Letting Your Personality Shine Through - Stock Up on 47 Cent Hallmark Cards!

 This #SendSmiles Hallmark shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions and experiences are mine alone. #CollectiveBias

In June our family celebrates 3 birthdays. When my kids were little I would pick out a card and everyone would sign it. The kids would draw pictures inside the card and help decorate the envelope. But now that they are older, everyone has a different opinion about the "perfect" birthday card to give.

As a child I looked forward to seeing the cards I would get for my birthday. From my grandparents came the heartfelt poetry and inspirational messages, one Aunt could always be counted on to find me a popular character or design, another always sent jokes.

So it shouldn't have been a surprise that my kids want to express their own unique personalities through the birthday cards they give. I mean, all three of my kids are so different.

My daughter, the only girl, is a complete girly girl. Ballerina in training, currently obsessed with Barbie, My Little Ponies and anything with pink and glitter. She is always looking for a cute card or something with a cute, cuddly animal on it.

My oldest is all boy. Active, passionate and a real adventurer. He is also just getting into knock-knock jokes and humor. He had a very different idea of what the perfect card for his little brother's upcoming 2nd birthday should be.

While on my weekly shopping trip to Walmart, my oldest son and I headed over to the Hallmark card section to cover our upcoming birthday bases.

With a family of 5 and so many birthdays coming up, I love to take advantage of the great card deals available in the Hallmark card section of my local Walmart. Did you know there is a whole selection of cards for just 47 cents each?

Yes! Yes, there is.

Starting at just 47 cents each, I can afford to let each of my kids pick out their own cards and let their own personality shine through. We ended coming home with this great haul of cute and clever birthday cards.

Since there was such a great selection of Hallmark cards starting at 47 cents, I grabbed enough for all our Summer family birthdays, plus extra to have on hand for last minute birthday party invites for the kids. Are my kids the only ones who spring birthday party information on their parents last minute? I prefer to be prepared and this will save me several unnecessary trips into town.

My son picked out these cute cards for his siblings. He thought the truck card was perfect for his little brother and the sprinkles were perfect for his sister. Her birthday is coming up at the end of Summer.

Let your personality shine through & let the whole family #SendSmiles + card craft #ad http://t.co/RhYfj2jYnd pic.twitter.com/APLMaR5FKA

— Andrea Kruse (@notimeMom) June 1, 2015

Hallmark and Walmart also have a great selection of other birthday essentials. I picked up this gift bag, tissue paper and curly bow for my youngest. He loves this show!

Starting at just 47 cents, you can afford to get creative with your cards! 

Because the price was right to stock up on Hallmark cards, I grabbed extra to make my youngest son a birthday card placemat. I had my other children sign the cards as usual, but then cut them in half.

I taped the inside of the card, with the message, to the back of the front, then arranged them in a full size thermal laminating pouch. I keep finding fun new ways to use this handy dandy machine.

Once heated up, I fed the laminating pouch through the machine and had the cards preserved and an quick placemat ready for his birthday fun.

After his birthday I plan to wipe the plastic sheet clean and let him enjoy his birthday cards all year long protected in the plastic sheets. Wouldn't it be fun to bind these and combine with several years worth of cards to create a birthday card album for him?

Now that you know Walmart has Hallmark cards starting at just 47 cents, what creative uses will you find for your birthday cards?

Spreading Good Cheer with Northpole gifts

This Secret Santa inspired shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions, experiences and good cheer are mine alone. #NorthpoleFun #CollectiveBias

Every December we eagerly await the arrival of our family's Elf, Merry. This year though, he came a few days early and he was on a mission.

No, this year our mischievous little elf wasn't here to stir up trouble, though I still think he has plenty of tricks up his sleeve for the countdown to Christmas, instead he came with a Secret Santa mission for my kids to help him spread a little early holiday cheer.

He came with a few fun Northpole gifts for my own children, including the Northpole Communicator so the kids can take turns talking to the Northpole everyday.

He also brought a few Magic snowballs, that are perfect for indoor snowball fights. They light up when they hit something making it extra fun.

He also brought my kids Santa Goggles with a map and activities to enjoy. The goggles made the images come to life in 3-D, and the whirly goggles made everything look swirly. Both of my older children had a blast with this and we haven't even had a chance to check out all the activities on the back.

Inspired by our own fun, I took my two little helpers to Walmart and let them help pick out items to include in our Secret Santa bag.

I knew exactly who we would be getting gifts for. Ever have friends who not only call you when they find a great deal on a piano at an estate sale, (I had been looking for a piano for our family) but they also help you move it? Yeah, we have some great friends like that and they have 3 boys who I thought would enjoy some of the Hallmark Northpole gifts as well.

There were so many holiday items to choose from and we had a blast finding the perfect items for our friends. We included some of the same items Merry brought us, but also some new things.

I created a simple little gift tag for our bag. You can grab your own free Secret Santa tag printables to enjoy with your own family.

We included:

• Once Upon a Northpole Christmas story book + Find me Santa Snowflake
• Magic Snowballs
• Santa Googles with map and activities

Then it all went into a fun holiday gift bag and we were ready to make our top secret delivery.

Half of the fun is keeping the secret. We dropped off our Northpole toys while the family was away for the day. I let their Mom know we were dropping something off, but the boys had no idea.

I am hoping my kids can keep this fun secret, but who knows.

I love any chance to get my kids excited about giving. In the past we have donated canned goods to our local food pantry, or donated toys for the annual Toys for Tots program. This year though we spread some fun Christmas cheer with help from the Northpole just because. It is just one way I try to keep the Spirit of Christmas and their imagination alive.

The holiday spirit is catching, so we did our best to pass it on.


Does your family have any traditions for giving around the holidays?

Keeping Holiday Birthdays Special with Hallmark

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community. Besides celebrating the holidays, I will also be celebrating my husband's birthday - with Hallmark, of course!. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and its client. #BIRTHDAYSMILES

I know a little about holiday birthdays. My husband was born the day after Christmas, my stepdad on Father's Day and my husband's Grandmother was born on Halloween. Now, it can be fun to celebrate a birthday and holiday at the same time, but it is very important that happy birthday wishes don't become lost in all the excitement.

When I first started dating my husband my Mother-in-Law had some pretty clear rules set up for his birthday. She worked really hard to keep his birthday and Christmas separate and make him feel special. Over the past 12 years of marriage I have added a few more ideas to the list on how to keep his special day, special.

1. Pick the Perfect Card.
I feel pretty lucky that our local Walmart has a rockin' Hallmark section. It makes finding a great card so much easier. I just love the selection Hallmark offers.

Since it is opened first, I think the card sets the mood. Depending on the recipient, I either go for something from the heart or something humorous. Hallmark always seems to have something just perfect for me.

My kids went straight for the musical cards. They love the Hallmark innovations line with hoops & yoyo. I am grateful that every time we shop they seem to have a whole new selection to choose from. We haven't run out yet. If my husband isn't careful, my kids will probably swipe his card after he reads it and open it over and over in their room upstairs. I am always amazed at how long these cards last with a demanding 6 and 4 year-old.

I started in the humor section but finally found the perfect card to express my feelings in the Birthday For Him section. To me the perfect card should say everything I only wish I was eloquent enough to say myself. After 12 years of marriage and 3 kids, I think my husband and best friend deserves a little added appreciation. He is turning 35 this year, the grey hair is here and 40 is on the horizon, so I have to make it extra special.

2. Add Personal Touches
My kids loved picking out a card for their Daddy, but we make it extra special with personal messages and drawings. Hand my kids a box of crayons or markers and they will go to town. Seeing their hard work all over the card and envelope always brings a smile to my husband's face.

These little added touches, or the messages I add at the bottom of his birthday card is what personalizes them for us. Maybe you have a special saying you always use or mark that will make it all yours.

3. Plan Ahead
Even though my husband's birthday isn't until December 26th, I know now is the time to get the gift, the card, have everything wrapped and ready. It is also a great time to plan the birthday meal menu and make sure the freezer is packed and anything I can prep ahead is done. The day after Christmas most places are still closed or not restocked, so I don't want to be running out of the house in search of a last minute item.

4. Don't Mix Holidays & Birthdays
This was an important tip from my Mother-in-Law. Despite being awash in holiday gift wrap and gift bags, be sure to use distinctly birthday packaging, cards, etc. for birthday items. Depending on our day we will set aside a meal and make that our birthday time. Birthday breakfasts and birthday dinners are popular in our house.

5. Make it All About Them.
Ultimately a holiday birthday is still a birthday. My husband's day will be spent enjoying time with his family, enjoying the foods he loves and hopefully receiving a present that will be memorable. Everyone should feel special on their birthday and their day should be filled with #BIRTHDAYSMILES.

Here is a fun digital magazine full of more great holiday ideas, including more ideas from Hallmark. Check it out:

Connect with @Hallmark on Twitter or on Facebook for fun promotions and ideas.

Do you have a holiday birthday in your house? How do you keep it special?