Reader Stories: Acts of Kindness

In my last post, I shared an act of kindness that my husband recently did. I took to my Twitter and Facebook pages to ask you to share your stories! Thank you for the great response! In my next two posts, I am going to be sharing these reader submitted stories with you. I hope they encourage and inspire you as much as they did me!

This story was submitted by Amanda B.

Very recently I went to the Goodwill store. We were hosting a pumpkin painting party for my daughter's third birthday, and I needed ten "painting smocks" so I got the idea from Pinterest to get boys kid-sized button down shirts and paint each of the kids names on them, and have the kids wear them over their clothes at the party to protect their nice clothes from paint.

While I was there I also scored some great baskets to use for my centerpieces! So I'm standing in line waiting to pay, behind a gentleman with his daughter. He was buying her some clothes, a couple of movies, and three toys. From observing them and hearing bits and pieces of their conversation, I came to the conclusion that he was a divorced, single dad and this was his weekend with his daughter. He tried to pay for his purchase with a credit card, and it was declined. Then he tried another card... also declined. Then he tried to write a check, but he didn't have any checks left in his checkbook.

So he started digging in his pockets for cash. His hands were getting shaky and he kept glancing over his shoulder at the line growing behind him. All he had was $11 for his $32 purchase so he was going to have to put back all the toys and movies, and choose only two of the three outfits. I had $20 cash in my pocket (which NEVER happens, I never have cash!) so I crinkled it up in my hand, tapped his daughter on the shoulder (she looked to be about 7-8 years old) and said "Your daddy dropped this a few minutes ago."

She didn't think a thing of it, just turned and said "Here dad, you dropped this" and went back to playing with a baby doll in her hand. The dad turned around and looked at everyone in line behind him, with tears in his eyes. Nobody said anything, nobody pointed me out and I didn't say anything either. He was still about $.80 short but I saw the cashier pull some coins from his own pocket to cover the difference.

He paid for his purchase and walked out with a smile and a happy daughter, but I dare to say it was more of a blessing to me than to him. 

Thank you Amanda for sharing this awesome story of kindness with us!

Have you been the giver or recipient of a random act of kindness lately? Share it with us in the comments!

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4 Ingredient Cranberry Sauce

I recently received an email from someone who was reading my Pineapple Apple Cranberry Jello Salad recipe asking for another cranberry sauce recipe thats a little more traditional. This is a super basic, easy and FAST recipe that anyone can make, even if you think you can't cook! 

This is a great make ahead recipe - just keep it in the fridge until you're ready for it!

Here are the ingredients:

4 Ingredient Cranberry Sauce
JennaBlogs.com
Serves 4-6

1 ten ounce bag of frozen cranberries
1 cup white sugar
1 orange (juice and zest)
Water

Pour cranberries into a pot. Add zest of one orange. Juice the orange and add enough water to make 1 cup of liquid (I got 1/3 of a cup of fresh juice from my orange and added 2/3 cup of water). Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes or until cranberries have burst.

Chill in the fridge.

Happy Birthday Brody!

I find this hard to believe, but on Saturday my baby turned THREE!

We had his party on Friday after Brayden's preschool Thanksgiving program because the family was already in town for that. We used to do the big parties and invite all of our friends and while that's fun, we decided to just do family parties while they're still young. I know the time will come when they want to have big parties with their friends so for now we're enjoying the low key family get togethers.

We got BBQ from one of our favorite local places and I made a cake. He got tons of gifts almost all of which had something to do with Monsters University or Jake and the Neverland pirates which are his two favorite things at the moment. 

Later that day we drove up to Branson to visit the outlets and the Branson Landing. Brody picked the Bass Pro restaurant and it was pretty good. Afterwards he wanted a soy hot chocolate from Starbucks so that's where we headed. 

The next day was his actual birthday and he wanted bowling and pizza, so that's what we did! That evening we went to the lighting of our town square with our family. He had a great birthday doing all his favorite things!

2 Free Countdown to Disney Printables!

I decided to make a quick little countdown to Disney chart for my kids the other day. It's not perfect by any means, but it works! I love all the ideas for frames where you can erase the number and change it each day, but Brody is too young to understand that method, so, for us, doing something like this where they can cross off each day just works better!

There are two printables - one for Disneyland and one for Disney World! Feel free to print off a copy and use it for your family too!


Note: Non commercial use only. Please credit my blog if using this image on Pinterest, and do not claim work as your own or share image elsewhere without permission.

Click HERE to print off the Disney World countdown!

Click HERE to print off the Disneyland countdown!

Other Disney related posts you might enjoy!

Disney Tips post

How we told our kids we are going to Disney!

I won the Christmas movie battle.

Every year, Chris and I negotiate when to break out the Christmas movies.

To be honest, I'd watch them year-round. I love them! Usually, we start watching them the day after (or sometimes the day of) Thanksgiving, but this year, I "won" the negotiation and we started watching them this past week.

Here are some of the movies in my rotation:

Christmas Vacation (if you know me, you know that I will quote this movie year round...and if you're on twitter you might see my friend Melissa and I quoting it back and forth to one another!)
White Christmas
Home Alone
Home Alone 2
Deck The Halls
Christmas with the Kranks
The Santa Clause
Seredipity (though not technically a Christmas movie, it falls in this category for me)
The Family Man (again, not technically a Christmas movie)
The Family Stone
Last Holiday
ELF!! (edited this post to add this one...can't believe I forgot it being as we JUST watched it!)

There are a few I'm missing but these were the ones I thought of right away.

Since we are going to miss one week of December while in Disney World, which would be prime Christmas movie watching time, I gained that week. We also decided to start hosting an annual Christmas Eve party for our families and because of all the prep, decorating and cooking for that, I bumped the movie time up, haha! In fact, my house is ALREADY decorated! I know, I'm crazy like that.

So, when do you break out the Christmas movies, and which one is your favorite?

450 Stocking Stuffer Ideas!

I didn't think it was possible, but I'm back again for the third year in a row with yet another new list of 150 stocking stuffers! (Affiliate Links are included in these posts).

The 2011 List of 150 Stocking Stuffers can be found HERE.

The 2012 List of 150 Stocking Stuffers can be found HERE.

And of course, this years list is below, for a total of 450 great ideas!

A few sites I like to buy stocking stuffers at:
Ebates - This is  GREAT tool. I shop online via Ebates and get big fat checks (as they call them) back!
Zulily - This site offers discounts on popular brands
Groopdealz - A great site for fun jewelry, trendy clothing, kids apparel
RueLaLa - Discounts on designer brands and home
Jane - Up to 80% off Etsy and boutique dealers
Etsy - Handmade items
For photo gifts (like blankets, coasters etc), try out York! Link in my righthand sidebar

And if you're looking for Elf on the Shelf ideas, check out these posts:
25 Elf on the Shelf ideas for TODDLERS!
35 more Elf on the Shelf ideas!
The Arrival of Buddy!
Welcome Back Breakfast!
Saying Goodbye to Buddy


Be sure to follow me on Twitter and Facebook for more great ideas!

As always, I've put countless hours into composing this list, so please do not copy! I've done my best to give you pointers on where to find these items for great prices, but let me know if you have any questions.

1. Make a puzzle out of your kids art or a family photo (check out personalcreations.com)

2. Men's leather toiletry bag embossed with his initials (Etsy)

3. Fabric planter boxes (look up Soft Planters on Etsy)

4. Rubbermaid pain buddies (stores extra paint for easy retouching, anytime)

5. Custom state pillow (check alwaysfits.com)

6. Personalized tote bag with embroidered sport of choice and child's name (Etsy)

7. Dump truck construction crayons (crayons in a wide variety of shapes on Etsy)

8. Fair isle sweater tights (Jane, Groopdealz, links at top)

9. Decal for ipad/laptop that your kids use (I found a great Despicable Me one on Etsy for my kids)

10. Baby wrap carrier or sling carrier

11. Fun elastic pony tail holders (often these go on sale on Zulily, Jane and Groopdealz, links above)

12. Vinyl decals for your stand mixer (available widely on Etsy)

13. Kids closet clothing dividers (Etsy)

14. Handmade hair bows for the little girl in your life (try Etsy, Jane and Groopdealz, links at top of page)

15. Custom handwriting necklace - take a signature from your husband, parent etc and have it pressed into jewelry (from TagYoureItJewelry on Etsy)

16. For littles, an ABCMouse.com subscription (we use it and love it)

17. Personalized aluminum hand stamped guitar pick (Etsy)

18. Conair perfect bun maker (way easier than a sock bun, but achieves the same look)

19. Monogrammed ladies leather cuff bracelet (marleylilly.com has them and I've seen them on Jane and Groopdealz also; links at the top of this post).

20. Homemade sugar pecans

21. Bamboo drink coasters (you can find personalized ones on Etsy)

22. Dripless skillet strainer attachment - great for draining the fat off of browned meat

23. Earrings personalized with a monogram (Etsy)

24. Solar window chargers that will charge your iphone (online at gadget/tech stores)

25. Fabric covered mini notebooks (Etsy)

26. iPhone photo printer

27. My First Autobahn is a cute gift for little boys. Its a package of road tape with a mini car!

28. Silicone oven rack guard - no need to use oven mitts to pull out the oven rack

29. A great gift for the grandparents - turn your instagram photos into magnets using StickGram or Shutterfly.

30.  The drink clip from ThinkGeek.com clips to your desk and holds your cup, freeing up desk space

31. Warm your food up without a microwave, safely and easily at your desk using CrockPot Lunch Crock!

32. Mini character flashlights -  my kids love flashlights and so I found some that feature their favorite characters

33. Cute themed coffee mug (Keep Calm and ... mugs are great)

34. Waterproof name labels for your kids lunch boxes, water bottles etc. (Etsy)

35. Hand-bound, name embossed journal (Etsy)

36. Character 3D bookmark from WhiteHouseBlackCat on Etsy (I love the TickToc Croc!)

37. Earbud holder (so they don't get all tangled in your purse or briefcase)

38. Crayon roll for kids (Etsy)

39. My newest addiction - EOS chapstick makes a great stocking stuffer and comes in many flavors

40. Berenstain bear books for littles

41. Character undies for littles

42. 3D glasses (Kate Spade makes cute ones)

43. Essie nail polish in a holiday color such as Shearling Darling

44. Lens Pen cleaner from Adorama

45. Batteries for all the gifts!

46. Instant Snow from Restoration Hardware

47. Color Bath Dropz from Crayola

48. Via iced coffee packets from Starbucks

49. Working hands from O'Keeffe's

50. Funky colored suede shoe laces for the fashionable man

51. Temporary tattoos

52. Glitter magnetic clothespins for hanging up artwork (Etsy)

53. Corksicle wine chiller

54. Paper airplane kit

55. Snowball maker

56. Origins brand sensory therapy in Peace of Mind

57. Purse light (Restoration Hardware)

58. Tic Tac Toe notepad to keep on hand for kids (I bought one at Target)

59. For the Monsters Inc fan, Who's Behind The Door board game (it's like Guess Who)

60. Golf ball personalizer

61. Round out the toe using my favorite candy, the chocolate orange

62. Personalized koozie (Groopdealz, Jane, Etsy, links above)

63. A pack of bobby pins

64. Kids wooden musical instruments

65. A cast iron tortilla press

66. "Dirty" and "Clean" dishwasher magnets (Etsy)

67. Finger farm animal puppets for kids

68. Camera lens hood

69. A package of decorative paper straws for the hostess

70. Constructions spoons and forks for little guys

71. Warm and comfortable fleece lined leggings (Jane, Groopdealz, links at top of post)

72. A bottle of deep conditioner (I love Garnier)

73. A cute and stylish chevron infinity scarf (Jane, Groopdealz)

74. Eco-friendly fabric snack bags (Etsy)

75. A new loofa shoved into the toe of the stocking will help fill it out

76. Urban Decay Naked 2 eyeshadow palette

77. BBQ sauce mop for the griller

78. Small match game cards set for kids

79. Popsicle stick frames are an easy craft for kids to make and put in stockings

80. Pocket fishing pole from Restoration Hardware

81. Pocket hand warmers

82. Foldable cell phone charging platform

83. iPhone tripod and zoom lens

84. Whoosh all natural computer screen cleaner

85. Lay It On Me smartphone speaker

86. Finger painting kit for kids

87. Conversion chart apron (the conversions are printed onto the apron)

88. The everlasting tea bag

89. Superhero cape

90. FitBit - this is an awesome looking product (heck, I want one!) that tracks your calories burned and more

91. Hairbow clip holder - this can hang on the wall or a door and keeps everything organized (Etsy)

92. Slap watch for kids

93. Pet tag with QR code (google it and you'll find lots of sellers)

94. Colorful plastic biscuit cutter set for the baker

95. Personalized LED night light for kids (super cute ones on Etsy, Jane also had some discounted)

96. Plastic crazy straws

97. Wine preserving pump set

98. Smart phone case personalized with kids pictures for the grandparents

99. Vinyl nail decal stickers for the girl of any age (Jane and Groopdealz have them often, Etsy)

Do you buy your Christmas cards at Tiny Prints? Check out Zulily today and purchase a $100 credit for just $50! Just click here!

100. Topsy tail! This makes me smile because it's a throwback for all us 90's girls! It's back online!

101. A new release! Monsters University just came out, Twilight Forever comes out in November, Despicable Me 2 comes out Dec 10

102. For the Duck Dynasty obsessed, check out the official Duck Commander Beards on shop.history.com

103. Hand make cute soap in fun shapes!

104. Pirate kit with foam, plastic or fabric sword and matching eyepatch for the Jake, Hook, Pan or Jack fan

105. Sephora fragrance beauty to go sampler

106. Teething necklace made of silicone beads. Check Jane or Chewbeads.com

107. Grater Pods from Sur La Table - traps zest so it doesn't go everywhere

108. BitLock - a heavy duty bike lock that unlocks from your phone so you don't have to keep track of another key

109. Paintbrush pens for kids

110. Solar chargers for iPhone from Pottery Barn Teen come in lots of cute colors and can be attached to your keychain

111. Scented markers are back - get them for the 90's fan!

112. Reusable grocery bags can be folded up and stuffed into a stocking for the eco conscious family member!

113. Candy canes!

114. Home made sugar scrub

115. Rachael Ray lazy spoon and ladle - hooks on to your pot for no extra mess! (This is on my list!)

116. Dum Dum lollipops (I had to add these this year - they are my youngest's favorite thing in the world!)

117. Holiday scented travel tin candles - these are great for anyone who won't be at home for the holidays. Get them in scents like gingerbread, pine, sugar cookie and peppermint!

118. Bath bombs - buy them inexpressively or make them yourself!

119. Glow in the dark bracelets for nighttime kid fun

120. Set of small rubber stamps

121. Small set of eyeshadow brushes

122. Jar grips

123. Stretchy book covers (great for teens)

124. Camera memory card

125. iPod/iPhone bike mount kit

126. Cute, monogrammed post it note holders (Etsy)

127. Glitter nail files

128. Wine One-Oh-One Kit from Restoration Hardware

129. Mini digital timer (I found one at the Container Store for $6.99)

130. Custom monogrammed note pads

131. Squeeze Ease Tube Squeezers - keep your lotion, toothpaste etc down at the end of the tube!

132. Stackable enamel bracelets are big this year - and constantly available on Zulily, Jane and Groopdealz

133. Makeup primer (Sephora offers many varieties)

134. Starbucks hot cocoa mix sampler

135. Zippered fabric gift card holder (Etsy)

136. One I've mentioned before but is worth mentioning again is a camera strap cover (Jane, Groopdealz, Etsy)

137. Multi purpose cable clips (keeps your charger cords organized) (Found on infmetry.com)

138. A hand-stamped note to your spouse that will never fall apart from SnappinStudio on Etsy

139. A best seller! The Fault In Our Stars, Allegiant, Gone Girl, Clockwork Princess.

140. Wristwatch post it notes - write your note and it sticks around your wrist just like a watch!

141. Personalized kids water bottle (Etsy)

142. Reversible stretchy headband for girls of all ages (Etsy)

143. Personalized acrylic or fabric keychain with monogram or name (Etsy)

144. Homemade caramels

145. The DryBar VIP pack (from Sephora) is a great little gift set

146. Small 13 file coupon organizer (I found one at the Container Store for $3.99)

147. Sports armband for iPhone

148. Personal label embosser (Williams Sonoma)

149. Sleep sack for baby

150. Mini espresso maker from Restoration Hardware


If you enjoyed this post, please be sure to share it on your facebook, blog, twitter and pinterest accounts! 

Also, be sure to follow me on Twitter and Facebook for more great ideas!