I must admit- I got a little lazy this year with the tree decorating. This season has been so busy and I just had no time to pick a real theme for my tree and dedicate some time to finding all the ornaments to fit it. So I basically just stuck to the classics and strung on some lights, garland, and all the old ornaments we had in our closet. But for all of you that are feeling more motivated than me, I have put together this handy "idea page" of different Christmas Trees that will be sure to inspire you. Happy decorating!

Silver Bells 

Child's Play

Shabby Chic

Green as the Grinch

Gardener's Tree

White Christmas

Glistening Gold

Zen

Candy Cane Colors

"Candle" Lights

Note: For safety reasons, please do not use real candles but rather candle-inspired lights like the ones you can find by following the link above.

A Christmas Tree by the Sea

Another one of my favorite Christmas traditions in my family is making a new ornament to add to the tree each year. But after awhile, everyone starts to run out of ideas and I end up on Google searching for some new DIY projects. So I've rounded up the best that I have found and made right here. As always, I would love feedback from anyone who tries out any of these projects!

Bottle Cap Snowman

Felt Cutout Shapes

Acorn Cap

Sparkly Snowflake

Felt Mitten & Snowman

Pine Cone Elves

Mistletoe

Clay Snowflake

Felt Christmas Tree

Twiggy Christmas Tree

Stained Glass Poinsettias 

I just wanted to start this post by letting all of you know how grateful I am for all of my loyal visitors who give me such awesome feedback. It's crazy to think I started the Holiday Helper about a month ago now, and I've already had over 130,000 friends stop by! But anyways, on to the good stuff. Due to the popularity of my Free Christmas Card Printables post, I have gotten a ton of requests to do a follow-up with free holiday gift tag printables. So here they are, enjoy!

P.S.- Make sure you download the tags from the pages I link to, not directly from here. These images are a shrunken-down size and would print out in terrible quality.

All Sorts

Domestifluff

Living Locurto

Mushy

Poppies at Play

Miss Pickles

Design Sponge

The Holiday Helper is back! I apologize for the lack of new posts lately, work has been a bit hectic! But to make up for it, I've decided to make your lives a little less hectic with a list of stocking stuffer ideas. This list comes from years of personal experience and a little research I did online and with family and friends- so it's chock full of awesome ideas that I will be using as well. The list is sorted by adults, children, and general to keep things orderly. Enjoy!

General:
- Candy
- $5 gift card to favorite restaurant or store
- Magazines
- Flower or plant seeds
- Slipper socks
- Puzzle books (Crossword, Sudoku, etc.)
- Rubix cube
- Scarf, mittens, hat, other winter accessories
- Bookmarks
- CD's
- DVD's
- Tickets to a concert, museum, or other show
- Pajamas
- Umbrella
- Books you recommend

Children:
- Piggy bank with "starter" penny
- Stickers
- Play dough
- Stuffed animal
- Hot Wheels or Matchbox cars
- Paint set
- Ready-to-make craft sets
- Barbie dolls
- Coloring book
- Silly Bandz
- Hair clips/headbands
- Bubbles
- Pez dispenser
- Crayons or markers
- Pencils with cute designs

Adults:
- Stationary
- Phone case/skin
- Nail polish
- Chapstick
- Wine stopper
- Lottery tickets
- Scented candles
- Mini tool set
- Address book
- Cookie cutters
- Magnets
- Hot chocolate or coffee in fun packaging
- Coffee mug
- Perfume
- Make-up brush set
- Reusable grocery bags
- Ear buds/headphones
- Body lotion
- Mini sewing kit
- Golf balls

I'm about to let you guys in on one of my best-kept shopping secrets. Before I buy ANYTHING online, I search for the store at a website called RetailMeNot. The site is essentially a user-submitted database of all coupon codes available at the time for any store. So say I search for Old Navy, the first thing I see is a coupon code for 20% off and free shipping. Pretty good deal, right? Once you start using the codes, you will never go back. It's addicting trying to find the best possible deal. Happy shopping!

Indulging during the holiday season has always been a rite of passage for me. I thought that to gain those 10 pounds in December was just a Christmas tradition, as was losing them in January as my resolution. However, thanks to the awesome folks at Eat This, Not That!, I've recently learned that there can be a happy medium between regulating every bite you eat at the holiday party and eating everything in sight. What is this happy medium you ask? Well, it turns out the answer is right in front of you on that buffet table, and it might not be what you expect.

                                 

I used to be so conflicted during Christmas time. Do I play the cd of old classics, or more modern Christmas tunes? But then came the glorious invention of iTunes, and now I don't have to choose. So in honor of the 12 Days of Christmas, I give you the top 12 most-played songs from my Christmas Playlist. Enjoy! 

1. Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives

2. Last Christmas by The Maine

 

3. Let It Snow by Lena Horne

4. 12 Days of Christmas by Relient K 

5. It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas by Michael Bublé 

6. Winter Wonderland by Louis Armstrong 

7. All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey 

8. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Judy Garland 

9. Santa Baby by Taylor Swift

10. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams

11. My Only Wish (This Year) by Britney Spears

12. Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms

The Holiday Helper knows just how expensive and aggravating getting Christmas cards made can be. Which is why I have taken the liberty of compiling a mega catalog of free printable holiday cards. Keep in mind, some of these are templates so you may have to be a bit computer savvy to be able to insert your own picture and change names/dates. Here are some instructions to help you out with that.

Amy Peterman:

The Crafting Chicks:

All Sam's Idea:

Summertime Designs:

Milk & Honey Designs:

Simple As That:

2 Moms Talk:

Jeni Ehlert:

Enjoy!