This post of 8 must get Christmas gifts for dogs is sponsored by SmartBones® through Coyne. The SmartBones® information below, product, and gift card, have been provided by SmartBones®. All opinions are my own. If you've been following my blog or my Instagram account for a while you know that my family has two dogs. Our dogs aren't just our pets, they are our 4-legged children. Thus when we celebrate Christmas, Suzy and Bentley are included in the gift receiving (and giving too!). Below you'll find a list of 8 must get Christmas gifts for dogs (and one thing NOT to include on your list) so that you can incorporate your 4-legged child(ren) in Christmas too. New Collar and Leash When was the last time you gave your furry child new jewelry? Did you know it can be hazardous to your dog's health to wear a dirty collar? Not only do dirty collars wear out faster and break easier, they also harbor tons of germs and gross stuff. It's time to get your dog new bling for Christmas! New … [Read more...]
Make Your Own Paper Bowl – Christmas Decor
Last month TJ and I made a leaf bowl out of fallen leaves as part of our fall decor. It worked so well we decided to try making a bowl out of paper for Christmas. If you have left over paper from your Origami wreath, this is perfect! Here's how you can make your own paper bowl Christmas decor: Start by gathering your supplies: Christmas paper in different patterns Round punch (optional) Scissors Modge Podge Bowl (the size you want your finished bowl to be) Sponge brush Plastic wrap Start by using your round punch to make circles out of your paper. It doesn't matter the size of the circles. We used bigger ones but I think if we do this again I would use smaller ones for more variety. If you don't have a round punch, that's ok. You can use any shape punch you want or you can even tear the paper into whatever shape you want. Each bowl is unique and that's the beauty of it! Next you'll want to cover your bowl with plastic wrap so that the Modge … [Read more...]
Christmas Family Traditions
Growing up my extended family did not live near us. Often times holidays were spent with just my immediate family of my mom and dad, me, and my sister. My family developed strong Christmas family traditions because it was just the four of us. Christmas Eve wasn't Christmas Eve, it was my dad's birthday. For as long as I can remember we'd get him a puzzle for his birthday each year. We'd spend the day (and the week after Christmas) putting it together as a family. For dinner my mom made a spread of appetizers and we'd snack while playing games. One of our favorite games was Uno. "Blue to you" became a family joke and a "disease" my sister often got as she never had blue cards. Instead of birthday cake we'd eat Ice Box Pudding, a traditional birthday desert handed down my dad's family for five generations. Christmas Day my sister and I would wake early and open our stockings. We'd then go wake our parents and eat Christmas Morning Sticky Buns for breakfast. After breakfast, … [Read more...]
9 Unique Advent Calendars
Thanksgiving is just a few days away and that means that Christmas is right around the corner! 'Tis the time to start thinking about The Elf on The Shelf and advent calendars. Just like The Elf, calendars can be as boring or creative as you want them to be. I've done some searching for ideas for my family and found these nine unique advent calendars... This DIY Paper Ornaments Advent Calendar by Sweet T Makes Three fascinates me. I can't decide if it would be more fun for my girls to make the ornaments or to open them! Hang these as a garland if you don't have a tree yet. How cute is this DIY Christmas Bulb Advent Calendar by The House That Lars Built?! Even if you don't make these bulbs as a calendar, you can make them to hang on your tree or just around the house. What I love about this Magnetic Bottle Cap Christmas Advent Calendar by Third Stop On The Right is that there are no gifts needed. It's just a simple count down to Christmas. How can you go … [Read more...]
Easy Salted Caramel Bites
Looking for a quick, easy addition to your holiday cookie tray? Check out these salted caramel bites. The hardest part is removing wrappers! To make these you'll need: Caramels Meltable chocolate (such as milk chocolate chips) Sea salt tooth picks microwavable bowl plastic wrap plate or platter 1) Start by unwrapping all of the caramels then set them aside. This takes the longest time and is the hardest part of the entire recipe. 2) Melt the chocolate in the microwave making sure not to burn it. For best results, microwave for short intervals and stir in between. We used fancier, more expensive, brand name chocolate chips to make our salted caramel bites taste better. 3) Lightly push a toothpick into a caramel and use it to dip the caramel into the melted chocolate. Cover the caramel completely. Hint: Do not push the toothpick too deeply into the caramel or you won't be able to get it out. 4) Use another toothpick to help remove the first … [Read more...]
How To Make A Pasta Angel
A few years ago as I was helping a friend go through some of her grandmother's belongings I came across a cute angel made of pasta sitting in the china cabinet. I took a photo and thought it would be fun for my girls to make. I had forgotten about the pasta angel until I was cleaning photos from my computer a couple days ago. Needless to say, I went out and bought what I needed to make these adorable Christmas decorations. Here's what I bought/already had: Paint brush White acrylic paint Glue* Wooden beads** Small ring pasta Rigatoni noodles Elbow macaroni Farfalle pasta (bow-tie pasta) Glitter Medium shell noodles** *Regular school glue works just fine but takes a while to dry. You can use a hot glue gun to speed up time but I do not recommend a hot glue gun for little kids. **Wooden beads and medium shells can be exchanged for each other as seen in the first photo above. 1) Start by gluing the wooden bead or the medium shell noodle to the … [Read more...]
