Add some festive fun to your conversations this holiday season with Raymond the Reindeer Stickers for iMessage! This Christmas sticker set contains 28 awesome stickers featuring Raymond doing all kinds of holiday activities, such as wearing an ugly Christmas sweater, drinking hot chocolate, singing Christmas carols, and much more.
Download the Raymond the Reindeer sticker pack today for only $0.99!
Parents, this holiday season snuggle up with your children and read these 20 festive stories about Santa Claus, the elves, and the reindeer up at the North Pole.
Teachers, incorporate these merry tales into your lessons during the month of December. With 20 stories to choose from, students can read a new story every day until Christmas.
Written with young children in mind, these stories are perfect for kiddos who are learning to read or already know how to read. Each story includes 3 options for reading:
Read by Myself
Read to Me (includes professional narration)
Auto Play (includes narration and automatic page flip)
Both parents and teachers will appreciate that these stories are fun for kids to read but also contain messages about sharing, teamwork, patience, kindness, cooperation, generosity, and much more.
Download the North Pole Christmas Stories app for iPad and iPhone today for only $2.99!
Can you believe there are only 3 days until Christmas? Yowsers! I’m excited, but I still have several things I need to do before I’m completely ready for December 25th. To help you with your own last minute hustle, I’ve rounded up a few freebies for you to print from home that will help you with the final items on your to-do list, as well as some activities to keep your kids entertained.
Last Minute Gift Tags
Need some gift tags? Download this lovely set from Gather & Feast. It contains 12 different designs that’ll give your prezzies a charming, handmade touch. Simply print on cardstock, cut out, then use a hole punch and string to attach to a gift. No hole puncher? No problem! Use some festive washi tape to stick the tag on a bag or box. Click here to download.
Festive Wine Labels
Heading to Christmas party this weekend or need a last minute gift for someone? Check out these delightful printable wine labels from Fresh Family Meals. Put these labels on your favorite bottled beverage such as wine, Italian soda, or sparkling juice.
Designed by Giulia of Le Petit Rabbit this Christmas Eve placemat features spaces to put cookies and milk for Santa and a carrot for the reindeer. The placemat is in Italian, so you and the kids can have fun learning a few words in another language!
A few years ago, I started using essential oils because I wanted to replace conventional air fresheners (that often contain toxic chemicals) with more natural fragrances. After trying several essential oils over the past couple years, I’m in love and use them on a daily basis! I frequently have my diffuser running with various blends when I’m feeling sick, battling a headache, or need to relax and de-stress. During the holiday season, I especially enjoy blends that fill my home with a warm and cozy scent. Take a peek at the infographic below for some ideas for seasonal sniffs!
Click on the image for a closer look! Infographic via Well.ca
Important Tips for Newbies:
If you’re new to essential oils, there are a few things you need to know before diving in:
Get Pure Oils: While there are many oils on the market, many of the lower-priced ones are usually not pure (!) and may even be cut with filler oils. (Ew!) Therefore, I recommend only purchasing high quality essential oils such as doTERRA, Young Living, or Rocky Mountain Oils.
Application Safety: Just because essential oils are natural that doesn’t mean that they are safe to use however you want. Some essential oils are safe to inhale (via a diffuser), but they may not be safe to apply topically or use internally. Always, always, ALWAYS exercise caution, and when in doubt, educate yourself on how to properly use an oil.
Less is More: Essential oils are very concentrated, so you don’t need to use a lot. When creating a blend from the image above, one drop of each oil should be plenty. If your diffuser is in a large room, start with just 3 drops total, then add more if needed.
Which essential oil blend is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!
A few years ago, I discovered the Origami Holiday Tree at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. That towering Christmas tree stands 13 feet tall and is covered with more than 800 paper models, hand-folded by origami artists from all over the globe! If you live in New York City or are traveling to the Big Apple this winter, stop by the museum to see this magnificent tree. (Click here for hours and directions.) Even if you won’t be in NYC to take a gander at this amazing display, you can make your own origami models at home. I’ve rounded up some videos of various holiday origami projects you can hang on your Christmas tree or display around the house.
Which one will you make first? Let us know in the comments below!
If you could sum up Christmas in a just a few words, what would they be? I’d have to say family, love, and connection, as I cherish time with my family during the holiday season. When I watch heartwarming Christmas adverts like the ones below, I’m reminded to be grateful for my relationships. Here are a few touching videos that I think will tug your heartstrings as they did mine.
