There is no substitute for a lovely, real Christmas tree: the lovely pine aroma, the glittering feel of having a living, beautiful thing in your home. Despite their loveliness, trees require a lot of care, even after they are chopped down. Besides the obvious shedding of needles, they also leave another little gift of their own: sticky tree sap. Here are a few tips for cleaning tree sap off of carpet and household items. More

We bought our first Christmas tree this year. I have to admit, the drive out of town to the tree farm, ride in a wagon out to the field, and sips of hot cider afterward were wonderful. But now that we have the tree home, something in me misses coming up with fun alternative ways to display our small collection of ornaments. Here are some favorite ideas we've accumulated (and tried) over the years leading up to this, our first year with-tree. More

It starts with the best of intentions: I go to a craft fair, Christmas market, or boutique to pick the perfect presents for my kith and kin, but instead, I walk out with several items for myself, and with a reduced budget, my shopping list no shorter than before. How to buck this trend? More

Sometimes, the best ornaments or decorations are the ones you make yourself or with a loved one. Making a new holiday ornament each year can be a great tradition to create special memories that store bought pieces just can't compete with. Here, Victoria Hudgins of the blog A Subtle Revelry demonstrates how to make a sweet and simple ornament or decoration for gifts that include three festive elements in one piece: animals, sparkle and tassels. More

The holidays are expensive, but this chic set of gaming inspired printable wrapping paper will help you cut costs in a fashionable way. If you're giving lots of gifts with pixelated beginnings, like mobile devices and gaming consoles, then this free paper from Mini Eco is a must. More

As a toy designer and a parent, this time of year is fraught with not only finding the usual Christmas gifts, but finding gifts that I admire both as a designer and a mom. It can be a tall order. I have high expectations! Until recently I felt like I had most of the control over what my daughter would play with. These days, as she approaches the ripe old age of 4, I'm realizing my hold on our curated collection of toys is slipping fast. But I have a couple of aces in my pocket to help me along. More

From babies to toddlers, kids are fascinated with toys that move. There is no end of toy vehicles to chose from in the marketplace, and sometimes it can get overwhelming figuring out what to select for longevity and daily use. Here are some selections that we love and our children can't get enough of. More

One thing I've noticed with my toddler and other pre-schoolers we know is that they love to imitate life and help out, even if the "helping" is pretend play. The child-size tools and toys we have in our home get a lot of use, and it's been great to role-play with him. It never ceases to amaze me how much young ones so happily copy parents in our sometimes mundane daily tasks (I know, just wait until they are older!).
More

Stocking stuffers — the last minute, rather less thoughtful filler gifts that somehow just end up tossed aside in the melee of gift opening on Christmas morning. This year, I'd like to make an effort to plan ahead a little better on these little pint-sized presents — here are ten handmade gifts that would be perfect for tucking inside a child's stocking. More