The Crazy Christmas Ladies

Christmas 2012 already? Told ya we were crazy!

2012-01-13T15:29:00.000-05:00

Who else looooves preparing for the holidays right after the last one ended? I do! The best deals can be found then! Target is my store of choice and I hunt those aisles for a good deal like a wild animal stalking her prey! After stocking up on gift wrap, ornaments, decorations, etc - I am now in the preliminary stages of deal hunting for Christmas gifts for my boys for this coming Christmas. If you're a Target shopper, swing by the toy section (and baby section, although the discounts were only about 30% thus far at my local store).. 50 - 70% off many toys! I have two boys, so I'm usually safe with anything truck, train, or car-related. I picked up a few things that I will squirrel away in my closet for the next 11 months, praying my kids don't get too curious in there, hehe! I got some Thomas stuff and Moon Dough.

Any other lunatic out there still have their (LIVE!) tree up? Mine is still shining bright and holding her needles... I hate to take it down!

Cyber Monday

2011-11-28T12:10:00.001-05:00

Hi ya'all! If you like free and Melissa & Doug toys then head to FB and like Melissa & Doug's page. They are giving away a toy hourly today when you comment on their toy post! Good luck!

I'm all tingly inside!!!

2011-11-21T10:23:00.000-05:00

I'm right there with Kali as this week giving me the tinglies about the Jingly.....Bells (corny I know)

Anywoo

I did some PRE- Black Friday shopping yesterday.... yes I'm done shopping with my kids but my relatives are not done quite yet (and myself)

So for myself I picked up this little number:

A CRICUT machine at A.C.Moore for $50!!!!!! woohoo!! Merry Christmas to me!

My plan is to use it for tons of Toddler crafts and teaching Drew bug animals/shapes/etc.

Anyway another Black Friday sale Item I'm excited for is this:

Ikea's easel for $9.99!!!!!!!! So it's normally super cheap at $14.99, but a 10 spot is even cheaper! I have one toddler cousin, and two toddler/preschool nieces that I plan on buying this for. So the plan is to get this for $10, the paper roll for $5, and spend another $10 on each kiddo on crafting/painting supplies. So the kiddos are done at $25 with a gift that will last through many ages and stages!

1 week and counting...

2011-11-18T18:59:00.001-05:00

'Till what you ask? Black Friday? Well, yes, but I finished my shopping ages ago! :) No, it's one week until my decorations make their way from my basement dungeon! I've managed to sneak two teensy things out thus far without any flack from my other half, but it's on next week, no holds barred!

How about you? When do you decorate? Real tree or fake? I'm a real gal, otherwise that'd be up next week, as well!

Swing by AC Moore today to create a free card for the troops!

2011-11-12T07:10:00.001-05:00

Today, Saturday, November 12, from 1 to 3, AC Moore will be holding Operation Christmas Cards. Take your kids and create a card to send to our beloved American troops.

We're on Facebook - and Google+

2011-11-09T20:27:00.004-05:00

Come over and chat with us there, too!

Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon When You Take the North "Poll"

2011-11-08T19:14:00.000-05:00

Melissa & Doug want you to tell them which of their educational toys you think is the best! Just click on the image below to place your vote in the North "Poll!" You'll Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon** to use at MelissaAndDoug.com just for voting!

Free Magazine, great ideas!

2011-11-08T12:49:00.001-05:00

So I've been a "subscriber" for about a few years to Lowe's free magazines. (Sign up here for your copy)

Usually I pick up one or two ideas from their Creative Ideas seasonal issue. Well this Seasonal issue hasn't let me down!

Here a few featured items that I'd love to share: (not all images are available online so I apologize for the cell phone pics, but some of these were too good not to share!)

Item 1:
Coffee filter wreath

I'm kind of wreath obsessed, typically I have two hanging in my house and one on my door. I especially love making my own. I plan on adding my own twist to this one and having my toddler "water color" the filters with red and green.

Directions can be found here.

Item 2: Table display

So this little doosey looks expensive, but what those tricky crafters at Lowe's did was use food cans and plastic plate to create this look! By using various sized tin cans and plates, stacking them, and adding festive bulbs and greenery they were able to create this beautiful display!

I'd suggest checking out the dollar store for the plates, busting out your own bulbs, and then use your own garden greenery in order to make this display for under $5!

Item 3: Stair Decor

How cute is this! Decorate your steps with this simple idea. Use shelf liner to create a Christmas tree, then simply stick on your stair risers! Makes me wish my stairs weren't carpeted!!!

Happy Crafting!

Send a free Christmas card to the Troops!

2011-10-28T09:31:00.002-04:00

Tiny Prints is great - I've posted a few freebies from them. But this one is special because it lets us thank our brave soldiers for protecting us and wishing them a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Here's what to do!
1) Choose Brave Blessings or Holiday Heroes.
2) Personalize the card.
3) Choose "Send to me first" when choosing delivery options.

Address the card to:
Tiny Prints
Attn: Cards for the Troops
884 Hermosa Court, Suite 100
Sunnyvale, CA 94805

4) Enter the code TROOPS11 to make the card FREE!
5) Enter your credit card information. Trust me - Tiny Prints will absolutely NOT charge you. I've done freebies through them many times!
6) Voila! You're done! And you've hopefully brought a smile to one of America's bravest!

Stocking stuffer - girls' undies!

2011-10-28T09:12:00.003-04:00

Am I the only one who uses stockings to stock up on the necessities? Fun, huh? Socks, undies, new toothbrushes, new cups for the babies.. lame, I know. But hey, it works! Anyway, good deal on Target's Daily Deals today - 9 pack of girls' bikini undies for $4.99 with free shipping!

Less than 2 months to go! Yahoo!

(Almost) Freebie stocking stuffer alert - SOCKS!

2011-10-26T08:51:00.001-04:00

Thanks to MommySavers for this deal!

Wednesday, these AlaskanNits Women’s Stripe Crew Socks are just $5 as one of Target’s Daily Deals. By itself, that’s not newsworthy – but the $5 off coupon code below for Target should work nicely on this daily deal making them FREE. In some states, you’ll need to pay sales tax. Remember, for this to work you’ll need to first log into your Target.com account or create one if you haven’t already. Here’s how to take advantage of this offer:

Log into your Target.com account

Add the socks from the Daily Deals page to your cart

Enter promo code TGT75HFN at checkout (one use per account)

Free shipping applies, you pay tax only!

My total was 30 cents for adorable socks! Can't beat it!

A little Christmas video to brighten your day!

2011-10-25T09:38:00.005-04:00

2 months until the big day - can you believe it?!

5 free holiday greeting cards from Tiny Prints!

2011-10-20T20:36:00.001-04:00

Here's how to score 5 adorable Christmas cards - absolutely FREE!

Head over to Tiny Prints. Choose any 5 greeting cards (I chose 5 without photos because I'm nowhere near taking Christmas card photos yet of the boys, eek!). Instead of "Personalize," choose "Order Sample" right to the left of the button when you pick a card. Enter 5holiday at checkout (and send them to yourself to avoid shipping fees) - voila! Five gorgeous cards in your mailbox.

Christmas cookie planning!

2011-10-19T20:00:00.000-04:00

If you are anything like me, a large part of Christmas (ok, fine - everyday!) is all about the COOKIES! I love everything about the process... planning, stocking up on ingredients (do you have a Bottom Dollar near you?! We just discovered this place over the weekend and HELLO! $1.45 everyday for 5 lb of flour?! Yahoo!), testing the recipes, baking tons of delicious treats with the ladies in my family while we listening to Bing Crosby... and munching on large amounts of dough is a huge plus!

I've been testing out new recipes the last couple of weeks so I thought I'd share a few that get a big thumbs up from me!

Martha's Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies remind me of the soft, chewy, oversized cookies we had in our high school cafeteria. They are simple to make (no chilling or rolling!) and delish!

These Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Cookies are TO DIE FOR. Really, can you go wrong with the chocolate peanut butter combo? No, no you can't. Good luck letting these sit in your house for long enough to give them away this holiday season!

Could these Sweet Swirl Cookies be any cuter? I fell in love when I saw them! Jude and I made in patriotic colors this summer and they turned out great! They look a bit intimidating but I promise - easy peasy. How sweet would they look in red and green with some fun Christmas sprinkles encrusting them?

Williams-Sonoma's Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are just heavenly. I used dark cocoa to make them uber-rich, but you can't go wrong with these. And they are easy to make and look so ... gourmet!

I saved my new favorite for last. These Brown Sugar and Spice Cut Out Cookies are out of this world! The dough is so easy to work with and the spice flavor is just perfect. They are sturdy enough to decorate and taste AMAZING. I've always used sugar cookies (my favorite recipe can be found here) so a nice spice cookie was a fun change. This icing is my personal favorite - it dries nice and hard and stays super shiny. But act fast - it starts to dry very quickly!

And here's a random roll-out cookie tip: roll out your dough on parchment, cut out the shapes, and peel away the excess - then transfer the parchment onto a baking sheet and voila - no cookies breaking before they make it to the oven!

I'm on the hunt for clever cookie packaging ideas - got any? And how about favorite recipes? Will you be baking for friends and family this year?

Craft of the Week: Focus on Mason Jars

2011-10-14T13:05:00.000-04:00

This week's focus is Mason jars. Thanks to my new BFF pinterest it's been pretty easy to find some awesome Mason jar crafts/gifts.

Using Mason jars is a great way to create "bulk gifts" for people that you're not quite sure what to get (teachers, bus driver, mail man, neighbor, cousin's brother's girlfriend, etc). Some of these are decor centered, some are food based, and some are just so darn cute!

Food:
Baking in Mason jars--

Can we say yum!
HOWEVER putting these straight into a dry oven is said to be dangerous. Please follow this article on Mason jar safety:
http://www.ehow.com/facts_6755357_cake-baked-mason-jar.html

More tips:
http://www.notmartha.org/tomake/piesbakedintinyjars/

Cupcakes in Mason jars! How cute!!!

http://www.joyshope.com/2009/04/mason-jar-cupcakes.html

Crafts:
Although these are labeled as fourth of July, the stars are also perfect for Christmas! If you use red and white paint you can double up on your holidays! (or even triple/quadruple if you decorate for Memorial/Labor Day)

http://www.momtastic.com/home-and-living/home/167807-diy-fourth-of-july-star-jars

Santa Baby!

http://craftsbyamanda.com/2010/11/glittery-santas-belly-jar.html

Dreaming of a white Christmas?

http://markmontano.typepad.com/mark-montano/2011/05/quick-recycle-project-for-summer.html

For the avid gardener in your life: (a couple of other ideas thrown in there too)

http://www.readymade.com/blog/home-and-garden/2011/06/16/10_fun_and_unusual_things_to_do_with_mason_jars

Happy DIYing!

Introducing Thomas!

2011-10-14T12:39:00.000-04:00

(not the train)
Sorry I've been MIA the last few weeks but I've been busy with this:

Thomas! Arriving 9.29.11 at 8 lbs 13 oz and 20.5 inches... obviously we're in love and very busy!

Thomas meets big brother Drew bug. My heart melts each time I see this one!

Thanks for checking out our newest Little League all star!

GeoTrax fan? Get your butt to Sears!

2011-10-09T18:06:00.001-04:00

Happy October, my Christmas friends! I have no excuse for the lack of update, but Erica sure does! On September 29th, she welcomed her 2nd baby boy, Thomas, into the world! I'll let her share the details and pictures, but rest assured - he is a doll baby and both baby and mama are doing great!

Now - onto the deals! After dragging my poor family to the mall on a Christmas hunt yet again (and Hallmark had it's second ornament premiere weekend the last 2 days!), I was on Christmas OVERLOAD (in a good way!!!) Many stores have LARGE Christmas displays up - I had a spring in my step! :)

The deals of today actually were not found by me - but by my loving hubby! He is so great to go out looking for Christmas goodies all through the year with me... but he's usually not hunting for deals like I am. He scored big time today, though! Sears has a small toy section, with ok prices, generally. We always look for GeoTrax deals because the items can be pricey and sometimes hard to come across in store... Sears has a few items and they were on MAJOR clearance (but not marked, so price check those bad boys!!)

Remote control Cars characters (picked up Dinoco Lightning McQueen and Chick Hicks) were marked from $24.99 to $6.47. We also got a Cars track pack with Sally for $4.97, originally marked around $20.

My biggest score was the GeoAir High-Flyin' Airport for $12.47! It was priced at $49.99 originally at Sears, but it's listed at Amazon for $81.49!

I am SO excited! I think our Christmas shopping for the kids might officially be DONE! The hubby and I are super pumped to sort through everything we've bought over the last few months and refresh our memories! It's like Christmas for us, seeing how much we've saved, hehe!

Happy deal hunting! Let us know what deals YOU have found recently!

Craft of the week- Glass ornaments

2011-09-20T14:28:00.002-04:00

I'm going to try to attempt a "Craft of the Week" post from here until Christmas. Things may get a bit foggy the next two weeks with Baby number two coming on Thursday of next week (or sooner) but I wanted to make sure you all had plenty of ideas for this coming season!

So here is a list of ways to turn a simple glass ornament into something extraordinary.

DIY Mercury glass:

Tutorial found here

Newspaper Ornaments:

As seen at http://fleamarketstylemag.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-12-24T09%3A00%3A00-06%3A00&max-results=5
They used German newspapers, decoupage, Noel tags they self printed, and glitter spray. Super easy!

Scrappy Ornaments: Perfect for all those scrap leftovers you may have!

Tutorial here

Paint Ornaments- I used to do this with my mom in late elementary school every year!

Tutorial here

Inspired? Looking for a new way to display your bulbs other than your Christmas tree?

Look no further!

I looooooooove this idea:

(Doesn't seem super cat or toddler friendly so it may have to be put on the back burner in our home this year) Tutorial here

Or this idea:

I'd love to place the mercury glass and newspaper bulbs in here!

Happy Crafting!

100 days 'till Christmas - can ya believe it?!

2011-09-16T19:28:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday and happy 100 days to go! It's REALLY feeling like fall today here... I was actually COLD last night - it was amazing! I've been waiting for this weather all summer and hooray! Here it is!

Need a fun, free activity to do online with the kids that'll make ya feel all... Halloweeny? (hehe - Halloweeny!)

I love this site. I "carved" so many pumpkins last year. I am almost as terrible online as I am in real life.

Or better yet - want to create your own snowflake? This is so much fun! I can't wait for snow! (I know, I know - don't throw things at me! We are a winter-lovin' household!)

Just wanted to pop by with those two adorable sites.. I'm working on fun jack-o-lantern inspired posts and delicious fall fare.. stay tuned and have a nice, chilly weekend!

How many days until Christmas?!

2011-09-14T11:16:00.000-04:00

102 folks! By the end of the week we'll be at under 100!!

Who is excited?!

Def these two gals!

I've almost completed my Christmas shopping for my boys. The only thing I have to finish is drawing up a plan for my hubs to make my older son's tool bench. I plan on giving the hubs plans from Ana-White's website and hoping our homemade tool bench turns out something like this one:

If you are (or know) a DIYer and haven't ever heard of her site you should definitely check it out. There are TONS of furniture plans on there and with Christmas quickly approaching now would be the perfect time on working on your homemade projects.

If you have the skills and tools the DIY route will save you lots of money (not so much time) and you'll have the pride of building yourself!

Here are some other drool worthy projects that I'd put on my wish list to Santa:

Barn Beam Ledges

Sewing Table for Small Space

Modular Office -Wide bookshelf/File Base

Oh Santa........... I've been good this year!

Itching for autumn?

2011-09-09T18:20:00.000-04:00

I know I am! It's been cool (albeit soggy - no, SOAKING WET!!!) in Pennsylvania the last few days and I'm just aching to deck my halls... harvest-style! Besides loving EVERYTHING about fall, decorating reminds me that Christmas is oh-so-soon and my house stays jazzed up with all the "extras" well through the new year.

Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back at Starbucks, the air has a hint of coolness to it (sometimes), my pumpkins are growing larger by the day, and I am ready! My house has been yanked apart, baseboards have been cleaned, curtains will be washed... soon. :) Everything is set for fall decor to make it's debut!

I have been getting some MAJOR inspiration from Pinterest. In fact, it makes me a bit batty because I want to craft ALL THE TIME which is just not possible with a 1 and 3 year old! Here are a few of the crafts I'm itching to feather my nest with!

How GORGEOUS is this? And how simple!? (Instructions to dehydrate oranges here)

A little more effort, but this grapevine pumpkin from Make It and Love It is so adorable and super cheap!

Another cheapie comes from the gal herself, Martha! How splendid are these leaves dipped in wax - and how simple, huh? I scored a block of wax at AC Moore for about $4 the other day (well - $2 with my 50% off coupon!) and the leaves are free! You can use fishing wire, string, whatever, to hang 'em, too!

These hanging jar lanterns from Crafty Nest are such an easy, fun way to add some light to your walkway, porch, kitchen - anywhere! - on days when the darkness creeps in a bit earlier and you need that extra glow. Fun, huh? I can't wait to hang these on my railing out front!

And to further get you in that autumn mode, Twinings is offering three free teabags on their website. No better way to get cozy on a cool fall day than with a hot cup of tea and a big chunky sweater... oooh, I can't wait to have to wear socks! :)

I'll be back soon with some more fall fun - maybe some recipes or Halloween inspired decor next week!

Happy weekend!

Christmas has arrived at Costco!

2011-08-30T17:24:00.000-04:00

Woo hoo!

Want to get your kids in the spirit?

2011-08-24T18:49:00.001-04:00

Send a card from Santa, telling your little one that he/she is on Santa's "Nice" list! I just know Jude will go nuts for this... he is already making a mental list for Santa!

The 2 options for free cards are either:

Checking it Twice

or

Santa's Scroll

Mail the card to yourself for free shipping and use code SANTA11 !

Ho, ho, ho!

Toddler Toy stock up!

2011-08-21T19:42:00.001-04:00

A.C. Moore is currently running a promo of 50% off of Melissa and Doug toys. I picked up two puzzles for little guy. One for his bday and one for Christmas.

I also found (not sure if it's advertised) that some limited Thomas toys are 75% off. We have already picked up a train track/accessory set for Drew bug so I picked up two additional Thomas trains for $5 to stuff his stocking!

Good luck!

Lands End clearance - get your Christmas jammies and snow boots now!

2011-08-16T09:01:00.000-04:00

I just had to quickly share some of the great deals I just picked up on LandsEnd.com! I got a pair of fleece pajama pants for my oldest, perfect for Christmas morning with a red shirt I already got (at Old Navy for 99 cents!) for $4.88, a fleece hat for $1.38 and a pair of snow boots for $8.38! And use code FREESHIPAUG with pin 2311 for free shipping!

Can't beat that!