5 Ways To Get Festive For The Holidays

I just can't get my head around the fact the month-long Holiday adventure of December is here!

HOW?

Wasn't it just, August?

I am so not ready!

If, like me, you are freaking out and need to get your festive-on and fast, below are a few fun ways to get festive for the holidays!

1. Be Unconventional

Think: The hottest Christmas trend of 2017, the pineapple Christmas tree! (I swear I'm not kidding!) Head over to Pinterest on your lunch break (Or bored and want to look busy) and look for inspiration. Make the theme all your own! Screw the stockings and garland, go for Pineapples and sunnies!

2. Buy out the dollar store

Decking the Halls doesn't have to break the bank. Stop at the Dollar Tree after work and go wild on ten bucks.

First Time Dad Tip: When you get home, coat the walls with adhesive spray, throw the decorations in the middle of the floor and fire up the leaf blower. #GoodTimes

First Time Mom Disclaimer: We cannot and will not be held accountable if your dumb enough to try it. #Dumbassery

3. Don't feel like going through the work hanging lights? In less than thirty seconds you can light your house up like Clark Griswald with a Christmas Light Projector

Remember when we were kids and most decorations were made of foil or we had to string a thousand pieces of popcorn to make our own garland? Not. Any. More. Shove this sucker in your yard, plug it in and done!

(This one is $23 on Amazon with $5 off coupon)

4. Test out new recipes for holiday treats.

Kick the cookies up a notch. Raise the bar on brownies. Plan now so you blow everyone away at the holiday party or cookie exchange.

This year I'm trying these Christmas Tree Brownies! 

5. Craft something with the Kiddos!

Spend the frigid weekend inside making a winter wonderland!




Check out my Homemade Holidays Pinterest Board for a ridiculous amount of winter and holiday crafts, cooking, homemade gifts and decoration ideas!

Buy This For The Person That Already Has Everything

It's time to kick off the, First Time Mom and Dad 2017 Holiday Gift Guide! To get this party started, I'm partnering with the Canvas Factory, for the second year in a row, the quality is incredible, the price is right, and it's such a cool personalized gift.

You may remember last year's post about The Canvas Factory. I was super skeptical about how a photo would transfer to canvas. I was also skeptical because the prices for the products were so low! I chose the photo The hubs created for me for my birthday the year before. It's a family favorite.

 Below is a photo of the canvas on my wall, and a close up of the print to show the color and quality. 




Needless to say, WOW! I was amazed by how well the photo transferred to the canvas. 

The quality is so nice, no frame needed! The canvas is stretched around the wood frame, secured with nails and staples, then covered with soft felt-like tape to give the back a smooth finish. 





This year, I decided to make a collage of our first home in, Tanjil Bren, Australia. One of the hardest things about being married to someone who is literally from the other side of the world is no matter where we are, one of us is far from home. I wanted to make a collage of our first home in Australia in Tanjil Bren. It's such a special place. 

I picked out a few of my favorite photos for the collage then used the Canvas Factory's free online photo editing software to guide me through the process. It took about ten minutes total to upload, organize and order my collage. The Canvas print took about five days to arrive. 


Oh, how I love my Australian home in Tanjil Bren. It's not easy living in the 'bush', but it's so beautiful and peaceful, it's worth sharing a yard with deadly spiders, snakes and lizards. 

Both the hubs and I were over the moon with how the turned out! In fact, I love it so much, I'm going to fill the stairwell leading to the second floor with multiple collages created using favorite photos from my wedding, pregnancy and child birth,  Oliver's first year through fifth and keep building on it. I'm also giving my mom a collage of her five grandsons. Yes, five boys. No girls between my two siblings and I.

Here's a close up of the quality and clarity of the photo transfer.





The prices are fantastic, too! Canvas prints start at $11 and  if you sign up for their mail list $10 off your first order. If printing on canvas is not your thing, Canvas factory offers printing on acrylic glass or metal. 

I, one-hundred percent, wholeheartedly recommend the Canvas Factory's products. This gift idea is definitely a winner and a holiday pleaser.

To check out the many printing options offered at the Canvas Factory, click here.
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Last Minute FAMILY Gift Guide: Something for Everyone (Pet Included!)

Having trouble finding a gift for the wife, a sibling, or furry pet? Below are a few of my favorite things for every family member, including the furry one!

For The furry friend. No doubt, going to the vet can be a very expensive experience. For that reason, I LOVE Vet on Demand. Vet On Demand takes the bank-breaking fear out of going to the vet. Because, you do it from home on your Smartphone!