What Do I Get for Baby’s First Christmas?

Christmas is always a joyous time of year! There are so many wonderful things to look forward to amongst the hustle bustle. It’s made even more special when you are also celebrating Baby’s First Christmas!

So when you are trying to figure out how best to celebrate baby’s first Christmas, you surely contemplate what gifts to give. The reality is that your little one likely doesn’t understand what the season is all about, much less have the ability to open their own gifts. Here are some ideas to help celebrate baby’s first holidays without going overboard.

Pick a few great learning toys that you can unwrap with the baby. These are toys that you would likely get for them anyhow, so just wrap them up and make them that much more special for Christmas. Sure wrapping them up is more for you than them, but it’s a tradition that you just must practice.

Go to some local mom to mom sales and pick up a few stocking stuffers. You can get toys that are gently used at a fraction of the price. So if you want to get some gifts for baby to open but don’t want to spend a ton as they may be short lived, picking up some toys from a mom to mom sale may be a great way to give something to your little one.

Wrap up some new DVD’s and books. You can have quite a few things to open with your little one, and these are certainly items that will come in handy. If your baby is very little then this may be something useful down the road. Otherwise these can be used right away and be something that baby can enjoy the benefits of very quickly.

Look for sale items and stock up. I have been looking for sales on toys since October and have stocked up on some very nice items. I may not give them all at once because there’s so many toys that it could be overwhelming for my daughter. However I’ve got some great options and some nice gifts to wrap up, and I got each and every item on sale. It will never matter to her, but it helped with our Christmas shopping this year!

Baby’s First Christmas can be so much fun and with some shopping expertise and an eye for sale items, you can have plenty for them to open without spending a ton.

Planned Acts of Niceness

As As a mom, it’s easy to get caught up in a world that consists only of your children and everything that concerns them. But as a person, it’s important to remember that random acts of niceness can go a long way, both for you and the receiver of these acts. A coffee in the morning for a colleague, a gift certificate to dinner for your child’s teacher, or even paying for the next person’s laundry when you pick up yours are small acts that may have big results. With just one small act, you can set off a series of good acts as people pay it forward. You’ll find that when you do, these acts pay big dividends and you’ll begin to do them over and over.  

Recently, I have set a personal goal in order to achieve ‘my random acts of niceness’ quota by establishing a once-a-week good deed. Not only has it provided me a great sense of personal satisfaction when “presenting” the niceness act, it has also kept this niceness “ideal” very top-of-mind for me. And as I’ve filled my quota weekly, I’ve come to the conclusion that everyone is connected, related somehow. It’s that connection that we thrive on, that connection to each other is the very reason why giving back feels so right. It’s our way of claiming a place in the world and with that claimed place comes a desire to serve others in the world community. And as both mothers and people, it’s our job to make sure we don’t forget that.   

Don’t Spend Your Whole Day Cleaning

One of the most frustrating aspects of being a Mother is how much disorder children bring into our lives. The house is strewn with toys, streaks of grape jelly decorate the walls, and the floor is sticky with who-knows-what substance. Your youngest child seems to wake up sick on every holiday and your middle kid throws tantrums in the most unexpected places embarrassing you to the core. Kiss predictability goodbye until you ship your kids off to college. Don’t let disorder drive you nuts. Instead of chasing your kids around all day picking up every block they toss onto the floor, or wiping down every sticky fingerprinted window, just relax. Does the thought of relaxing while watching tiny saboteurs rip your house to shreds evoke shudders of anxiety? Don’t let it. Here’s why you should wait until the end of the day to clean and tidy. If you do it any earlier, your house is going to get destroyed again. And again. And again. The result? Frustration and resentment towards your kids and your role as a Mother. Do this instead. Have a designated area in your house for toys. Either have your children play ONLY in that room or allow each child to select three toys to bring into the common area of the house. Right before dinnertime, put on some peppy music and make a game of cleaning up the house. Have the children put the toys back where they belong. As for messes, only clean them up immediately if they are going to cause a permanent stain. Otherwise, wait until your pre-dinner clean-up time to give the house a quick wipe-up. Why do the same thing over and over and over again and drive yourself crazy? Put one big clean-up time on your daily schedule and let yourself have fun with your kids the remainder of the day!

Give up your TV Addiction

I admit it. I have a TV addiciton. Not my own shows, mind you. I’m addicted to Nick Jr and Sprout. I even watch certain children’s shows when my kids are out of the house! When I first came to this conclusion I surfed around the net (another addiction!) for some tips on how I could curb my craving and set a good example for the kids. Luckily I found this set at dumblittleman.com:

Try 30 days without TV.
Journal your progress.
Insert good habits.
Keep a list of tasks around to keep your mind off the TV.

Simplest BBQ dinner ever!

Things are crazy, you’re busy, the kids have afterschool activities…. Need a quick and really easy dinner idea? Try this slow-cooker BBQ recipe you can throw together in under 5 minutes in the morning.  You’ll need:

• Your slowcooker  (crockpot)
• A bag of boneless, skinless chicken thighs (you can find these individually frozen in a bag in the freezer section of the grocery store, and they’re quite economical).
• A bottle of honey or hickory BBQ sauce  (get a good one!)
• Optional:  a half cup of dark beer

Place as many of the chicken thighs as you need inside the slow cooker- (I use 1-2 per person, depending on age).  If you are using the beer, mix a 1/2 cup of so of the beer with the BBQ sauce beforehand.  Pour the sauce over the chicken thighs, making sure all pieces are covered.

Turn the slow cooker on low, for up to 8 hours.  Don’t add additional liquid, as the chicken will produce its own liquid as it cooks, and very little liquid escapes during slowcooking.  The meat will be tender and tasty.  Serve with a side of rice and a salad, and you have an easy, quick, and inexpensive dinner that even small kids will eat, especially since the meat is super tender and there is no skin and no bones!

Create a Great Guest Bedroom

Last year we purchased our first house. It came with three bedrooms, one for us and one for each of the boys. As the children were still young, we thought that it would be best for them to share for a while. When they were ready to make choices about decorating their own rooms, we would move them into seperate rooms. In the meantime though, that extra bedroom has become a refuge for visiting family. As my husbands family lives far away, creating the best guest bedroom (with tips from Moms Buzz!) has been our way of helping them save money.

Special Touches for the Guest Room
An assortment of perfumes offers a touch of luxury.
Comfortable terry robe and slippers add a special touch along with oak or satin padded hangers.
Thirsty white terrycloth or Turkish towels enfold guests in full comfort and coziness.
A collage of nice family portraits or posters to personalize the room.
Chilled wine or champagne to welcome them to their new bedroom.
A bowl of fine chocolates by their nighttable or chest.
A TV set.

Clutter Control!

Beyond Easter Baskets!  Looking for an easy, attractive way to control clutter in your house, and in your child’s room?  Try an array of baskets.  The kids can’t seem to keep books stacked neatly on shelves?  Try a laundry basket.  If a big gawky plastic basket doesn’t fit your decor, try a wicker laundry basket.  You can find them at home goods stores or even Walmart, and they make a great portable, simple way to corral those board books that seem to multiply. 

Try smaller baskets for crayons, video games (especially the small ones like those for Gameboys), hair bows, and even kitchen counter clutter like vitamin bottles, coffee accoutrements, and snacks.

Got Bored Kids?

There is nothing more frustrating than having a bored kid hovering around you asking, “what can I do?” It’s important to teach children that boredom is a natural part of life and that they need to learn how to entertain themselves. If they’ve run out of ideas, resist plopping them down in front of the television to keep them occupied. Instead, sit down with your children and write out as many enjoyable activities that you can on index cards. Place the cards in a large fishbowl and have the children pull one out when they’re bored. If they aren’t in the mood to do that particular activity, give them one more chance to pick out a different card. If they’re still uninspired? Give them a chore to do. Have a different fishbowl with chores written on index cards. Chances are your kid will change his or her mind and go for the activity instead. Search the web for kid-friendly sites that list numerous children’s activities for ideas to write on your index cards. If you do need a break from your nagging children, allow a small amount of TV doled out in 30 minute increments. Don’t allow more than two hours of viewing per day.

It’s More than an Egg Carton

My husband always grumbles that egg cartons take up too much space in the recycling bin. So, instead of recycling them I found some great tips over at frugaldad.com for him to try. So now he’s trying to find recipes for all our eggs so he can try some out! Here’s his favorite:

Make fire starter briquettes. Looking for a good use for a pile of sawdust from your latest home improvement project? Melt some wax in a big pot, mix in a little sawdust, and pour the wax into the bottom of an egg carton. When the wax cools you are left with little fire starter cakes that are great to take along camping, or use in the backyard fire pit.

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Thank You Notes- from the kids!

In today’s world of scattered families, many special events are marked by gifts through the mail.  One of the most frustrating things for grandmothers, family friends, and favorite aunts is to not know if a gift was ever received.  A thank you note is more than just a social nicety or formality.  Whether it comes via email or snail mail, a thank you note not only allows the sender to be sure the gift arrived intact, but lets the recipient express his or her gratitude for someone’s thoughtfulness. 

For small children, however, thank you notes often fall by the wayside.  Try taking a picture of your child opening or enjoying the gift.  Let your kids draw a picture if they are small.  If your kids have reached the age to understand who and where the gift came from, write a note yourself while explaining what you’re doing; once your child is big enough to write simple words, utilize the fill-in-the-blank thank you notes available where stationary and party supplies are sold.  I often write out the name of the sender and the item on a scrap of paper, and let my young son copy into the blanks.  His grandparents like to receive it in his handwriting, and they know he’s aware who gave him that nifty new toy.   For older kids, find a cute set of blank cards and let them write their own- it’s a social skill that will last a lifetime! 

For a good selection of fill-in-the-blank cards, try My Expression.

Bring Back Family Game Night

I can’t wait for my children to be old enough to participate in Family Game night. Growing up these evenings were always my favorite. We each had our favorites - I was a Trivial Persuit fan, my sister loved Life, Mom was a Scrabble and Boggle nut, and my Dad played chess. We had competitions to see who held the gaming crown. It was so much fun. BlissfullyDomestic.com has put together a list of different games that are great to play on Family Game night. Here’s one I can’t wait to try out:

Upwords- Along the same vein, this is another fabulous word puzzle game, but with a twist. You build words just like Scrabble, but you can build up and up (five letters high) to change words into new words. The more you stack, the more points you earn. I think it is more challenging than Scrabble, but the scoring is much easier to do. This game is for two players or more and recommended for ages eight and up. This game can be a powerful tool when your children are beginning to read because it can help teach them how to change words using different letters. Consider it a cheap version of “Hooked on Phonics” and a game that they can enjoy for years after they have learned to read!

Reduce Stress When Hiring a Contractor

We purchased our first house this last April and I’m gleefully looking forward to starting some house renovation projects. But there are two obstacles in my way: a lack of time and horror stories about contractors. Finding time in my hectic life is going to require the combination of a couple of tips and tricks but I may be able to solve the contractor issue with this tip from Handytipsandhints.com:

handy tip is to find the right web site that can give you the necessary information you need as you look for the right contractor. ServiceSpider.com is a web site that can be very handy when it comes to this issue or concern. They connect homeowners and local contractors for free.

Composting Made Easy

Even items that are usually sent to the trash can be put to one more use by the frugal mom. Moms Living Green shows us that it’s not difficult at all to create our own compost from kitchen scraps. Added bonus: it may reduce your garbage bill as well!

First of all, we bought a plastic bin with a carbon filter to keep on the kitchen counter. That way for a few days at a time, I can just collect the kitchen scaps as I’m cooking. All kitchen scraps except for meat, dairy, eggs or oil can go into the compost. Vegetable and fruit scaps, peels, rinds, coffee grounds, filters, tea bags, etc. can all be composted. Rachel Ray keeps a “garbage bowl” on her counter when cooking. I do the same thing, it’s just a “compost bowl” at our house.

Get Stuck in a Rut!

Sometimes being stuck in a rut is good- routine is comforting and efficient.  Make a routine for you and your kids each night to make the morning flow more smoothly.  My twins were at the age where they wanted to do everything for themselves.  Rather than have the morning fight over what we would wear each day, I solved the problem by laying everyone’s clothes out the night before- yes, it’s one of the oldest tricks in the book, but that’s because it works! 

I have a small bench in the boys’ room, and every night before bed, their pants, shirts, shoes, and socks are all laid out and ready to go, and the boys have happily gotten up and dressed themselves without issue since they were three.  Socks, preschool nap mats, coats, backpacks, and lunches are all readied the evening before as well, and ready to grad on the way out the door, including mom and dad’s!

Don’t Forget Your Pets

I spend lots of time trying to trim down the grocery bills based on what myself, DH and the kids will and will not eat. I plan out crock-pot meals, clip coupons and create menus around what’s on sale this week. But for some reason I am never frugal when it comes to pet care. I have two very spoiled, very overweight Persian cats who have sensitive tummies. In the past I’ve always been willing to splurge for the good cat food so I can avoid the cat vomit that I will undoubtedly step in at 3am in the morning (YUCK!) However, over at Blissfully Domestic, they’ve put together a list of ways you can save money on your pet - even if you have finicky pets like mine.

Head Online for Pet Medications- As with hair care products at the salon, you can get pet medications for a lot less anywhere but your vet’s office. I’d been buying heart worm prevention medicine from my vet for years, and only recently checked into 1-800-Pet-Meds and PetCareRX. Both offer free standard shipping and I saved at least 20 percent over my vet’s office. Geesh, what took me so long to switch over?

Get Free Books for Your Family

My sons love an excursion to the library. Our 3 year old Thomas is particularly fond of the train and tractor books. Our 14 month old loves textile board books and sitting on the tiny rocking chairs. My husband and I are avid readers and we are constantly on the look out for new books to add to our sons’ library, so when I stumbled on the post 10 ways to get free or cheap books over at themomspeak.com I was ecstatic! Be sure to head over to find out more tips like the one below:

Swap online. If you are willing to cull your collection, you can trade them for points on sites likeBookMooch. Simply list the titles that you are willing to part with and wait for someone to request a copy. Once you have shipped it, you will be awarded points which will allow you to request a book that interests you. The service is free, only pay the cost of shipping (remember, the media mail rate is deeply discounted).

Balance Life as a Work at Home Mom

For those of us who do everything at home, it’s easy for the lines to get blurred. In order to regain a balance between personal time, the kids, and time in the office The Mommy Club has come up with 5 keys. Number one is posted below.

1. Sacrifice Means Giving More

Because I know that once my children start their day, my day revs up to speed mode the second they wake up. That leaves me virtually no time to work on business. And I’ve learned that in my situation, that’s OK! Isn’t that why I chose to be home in the first place? So sometimes that means I have to sacrifice some of my time early in the mornings before the rest of my family wakes up. I can guarantee that if I wake up 2-3 hours before the rest of the alarms go off in the house, those hours will be filled with real, solid work. It’s a great way to start my morning, knowing that I was able to answer important emails, make new contacts, write ads, and do other important work that needs to be done. Sacrificing a little sleep means I’m giving more to myself and my family.

4 Applications to Help Your Memory

ZenHabits.com wrote a guest article on 4 different applications you can use in tandem to help remember everything you have to do.

Evernote for notes
Gmail and Gcal for email and calendar
Anxiety for tasks
Jott for notes on the go

All of the applications are available for both Mac and Windows, and are perfect for the mom who can’t get away from her computer for very long!

You Have the Power to Stop Laughing

Sometimes, you just can’t help feeling the urge to laugh. If you allow yourself to laugh during serious moments, you may end up accidentally offending someone. While it might not be that easy to stifle a laugh, for most people it can be done! All you need to do is try distracting yourself with thoughts of something sad, pinching yourself, or if all else fails leave the area and go laugh yourself silly in the bathroom. Or at least that’s what the folks at WikiHow.com tell us.

Start Planning for Summer Vacation

Yes, it seems like summer will never get here, but it’s really not far off.  For an interesting yet economical trip, consider a home exchange.  I know what you’re thinking.  I don’t want strangers in my house.  My house is not big or fancy enough.  Who wants to come here? 

Some locations are always top picks- beaches, ski areas, NYC.  But you’d be surprised how many people want to visit where you  live!  A number of websites are out there to help find a match.  Most charge an annual fee, but compared to the cost of a hotel, it’s miniscule.  You could also try Craig’s List, which is free.  Most websites allow searching by desired desination, or a reverse search, which looks for listers who want to come to your locale.  You can search by number of bedrooms, and other amenities.  Try Home Exchange, (the website used in the movie The Holiday) Digsville, or 1st Home Exchange.

My family exchanged with a family in California last summer.  We spent nearly 10 days in the Central California coastal area, while a teacher and her daughter stayed in our home.  We communicated via email several times beforehand, and left lists of ‘must do’ activities in our area for each other.  Here’s why this is great for families with kids:

• It’s CHEAP!  You pay for gas, food, incidentals.  But no HOTEL. 
• You have a full home to operate in, and wind down each evening without worrying about disturbing the old fogies next door in your hotel or trying to keep your kids quietly confined to a 100 sq foot room. 
• You have a full kitchen!  With a frige, stove, coffee maker, etc.  It’s cheaper and more convenient.
• You likely have access to a washer and dryer, which makes life easier when traveling with kids (especially if it’s summer and you’re doing outdoor or water activities)
• The home may have other bonus amenities, like a view, a grill, a pool or hot tub (our exchange home had a hot tub which was lovely for soaking in after a full day of sightseeing!)
• Someone is watching over your house, and possibly feeding  your pets (yay, no boarding!) and watering your plants.  A neighbor can drop in to introduce themselves to make everyone feel more secure if you like.

Give it a try- most exchange matching websites will allow you to browse even without registering, if you just want to take a look what’s out there!

Avoiding the Dr.

Spring is here, and that means flowers…. and pollen…. and allergies…. sniffly noses, spring colds, sneezing, etc.  One of the best and often most overlooked ways to keep from getting sick is to make sure you and your kids eat right and get the right vitamins and minerals your body needs to fight sickness. 

After doing a little research, I made a list of the top immunity boosting foods and posted it on the side of the refrigerator.  That way, it’s easy to remember what we need to be eating on a regular basis and I incorporate these items as often as possible into our regular meals. For example, when I make chicken and dumplings, a family favorite, I use partial whole wheat flour (for whole grains), and throw a few handfuls of chopped kale into the broth; it mixes with the broth and gets tender, and the boys never even notice.  I keep yogurt and fruit around for after-school snacks; and try to add much of the boys’ favorites into other not-so-favorite dishes.  For instance, when I make a spinach salad, I sprinkle nuts and strawberries or raspberries on top to make it more enticing. 

Here’s a few of the top immunity boosting foods: 

• Peppers- bell and chile pepers
  

  Source: ABC News

• garlic
• yogurt
• turmeric (the yellow spice in curry)
• oregano (which has antibacterial properties)
• green tea
• ginger
• oysters
• green veggies, including broccoli, kale, and spinach
• Pumpkins (next fall, actually cook those pumpkins your little ones got at the local pumpkin patch!) 
• Berries- blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, etc.
• whole grains 

To find out more about why these super foods work, ABC News recently ran a piece by Radha Chitale on avoiding the cold or flu; the story does a great job of explaining which vitamins are available in what foods and how the body uses them.

Speak with Confidence

Whether you’re a PTA mom or assistant coach with your son’s soccer team, there are a hundred different ways that you are called on to speak with authority and confidence. If you don’t feel quite up to the task, Ravi Vora has come up with some simple tips on how you can gain the courage you need to speak up:

The 3-second rule. When you’re speaking with someone, take 3 seconds before you respond. This may seem awkward at first, but it gives you a chance to do a lot of things before you say something you might regret. In addition to letting you think about what you’re going to say, it also allows room for them to continue talking. If they feel uncomfortable in the silence, you’ve gained the upper-hand.
Have a plan. Go into the conversation with a plan and think about the responses you are likely to get. Play it out like a chess game. Where each move you make has an effect on them, and vice versa.

Be comfortable. Use your plan to leave room for awkwardness on their part. If they feel like they are fumbling for words and trying to gain your confidence in them, then you’re in control. You have to be comfortable and relaxed enough so that you can say what you want without feeling stupid.

Don’t talk so much. When you don’t say much, people have to try and assume what you’re thinking. Getting inside your head is much harder than knowing what you feel or think.

It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.
-Mark Twain

Clean your financial house, so to speak

It is some of the most dreaded jobs around- balancing the checkbook, paying bills, planning for your kids’ college fund and retirement….  it’s so complicated, and stressful and who wants to do it!??  Here’s a tool that can help make it easier for you- 

Mint.com!  This tool is online financial software- it helps not only budget, but to plan for many financial goals, whether those are to pay off debt like credit cards or student loans; save for college for your kids- or yourself!; save for a big purchase, or even retirement; find great ways to save money; and best of all- TRACK YOUR SPENDING!  The really cool thing about this program is you don’t have to do a lot of data entry- it simply links up to your bank account online and allows you to track your spending by category. You can set up alerts for various items; you can compare different credit cards or banks to find the best fees. 

Mint.com can also help you set up graphs and other easy to read graphics that show you exactly how much money you spend and where you spend it.  But the best part is this:  It’s FREE.  That’s right.  According to the website, the company occasionally earns a referral fee for recommending a bank account or credit card, but the site only recommends in order of best price/lowest cost, so the company only earns if it is the lowest one and you decide to switch.  We all dread money management tasks- finally, here’s a tool to make a bit easier………

Family Traditions

When it comes to family time, what do you remember most?  What you got in your Easter basket/Christmas gifts/birthday presents?  Or do you remember trekking to the pumpkin patch each year?  Or other family traditions from being a kid? 

In today’s world of internet shopping, instant communication, and satellite tiv, it’s easy to forget, but things and toys are rarely what stick in kids’ minds- what they remember is what we  do with them, and how we spend our free time.  Make family traditions- they can be as simple as a certain kind of dessert at Easter, or as elaborate as a special summer vacation spot, or even making caramel apples in the fall. 

Our family has tried to implement a handful of activities we do regularly- Daddy cooks pancakes every Sunday morning.  Every Christmas we try to find a tree farm to cut a fresh tree.  (We’ve lived in 3 states- In New Mexico, you can buy a $10 permit to cut your own from the National Forest.)  We have a special bedtime routine.  And Mom and the boys make chocolate chip cookies regularly. 

And every Friday night is PIZZA NIGHT.  No takeout or delivery involved.  We get a kid movie from netflix, and dad makes pizza to order for each person.  It’s the one night the boys are allowed to eat in the living room.  [as an aside, this post sounds like mom doesn't cook, which isn't true... not sure why dad's cooking seems more special... I do mix the pizza dough when I arrive home from work, and it rises until dad is ready to cook.]  Pizza night is special, and our kids look forward to it all week.  By about Thursday, when they are exhausted, the words, ‘one more night til pizza night’ is enough to get them going.  In a few years, they’ll be too big and busy for family pizza night,  but while they’re little, we are soaking it up.

Our routines are not perfect for anyone else- each family has to create their own traditions and special activities for themselves.  They can be simple or involved.  The important thing is that you make it special and fun for your family!  Just think, in 25 years or so, your kids may be telling their own kids, ‘when I was little, we would always…….’

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