Christmas Wish

I love Christmas. I have so many wonderful memories from my childhood of love, family and traditions. I am excited to start new traditions and create memories with E and my family for years to come. But for some, Christmas is not always a joyous time. This is why I believe Christmas is also a time to remember and help those who are not as fortunate.

Thanks to Jessica from Live the Fancy Life, I read about Max, an 8-year-old boy battling leukemia, and his Christmas Wish. Max cannot make it home this Christmas and his only wish is that he wants to receive 1,000,000 Christmas cards in the mail.

With new babies I know time and money are two things that may be limited, but this is the simplest request that requires little of either. I can't wait to get my card in the mail today to wish Max a Merry Christmas. And I know today, I will squeeze E a little harder and be thankful for his health and the joy he has brought our family.

So please consider taking a few minutes in the next week to help Max reach his Christmas Wish! You can send him a card at:

Max c/o Hailey Remish
417 Jones Street
Belle Vernon, PA
15012

Thank you and Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

Making Keepsakes for Baby's 1st Christmas

I'm all for baby crafts and making lasting memories [even if they turn out cuter in my head than in real life!] Here are some great ideas for making keepsakes for "Baby's 1st Christmas":



Baby's 1st Ornament [via a sorta fairytale blog]




handprint art fun [via craft rookie]




keepsake handprint ornament [via moments of mommyhood]




time capsule ornament [via family fun.go.com]


And don't forget that the holidays are a GREAT time for my personal favorite.....Baby Photo Shoot!

Christmas Shopping for Baby

Not sure what to get your baby for Christmas? Have another baby in the family that you have to shop for? Check out these great shopping ideas from Jennifer White and About.com. Simple and great gift idea's for babies of all ages:

0-3mo
[1] Foot finder and wrist rattles
[2] Manhattan Toy Baby-Ville Blankie
[3] Tiny Love Symphony-in-Motion Mobile
[4] Rich Frog Bath Sponges
[5] Haba Pacifier Chain

Read full article here.

3-6mo
[1] Mirrored Toys
[2] Play Gyms and Play Mats Ideal for Building Motor Skills
[3] Moving Toys Enhance Eye Tracking Skills
[4] Hand-held Gifts for Babies
[5] Multi-Sensory Toys

Read full article here.

6-9mo
[1] A Gift for Baby That Encourages Crawling and Cruising
[2] Baby Gifts for Fine Motor Skills
[3] Bath Toys Make a Splash
[4] Toys That Teach Cause and Effect
[5] Books and Language Development

Read full article here.

9-12mo
[1] Push Toys Encourage Walking
[2] Gifts for Baby That Build Imagination
[3] Building Toys Develop Fine Motor Skills
[4] "Big People" Gifts for Baby
[5] Gifts That Simply Get Baby Playing

Read full article here.

Celebrating Christmas with your Baby in the Twin Cities

This is E's FIRST Christmas!!! [Can you tell I'm a little excited??] Whether it's your baby's first or second Christmas, the holidays are so much fun to celebrate with them. Check out the list below of fun events that you and your baby can attend and celebrate the season.


Breakfast w/ Santa @ Macy’s
[Minneapolis, December 3,4,10,11,17&18]
Enjoy a yummy, plated breakfast, children's entertainment and a visit from Santa claus.

Macy’s Christmas Display: A Day in the Life of an Elf
[Minneapolis, Now through Dec. 30]
Join Macy's for the animated tale of "A Day in the Life of an Elf", a story depicting young elves as they prepare for Christmas at the North Pole.

Carriage Rides with Santa @ Woodbury Lakes
[Woodbury, Dec. 3rd]
Take a horse-drawn carriage ride with Santa to benefit a local food shelf [rides are free with a donation of one non-perishable food item per rider].

Visit w/ Santa & Mrs. Claus @ Gertens
[Inver Grove Heights, Dec. 3,4,10,11]
Visit Santa & Mrs. Claus out in the Poinsettia House! [$5 per child, $10 per family]

Meet Santa’s Reindeer & Sleigh Rides @ Gertens
[Inver Grove Heights, Dec. 3,4,10]
Meet Santa's Reindeer and go for a sleigh ride! A perfect photo opp! [$3/ride or free with a fresh tree purchase]

Holidazzle Parade
[Downtown Minneapolis, Now - Dec. 18th]
The Target Holidazzle parade begins at 6:30 p.m. but get downtown early to catch the captivating blaze of the holiday season! Bundle baby up or buy a hot seat ticket for just $9 [heated tent with complimentary hot cocoa and cider in a prime viewing area: Nicollet Mall between 11th and 12th Street]

Grand Meander
[St. Paul, December 3rd]
Celebrate the season with your entire family on Grand Avenue! Breakfast with Santa, fire truck rides, visit santa's reindeer, young art fair, trolley rides, soup tastings, community tree lighting, holiday shopping, family activities and more!

Bums & Bellies Drive
[Now - Dec. 17th]
Give back this holiday season! Donate your gently-loved maternity clothes, slings and wraps, and cloth diapers. Proceeds will go to The Diaper Drive, Lakes Life Care Center, and other local organizations. [Hosted by BabyLove]

Reindeer Day @ Creative Kidstuff
[Minneapolis, Dec. 3rd]
Photos w/ Santa, live reindeer, horse-drawn wagon rides, carolers & more!

South St. Paul Holidaze
[Dec. 8th]
Have your picture taken with Santa, crafts with Mrs. Claus, story time with community members and take a ride on the Polar Express. There is also music, carols, a mitten and hat drive, and the city's tree lighting ceremony.

Head to a Tree Farm
Check out this list of places in the Twin Cities where you can cut down your own Christmas tree. Bundle up baby and create a new family tradition. Plus a lot of places have sleigh rides, hot chocolate to warm you up and more!

Mommy|Tot Playday + A Visit from Santa
[Blaine, 10:00-12:00]
Head to All Things Diapers for their weekly coffee meeting [Mommy|Tot time] and Santa is visiting!

Santa & Albert's Holiday Play
[Bachman's on Lyndale, Nov. 19 - Dec. 18, Saturdays and Sundays: 11:00, 12:30, & 2:00]
Enjoy two professional storytellers in a brand new, lively, audience participation-filled play. Approximately 25-minutes long, each FREE show concludes with a carol sing-along and opportunities to get photos with Santa and Albert. [Bring your own camera.]

What are you planning on doing with your little one this holiday season? Let me know if I missed an event and I'll be sure to add it! Happy Holidays!

Snail Mail for the Holidays

Yes I am jumping on the Christmas train early [along with every other big box store out there] but... it's baby's FIRST Christmas, so can you blame me for getting a little excited?

One of my favorite things about Christmas time is all the great SNAIL MAIL! I love going to the mailbox weeks leading up to Christmas and seeing everyone's growing families displayed on their holiday cards. Holiday photo cards are a MUST in my family. I love how over the years my family Christmas card has told our story: our engagement photo, the next year it was our wedding photo, then last year we added a picture of our pup and the news that soon there was going to be one more! Now this year... Baby E's FIRST Christmas!

It's never too early to start planning those pictures. Some people have family pictures taken every year. Some wait for the snow to fall before they snap away. Others use vacation pictures or other special milestone pictures from that year [which is what we tend to do!] If you are ahead of the game and know what picture you want to use, you can find some great deals out there right now! I've listed out a couple of my favorite places to look for deals and cute designs:


[1] Tiny Prints
Tiny Prints has so many cards to choose from and as low as $0.69 [over 1,000 different options!] They tend to have a lot of modern card templates, which I love. I am really digging the circle cut-out cards, how cute would those be hanging on display in your house? Right now they are having a SITEWIDE sale [but hurry, it ends today 11/8!] [*sponsored]

[2] Shutterfly
Shutterfly has almost 1,000 different Christmas & holiday cards this year too starting as low as $0.40. They have a nice blend of contemporary, traditional, and even religious cards; so whatever your personal style, they will have it! Right now take 20% off your order [use the code: MMVU-9SM5-2ZCX-TKFV4Y] but hurry, this deal ends tomorrow 11/9!

[3] Winkflash
Winkflash also has a wide variety of holiday cards. Right now they are having a 40% off sale with some cards as low as $0.23! I'm not sure how long this offer is for, but what a STEAL.


Do you send holiday cards every year? What fun photo and design tips do you have?