Holiday Printables from Snapfish

		Vintage Holiday Party Printables Create a beautiful Christmas brunch or holiday tea with these vintage-inspired party decorations. The slightly muted red and gold colors combined with the craft paper “texture” of the design gives this party set a sophisticated flair that’s ideal for an elegant holiday affair. Banner (1.83 MB) Cake Bunting (1.30 MB) Centerpiece Kit (3.99 MB) Cupcake Kit (1.77 MB) Home Decor (1.07 MB) Napkin Rings (1.61 MB) Paper Chain Banner (2.79 MB) Party Tags (1.53 MB) Tent Signs (1.18 MB) Wine Glass Tags (1.24 MB)
		Let it Snow Christmas Party Printables The light blue and soft grey palette of these pretty holiday printables will have you thinking “snow” the moment you see them. The cheery design also features snowflakes and ornaments, setting just the right stage for a bright holiday get-together. Cake Bunting (517 KB) Centerpiece (499 KB) Cupcake Kit (1.46 MB) Gift Tags (755 KB) Napkin Rings (680 KB) Paper Chain Banner (441 KB) Party Banner (2.33 MB) Place Cards (968 KB) Wall Decor (166 KB) Wine Glass Tags (1.14 MB) Love this party design? You can purchase matching Christmas cards.
		Woodland Christmas Kids’ Party Printables You won’t be able to resist this adorable Christmas party set starring some super-cute fox, bear, and squirrel friends. It has everything you need for a kids’ cookie decorating party or a fun holiday playdate during the school holidays. (You can thank us for the idea later!) Banner (3.73 MB) Drinks Kit (773 KB) Cake Bunting (326 KB) Centerpiece (5.98 MB) Coloring Pages (591 KB) Cupcake Kit (2.43 MB) Wall Décor (522 KB) Napkin Rings (282 KB) Paper Chain Banner (0.99 MB) Table Tents (1.01 MB) Letter to Santa (233 KB) Thank You Cards (225 KB)
		Kids Printable Coloring Pages and Gift Tags Your merry little elves will have a jolly good time with these adorable Christmas coloring pages and matching gift tags they can color in and attach to gifts for family and friends. These tags also make super-fun placecards. Kids' Coloring Gift Tags (306 KB) Christmas Time Coloring - Prancer (184 KB) Christmas Time Coloring - Santa (84.5 KB) Christmas Time Coloring - Tree (98.3 MB) Christmas Time Coloring - Ornaments (116 KB) Merry Christmas Coloring Page (660 KB)
		3D Christmas Printable Gift Tags Add a "crafty" touch to your gifts with these lovely printable 3D tags. Choose from classic ornaments, wintry snowflakes, pretty poinsettias, festive trees, and cute woodland friends that are designed to hold the quintessential holiday treat: the candy cane! 3D Christmas Gift Tags (1.62 MB) Woodland Christmas Candy Cane Gift Tags (1.03 MB)
		Designed Printable Gift Tags Top off your holiday gift-giving with these charming gift tags that come in a variety of different designs, from blue and white winter wonderland to classic tartan Christmas. With so many styles, you're sure to find one that suits everyone - and every gift - on your list. Winter Wonderland Gift Tags (865 KB) Merry & Bright Christmas Gift Tags (1.26 MB) Christmas Joy Gift Tags (140 KB) Woodblock Holiday Gift Tags (2.76 MB)
		Food and Wine Printable Gift Tags The joy is in the giving...and the labeling! Whether your offering is baked goods, candy, or wine, you'll love our delightful selection of food and wine labels. Perfect for goodies you've made yourself, as well as for those special treats you splurge on at their favorite confectioner or wine store. Chalkboard Christmas Labels (2.59 MB) Tartan Christmas Wine Bottle Labels(251 KB)
		Ornament Gift Boxes Dress up your Christmas tree with these delightful boxes that are just the right size for holding small gifts or candy. So fun to make and so fun to watch them discover the tiny treasures you’ve hidden inside. You could even try using them for an advent calendar!

Thanksgiving Printables from Snapfish

		Bountiful Table Party Printables Spruce up your fall table with these printable party banners, napkin rings, wine glass tags, and more! The appealing harvest design resonates with the autumn season and farm fresh foods, and works as well for an elegant dinner party as it does for the Thanksgiving Day meal. Menu (1.21 MB) Napkin Rings (1.09 MB) Place cards (758 KB) Wine Glass Tags (91.5 KB) Give Thanks Banner (94.7 KB) Wall Décor (536 KB) Table Décor (156 KB) Canning Jar Labels (5.72 MB)
		Thanksgiving Fun Kids Party Printables Keep the kids “happy, happy, happy” at their own table this Thanksgiving with these fun party printables. Your little pilgrims will especially love the activity placemats and the Thankful Tree Centerpiece, where they write what they are thankful for on leaves that they hang on the tree. Coloring Banner (363 KB) Activity Placemat (107 KB) Cupcake Toppers & Wrappers (542 KB) Napkin Rings (279 KB) Straw Flags (98.6 KB) Paper Chain (379 KB) Wall Décor (127 KB) Photo Props (298 KB) Centerpiece - Thankful Tree (308 KB)
		Kids’ Thanksgiving Games & Coloring Pages Need more ways to keep your little pumpkins busy on Thanksgiving? Give them these fun coloring pages, turkey game, and word search - perfect for keeping them entertained and in the thankful mood. Thanksgiving Fun Coloring Page (175 KB) Turkey Coloring Page (531 KB) Find the Turkey (786 KB) Word Search (545 KB)
		Thanksgiving Table Decorations Dress up your Thanksgiving table with these charming centerpieces that not only give a nod to the luscious bounty you are about to eat, but to the thankful spirit of the holiday as well.

9 Ways to Trade Disposable for Reusable

We are a cloth diapering family. If you're like me, you are always looking for ways to lessen your impact on the environment and keep as much as you can out of landfills. Here are just a few options to decrease your trash production.

9 Ways to Trade Disposable for Reusable

1. Paperless towels- Flour sack towels would be a good place to start.
2. Reusable straws- Available in glass, stainless steel, silicone and bamboo.
3. Replace disposable menstrual products- Use mama cloth or a menstrual cup instead.
4. Cloth diapers- Keeping all those chemicals from disposable out of the landfills is a must.
5. Cloth wipes- You're already doing cloth diapers, might as well go all the way.
6. Reusable grocery/shopping bags- Find these at all stores now. Who wants to deal with plastic bags anyway?
7. Reusable snack/sandwich bags- Easy to make, plus they are 10 times as cute as the plastic ones.
8. Reusable sponges for cleaning- When it gets grimy, just throw it in the wash or the dishwasher.
9. Cloth shower curtain- Plastic shower curtains only last for so long, trade out for a cloth one you can throw in the washing machine.

Do you have any recommendations for reusable household products?

Free Halloween printables from Snapfish

Snapfish has Halloween printables, Click HERE! 

Halloween Party Kit Set the stage for a ghostly fun party with these orange and black party printables that showcase mesmerizing designs with the ever-so-appropriate spiders and bats and pumpkins, oh my! Party Banner (2.34 MB) Cake Bunting (2.38 MB) Cupcake Kit (2.98 MB) Drinks Kit (612 KB) Votive Wraps (529 KB) Tent Signs (1.96 MB) Posters (529 KB) Booed Game Kit (1.06 MB) Bonus! Turn our Halloween Printables into favor bag toppers and stickers. Learn more

Halloween Coloring Pages Your perfect little pumpkins will have a frightfully good time coloring in these spirited Halloween coloring pages. Pass them out at spooky soirees, give them as party favors, or simply use them to keep your ghosts and goblins busy while you prepare for Halloween's magic! Haunted Mansion (1.03MB) Pumpkin (306 KB)

Halloween Pumpkin Carving Templates This Halloween, make the best Jack-o'-lantern ever with these bewitching pumpkin carving templates that work like a charm. Simply tape a template to the pumpkin, trace, and then cut along the edges with a knife or carving tool. Abracadabra, you’ll thrill the whole neighborhood! Black Cat (340 KB) Owl (340 KB) Raven (196 KB) Flames (182 KB) Horns (181 KB) Smiley (181 KB)

Hanging Halloween Monster Decorations Pick your poison, my pretties: Spiders, skeletons, ghosts, or bats! These cute and creepy critters are just the thing to hang from your “belfry” with string or ribbon. Perfect for Halloween parties or surprising your trick-or-treaters. Bat (620 KB) Ghost (221 KB) Spider (713 KB) Skeleton (1.87 MB)

Halloween Monster Window Decorations Up the Halloween ante with these spooktacular window decorations that trick-or-treaters of all ages will find spellbinding. The best part: They are so easy to print out and hang up that it’s positively scary! Frankenstein (66.6 KB) Jack-O'-Lantern (68.7 KB) Monster (78.4 KB) Witch (110 KB)

Halloween Spooky Lanterns Get your Halloween glow on with these entrancing purple and yellow lanterns. After you’ve put them together, hang the lanterns on a string of lights to give off an eerie Halloween aura. Such a simple way to set a spooky atmosphere. Purple Halloween Lanterns (738 KB) Yellow Halloween Lanterns (899 KB)

10 Essentials for Cloth Diapering Moms

We started cloth diapering our second child this year. There are so many options for cloth diapering, it can get a little overwhelming, especially if this is your first child. Here are a few thing I wish I had known before we bought our stash.

10 Essentials for cloth diapering moms 

1. Diapers (duh!) What kind is totally up to you. With all the options out there, this is a whole other post all on it's own. For newborns, it is recommended that you have 12-14 diapers. If this is your first child in cloth and you are unsure what type of diapers will work for you, try buying a variety before jumping in with just one type.

2. Inserts. These are the absorbent part of cloth diapers. You will need at least twice as many inserts as diapers, it really depends on how often you want to do laundry. Again, tons of options, but I would recommend staying away from microfiber inserts. I also suggest finding a WAHM to make custom inserts for you.

3. Changing Table. After not having one at all for my first child, and having one now, this is definitely a must have! They give you a place to keep all of your parts for the diapers organized and in easy reach.

4. Diaper Pail. Anything will do really, we just got a small trash can with a lid, but there are many options. If you want a fancier option, check out Diaper Dekor Plus Diaper Pail System.

5. Wet Bags. These are waterproof bags to hold wet/soiled diapers, also called pail liners. You need at least one full size for your diaper pail and a medium one for on the go to keep in your diaper bag. If you went with the Diaper Dekor, they have pail liners for cloth as well.

6. Flour Sack Towels (FST). These are "tea" towels you can get in most stores. You will find them with the kitchen towels for about a dollar each. They are super absorbent and are perfect for those days that you need another option because you got a late start on your diaper laundry and the inserts are still drying (they take FOREVER to dry sometimes). Or, if you are trying to go as cheap as possible, you can use them as your main option for inserts. They are a better choice than microfiber any day!

7. Cloth Wipes. I love my cloth wipes for the simple fact that I don't have to keep the wipes separate from the diapers. There's nothing like poking through your dirty diapers to make sure your husband didn't put a disposable wipe in there. They all go in the wash with the diapers. You can find them on amazon, but can also be made custom by a WAHM. You will need 2 wipes to every 1 diaper you have.

8. Spray Bottle. Again, doesn't have to be anything fancy, just something to keep water in to spray down your cloth wipes. Simple, but super important! Some people buy cloth wipe solutions you can add if you want a little more than water, but it is recommended to keep the wipes dry to avoid bacteria.

9. Good washing detergent. There are special, expensive detergents made just for washing your cloth, but they aren't the best option. Any detergent will do, we use All Free and Clear or Tide. You can use liquid, or powder, completely up to you.

10. Overnight option. Nobody likes waking up wet in the middle of the night, so your LO may need a little extra protection to make it through the night. This is another way FST come in handy. Just wrap one of your everyday inserts in a FST and you're good for most of the night. There are of course other options, so look into what would be best for you.


Some other things to consider.

Snappi. I haven't personally used these, but I have friends who swear by them. They are the modern day alternative to diaper pins, but they are not necessary with all types of diapers.

Diaper Sprayer. Also something I haven't personally used since my LO is EBF (exclusively breastfed) but when he starts eating solids we may need one. They hook up to the toilet so you can just spray away the poo.

Reusable Breast Pads. Since you are so environmentally conscientious, why not look into other reusable options? Breast pads are a great place to start. Try www.breastpads.com. But first Google to find a free code good for 10 free pairs, you only have to pay shipping!

What are your essentials for cloth diapering?

Snapfish back to school printables

I love Snapfish! (Have I said that already?) Staying with the spirit of back to school, they have free back to school worksheet in their print from home section. Click HERE to go check them out.

Snapfish has also been doing a promotion for their mobile app, I'm not sure if they are still though. The offer is (was?) 100 free prints a month for 12 months just for signing into their mobile app. I hope they still have it!!

Edit: They ARE still doing the free 100 prints! Click HERE.

Back to school

My oldest son started 1st grade today. He was so excited last night, he didn't end up getting to sleep until after 10, and even then only because I let him lay down with me.

I got up early to make him his favorite breakfast, pancakes and eggs. I even made his pancake Mickey mouse shaped with raisins for eyes and mouth. He loved it, but he didn't want the eggs because we were out of sliced cheese. He wore his favorite new shirt. He even got to ride to school with Alex on the motorcycle.

Of course I followed, I didn't want to miss his first day. When we got to the school, we took pictures out front, but it was super bright and he was facing the sun so he is squinting in all of them.

I hope to get more after school. It'll still be the first day, right? When we got to the classroom, he was super excited and gave his teacher a big hug. He almost forgot to tell me bye in his rush to get to his desk. I can't wait to pick him up this afternoon and see how his day went. For now, I'll settle for a nap with my 9 week old boy.