Simple Holidays

35 Simple, Candy-Free Valentine Ideas from Around the Web and Inside my Head

I’m sharing some simple, candy-free Valentine ideas with you today. Some are links, some are my own ideas, some are both, my versions being ultra simple, mildly to intensely cheesy, and leaning heavily on Sharpies and Post-its. My Valentine motto is “If you can’t say it with a Post-it note, you talk too much.” It’s kinda catchy, don’t you think?

Lunch box ideas:

Pop one or more of the followings items in a lunch box. Write on the items with a Sharpie or add a Post-it with a cheesy one-liner. (Let’s face it, Valentine’s Day is the king of cheesy holidays.) Click through the links to see the classier ideas that inspired my simple Valentines:

The first three ideas are inspired by the lovely Melissa at Bless This Mess, who has many terrific, doable ideas at her site.

Orange: Orange ya gonna be my Valentine?

Cheese stick or beef jerky stick: Let’s stick together. Stick with me, Valentine. I’ll stick with you!

Fruit strips (the pure fruit varieties fit the candy-free theme):

grape: You’re grape, Valentine! Have a grape Valentine’s Day. (Cheesy alert!)
strawberry: I’d be berry happy if you’d be my Valentine. You’re berry sweet!
apple: You are the apple of my eye. (I can smell the Limburger!)

This clementine idea is a simplified version of a much classier Valentine treat found at Tutto Bella Blog (All Things Beautiful):

Cutie: You are a real cutie! Be mine, Cutie Patootie!

(Yeah, that boy needs a bath. Keepin’ it real!)

This banana idea comes from Twig and Thistle. She sells sweet lovin’ fruit stickers from her Etsy shop, which are a great idea for lunch boxes throughout the year. My version uses a permanent marker…and a banana…and isn’t quite as chic…but then again, neither am I.

Banana: I go bananas over you! I’m ape over you.

I could totally go for this trail mix idea from A Spicy Perspective. Make (or buy) a trail mix as healthy (or unhealthy) as your family prefers.

Trail mix: Follow the trail to my heart. (Cheesy? I dunno? I’m thinking it’s got a Hansel and Gretel charm to it. You could also say “I’d trail you anywhere,” but that’s kinda got “stalker” written all over it.)

Nut Mix: I’m nuts over you.

And, of course, there’s always the classic heart-shaped sandwiches cut with a cookie cutter, which beg the question, “What do you do with the rest of the sandwich?” Duh–breakfast for Mom!

To Pass out at School:

The orange, cutie, and fruit strip Valentines from the lunch box section above would work great if the classroom allows food. Or send the cheesesticks in a small collapsable cooler.

For non-food Valentines, pass out any of the following and attach a little tag (or hunt online for printables) with any of these cute (a.k.a. cheesy) sayings.

Ruler: You rule, Valentine! You’re the ruler of my heart! (CHEESE!)

Pencil: Write on, Valentine! You’re the write stuff! You’ve written on my heart. You’re all write. (Oh, the cheesiness slays me.)

Bookmark: You’re #1 in my book. Are you booked, or can you be my Valentine? (Ugh.)

Toothbrush (find cheap multi-packs at discount stores, drugstores, or dollar stores): You make me smile, Valentine! Or snag these Barry Manilow/James Taylor ideas from Jac o’ Lyn Murphey, ‘cuz what grade schooler isn’t a JamesTaylor fan? Seriously, mine are.

Homemade clay or a mini playdough: You’re shaping up to be a great Valentine! (Does it get any worse?)

Chapstick: Let’s stick together. Stick with me, Valentine. You’re the balm! (I can hear my kids gagging in the background.)

Grandparent (or Parent) Valentines:

How about a simple photo Valentine for Grandma and Grandpa?

This adorable blowing kisses photo idea is from Pinterest. (If the linked photo is yours, please let me know so I can credit you.):

We used red dry erase markers on a white board, because it’s what we have. See how you can take a great idea and make it your own without busting the budget or adding still more art supplies to your over-stuffed art cupboards!

This one screams I LOVE YOU, don’t you think?

Again, the magic of dry erase and a little cropping.

Or there’s the classic Eye Heart U photo.

A little bit of cheesy, a whole lotta lovin’! I’m particularly fond of the teen in the background. She’s saying, “Sure, I love you, but not enough to get involved in another of my mother’s crazy photo shoots.”

Grandma and Grandpa might also enjoy these crafty Valentines:

This idea of a long-distance hug comes from Tons of Fun:

We used two hand cut-outs and yarn, because, again, it’s what we have on hand, to create this hug to mail across the miles. Just for you, we even created an ultra-simple 10-step photo tutorial on how to mail a hug. (No cheese…or not much anyway.)

I found this adorable footprint Valentine card that you can make with your littlest littles over at Lil Sugar. I would have made my own, but painting my baby’s feet seemed counterproductive to what I want to accomplish in life, which is to not have paint all over my entire wardrobe and travel trailer. But your life goals are probably different than mine, so you…you can try it.

Lil Sugar also inspired this hand cut-outs idea.

Trace and cut out the child’s hand and add a cute saying, or just let the child decorate it. What? You want my ideas for cute sayings, even after the “You’re the balm!” line? Uhhhh, no, but here are some ideas from Lil Sugar:

Hold my hand, Grandma!
Forget me not. (with a string tied around one of the fingers)
You’re “hand” some. (Okay, so that one hints of cheesy.)

For your girl:

Give her cute hairpins and tag them with “I pinned you to be mine!” (I’m sorry. That’s a groaner.)

Pick out a cute pair of socks and add a tag that reads, “We make a great pair.” There is a printable available at Saltwater Kids where this cute idea originated.

For your boy:

Meck Mom has some ~~cute~~ manly Star Wars printable Valentines. Nothing says I love you with a macho, manly kinda love like a mind-controlling half human in a black helmet. I don’t know, ladies. Just go with it.

A matchbox car with a tag (i.e. post-it) that reads “You’ve raced your way into my heart.” Okay, my son would totally not get that, but he would like the car.

For your teen:

A poem written especially for the teen in your life:

Roses are red.
Get out of bed.
Give your mama a squeeze.
No you can’t have my keys.

It’s inspired, really. A-hem.

Here’s my favorite Valentine for my own teens:

A rock with the letter “U” on it. Come on…you get it, don’t you? U + rock…you rock! That’s borderline genius there.

For your man:

What hubby wouldn’t like to know he’s still your stud muffin after all these years! This idea, as well as a “one hot mama” idea can be found at Tutto Bella Blog:

A bag of nuts and bolts: Don’t bolt, cuz I’m nuts about you! (Whoa. That may have won the cheese of the day award!)

For your lady:

Chocolate. What?! Chocolate’s not candy! It’s not!

For that special someone…you know the person:

I can think of all kinds of Post-its for that one, but I’ll leave that to your imagination.

For a Special Valentine Meal at Home:

Find a tutorial to make heart-shaped carrots over at the beautiful blog Recipe By Photo. Toss them in a soup or serve them as a side dish.

Fruit kabobs are just one of three fruity ideas over at Life in Wonderland.

These cherry tomato hearts are precious for someone old enough to not put his eye out with a toothpick, so, that’s, like 40, right? Thanks to Eye Candy for the idea.

Check out these dark chocolate strawberry-bananas from Multiply Delicious. Okay, I know, I said candy-free, and chocolate has shown up twice, but is chocolate really candy? I like to think of chocolate as more of a digestif. Don’t know what a digestif is? Good, then maybe you’ll believe me.

Valentine Idea from Dayspring

It may be too late to get these in time for Valentine’s Day, but encouraging notecards for your friends are suitable year round, as are any expression of affection, appreciation, and love…although never is the cheesiness as acceptable as on February 14.

More ideas:

I have loaded my Pinterest Valentine’s Day board with oodles of (what appear to be) simple Valentine ideas. If you haven’t had enough cheesiness and want to check out other people’s cheese, pop on over.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Please share your ideas in the comments below. I’m sure they’re not half as cheesy as mine!

My Four Favorite Family New Year’s Traditions

Sixteen years ago I was in labor with my firstborn on New Year’s Eve and gave birth to a very loud, but beautiful New Year’s baby. Every New Year’s Eve since has paled in comparison. Still, we try to send off the old year with a bang, so this is what we do.

Every New Year’s Eve we have a family party. I schedule different simple activities for different times throughout the evening (as well as massive amounts of food to keep Mama awake). I write each activity on a note and place it in a paper bag or envelope, or roll it up like a scroll. I indicate the time it should be opened either by writing the time on the note or bag, or by attaching a paper clock showing the time. Throughout the night, we open the bags or unroll the notes and ~~eat the cookies~~ enjoy the activity. Over the years, these four have become my favorite:

Out With the Old

We each write down something we do not want to repeat in the new year. It’s generally a bad habit or negative personality trait, although one year my young, less-than-coordinated son wrote “I don’t want to fall next year.” More introspective children (or mamas) may write things like impatience, disrespect, or laziness. Sharing our work is optional. We toss the notes in the fireplace and say a prayer as we watch our old habits burn up. It doesn’t miraculously take our bad habits away (Rats!), but it does make us conscious of a need to grow in that area. And it makes a neat little bonfire–who doesn’t love fire! Okay, Smokey the Bear, maybe, but besides him.

Time Capsule

Each year we toss something into our family time capsule, a five gallon bucket with a lid which we decorated as one year’s activity. It doesn’t matter what it is–a lonely sock from a favorite pair, a photo, a card from a relative, a lost tooth. Someone tried to talk me into saving the baby’s umbilical cord last year, but I don’t think that made it in. We may or may not jot down a note about the significance of the item…like the sock. On New Year’s Eve we sort through the contents and add more.

Predictions and Memories.

I print out a worksheet for each family member to record predictions for the upcoming year, and a second for recording memories from the previous year. We read predictions from the year before and laugh over them. Sometimes we’re amazed at how close our guesses came to reality. We save all the papers inside our time capsule, although a binder would work just as well.

If you wish to do this, the printable sheets we use are here.

Come as You Are Family Photo

We take a quick annual family photo in which nobody gets dressed up (or dressed, in some cases). Some people are in PJs, some in holey jeans or aprons, some in ballerina outfits or cowboy hats. It’s a true-to-life, just-as-we-are, someday-we’ll-look-back-and-laugh family photo, complete with some random portion of the dog in the shot.

(No, I don’t have a gold tooth, no, I have not slept in 16 years, and no, they are not twins. Did I miss anything? Oh, yes, there is only one boy.)

For more fun and simple New Year’s Eve ideas, read this idea-filled post from last year.
If you’re on Pinterest, visit my New Year’s board.

What are your favorite family New Year’s traditions?

Simple and Affordable Last Minute Stocking Stuffers

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you live in my house, do not read this. I’m serious. Do not read! I’ll know if you do, so click away. That goes for you, too, Honey! (Insert angry eyes.)

Okay, folks, it’s officially the last minute. If you forgot the stocking stuffers, I’ve got your back with some great ideas–or at least some bulky ideas that will take up space.

My criteria for stockings are as follows:

Is it affordable? Better yet, is it an item from the regular budget that can be used as a gift? (Such as food, personal care products, clothing, hair accessories, and other necessities, spruced up a bit.)
Is it junk that I will want to throw away 13 seconds after it’s opened? No junk allowed!
Will they like or appreciate it?
Is it light enough that the combined weight of all nine stockings won’t rip my husband’s hand-crafted mantel off the wall? (That’s a biggie.)

I interviewed everyone in my family, including the dog and nephews, and copied their ideas down as they spewed them simultaneously. That gives you the perspective of a husband/dad/manly man, wife/mom/country girl, two teen girls, two tween girls, two tween boys, a young boy and girl, a sweet, shnoogly little kissable baby with chubby little toes I could just eat up (a-hem…excuse me), and a dog. If you have teen boys…well…good luck, cuz I got nothin’. Many of these can cross over into other categories, but I won’t be repeating them in this list.

Freebie ideas or things that would otherwise be a part of your regular budget are in bold.

Here are the results of my extensive research and some pics from the year I stuffed my hubbies stocking for free, so, uh, the “Kiss Me” lip balm was for my man, not my daughters.

For the husband/dad/manly man:

(Stephen, I’m not kidding. You better not be reading this.)

Things you always “borrow” from him (for me it’s pens and nail clippers; to make this option free, hunt up all the things you’ve “borrowed” since last Christmas, tie them up in a ribbon, attach a tag reading “stolen merchandise” )
Things he is always losing (chapstick and nail clippers)
Something he can eat that you usually won’t buy due to cost (pistachios, for example)
Gift cards
His favorite bad-for-you snack, which, considering recent events, should maybe be a Twinkie this year (My man says Werther’s that he doesn’t have to share.)
His favorite treat that you make him
Something to fit with his hobbies or interests (my man is a professional musician, so we have given him fingernail hardener, guitar picks, a tuner, guitar strap, strings. For yours it might be ammo, rock climbing chalk, golf tees, clicker batteries, mouse pad.)
No socks or undies! He says they take up too much room–his stocking is the smallest in the family, but if he had a big ol’ stocking, I’d pad it with some socks. (I think I will anyway, since the laundromats across the country have been eating holes in his.)
Pretty negligee…for the wife…yes, in the hubby’s stocking (consider your kids’ curiosity levels before pursuing this idea)
A key to a Harley. (Nice, Honey! How’d you slip that in there? Is there even such a thing as a nine-passenger Harley?)

For the wife/mom/country girl:

Okay, family, you can read this section.

Things that are continually plundered from her purse (small tissue packs, chapsticks, a nail clipper, chiclets)
Little things to make life easier (like a flashlight keychain for her keys, or how about one of those remote buttons that unlocks the van for her, because chances are her arms are full of children and groceries…you know, hypothetically, if, also hypothetically, her husband felt he should have the easy button instead of her; you know, she might hypothetically not be able to let that go)
Some moms love jewelry, some moms don’t. For some practical jewelry, how about Teething Bling, a teething necklace that Mom wears. I love mine!
Homemade coupons for a meal cooked by Dad, a massage, etc. are always great, but in my experience they have NEVER EVER EVER been redeemed, because Mom feels too guilty asking, or everyone seems too busy, so if you give this, follow through without making Mom ask…please.
Clip her coupons. If she’s a coupon clipper, do the work yourself on her behalf and pop them in her stocking…neatly, of course.
Her favorite treat that she would never buy or make for herself, you know, like dark chocolate-covered almonds, or maybe almonds…covered in dark chocolate.
A gift card with orders that it must not be spent on food, toilet paper, or diapers.
Something for her hobby, and a gift certificate for three uninterrupted hours to pursue said hobby. My hobby is napping.

For the teens:

Girls, you know you’re getting coal, so don’t bother reading this.

A treat or snack they would not normally get (chocolate bar, chocolate-covered nuts, chocolate, gum…chocolate-flavored)
Special pen, art tool, guitar pick, bow resin, anything to support their passions or hobbies)
Chapstick or lip gloss
Stuffed animal or other toy or item they enjoy (make it extra special and free by fixing up an old favorite from early childhood and regifting it.)
Things that usually have to be shared (nailclippers, uhhh, other stuff)
Pomegranate or other “treat” fruit. (A neat old man in the grocery store hyped up Jazz apples to us this year, which are more expensive than our usual picks, so my kids are getting Jazz in their stockings.)
A gift certificate to Redbox for,perhaps, five movie rentals of her choice
A note from my teens: toothbrushes and underwear have now achieved “lame” status, but fun socks are still good. Personally, I think a new toothbrush or toothbrush head is fab!
Nice personal care items, like a mud masque or hair accessories we wouldn’t normally spend money on. Make a gift certificate for a girls’ night.
Key to the car…your car, not theirs…because there’s nothing simple, affordable, or last-minute about a car.
SD card for their cameras or…oh, I won’t even pretend to be tech-savvy here. Just some gizmo that techies need and that will fit in a stocking for not very much money, okay!
Something useful, like a new cami in a different color.
Something hobby related, like drawing pencils or new thread…or a flame thrower.
Puppy (Is this to fit on the Harley with the rest of the family, Girls?)

For the Tweens:

Avert your eyes, children.

Chocolate
Chapstick
Fun socks
Stuffed animal
Small toy (make it free by passing along a favorite from your childhood)
Toothbrush
Homemade treat
Reading light
Something from their collections, if they have one.
Activity booklet
A coupon to get out of a chore (thanks to my nephews for this great idea).
Puppy (um, I’m detecting a theme.)

For the kids:

Ice skates, roller skates (seriously, kids, how big do you think a stocking is). How about a homemade gift certificate to go ice skating (or for any other family activity).
Chocolate, fudge, or caramel, especially a big box of chocolate not to share (Can you tell my four-year-old wrote this list?)
Snack or favorite fruit
Spinny toothbrush
Hair pretties. Restock the hair bands and ties that get lost throughout the year, or cut some ribbons.
Bandaids. Get the ones with pictures.
Favorite movie
Small version of their favorite toys, like a Lego mini-figure, matchbox car, or small doll (Make it free by passing something down from older siblings or your own childhood collection.)
Stuffed cat or dog
Keychain flashlight to hook to their backpack or to hang on a hook by the bed
Puppy (Attention, please! We are not getting a puppy…are we?)

For Baby

Something recognizable, like a favorite toy or “wooby”
Something recognizable and edible, like a banana
Her favorite book from her collection, or pass one down from an older sibling.
If your baby is big enough, a container of something she can eat without help. Think immediate gratification, and also preoccupation while the other children are saying “Mama, look-it!”
A pocket pack of tissues she can pull out and shred (Thanks to my amazing sister-in-law for this idea.)
A sippy or bottle if your baby uses either…filled with whatever your baby drinks. Since my little ones nursed, and I don’t fit into a stocking, a sippy of water worked. It was just a sippy from our cupboard that they knew was theirs.
An ornament to start her collection…or a football to start his career–ha ha. That was a joke. Laugh.
Stuff it with diapers 🙂
Don’t get her a puppy.

For the dog:

He likes food
He needs flea and tick control
He does not need expensive toys that he’ll only rip the squeaker out of
He gets a few of his old tennis balls thrown in.
He is not getting a kitten, although that would be interesting

Here are some stocking stuffer ideas from others:

Your turn! What are your best simple and affordable stocking stuffer ideas

Christmas Card Chaos – Why We Go Insane and 10 Alternatives to the Insanity

This is a long-ish read, so feel free to click through to the section you want. The Christmas Card Chaos Alternatives are at the bottom. But you’ll be missing some good stuff…or at least some stuff. Lottsa stuff.

My Family’s Christmas Card History
My Philosophical Assessment on the Christmas Card Insanity (In other words, why?)
A Little Reminder About Reality Versus the Internet
A New Philosophy on Christmas Cards (It’s genius…okay maybe it’s just common sense.)
10 Alternatives to Christmas Card Chaos
Our Christmas Card Plan This Year
A Final Word on Christmas Card Competitiveness
A Freebie Offer and a Giveaway

10 Alternatives to the Christmas Card Chaos (www.TheSimpleHomemaker.com)

I love Christmas cards. If you put chocolate on one end of a balance scale and Christmas cards on the other, chocolate would win, but it would be really close.

As much as I love receiving Christmas cards, I like sending them even better. That’s why this confession may surprise you. I stopped sending formal Christmas cards 7 Christmases ago.

My Family’s Christmas Card History

I used to totally get into Christmas cards, newsletters, and photos. I enjoyed the creative process, but not the stress and time involved. So what happened?

I was expecting my fifth baby around Christmas 2005, homeschooling, unpacking from our second move in a year, and prepping for extended-stay houseguests. Plus, I was suffering from anxiety-related ailments. Something had to give. It was a close call between ousting our guests or the Christmas cards, but in the end I dumped the cards. It was the right decision…according to my houseguests.

The next year, it occurred to me that I had been investing a disproportionate chunk of time perfecting cards for people I hardly knew anymore at the expense of my family and health. Sure, the relationships had been priorities at one time, but the children pulling at my skirt were priorities right now.

My Philosophical Assessment on the Christmas Card Insanity (In other words, why?)

Why do we do that? Why do we expend time, stress, and money every December to paint our family at its better-than-best, however distorted that image may be?

Perhaps we want the world to believe we have it together because maybe, just maybe, that will validate our efforts and struggles and downplay the failures we might feel are unique to us.

We might also feel that our very real and messy lives need to measure up to the images implied in the perfect family photos and elaborate cards, which I sometimes feel are posted online only to make us moms without capes or halos feel less than adequate.

A Little Reminder About Reality Versus the Internet

Nobody’s Christmas cards include pictures of mommy moods, toddler-tantrums, teen scowls, and scorched suppers, but that doesn’t mean they don’t happen…often while trying to capture that perfect family photo, ironically. And nobody rolls out of bed looking like that Photoshopped beauty on the card. (That’s why bloggers don’t blog on live TV. Plus it’s boring watching people type.)

Reality and the Internet don’t ~~always~~ often mesh. Remember that.

A New Philosophy on Christmas Cards (It’s genius…okay maybe it’s just common sense.)

We still like giving cards, but we’ve taken it down a notch or five. Here’s how.

1) We no longer have a card list as long as Elastigirl’s arm. We keep it down to a few special people, such as grandparents. Just because I’m someone’s friend on Facebook does not qualify that person for a spot on the Christmas card list. Sorry!

2) Perfection is not a goal. Enjoying the process together is.

3) If it gets to be too much, we stop, even if we’ve done everything but put a stamp on ’em.

10 Alternatives to the Christmas Card Chaos

Here are some of the tactics we’ve employed over the years to keep it reasonable and fun.

1) Last year, my firstborn made and sent Christmas cards as the family ambassador.

2) I’ve replaced December weekly homeschool letter writing assignments with card writing. Six kids of writing, drawing, or scribbling age plus mom over four weeks, that’s 28 Christmas cards. Not bad.

3) I purchase discounted cards after Christmas for my kids to use as thank you notes. It’s sort of like a holiday card…only with gratitude. Who doesn’t love gratitude!

4) We have occasionally resorted to the Merry Christmas email. It doesn’t have the same impact that an in-your-hand stamped piece of mail does, and I don’t like to do it, but then I remember my priorities. Plus it keeps the brown hairs brown a little longer and doesn’t tax the budget.

5) Online card companies have great deals this time of year, sometimes sending personalized cards on your behalf for a ridiculously reasonable fee. (Don’t ask me how they stay in business.) I jump on the freebie offers, like this one for ten free personalized cards from VistaPrint this week, because I’m cheap like that. (See the bottom of this post for a giveaway.)

6) My favorite approach is to cover our table with craft supplies for a week (dinner on a blanket on the floor, anyone?), and let the kids go crazy. We then sign our names to whatever hasn’t been permanently glued to the table or wall, stick it in an envelope, and mail it…sometimes in March. It’s fun, and, more importantly, we are spending that time together.

7) We haven’t set foot in a photo studio in years, because I’ve determined it’s inhumane. My husband hates it. My kids hate it. And I don’t like the real tears and fake smiles. We opt for personality over perfection. When we want a family photo for cards, we set up the camera at home, get a dozen shots, and call it good enough. Sometimes we use a picture someone else took of our family. Sometimes we don’t send pictures at all. (If they want to know what we look like, they can visit, for Pete’s sake.)

8) Instead of writing out cards, we’ll make a phone call. Any willing children can say “hi,” or I’ll kick up my feet (actually I pace) and chat for half an hour. I’ll mention that we’re not doing Christmas cards this year, but I still wanted to connect. I don’t actually say “connect,” though, because that sounds kinda like I’m trying to sell insurance.

9) Rather than sending cards to who-knows-who just to show off our amazing kids, we take a look around. Can we use cards to serve others, putting a smile on a lonely person’s face? That was sort of rhetorical.

10) Last year the kids helped write a family newsletter. They drew names and wrote about the sibling whose name they drew. We never finished the newsletter, but we sure had fun not getting it done!

Our (After) Christmas Card Plan This Year

I’d love to create a Christmas card DVD with a slideshow of our year set to my husband’s music. It would include the year’s highlights, as well as the major fails that keep us real. I’d edit in clips of my children singing and reciting Christmas greetings, and an off-the-cuff, Hollywood caliber reenactment of the Christmas story, with a cameo appearance by Tom Selleck as Angel Gabriel.

That’s the plan I formulate in my head before I get out of bed. Then I open my eyes and realize I still live in reality, so I scrap the whole idea and embrace simplicity…and sanity.

My real plan is a little different. Because I have to make a few big announcements to people that I would otherwise have to contact individually, I opted to do a simple newsletter. The children will write about themselves, I’ll handle the updates, and my artistic daughter can illustrate it so we can print in black and white and use less ink than photos would. Plus then my artist can make me look ravishingly young and leave out the grey hair. (What’s that I said about keeping it real?) Whether or not that will get out by Christmas is yet to be determined–okay, it won’t. But that’s okay. There’s something special and unexpected about an after-Christmas card.

A laid-back approach to cards, a shortened recipient list, and willing family participation make card-giving a low-stress family affair. Okay, I’ll admit it’s even fun!

A Final Word on Christmas Card Competitiveness

I’d love to see a turn-around in America where moms stop trying to outdo each other and instead encourage each other on this shared journey of parenthood. Trying to make ourselves look better than others not only makes them feel insecure, but it makes them try to outdo us, which, if they succeed, will make us feel insecure and necessitate our having to ramp it up next year. Do we really want to go there?

If you have people in your life who feel like it’s a competition to outdo one another, let them win! Their cards may appear better than yours (and more expensive and time-consuming), but while they were slaving over cards, you were making sugar cookies with your kids and chatting on the phone with your favorite Grandma. So…who really wins?

Here are some thoughts from other moms and me via NYC journalist Jacoba Urist.

And here is a giveaway of some of those online cards I told you about! Low entries–great prize! Check it out over at Authentic Simplicity.

Last, but not least, here are ten free cards from VistaPrint through December 14.

What’s your approach to Christmas cards?

It Must Be Christmas – A Christmas Carol by Stephen Bautista

My husband singer/songwriter Stephen Bautista just finished his brand new Christmas song, “It Must Be Christmas.” I couldn’t wait to share it with you, so he made a home recording and put it up on You Tube just in time for Christmas! I’d love it if you had a listen.

If the video isn’t showing up here, you can pop on over to You Tube and have a listen there.

From our family to yours, we wish you a blessed, meaningful Christmas season.

If you enjoy this Stephen Bautista version of a new Christmas carol, please share with your friends and family.

Truth in the Tinsel – Hands-on Family Advent Fun

Three things before we begin:

This is last year’s review of Truth in the Tinsel, before we got into it much. I’m reposting this, because we really liked it, and I share things I like with you…because I like you.
This post contains affiliate links. In fact, I think all the links are affiliate links. Whoa. Intense.
If you want to skip my review and just go check out Truth in the Tinsel, I won’t take you off my Christmas list. (That was an affiliate link. And so is this next one…and the next one….and…)

Check out Truth in the Tinsel here!

I love Advent. I love Advent wreathes and Advent calendars and Advent activities.

Unfortunately, many of the Advent activities I see are either too deep for my younger children or involve far too much preparation and work on the part of the parent. And I’m definitely not doling out chocolate or gifts every day in Advent. I mean, I’ll eat chocolate every day, but I’m not doling it out.

Last year I was tempted to try Truth in the Tinsel. I had heard quite a bit about it, and it sounded great for my hands-on kids. Still, with a brand new baby, a very sick child, and a music mission to launch, I wasn’t going to tackle anything more than I already had. Instead I opted to feed all seven children and my husband three meals a day for the entire month of December. [Insert applause here.]

Now this December is rolling around and the Advent tickle has struck again. This time I have a plan. The plan is to let someone else do all the planning and work. Are you with me?

So I bought Truth in the Tinsel, and I’m telling you people, I don’t spend money easily…except on food. I buy a lot of food…and I eat a lot of food…but not as much as I buy. I digress.

Here’s what I love about Truth in the Tinsel:

The 24 readings are straight from the Bible. I teach my children the Bible by reading directly from the Bible–how novel. Why not keep teach the Christmas story from the Source? Why not? (That wasn’t rhetorical.) There’s no reason why not! It draws from both the Old and New Testaments. Even more novel!

Each lesson includes an ornament craft which is totally doable. If you don’t have the time or energy for crafts, because of, you know, life, you can still implement the program. Truth in the Tinsel now offers a set of printable ornaments for $3.99. Set out a safety scissors, the crayons, maybe some glitter (shudder), and you’re set! Or skip the crafts. (It’s not illegal…seriously.)

If you don’t get to it every day, it’s okay. It’s okay. Hey, it’s okay! Okay? There are alternative schedules for making it work for your situation, even if that involves squeezing it in at random moments…which means I totally could have pulled this off last year after all. The goal is not completing the program; the goal is focusing your family toward Christ.

Although it’s designed for “little hands,” it can include the whole family. All ages can participate in the Bible readings, and anyone who is interested can get crafty at their own levels. Discussion questions can extend to everyone as well. My firstborn is learning to drive and my seventh-born is learning to walk, so at The Simple Home, including a broad age range is a huge deal.

Truth in the Tinsel is also available in Spanish and as a group study for churches, youth groups, homeschool groups, uh, insert your group here.

Amanda, the creator of Truth in Tinsel, has a real heart for children’s ministry, and that radiates through her work.

Okay, enough from me. Visit the site, check out the sample page, and, see if it will add to your family’s advent celebration. You can download it instantly and begin using it right away.

Buy Truth in the Tinsel here.

Oh, here’s another idea! Check out Crock On – A Semi-Whole Foods Slow Cooker Cookbook, one of my favorite e-cookbooks. Let your crockpot do the cooking while you enjoy Truth in the Tinsel with your children! Brilliant!

Simple Thanksgiving Craft – How to Make a Canning Ring Pumpkin

I don’t normally post crafts on TSHM. It is too easy to become mired under a pile of wanna-do’s and feelings of inadequacy, and I don’t want to increase that by making you feel like you should do more…more…more. But…crafts are fun, and as long as you commit to not overdoing it, I will post the occasional simple, affordable, totally doable project. Cross your heart? Okay.

I saw this simple and charming mason jar ring pumpkin on Pinterest.

We have loads of mason jar rings just screaming to be a part of our Thanksgiving décor. I can respect that, so I popped through to the original post at Simply Klassic, where I learned two things: 1) Kristin, the original crafter is a terrific photographer and wonderfully creative, and 2) this craft is indeed simple, free, and quick.

My four-year-old ballerina and I threw this charming pumpkin together in 15 minutes Kristin did it in five), and everyone who has seen it has said, “Wow, where did you get that?”

My ballerina did most of the work while I made dinner, but because I tied the string, she refuses to let me say that she made it alone. She keeps a body honest.

How to Make a Canning Ring Pumpkin

Supplies:

20-ish mason jar rings (I would go about 24. Ours could use 2-4 more)
small piece of string—a foot or so
cinnamon sticks or real sticks
burlap or other material or real leaves
one enthusiastic four-year-old ballerina, the cuter the better

Directions

String the rings on the string (it worked better when we put them all on in the same direction).

Tie the string tightly and cut away the excess.

Stick sticks (cinnamon or otherwise) in the center.

Cut out leaves and plop ‘em on top. (I drew them on the burlap for Rebecca.)

I called it complete at this point. If you want, however, Kristin says you can spraypaint the rings orange or white. I think it would be quaint to give them a weathered look with brown paint that you’ve either watered down or rubbed off immediately after painting it on. I need to use our rings to make yogurt in our Excalibur dehydrator, so we left them plain. (Plus paint equals more time and mess and less simplicity, and my ballerina was not interested in replacing her tutu with a paint shirt.)

That’s it!

Bask in the magnificence of it all. Name your pumpkin (Becca named ours Olivia Faith). Take pictures. Pin them, post them, send them to your mom (don’t forget to tell her you love her, and say “hi” from me).

If you make the canning ring pumpkin, send me a picture on Facebook!

Special thanks to Kristin at Simply Klassic for sharing this craft with us, and letting me share it with you. Go check out her end result using older, tarnished rings—very charming.

For more simple ideas, follow my Simple Thanksgiving board on Pinterest.