What happens when you’re a both mom?

I’ve seen many posts from other moms on social media and elsewhere talking about being a boy mom or a girl mom. But, that leaves me wondering, where do those of us with both fit?

I’d rather not think necessarily of it being boy mom vs girl mom. We have a lot of common ground whether we’re moms of boys, moms of girls or moms of both! At the end of the day, just because our children may be a different gender, we are all still moms and the struggle and blessings are real!

Girl mom

I was a girl mom first, because my daughter is my oldest. She is the one who broke me in as a mom. Motherhood is incredibly awesome, but it can also knock you right off your feet as suddenly you become irrelevant in your own life. Everything revolves around a tiny person who is demanding and dependent on you for survival. And you love that tiny person more fiercely than you’ve ever loved anything before. It’s exhilarating and exhausting!

Finding out I was having a little girl was exciting. I wasn’t someone who had a strong desire for either gender. I was just excited to be growing our family. Once we knew we were having a girl, we did some girlie shopping. I found a beautiful pink outfit to bring her home in.

Though we did our best to not place them upon her, my daughter fulfilled gender stereotypes as a young girl.

My daughter is full-fledged girl. From the beginning she’s enjoyed things that are pink and sparkly. She loved baby dolls more than any other toy. She’d whip up food in her play kitchen. My sweet girl enjoyed tea parties and princesses.

While she took her time with more physical skills, her verbal skills came early. 

From the beginning, I had fun dressing her up in adorable outfits for baby girls. And now that she’s older, she has fun dressing herself up in adorable outfits. She has girl energy in being able to sit and do one task quietly for a long time. That was true by the time she was a preschooler and has only gotten more true as she’s getting older.

Boy mom

My baby boy arrived just over three years after my daughter. From the beginning, one of the major differences was his temperament. He was more demanding. 

While my daughter was pretty even-keeled, my son was happy or not happy. He didn’t have much in between. Not much has changed even now that he is older.

As the mom of a boy, I found adorable boy clothes. There were tiny suits and tiny jeans. His winter coat when he was 2 was a small bomber jacket. His nursery was decorated with superheroes. He also talked early, but he was also more physical earlier than our daughter. 

We learned early on that our son was a ball of little boy energy. Thinking back now, a few years later, I hardly remember him walking. He was one of those toddler boys who seemed to go from crawling to running almost overnight. Even without seeing weapons, he could pick up random toys and make them something to fight with.

He didn’t have as much patience for sitting still for activities like coloring. He liked to go-go-go. Even now at nearly 11, he most likes to do something while he is listening to our book being read. Sometimes he snuggles, but other times, he just quietly moves around his toys or pets the pup.

Getting the jokes

Lots of posts and comments about being a boy mom vs girl mom are about funny truths of raising girls or boys. A mom of girls will joke about glitter getting everywhere. It does. I have had glitter in the lint trap of my dryer more often than not over the past decade.

Fellow boy moms talk about body parts, pee on the bathroom floors and gross jokes. Those things happen. My son cracks up at anything related to flatulence and so on.

I get it. Boys and girls both tend to have their own qualities. Some of them seldom overlap. And they are often confusing to the other gender. 

For example, my children were recently going to spend the day with my parents. My son pulled on clean clothes from his drawer without paying too much attention to them. My daughter labored over her decision of what to wear and how to style her hair.

I heard my son say to her, “It doesn’t matter what you wear. We’re just going to Lolly’s!” (They call my mom Lolly.) I could only think, “Bless his heart. He doesn’t understand how things work for some girls.”

Being a both mom

I don’t begrudge solely girl moms and solely boy moms their role. And I don’t feel like they are leaving me out in any way. But I do want to give a shout-out to my fellow both moms. 

We get the best and worst of both genders. We get the sweet snuggles and silly fart jokes from the boys. Our girls give us warm hugs and commentary on our fashion choices. Both moms get to do all the stuff. We get the girlie things and the boy things. We get a mix of both. And our kids learn from each other. Having grown up in a family where I only had an older brother, I feel like I learned more about how boys behave than I would have if he’d have been a sister. I think the same is true for my own two children. Younger brothers teach their older sisters about boy stuff and vice versa.

Because as both moms, we also have an easy excuse to encourage our kids to try things that they wouldn’t be attracted to otherwise. My son has played with dolls. My daughter has played with matchbox cars. They have access to toys and activities that maybe are different than what they would be drawn to. I like that!

We both moms also have to help our kids understand each other. Not only are they different ages (unless you have multiples) who can be in different phases , they are also different genders. There are times my kids just completely don’t understand where the other one is coming from. 

My daughter doesn’t understand her brother’s anger and his struggle to not act it out physically. My son doesn’t understand his sister’s desire to accessorize. As family members, we work together to better understand each other.

Of course these things happen for girls moms and boy moms. Because even as the same gender, each kiddo and person is different. I would daresay, though, that we both moms have that happen even more because of the gender difference.

The joy of mom 

In the end, it doesn’t really matter who is a girl mom, a boy mom or a both mom. We are all just moms, doing our best to be a better parent. 

Our journeys aren’t identical, because we all have our own challenges. But we are all striving to raise our children well. Each day we struggle through homework and meals. We remind kids to bathe and form a special bond with each of our children. 

We’re all wondering if we’re messing up our kids. Moms everywhere doubt their abilities and choices. We worry if our kids are OK and fret over whether we’re spending time doing the right things with them. We are doing the best we can in the midst of the chaos and exhaustion.

Whether you’re a girl mom, boy mom or both mom, you’re doing well, mama. The best thing is you get to do the rewarding, exhausting and precious job of a parent. You’re taking on motherhood like a boss. 

16 Practical tips plus free organized mom printables

Through my years as a mama, I’ve learned a few things about how to be an organized mom. I thought I was good at being organized before I had babies. But after my first child was born in 2009, I learned how real mom brain is. Keeping track of what needs to be done and deadlines when you’re constantly interrupted and sleep deprived is difficult!

I’m less sleep deprived nowadays; however, I still need strategies to keep organized and on top of everything in our lives. From work to chores to school assignments to daily tasks and beyond, being an organized mom helps me not drop the ball too often. It still happens sometimes (I’m far from perfect!), but these easy tips help keep me sane and organized. 

We all have good intentions and plans to be a more organized mom, but it’s easy to get distracted. Using some organized mom printables like the ones you’ll find here, will help you stay on track and have more family time whether you’re a working mom outside or inside of the home! 

Affiliate links are used in this post. If you make a qualifying purchase via my link, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.

1. Set and label alarms on your phone.

I have joked with my family that I live my life by alarms. It’s 100% the truth! Alarms are part of my daily routine.

Right now, for example, I’m working on this post until my next alarm goes off and I stop to pick up my kids from school. Earlier today, I kept myself on track with doing loads of laundry by setting timers for switching from the washer to the dryer.

I use alarms liberally. (Interestingly enough, I don’t use my phone alarm for waking up in the morning. I prefer an alarm clock for that!) If we have somewhere to be, I have an alarm set for it. I set the alarm for five minutes before I need to leave if I’m just getting myself ready and out the door. If I’m getting everyone out the door, I usually go for about 10 minutes before we need to leave.

Labeling alarms is a life saver as well. I have labeled them as things like “Leave for the doctor,” “School pick up,” “L. appointment” and so on. Nothing fancy, but there’s no doubt in my mind what the alarm is for. They keep me organized and from scrambling around, missing things or being late. 

Another bonus is setting alarms lets me relax and not stress about checking the time. I don’t need to worry that I’ll miss doing things at specific times, because I have alarms for that!

2. Use your phone’s calendar for reminders and to-do items.

Since I pretty much always have my phone with or near me, I utilize it to my advantage. You can totally get apps for to-do lists, but I use my calendar. Everything is in one place. I have some things recurring. Like every Thursday morning at 7 a.m., I have an “event” pop up to remind me that we need to take out the trash. Daily at 7 p.m., I have an event reminder set to take my medicine.

While I use my digital calendar (which is synced with my email account) for actual appointments, I also use it for a variety of reminders. It makes me a more organized mom. 

For example, if I’m getting ready for bed and remember I need to email my son’s teacher the next day about bringing in cupcakes for his upcoming birthday, I set a reminder on my phone’s calendar for the next morning at 9 a.m. when I know I’ll be sitting at my desk. And I’m able to not keep worrying about it in fear of forgetting.

I even use calendar items to remind me of more personal things as a busy mom. In the last few months, I have set appointments on my calendar to remind me to pray for a church member in a ministry meeting, reach out to a friend to check in and send a thank you card for a gift.

I also create calendar events to follow up with people for work and personal reasons. Often when I contact people for work, I don’t hear from them and need to follow up. I set calendar events to remind me to do so. Other times I may need to follow up with someone at my children’s school about something they need. 

3. Don’t dismiss old school tools.

I love my notebook and planner. A lot of what I put in my phone’s calendar goes into my paper planner as well. Having the visual list of things to do helps me stay on task. I am a fan of lists and use them all the time. All. The. Time. Because I can beat myself up for things being left undone on my daily list, I try to plan by the week and break it down from there.

I’ve found that having a to-do list for the week to prioritize all the big tasks what I must do and what I need to do helps. Then I have a daily to-do list with all the minute tasks I need to do.

Like most moms, I wear a variety of hats. Having my own business and working for multiple clients and publications means I can often have a lot to juggle. My lists keep me sane.

One of my favorite organized moms printables is The Christian Woman Life Planner. I put it together with a variety of options to help you and me both stay organized! Each page has a Bible verse to encourage and uplift you as you go. Use the PDF files digitally or in hard copy.

Honestly, this mini-planner has helped me stay organized and focused on my tasks for each day. I can sometimes get distracted when I think of another task that needs to be done while I’m in the middle of a first task.

Now I have everything prioritized for the day at a glance and just write down the other task to be done while finishing what needs to be done! With a daily planner, weekly schedule, monthly calendar, yearly planner and more, it helps moms of busy families stay organized!

4. Post a family calendar.

I keep a calendar on the side of our fridge that lists main activities for our family. It’s an easy way for any of us to get an overview of what’s going on. If my kids have activities, doctor’s appointments or meetings, I write them on the fridge calendar. Days out of school are also marked. Each morning as I mark an “X” on the day before, I can easily see what the day has in store.

Hands-down, my all-time favorite family calendar is a weekly calendar that is an editable PDF. It incorporates a weekly meal planner along with family schedules and notes. I use this every single week!

Using calendar printables works best for my family in planning weekly meals and schedules. I’ve seen the Pinterest images of giant white boards that are color-coded. Honestly, I find that overwhelming. (If you don’t, go for it!) 

5. Don’t put off tasks that don’t take long to do.

One of my best cleaning tips comes in handy in areas of my life beyond household chores. My philosophy is that if a task takes less than two minutes to do it, then I complete it right away rather than let it stew. If I need to make a phone call to schedule a teeth cleaning for my kids, I do it instead of adding it to my to-do list. When my kids get home from school, we immediately take care of their lunchboxes and containers. 

Being an organized mom is being on top of things. Doing little things in the moment can save so much time and stress in the long run. Sometimes I ask myself if future me would thank me for the choice I made. Along with how long a task takes, it’s a great way to assess whether I need to get to work on chaotic days and calm days alike!

For this reason, organized mom printables like this cleaning checklist can help you stay on top of things at home.

6. Find a meal planning solution that works for you.

You can find lots of meal planning solutions. Figure out what works best for you and your family and go with it. Whether you’re planning a meal for every single day, a theme for certain nights of the week, a list of foods on-hand or a delivered weekly meal kit, use it! 

I’ve tried a variety of meal planners and styles. What has worked best for our family for the past year is sitting down on the weekend and making a weekly meal plan and grocery list for the next week. Then I order groceries for the week from my shopping list and pick them up. I post the meal plan on the weekly calendar on the fridge so any family member can easily check what’s planned for dinner along with what activities are going on.

Another way to meal plan is through using meal kit delivery services. Whenever we do them, I get two or three meals from per week, but that helps me figure out the plan more easily for the rest of the week.

We are actually eating at home even more as a result. Win-win and a way to more easily justify any extra cost of the meal kit delivery service.

Don’t miss one of the fabulous organized moms printables to help you with meal planning for free!

7. Prepare ahead of time.

I’m not a natural-born procrastinator. I think it’s my anxiety talking, but I don’t generally like to put off tasks until the last minute. Preparing for even regular things ahead of time can help you be more organized and take less time. 

For example, I pack lunches for my kids the night before. (And, yes, they often help!) I usually plan one hot lunch day per week and heat up the hot food in the morning, but I pack sides the night before. It keeps me sane and makes for easier mornings. It also reduces my risk to forget something — like sending an applesauce cup without a spoon. 

Before my kids could pick out their own clothes, I laid out their clothes each evening so they were ready to go in the morning. When I’m planning a birthday party for my kids, I figure out what we’ll need a few weeks ahead of time and start purchasing things. It gives me time to find the items I want, but also I don’t have to worry if something keeps me busy just before the party.  

8. Have designated spots for daily use to-go items — and use them!

Losing track of things adds stress and chaos — the opposite of organization! Having designated spots for daily-use items is a must. 

I’m all about simple. We don’t have a complex system in place for things. I love the photos of organized mudrooms with lockers or cubbies for each child to hang backpacks and coats. But that’s not practical for us. (If it is for you, go for it!)

Instead, we have a bench with a coat rack attached and a shoe holder underneath. The kids know that’s where their coats and shoes go at the end of the day. Their backpacks go on a door hanger next to it. We also have cords set up on the countertop just beside this area where they charge their school iPads. So when morning comes and we’re rushing out the door, everything everyone needs is in one spot. 

It makes all of our lives easier! We’ve also found the perfect time for the kids to do homework is usually right after they have a snack when they get home from school. And when homework is finished, I require the kiddos to put it back in their backpack immediately so it doesn’t get forgotten.

We also have designated spots for car keys, my purse, hats, sunglasses and even chewing gum! But, we are still human. Sometimes things end up in the wrong areas or forgotten. At least 97% of the time, though, things are where they belong and we are more organized as a result.

9. Ask for help without feeling guilty.

A couple of months ago, my oldest daughter put in a load of clothes to wash for her and her brother. She saw they were piled up. I meant to do laundry for them the day before and got busy. I felt a nudge of guilt that my daughter was doing laundry and I was slacking. 

Then I squashed that guilt right down. First, my 14-year-old is capable of doing laundry. She saw it needed done and did it. I should be celebrating that! Second, she’s learning responsibility. Third, I truly can’t do everything all the time.

Being an organized mom doesn’t mean that we do it all ourselves all the time. It’s OK to let go and ask for help. You can be organized and delegate. 

In fact, I’d daresay delegating allows you to be even more organized because multiple people accomplish more tasks quicker. So, ask for help. Kids can help with so many chores from packing part or all of their lunches, folding laundry, emptying the dishwasher, helping a younger sibling with homework, putting away laundry and so much more. Use their help to teach them responsibility, finish quicker and enjoy more fun time together!

And don’t forget your spouse. I’ve learned in 24 years of marriage, that my husband doesn’t always know what needs to be done. Instead of getting irritated with him, I tell him what I need him to do. Ask for help and ditch the guilt! 

10. Get yourself ready first or last, whichever works best for your family.

I don’t like being late or doing things in a rush. It stresses me out! Getting our family ready and out the door smoothly requires some planning and organizing. 

Start with figuring out whether you do better getting ready first or last. If we are all going somewhere at the same time, I often do best to get ready first. Then I can easier help with whatever tasks come up. Invariably someone will need help or have questions while getting ready. When my children were younger and needed more (or complete) help with getting ready, having myself ready first just made life easier.

When we don’t have to be somewhere all at the same time, I usually get ready last. For instance, on school mornings, my husband drives the kids to school. I get up and do all the organizing tasks like make sure everyone has breakfast, stays on track getting ready, finalize lunchboxes, fill backpacks and whatever else needs done. Then after the kids leave, I eat breakfast and get myself ready. I could get up earlier and get ready first (and I’ve done so), but this way works best right now.

If you feel like you are always rushing to get yourself put together to get out the door, try getting ready first. Or if you are able to get everyone organized and on their way before you have to get ready, do that. Figure out what works best for you and your family and go with it. It may even change based on the day, and that’s OK!

11. Stick to daily routines and schedules.

One of my favorite ways to be an organized mom is by using routines and schedules to my advantage. We have some tasks so much part of our routine that we just do them without thinking any more and it really does make life easier. Like keeping backpacks by our shoes or doing homework right after school. On and on the list goes. Our routines and schedules keep us on top of things and ends up with less nagging and chaos in the end.

I don’t find myself scrambling around to make sure everyone has their homework in their backpacks if I know they put it in there the evening before. Being an organized mom definitely leads to less chaos. Routines and schedules help with that so much.

12. Sort school papers and mail immediately to save or toss.

I’ve totally lost track of paperwork that got lost in the shuffle. With schoolwork coming home plus mail and random other things, it’s easy for paperwork to pile up. I have learned the best way to avoid that is to immediately deal with said paperwork as soon as my hand touches it. Dealing with a little bit at a time is much easier than dealing with a heaping stack!

When we bring in the mail, I look at it right away and toss any junk mail. I put things I need to deal with on my desk to file or deal with accordingly from there. 

When my kids bring home papers and/or art projects from school, I immediately look through them. I sign forms and put them back in backpacks right away. I look over assignments, ask any questions I have and then toss or keep them. 

For school assignments or projects I want to keep, I use an easy filing system to organize them per school year. I have a file folder for each child for each school year to keep things. 

13. Prioritize.

I mentioned in part one of how to be an organized mom that I love lists. I highly recommend lists. One way I use lists is to prioritize what I need to do. 

While my daily planner and calendar are great for writing down items, I found that using a list with daily top priorities and weekly must-do tasks helps most.  

(Check out The Christian Woman Life Planner to download and print your own lists that will help you prioritize your daily, weekly and monthly tasks!)

As someone who works from home, I’ve found that organizing my daily plan for work and home into one page works best for me. That might be different for you.

All of that said, don’t forget what your overall priorities in life are. While I have lists of tasks to be done, my faith and family are my biggest priorities. If I need to leave tasks undone in order to be there for a loved one, then so be it. Never have I heard of anyone regretting on their death bed that they didn’t complete all their to-do lists each day.

14. Make a daily to-do list.

More about lists! They really do help me be an organized mom. A daily to-do list is a must, I think, when it comes to organization. One of the new resources I’ve been using is an overall project list for both home and work, a weekly overview with time blocks and then a daily schedule with goals and a space for home tasks as well as work one. 

I organize what I’m working on in time blocks for each day. From there, I plan my whole day in increments to stay focused on what needs to be completed. It makes such a difference!

Seeing your to-do items in writing helps you focus. Whether you write them down on paper or make the list digitally, give a daily to-do list a try. It keeps you from forgetting what you need to do.

These two different options of organized mom printables will make your life easier. Grab one for free or head to Etsy to get the full set!

15. Pick a time to organize yourself for the week.

At the beginning of each week, I look over the upcoming schedule and note what needs done. For me, Sunday evenings or Monday mornings work best. 

Find the time that works best for you to take a few minutes and prepare yourself mentally for the week. Look at appointments coming up. Figure out any logistics you need to deal with. Add items to your daily and/or weekly to-do lists. Even just five minutes of thinking and planning ahead can make a big difference to your organization.

I mix both work and personal tasks in this weekly prep time, but you might need separate times for each. Figure out what works best for you and go with it. Set reminders if certain laundry needs done before your kids’ next game. Or put a big meeting at work on your calendar with prep time scheduled beforehand. Organize yourself, including some downtime. We all need it!

16. Give yourself some grace.

Be kind to yourself. Not every day is going to be great. You’re not a perfect mom or a perfectly organized mom. Do your best, but don’t beat yourself up when you fall short. Just learn from it and move on. 

I’ll never forget the time in PreK when I missed my son’s show-and-tell day. We were scheduled to bring in the snack, and he could bring in something to show off. I totally forgot it because of some other things going on. I felt awful.

However, he doesn’t even remember that happening. So many things I beat myself up for at the time are not that big of a deal in the long run. At the end of the day, what matters most is doing my best and making good memories with my family. If I can accomplish both of those things, I call that success! 

The best NYE activities for families to ring in the new year

Growing up, my family would always watch the ball drop together. That was back in the days of Dick Clark. We often got together with extended family and had our our New Year’s Eve celebration.

Through the years our New Year’s Eve celebration evolved as we kids grew up. Now I have children of my own and have come up with some New Year’s Eve traditions that work for us.

Whether you have older children or younger children, I’ve got some NYE activities for families you’re going to love!

NYE Activities for families with younger kids

Before we talk about this idea, start with giving yourself grace for whatever stage of parenting you’re in right now. When my children were babies and toddlers, we didn’t celebrate New Year’s Eve in much of any way. In fact, I was lucky to even be awake at midnight!

Don’t put pressure on yourself to have a memorable New Year’s Eve party when you’ve got littles. Know that you will have plenty of family time to come with the kids are older and you’ll be able to enjoy it much more.

Noon Year’s Eve

Once your children are past the toddler stage, but still not in the stay-up-late stage, Noon Year’s Eve can be a great way to ring in the next year without messing up everyone’s schedule.

You can quite literally do a pseudo New Year’s Eve celebration at noon or pick another time and work with it. When my children were little, a few friends and I got our families together. We did some simple online research and discovered England would be ringing in the new year at the perfect time for our families to celebrate.

We found some creative ways to celebrate in British style from a different perspective. My artist friend made a large paper picture of Big Ben for the wall. We brought in snacks. Our entire family had a great time together. We played games, ate food and donned festive party hats for a New Year’s Eve countdown to midnight in London.

It worked so well, and our kids were all tucked into bed around their usual time that evening. Noon Year’s Eve is a great NYE activity for families with younger kids!

Focus on New Year’s Day

Another fun way to celebrate an upcoming year is by celebrating New Year’s Day. This is another one of those great ideas I pulled from my own family. Our whole family would also gather for dinner on New Year’s Day each year. In fact, it was such a tradition, I was quite a bit older before I realized not every family does this!

Before we had children, I continued this tradition and hosted New Year’s Day dinner at our house. Once we had children, I carried on this tradition for a few years. What better way is there to look forward to a new year than with those you love?

I took it a step further and added in an option for each of my family members to write down a prayer request for the year. I’d put them in an envelope that I sealed without looking at anyone’s request. Then I’d pray over the requests all year long. 

It was a whole family affair of focusing on God together. And it was an added bonus the next year for everyone to see their requests and reflect back over the past year as well.

NYE Activities for families with older kids

One of the fun things about kids getting older is their schedules are more flexible, and they can do more things. With kids who are 10 and 14, we’ve had a chance to figure out fun New Year’s Eve activities that work best for our whole family. 

Take some of these New Year’s Eve ideas and make them your own this year!

Eat good food

What’s a party without good food? Try some new delicious recipes! Snacky food tends to be the biggest hit for New Year’s Eve at my house. 

You can serve an assortment of appetizers, charcuterie with kid-friendly fare or even just sandwiches and chips. Another great option is to let your children help you decide what to have. Mine have surprised me by asking for food I never would have thought of.

One of the biggest hits we had one year included apples with caramel dip I bought at the store. Super easy, yummy and not too bad health-wise! Definitely plan for some evening snacking, too.

Play games

Games are a great way to have quality time as a family no matter what time of year. But, they work especially well on New Year’s Eve because you have a long time together for family connection.

We love everything from board games to role playing games to video games. We are a gaming family, in fact! Games are always part of our NYE celebrations.

Some fun games my entire family enjoys include the following:

• Uno (including Uno Attack!)
• Harry Potter Clue
• What do You Meme? Family Edition
• Blank Slate
• Hero Quest (This one takes a while and is more of an RPG, but I love that it’s co-op so we make great memories working together!) 
• Never Have I Ever Family Edition (perfect for playing from the comfort of your living room)
• Story Cubes
• Charades (perfect for playing from the comfort of your living room)
• Fluxx (in all sorts of fun varieties like Wizard of Oz, Marvel and pirate)

And then a surprisingly great game my entire family has enjoyed for years is Toilet Trouble. This one works for toddlers to grandparents! It is simple but brings lots of laugh. Just keep a hand towel nearby!

Watch movies

Watching movies together as a family can be a special time to snuggle and relax. Finding something you all agree on might be challenging, so I suggest talking about it ahead of time. Or at least have a list of movies in mind that your family can pick from. 

Some of our recent family favorite movies that would work well as NYE activities for families include the following:

• Elemental
• Spider-man: Across the Spider-verse
• Yes Day (This movie inspired our family to have yes days of our own!)
• The Mitchells Versus the Machines
• Spider-man: No Way Home
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
• The Super Mario Bros. Movie
• DC League of Super-pets

Watch the ball drop

Nothing is more quintessentially American New Year’s Eve than watching the ball drop in Times Square. One of my family’s fun ideas is to do this encamped in our bedroom. 

The first year, we did an extra fun option of making a fort out of blankets and putting glow sticks in balloons of different colors. Now, we inflate the air mattress for the kids in our room, and my husband and I get into bed.

We watch the ball drop and spend the last night of the year cozy together. At the stroke of midnight we wish each other happy new year; my husband and I exchange a kiss. Our kids then have the option to sleep in our room or retire to their own rooms. 

Usually our son stays in our room and our daughter heads to her own, but being all together in our room is one of the best places to be as we welcome a new year.

Pray your way into the new year

One tradition my husband grew up with was going to church on New Year’s Eve to ring in the year. Most churches (at least around us) no longer have Watchnight Services, but you can still spend time in prayer whether at midnight, before or after.

Pray together as a family. Ask for God’s blessings, guidance and protection for whatever the new year brings. 

Talk about New Year’s resolutions

My daughter and I are both planners. We actually do enjoy talking about New Year’s resolutions as a family and our goals for the coming year. For the most part, we try to avoid the word “resolutions” and replace it more with “goals.”

Thinking ahead for the new year always feels productive. The possibilities somehow seem much more endless heading into a new year!

Enjoy whatever NYE activities for families you pick

No matter what fun activities you pick for New Year’s Eve this year, enjoy the time together. It’s not going to be perfect. There will be squabbles or spills or people dozing off before midnight. 

However, this is your family right now. The end of the year and beginning of a new one marks how quickly time is passing. Our kids won’t always want to be with us for a New Year’s celebration. Embrace the messiness, craziness and everything this New Year’s Eve brings! 

25 Days of family Christmas devotionals to help your family remember the reason for the season

While the Christmas season is all about celebrating God’s gift to us through His Son, Jesus, it is also a hectic time for most families — mine included! As we work to keep up with everything on our to-do lists, we can miss out on connecting with our families. That’s why an Advent devotional for families is a great way to help your family connect and remember the reason for the season. And having devotionals that only take about five minutes is even better!

Christmas time is busy. Having a Christmas devotional for your family is the perfect way to work in purposeful family time that focuses on the greatest gift of all: Jesus! Starting at the beginning of December and going through Christmas Day, these devotionals are a great addition to your family’s routine this year.

Advent devotionals for families that make a difference

When my children were young, we tried a few different Advent devotionals for families and found them lacking. We wanted to focus on the true meaning of Christmas, but the content often was too advanced for my toddler and preschooler. Using a Christmas devotional for kids didn’t work well. Even I struggled to pay attention to the daily readings! They were just too long.

Since we struggled to find devotional books that worked for our family, we got creative in going through the story of Christmas with our children. We started with reading a Bible verse a day to go through the Christ’s birth. As my children got a bit older into early elementary for my oldest, we started talking about the verses. I knew we needed more.

And that’s why I put together the original “A Family Christmas” devotion book. It’s filled with 5-minute devotions for Dec. 1 through 25. The first volume was written simply for younger children to really understand. 

As my children got older, they were ready to go deeper into the story of Jesus and His birth and apply it to their own lives. So, I put together “A Family Christmas, Volume 2” written with more in-depth discussion questions for older children. 

An Advent devotional for younger children

This Advent devotional for families is a great devotional guide to take your whole family through the true story of Christmas. This four-week Advent family devotional starts Dec. 1 and ends Dec. 25. It’s simply dated so it can be reused from one Advent season to the next.

Each day has a focus Scripture that progresses through the birth of Jesus. To ensure God’s Word is accessible and understandable for young children, so all Bible verses come from the International Children’s Bible.

Along with a daily Scripture, there are also discussion questions and a prayer. While each family is different, I estimate each devotional time will take around 5 minutes.

The discussion question allows you flexibility as family members share from their own life and experiences. Spend as much or as little time as you want. Some days you may chat together for a few minutes while other days may go quicker.

If your children are able to read, you can take turns with the daily Scripture readings and questions. Or you can alternate with your spouse if you want.

Finally, the daily prayer can be read as written or you can pray your own prayer – however God is leading your heart. “A Family Christmas, Volume 1,” works well for a family Advent devotional to explore the Biblical truth of Christmas in an age-appropriate way for toddlers through early elementary children.

An Advent devotional for older children​

As my children got older, we needed to go deeper. “A Family Christmas, Volume 2,” offers terrific daily devotions throughout the weeks of Advent for families with upper elementary through teens. It also has a verse or two for each day to go through the story of Jesus’ birth. The Scripture is taken from the New International Version instead. 

Just like with Volume 1, each day also has discussion questions and suggested prayer. However, Volume 2 offers more text and really delves into applying the lessons of the Christmas story to our own lives.

For example, some days include questions about why God did things a certain way in the Christmas story. The questions let older kids get into discussions about the significance of certain elements of the Christmas story while also relating it to their own lives. 

Each day also has a new section called “Go Deeper” that includes more in-depth questions for your family to delve into. 

Either book can work for children of all ages with a bit of modification. The overall goal of the Advent devotional experience is to have family time centered around the focus of Christmas. 

Where to get “A Family Christmas” devotionals

Both volumes of “A Family Christmas” are available in various options. You can order hard copies on Amazon or purchase the devotionals for Kindle. 

And, here’s some good news. The Kindle versions are part of Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited service. If you aren’t familiar with Kindle Unlimited, for a monthly fee, you have access to more than a million books that you can read on your Kindle or through the Kindle app on your device. 

If you prefer a digital download, then the Families with Grace Etsy store has both versions available as a downloadable PDF. 

No matter where you find them, “A Family Christmas” devotional books will take your family through the month of December and keep you focused on that first Christmas and the true reason for the season.

A tradition about Jesus​

Along with doing our daily Christmas devotional, our family has other fun activities that are part of the holiday season. We usually purchase an Advent calendar with candy for each kiddo. 

Each family has its own Christmas traditions. For my family, those traditions have shifted and changed as my children grow older and change as well. We used to do a countdown to Christmas, but now both of my kids are old enough they don’t need that so much. 

We also try and do things to keep our focus from material gifts and on the amazing gift of Jesus Christ. Spending just about five minutes each day of December going an Advent devotional for families draws us closer to each other and to God. And that’s one of the best Christmas gifts any mama can ask for!

Don’t miss these posts for more family Christmas ideas!

8 Simple Christmas traditions to bring your family closer (plus 2 FREE printables!)

Free Printable Elf on the Shelf Letters with Elf Ideas

How to Keep Christ in Christmas

Mom gift ideas she’ll love

Coming up with the best Christmas gift ideas for mom friends can be challenging. Finding the best gifts for even your own mom or mother-in-law is challenging! 

Honestly, sometimes I struggle to come up with the best gift ideas for myself. I mean, my actual Christmas list would include things like: naptime, no laundry for a month, chocolate that doesn’t have sugar or calories, lazy days and food I didn’t plan, shop and make! I find it difficult to come up with gift ideas for myself many times, so I understand why my family can struggle.

Here’s the thing about Christmas and moms, though. We work really hard to make sure the holiday is festive and happy for everyone around us. Having a thoughtful gift under the tree for us is much appreciated. And these gift ideas do just that.

Use these gift-giving ideas for mom friends, yourself, family members or anyone who is a mom!

Mom apparel

Lots of mom apparel utilizes sarcastic humor. While that’s OK, I love more positive mom apparel. In fact, I created my own line of mom apparel on Zazzle filled with minimalist designs I love and a mix of sweet and humorous mom shirts.

I love giving unique gifts, and this shirt fits the bill. With its slogan: “I run on chocolate, grace and Jesus” it’s the perfect present for any mom friend!

This shirt is a terrific best mom friend gift. We all need the reminder that we are rocking our mom journey with grace.

This perfect gift for moms came from the realization that I have nothing saying I’m the world’s best mom, but my husband has quite a few. This came up when my daughter decided to be a tired mom for Halloween. I’m guessing any mommy friend would appreciate this sentiment!

The ideal Christmas gift for moms is one that reminds her how blessed she is. Busy moms in the fray of daily life and the holiday season can sometimes overlook the little things (and big things) that are such a blessing.

This shirt might be good encouragement for new moms who are struggling with sleep exhaustion. But all moms would love this reminder of how terrific it is to be a mama!

Beyond shirts, other mom apparel option is hats. Whether she’s having a bad hair day or just needs to block the sun, a cute mom hat can be a great option for any mom friend. . 

I love this hat that simply says “Mom.” The best part is that it comes in a variety of options for colors. 

This “Mama” hat is simple and would be a special gift for any mom.

And all of us moms have a mama bear hiding inside of us that comes out when she’s needed. That’s what makes this adorable mama bear hat such a good gift idea!

Don’t forget to keep her tootsies warm with these adorable mama bear slippers that come in various patterns and colors. They’re a great idea to use in gift baskets for moms as well!

Mom jewelry

I’ve loved jewelry since I was a toddler, so my mind also goes to jewelry as a great gift for mom friends. Every day I wear a ring that has my children’s names on it along with their birthstones. I also have a necklace of a mama bird with eggs that match my children’s birthstones that I got a few years ago for less than $20 and wear it a few times each week. 

It doesn’t have to be expensive jewelry to be meaningful and make a great gift. None of these options cost more than $35! Jewelry makes for amazing gifts that make your holiday shopping easier.

This necklace is a great way for moms to showcase their kiddos in beautiful jewelry. The stones come in different colors to reflect the birth months of your children. You can get this necklace with two to six children. 

This simple mom bracelet comes in both gold and silver finishes. It’s easily adjustable and on the back side of the mom charm it says “Bonded by love, connected for life.” How sweet is that?!

These custom necklaces offer a more subtle way to showcase birthstones for moms. If your friend loves jewelry, she’s sure to love one of these necklaces that offers one to five jewels.

If your mom friend has a daughter, then this sweet mother and daughter necklace is a heartfelt gift she’ll enjoy sharing with her daughter as well.

​Available in gold, silver and rose gold, this mama bear necklace can hold up to five baby bears. This would be an ideal gift for a close friend that she’d love to wear!

For your mom friends with two children, this sterling silver infinity pendant necklace is the perfect present because it includes the whole family.

Books for moms

Books are also great Christmas gift ideas for mom. She’ll appreciate a good book that refreshes and uplifts her. 

Christian mom friends will enjoy this “Bible Promises for Moms” from Heidi St. John. It’s a pocket-sized book of Scriptures and short devotions to encourage and uplift moms. In just a few minutes a day, your mom friend can put this book to good use and grow in her faith.

One gift all moms appreciate is quality time with their children. This two-person coloring book is a great way for a mom and child to bond while coloring side-by-side.

Another good idea for quality time is this mom and daughter shared journal. Moms and their daughters take turns writing in the journal with its prompts. It’s one of the best products to bring Christian moms and daughters together.

Sarah Young’s entire “Jesus Calling” book series has been popular for years for a reason: it’s well written and powerful. “Jesus Calling for Moms” is an excellent gift for moms. It has 50 devotions written just for mamas’ hearts. 

This year-long book of prayers offers prayers for moms to cover all circumstances of life.

I can’t compile a list of gift ideas for moms and not include “The Christian Woman’s Gratitude Journal.” This prompted gratitude and prayer journal also includes 10 encouraging devotionals and makes a great gift. Pair it with a nice ink pen to turn it into a gift set any mama will enjoy!

Sentimental sign gifts for mom

We moms enjoy being appreciated and loved, so sometimes a sentimental sign gift can be perfect. Check out these ideas:

For the boy mom friend in your life, this framed wall art states: “A woman with all sons will be surrounded by handsome men the rest of her life.” So cute!

Sometimes a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor can be the perfect gift from one mom to another. Like this sign that declares: “Life doesn’t come with a manual. It comes with a mother.”

What mom says goes, right? OK. We moms know that our rules should be the final word. This fun gift can be a great option for a mom friend!

We all need a reminder that we aren’t — and can’t! — be perfect. This box sign does just that!

This framed Mom wall art features Proverbs 31:25-30 in the background. It’s a great gift idea for Christian moms in your life. (And it also has an Aunt and Grandma option.)

Photo gifts for mom

This family tree picture frame stand holds six photos. It’s one of those Christmas gift ideas for mom friends that most moms would enjoy. After all, she gets to decorate this tree with faces of her favorite people!

If your mom friend has a green thumb, this plant and picture frame combo makes a nice gift. She can put in her own plant or flowers or use the vase to store other things like writing utensils or decorative rocks.

Having a combined two photo frames and felt letter board, this would be a great gift for moms. The character set for the letter board includes 160 letters, emojis and symbols so she can truly make it her own.

If you’re doing some Christmas shopping for a new mom or mom-to-be, this ultrasound picture frame that simply says “Love at first sight” would be a perfect present.

For a more last-minute gift, a gift card or subscription service for a photo printing company like Shutterfly, Vistaprint or Snapfish also are ideal for moms who also have photos to manage. She can print her own photos and photo products.

Cups and mugs for moms

Whether it’s a water bottle, tumbler or coffee mug, moms appreciate having something to keep them hydrated. And we’ve found some great gift ideas that fall into this category.

Let’s start with this super sweet option for moms (or anyone!). It says: “Sometimes you forget you’re awesome so this is your reminder.” You can get it as a mug or 20-ounce tumbler with a few different color options.

Or keep it simple with this retro vibe “Mama” stainless steel tumbler. It holds 20 ounces and comes with straws and a straw cleaner. It has a variety of options that include options like autism mom, dog mom, boy mom, grandma and best mom ever.

Remember the days of having clubs we made up during recess? Update that to adulthood to make this “Cool Moms Club” tumbler a best friend gift.

Sometimes having just a plain tumbler fits your friend the most. This stainless steel vacuum insulated 40-ounce tumbler has a handle and comes in a variety of colors. Plus it’s dishwasher safe, comes with its own straw and is leakproof!

If your mom friend enjoys coffee, tea, hot chocolate or mugs in general, then we’ve got some great options for those as well! Let’s start with a simple “Mom Life” mug that comes in two different color options.

And then we’ve got to move onto funny coffee mugs for moms. For the girl mom in your life, this might be a good option since it says: “May your coffee be stronger than your daughter’s attitude.”

We’ll round out this gift guide of Christmas gift ideas for mom friends with this 14-ounce coffee tumbler that gives an amusing and honest definition for “Mom.”

White elephant gift ideas that are good, clean fun!

While figuring out gifts in general can be a challenge, one of the categories I struggle with the most is white elephant gifts.

It’s hard to find a great white elephant gift that is out-of-the-ordinary and maybe funny but also not too much money.

And also appropriate. Searches for funny white elephant gift ideas often bring up results that are PG-13 or R-rated.

So I did some searching and put together a list of the best white elephant gifts for $20 or less that are fun and will be a hit at any gift exchange!

Office fun

How fun is this desktop wacky waving inflatable guy?

If you’re stuck at the office, you might as well have some fun on your break or if you’re on a long call. Enter desktop mini games like this desktop tetherball or desktop basketball game.

It’s a little gross, but this nose pencil sharpener works, could come in handy and is sure to make everyone at the gift exchange giggle. This pencil sharpener is one of the best gag gifts you’ll find!

Maybe it’s because I’m a writer, but I don’t feel like you can ever really have enough notepads. I love the fun of this adulting notepad that also allows you to mark off important adult things you’ve done for the day like taking a vitamin or wearing pants.

And sometimes you just need a sticker for doing serious adult living. This is one of the best gifts that everyone will appreciate!

If you’re going to have to cut things, you might as well do so with toucan scissors! This also works well for a secret Santa gift.

This adorable little Groot flower pot works for a plant, as a pencil holder or whatever else. It’s so stinking cute that it would be in demand at your next white elephant exchange!

Funny books

I am a sucker for a good punny joke, which means this book of dad jokes would be something I’d legitimately find amusing — and I’m guessing I’m not alone. It’d be a perfect white elephant gift!

This book of useless information is one of those funny gifts that would be interesting plus be sure to spark some conversation!

Having a worst case scenario handbook sounds like a joke, but it could actually be a practical gift. You never know!

Sometimes you just have to have a good insult in Shakespearean style and this book provides a great way to do so!

Fun socks

Novelty socks are always good for some laughs to any white elephant party.

I’ve seen socks that say “If you can read this, bring me…” But, I’ve not seen a pair that ended with “tacos” until now! There are other options, too, like coffee ($5.99), doughnuts (7.99) and bacon ($7.99).

You can’t beat these socks that look like you’re wearing sandals with socks! We all know someone for whom this would be the perfect gift.

Golden Girls socks?! I’m not sure these are white elephant because they are just pretty stinking awesome! Beyond being a good white elephant gift, these socks may just be the perfect present for someone on your shopping list!

A tad bit pricier at $19.99, these set of sushi socks are the perfect quirky gift.

Fun home products

This bed-shaped sponge holder makes me grin every time I see it. It’s a silly, fun and useful gift!

For a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor, consider this cereal killer spoon. It’s a fun way to add some humor to your mornings.

Fun ice cube trays can also be some of the best white elephant gift ideas. These two options were my favorites: dogs and the United States.

Dishwasher magnets that tell you whether your dishes are clean or dirty can be a great gift like this one featuring Star Wars.

Or check out this cute open and closed dishwasher sign magnet as a great addition for your party.

I like tabletop vacuum. We have a plain one that we use all the time. But this cow tabletop vacuum cracks me up and this definitely falls into the fun white elephant gifts category.

Cactus-shaped tea light candles are pretty interesting and come in different styles to pick from. It’s an adorable gift set!

Staying with the cactus theme, check out these fun cactus shaped dryer balls. The best part is this is something anyone can use, because we all do laundry!

Funny mugs

Yep. A coffee mug is technically a home product. But with so many different funny ones they needed their own category! Here are all of my favorites:

Misc. fun stuff

And then there were a few other finds that I had to include for white elephant gift ideas like this bacon flavored lip balm. I’m quite intrigued!

My son would totally love if I came home from a white elephant gift exchange with this Ninjabread cookie mix.

This basket head game could be the next family game or opened and played at your white elephant gift exchange party.

Even non-artistic folks (like me!) can handle paint by numbers, right? This adorable Bob Ross paint by number kit comes with everything needed to make tiny masterpieces.

Looking for more Christmas ideas? Check out these posts!