It's Show Time

Well the cards are pouring in through the mail, and we hope lots of those are Love and Life Cards with gorgeous smiling faces.  Now the main challenge is how to show them off!  We have chosen just a few of our favourite ideas to share with you from the complicated to the ridiculously simple.


For those who like a challenge...

We saw this impressive Christmas Card Tree Display on Martha Stewart's website.  It looks amazing, but does require a bit of time, patience, and skill which are three things that I'm a wee bit short of.  You can find all the instructions and everything you need on http://www.marthastewart.com/266879/displaying-christmas-cards


For something a little easier...

This is my favourite as it's simple and can hold a lot of cards.  I have done this over our dining room door which means I can see everyone's cards each time I pass.  Living far away from family and friends makes this a little way to share the holidays with them.


For something a little more child friendly...

This one can be kept up and away from reaching and curious hands.  Corkboard, fabric, ribbon and thumbtacks.  This one is also simple to make and you may have everything you need at home already to make it.


One for the kids...

My three year old has really caught from me my love of receiving Christmas Cards.  We both get so excited when the mail arrives, but she now has the pleasure of opening them.  Although she can't read, she loves to look at them over and over and always asks who they are from until she has it memorized.  Imagine how many times I was pulling the cards off the door for her and putting them back up...enter her very own card gift bag.  This bag is for all of HER christmas cards, (seems she has more than us now that she started school).  We keep it under the tree and it means she can look at them anytime and as much as she wants.  Genius!


We'd love to hear about or see any of your displays, so please do share!


Wishing you love and all of life's little blessings this holiday season...love and life cards

The four gift rule

I saw The Four Gift Rule on Pinterest the other day and I thought it was a great rule of thumb to aspire to as a way to simplify gift giving to our children. It is so easy to get lost in the excitement of receiving gifts and forget about why we give gifts at this time of year.   

We participated in a few local charity events this fall.

I love watching my three year old learn the joy of giving and how wonderful it can be to give a gift knowing how happy that gift makes another person.

Below are some pointers found at Great Schools to help teach children to give from an early age.

Start small when the kids are small

Your young child might be happy to help bake cookies for a friend but end up wanting to keep the gift herself. Plan for this by baking enough cookies to keep and enough cookies to give. Young children need help in learning to share.

Teach your child that he doesn't need money to give

Help your child make gift certificates good for "one free car wash" or "breakfast in bed" that he can give to others in the family.

Involve your child in selecting the gift

You may think that donating to cancer research is important, but your child who is an animal lover may be more interested in making sure the dogs at the humane society have an extra treat at the holidays. Help her find a way to give the gift she feels is important.

Be a role model

Volunteer your family's time at a soup kitchen or senior center. Gather small-size toiletries, such as toothpaste and shampoo, and pack them in decorated gift bags to take to a homeless shelter. Ask your child if he'll help you baby-sit for a neighbor's toddler so she can do her shopping or help you rake the leaves for an elderly friend.

Personalize giving

It's faster for busy parents to write a check to a charity, but it has little impact on a child who can't see where the money is going or imagine the people who benefit. Delivering canned goods to a food bank is more meaningful than dropping a check in the mail. Your family could "adopt" a needy family through a community organization, choose the gifts and wrap them.

If you have any ideas about teaching children the joy of giving or have a family tradition around giving, please share!

Holiday checklist

December is here and it is now officially less than four weeks until the New Year! We've come up with a quick checklist of some of the most important things to add to your "to do" list for the next four weeks. Hopefully some of these will help reduce the stress and give you more time to enjoy the simple pleasures of this holiday season. 


1. Make a family outing to pick up your tree making it a tradition for your family. 


2. Decorate together letting little ones put on the first ornament and help with as many as possible. 


3. Spend an hour at lunch during the week or after work doing your shopping to avoid the crowds at the shops on the weekend.


4. Set up a wrapping station in your home and wrap gifts as you buy them.


5. Keep a list of everyone you need to buy for on your phone so you don't forget anyone.


6. Pick up bulk gifts such as wine or candles (we like to give maple syrup!) to give to neighbors or hostess gifts. 


7. Pick up a festive holiday shirt or two and pair with simple black pants so you don't have to stress about what to wear at the last minute!


8. Make and freeze cookie dough to be ready to pop in the oven if you need something to bring to a party or so like me most years, you aren't having to start from scratch to get cookies ready for Santa.


9. Take stock of your pantry now and make a holiday shopping list.


10. Be sure to order your Love and Life Holiday Cards by December 15th to guarantee delivery by December 23rd!!


What do you do to reduce the stress during the holiday season? Are you one of those super organized people I aspire to be or do you simply book an appointment at the spa and put it all out of your mind? If you have any pointers to share about getting organized and/or reducing some of the stress this holiday season we'd love to hear from you!

Holiday parties

It seems that the holiday season is upon us. And with that comes decorating, baking, holiday cards, and parties! The month of December gets booked up pretty quickly, but here are a few fun ideas to throw together a little holiday party in the midst of all the busyness!

Open House Brunch

Can't find a free Saturday night? What about a Saturday or Sunday morning? An open house brunch is a great way to spend a little time with friends, neighbors, and family. And what's better than brunch foods like quiche, french toast bake, fruit salad, and whatever other yummy treats you can think up for the menu. Don't forget to offer your guests something to quench their thirst with a yummy Mimosa or Bloody Mary bar!

Cookie Swap

One of my all-time favorites—the cookie swap! Get together with friends for some warm drinks, delicious desserts, and go home with a variety of goodies to share! This Baker's Holiday Card is the perfect way to invite your pals to this year's cookie swap!

Cocktail Party

And of course there is the cocktail party. Even though it can sound a bit intimidating, you really can't go wrong. Check out Martha Stewart's Holiday Entertaining Guide and just make sure the wine (or drink of choice) is flowing! Don't forget to send out your Love and Life invitations like this classy Martinis and Cheer invite.

Do you have a unique and relatively stress-free holiday party idea to share? We'd love to hear about it and maybe you'll even inspire a card design!

And our thank you's go to...

With Thanksgiving coming up, we thought we'd take a quick time out to just share with you a few things we are thankful for.


Sona said...
Giggling girls

Generous neighbors
These people could almost fall under family since the day we moved in - feels like we have known them forever!

Cookies!
Baking them, eating them. How does one get through the day without them?

Hugs and Kisses
No such thing as too many:)

Family
Enough said


Elizabeth said...
Coffee
"Elizabeth runs on Dunkin"


Good Health
For myself but mostly for those around me


Friends close by
Love, love, love the mummy network!


Friends far away
The oldies are still the goodies


Family

We'd love to hear what you are thankful for too:)
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

12 tips for taking the family holiday photo

Photo by Allison Rumble Photography

1. Timing

Schedule the photo shoot when kids are at their happiest—probably not just before dinnertime!

2. Lighting

Consider the lighting. I prefer natural light and outdoor photos, so since noon sunshine is not ideal lighting, I do try to get out for photos either in the morning or late in the afternoon. This can be tricky with kids schedules!

3. Bribery

Bring toys and snacks. I am not opposed to bribery when it comes to getting my 3 year old to smile for the camera!

4. What to Wear?

I like to coordinate, but not match, though I’ve seen some fantastic family photos sporting matching outfits. Just make sure everyone is dressed in a similar style, whatever that may be.

5. Go casual—

especially with little ones. I have found that my favorite photos are not when my kids are all dressed up, but the ones I catch when they are just being themselves. It’s also much easier not to worry that they will mess up their outfit if they are in jeans, as opposed to dressed in their Sunday best.

6. Setting

Try a local park or beach, and look at your own back yard. A brick wall, an old barn door, or your front steps, might be the perfect spot! And remember, the background is not the most important subject of your photo, so keep your location simple. 

Photo by Allison Rumble Photography

7. Get close—

closer, closer, closer than you think you should. Faces are what you really want to see, so get right up there!

8. Photo editing

Don’t be afraid to play around with photo editing. The beauty of digital photography is that you can edit, retouch, and experiment in all sorts of ways—and still save the original so if you aren’t happy with the changes you’ve made, you can start fresh.

9. Props

Consider using a fun prop like a hat, a sled, or a frame for an original and fun photo.

Photo by Carey White Photography

10. Capture the moment

Everyone doesn’t have to be looking at the camera or be perfectly posed. Great photos capture a moment in time. Some of my absolute favorite photos of my girls are the wide-eyed, straight faced ones. Smiles are great if you can get the real thing, but sometimes no smile is better.

Photo by Nancy Hinckley

11. Have fun and relax

Let people make funny faces, move around, and be silly. You never know—those often turn out to be the best photos that you’ll treasure forever. 

12. And repeat

If you're me... you might need to be prepared to try it all over again. Because try as I might, I just could not get two kids to sit somewhat still and both look at the camera! So if anyone has any tips that you don't see here, please send them my way. It looks like I'll be needing them next weekend.

Let your mini monet create the family holiday card

Back in June, we blogged about our "Mini Monet" cards Inspiring little artists. Mini Monet allows you to  upload a favorite piece of artwork to be transformed into stationery that can be shared and treasured. Why not take the stress off of taking the perfect family photo this year and let your little one create the family holiday card?


Simply go to the Mini Monet section of Love and Life Cards. Then click on the size you would like for your card which will look like this: 

Upload your child's artwork (or your own!) and write in your own personalization as shown here:

You now have an original card showing off your child's beautiful artwork! You can leave the rest of the card blank to write in a personal message to each recipient or you can add your message on the inside of the card. And if you, like me, can't resist sending a photo of your little cuties, you can personalize the back of your Mini Monet card with a photo of the little artist. Or include your whole family.

Mini Monet is also the perfect holiday thank you card or personalized stationery for your child and yourself. Mini Monet—the perfect way to share your child's artwork with friends and family while creating a treasured keepsake!