Keep the Christmas Magic Alive with photos from I Caught Santa!

My daughter is 8 this year and I fear that the magic of Santa will not last much longer in our house because she’s already had friends at school telling her that Santa isn’t real and I’ve had to come up with lots of creative answers to tough questions!!  If you’re looking for a way to help keep the magic alive a little longer at your house, check out iCaughtSanta.com!  

Imagine the look of wonder and surprise when your child receives a photo of Santa and Rudolph caught in the act in his or her very own home. iCaughtSanta.com is a unique website that helps visitors create those memorable keepsake photos.  In three simple steps anyone can upload a holiday photo, add Santa Claus or Rudolph and print it as proof… or share it via Facebook and Twitter. Last-minute shoppers can purchase Gift Cards and eGift Certificates for loved ones with children, making iCaughtSanta.com a great gift idea even if you don’t have kids yourself.

And for even more holiday magic, iCaughtSanta.com is giving away 2 iPads! No purchase necessary. Enter here: www.iCaughtSanta.com/Contest
As an aded bonus, my readers can get 25% off your entire order at icaughtsanta.com. Use the following Promo Code at checkout SANTA2012 to instantly save: #icaughtsanta
I cannot wait to see my kids faces on Christmas morning when they see our pictures of Santa!  Hopefully it will buy me another year or two of “Santa Magic.” at my house!

*NOTE:  This is a sponsored post completed on behalf of ICaughtSanta.com, but all thoughts and opinions expressed within this post are 100% mine.  Please refer to my disclosure policy for additional information.

National Moment of Silence for Sandy Hook and Ways You Can Help!

It’s hard to believe that a week has passed since the horrifying events at Sandy Hook Elementary that forever changed the lives of 27 families and that led the rest of the nation to take a step back, re-prioritize, and huge our own children a little tighter.  I have a 5 year old son and an 8 year old daughter and I cannot imagine what these parents went through when they found out that they wouldn’t be taking their children home with them that day.  I also work in an elementary school and I know that when you work in a school, your co-workers become like a second family.  Not a day has passed over the past week when I haven’t though of the faces of those beautiful children and their families.  I have cried for them and prayed for them and today at 9:30 AM EST, I will be taking a moment to join thousands of others across the nation to #the same.

If you’re looking for ways that you can help support these families and the city of Newtown, CT, here are a few:

Send a Message of Condolence – The US Postal Service has established a unique PO Box to allow the public to send condolences to those affected.  Send your cards and messages here:

Messages of Condolence for Newtown
PO Box 3700
Newtown, CT 06470

Make a Snowflake for Sandy Hook Elementary’s New Home – The PTSA is hoping to line the walls of the new home for Sandy Hook Elementary School students with snowflakes when they return to school in January.  You can send your snowflakes by January 12th to this address:

Connecticut PTSA
60 Connolly Parkway, Building 12, Suite 103
Hamden, CT 06514

Participate in #26Acts – Ann Curry sent out a message via social media earlier in the week asking people to complete Random Acts of Kindness in honor of students and faculty who died at Sandy Hook Elementary.  You can post about how you have participated by posting on the 26 Acts of Kindness page on Facebook or by Tweeting using #26Acts.  Find out more about this movement here–> 26 Acts of Kindness

Donate to the Sandy Hook School Support Fund – There are numerous private memorial funds that have been set up to support the families or charitable organizations in honor of those who were killed.  You can also donate to the general fund to help the entire community of Newtown, CT recover from this tragedy.  Find out more about the Sandy Hook School Support Fund here–> Sandy Hook School Support Fund

Most importantly, hug your children a little tighter tonight.  Take time out from the busyness of life to reflect on your blessings and to pray for these families.

Dollar General $10 Gift Wrapping Challenge!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Dollar General. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

I usually by my holiday gift wrap for the next year during the after Christmas sales, but last year I was sick and never made it to the store.  As Christmas approaches, every dollar counts and I hate having to spend a lot of money on wrapping supplies!  If you still need wrapping supplies this year, Dollar General is your wrapping headquarters and you won't bust your budget buying what you need!

I was selected to be a part of the Dollar General $10 Gift Wrapping Challenge.  Dollar General provided me with a $10 gift card to see how far I could stretch it to purchase wrapping supplies.

Here's what I was able to get with my $10:

 

  • 5 rolls of wrapping paper (35 square feet each) – $1 each
  • 2 count box of tape – $1
  • Bag of bows – $1
  • 1 Package of gift tags – $1 (they are stickers – yay!)
  • 3 pack of shirt-sized boxes – $2

Dollar General has a huge selection of wrapping supplies and you'll find everything you need at your local store!  They have a variety of wrapping paper designs ranging from red and green prints to snowflakes, reindeer, and even your child's favorite cartoon characters! When choosing your wrapping paper, make sure you check out the square feet!  It ranges from 10 square feet to 35 square feet and I always like to get the most bang for my buck, so I made sure all of the rolls I purchased were 35 quare feet.  They also have boxes, gift tags, bows and ribbon, gift bags, tissue paper, tape, and scissors.

Find your local Dollar General store and see what they have to offer here–> Dollar General Gift Center

If you aren't a fan on Facebook yet, you can become one here–> Dollar General Facebook Fan page

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Christmas Craft: Button Christmas Trees

Tomorrow is the beginning of winter vacation for us and I am trying to find plenty of activities to keep the kiddos entertained for the next 3 weeks.  I have a feeling that this Christmas button tree is going to be one of their favorites!  I think I might want to make one myself.  Depending on how well they turn out I might frame them and keep them to put out every year.  Thanks Meet the Dubiens!

Here is all you need to make these:

  • buttons – shades of green, bright colors for decoration and a couple brown for the trunk
  •  canvas
  • pencil
  • ruler
  • glue

Here’s how to make to make it -> Button Christmas Tree Tutorial

Stay Healthy This Season With Alomune Immune Supplement!

This is a Sponsored Post. All opinions are 100% mine.

I work in an elementary school, and the winter months are when illnesses seem to be widespread.  My kids also are in elementary school and it seems like each winter, we end up passing colds and other bugs around several times.  It's hard for me to take days off from work for myself and my kids when we are sick, especially if we get sick more than once, so I'm always on the look-out for products that can help us beat the winter illnesses!  I recently learned about Alomune, a new immune supplement that helps build your natural defenses so you can stay healthy!

Unlike other supplements that you take when you aren't feeling well, you take Alomune on a regular basis when you ARE feeling well and it helps you to stay that way!  Clinical trials showed that larch arabinogalactan, the active ingredient in Alomune was twice as effective at preventing colds when compared with Vitamin C!  In addition to helping build your natural defenses, Alomune also adds to your daily fiber intake and has antioxidant activity, too!  

The best part for me is that Alomune is safe for children, too!  My chances of staying healthy are much greater if my kids are healthy, too!  It's available in a chocolate, chewable tablet or a berry powder stick pack, which makes it kid friendly and easy to take when you're on the go.

You can put Alomune to the test and find out if it's right for you by getting a one month supply for just $4.95!  There are no obligations for future purchases and they also offer a money back guarantee if you don't like it. Find out more about Alomune and get your free sample here–> Alomune

You can also check out the commercial below for additional information about Alomune:

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