Christmas

  • Decorating the Christmas Tree

    A picture of our spinning Christmas tree all decorated at night!

    The girls LOVE helping us decorate the tree for Christmas and can barely wait for us to get all the stuff out of the attic.  Over the years they really have become a huge help when it comes to decorating, not to mention that their excitement is contagious!

    When we decorate the Christmas tree we like to turn on the Christmas music and have fun.  While our tree will not win any award for the “most professionally decorated”  or “color coordinated”, it is packed full of memories.   Christmas ornaments I had as a baby, items the girls have made for us, and many other fun family treasures. In all fairness it is the perfect tree for our family because we did it together.

    Karlie all smiles as she wears the “tree skirt”!

    My little Brina helper!  All smiles as she listens to music and helps put up the Christmas decorations.

    Taking a break from tree decorating to drink some Eggnog!

    Our Christmas tree, decorated by the whole family!

    Throughout the Christmas Season you can often find our family reading a book together near the tree, sitting on the couch next to it talking about our days, or even enjoying a cup of hot chocolate while looking into the tinkling lights.  I am thankful for my family and the opportunity to celebrate yet another wonderful season together.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    I was able to get caught up on some stuff last week.  One of the girls decided she wanted to be up several times in the middle of the night so I was running on little sleep a couple nights but managed to get by.  Another one got sick so hopefully this week goes more smoothly.

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read to the girls and have them read to me daily – one of the girls wasn’t feeling well and we had extra activities in the evenings too
    2. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    3. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    4. Attend After School Activities
    5. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    6. Finish Decorating for Christmas – most of the decorating is done but need to put the storage bins and items away
    7. Work on Christmas List – working on it

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week – a sick kid and interrupted sleep didn’t help this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Finish reading The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith – working on it
    4. Reading / listening through my Bible – doing the 90 day plan through YouVersion – caught up and staying on track after last week being off

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Tackle Fall Cleaning & Organization Projects
    4. Pay all upcoming bills

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch – met a friend
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email – it was late (Wed) but I got it out

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4 – stayed within budget, but didn’t get pictures
    2. Payoff the Van – made an extra payment on the van this past week
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses (we are trying to build this back up because we had to take some out for unexpected expenses recently.) – working on it
    4. Stay within Christmas Budget – keeping track

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Read to the girls and have them read to me daily
    2. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    3. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    4. Attend After School Activities
    5. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    6. Finish Decorating  & Putting up Christmas Bins
    7. Work on Christmas List
    8. Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises (B.L.E.S.S.): 25 Days of Christmas Blessings
    9. Date Night with my Man

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Finish reading The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
    4. Reading / listening through my Bible – doing the 90 day plan through YouVersion
    5. Make my first fresh Wreath at a Wreath Party with Friends

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Tackle Fall Cleaning & Organization Projects
    4. Pay all upcoming bills

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email
    3. Community Group Christmas Social at our House

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Payoff the Van
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses (we are trying to build this back up because we had to take some out for unexpected expenses recently.)
    4. Stay within Christmas Budget

    I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

  • Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises (B.L.E.S.S.): 25 Days of Christmas Blessings

    Yesterday, we wrapped up our November 30-30-30 Challenge: Saying Thanks 30 Ways to 30 People for 30 Days, which was a great experience for the whole family. It was a blast finding different ways to say thanks and showing appreciation to many people over the entire month of November.  I think in a lot of ways we felt even more appreciative of the little things in life while we were doing this activity.

    Now we’re gearing to start our December activity, 25 Days of Christmas Blessings.  Last year was the first year we did it and I really think it will become a family tradition because it was such a big hit with our family.  I am super excited to start our Holiday B.L.E.S.S. activity and to find new ways we can be a blessing to others throughout this Christmas season.

    It is easy to get caught up with the shopping, parties, celebrations, and everything else that we lose sight of what’s really important.  I want the girls to experience the joy of giving and helping those around us so we are delivering special surprises over the next 25 days.  I came up with the acronym B.L.E.S.S. to help remind us why we are sharing these little blessings.

    • Blessing
    • Lives
    • Everyday with
    • Special
    • Surprises

    The plan is to deliver a small special surprise to at least one person every day from December 1st to December 25th.  Each bag contains an activity to spread cheer and a scripture verse to discuss.  At dinner we will discuss our current days activity, pray for the people that received our gift, and get our bag for the next day.   The girls and I have came up with a lot of great ideas of ways we can share blessings with people around us (some will go for people we know and others to complete strangers or people we will never meet).

    Here’s how we put our B.L.E.S.S. activity together

    Stack of B.L.E.S.S activities with scripture verses

    B.L.E.S.S. Cards to give out during our activities

    Getting ready to put the daily activities and cards into the bags

    All B.L.E.S.S. items are in the bags and ready to be hung up (Days 1 to 25)

    All the bags are up (all the way to Day 25) and ready for the activity to start!

    Here’s all the weekly update posts of the activities we did last year:

    It is our plan to do these (or similar items) again this year.  We are starting off with the list from last year and hope to continue adding to it by finding other creative ways we can be a blessing to the people we encounter.

    The girls are very excited about doing this fun 25 Days of Christmas Blessings activity.  I hope to share some of the stories, what we did, experiences, pictures and lessons learned as we go throughout the the 25 days.  It is my intention to update you at least once a week.  I will share as much as I can but the real reason for doing this activity is to teach our family the joy of giving to others.

    I have been asked by a number of people for a printable version of the  25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activities, verses, and sheets to handout so here they are for your family to enjoy as well:

    • 25 Days of Christmas Blessings – Acts of Service (we came up with more than 25 activities, around 40, then narrowed them down and decided as a family which ones to do together.  I decided to give you all the activities we had listed so you can choose which ones work well for your family from the list.  Just print these out on colorful paper, cut out, and place into your B.L.E.S.S. activity bags!)
    • 25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S handout sheets to leave on an item or to give to the person you are blessing.

  • Free Audio Book: “God is In A Manger” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

    For the month of December Christian Audio is offering a free download of an audio book .  This month the audio book is God is In A Manger by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

    These stirring words are among forty devotions that guide and inspire readers as they move thematically through the weeks of Advent and Christmas, from waiting and mystery to redemption, incarnation, and joy. Supplemented by an informative introduction, short excerpts from Bonhoeffer’s letters, and passages from his Christmas sermons, these daily devotions are timeless and moving reminders of the true gift of Christmas.  (information from Christian Audio)

    If you have been wanting to a book to listen to throughout the day or while driving then this is a great opportunity to get a book for free when you download it from Christian Audio in December.   Make sure to submit your order by December 31,  2012  to get your free audio book.  Thanks Christian Audio!

  • Colortime Crafts and Markers – Promo Code for 15% Off All Orders

    Are you looking for a great gift for a budding artist?  Do you have a little one who loves to color?  Colortime offers a large assortment of items to color from shirts, pillowcases, tote bags, backpacks, bandanas, headwraps, and more!

    If you are looking for a neat gift for a kid or want to do a fun craft for a group of kids (Girl Scouts, Birthday Parties, Sunday School, VBS, etc…) Colortime has the perfect product for you.  The kids can use their markers to color a variety of fun items.

    Get 15% off all orders using Promo Code: 15USFG

    Since 1990, over 5 million children and adults have loved creating t-shirts, pillowcases, backpacks, tote bags, bandannas, and more for parties, slumber parties, and scout meetings with our permanent fabric markers. We have provided our customers the opportunity to entertain their guests with a creative activity that becomes a permanent keepsake. Also, we are a licensed vendor of the Girl Scouts of America. Check out our wholesale program, great for your organizations.

    More fun stuff from Colortime

    Below is a great Christmas craft you can do with the kids!

    Make sure you get 15% off your order by using Promo Code: 15USFG when you check out at Colortime!

    A special thanks to U.S. Family Guide and Colortime for sponsoring this post.  Any specific product information was provided by Colortime and U.S. Family Guide, however, the opinions expressed in this post are our own.  Blessings Multiplied will be receiving a free craft for this post.

  • CONGRATULATIONS to Our “Celebrating & Savoring a Simple Christmas” Winner!

    The name has been drawn for the giveaway!

    CONGRATULATIONS to

    Myeshia U.

    for winning Crystal Paine’s new ebook

    “Celebrating & Savoring a Simple Christmas”!

    Thanks for making a comment in honor of our Giveaway!

    An email has been sent to you with more information*

    I hope this ebook is a wonderful blessing in your life!

    If you didn’t win you can still get a copy of the  Celebrating & Savoring A Simple Christmas ebook by Crystal Paine which will be available for $0.99 for 1 more day ONLY (Tuesday, November 13 to Thursday, November 15, 2012) after that it will go up to $4.99.

    Don’t forget to enter our Say Anything Family Game Giveaway too!

    *Giveaway must be claimed within 5 business days of the prize being announced.  Failure to claim the prize within the allotted time frame means you forfeit the prize.

  • Giveaway & Review: “Celebrating & Savoring a Simple Christmas” ebook by Crystal Paine (24 HOURS ONLY)

    Do you want to have a meaningful, memorable, relaxed Christmas this year? Do you really want to be able to savor and enjoy this season-not just rush through it feeling overwhelmed and behind? Are you tired of overspending every Christmas in attempt to feel close to your loved ones?  I am excited to introduce you to Crystal Paine’s new ebook Celebrating & Savoring A Simple Christmas.   Crystal is the author of the popular Money Saving Mom blog and this is a positive and practical ebook that will encourage you to focus on the joy of Christmas while staying within the family budget!

    24 HOURS ONLY 1 lucky reader will win a FREE copy of the Celebrating & Savoring A Simple Christmas ebook by Crystal Paine!  ENTER NOW for a chance to win a copy of this great ebook (it only takes a couple seconds to leave a comment and be entered into the giveaway, please see all the giveaway details below)!

    You can get started reading  Celebrating & Savoring A Simple Christmas ebook by Crystal Paine for only $0.99 for the next 3 days only (November 13 – 15, 2012)!

    Who is This Book For?

    Celebrating & Savoring A Simple Christmas is for you if:

    • You end every Christmas season frazzled, with a cold, and in need of a nap.
    • You dread the day after Thanksgiving and every day following up and until New Year’s Day.
    • You want your house to look beautiful for Christmas, but instead it’s a mess!
    • You end up overwhelming yourself by spending too much time on Christmas crafting and baking

    Why I love this book:

    I LOVE the Christmas Holidays and celebrating with my family!  Somehow with the busy activities, shopping, gift wrapping, delivering, programs, and everything else the “to do” list gets longer and before long I am exhausted.  Not to mention some years our budget has been stretched a little bit too much.  I like that Crystal encourages people to kept it simple and stay within your family budget.

    After reading Celebrating & Savoring A Simple Christmas I think it will help inspire you to make positive steps in the direction of a Simple Christmas as well.  My husband and I have already discussed our Christmas budget (and sticking to it) and several other items already.  I am looking forward to spending some time together to go over more of the topics I read about in Crystal’s book.  I know many of you will enjoy this ebook and find it to be a wonderful resource especially with the upcoming Christmas season!   Here’s just a few topics covered in this book:

    • How to organize your Christmas list
    • How to make & stick to a Christmas budget
    • Holiday freezer cooking
    • Simple and inexpensive homemade gifts
    • How to get and keep your home clean & organized
    • Printable worksheets for your Holiday planning
    • And Many More great tips to help you have a fun Christmas Holiday with your family.

    24 Hour Giveaway Details

    As a way to say thank you to my readers and to share Crystal Paine’s ebook I am hosting a giveaway!  1 WINNER will receive a free copy of Celebrating & Savoring A Simple Christmas ebook by Crystal Paine!

    Enter the Giveaway (up to 4 entries per person)!

    1. Sign up to receive Blessings Multiplied via email
    2. Follow Blessings Multiplied on Twitter – @BlessMultiplied
    3. Like Blessings Multiplied on Facebook – BlessingsMultiplied
    4. BONUS – you can get a bonus entry into the drawing if you leave a separate comment below sharing your favorite part of the Christmas Holidays.

    All comments must be made by Wednesday, November 14, 2012 10:00 PM EST to be entered into the drawing.

    I encourage you to check out more information on Celebrating & Savoring A Simple Christmas by Crystal Paine if you are interested in finding ways to help you to tackle all those Holiday projects and events!  This ebook book may give you the just right dose of motivation to get you on track for a simple and relaxing Christmas season!  What are you waiting for…….get a copy and start reading today!

    The Celebrating & Savoring A Simple Christmas ebook by Crystal Paine is currently available for $0.99 for the next 3 days ONLY (Tuesday, November 13 to Thursday, November 15, 2012) after that it will go up to $4.99. 

    I was given this ebook for free to write an informed review.  The ebook, specific product information, and pictures were provided by Crystal Paine, however, the opinions expressed in this post are my own.   I was not paid to write this post.  A special thanks to Crystal Paine for providing me a copy of her Celebrating & Savoring A Simple Christmas ebook to review as well as one to giveaway to my readers!

  • Gift Giving: Kids Two Liter Surprise Gifts

    Kids Two Liter Surprise Gifts

    Are you looking for a unique birthday or fun gift for someone?  These gifts were a big hit with our family!  I had a blast brainstorming and coming up with these  fun gifts for my nieces and nephews.  I wanted something fun, unique, and easy to send in the mail.  I recycled 2 liter bottles, stuffed them with all kinds of fun items as well as colorful shredded paper and mailed them!  The kids absolutely LOVED them! 🙂

    I was super excited to hear that my nieces and nephews overjoyed at getting these in the mail!   I sent one 2 liter surprise gift to each family, so these four bottles were actually for 12 kids in all.  This is a great way to get something special for a group of kids because they all have fun opening and discovering all the goodies in the bottle.  Every bottle had a variety of items that all the kids would enjoy from candy to markers, erasers, glue sticks, paper clips, colored pencils, bouncy balls, stickers, and so much more!

    View of the back of the bottles, you can see a lot of the fun items inside the bottles

    I originally did these gifts for my nieces and nephews as their Christmas presents but since I have been asked by several people to duplicate these gifts I thought I would share them with you too.  If you need to send a gift for an upcoming birthday, graduation, Christmas, congratulations, baby, wedding or for any occasion these would be fun to put together and bring a smile to the person receiving it!   One lady in the post office wanted to know if I could put together one for each of  her grandkids! 🙂   As you can see from the pictures above I did four at one time but it would be very easy to do one at a time too.  The gift is unique, memorable, fun, and very affordable!

    After cleaning out the 2 liter bottle I filled it with colorful shredded paper and all kinds of fun items then stuck bows to the lid, taped the address on the outside, and mailed them.  They cost less postage then a box, were super fun to put together plus I got raving reviews from both those that seen them in transport and on the receiving end.    I even had a postal worker from another office contact me to comment on the awesome gifts!

    Once you get started and your creative juices get going the possibilities are endless with this two liter surprise gift.   Here’s how I did it:

    Empty and clean 2 liter bottle (I used clear and tinted bottles both worked well)

    Everything you put into the bottle must got through the top opening where the cap screws onto the 2 liter.  Put a little bit of colorful shredded paper in first to get some color and padding in the bottom of the 2 liter.

    Gather a bunch of items that you think will fit through the 2 liter opening at the top.  I like to have a lot of variety in my Two Liter Surprise Gift so here are some of the items that I put into mine.  I used what I had in my stockpile from shopping sales, clearance racks, and using coupons so the entire gift was very affordable.  Here are some of the items I used to get you started:

    • Twist Lollipops
    • Markers
    • Glue Sticks
    • Color Pencils
    • Erasers
    • Paper Clips
    • Post-it Notes
    • Crayons
    • Highlighters
    • Paint Brushes
    • Mechanical Pencils
    • Tattoos
    • Pencils
    • Stickers
    • Magnets
    • Balloons
    • Ink Pens
    • Binder Clips
    • Bouncy Balls
    • Small Toys
    • Small Notebooks
    • Decorative Bags
    • And MORE!

    Twist Lollipops were the surprise in the middle of the 2 liter bottle with all the other items and shredded paper packed in around them to protect them.  I was glad to hear they did really well in shipping!

    Filling the two liter bottle with surprises!  The lollipops are wrapped inside the blue (with candy canes) tissue paper and put in the middle of the two liter for extra protection.

    Packing the bottle full of goodies (another example).  You can “stuff” a lot of fun items into a 2 liter bottle

    I added the ribbon to the bottle and put a couple pieces of wrapping tape on it to help secure it to the lid.  This bottle is a green Mountain Dew bottle with blue shredded paper in it.

    Last step is to put on a label with your address and the recipents address and take it to the post office to mail out.  (The addresses in the photo have been distorted on purpose for the protection of the kids to whom the gifts were sent to).

    Every kid (who I am kidding every person, young & old) loves to get a special surprise in the mailbox.  You will put a smile on the face of a family member or friend even though miles may separate you with this great, fun, and affordable gift!

  • Game: “Wits & Wagers Family” by North Star Games

    Are you looking for a great family game?  Awhile ago our family received the game Wits & Wages as a birthday gift, since then we had played the game MANY times.  So much that several our family and friends have purchased the game as well for their families.  We were over….the…top….excited to receive Wits & Wagers Family by North Star Games to play!

    Our family has enjoyed playing the Wits & Wagers Family game together.  It is a wonderful family friendly trivia game that is fun for the entire family.  The four of us played several rounds over the last month with each game being about 30 minutes long.  The recommended ages for the game is 8 and up but our girls (who are 7) had a blast playing it too.

    We have the original Wits & Wagers game and felt like the Wits & Wagers Family was geared more to a younger audience.  The questions were easy enough for the kids to answer, but were not so easy that the adults knew all the answers.  The topics were about items that appealed to kids as well.  For example, a couple of the questions were along the lines of “How many colors of Fruit Loop cereal are there?” or “In feet how wide is the pitchers mound?”

    The game is lighthearted and full of fun facts.  You don’t need to know all the right answers in order to score some points.  In Wits & Wagers Family you can only gain positive points with your “Meoples” and for having the closest answer without going over which makes it easier for the younger kids who are playing the game.  I love that the game encourages you to learn some interesting facts which makes it educational for the whole family.  The game is fairly quick, enjoyable, and almost anyone can play it.

    The only thing that I was surprised about with this game is the amount of questions.  The original Wits & Wagers has 7 questions and answers per card (which we went through fairly quickly because we played the game often) with Wits & Wagers Family there are only 2 questions and answers per card so you go through the deck much faster.  I think offering an expansion pack with more questions would provide additional value to this game.

    This game has provided a lot of great entertainment for our family.  It has been wonderful being able to sit down after dinner and play a round of Wits & Wagers Family together.  The time spent playing this game with our family has allowed us to create memories while while helping us unwind, laugh, and relax after our busy days.

    If you are looking for a game that the whole family will enjoy you should check out Wits & Wagers Family or better yet come on over and play a round with us.  The rounds go pretty fast and you may be surprised at how much you’ll learn.  Who knows…..you may even find yourself having a little fun along the way!  🙂

    You can purchase this game at major retailers like Books-A-Million, Target, or local game stores found on North Star Games retailer locator.  To learn more about the game and those who created it you can visit North Star Games website.  You can get the most update to date information on North Star Games by following them Facebook and Twitter.

    Disclosure:  A special thanks to North Star Games, specifically Dominic Crapuchettes and Luke Warren, for the providing this game for review purposes.  The opinions I have expressed are my own.

  • Organized Chaos: Wrapping Paper Organizer

    Wrapping Paper Organizer

    There are oh so many reasons why I love my husband….here is just one of them.  About 10 years ago when we moved into this house I had all my wrapping paper organized in a box.  Yes, it was all in one spot but since it was all crammed together it would often get torn or the roll I wanted would be pushed behind several other wrapping papers so I couldn’t find it or I would find the paper but had no tape.

    One day I came home and my husband had put together this awesome wall mounted wrapping paper organizer for me.  I may have even squealed with delight upon seeing it I was so excited!  I LOVE that each wrapping paper has its own individual holder so I can easily grab the one I need.  As you can see I try to stock universal wrapping paper that can be used for multiple occasions.  Also a pair of scissors and tape remain hung up on the wrapping paper organizer so when I need to wrap a gift or better yet when my husband is wrapping a surprise gift for me everything is ready and accessible.  The wrapping paper organizer is hung in a storage closet over our deep freezer.  Everything I need is in one place – the wrapping paper, scissors, tape, flat surface (the deep freezer) with the bows and pens stored nearby.

    Organized Gift Wrap with Scissors and Tape

    Each wrapping paper roll is hung individually and can  be taken down as needed.   Every once and awhile I will have more than 11 rolls of wrapping paper if I hit a good sale (or stock up for the year after Christmas or other Holidays).  If I have more than 11 I keep the new ones in their original packages, store them either in a container under the bed with my bags and tissue paper or another place out of the way until I am ready to put another roll onto my wrapping paper organizer.  This system keeps me from having a lot of open wrapping paper sitting around with 1 chunk cut out of it, helps prevent tearing or wrinkling, it’s easier to find the one I want, and overall increases my efficiency when it comes to wrapping gifts for family and friends.

    Scissors and Tape hanging on the gift wrap organizer

    I hang a pair of scissors and a roll of tape on the wrapping organizer to make them easily accessible.  When the tape gets used up I put it on my shopping list and hang the new one up so it is there for the next time.  Whether I have an upcoming birthday party, baby shower, wedding, graduation, Holiday or another special event I know exactly where to go to wrap my gifts.  Having the wrapping paper organized helps make the process of gift giving not only more efficient but more enjoyable!