Holidays

UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed.

Congrats to:

Tricia (tsbearpatch@…)

Monica (monica@…)

Niki (nikiparris@…)

Anita (andrewanita1@…)

Laura (laurabhorn@…)

I will email you all to get your information!

A few weeks ago, I show you several of our past Christmas Cards and talked about my love for all sorts of holiday cards. I also mentioned that I’m SUPER excited to send out our really fun, really creative, and really unique Christmas Card/Baby Announcement this year!

And while I’m not going to show you our exact Christmas Cards just yet, I will introduce you to the super talented women who is creating our custom design this year…

Her name is Angela, and she’s the owner and designer for Tilly Claire’s Etsy Shop. 

She has so many creative designs for Christmas Cards, Birth Announcements, Wedding Invitations, Thank you Cards, and MUCH more.

Here is a sampling of her fabulous work:

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See, I told you she’s talented!

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I’m just SO excited to be working with Angela to design our first ever Christmas Card/Baby Announcement — but I’m even MORE excited that she has offered to design a custom card for FIVE lucky Simple Organized Living readers!

The Giveaway:

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Today, FIVE lucky Simple Organized Living readers will win a custom card design from Tilly Clair’s Etsy shop.

• This giveaway is ONLY for a custom design
• You will receive a PDF of your design and then can print it off via your favorite photo printing company
• You could also use the PDF to send an e-card instead.
• You may choose from any of the card designs in her shop and customize the information to fit your family!

How to Enter:

1. Leave a comment. What type of card would you like Angela to design?

2. Subscribe to Simple Organized Living via RSS or email, and then leave a separate comment letting me know you did.

If you are reading this in your email or feed reader, please visit the actual blog post to enter. Email entries, Facebook comments, and Twitter messages will NOT be counted.

Prize:

(5) Custom Card Designs as described above.

This giveaway ends at 10:00 pm on Monday, 10/31/2011 and is open to all U.S. residents 18 years or older. I will use And the Winner Is to select the winning comment at random. Winners will be notified by email and noted at the top of this post. Winners must respond within 48 hours of notification to claim their prize or I will choose a new winner. Please see my full disclosure policy and contact me with any questions you have. Good luck!

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I’m not sure why I’m so obsessed with sending our annual holiday card/greeting… but I just LOVE coming up with a creative way to share everything we’ve been doing for the last year with family and friends.

I know that most people just read them, hang them on the fridge for the Christmas season, and then toss them after January 1 {at least that’s what I do!} but I also know how much I enjoy reading other’s updates and seeing pictures of family and friends. So I guess I hope the recipients of our cards also get that enjoyment. At the very least, I enjoy every minute of designing and creating our holiday cards… so it’s still worth it

And just to prove how much of a holiday card “freak” I am, I’ll let you know that I have an entire file in our filing cabinet dedicated to Holiday Card Ideas — and now I have a Holiday Card pin-board on Pinterest full of ideas too!

I know… I’m weird!

Anyway, here is a quick look at the different types of holiday cards I’ve sent out for the past 5 years, and I can’t wait to share our 2011 card with you… in a couple months! 

Christmas 2006

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This was our first Christmas as a married couple and we had just sent out our wedding Thank-You’s a few months early. The Thank-You’s had our wedding picture on them, so I didn’t really want to do a wedding photo card like everyone else.

I found and ordered super cute Christmas cards and simply signed our names {hey, I was still new at this!}

Christmas 2007

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{this was the only card I had left over and I ran out of “supplies”. The others were much cuter!!}

I got a bit more crafty and actually made all the cards and then inserted a small postcard-size paper inside with our yearly update. We probably only sent out 30 cards though so it wasn’t a huge deal to make them.

Christmas 2008 / New Year’s 2009

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I actually sent out New Year greeting this year instead of a traditional Christmas greeting — and it was such a nice change. I also heard from a lot of people that was so fun to get another card even after the holidays were over.

I spelled out the words “HAPPY NEW YEAR” and then wrote a small paragraph to go with each letter. I simply used normal computer paper and printed the text, graphics, and images right one one page {front and back}.

This was nice since I decided to send it to ALL our relatives, friends, etc. {about 150 total}

Christmas 2009

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Even though these cards took me awhile to put together, I had a ton of fun making them. I simply cut a piece of craft paper into thirds and then pasted our printed message on the back. Then I did a little “Joy To the World” stamp on the front.

This card fit perfectly in a standard #10 envelope and it was just the right size for a short and sweet Christmas greeting {we didn’t have much interesting stuff going on that year!}

Christmas 2010

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To date, this is my favorite Christmas card. I just think the picture is awesome, the printing was amazing {from this company}, the quality was superb, and we had so much fun information to share about our new house — I glued a paper with our yearly updates and new address on the back.

We really got two cards in one — a Christmas card and a “We Moved” card!

Christmas 2011

This year, our holiday card will also serve a double purpose — a baby announcement and a Christmas card.

I was actually hoping to send out a Thanksgiving card this year, just because we do have SO much to be thankful for. However, I don’t think I’ll be able to get a picture of our new baby, print the cards, and get them in the mail before Thanksgiving… and you really can’t send a Thanksgiving card AFTER Thanksgiving!!

So, I have two or three different ideas up my sleeve and am planning a super cute holiday card this year again.

Oh and I ordered this really fun return address stamp that I can’t wait to use… LOVE it! 

{obviously, it has our name and address on the stamp — this is just an example!}

So what type of holiday greetings are you planning to send this year?

• Hand-made cards
• Store bought cards
• Photo cards
• Some type of written letter
• E-card
• E-mail updates
• Thanksgiving, New Years, or other type of greeting
• Or nothing at all!

If you still don’t know what you want to do this year, head to Pinterest to see some really creative holiday card ideas!

Oh, and if you’re wondering how we store and display our Christmas cards — I’ll get to that in a few more weeks!!

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Yes, I  know it’s still the middle of September — but believe it or not, Christmas is only 100 days away!

I’ve probably mentioned this a time or 20 — but the Fall / Holiday season is my absolute favorite season of the year. Period. I’ve actually already started putting up pumpkins and fall decore around our house and I plan to decorate the porch this weekend!

I love the cooler weather and the gorgeous colors here in the Mid-West.

I love being on the back-to-school schedule again and all the new programs that start up at school and church.

I love peaches, pears, apples, and all the delicious fall produce that is popping up everywhere right now.

I love using the oven all day long without sweating profusely or running the air conditioning.

I love decorating my house for fall and for the holidays {the only times I ever do any extra decorating}.

I love that we will actually be able to celebrate the holidays this year and not have to worry about moving, packing, unpacking, etc. {we barely made it in our house by Christmas Eve last year!}

I love getting together with friends and family to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, and even enjoy a few football games!

And I LOVE the fact that our first baby will be born during my favorite time of year! 

So, even though my love for this time of year is verging on obsessive, I’m not planning to do a huge holiday series or anything extravagant here at Simple Organized Living — mainly because I’m pretty sure that when this baby comes, it will be difficult for me to keep up with a holiday series on top of my normal posts!

Don’t worry though, I’ll still be sharing lots of holiday ideas, recipes, gift inspiration, and tips interspersed between my regular posts. I’ll also be posting special deals and tips that will ONLY be available for my Facebook fans {hint: make sure you “like” Simple Organized Living on Facebook!}

However, if you need your 100 days of Christmas posts every single day from now until December 25th, here are a few places you can start:

• These are my holiday tips from last  year {not quite 100, but it’s still a good place to start!}

• My friend Mandi over at Life…Your Way started her 101 days of Christmas series yesterday already, and I know she has tons of great ideas to share all season long.

• If you’re looking for the perfect gift on a budget, check out the 101 Deals of Christmas over at For The Mommas

• The folks over at ListPlanit.com have a great 100 Days of Christmas eBook that  you can purchase for only $4.99.

• You can also visit 100DaystoChristmas.com for daily tips and ideas to get you ready for this holiday season.

So I think that should be enough to keep you busy for awhile!

I have already started planning ahead and am hoping to have most of my gifts purchased and a bunch of our holiday decorations up BEFORE our baby arrives in mid-November. I won’t put any of the trees up until after Thanksgiving… but I just love decorating for the holidays and I know I’ll be sad if I’m too busy once the baby come. So I’m just going to be proactive and do it before!

Have you started to prepare for the holiday season yet?

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The following is written by Mel from Unique Holiday Gift Ideas:

I don’t know why, but Fathers Day always seems to sneak up on me… and then I am scrambling to find unique gifts for my dad, husband, and father-in-law.

This year I am being more intentional about planning the holidays so that I can really enjoy them instead of going around in a big cloud of guilt over all the things I wished I had done…and didn’t.

If you are like me, you may need a few good ideas to get your wheels turning. Take one of these and make Fathers Day something special for the men in your life!

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Replacement Gifts:

Watch as a guy goes through his day. What does he use that is getting old, used up, or worn out?

Are his socks full of holes, his shoes worn, his box of shop towels almost gone? Is his favorite coffee, soap, or magazine subscription almost out? If you focus on items he already likes and regularly uses, you’ll be pretty sure to pick a gift that won’t end up in the back of the closet.

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Activity Gifts:

Many guys would like to be more active but don’t know what they would enjoy. Look around your area for interesting classes or meetups where a person can try something for the first time.

Ideas: YMCA squash, swimming, or basketball; tennis coaching; zoo membership; geocaching or letterboxing; survival or emergency preparedness class; gold mining, canoeing, motor cycle class, or even just training for an upcoming race in your area.

my homemade granola

Homemade Gifts:

Many homemade gifts are sugary treats and the guys in our family are all trying to eat healthier so…I like making them homemade treats that are super nutritious.

Some ideas to get you started are energy bars, jerky, raw cookies, roasted nuts, granola, and other delicious snacks. Try a couple and pick your favorites to package as their gifts. It is great to see someone light up when you tell them their favorite new treat is also great for them!

What are you getting your favorite Dad this Father’s Day?

Mel, the Gift Girl has been collecting gift ideas for years and shares many more Father’s Day gift ideas on her website where you will find homemade, store bought, and adventure gift ideas submitted by people from all over the world.

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Happy Memorial Day!

I don’t have any fun porch decorations or hanging baskets yet, but our house still looks very patriotic due to the flags…don’t you think?

Oh how I love four-day weekends — especially when my “House and Yard Project” to-do list is spiraling out of control and getting longer by the day!

Here’s just a small portion of our list:

• Change oil in lawn tractor
• Take blades off tractor and sharpen them
• Mow and edge lawn
• Spray Round Up on weeds
• Blow off the roof
• Power wash the siding
• Pull weeds in the sidewalk cracks
• Prime and paint the ceilings in 5 rooms
• Prime the walls in 2 rooms
• Start painting the trim in 4 rooms
• General cleaning in all rooms that needed paint {there was dust everywhere!}

And seriously, that’s just a small part of our list!

So this weekend, we decided that Dave would get to work with many of the outdoor projects and I would tackle the indoor projects. It’s been a good plan so far!

Now, with only one day left, we have a significantly smaller list! Dave has a few blisters and I have such a sore neck {painting ceilings all day is rough on the shoulders and neck}, but we’re still raring to go for one more day… I think!

Anyway, here are a few pictures of our holiday weekend so far!

We’ve love a good hot breakfast, but instead of going out to eat, we simply make it at home on our huge griddle.

Lots and lots of paint…

…and of course, lots of painting supplies!

Our yard is full of blooming flowers and shrubs.

And we just purchased a brand new set of Echo lawn tools — which are seriously the coolest yard tools ever.

I’ll post more about them later, but we only had to buy one “power shaft” {a.k.a. the motor} and then we can pick and choose what attachments we wanted to buy. We purchased the blower {pictured below} the edger, and the weed whipper for now, but we will most likely get the hedge trimmer and chain saw attachements as well.

It’s just so convenient and clutter free

So what about you…

Are you relaxing this weekend, checking off your to-do list, or a little of both?

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Mother’s Day is this Sunday, and whether you’re looking for a gift idea for your own mom, for your wife, your sister, or even just for a dear friend, I’ve got a few FREE ideas to you might want to consider — after all, it’s the thought that counts, right?

1. Homemade Cards:

I just saw a certain brand of cards “on sale” for $7.99 a piece!! Seriously, when did a sheet of card-stock get so ridiculously expensive? Make your own cards using kid’s artwork, a favorite poem, old calendar pages, etc. Or send a free e-card for those last-minute forgetful moments!

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2. Breakfast in Bed:

Breakfast in bed is always a great gift — as long as you thoroughly clean the kitchen when you’re finished and don’t leave mom with a mess of dirty dishes!

3. Flowers:

I know, I said all the gifts were going to be free… but I guarantee you have some flowers growing in your yard right now, or at least know of someone who has flowers and would let you pick a few for your special mom!

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4. Special Coupons:

These were always a favorite in our family. My mom still uses coupons religiously for her weekly grocery shopping, so we often made her a “special” coupon booklet with coupons like: a free back massage, an hour where we would play quietly in our rooms, or doing our chores without complaining. Pretty much anything would work for these coupons…so get creative!

5. Babysitting:

If you know any young moms who could use a night {or day} out, but might not be able to afford a babysitter, consider giving her a few hours of free babysitting so she can run errands, go out to dinner with her husband, or just take a bath!

6. House Cleaning:

If you have the gift of cleaning and know of a few moms who might not share your gift, then offer to clean their house for a day. I’ve done this several times for baby gifts…but it would work for Mother’s Day gifts too.

7. Pictures:

What mom wouldn’t love pictures of her children or her family? And speaking as a totally incompetent  photographer, I would absolutely love a few nice pictures of Dave and me. If you are a talented {or even semi-talented} photographer, consider giving your favorite mom a mini photo shoot.

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8. Dinner — or any meal that can be frozen for later

With the busyness of Spring already upon us, I’m sure any mom would love a few meals in the freezer that she could pull out at a moment’s notice.

9. Concierge Services:

I know there are days when I don’t feel like running all the mundane errands I have to run — and I don’t even have to drag a bunch of little kids around with me! I assume I’m not alone with this, so what better gift for a busy mom then to offer to run a few of her errands for the day.

10. Laundry Service:

I put laundry service under a separate category than house cleaning, because I know lots of women who have very clean homes but are drowning under piles and piles of laundry. I’ve even been “hired” by friends, family, and organizing clients to simply come for an entire day and wash, dry, fold, and put away laundry. If you are someone who enjoys laundry, ironing, etc. this might just be the perfect mother’s day gift for a friend, relative, or neighbor.

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All of these gifts can easily be carried out for free {or at a VERY minimal cost} and I’m certain they will be greatly appreciated by the mom on the receiving end. Plus, as with most free gifts, they don’t come with a lot of extra clutter!

What are your favorite FREE gift ideas?

Oh, and next week, I’ll share the free gifts we gave our moms!!

Linked to Top Ten Tuesdays

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Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house
there were boxes, and bins, and baskets throughout.

No stockings were hung by the chimney with care
for the bin of stockings is hiding somewhere!

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The scraggly Christmas tree is set up, but not very round
and it’s “naked” for our ornaments are no where to be found.

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The gifts are all wrapped in bags this year;
no fancy paper, ribbon, or bows over here.

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Our bedding is washed, our clothes are too,
now what to do with walls of bright blue!

The kitchen is organized; most things are put away
and some holiday baking actually happened today!

Our dinning room is ready for holiday guest
so stop by and visit, we’ll handle the rest.

There are still plenty of boxes that will just have to wait
because we’re here in our farmhouse, and it feels great.

We’re officially Home For the Holidays!

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Merry Christmas

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