Last minute Christmas decor ideas

Don't you hate when it's the first week of December and people are already using the phrase "last minute" pertaining to Christmas?  Come on.....most of us have not started yet...right?

In my neighborhood, I can count on several neighbors' homes being completely decorated by the day after Thanksgiving!  Please!

Besides, my youngest brother gave me a sweet Thanksgiving arrangement on Thanksgiving and I plan on leaving it out a while.

I am a little ahead of schedule this year and I do plan on baking cookies (a chore "sigh" I've ignored for several years now.)

Here are a few homemade, super cute decor and/or gift ideas.

Click here for instructions

If you'll be baking this year....add a recipe card for a little extra pizzazz.  They're free!

free recipe card printable

More ideas here on my pinterest board.

Freebie Friday - Christmas Shipping Box Stickers for kids

Here are some Christmas stickers you can use to decorate shipping boxes when you send gifts out of town. Print on a 8.5X11" plain sticker sheet and cut. Plain sticker sheets can be found in office supply stores or at http://onlinelabels.com Here is the pdf: http://www.mediafire.com/view/?87ytpjyb56gwrrr

How to make an Advent Calendar that's super fun!

It's probably a little late in the season to attempt this now...but I had to share.  I'll try to repost earlier in the season next year!

Four of my grandchildren moved to Georgia last year and I although I settled on giving them money for Christmas, I wanted to add a little fun to the gift....so here it is.

What you'll need:
25 assorted small boxes
25 stickers numbered 1-25
bakers twine or any string
25 small gifts

I included a little note explaining that they are to open one box a day beginning with box number 1 on  December 1st.   And no peeking (I knotted each box tightly!)

It was a little challenging coming up with 4 identical gifts for each box (suitable for 1 girl and 3 boys of different ages)...here are some ideas:

gold dollars (taped together so they don't jingle)
sticky hands
tic tacs
legos
card games
Christmas chocolates
gum
taffy
pens
mechanical pencils
punching balloons
chapstick
gloves
pocket angels
stickers
tiny game books
marbles (again, tie them down!)
erasers

Now if you only have 1 child to buy for, you can add gender/age specific items like:
jewelry
lipstick
nail stickers
parachute men
army men
itunes gift card
hair ties/bows
combs
tiny books or calendars
beads and string
little craft kits
homemade playdoh
little collectible skateboards, etc.
matchbox cars


The 25th box contains the checks :)