I love Christmas. And I love gifting! It’s even more fun when the kids can be involved too! Here is a simple, fun way to have your kids help make gifts.
My Mom did one of these with my 10 year old last year and I loved it! I still use it nearly every day. It is so cute, so useful and so special.
This idea will take about an hour’s worth of time to weave the pot holder together, but it sure turns out cute! I would recommend using it with kids 7+. Here is a kit similar to what my Mom used and it comes with everything you will need to make your own pot holders! https://amzn.to/3Clcr1A
Have you discovered Art For Kids Hub yet? It’s an amazing site that teaches kids (and struggling artistic grown ups like me) to draw. The cool thing is it’s step by step and easy to follow. Check them out here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ArtforKidsHub.
This site can help you make Christmas gifts in a number of ways but here are two of my favs!
First of all, have your kiddo find an object, animal or item that the person you are gifting loves. Then have your kiddo draw that special thing. This one was a nutcracker that we framed and put up on our wall.
Another way to use this site, is to have your child create cards using their drawings. I hired my 10 year old to make me cards to send as thank you notes for my business. We decided on puppy dog faces and he made me sets of 10. I loved sending them as thank you notes and showcasing his art work. It would also make a great gift idea! Simply take a normal sheet of copy paper, fold it half and half again and have your child draw on the front. You can make a set of the same creature or a set of different pictures.
Eeek! Christmas is coming up and it feels like it’s gonna be here before we know it! I love the idea of getting crafty and having the kids make handmade gifts and fortunately for me, I am married to the master at it! Check out these adorable gift ideas Dan and the boys have done for me from years gone by.
Idea #1: Napkin holder. Dan found this cute little napkin holder at Michael’s and the words “Family” and “Love” there too. He brought it home, had the kids stain it and glued the words on. It sits on our table every day and we can enjoy their handiwork. He even labeled the bottom so I know it was a gift for Christmas 2019.
Idea #2: Tissue Box. Dan found this cute little wooden tissue holder and had Nathan paint it for me. It was years ago but look how sweet his little paintings are!! He just had Nathan do this one, but you could have each kiddo paint a side or write their names to make it inclusive to more kiddos.
Idea #3: Name Plaque Key Holder. Dan had an extra piece of wood laying around and had the idea to make a key holder. He got the letters for our name at Michael’s and added those. He found some very simple hooks to screw in and voila! This hangs on our stairs as you walk in the door. I love that it’s useful and personalized.
Idea #4: Picture Frames. I LOVE this one so much! Dan found some old wooden picture frames and had the kids decorate them. For the set of three, Dan had each kid choose how to decorate their frame and they got to choose the picture to put inside. I love how each frame is such a representation of each kid’s personality.
Idea #5: Pen Holder. One year, Dan had the kids decorate plastic cups to make a pen holder for my tutoring desk. He had them use whatever materials we had around the house and decorate to their heart’s content. I use it every day and love it!
Cheers to being creative and giving unique, extra special gifts. I enjoy being able to look around our home and see creative touches from the boys.
I had been eyeing them for months. I had asked on Facebook about them. Pestered my friends who had them about them. Researched and waited for a good deal. I ended up getting some birthday money and decided to buy my first Nespresso machine. I was soo excited and couldn’t wait for it to arrive. When it finally did, it was beautiful and I couldn’t wait to try it out. But there was a huge problem…I had ordered the wrong pods to go with it. **insert very sad face!**
So for anyone in the market for a Nespresso, here are a few things I have learned in the last couple years.
Number 1: There are different types of Nespresso machines. I ordered a Vertuo and therefore, have to order Vertuo capsules. An obvious distinction perhaps, but I didn’t realize Nespresso makes two different pod sizes. There is an original brewer size which is tiny and the vertuo size which is much bigger. There is no way to make them compatible with one another, so just learn from my mistake and buy the right size for your machine!
Number 2: The Vertuo pods can be more challenging to find. This is not your “run to the store and grab some pods” type of coffee. It does take ordering online and shipping to your door. At least at the time of this writing, I have never been able to find this size of pod in a store. So don’t run out!
Number 3: The Nespresso website has a gazillion kinds and flavors of coffee. I started ordering right away from them and they often have good deals available …like free shipping or free sleeves with your order. They have things like vanilla and chocolate cookie. For the Fall, they have a pumpkin spice flavor. They have some you can pour over ice and a variety of light, medium and dark roast options. Their site is easy to navigate and they do provide a short description under each coffee type, so you can feel like you know what you’ll be getting. I ordered my machine off of Amazon, but the Nespresso.com website does have machines as well. Here is the website: https://www.nespresso.com/us/en/vertuo-coffee-pods. I do have a referral code, so if you are ordering you may be able to save a little money. My code is: UZ7Q93
Number 4: Amazon has a few Vertuo pod options. In fact, my favorite pod is Starbucks Sumatra. I have ordered it 17 times already and it’s what I most often drink. It comes as four pack and each box has 8 pods. The shipping is usually next day or next couple days, so it comes quickly.
Number 5: The Nespresso does make some noise when it’s brewing. There are some mornings when the household is still sleeping and I wait to start my coffee. That being said, it does make the most delicious smelling, foamy, creamy, frothy beverage. I call it my Morning BFF.
I love my Nespresso Breville and would recommend it to someone looking to purchase a new machine. There are just a few things to keep in mind so you can enjoy it to the fullest…and not order the wrong pods.
If you’d like to try the Breville Model like I have, you can find it here: https://amzn.to/3RyeV2n
