This post is sponsored by Crest, but all opinions are 100% my own.

It's almost Christmas . . .  the weather outside is frightful, the fire is so delightful, and I'm finally starting to wrap up all my gift shopping. (WHEW!)   The only thing I still need to take care of is picking up stocking stuffers for the family.

This is honestly one of my FAVORITE shopping tasks because I get to pick out whatever I want!  I don't have to go off anybody's Amazon Wish List or hunt down a deal on a Patagonia Coat or a video game console.  When it comes to stocking stuffers – anything goes!  Mom gets to be in charge!

This year I've partnered with Crest to bring you a little inspiration as you head out to shop for stocking stuffers.  Here's a list of great gift ideas that span almost any age – and balance the sweets out with some non-sugary treats 🙂

Stocking Stuffer Gift Guide

Candy and Snacks

Their favorite candies and sweets are a MUST in my kids' stockings.  But also – bags of chips are great because you get maimum stuffing without the weight.

Fun Little Books

Mad Libs, Riddles or Joke Books  are great – but word searches and journals also make a nice stocking stuffer!

These are especially good if you have a long car ride home from Grandma's….

Beauty Products

I like to give Lip Balms and Nail Polishes (both really inexpensive) but also sometimes nicer items that I've received in my FabFitFun boxes!

Cards/Dice

Another great way to keep the kids busy over Christmas Break – some great card games here!

Socks

Fuzzy Socks, Crazy Socks, or just normal socks – kids don't get excited about socks as a present, but as a stocking stuffer they're perfect.

Inexpensive DVDs

You can get ALL OF THESE for under $4 at Walmart!

Pens or Markers

Especially “special” pens you wouldn't normally buy the kids.  I know I'll be using these for sure!

Pop Sockets

These are great for holding up your phone or getting a good grip for selfies 😉

Toothpaste/Toothbrush

Finally – something I always ALWAYS include in my kids stockings is new toothbrush and toothpaste.  They need it to counteract all the Christmas cookies and candy!

Our family's favorite toothpaste is Crest Pro-Health Advanced Whitening Power.  It is the one the girls will steal out of my bathroom when I'm not looking, so I'm getting them their own 😉

Did you know… Crest Pro-Health Advantage Whitening Power is the ONLY toothpaste accepted by the American Dental Association to treat all 7 attributes: Plaque, Gingivitis, Cavities, Sensitivity, Tartar, Whitening, Freshens Breath, and Fights Plaque and Gingivitis/Strengthens Enamel. (WOW!)

Right now at Sam's you can get a great deal on Crest Pro-Health toothpaste!  Shannon was in Sam's earlier this week and spotted this HOT deal:

Crest Pro-Health Advanced Toothpaste 5pk – $13.98
– $2 Instant Savings (good through 12/24)
Makes it only $11.98 for FIVE BIG 6.3 oz tubes!

I'd love to hear what kinds of stocking stuffers you love to shop for – leave us a comment and let us know!

This post is sponsored by Crest, but all opinions are 100% my own.

It's almost Halloween . . .  the weather is getting chilly, the leaves are starting to change, and if you're anything like me, you're probably buying way too much candy so you can end up with a few leftovers.  😉   (I know I'm not alone here.  Check the stat at the bottom of this post!)

This season is just so fun –  it's beautiful outside, and the kids get to go crazy playing dress up…    

My kids favorite Halloween activity of course is Trunk-or-Treat at our church, where oodles of trunks fill up with some seriously amazing decorations as well as candy a full ten days before the big day, so of course, my kids fill up with oodles of candy too.)

(Here's the trunk my hubby created a few years ago for Trunk-tober ~ it was pretty incredible and almost blew away in the wind!)

Now, if you've been a regular around here at PPP for long, you know that I have a serious chocolate addiction, so as soon as chocolate season begins (ahem, the fall season . . . ),  I look for ways to secretly sneak just a wee bit of candy from my kids tricks and treats.  (Since they've hung around here for a few years they' know there's no hope that they'll keep all the candy to themselves. ) 🙂

But all those (yummy!) sugary sweets can do some serious damage, and that's where Crest comes in!

While we can't always eat all the sugar 🙂 on special occasions like Halloween those treats are a fun little splurge, as long as you take the time to brush away the evidence 😉

Thankfully Crest is on hand to protect your family's teeth after all that Halloween candy.

I've partnered with Crest this year to remind you to brush away sugary side effects of Halloween. 

Brushing is SO IMPORTANT in keeping your teeth cavity-free and your gums healthy.  My favorite Crest toothpaste is Crest 3D White ~ it makes my whole mouth feel SO CLEAN, and I absolutely love the Crest 3D Whitestrips too!

While lightening up on the sugar is always the best choice, it would be awfully hard to make Halloween completely healthy.

(Although- it looks like Crest tricked some kids into thinking they did in this cute prank video!) 

So, brushing before bedtime can take some of the stress over the mini sugar-binge that might happen on Halloween!

Here are a few fun Halloween statistics from Crest Candy Confessions:

• Most people (73%) purposefully buy more Halloween candy than they need for trick-or-treaters so they can eat the extra (HA!)
• 44% of parents admit to eating MORE of their kids' Halloween Candy than they do themselves (oh my word!)

I don't think I'm that bad… but maybe there have been one or two instances….

Leftover Halloween Candy Ideas:

If you find yourself with leftover Halloween candy, here are some ideas for what to do with it:

• Add hard candies to your Operation Shoebox Christmas Boxes
• Donate candy to the troops overseas
• Take candy to your dentist's buy back program and let them donate it for you
• Save your candy to donate to your children's church or school teachers for special rewards

Leftover Candy Recipes

If you save your candy in a Ziploc bag – you can use it later on when making cookies or other holiday goodies!  These are my favorite leftover candy recipes – I'd love to hear some of yours in the comments as well!