Kangaroo Mama's 2012 Holiday Guide @mama_kangaroo by Kathy Lisam

Kangaroo Mamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Holiday Guide

Gift Ideas Holiday Crafts

Fash ion Tips

Recipes & More... www.KangarooMama.com

Features “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. ~Jeremiah 29:11

Recipes

Gift Ideas:

15-18, 47-50 Kids 21-26 Women 29 Men 31 Gender Neutral 3 DIY Crafts & Gifts 19 Teaching Kids To Be Thankful 14 Making Your Tree Kid-Friendly 27 Staying Connected With Your Spouse

$1400+ Prizes, 33 Recipes Weekly Drawings 43 Raising Healthy Eaters & More! Enter the Fashion: 51 Hair Holiday Photo 57 Wardrobe Contest NOW

66 Holiday Bloopers

67 Holiday Traditions

Front Cover Image: Special thanks to Angie at Little Inspirations for allowing Kangaroo Mama the use of that beautiful Image!

A Note from Your Bloggy Editor:

ometimes the holidays can come at us like a Lamborghini going 120 mph, it’s somewhat mesmerizing and fun but man, it can be so fast and furious that it’s hard to enjoy! With the holidays, comes tons of things to think about, prepare, buy, wrap, and reflect on before 2013 hits us! This is all while trying to juggle everyday life as a wife, mom, daughter, friend and all the other hats we can wear. This magazine is not only filled with ideas on what gifts to get for those on your list but also stretches beyond that and gives you more. How about not just making it through the holidays but coming out stronger?! There are articles in here with tips on how to stay connected with your spouse during the holidays,

teaching your children to be thankful, and much more. There are many amazing contributors that made this magazine possible so thank you to all of you who participated and for your support! A special thanks to my Honey and Kiggster for always being the inspiration behind all that I do and for always being my biggest cheerleaders! I hope this holiday will be filled with joy and love for each and every one of you. I believe that 2013 will bring many amazing new things, not just for my blog but also new beginnings for my family so I am looking forward to 2013 with hope! Hope you will too! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Blog: http://www.KangarooMama.com

Facebook: http://Facebook.com/KangarooMamaJourney Twitter: http://Twitter.com/mama_kangaroo

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/mommykangaroo/ *Disclaimer: This magazine may contain some affiliate links, Kangaroo Mama may have received some compensation for product inclusion in this guide, or she may have just thought it was cool and you needed to know abou it. However, if Kangaroo Mama didn’t think something was neat, she wouldn’t have included it in this guide, even if compensation was a possiblity!

DIY Gifts & Crafts

DIY Christmas Trees Instead of buying Styrofoam trees which can be expensive, I decided to make my own by just using cardboard paper. I also found a clear cone at Michealâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Store for $1.99 which is much cheaper than $5.99 for Styrofoam trees. Paper & Paint: I painted the tree/cone with a light Tiffany blue acrylic paint and made a tiny banner using paper. Fabric Tree: I only used strips of gold satin fabric, glue gun, cardboard tree and lighter to burn the edges. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sew the ruffles; I made them by freehand and hot gluing the ruffles to the cardboard tree. Gift Wrap Paper: I found these cute gray and white polka-dot wrapping paper at Hobby Lobby and had to get it. Felt: Using lots of medium size felt circles and making a scallop design by interlocking the circles around the clear cone using glue gun.

By Angie @ Little Inspirations

Christmas Wish Lists I whipped up these cute and easy Christmas Wish Lists for my three kiddos. They’ve already started cutting pictures out of magazines to clip onto their strip of ribbon with mini clothespins. I can’t wait to see what they find! Santa is sure to love this list since he doesn’t have to decipher any words, just pictures!

By Dawn @ Leroy Lime

Hi there! My name is Angie and I blog over at Little Inspiration; where I share all things creative, recipes & my journey through motherhood. Are you one of those people that changes Christmas themes every year? I do and today I want to show you a simple and easy way to repurpose your old ornaments to incorporate them to your new theme. Last year, I had a colorful Christmas tree with candy ornaments and I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel like it could be this years theme again. I knew I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going to ever use them again so I decided to simply paint them using acrylic paint. I also had old pine cones and I re-purposed them with my Christmas theme. All you really need is acrylic paint or spray paint and paintbrush. Once painted, you may want to place the ornaments on a piece of wax paper or hang them on a string of yarn while they dry. My new Christmas theme is more of a very light turquoise, white, silver & a pop of gold.

There you have it. The new colors are much, much better and goes well with my new Christmas theme. Hope you enjoy and get crafting. Happy Holidays!

DIY ChristmasCrunchy Centerpiece Farm Baby By Leah McDermott @

Looking for a great centerpiece for your table or Christmas dinner, but don’t want to spend a lot of money? Here’s a beautiful (and delicious smelling) centerpiece you can make for under $5!

Start with any colored plate (I got a shiny red charger plate from Michaels for only $1!) I used a fabric wine bottle gift bag (I got that adorable snowman one at the Dollar Store), which I wrapped around an old vase. I placed some pine branches inside the vase like flowers (make sure to add water to the vase to make the centerpiece last longer). I placed some clementines around the outside of the plate, and made pomanders out of some of them by sticking whole cloves in them. This centerpiece looks great and smells fabulous! All for under $5? Can’t beat that!

Pretty cute, huh? And did I mention that it smells fantastic!?

Crunchy Farm Baby

Leah is the owner/author of , where she blogs about natural/attachment parenting topics, healthy living, family friendly activities, delicious recipes, DIY tutorials, and other fun stories about life with her husband, toddler son, and many animals on their small farm in Southern PA.

Handprint Christmas Trees I really love hand print & footprint crafts with the kids even though I have getting out the paint with a 3 and a 5 year old makes me break out in a sweat (even if it is washable!). These hand print Christmas trees make an easy and memorable Christmas gift for anyone who loves your kids just as much as you do. I used card stock and Crayola washable paint to make the hand prints.

The tree is the hand with fingers closed; the tree trunk is the thumb and the “ornaments” are just their fingers. I painted the stars free hand, but you could use fingers to make those, too. Then I painted dollar store “document frames” with red craft paint. The document frames are 8 1/2 x 11 so they fit paper well. I usually still have trim a bit of the paper down, but it’s better than an 8 x 10 picture frame. Remove the glass and paint. Make sure to clean the glass before you replace it as it is usually pretty dirty. I attached the ribbon using packing tape. I couldn’t think of anything else that wouldn’t damage the frame, but it doesn’t seem to be holding so I’m going to try hot glue.

Then I took glitter glue and smeared it over the frame to add a little bling for fun! And there you have it — a super cute, super personal, super easy Christmas gift! My name is Camille and I am wife, blogger and stay at home mom to Ella (6) and Miles (3). I also have a “bonus daughter”, Sarah (12) who is at home with us during most breaks

Growing Up Gabel

in the school year. provides me with an outlet for sharing my writing and creativity. I cook almost everything from scratch; attempt to make most of our household needs myself; and add in a little knitting and sewing because I enjoy it. I hope that what I share inspires you to live a more frugal and sustainable lifestyle!

{HANDMADE BABY WIPES & WASHCLOTHS TUTORIAL}

During the holidays we might be tempted to dig ourselves deeply into debt. Buying Furbies and Barbies, Power-wheels and iPods. Buying any and every hot item to satisfy the whims of our children, spouses, and loved ones.

But what if... Our gifts were born of love, instead of luxury. Our hands contributed more to our giving than our gas tanks. Inspiration, rather than lists, lead the way to finding that perfect something for that perfect someone. We put more time and effort into handcrafting heartfelt gifts for those we love, rather than filling up the space under our trees with miscellaneous store-bought goodies just to fill up that space.

What you’re going to need ·

2 colors of contrasting fabrics (I used flannel for both sides, but you can also use terrycloth, velour, or any soft, yummy, absorbent material) thread (I used contrasting colors for my thread as well, purple on the top spool, and blue on the bottom. It added a really cool effect, and gave different color to each side of the cloths)

wipe box lid (to use as a pattern for your cloths)

fabric sheers or rotary cutter

fabric marker

Complimenting color bias tape (not pictured here)

Step 1 Start with laying your fabric pieces right side together. Fold this over so

you end up with wrong sides of the same fabric touching. This will double your cutting efforts!

Step 2 Trace your wipe lid across your folded fabric, getting

the pieces as close together as possible. Mine were actually touching so that in making 1 cut I was actually shaping the left side of 1 wipe, and the right side of the other.

Step 3 Cut the sides and tops of your traced wipes. When you have these cut,

your bottom will be connected. slide your sheers in between this fold and cut across. Like so.

Step 4 Your fabric is already in the right position, so now it’s time to sew! Check

that your machine is threaded properly and start halfway down one of the long sides of the wipe sewing the 2 fabric pieces together. Leave a 1 inch section unsewn, so you can turn the wipe rightside out.

Step 5 This is what it will look like. Be sure to trim any excess fabric

from the edges.

Step 6 Turn the wipe rightside out by poking your finger into one

of the corners and working it through the hole that your left on the side. Continue this with all the corners, tugging gently to get all the fabric out.

Step 7 You will be left with a small hole in the side. Simply tuck this

in on itself to line up with the rest of the edge and begin stitching at this location.

Step 8 Now stitch around the entire edge, as close to the edge as you

can get. you can use a more decorative stitch if you so desire. And voila, you’re done!

Lather, rinse, repeat, and you’ll have a handmade set of baby wipes/washcloths in minutes!

Step 9 To add an extra handmade touch and really make your gift pop get a piece of

complimenting bias tape. Measure and cut to go around the wipes with about an inch overlapping. Stitch the ends together with a contrasting thread and a decorative stitch and you have a BEAUTIFUL, thoughtful, well put together gift that you can be proud to give to any parent!

The Sneaky Green blog is is all about how I am greening my family, one sneaky experiment at a

time! Sometimes I hit out of the park and everyone raves about how great something worked or tasted, then other times there are epic fails. I’m sure you’ll enjoy those funnies a lot. With a family of 6, I have a lot of different people to please. Add in 4 little ones, ages 7, 4, 2 and 1, we are quite the rag tag bunch. So jump right in, make yourself at home, and maybe get a little sneaky with me!

Here is what you need to make a lace crown! - Lace – 1-2 Inches Width - Fabric Stiffener or Mod PAGE (I tried both but Fabric Stiffener works best) - Metallic Gray Paint and Glitter Paint (Optional) - Fabric Flower, Buttons - Paint brushes Directions: 1. Cut desired length of LACE. 2. Use a cardboard or plastic and begin spreading the Stiffener with a brush. Let dry for about 1hr. 3. Once the lace is dry.. PAINT. 4. Once painted lace is dry, hot glue it together and attach a flower or button 5. To make the flower: I used a satin fabric and burned the edges with a lighter.. (Be careful doing that!) and attach a button/rhinestone setting. VERY EASY! To place it on your baby girl’s head.. use bobby pins. I’m looking for a better way to place the headband.. and I will let you know if I do. Below is my little girl modeling her new lace crown. This crown is so perfect for a little photo shoot.. for a birthday party or just because! Don’t you think? By Angie @ Little Inspirations

3-D Tree

For the tree, you’ll need 3 different sized squares 3 x 3”, 2-1/2 x 2-1/2” & 1-1/2” x 1-1/2” 1) Now fold each square in 1/2, open and fold the other way in 1/2, creating a + crease line 2) Open and fold each square into a triangle, corner to corner and again on the other side, it’ll look like you’ve creased a plus sign and an X, which equals 8 creases 3) Holding the square in your hands, pull the horizontal creases in towards the middle and press down, you’ll have created a triangle 4) Now fold one side of the top of your triangle in towards the

center crease and again with the other side and you’ll have this...a section of your tree 5) I put my ribbon down first for the trunk and then layered the tree starting with the top...just slip a small section of the lower ‘branches’ into the upper pieces and viola, a pretty little poppin’ tree!!! Below are pictures of the written instructions above:

I’m Dawn from Leroy Lime and I’ve been raised in the same house for 18 years on a farm in IA...I now have called CA, Germany, ND, TX and RI HOME with my DH, 3 children and 2 yorkies. I have a passion for anything artsy and love watching paper items come to life at my fingertips. I love hot summers, cold wine, photography, organizing, DIY, Pinterest and snail mail.

Making your tree kid friendly Back in 2005 was our adventurer daughterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first Christmas, she was still an infant and we had our tree decorated with glass ornaments -it was beautiful. In 2006 our little adventure girl has grown into an exploring toddler and was discovering her surroundings then came Christmas and we had to design our decor accordingly with the safety a toddler requires. That year we used lights and some plastic ornaments in addition I ordered a Nativity scene from Fisher-Price from their Little People line. It was the best solution to her playful little hands. Last year we decided we had to make our tree toddler friendly and at the same time we wanted something different than our usual lights and plastic ornaments. We had seen a tree decorated with stuffed animals, so we decided to think outside the box. It worked great for us, so this year we used the same idea although we kept it strictly Disney and natural. This year we also included little wooden penguin ornaments that we bought when we first got married, to make it a little more fun. How does your family decorate your Christmas tree?

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Maribel and have worn many hats, but now Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a wife, stay at home mother of 2, the chef at our home, decorator of our home, driver to our kids and most

importantly the CEO of our household. Stroller Adventures is where I share all the places we visit as a family, my favorite family recipes and some I make up along the way. 14

Awes N Wows Girls Clothing

Awes N Wows carries one-of-a-kind clothing for the little stars that is sure to draw a whole lot of “Awes” N “Wows”! The core idea behind these designs is fusion! An irresistible blend of east and west, traditional and trendy, simple and fashionable, elegance and innocence and an exquisite blend of various cultures around the world. They strive very hard to give every outfit a unique personality of its own. Whether you choose a piece from their Crocheria, Bubble Bee, Gracefully Yours, and other collectsions, it is sure to draw attention! All their beautiful pieces can be found on their Facebook album and ordered via email. Pieces range from $15 to $30

Info Here

Little Partners: Learning Tower For children, the world is a magical and curious place. They learn by mirroring Mommy and Daddy with the ultimate goal of being able “to do it myself” and feel like an active member of the family. That’s why Little Partners has created the Learning Tower. The Learning Tower has been carefully designed to provide a secure environment for a child’s imagination to be stimulated and blossom. Its design nurtures a child’s innate desire to be independent, and to participate alongside his or her parents and siblings. They even carry Playhouse Kits, which are adorable slip covers that transform your Learning Tower into a whole new world of imagination! $199 Learning Tower in various colors

Info Here

Nuby: iMonster Set

Live Clean Baby Care Products

$4.99/Snack Keeper & $4.99/Twin Handle Cup

Info Here

The Nuby iMonster Snack Keeper and No-Spill Cup are sure to keep messes from ruining your car or other spaces. It will also put a smile on your little ones and even draw the attention of all the other little ones when you pull this set out of your bag! The iMonster™ No-Spill™ 2 Handle Cup has a unique one piece No-Spill soft silicone spout that is easy to use, easy to clean. The unique Snack Keeper cup keeps kid-sized snacks inside the container instead of on the floor or car seat. The soft silicone flaps make it easy to grab snacks without spilling.

Live Clean Baby is a unique collection of eco-friendly baby care products designed with your baby and the environment in mind. Live Clean Baby promises performance with natural, gentle ingredients - caring for baby’s delicate skin using plant based formulations enriched with certified organic botanicals that are safe for baby and safe for the earth. Their baby line includes a Tearless Shampoo & Wash, Baby Bath, Baby Lotion, Non-Petroleum Jelly, Bar Soap, and Diaper Ointment. Sold at Walgreens for ~$7.99 each

Info Here

Sandra’s Music Together Classes Music Together is an early childhood music and movement program for children from birth through age 7—and the grownups who love them. It’s based off the concept of a research-based, developmentally appropriate early childhood music curriculum that strongly emphasizes and facilitates adult involvement.Music Together classes are based on the recognition that all children are musical. All children can learn to sing in tune, keep a beat, and participate with confidence in the music of our culture, provided that their early environment supports such learning. Teacher Sandy in the Bay Area is an amazing instructor teaching beyond music by giving children the opportunity to follow directions through follow the leader musical activities and learning to clean up instruments after each song. The nappy-time song each class is something every parent looks forward to implementing at home more often. The gift of music is priceless and a lifelong investment to your child’s development! Each 10 week session includes a song book and 2 music CDs.

Info Here $197 Brisbane Classes Info Here

$183 San Bruno Classes

Signing Time DVDs, CDs, Books & More

The award-winning Signing Time DVDs will help you and your child learn basic American Sign Language (ASL) vocabulary words. Signing Time truly makes learning sign language easy, entertaining and fun through songs for children of all ages. The recommended ages for Signing Time are ages 1-8, although all ages love it and find it a fun and easy way to learn basic ASL signs, which means older children and adults will learn in a snap! There is also a Baby Signing Time collection geared towards babies 3-36 months old. This four-volume series sets your baby’s day to music as you learn signs and songs for everyday events in baby’s life such as eating, washing hands, sleep time, family members, pets, and more. There are original songs, animation, and real signing babies/kids demonstrating each sign. Their collections include DVDs, music CDs, flash cards, board books and more!! Prices Vary depending on products. Add Kathy Lisam as the Instructor at Checkout.

Info Here

Kelly Kits: Art Play Kits Kelly Kits is an online merchant site that sells interactive art kits for children. We encourage art play while teaching the 5 disciplines of art: painting, sculpting, drawing, print making & collage. Each kit contains all of the tools & materials needed for the activities, the user just needs access to a kitchen! To increase functionality for homeschooling parents, each activity includes an instruction card with an enrichment idea to adapt the art activity to a school lesson. Kelly Kits are designed to encourage creativity & teach!

here

FREE Kit Offer (Pay $2.49 s&h) 20% off Coupon Code: HOLIDAY20 expires 12/16

$9.99/monthly subscription discounts applied for longer terms. $29.99/Gift Packs-sets of 5 kits

Wee Can Too Edible Art Supplies

The eco friendly, organically edible paints are amazing. Their products are completely edible, organic and most of all, safe for babies and toddlers. They are made from organic, food based ingredients in case they decide to put their little hands into their mouth, which has been known to happen while fingerpainting. Their products are also vegan, no wheat, no sugar, and no preservatives! They are transforming the way we all look at art for our little ones with their line of finger paints, chalks, crayons, face paints, and more. Wee Can Too is making baby, toddler, and children painting fun again! Wee Can Too is all the rage with mommy bloggers, autistic children for art therapy, babies, toddlers, and we would love to share them with you! Prices Vary depending on products $35/set of 5 fingerpaint colors $12/set of 5 swirl sidewalk chalk

Info Here

TEACHING YOUR CHIlDREN HOW TO WRITE A THANK YOU NOTE

By Mary Beth Jones

just returned from a trip to Houston visiting my son, daughter-in-law and two beautiful granddaughters. We celebrated Halloween with great fanfare! My son decorated the yard with ghosts, goblins and a grave yard that looked like it was straight out of a scary movie set! Aubrey dressed up as “Alice” in Wonderland, Lorelei was the little white rabbit and mom and dad were the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts! It was definitely a family affair that warmed my heart.

It didn’t take long after the Halloween decorations were taken down and the “Alice in Wonderland” costumes were packed away for my 4 year old Granddaughter to start her Christmas list. I reviewed her list and found it to be an appropriate time to talk to her about gift “giving” and “receiving”. I tried to impress on her the importance of being thankful for each and every gift she receives, but most of all, to be thankful for the person/people who took the time to pick out the very special gift for her. I told her how impressive it would be to show her thanks by giving the person whose gift she just opened a BIG hug and kiss and say “Thank You” for such a thoughtful gift! I also started the conversation about “writing” a thank you note to that very special person. I thought the best way to help her understand was to sit down with her and “teach” her how to do it.

Aubrey had already sent me a “Thank You” note for her Birthday gifts I had given her, so we used that as an example. Lorelei wanted to be included in the lesson, so with Aubrey on one knee and Lorelei on the other, we had our very first “How to write a thank you note” lesson.

The first thing we talked about was “why” we send thank you notes. How thoughtful it is to send a note of thanks to someone who has done something so very special for you. I explained that writing the note expressing how you feel about the gift you received is certainly great, but you can also draw a picture if you’d like. After many questions about the process, I thought the best way to get the idea across was to practice. That seemed to do the trick. After several notes in a few different versions, Aubrey was feeling quite confident that she could master it after the Christmas celebrations were over. Lorelei is only 6 months old, so she will need another lesson in a year or two. By then her older sister will be the teacher!! Christmas is a perfect time to teach your children the importance of thanking everyone for the gifts they receive both verbally and written. Taking the time to Write a “Thank You” note and sending it in the mail definitely shows deep appreciation. So Parents, it is up to you to “Take the Time” to teach your children how to write a Thank You Note!! Article inspired by the Family Education article, which you can read here. Mary Beth is a first time author who resides in the suburbs of Chicago. Her book, Manners Are Free, was inspired by her first granddaughter, when she decided there was no better time to teach her manners than to write a book about them! 20

GIFTS FO

Pamper Me Gif

Perfectly Posh Awesome Blossom Gift Set

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the perfect pretty pampering pack for Mom, grads, yourself, and any female on your holiday gift list. Perfectly Posh is simple: Purely Pampering! Whether you get an evening off or just a few minutes on the go, they have what you need. Gift Set includes 1 Cherry Blossom Slather, 3 Cherry Butter Mini Bombinators, 1 Cherry Vanilla Lovely LipButter. $19 Info Here 21

MiEssence Healthy Skin Facial Pack

Pamper yourself with a luxurious facial treatment at home knowing that you are using all natural certified organics with none of the synthetic compounds or toxic ingredients found in conventional skin care preparations. Includes their 5 most popular skin care products, Rejuvenating Facial Serum, Firming Eye & Neck Serum, Rose Monsoon Hydrating Mist, Garnet Exfoliant, & Probiotic Skin Brightener or all can be purchased separately. $119 Info Here

OR WOMEN

fts

Crafter’s Paradise

MiEssence Sunflower Body Wash

Wake up to a burst of sunshine with the bright, invigorating scent of orange, lemon and lime in the Sunflower Bodywash. This great smelling wash is also gentle enough for the whole family, offering moisturising protection of cold pressed sunflower. Just a little on a sponge is enough to wash your whole body. It is also a safe alternative to children’s bubble bath and baby wash products. $18.90/Full Size $6.05 /Trial Size

Info Here

Pick Your Plum

They post one time a day Mon-Fri at 7 am (MST). They have limited supplies on some of the most swank supplies. They have agents out in the field who find killer deals on high quality products. They delicately slap prime-o pricing on crafting, clothing, baking supplies, home decor and other fabulous finds. Stellar pricing. Cool. They sell it ‘til it’s gone or ‘til time is up. You leave feeling like you just won Martha in a crafting contest. Daily deal prices will vary

Info Here 22

Origami Owl Custom Jewelry

It’s been said that Living Lockets are the latest trend in jewelry; but the truth is, they’re so much more than that! Living Lockets are an extension of YOU because each and every piece is custom designed to tell a story of your life + of what’s important to you. Build your Living Locket in 5 simple steps: Step 1: Select the CHARMS that tell your story or represent things you love Step 2: Choose a LOCKET Step 3: Choose a CHAIN Step 4: Add a hand-stamped metal PLATE Step 5: Add a DANGLE (or two!) Every locket tells a story...what’s yours? Pricing depends on customization Info Here 23

Initials, Inc. Modern Woman 3 Piece Tote Set-Pecan

The core company message of ‘There’s only one you!’ is celebrated through amazing personalized products. Personalization is always FREE and their product line includes purses, travel bags, diaper bags, accessories, home organization items, and much more. The personalization options are endless with 5 different personalization styles, 10 fonts and 17 different thread colors. 3 Piece Faux-Croc Set includes a double handle tote, matching cosmetic clutch and wallet. $89 Info Here

Jamberry Nails

Lilla Rose Flexi Clips

Now you can change your nail design as often as you change your clothes or shoes. There is a design for every occasion, holiday, or even simple everyday designs. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll love Jamberry Nails because of how easily they can be applied and how many different looks you can achieve by mixing and matching. Their Nail Shields will give you that high-end salon look in the convenience of your own home. Their nail shields can be used on both fingers and toes and each sheet can be applied for 2-3 sets of fingers or toes.

Comfortable, unique, flexible, attractive and durable. The Lilla Rose product line centers around unique, functional, and well made hair jewelry. From their signature Flexi Hair Clip, they have expanded to Hair Sticks, O-rings, Hairbands, Bobby Pins, complimentarily designed You-Pins, and Badge Holders. With 7 sizes for the flexi clips ranging from mini to mega, everyone is sure to find the perfect fit for every hairstyle from half up to French Twists. Flexi Clip shown in the picture is the Divinely Framed Jewel clip.

$15 per sheet Info Here

Starting at $11 for Mini Size Flexi Clips

Info Here 24

Hostess With

Blessings Unlimited: Grace & Gratitude Memo Board

Blessings Unlimited offers a unique blend of business & ministry with exclusive home decor items and gifts created to encourage hearts, build relationships, and bring beauty to the place where you live. Blessings Unlimited has something for everyone. Whether it is home decor, jewelry, children’s books and puzzles, inspirational reading, or cards. They offer variety, quality, and meaningful messages that reach out and touch ones soul. Memo Board has the message “Grace and Gratitude.” 1 Chronicles 29:13 NIV Measures 12” x 9”. Includes black iron easel. Wipe clean with damp cloth. $42 Info Here 25

h The Mostess

LeroyLime Party Goods

LeroyLime is home to a collection of fun coordinating hand made party banners, invitations, rosettes, table flair, cupcake toppers, cards and other hand made treasures for you to share with loved ones near and far. There is something for every occasion and if you don’t see it, Dawn can custom make it to whatever holiday, occasion, or party theme you need! You are sure to find something you love! If someone you love enjoys throwing parties, be sure to get them something from LeroyLime or better yet, get them a gift certificate that they can use to make purchases for their upcoming parties. LeroyLime has these super cute Martini Glass cupcake toppers and favor boxes which are perfect for a New Year’s party! $16/12 favor boxes & $14.50/24 cupcake toppers Info Here

Roni’s Sugar Creations

If you haven’t tried Roni’s chocolate and caramel apples, you may be missing out. She uses the best ingredients: Girard’s milk chocolate, Pete’s creamy caramel and the best and most fresh deluxe granny smith apples. The Chilli apples are made with spicy tamarind and chilli. Their apples were #1 winners at univision.com in 2010 along with their cookies. Then when you add cake pops and pull apart cupcake cakes that can be made into any shape, size, color, and character, they are your one-stop dessert shop! Bring something to your next party to complete the dessert table or give the hostess a gift certificate to use for their next party! Prices vary depending on dessert choicesdad

Info Here

By Pamela Of Still Dating My Spouse

It’s

that time of year where we begin to think about family, food, and fun. Turkey day ended just a few days ago and that only means that the Christmas season is here! During this busy time of year, many relationships face a lot of stresses dealing with planning, visiting, gifts, finances, and just plain old event planning. The holiday season shouldn’t stress you and your spouse out, this should be a joyous occasion.

Signs that your relationship is suffering from holiday stresses: • Your 24 hour days feel like 28 hours

• You guys are having disagreements about normal day to day activities • You are on edge even after having your daily dose of caffeine • Not eating • Deliberately avoiding each other Dealing with an angry spouse, even when it is not a holiday, it’s no fun so you definitely do not want to be that spouse that your family is tipping toeing around.

How to deal with holiday stressors:

• Learn to say NO-do not take on more than you can handle • Get plenty of rest, at least 6 hours of sleep every night 27

• Eat-make sure you are eating and eating healthy meals/snacks • Discuss with your spouse/partner about holiday finances, holiday get-togethers, and visits with family and in-laws. Discuss your game plan and stick with it. • Schedule quiet quality time with your spouse/partner. Make it a weekly activity so you have something to look forward to after spending so much time with extended family.

The most important thing you guys must remember, the holiday is just ONE day! You will be together many more days so do not allow an event with outsiders (friends and family) to stress your marriage, your finances, or your patience. If what you are doing is not making you and your spouse/partner happy then don’t do it! Pamela King is a wife, mother, sister, daughter and aunt. God is working in her life and guiding her to minister to married couples. The

Still Dating My Spouse

mission of blog is to strengthen marriages. Still Dating My Spouse (SDMS) builds on the idea of continuous dating throughout marriage. As with anything, marriage must be nurtured to see growth and strength. SDMS provides the platform to help couples nurture their marriages by providing tips that range from communicating to dating to romance! Marriages are the nucleus of our communities and we must nurture and strengthen marriages in order to transform our communities.

Gifts Fo The Adventurer

Cloud 9 Living: Adventure Experiences

Cloud 9 Living believes that giving a gift should be more meaningful than just fulfilling an obligation; it should be about showing your recipient that you took time to find something they will truly love and remember for years. If you have an adventurer on your hands and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what to possibly get them, this is the place to look. They can experience the thrill of a lifetime by taking the ultimate leap of faith and go skydiving, get their adrenaline rushing with a 10 story bungee jump, challenge themselves with a private rock climbing lesson or simply enjoy the great outdoors with a guided horseback ride or nature hike. Prices vary depending on type of experience chosen Info Here 29

Ride The Ducks Tours A Ride The Ducks San Francisco tour includes an exciting ride on our amazing land and water duck boats. Ride through the historic streets and neighborhoods of San Francisco. Splash down and cruise the Bay. Drive the duck, if you want. Quack along with the captain and the music aboard this 90-minute city adventure. Your entertaining captain mixes fun, music, and history into an interactive experience better than any other San Francisco tour. $34/Adults, $32/Seniors, $25/Youth and FREE/Infants 3 and younger

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or Men The Reader

Dad-to-be/New Dad

Blessings Unlimited: Moments of Strength For Men Book

Dadspirations Book

Written for men to encourage and strengthen them in their walk with God, Moments of Strength for Men is the perfect book to give to husbands, dads, brothers and friends on any occasion. Handsomely composed, it provides great truth through Scripture, along with encouraging, insightful words from Roy Lessin. Blessings Unlimited has other encouraging gifts for men including journals, books, and more. $10 Info Here

Using his personal experience as a father of two children under the age of two, Pete Densmore has compiled the ultimate set of inspirations for the father to be or a new father. This fast-reading, humorous book includes an actionable checklist of essential ideas to help inspire dads to become the best father they can be. Below are some ideas: —Send your loving wife to the spa, which secures for you an afternoon of introducing Bob Ross and Kung Fu to your baby. —Develop a baby birth time capsule, which captures all of the precious moments from a day you’re likely to forget. —Build a toy box, which gives you the perfect excuse to spend an entire day alone in the garage with power tools and beer. —Make up a holiday, which affords time for infant and grandma to bond, and gives you and your wife time for nookie. $13.95 in print & $2.99 on Kindle Info Here

For the Fo

Customized Gifts

Printcopia Canvas Prints

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for a way to transform your photos into stunning pieces of art to display and share (and maybe show off a little), Printcopia is the one-stop resource for you. At Printcopia, you can turn your photos into eye-catching wall art with a variety of printing materials and options to choose from including gallery-quality canvas, sleek acrylic, and glorious panoramic printing. Our easy-to-use print tools make it fun to upload your photos and turn them into stunning prints. Want to turn your Facebook and Instagram photos into cool prints? Printcopia has a built-in feature that lets you upload images from these sources-quickly and easily. Pries vary depending on items chosen

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NatureBox: Monthly Healthy Snack Delivery

NatureBox was founded to help people eat healthier and live better. Food and nutrition play a vital role in life and with the right tools, they believe that anyone can be healthy. Even slight changes to your daily diet can amount to meaningful impact in how you enjoy life. their team scours the world to find the most unique, tasty, and healthiest snacks around and deliver them to your doorstep. Each box carries a unique theme and everything inside has been taste tested and nutritionist approved. $19.99/month

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For the Health Conscious

Foodie

Nut ‘N Bean

Nut ‘N Bean carries fantastic specialty dips and spreads that they hope will become a part of everyone’s daily lives. They can make any type of nut butter from macadamia, pecan, sunflower, cashew, the classic peanut butter and more! Flavors are even more diverse where you can get savory or sweet nut butters with flavors like coconut mango balsamic, ginger lime, caramel lavendar, to even bacon chocolate. The sky is the limit. Their offerings don’t stop at nut butters but they even have a wide variety of hummus flavors, cashew cheeses, and whip butters (tastes like flavored whipped cream)! They ship within the US. You can find the Nut n Bean flavors on their website and if you see something you like, send them a message or an email to get the order process started! Prices vary depending on items chosen

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Miessence SuperFood

Feed your body the nutrients it’s missing! Green alkalising minerals, potent antiageing antioxidants and immune boosting probiotics. Raw, vegan, certified organic, ultra-concentrated. Vitality in 3 teaspoons a day for less than a fancy latte. Formulated to nourish and alkalise your body with the most potent and nutrient dense deep-green foods on the planet. 100% raw, vegan, and certified organic DeepGreen Alkalising Superfood is the perfect compliment to In-Liven and Berry Radical. Berry Radical is a delicious combination of 9 of the worlds most potent, antioxidant, super-foods. The new, Vitality Pack includes the In-Liven Probiotic Superfood, Berry Radical Antioxidant Superfood, and the DeepGreen Alkalising Superfood. $69.50 Sold Separately $150.12 sold as pack of 3

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Recipes

Christmas Cupcakes

To make these cupcakes you will need a dark chocolate fudge cake mix, muffin pan, gum drops for garnish & whipped topping or frosting. 1. Prepare cake mix. 2. Make sure to spray muffin pan with cooking spray before adding batter. 3. Bake cupcakes as directed on the box. 4. Once cupcakes are cool. Turn cupcakes upside down. 5. If using frosting out of can: microwave the frosting for about 10 seconds or until its turned into a liquid consistency. Do the same if using Frozen Whipped Topping. 6. Slowly add it to the top of the cupcake and freeze immediately. 7. Add decorations and enjoy! 8. To make the leaf; I simply flattened one green gum drop to form a leaf. By Angie @

Little Inspirations

Pumpkin Cinnamon Smoothie

Makes: 2 Cups Prep time: 5 mins Total time: 5 mins Ingredients: 3 tablespoons of pumpkin (if you would like more pumpkin flavor add a couple more) 1 cup of milk (soy, almond, or whole) 1/2 cup of vanilla yogurt (or Greek yogurt) 1 tsp of ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice 1 small banana Cinnamon graham cracker crumbs for garnish (optional) Instructions: On a blender, mix all ingredients for a minute. Add optional garnish and enjoy! Notes: You can make this smoothie with with your favorite milk (soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk, whole milk). I used Vanilla Almond Milk for this recipe. Also, If you love the pumpkin flavor, you may want to add more pumpkin to the recipe.

By Angie @ Little Inspirations

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Tres Leches

Prep time 8 hours

Cook time 25 mins

Total time 8 hours 25 mins

Serves: 24

Ingredients

• White Cake Box Mix • Can of Pumpkin • 3 Large Eggs • 1 Cup of Almond Milk (Vanilla) • 1/3 Cup of melted butter • 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon • 1/2 teaspoon of all spice • 1 1/2 cup of Almond Milk • 1 1/2 cup of Evaporated Milk • 1 1/2 cup of Sweet Condensed Milk • FROSTING: Whipped Topping or your favorite frosting • Cupcake Foil Liners

Instructions

1. Using a mixer combine cake mix, eggs, butter, all-spice, cinnamon & almond milk and MIX well. 2. Bake as directed on the box. 3. Let cupcakes completely cool and poke holes with toothpicks. 4. To prepare tres leches: combine the three milks and mix well. 5. Carefully, pour the tres leches mixture onto cupcakes w/spoon until completely soaked. Refrigerate overnight. 6. Serve w/you favorite frosting or whipped topping. 7. Refrigerate left overs. By Angie @ Little Inspirations

Triple Layer Mud Pie Recipe

Recipe Ingredients: ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

3 (1-ounce) Squares Baker’s Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate (melted) 1/4 Cup Sweetened Condensed Milk 1 (6 ounce) Oreo Pie Crust (we used pre-made) 1/2 Cup Pecans (chopped) 2 Cups International Delight Iced Coffee (we used Mocha flavored) Can use milk! 2 Packages (4 serving size) Jell-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding 1 (8 ounce) Tub Cool Whip (thawed & divided)

Recipe Directions: 1 Mix melted baker’s chocolate and condensed milk until well blended. 2 Pour into pie crust and sprinkle a layer of pecans on top. 3 In mixing bowl, beat iced coffee (or milk) and dry pudding mixes with wire whisk 2 4 5 6 7 8 9

min. or until well blended. (Mixture will be thick) Spoon 1-1/2 cups of the pudding over pecans to form another layer. Add half of the whipped topping to remaining pudding and stir until well blended. Now spread that over the pudding layer. Top with remaining whipped topping. We had a few chocolate chips left over from some cookie baking and dotted the top with those. Refrigerate for 3 hours prior to serving.

And there you go! Easy, yummy and very kid friendly for little hands who like to help!

Ronni is a psych major turned social media junkie. Running on caffeine she enjoys sharing busy home solutions, great product reviews and her own unique take on life. The ‘Grandma Juice” mission is a comedic relief view of my unique life. Finding and sharing with others can be better than therapy.

Delicious Mexican Holiday Punch a.k.a “Calientito”

Every year growing up in Baja I remember that friends and neighbors would organize the traditional “Posadas” and gather after them to have dinner; tamales, re fried beans, pasta salad and of course “calientito” punch. It was all so delicious and home made from scratch! INGREDIENTS: • • • • • • • • • •

1 Sugar Cane stalk (cut into 2 inch long pieces) 1 Cinnamon stick Piloncillo (to desired sweetness) 6 Guavas 2 Medium sized apples cut into bite size pieces 2 Medium oranges peeled and cut into bite size pieces 1/2 cup of prunes 1 Small bottle of Pomegranate Juice 6 Cups of water Walnut halves (this is an optional ingredient)

PREPARATION: 1.- Boil water and PomegranateJuice with sugar cane and cinnamon. 2.- Add fruits, by order of the hardest texture (i.e. sugar cane, apples, etc.) 3.- Serve hot.

I’m Maribel and have worn many hats, but now I’m a wife, stay at home mother of 2, the chef at our home, decorator of our home, driver to our kids and most importantly the CEO of our household.

Stroller

Adventures is where I share all the places we visit as a family, my favorite family recipes and some I

make up along the way.

Vegan Ginger Snaps

Are these heavenly looking cookies really vegan? Yes. Will the people you serve them to have any idea that they’re actually somewhat healthy for them? No way! This is, of course, assuming you actually serve them to people and don’t stand around in your kitchen eating all of them before anyone knows you even baked them like I’ve done twice this month. This recipe makes a lot of cookies - at least four dozen depending on the size you make them, so they’re perfect for cookie exchanges or parties. You can also save half of the dough in the refrigerator for up to a week and keep fresh cookies in the cookie jar for awhile! One quick note before the recipe - I know it is always tempting to skip the “Refrigerate dough” step when baking cookies, but do not do it with these! The secret to the fluffy texture is the chilled dough! Ingredients - 1 cup packed light brown sugar - 1/3 cup vegetable shortening - 1 1/2 cups dark molasses - 2/3 cup cold water - 7 cups flour - 2 t. baking powder - 2 t. ground ginger - 1 t. allspice - 1 t. cinnamon - 1 t. ground cloves - granulated sugar, for garnish Directions 1. Mix sugar, shortening, molasses, and water in a bowl and blend together well with a mixer. There will be small lumps of shortening, but this is fine - they’ll mix in and dissolve later. 2. Add the rest of the ingredients (except granulated sugar) and mix well until a soft dough forms. The dough will be a little sticky. 3. Cover bowl and refrigerate dough for at least two hours (more is better). Do not skip this step 4. Roll 1-1 1/2 inch balls of the dough between your hands and place on a baking sheet. Dip a fork in granulated sugar and press the tines in a criss-cross pattern on top of each cookie to flatten. 5. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies no longer feel doughy when you press on them (you want them to be somewhat soft though). 6. Remove and let cool (if you can wait).

- By Leah McDermott @

Crunchy Farm Baby

Mexican Lettuce Wraps

Prep time 30 mins

Cook time 30 mins

Total time 1 hour

Serves: 3 Ingredients • Green Leaf Lettuce • Grilled Chicken Breast, Prepared & Seasoned. • White or Brown cooked rice • Your favorite Wholly Salsa • Mexican Three Cheese Shredded {Low-Fat} • Fresh Shredded Carrots • {Low Fat }Sour Cream or Mexican Crema • Limes

Instructions 1. Prepare and clean green leafs. 2. To prepare chicken, cut into small pieces and grilled on a olive oil pan fry until golden brown. Seasoned with salt & pepper or your favorite seasoning. 3. Then add Wholly Mild Salsa and stir fry for about 5 minutes. 4. On a green leaf lettuce; add rice, prepared Wholly Chicken Salsa, cheese, carrots, & sour cream and enjoy! By Angie @ Little Inspirations 40

Chicken Enchiladas Recipe Recipe from Grandma Juice

INGREDIENTS: 1 Whole Chicken (cut up) 15-20 Flour Tortillas 12oz Bag Of Mexican Blend Shredded Cheese 1/2 Cup Fine Chopped White Onion (2) 7oz packages of Wholly Guacamole 10oz Container of Roaster Red Pepper Wholly Salsa 12oz Container of Sour Cream 1 Can Cream Of Mushroom Soup 2 Cans of Enchilada Sauce 1/2 Cup Chopped Black Olives Salt & Pepper To Taste Crushed Red Pepper To Taste (save some cheese, salsa and enchilada sauce for topping) DIRECTIONS: Start by grabbing a stock pot and fill it with enough water to cover the whole chicken placed inside. Add a dash of salt to the water and boil! This should take a good 1/2 hour or so. Check to make sure juices run clear when you cut into the chicken. Remove from water and allow to cool down just a bit. While the chicken is getting the boil bath, chop your onion and black olives. Mix all remaining ingredients in large mixing bowl. Don’t forget to reserve some cheese, salsa and enchilada sauce for topping. Once chicken is cool to the touch, you can drain, debone, remove skin and chop into 1 inch chunks. Toss that into the bowl with your other ingredients and mix it all up together. And now, we guac and roll! Next, grab yourself not one but two 9×11 baking dishes. If you’re cooking for less people, go ahead and cut the ingredients in half or better yet, make the full batch of chicken enchiladas recipe and freeze it for another day! Coat the bottom of each pan with some enchilada sauce. Take 1 tortilla and lay flat. Fill with chicken mixture and roll. Place rolled tortilla in baking dish against the edge to help hold while baking. Keep repeating until all tortillas are rolled and pans are full. Top with remaining sauce and cheese. It will look like this:

Pre-heat oven to 350* and place baking dishes on center rack in oven. I like to place them on a cookie sheet just in case they bubble over a bit. Since your chicken is already cooked, you just want to melt the cheese and get a nice bubbly, gooey-ish-ness going, you don’t need to cover them. You’ll know they are done and not burnt to a crisp when they look like this:

Top with a bit of your Wholly Salsa and serve with some home made rice! OMGleeee…. Wholly Heaven in your mouth!

Guac Bombs:

Baked Guacamole & Chicken Wontons

Ingredients List:

• • • • •

Cooked chicken-shred/dice/chop it Guacamole (I used Wholly Guacamole) Small bowl of water Thin wonton skins Olive Oil

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees 2) Take a wonton skin and put a small dollop of guac and some shredded chicken. Don’t put too much guac + chicken or the packet will not close and the guac will leak out while you fold or bake it. 3) Dip your finger into the bowl of water and wet 2 sides of the wonton wrapper to form a V shape. Then fold it into a triangle and press the edges closed. 4)Then dip your finger again into the water and wet one of the corners of the triangle (see picture above). Then take both corners of the triangle and bend them over to meet . Then press it tightly to “glue” it together. See pictures below.

Your Guac Bomb should now look somthing like this: 6) Lay it on the baking dish/tray that you plan on using (you could use a dish but why wash another item) to bake them in. 7) Repeat steps 2-7 until you have the desired amount of Guac Bombs. 8) Once you are done, take some olive oil and using a pastry brush, coat each wonton packet with plenty of olive oil. 9) Bake for 15 minutes, flip the wonton packets to the other side and bake for another 15 minutes or until starting to turn golden or brown. You can serve this as is or with some chili sauce, sweet & sour sauce, etc. Serve these warm!

This recipe was brought to you by

Fruit and Veggie Love By Cai Dixon

Raising joyous, healthy eaters.

s such a thing possible with young children? Yes! Eating specialists refer to our inborn, naturally attuned eating as eating competence. Eating competence includes the ability to know when the body needs nutrition and even, when finely honed, what the type of nutrition is required. We are all born competent eaters. Babies cry when hungry, eat and are satisfied by their mothersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; nutritious milk. We encourage continued competent, intuitive eating and healthy cravings in young children by offering them a variety of healthy foods and allowing them to eat as much and as often as they need. Children who experience the vitality that comes through eating well will return to the source of that feeling again and again. Nutrition and health are intrinsically connected, with benefits immediate and farreaching. Healthy eating gives children instant energy, leading to optimal growth & development. Moreover it makes them feel great. Children who feel well, act well, think well and are well. The experience of robust good health leads to a lifetime of thriving. And fruits and vegetables are the perfect foods to meet childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs for complex nutrition. So how do parents guide children towards a lifetime of loving fruits and vegetables? Keep the home stocked with fresh produce at all times. Nutrition can only be consumed when it is available. Apples, oranges, grapes, bananas, blueberries, carrots, celery, are some ideas for easy items that are perfect for little hands. Make fruits and vegetables accessible. Keep produce stored at heights where young children can reach. A low shelf in the refrigerator is perfect. Give children access to a variety of healthy fruits and vegetables, and let them eat whenever they are hungry. This type of independence is important for fostering healthy connections to food.

Snack often. Allow fruit or vegetable snacks between meals. Healthy snacking helps avoid blood-sugar dips and decreases the likelihood of children experiencing disequilibrium and meltdowns. Create a nibble tray. These are excellent for young ones on the go. Children may be too deeply engaged in play to abandon a game for food. Place a snack tray nearby. Plan ahead. Bring along fruit and vegetable snacks for car rides, walks, and other outings. Never miss an opportunity to feed more fruits and vegetables! Front-load. Give children pre-meal fruits and vegetables so they are full with healthful calories and will consume fewer empty calories when going into environments where poor or low-nutrition foods will be served. Flush childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s systems with fruits and vegetables after exposure to nonnutritious foods or high sugar daysâ&#x20AC;Ś like birthday parties. Explain to them that eating cake is not so good for their teeth and tummies and eating some bites of healthier foods will make them balanced and well. Offer fruit and vegetable options when throwing your own parties. Fruit bowls & veggie platters are surprisingly popular with young guests because they are such easy finger-foods. Model healthy eating. Eat fruit and vegetables with your children. Let them see how much you love these foods and make a strong impression. Drink fruits and vegetables! Smoothies are a wonderful way to combine a variety of nutritious foods for easy consumption and children love to help make them!

Think creatively. Place foods on interesting serving dishes! Cut fruits and vegetables into shapes. Arrange them artfully on a plate and see how much more delightful they are for your children to devour! Invite a friend! If your children have not developed a taste for a certain types of fruits or vegetables yet, invite over a friend who is the same age or slightly older whom you know enjoys eating those items. Your children will catch on. Paired or even group feeding allows other kids to lead the way. Plant a garden. Children love to nibble and share foods gathered from their own

gardens, especially if they have helped to plant and tend the garden themselves. Serve a rainbow! Because fruits and vegetables have different properties, it is recommended that children try to eat a variety of differently colored produce each day to receive their many benefits. Shop together! Take children with you to the Farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Market or the produce section of your grocery store and allow them to pick out some of the items they want to eat. Visit a farm. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exciting to visit a real farm, especially if it is one that allows children to pick their own food. What a lovely way for them to form a deeper connection to the fruits and vegetables that they eat. Talk about food. Remind your children which foods are good for your body and can be eaten often, and which should only be eaten once in a while. Be sure that they

know the difference! Purchase toys and books that are fruits and vegetable related. Make sure children’s

lives are infused with opportunities to explore and think about healthy choices. Play is practice for life! Keep trying. Getting your children to eat fruits and vegetables is an investment in their health and in their future. Be creative, be persistent and never give up! Optimal nutrition should be your daily goal. If your children have the opportunity to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables each day, the reward will be a lifetime of eating right and all the many benefits that come from good health. “The eating habits we give our kids starting at 6 months and right into their toddler years stick with them their whole lives… it’s an incredible long-term investment.” ~ Dr. Jay Gordon, FAAP

Cai Dixon is co-founder of Copy-Kids Media . She is also the mother to a 4 1/2 year old daughter, Bella, the inspiration behind Copy Kids. Cai can also be found on Ravelry.com as CaiCaiCat.

Betty Lukens: Felt Board Sets

Betty Lukens focuses on providing an interactive teaching tool that helps parents, grandparents, teachers and missionaries bring learning to life. Their Learning Fun with Felt line includes over 30 sets to inspire children’s creativity, from learning ABCs, safari animals, seasons, and much more. They also have bright and colorful Bible stories in felt that are eye catching and appealing to captivate an audience. With the moveable pieces and personal-sized play boards, children can engage in imaginative play by arranging and rearranging the pre-cut felt pieces over and over again. Each time they create new and exciting stories as they experience the fun and magic of felt and leaves a lasting impression. Use promo code KM20 for 20% off at the Betty Lukens website, good through the end of December. $16.95/Learning Felt Board Set

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What’s In The Bible

What’s in the Bible? is the new DVD series from VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer designed to walk kids and families through the whole Bible, Genesis-Revelation. The creative characters and witty songs teach Bible literacy to children and their parents. The complete old testament: DVDs 1-9 (Genesis – Malachi) along with Buck Denver Asks… Why Do We Call It Christmas? are now available. In 1990, 24-year-old computer-animator Phil Vischer sat down to create a group of characters that could teach Christian values to kids in a delightfully different way. Phil continues to pursue innovative new ways to integrate faith and storytelling through his new company, Jellyfish Labs. $14.99/DVD

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VeggieTales

VeggieTales, created by Big Idea Entertainment, is the leading faith-based studio and producer of children’s and family programming. The bestselling children’s animated cartoon features talking vegetables, led by Larry the Cucumber and Bob the Tomato. VeggieTales is all original content that often pays homage to classic tales and includes appropriate pop-culture references, while sharing moral and Bible based stories and lessons in a way kids can easily understand and parents can enjoy! VeggieTales releases all new DVDs each year, fresh compilations, music CDs and mp3s, and branded toys, games, and products. Prices vary

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Manners Are Free Book

Mary Beth’s little grand-daughter gave her the impetus to write her first book when she began teaching her about manners at a young age. With each lesson, Mary Beth would always end with the phrase, “Manners are free!” That phrase is exactly what inspired the title of the book. She feels strongly that manners are very important throughout life, and they seem to have fallen by the wayside. It’s never too early to teach children manners and what better way than to read them a book that is fun and also begins the process of teaching them basic manners. The scenarios in the book are based off real life situations where it can start teaching about manners at a young age. $9.95

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Blessings Unlimited: Children’s Books

Blessings Unlimited: ABC Faith Building Magnets

Blessings Unlimited has many board books for children. One series is their God’s Light In Me series, for girls and boys. The book for boys is all about their tree-climbing, puddle-jumping glory. Full of biblical principles, captivating illustrations, and rhyming encouragement, the message tenderly reminds even the most rough and tumble little boys that God’s light shines through them. The book for girls has a sweet message of truth in every rhyming couplet, followed by a simple, relevant Bible verse. The God Made Just One book celebrates your child’s one-of-a-kindness. With adorable art and catchy sing-songy content, this book will help your child embrace the person God made them to be.

Children are a gift from the Lord. PSALM 127:3 NLT

$16/each

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Perfect for the refrigerator or any metal surface—your child or grandchild will love these 28 magnets. Each has a letter and corresponding faith-building word and quote to help you creatively remind them what God wants them to be. Each set comes with 28 magnets inside a sturdy box. $18/set

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Copy Kids DVD

A joy-filled video and an innovative tool for parents who want to get children to enjoy eating fruits and vegetables. Produced for children aged 6 months to 5 years, Copy-Kids Eat Fruits and Vegetables is fun and compelling for both children and parents. The DVD features 12 x 7 minute chapters, one for each of twelve fruits & veggies: bell pepper, bananas, oranges, carrots, strawberries, avocado, raspberries, tomatoes, apples, broccoli, blueberries. Each chapter features several adorable and entertaining children aged 9 months to 4 years, eating with joy and delight. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a simple but revolutionary tool for parents who want their kids to develop a life-long habit of healthy eating. The DVD includes an on-camera discussion about healthy eating with renowned pediatrician Dr. Jay Gordon, plus a section of delightful outtakes. $19.95

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Potty Time: You Can Do It Pack

Sing, sign and dance your way through potty training with Potty Time, a potty training DVD, which supports any potty training method by helping children: listen to their bodies, celebrate their successes, deal with accidents in a positive way, & appreciate their amazing bodies. Signs are especially useful for potty training infants and toddlers. Toilet training can be fun and easy. In this potty training success DVD, it teaches children how going from wearing diapers when they were babies to wearing underwear and using the potty is a natural part of growing up. Includes fun songs to sing that help them celebrate potty training successes along the way. The You Can Do It Pack includes four great resources: the Potty Time DVD , Music CD, Potty Watch, & Baby Hopkins plush! $39.95/set or sold separately. Add Kathy Lisam as the Instructor at Checkout.

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Holiday Hair Inspiration With Lilla Rose Brought to you by Tracy LeCompte

More information on Lilla Rose Hair Accessories here!

Brought to you by Mia Gonzalez of Miyah Image

Tip #1: Keep the same Makeup and Hair but just change your...

Lipstick to go from Natural to Bold, Day & Night, Work to Holiday Party!

Tip #2: Keep wearing your spring & summer clothes by wearing...

Tights 57

Blazers

Boots 58

Tip #3: Keep the same makeup, just change your hair...

Fishtail Braid to Beachy Waves

Hair Down To

Up In A Bun 60

Tip #3:

Vin Coat

ntage Fur ts & Vests

Create Layers by scouting out local thrift shops for...

Hol

From Casual To Formal

liday Party Fashion

ia of Miyah Image is a talented Bay Area image consultant, personal shopper, stylist, makeup artist & photographer. She works with men & women, around their budgets, their existing wardrobes, scouting out the best deals to create a whole new, functional, & knock-out look for them. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your one-stop shop and even travels to work with you to stylize & shoot your family, fashion, and special occasion photos! For more information visit here.

HOLIDAY BLOOPERS Ladybug Army

Honey & I, 3 years in a row liked going to cut down our Xmas tree from tree farms. Each year seems to get more interesting than the last starting with the 2nd year, we accidently cut our tree on a slant and when we took it home to screw it to the base, it wasn’t exactly stable and in the middle of the night, we woke up to a fallen tree and a flood of water that had seeped into our hardwood floors! Then the 3rd year, we searched the whole tree farm and found the perfect tree. While Honey went to move the car over so we could cut and tie it up to his truck, I decided to do some tree grooming before it came home with us. While dusting off cobwebs and removing dead pine needles, I pulled down one of the branches and couldn’t believe my eyes. At first I thought the tree was bleeding but then realized the moving red “puddle” deep inside the tree was actually a HUGE swarm of ladybugs. I had found their nest and I have to say, ladybugs just don’t look as cute when there’s more than a 100 of them! Needless to say, we had to find another perfect tree to take home! Not sure why, but I still want to cut our own tree again this year! ~Kathy @ Kangaroo Mama

Trial & Error

It seems that my luck with making advent calendars isn’t getting any better. The one I tried to make last year was awful and fell apart after hours. This one at least lasted a day. I used tacky glue to glue the numbers into the lids. I should have used mod podge. The day after I glued, half the labels started lifting and I had to re-glue them. UGH. Then after they were all glued, I put the magnets on the tins. I had the most perfect frame that I picked up at a thrift store for $2. I bought magnetic paint and spray painted it. 6 Last year, we finally found a tree we coats of paint later, and there wasn’t even a HINT of pull. all agreed on and were feeling pretty So that plan was scrapped. I gave up and ran to the dollar good about ourselves. We got it tied to store and picked up a cookie sheet. Which of course was the top of our minivan, then went to one tin too small, but WHATEVER, it will do and works for open the door to put the infant seat now. Minutes after I set it up and put it together, the tins (and two other kids) in the car, only all started falling off! Every tin fell off the magnet that I had attached to it. Every single.one. The spot on the couch to discover we’d tied the oh-so convenient sliding doors shut. Yep, we under it was like a war zone of Christmas love. But I got some glue and glued the magnets on this time, and so far, had to untie it and start over. they are all sticking.

Ready To Go... Or Not

~Amy @ Using Our Words 65

~Randi @ Sowdering About In Seattle

HOLIDAY TRADITIONS Joining New & Old Traditions

On our 2nd date together, Honey took me outdoor ice skating before Xmas and at the time, I had no idea he liked me. I just knew I had to refrain myself from pretending like I didn’t know how to ice skate just so we could hold hands...to keep me from falling, of course! Now we go each year & I get to hold his hand as much as I want! Now that we have Kiggster, we have added a new tradition of going to a different tree lighting each weekend after Thanksgiving leading to Xmas. We go caroling, walk around that city, and have a jolly good time!

Noche Buena

We are starting a tradition this year called Noche Buena. A traditional Christmas eve holiday celebration with food, friends and lighting Luminaria, small paper bags with candles in them to light the way to your home. Feliz Navidad! ~Caitlyn @ San Bruno, CA

~Kathy @ Kangaroo Mama

Food For Santa

In our family we bake chocolate chip cookies -Santa’s favorites. And have a big plate where we place them along with some organic carrots {organic because they have the leafs still on the stem} those are for the reindeer, we also pour a tall glass of milk and my daughter writes them a thank note. We leave it out next to the tree so Santa can enjoy a quick snack. Santa usually takes a small bite as he is full from eating so many cookies. We do this yearly, but right before Christmas eve dinner we head out to sprinkle some “reindeer food” (made of confetti and glitter and oats) so they find their way to our home without any troubles. This year it will be a bit different though for us, since we now live in an apartment and don’t have a chimney. I bought an “old” key at Michael’s for Santa.

When I was younger and all my grandparents and great aunts/uncles were alive, Christmas day was super busy, we went to 3 different family meals / get togethers on Christmas day so we did not have time for our own immediate family to get together, open presents, etc... We started a tradition of just our immediate family (parents, brother, grandparents on my mom’s side) of getting together on Christmas Eve to do our family Christmas. We would have a meal, open presents (except my mom made us kids wait for our biggest presents and stockings until Christ~Maribel @ Stroller Adventures mas morning) and enjoy sitting around the fire and talking an laughing. Years have passed and On Christmas Eve, we each open a pair of new pajamas, freshly washed and ready to wear. It also gives the those extended family get together don’t happen boys that coveted “one present to open on Christmas Eve”. anymore since my other grandmother and great We curl up and watch Charlie Brown’s Christmas the day after Christmas, bellies full from turkey dinner leftovers. And aunts/uncles have passed away, but our immediate family Christmas Eve get together continues. my personal favorite, we gift each other personalized Christmas ornaments that celebrate that year’s personal Then we get together again on Christmas day in accomplishments. the evening to eat, play board games and usually go look at lights. I miss the big extended family ~Natasha @ Fabulously Domestic get togethers from when I was a kid, but I truly love our little immediate family’s traditions especially Christmas Day now because it’s just a My mom has a traditional 12th night party each year. There are 12 days of Christmas starting from Dec 25th to 5th of Jan. Jan 6th blast eating, playing board games and having fun like kids even though we are all adults now. is the epiphany - feast of the kings!

Twelth Night

~Caitlyn @ San Bruno, CA

~Misty @ CEO Of Me

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