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It’s the season of giving!! One of my favorite things about this time of year is being able to give back to those in my life who give so much all year long. This year I wanted to make sure to take some time to really give some Extra special gifts to an extra special person in my life–my mom!
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The lights, the music, the presents, the traditions, the recipes!!!
The mess, the chaos, the lines, the noise, the stress!!!
While you know how much I loooove Christmas and all the wonderful things it brings, some years it can be as stressful as it is joyful! That’s why this holiday season in addition to focusing on great gift ideas, gorgeous looks, fun new traditions, and delicious recipes for you to add to your plate; I’ve also decided to dedicate a few posts to getting help from your kids, de-stressing, and how to have fun with your spouse!
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I’ve mentioned before how difficult the guys in my life are to shop for! They’re the kind who when they want something, they go out and buy it! So when the time of year rolls around I have the women bought for months in advance and I’m still scratching my heads as to what I should get the guys!
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I have to admit–one of my very parts of the holidays is the baking! Ever since I was a little girl I looked forward to making our classic holiday favorite recipes! One staple that we had to make every year was our 7 Layer Cookie Bars, it honestly wouldn’t feel like the holidays if we didn’t make these and Fantasy Fudge every year! These are also just perfect for giving out on cookie platters as gifts–so you might want to pick up enough ingredients for multiple batches!
Legalese Nonsense: Since Amber is currently loving all things gloss & sparkles I knew that YOYO Lipglosses would be a perfect fit for me! All Santa hats, sparklingly pictures, and cute daughters are my own.
Hopefully by now you have a pretty good idea for your main gifts, but it seems like no matter how prepared I am I always need just a few more things to fill up the stockings! When I came across these darling rhinestone YoYo Lipgloss from Justice I knew that they’d be the perfect thing for Amber this year!
One gift that is easy to forget until the last minute is a gift for your children’s teacher! You want to get something that is sweet, practical, won’t break the bank, and will also stand out in a sea of cookies & DIY gifts.
My favorite gifts for teachers are green & consumable, but also a little something that they will be able to look at and remember your child by. I think that I hit upon the perfect gift for Amber’s teacher this year–so I’m sure excited to share it with you! I like that it’s a twist on classic stand-by gifts that are popular for a reason!
If you’re running late or the time to give your teacher a gift has passed never fear! This would make a perfect New Year Gift (they wouldn’t mind you being late, I promise!) or would be perfect for a teacher’s birthday, or make a great End of the Year Teacher Gift!
So as you all know I like to be super organized and have things planned out well in advance. However this year thanks to how sick I got in September-October and the four jobs I work that I just told you about, well let’s just say I’m scrambling a bit this December! Something was going to be missed, and this year it’s been Christmas Cards!
Thankfully Cardstore.com was created for people like me! Cardstore removes the hassle from holiday cards by printing, addressing and sending them out for you, AND you get to include your own personalized message. So don’t allow being crazy to keep you from this sweet tradition-log on and create your personalized cards today, I love their huge selection including this favorite one I chose with a fun Bible verse on it!
Yes–that’s right! This is the kick off post to my Christmas Gift Guide!
Now, now–before you start hurling rotten tomatoes at me and shouting the virtues of Thanksgiving hear me out! I agree–the Christmas trees up in the mall already *are* a bit much. But when it comes to shopping–well I’ve been Christmas shopping since February!! If you were around last year you’ll know I believe in shopping early and staying organized, and then using the month of December for traditions and family — not fighting the crowds and focusing on the material! Every year I try to have ALL my Christmas gifts bought and shipped by December 1st–I’m nearly there!
So with that disclosure I’m super excited to bring you ….
First off I will preface this post with the fact that NO — contrary to what you seeing me with a baby swing that holds infants up to 30 lbs. might lead you to believe — there will be NO big, exciting announcements from me concerning the expansion of our family at any point within the next-couple-of-years future! (unless you all know something I don’t?!) *However* I know that most of you do have babies, will also at some point in the next-few-years future have one, or know someone who is pregnant right now. I seems like every time I turn around another friend or family member is announcing their pregnancy, so there is a lot of use for the Graco Little Lounger in my life and I knew there would be in yours as well!
**Repost from 12/28/2011 Too funny not to share again–now that we’re staying with my Mom-in-Law jokes about this cow get thrown around often!!!
Update from 12/22/2015–I was not crazy, this toy made #4 on the worst toys for kids list***
I have always considered myself extremely lucky when it came to the set of in-laws that I am blessed with. I mean–when I announced to my MOPs table last year that I would be spending a month with them in Texas after my husband left the whole table got strangely quiet and looked at me as if I’d grown a second head or something. I just smiled and explained that my in-laws were fabulous and adored me.
This Christmas morning the kiddos were completely spoiled very blessed with the amount of toys Grandma and Grandpa sent them. These included everything from much needed clothes to bow holders and bows to the typical loud annoying plastic “payback for everything my son did to me while he was growing up” toys.
There was one particular toy that stood out among the rest–The Obnoxious Cow. This toy went beyond payback and into some other realm entirely. When you first glance at it you see a cute–if not a little crazed looking stuffed animal. Upon pressing the red circle on it’s hand the thing transforms. All of a sudden it starts this shrieking ear piercing Moo type noise…..to be shortly follow by the whole body convulsing as the shriek increases and it goes into hysterics.
Of course the kids thought it was beyond hilarious and kept pushing the hand over…and over….and over…and over
and over
and over
aannnddd ooovvveeerrrrr
I very quickly began to question my in-laws professed admiration of me. Maybe the month together on the way back across the country didn’t go as well as I had thought? In any event a mommy has got to do what a mommy has got to do.
Somehow, mysteriously and tragically the Obnoxious Cow got sick and lost his voice. The kids are hoping for a full recovery soon–while Mommy chuckles. I got the last laugh!
Have you ever received a crazy obnoxious or hilarious Christmas present? Let me know in the comments!