yet.

We made peanut butter blossoms for Santa on Christmas Eve and it was perfect. My boys love to help mix things up in the mixer and Betty Crocker® cookie mixes are perfect. They are quick and there’s just enough ingredients that my boys stay interested. We rolled the dough so my boys even got to help with getting it ready to bake, which they usually don’t get to do.

While the cookies baked, my boys helped me unwrap the chocolates to top the cookies with. They did really well and didn’t even eat that many of the chocolates, although that was their favorite part, of course.

We will be making some more cookies while we wait for New Year’s tomorrow, although I’m not sure what kind of Betty Crocker® mix we’ll use yet. There are so many to choose from. I love being able to get my kids in the kitchen in a low-stress, fun project that we can do together. It’s something we all enjoy. And the end result is pretty great too. Another simple surprise we can all enjoy.

If you want some fun cookie ideas, check out the Betty Crocker® Homepage. How would you like a coupon to save on some delicious Betty Crocker® cookie mix? You can do just that with any Betty Crocker® cookie mix and this coupon on Ibotta. How are you going to bake with Betty this winter?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Betty Crocker. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Spread Cheer with Simple Surprises appeared first on While He Was Napping.

These movies are all on Netflix, but I have linked to the movies on IMDb (Internet Movie Database) so you can check them out more before you decide to watch them. I love being able to check the parent’s guide if I’m wondering about watching a movie with the kids. That way we know what to expect without having to screen every movie first. All of these movies I’ve either personally seen (marked with an *) or they are on my list to see. To find any of the titles on Netflix, just search them. (All images are from the IMDb site).

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES ON NETFLIX

For the Kids:
* Cat in the Hat Knows a lot about Christmas – The boys and I watched this one the other night. The Cat in the Hat and the kids help a lost caribou find his way back home on Christmas Eve. It was cute, although a little long for my little ones. The Dr. Seuss was there, as was the happy ending to the story. Big J got a little distracted part way through it, but he was glued to the ending. 
* The Legend of Frosty the Snowman – This one was good for my older two (6 and almost 4). The animation was lively, the characters were fun and the message was feel-good. It was a good quiet time movie when we had an unexpected snow day on Monday and Baby N was napping.
* Kung Fu Panda: Holiday – We like the Kung Fu Panda movies and this one doesn’t disappoint. All the characters you love are back in a fun Holiday story where Po has to decide where he is really needed the most on his big night. Mr Napping even watched this one with us.

* Thomas and Friends: Merry Winter Wish – There are also four other Thomas Christmas movies on Netflix, but my boys really like Merry Winter Wish. This set of Thomas adventures includes four Christmas stories that my boys love. Even Baby N likes to watch these a little. Christmas and trains are hard to beat in this house. I love that I can choose how long I need my kiddos distracted for – they can watch all four stories or just one or two.

* Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas – This is one of my favorite kid Christmas movies to watch with my boys. They don’t love it as much, but it is a good compromise for everyone. They get the characters they love so much and I get the feel-good story line with beloved characters from my childhood too. I also like that this one is another one that we can watch just a show or it can buy me at least half an hour to wrap presents uninterrupted.

* Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas – My two-and-a-half-year old niece and Little J (almost 4) love this one. They love their movie dates when I let them eat popcorn, fruit snacks and watch George. About midway through December I started getting sick of this one, but it’s cute the first half a dozen times.

Family Movie Night:
* Christmas with the Kranks – I can definitely understand the appeal of skipping Christmas (Baby N tried to eat the glass tree ornaments last week and we’re down at least 3 more glass balls that Mr Napping and I got our first Christmas together – I have been tempted more than once to just take the tree down already), but I also know that it just wouldn’t be the same without all those things. The Kranks decide to skip Christmas until their daughter decides that she is going to come home. In trying to put together the perfect Christmas, they find out just what Christmas is really all about.

* I’ll be Home for Christmas – I haven’t seen this one in a few years, but I liked it when I was younger. A young college kid decides to skip Christmas with his family until his dad bribes him to come home. But Jake runs into a few hang-ups on his cross-country trip that help him realize home is really where he wanted to be all along.

A Christmas Carol – I haven’t seen this version, but I love old movies so I’m thinking it would be a winner. At least in my book. The classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge and Jacob Marley is a must-see at least once around Christmastime. I might have to do some wrapping while I watch this one.

Date night:
* While You Were Sleeping – This movie didn’t actually inspire my blog name, but I think about it all the time. I love this movie and have ever since I was little and remember watching it at my Grandpa and Grandma’s house. As I got older and understood more of the story, I loved it even more. Lucy gets more than she wanted when she pretends to be engaged to the guy she likes, but has never really spoken to, when she meets his family.

White Christmas – I haven’t seen this one either and I’m not sure how that has happened. I hear it’s fantastic and, as I mentioned, I love old movies so this one is going on my list to see sooner rather than later. Mr Napping enjoys a good musical every now and again, so this one is on my date night list.

The Christmas Card – I haven’t seen this one, but it was nominated for a prime time Emmy and it has 7.1 stars on IMDb, which is a great rating. The parent’s guide looks pretty clean and I love a warm feel-good movie. So… I might trick Mr Napping into snuggling on the couch and watching it with me after we get the kids in bed some night this next week. It’s a war movie, hon…

Girls night
12 Dates of Christmas – So this looks like Groundhog’s Day for Christmas. I like Groundhog’s Day so I’m willing to give it a chance. It’s got a 6.4 star rating, which isn’t bad and tells me it might be worth seeing. There isn’t any info in the parent’s guide though, so be aware of that if you decide to watch it some younger viewers. I don’t know that I could convince my husband to watch this with me, but my sister would be all over it. Girls night!

Christmas Angel – This one has good ratings and sounds like a fun feel-good movie with a bit of romance in there too. Another great girls night choice. And it’s only 88 minutes long – the length of nap time maybe? When wishes start coming true Olivia discovers that some times, it’s not about what you want.

The Heart of Christmas – Great ratings and the cast looks solid, if maybe a little obscure. It also looks like you better bring the tissues to this one. A family comes together in a truly difficult situation to make it the best Christmas ever – even if it is in October.

What are your must-see Holiday movies?

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