This is the pleading I hear from my 6 year old on an almost daily basis. Her collection. A collection of things the girl refuses to part with. And her collection is starting to concern me.

Abbi has always been sentimental. She has an amazing memory and recall events that happened when she was quite little. Things that I probably would have forgotten about, if it weren’t for her bringing them back up.  She remembers. She wants to remember. And she thinks keeping tangible items will help her to remember EVERYTHING!

At first I wasn’t too worried about her wanting to hang on to pictures that she colored or drew. She was proud of them. It didn’t really hurt to let her stash them away in one of the art drawers with her coloring books. And, honestly, after a few weeks, when she wasn’t looking, I would clean out that drawer and purge it of a few dozen pictures. She never asked about them and just continued to add her latest artwork. It was a good system.

But somewhere along time something changed. Her need to hold on to pictures transitioned into objects.

It all came about one day when I found a handful of broken toys or toys that were missing pieces stashed away in her bedroom. I asked her what they were doing in her room and she said she wanted to keep them. She didn’t want me to throw them away. I explained to her that they were broken and that she had a freaking ton (possibly didn’t use the word freaking) of toys yet to play with. She didn’t care. She wanted these because they meant something to her. Mind you, these are cheap plastic toys from McDonalds or dollar-store Barbies who have permanently lost a limb. So, we compromised. I let her keep two and we would throw the rest away. She agreed. And then cried, viciously.

Then there was the Dog Groomer Incident…

Jasper (our boxer) broke the clip on his collar while at the groomer one day. The owner of the place felt horrible and offered us a new collar. Awesome! He tossed the old, broken collar in the garbage. Abbi promptly marched over to the trash can and grabbed the old collar. I want to keep it!  And then the tears started to flow when Tim asked her to put it back in the trash. Now the broken collar sits downstairs in Abbi’s bedroom.

The incident with the cars…

Abbi was beside herself when we had to get rid of our old mini-van (I totaled it the Summer of 2010). But she had no choice to let it go because, I don’t care how many tears fall, we were not keeping that thing. Then, earlier this month, we sold Tim’s Honda Civic. Insert crying, sobbing Abbi as this gentleman tried to get into the car to drive it away. Sobbing. HE CAN’T HAVE MY CAR! When he returned the license plate from the car the next day, Abbi quickly snatched it up and took it to her collection downstairs.

The boots…

Abbi’s winter boots have begun to crack and are now missing quarter size pieces of the rubber, leaving the liner exposed. Obviously this is a problem because the holes are not going to keep out the snow and rain from soaking her little feet. No big deal because we have another pair that she can wear. Yay! Oh, wait, yes this is a big deal because someone doesn’t want to get rid of those boots. She needs to add them to her collection. WHAT? Mom, please don’t throw them out!!!!

I could go on and on with examples.

This week when I was getting stuff (baby clothes, toys, etc) ready to take to our church consignment sale, I had to sneak them out to the car so Abbi wouldn’t see them. Otherwise, it would have been a battle and I would have had to explain and justify why I was getting rid of each thing.

She just can’t bear to part with anything and doesn’t think any of us should either.

I think I have a hoarder in the making on my hands.

Yes, I know some kids just become emotionally attached to things. But when do you cross the line between acceptable attachment and hoarding?

Seriously! The more time that goes by, the more worried I actually get about this.

What do you guys think? Did your child go through something like this?

*image source

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While I am a complete proponent of letting celebrities keep their personal lives personal, there seems to be a bit of a disconnect here because of the style of cooking (and eating) she promotes. It’s like a vegan telling me how delicious this rack of lamb is. And Paula’s lack of announcing her diabetes diagnosis three years ago has a lot of fans, health professionals, diabetics and pretty much everyone else up in arms. 

I guess I don’t really care that Paula Deen was still singing the praises of butter and bacon even after her diabetes diagnosis. I guess it’s because I understand that eating that stuff all the time can cause things like diabetes or my clothes mysteriously shrinking. I’m not depending on Paula Deen to tell me what is healthy and what is not.

photo source

What I am frustrated about is the aftermath. The way it’s all playing out.

Now, I’m not naive enough to believe that this would make Paula Deen do a 180, abandon the butter and give us a killer recipe for rice cakes. The butter, the bacon, the mouth-watering goes straight to your hips recipes are what she’s known for. It’s why people turn in to her show. Yes, she could  have been using her fame and the power of her empire to bring light to diabetes for the past 3 years but at least she’s trying to do that now. I can’t condemn her for not doing that these past 3 years.

No, what I’m frustrated about is how she has now become the Face of the American Way.

Think about it. We eat horrible food (processed foods, fast-food, food with ingredients that we can’t even pronounce). Then we get sick (colds, obesity, diabetes, cancer, etc.). Thankfully, these lovely little pharmaceutical companies and doctors offer us a solution to our ailment (pills, treatments, surgeries). And we don’t even have to change our way of life! These solutions from the companies and docs will return us to our sub-par way of living life just long enough to make us forget why we weren’t feeling well and just in time to get sick, again. And the cycle continues.

This is what has happened with Paula Deen. I’m speculating here but I would guess she might have sampled many of the dishes she prepared for her show or otherwise. And it’s no secret that eating high fat/high carb dishes on a regular basis isn’t the best idea. Then she developed Type 2 Diabetes. Now she is working with a pharmaceutical company as the spokesperson or face or whatever for a drug that supposedly provides relieve for diabetics.

And to do what? To continue on eating the same foods?

It’s the American Way. We don’t want true solutions. We want band-aid fixes. True solutions might require us to actually change something about our behavior. Change what it is that is actually causing the problem we are trying to fix. And we don’t like change.

I’m sad that Paula Deen is turning toward this new drug. Not when she could be an advocate for controlling your diabetes with diet and exercise. Yes, she could continue to show us those sinfully delicious recipes with all that butter and bacon but then also offer alternatives to the recipes. A low-cal twist on some of her famous dishes. Or be a spokesperson for moderation. I really believe that with a kick-ass team of doctors, dietitians, and marketing gurus, should could have turned this Diabetes diagnosis around to be something awesome.

I hope she can do some of that with her new site. But I really, really wish she would have kept her integrity out of the pharmaceutical-company-clutches.

What do you think? How do you feel about Paula Deen hiding her diabetes and endorsing this Diabetes relief drug? 

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And, while I could focus on all those things that suck, I thought I would maybe shed some light on the other side. The positive parts of solo-parenting. Yes, I’m aware that this will be a short post.

Remote Control Czar

You can watch whatever you want. Sappy Hallmark movies. Overly dramatic and often sickening episodes of The Bachelor. Endless re-runs of Law and Order. And there is no judging! Once you put those kids to bed, that tv is yours. All yours! And you can get up and pee during the show! You don’t have to wait until commercial!!! Speaking of bathroom trips…

Peeing with the door open

We don’t pee with the door open in our house. Well, the adults don’t. Except when the spouse is away! That’s right, I’ve been peeing with the door open all week. {Was that too much?}

Pajamas. At noon.

It takes everything I have not to stay in pjs or comfy clothes all day. Especially in the winter. I like to be comfy. With the husband gone I know what my entire day will look like. I know if we’ll be leaving the house in the evening. So, if I don’t feel like leaving after getting the girls from school at noon, then there is no reason why I can’t throw on the pj pants and sweatshirt. And it is fabulous! I save my most unflattering clothes for times like these because they exude comfort!

The mess is mine.

Probably the best {which seems weird to say} part about begin stuck home by myself with the kids all week is that at the end of the day, after the kids are tucked in, the mess that remains around the house is my responsibility. No matter who actually made the mess, the responsibility of whether it is picked up or left for another day is all mine. I can’t pass the buck. Which is actually somewhat of a relief. There is none of this unsaid irritation of “Is he expecting me to pick up the kids’ clothes that are all over the bathroom floor while he checks Twitter?” {Not that that ever happens here. Purely hypothetical.}

Sleeping diagonally.

Not that it’s really necessary. But there is something about sleeping diagonally in my bed. Sadly the dog also likes this idea and has grown accustomed to taking up as much space as possible in the bed while he can.

See, this solo-parenting thing isn’t so bad.

Nope. that’s a lie. It still sucks. But, the one thing I do realize, whether I’m solo-parneting for a few days or for a week that feels like it is never going to end, is that I’m so thankful that I am only solo-parenting and not single-parenting. I realize how much my husband does. How he keeps me sane. How the mere knowledge that he will be walking through that door at 6pm can keep me going through even the treacherous of afternoons. If I’m going to be crawling through the trenches of parenting, I’m glad he’s there with me most days!

Also? He will be getting a little taste of the ‘Ups’ of solo-parenting in a few weeks. And he’s kind of awesome for doing it!

This post is liked up at The Diaper Diaries’ Things I Love Thursday

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Her: Ok.

Bathroom door shuts. Thirty seconds later, the door opens and she strolls out.

Me: Abbi, did you wash your hands and face?

Her: Yup!

{Seriously? Are we really doing this again?}

Me: Come here. Abbi, you still have sticky hands and food on your face. Go back. This time, actually WASH your hands and face. With water. And soap.

Her: UGH! Fiiiine.

———————————————————

Me: Excuse me girls, who used the bathroom last?

Her: I did.

Me:  Then you should probably flush the toilet, Abbi. Also, did you wipe? 

Her: Ugh! No.

Me: ABIGAIL! You have to wipe your butt. Every. Single. Time! 

Her: FINE! I will! {stomp, stomp, stomp}

Me: Well, it’s a little late now. You need to WIPE right after going pee! And then FLUSH THE TOILET!!!

Flush.

——————————————————–

Crying. Wailing. More crying.

Her Sister: MOM! Abbi just bit my finger!!!

Her: No I didn’t!

Her Sister: YES SHE DID!

Me: Abigail, did you bite your sister?

Silence.

Me: Abigail….did you bite your sister’s finger? Answer me.

Her: Yes. But…

Me: No “buts”! Why on earth did you bite your sister’s finger?

Her: Because she put it by my mouth.

Me: I don’t care! You don’t bite your sister. Ever. You ask her to move her finger. You don’t BITE IT!

Her: Oh. Sorry, Zoe.

————————————————–

I think the girl is testing my breaking point these days. The trying thing is that these conversations happen multiple times a day. Well, she’s not actually biting her sister multiple times a day but you can substitute that with hiding her sister’s toys, taking away her sister’s toys, not picking up her own stuff, and on and on.

There are days that I just shake my head in disbelief that we continue to have the same conversations. And then, truth be told, there are days that I’m so close to my breaking point that it’s not even funny.

And look at that….I have to hit ‘publish’ now because some is yelling at her little sister.

Breaking point, people. Breaking point.

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Sometimes it’s rescheduling an upcoming appointment: I’m so sorry Stacey, it looks like doctor is going to be out of the office on that date now. Ok, I understand. Seminars come up. Awesome vacation deals are hard to pass up. No problem. Let’s reschedule.

Sometimes it’s an immediate appointment that needs to be rescheduled: Dr. Blah-blah has an emergency at the hospital or So&So is home sick today so we’ll have to reschedule your appointment for today. Hmmm. This one is still understandable. Things come up.

The problem? Rescheduling is not that easy for me. Shoot, scheduling appointments in general is just not easy. As a stay-at-home mom of three little ones, I have to take them (the kids) into consideration when scheduling appointments. And how it will affect my sanity at the end of the day.

Here are my options when scheduling an appointment:

Option 1: Hire a babysitter during appointments. While this is the most ideal situation, it is also the most unlikely to happen. My regular sitters are students and not readily available during the day. My in-laws are gracious enough to take the kids if they are available but that means scheduling my appointments around their schedule (which I’m so willing to do) and they are gone for several months during the winter. I don’t really have other family available and, while I know some friends would be willing to take the kids, I hate bothering them and adding to their ‘kid-load’ during the day.

I reserve Option 1 for when I need to go to appointments where I refuse to take kids….the gynecologist.

Option 2: Take the kids with me. This is the one that wins out the most. I try to schedule doctor appointments {mostly my chiropractor and the kids’ appointments} when I only have one or two of the kids with me and the other(s) are in school. Regardless, taking any or all of my kids with me to appointments like the chiropractor is so stressful. It’s amazing how they turn into little monsters the minute we walk through those office doors! I leave so stressed out that I end up counteracting all of the adjustments my chiropractor just did. Yes, it’s that bad.

Option 3: Schedule appointments for when the husband is home. I take this option whenever possible. The problem is that I’m limited to late evening/night appointments or Saturdays. While this works for hair appointments, some work stuff, or coffee with a friend, sadly my eye doctor, dentist, and chiropractor do not schedule after 6pm.

I just don’t think those office assistants understand how hard it is when they ask me to reschedule. And then when it takes us fifteen minutes to find an appointment that will actually work for me.

I can’t just take an afternoon off to come to an appointment. I can’t just come to work a few minutes late or take a long lunch.

And I love when the office assistant says to me, Well you can just bring the kids with you. We’re a kid-friendly office. I’m sure it would be fine. Umm, hell to the no! I’m not bringing my kids to my gyno check-up! There are certain things a 3 year old does not need to see! And, unless the hygienist wants to stop working every 20 seconds so I can sit-up and tell my kids to stop bickering with each other, the dentist office probably isn’t the best place to take them either.

I don’t know if people realize this about stay-at-home moms. That we don’t have this amazingly free schedule to do whatever when like, when we like. That we have to work around meals and naps, school and bedtimes. That while, yes, we can take our kids to appointments with us, it is not healthy for anyone involved.

My other frustration {and you thought I was done} is that lovely little sign at the doctor office that reads: Appointments cancelled less than 24 hours in advance may result in service charge. Really? So should I be submitting bills for those who have had to cancel on me? If that were the case, I would have gotten free check-ups all through my pregnancy with Talon!

How do you handle getting rescheduled? Does it happen to you often?

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So, what do you do to keep your kids busy on snow days? 

See, the problem with snow days is that my kids need that school time. They need that time away from the house. Away from each other. With other kids. With structured learning and activities. When that is taken away and they are stuck here with me…heaven help us! It’s not a pretty site. At least not after 10am.

To ensure we all make it out of that snow day safely, I need to be prepared! Knowing that outdoor play will only last so long, if at all, I need to be ready with some indoor activities. And some quiet indoor activities {baby needs to nap} that can use their creativity!

With this in mind, I was very intrigued when I received some information about Moon Dough. We had never tried Moon Dough and with some good reasons {or so I thought}. First, I hate playdoh. Yup, I said it. I hate it. Hate the smell. Hate how it always seems to dry out a day after unsealing the container. Hate the smell. Hate that it gets all over the place and I have yet to find a way to actually clean it up. I cringed when my mom bought my oldest playdoh for the first time. Have I mentioned how much I dislike the smell of that stuff? So, I was a bit concerned that this Moon Dough would be another form of playdoh.

Moving on. I was also worried that the Moon Dough would just dry out a day after cracking it open. And that it would become this dry, crumbly stuff that ends up all over my floor. {Yes, I understand that I’m sounding like a bit of a control freak here.}

But, alas, we tried it. We cracked open this cute little Breakfast Set of Moon Dough {my girls love breakfast} and gave it a shot.

And, knowing they would, my girls LOVED it! They made me numerous breakfasts and even some for their dolls. Then they created they some other *creatures*. I really have no idea what they were but they thought they were awesome and were having fun. And being quiet. And being creative!

But, what about all my concerns?

Smell?  No smell! Oh, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU Moon Dough!

Drying Out?  After a few months, this stuff is still going strong. No matter how many times they play with it or how many items they create, this stuff still says soft and pliable. I have ours stored in little zip lock bags and it’s the same consistency as it was the day we opened the packages!

Mess? We still ended up with Moon Dough on the floor. But the nice thing is that it easily cleaned up off the table and wood floor. Wiping it away or sweeping it up was no problem.

Other stuff I liked… While I tried to get the girls to keep the colors separate, that never happened. So we ended up with some *new* colors and they actually look really nice! And, while the dough does not dry out, it still manages to stay together to create different items or structures. It doesn’t just fall apart when you move your creation.

I’m really glad we have Moon Dough to add to our list of “Let’s keep Mommy sane on Snow Days”! And, to spice things up as we anticipate Teacher Inservice Day and Spring Vacation {at home}, I’m looking forward to picking up another play pack like the Ice Cream, Magic Zoo, or Grocery Store!

You can learn more about Moon Dough and their products at MoonDough.com or on their Facebook Page.

What activities do you keep on hand for Snow Days or other days off from school? Have you ever tried Moon Dough? 

This post was written in part of a campaign with Child’s Play Communications. Compensation and/or complimentary product was received but does not affect the opinions stated here. 

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This year, we are adding to our Nativity by creating some shepherds and sheep. Specifically we are creating 2 of each because Zoe is old enough to participate. Let’s get started!

Here is what you’ll need:

Making the Shepherds:

Step 1: Paint the wooden figures

We used preformed figures this time but you can always use the wooden flower pots & beads like we did with Mary & Joseph. Just follow those directions. Either way, use whatever color paint you like and color the bodies of your shepherds. This helps give them a little personal touch from the kids.

Step 2: Add a face

After your figures have dried, use a black Sharpie to add eyes and a red Sharpie to add a mouth. Zoe got a little paint on the head of her figure, so we just embraced that and her Shepherd now has a beard!

Step 3: Dress them

We used felt to create a head scarf for our shepherds, but any scrap of cloth would do. Simply cut the felt/cloth into a small square, add a bead of hot glue to the top of the shepherd’s head (like a headband), and drape the cut felt over the top of the shepherd’s head so it adheres with the hot glue. Gather the felt behind the shepherd’s body and use the hot glue to glue it down. Hint: I folded mine kind of like you’re folding the ends of wrapping a present. Trim away any excess fabric. Use a pipe cleaner to make the little headband portion of the head scarf (we attached ours with hot glue).

Step 4: Create a staff

Using pipe cleaner, simply bend the end over to resemble a shepherd’s staff and cut to the appropriate length. I hot glued our staffs to the shepherds’ bodies.

Making the Sheep:

Step 1: Assemble the sheep

Hot glue the wooden bead/ball to what would normally be the bottom of the small wooden pot. Our beads had holes in them so we attached the bead so one of the holes would be pointing away from the pot (to be used as the mouth). Turn the pot onto it’s side and attach the small wooden discs to the (now) bottom of the pot with hot glue. These will serve as feet so your sheep doesn’t go rolling around. We used 2 discs on each sheep (one front and one back) but yours will depend on how big your pot is and how big your discs are. You won’t really see these after we’re done, they are just for stabilizing it as it sits on the shelf.

Step 2: Add wool

Using a sponge or paint brush, cover the body of your sheep with Elmer’s glue. Then use slightly stretched out cotton balls and cover your sheep’s body.

Step 3: Add a face

Create some eyes and ears on your sheep using a black Sharpie. You can get even more creative and use some other material to make ears but we were good with drawing ours on.

That’s it! Now you have  a Shepherd and sheep to go along with your Nativity scene!

I’m glad we did something a little different this time. I like the idea of making them a little different than our Mary & Joseph.

Next year we will be adding our Wise Men and then, if I can convince my kids that crafting with mom is still fun, we’ll create a little crèche similar to this and an angel the following year.

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I’ve worn Talon the most out of all three kids. Partly because I’m trying to do stuff and keep up with the older kids, but mostly because he’s a snuggler. And he likes his mama’s arms. So, often times during the week, I’m putting on one of our carriers or wraps. And he’s happy as can be!

This has been especially true during the Holidays. When he wasn’t feeling well right around Thanksgiving, wrapped him up and he stay snuggled into me as we went about our daily activities. When we were writing ‘thank-you’ cards after Abbi’s birthday, he watched from the front-pack. And, now that we’re trying to get all of our last minute Christmas stuff done, he’s once again being worn. He loves it. I love it. Yay for the double win!

The past few weeks we have been trying out the new Sync™ from Infantino.

It’s a lot like the traditional wraps we’ve all known and loved. However, Infantino has something new on theirs! At least, new to me. Instead of having to wrap the carrier around your waist, the Sync features a lumbar belt that actually clips together! This is cool people. You can set the lumbar belt to your size and comfort but then still use the rest of the Sync as a traditional wrap to carry your baby in different positions.

The lumbar belt also gives you more back support and I felt like it gave me a more secure spot to hold baby. I felt like I was constantly trying to adjust how the other wraps fit around my waist as time went on carrying the baby. But this one stays put. And is very comfortable.

I’ve been using the Sync in the hip hugging position and it has been great for holding Talon as I help the girls with some Christmas crafts and cards.  Sorry, I wasn’t able to snap any pictures though. The husband frowns upon me using the camera when my hands are full of glue and glitter. I know, I know! I try to tell him it’s all in the name of blogging, but he doesn’t quite buy that {hee hee, hi honey!}.

I’m really looking forward to trying the backpack carry with the Sync as soon as Talon gets a little bigger {and understands that pulling mommy’s hair is not a game}.

The Sync™ is designed for babies/toddlers 8-36lbs and currently comes in one fabric design {which I actually really like}. It is priced at $39.99. But here’s the biggest “YAY” feature for me…the Sync is machine washable! And when I say it’s machine washable, I mean toss that sucker in and it still comes out the same size (no shrinking) and looking nice! I actually tested this feature out the other day when I was wearing Talon while he wasn’t feeling well. Let’s just say that the Sync can hold in more than just baby and cleans up very nicely. Now, if it could only erase that moment from my mind! {ewww!}

You can learn more about the Sync at Infantino.com.

Do/did you wear your baby? 

I am a participant in a Mom Central Consulting campaign for Infantino and have received various Infantino products as part of my participation.

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The girls loved chatting it up with Santa. Talking about his workshop and Mrs. Clause.

Conversing with each other about what they wanted for Christmas.

This was Talon’s first experience with Santa. His first reaction reminds me so much of this picture of Abbi’s first Santa visit.

And then he decided that this man in a the red suit was just not for him.

But, did you notice Talon’s outfit? This is the outfit I purchased from Cookie’s Kids! Isn’t he a ham? LOVE IT!

Here is also a photo set of the kids with Santa each year.

Do you take your kids to see Santa? Do you battle the lines at the mall or find a small shop somewhere? I know some friends do this whole Santa Train thing, which sounds AWESOME! I’d love to hear your Santa traditions or your Santa memories!!!

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My girls love books. And they love stories about Christmas! Matter of fact, our books about Christmas stay on their book shelf all year long and often times get read in the middle of the summer, as well this time of year.

Their very favorite story is the Christmas Story, the story of Jesus’ birth. I love that they want to hear it over and over again. That they know it almost by heart!

Their next favorite books/stories are those that have a tangible character. Typical for their ages, I think, they can connect to a story if they can see and feel one of the characters. For example, last year Santa brought them each a plush moose (a boy and a girl) and a book that featured the brother and sister moose in a story about Christmas. They love holding on to their moose as we read that book! And it remains one of their favorites!

This year, Santa will be bringing them another story and plush character! This year he will bring them the lovable Jingle!

Jingle is an Interactive Story Buddy from Hallmark. He is a snuggly husky who comes with his very own book, Jingle All The Way. When you read key words in the book, Jingle will respond with a little bark or ruff! How stinkin’ cute is that? My girls are going to FLIP!

I had no idea that Hallmark even made these Story Buddies! I knew they had the Recordable Storybooks, which looked pretty cool, but these {for my girls} are unbelievably awesome. See, there are more Story Buddies than just Jingle. Don’t get me wrong, Jingle is pretty cute and will definitely be loved in this house. But I love that there are other characters as well!

A bear (coming soon), a monster named Bigsby {love him}, a raccoon, and a bunny named Abigail! Seriously? I would totally get Abbi the bunny but then there’s the whole jealousy thing with her sister. Zoe wouldn’t understand why she couldn’t have a bunny named Zoe. Oh the woes of childhood.

I would like to get Cooper as soon as he’s available though for Talon!

Ahh, I digress. Let’s get back to the Christmas books. I’m really excited for the girls to meet their new little buddies, Jingle, this Christmas. I know they are going to love him and how he interacts with them as we read the story!

Oh, and you can also download a FREE iPad or iPhone app for each one of these Interactive Story Buddy characters! Giving you even more games, stories, and activities for your little one to enjoy with their new favorite character!!!! You can even record your voice or your child’s voice reading the story. And did you get that part about them being free? Just making sure!

Guess what…Hallmark is generously giving me another Interactive Story Buddy to giveaway to one of you! Yay!

the giveaway…

One person will have their choice of an Interactive Story Buddy from Hallmark.

to enter…

To enter, simply answer this question: Does your family have a Christmas Tradition around books? Do you have a certain story that you read each year or do your kids get a new book each Christmas? Share!

You can earn one extra entry by doing any or all of the following:

Subscribe to Stacey says… or “join this site” with Google Friend Connect (on the sidebar)

Follow @Stacey_Says on Twitter

“Like” StaceySays.com on Facebook

Tweet and/or Post on Facebook about this contest.  Be sure to leave me a link to your updates or tweets in a comment below.  (You can do this once daily, each)

“I want to win an Interactive Hallmark Story Buddy from @Stacey_Says: http://bit.ly/StoryBuddy”

Leave me a new comment each time you do one of the “extra entries”!

giveaway details…

The winner will be randomly selected from the comments posted by Thursday, December 22 at 5pm EST. All entries will be verified and must include an email address where I can contact you if you should win. This giveaway is open to US shipping addresses. You can read more about Giveaway Policies here.

This post was written in part of a campaign with Hallmark. All opinions stated here are my own and are not influenced by compensation or complimentary products. 

Hallmark would like to offer all you fabulous people a fun little Christmas cheer! Visit Hallmark.com and receive 20% off personalized greetings (min purchase of $20). Just use the discount SOCIAL20 (valid until 1/1/12).

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And shopping for these girls is so unbelievably easy! Have you ever tried shopping for kids? It is amazing the expansive selection you can find for a little or baby girl. So much more than the boys’ section! I never really thought about this until having a little boy myself and trying to find clothes for him!

The other day I stopped at two of my frequent “clothes shopping stores” and was astounded at how small the boys’ sections were! In one store, I counted five racks of boy clothes vs. 20+ of girls clothes! Obviously keeping the little man in some fashionable clothes (something other than teddy bears and trucks) and within a decent budget is going to prove to be a challenge.

A few weeks ago I had heard about Cookie’s Kids, an online shop for kids and baby clothes. Honestly, I’m pretty hesitant when it comes to shopping online for the kids’ clothes because sizes vary so much, but I was willing to give it a shot.

Cookie’s Kids offers baby and kids clothes from a ton of name brands but at a discount price. Apparently you’ll find brands like Adidas, Disney, The North Face, Hello Kitty, Paul Frank, and more! Ok, worth a shot…

So, I went to CookiesKids.com, selected the Infant selection under Boys Dept. And oh my! Hello cuteness!!!

Specifically, I was looking for a cute outfit for Talon to wear to our different Christmas-y events so I checked in the “Dress Wear” section. STOP IT! Little man in a suit? AHHH!

Ok, maybe we’re not quite ready for a suit but I loved the little dress shirt, sweater, and pants combos! And the prices for  a three-piece set had me completely sold. This one was the clear winner…I loved the red for Christmas but it would be something he could wear throughout the winter months for church or any other special occasion.

Now that I had that task taken care of, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to browse the other selections for the little boys. I was wrong! All of that cuteness complete sucked me in and I found myself wanting to buy more. As the little man outgrows his clothes, I can definitely see coming back to Cookies Kids to do more shopping! You can see more of my shopping time, including shopping for the girls, over on Google+. And you can do your own shopping by visiting CookiesKids.com.

Oh, and if you’re on Facebook, check out CookiesKids because they are often post sales & deals. I got sucked in to doing this little scavenger hunt the other day…it was actually really fun (love the “hunt” for a deal) and I got 20% off my order! Cookies’ Kids also has a fun Refer a Friend program where you can earn money back!

Now, prepare yourself for total heart-melting cuteness because I’m going to give you a little glimpse into Talon in his new outfit. You’ll have to wait until later in the week to see the complete out fit when I show you the kids with Santa!

Do you have a little boy? Did you have a hard time finding clothes for him? Have you ever shopped at Cookie’s Kids?

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. This post does contain affiliate links. All opinions about “cuteness” and over-use of exclamation points is all my own #CBias #LuvCookies

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This isn’t something we did as kids. I remember my “baby’s first Christmas” ornament {a goldish plated metal ornament of a little baby with some sort of leaves or wreath around her face} and some random ornaments I made in preschool or early elementary. Sadly, none of those ornaments are around today. 

My husband has two or three that hang on our tree from his childhood.

What I really want is to be able to hand each one of our kids a box full of ornaments when they are grown and have a place and tree of their own. Ornaments they collected throughout their childhood. Some they will remember. Some they won’t. Some we will laugh at and say, Remember when Abbi went through her Handy Manny phase?

I want that!

Also, taking the kids out shopping for those ornaments is so much fun. Watching them look at each ornament hanging in the store. Putting so much thought into whether or not that should be THE ornament for the year. We let them pick out the ornament, as opposed to us picking out for them, because we enjoy seeing their personality come through with each year. As they grow, their ornament choice reflects a little piece of them.

We will go shopping for our ornaments this weekend but I’ve been doing a little pre-shopping to get an idea of what is out there.  For the past few years, we’ve purchased ornaments from Hallmark’s Keepsake line. I’ve just always been impressed with their quality and variety. And, I must say, I’m pretty sure the girls are going to like what Hallmark has to offer for the 2011 Keepsake Ornaments.

Abbi has really been into counting down the days until Christmas. So I could easily see her selecting The Story of Christmas Advent Countdown.

Zoe, is a wildcard!  She’s very unpredictable at times. I could see her loving both The Enchanted Rose featuring Belle or Rapunzel from Tangled. She has also been enjoying gymnastics this year…she might fall for this adorable little snowman girl!

And Talon? Well, being his first Christmas, he doesn’t really get much of a say. Sorry, mister! Right now I’m kind of loving all of the Baby’s First Christmas ornaments from Hallmark! Here, take a look and let me know what you think?

Do you have an “ornament” tradition? Do you purchase a new ornament each year for you or the kids? Or do you make ornaments? 

This post was written in part of a campaign with Hallmark. All opinions stated here are my own and are not influenced by compensation or complimentary products. 

Hallmark would like to offer all you fabulous people a fun little Christmas cheer! Visit Hallmark.com and receive 20% off personalized greetings (min purchase of $20). Just use the discount SOCIAL20 (valid until 1/1/12).

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Our tree went up that first weekend of December and the girls were so excited! Sadly, we’ve forgone the tradition of trucking out to a tree farm and cutting down our own tree. We did that the first few years of our marriage and even when Abbi was just a baby. But, some time in there, for some reason or other, we decided to ditch the real tree and opt for a pre-lit artificial.

Now, come the first part of January, when the tree gets taken down, I’ll be thankful for the artificial pine we have. No needles to clean up. And continue to mysteriously step on, even in March. No worrying about how, when, and where to dispose of it. Nope. We just take off the ornaments, break it down into it’s three pieces and place it back into it’s box and into the storage room.

But, in the mean time, I miss the look and smell of a real pine. And, in my fairy tale mind, I miss bundling up the kids and dog and finding that perfect tree to cut down. {In reality, chances are I would be toting a screaming baby and two girls who couldn’t decide on which tree we should cut down and then we’d end up just picking whatever tree we were closet to…cutting it down…and getting the heck out of there!}

Despite whether our tree has been cut down or unboxed, we still hold true to one tradition. The decorating!

Tim and I struggle to get the tree assembled and, for the past two years, figure out why certain strands of lights are not working. But, once it’s standing, we let the girls go to work! They ooh and ahhh over the different ornaments, reminiscing about which ornaments they bought or made in the years past, and then find the most perfect branch to place it on. Then they point out the fragile ornaments that I need to place higher up on the tree.

Every year it becomes more and more fun. The tree becomes more theirs as they add to their ornament collection each year. And, although I end up having to spread the ornaments around a bit more after they are finished {seriously, I don’t understand how they manage to squeeze six ornaments onto one branch!}, they manage to make that fake tree look wonderful!

Some day I would love to have that catalogue-perfect tree, with beautiful matching ornaments and bows or ribbons, but, for right now, I am loving my tree decorated in Handy Manny ornaments and handprint reindeer!

Do you have a “tree tradition”? Do you hunt down that perfect pine or string popcorn? 

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Now, when the Duggars announced that they were pregnant with their 20th child, I expected the mixed response. I knew there would be people who were genuinely happy for them, people who could care less, and people who were appalled at the idea.  Honestly, I guess I didn’t understand how people could have such negative feelings toward the family and the fact that they were having another baby. 

Really? Another ONE? Don’t they have enough kids? Really people? Does it really matter to you how many kids this family has? They are not a burden on society. They are not living off the government, accepting government aid, or asking for handouts from the community. They are self-sufficient.  Even with 21 mouths to feed in that house, they make it work. On their own. Why do you care how many kids they have? But, whatever. I’m sure they really don’t care about others’ opinions on their procreation.

But then this happened. They lost the baby. A devastating loss. I have never experienced a miscarriage but I could not even begin to imagine the heartache and sorrow a woman must feel when that happens. My heart broke for that family.

And, stupid me, I thought more of our society. I thought, surely people aren’t going to be complete asses when this family is experiencing such pain. I was wrong. We, indeed, have some real asses that live among us.

Maybe they should take this as a sign that they shouldn’t have any more children!  — Really? Would you be so bold to say that to a woman who lost her first child? Her third child? Or is there an acceptable cut-off point in which a woman should stop having children because she lost a baby?

Consider this a sign that you’re too old to have more kids lady! – Yes, I understand that Michelle is 45 years old and that many consider that past child bearing years. But tell that to Jane Seymour (twins at age 44), Susan Sarandon (baby at age 46), Geena Davis (twins at age 48), and the many, many other women who have given birth well into their 40s. Times are a changin’!

She should feel lucky that she has so many other children! –  I have no doubt that Michelle and Jim Bob feel immensely blessed by their 19 other children. But that does not take the pain away from losing this one. And anyone who things otherwise needs to be kicked in the head. I would even dare to say that Michelle would tell you she feels blessed to have carried the baby as long as she did. But the pain is still there.

“It’s not sad. The sad part is they will try again.”

Ok people, where is your f***ing humanity? It makes me sick to my stomach that people would say such hurtful and ignorant things. It’s times like these that people need to save their self-righteous, I told you so attitudes and shut your mouths. What good is it doing by saying these things when this family is hurting? Does it make you feel better? When did we become so judgmental of others that we lost our sense of compassion?

Again, my heart goes out to the family. I hope, eventually, they can find peace and healing.

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My iPhone has been my saving grace in so many circumstances with my kids. From waiting forever in the doctor’s waiting room to sitting through sister’s gymnastics class to standing in the grocery check-out line when they only have 2 lanes open, I have often handed over that expensive toy in an effort to keep kids entertained and quiet!

The catch has been that with each kid, they seem to want to play with my phone at a younger and younger age. Now I have 10 month old Talon who has been eyeing up that shiny black beauty for a few months now!

Lets face it, while my 3 year old can be pretty care fun with the phone, I do not expect my 10 month old to play with the same carefulness.  I’ve been lucky enough to find little apps with videos and characters that are targeted toward his age, but he’s not content letting me hold on to the phone while watching those little videos. He’s a bit of an independent spirit. And, after watching him drop my phone once and scratching the screen with his sharp little chompers…yeah…time to figure something out!

I’ve seen one or two solutions and quickly jumped on the chance to check out the HappiTaps™ Beary Happi from Infantino.

The HappiTaps™ Beary Happi is a combination of soft toy, iPhone/iPod Touch case, and interactive app. Add that all up and you get super fun!

Honestly, when I opened the box with the HappiTaps™ Beary Happi, I was a bit skeptical. But, giving it a shot, I downloaded the HappiTaps app and placed my iPhone into the Beary Happi.

Instantly my mind was changed! The little plush bear came to life! The animation of the bear’s face {on my iPhone} was so cute. And this realistic quality to it. Meaning it wasn’t cheesy. Not something you typically find in apps made for the littlest users.

Cool Factors:

Interactive — The little bear becomes interactive as soon as you start the app! It winks, laughs, eats, sleeps, etc. It reacts when you rub it’s face and, using they built-in gyroscope of the phone, it reacts when dropped or swung around! I was taken back when my son dropped the bear {and phone} and it said, Whoa! Careful! When you swing it around, it proceeds to say things like I bet you didn’t know bears like to swing! LOVE that they are utilizing the built-in technology of the phone!

Games and more — The app comes with stories (fittingly Goldilocks & The Three Bears), games like Peek-a-Boo, songs, jokes and more. Lots of options to keep your little one entertained.

Toddler mode — By enabling the Toddler Mode, the app goes through a variety of activities without having to enter the navigation menu.

Settings & Menues — The menu is easily accessible as a pull down menu but not so easily accessed by your little one. Honestly, some times it was tricky for me to get to it (which is good because I know the baby can’t get to it). But it is accessible and my older girls can get to it when playing with it.  Now, here’s my favorite part….within the settings you can disable in-app purchases! {I’ll get to those in-app purchases in a minute.} This feature is so nice because you don’t have to worry about baby or toddler purchasing upgrades to the app or at least trying to! I’ve found this to be a problem in other apps.

Volume Control — Unlike a lot of children and baby toys, because the HappiTaps Beary Happi is actually using your iPhone, you have complete control over the volume!!! YAY!

The Beary Happi case – Besides being cute, the Beary Happi case helps protect the iPhone {when baby drops it} and hides the ‘home’ button so baby can’t exit the app.  The case, however, does still allow for the sound to come through clearly as it has small holes near the speakers.  The size is perfect for little hands. Of course Talon still decides to try to chew on it but most of the time he gets the furry ear or foot in his mouth!

Shortcomings

In-app Purchases — While the app comes with a good number of features, of course there are always the upgrades. My son could care less about that at this point, but my 3 year old and 6 year old {who can’t keep their hands off the Beary Happi} want to pay to upgrade so they can get the other stories, songs, and the ABC games.  Now, the upgrades are typically $0.99 each, but that can add up when you’re purchasing books, songs, and other features.

Nighty Night feature — The app has a feature that allows you to play lullabies and other features for your child’s night time routine. However, this is one of those in-app purchases.  So I can’t really tell you if it’s cool or not.

Overall, I would definitely recommend the  HappiTaps™ Beary Happi app and case! The manufacturer recommends it for ages 18+ months but Talon is 10 months and really enjoys it! When he can tear it away from his 3 year old and 6 year old sisters!

You can purchase the HappiTaps™ Beary Happi cover online for $19.99 and the download the free HappiTaps App from the iTunes App Store. A perfect Stocking Stuffer gift!!!

You should know…I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Infantino HappiTaps and received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

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So, balance. Is this even possible during the Holidays? Or do we just buckle to the idea that the holidays are a crazy busy time with running from store to party to tree decorating to present hiding to present wrapping to oh crap! someone please feed the dog who hasn’t been fed all day!? 

That’s where I’m at right now. While I’m sitting in one spot my brain is in another. While I’m decorating the tree with the kids my mind is off thinking about that to-do list of work items and the list of stuff we need from the grocery store to make cookies. Meanwhile, my girls are being super cute and I’m not relishing in it.

Do you have this?

I think the problem is that I didn’t have balance before the holidays. And now I’m adding more. More events. More to-dos. More. And the scale that is my life wouldn’t even know balance if it sucker punched me right now.

So, how do you find balance in such a busy time as the Holidays? 

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But tonight, she convinced me that six is ok.

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She told me she did want to not be five any more. She liked being five. She did not want to be six.

I gave her another kiss on her forehead, squeezed her a little tighter and told her it was ok. She could be five.

Truth be told, I wanted to cry, too.

I want her to be five. Not that I have any strong attachments to the age. I just want to freeze time. Not being five means she’s another year older. Another year behind us.

Tomorrow morning, I will let her decide if she wants to still be five or if six is ok. I won’t rush her into being six. I know she’ll love it, eventually. But I’m ok with having another day to hold my five year old.

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If you think shopping for a computer is tough, try shopping for a cell phone these days! We’ve come a long way from that old ‘bag’ phone my mom used to have that we COULD NEVER USE because, OMG, do you even know how much it cost to use that thing each minute??? And then there were those ultra cool brick cell phones that Zack Morris and the gang from 90210 used. Seriously! How did they even consider those things *mobile*?

Now, twenty years later, we have these fabulous SmartPhones that are, for all practical purposes, a miniature computer in our pockets! And, oh boy, do you have a smorgasbord of selections! It would take quite a number of posts for me to dissect the differences between all of the SmartPhones currently on the market {and, fyi, that market is constantly changing so those posts would be outdated as soon as I hit ‘publish’}. So, instead, I’m just going to share with you about one, the Motorola BIONIC. Because Collective Bias asked me if I would. {If you want to know more about another SmartPhone, let me know in a comment below and I’d be happy to share my thoughts.}

So, yes, let’s take a look at the BIONIC.

First, don’t be confused when you see that the BIONIC is referred to as a Droid. A Droid is a type of SmartPhone that happens to be running the Android software. Again, this SmartPhone stuff can get confusing. Just wanted to keep us all on the same page.

When shopping for any SmartPhone, I would suggest that you check them out online and then actually head to a store to do some hands-on research. It is amazing how different phones can look online and, with SmartPhones, you’ll really want to get a feel for the operating system and functionality.  So, that’s what I did. I started out looking at the BIONIC on Motorola.com to get an idea of the specs.

But, as I’ve said a few times before, I’m a hands-on girl. I want to actually see the phone for myself! So, it was off to the local Verizon shop {here’s more on that}!

First impression…the BIONIC was very similar to the other Motorola SmartPhones displayed on the wall at the store. Which is neither good nor bad. However, I did notice that the BIONIC was a bit thicker than the phones surrounding it. The BIONIC is 10.99mm thick. While that is about 3.89mm thicker than the seemingly thinner phone displayed next to it, the BIONIC still felt very comfortable in my hand.

After spending some time playing with the features and operating system of the BIONIC, I found some very key parts that I really liked…

Google Integration — As someone who uses quite a few of Google’s services, I love that the BIONIC integrates Google’s Mobile Services (Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Maps, Google Talk, Google eBooks, YouTube, and more).

Personalization — You can make your Motorola BIONIC *your own* with ringtones and preloaded, downloadable, and Live wallpapers. Honestly, the Live wallpaper kind of drives me crazy with all that movement. But I’m easily distrac…SQUIRREL!

Online —  You will also enjoy the easy access and navigation of web pages. I was quite impressed with the quality of images on the webpages and how easily it displayed both mobile web versions and full web versions!

Camera — I was SO intrigued that the Motorola BIONIC includes an 8MP camera. That is pretty stinkin’ cool for a phone! The pictures looked pretty good (for being in a store and not having anything fun to photograph) and I loved the different built-in effects and editing available.  But, the coolest part, was the “modes”. You can choose to shoot in single shot, multi-shot, or panorama. And that panorama mode is AWWWE-SOME!

Apps — Of course, with a SmartPhone, you are curious about apps. And rightfully so! The BIONIC gives you access to the Android Market™ with an amazing amount of apps, including {wait for it} Angry Birds. I know, that’s a favorite in our house But there are also a ton of really other amazing apps to choose from.

And more… — The BIONIC features quite a bit more…music player, streaming media (audio, video, internet radio), email, text messaging, etc. Pretty much anything you could want in a phone. Except babysitting your kids. No people, that would just be wrong. But there’s nothing wrong with them being obsessed with those Angry Birds!

Now, all that is great, but let’s talk about the big thing that, I think, is pulling people to these Motorola SmartPhones — 4G. The BIONICM is held under Verizon Wireless and, you should know, the 4G feature is not available in all markets. If this is a key feature for you, make sure it’s available in your area or will be soon.

Overall, the Motorola BIONIC is a good looking phone. Lots of great features. Eye catching….but I feel like there isn’t much that makes it stand out in the SmartPhone market. However, the idea of getting free 2-day shipping is kind of appealing…just saying.

Will you be shopping for a SmartPhone this holiday season? What makes or breaks a SmartPhone for you?

You should know…This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions are my own. I do not currently own a Motorola BIONIC, so all opinions and observations are being made based on time researching online at Motorola.com and at a local Verizon store. #MotoCalyp 

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To err is human; to forgive, divine. – Alexander Pope

It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend. – William Blake

There are a lot of wise words said about forgiveness. Some funny ones, too.  But what does it really look like to forgive someone? Is it a universal thing? Or can forgiveness in my life look differently than forgiveness in yours?

This past Sunday one of my favorite pastors {can you have a *favorite* pastor or is that a faux pas, like having a favorite child?} spoke at our church about Forgiveness. Not only is Dan a dynamic speaker, but he finds ways to tell stories that just drive his message right to your heart. And this was so true on Sunday.

Dan told a story about his wife and her path to forgiveness for her step-mom who was quite cold and uncaring toward her all of her life. After his story I thought to myself, I want to forgive like that.

But then the questions came flooding into my brain.

Yes, God calls us to forgive others. For many reasons. To free ourselves of that bitterness. To prevent our hearts from becoming cold and hard toward others. So that we can be open to His forgiveness. I get it. I understand the importance of forgiveness and the risks you run by not forgiving.

In my mind, that seems a lot easier to forgive someone when they admit that what they did was wrong. Or at least acknowledge that they did something wrong.When you are standing there with someone who truly believes they have done nothing wrong, it’s hard to offer them forgiveness. It means nothing to them.

This leads to my next question…How do you forgive someone who continues to do the very thing you are forgiving them for? You step on my foot; I forgive you for stepping on my foot; you continue to step on my foot. Do I continue to forgive you? The logical thing to say here is, don’t let them step on your foot anymore; walk away. But what if you can’t? Not that you don’t want to walk away, but you really can’t? This is someone you have Sunday dinner with or see every holiday? How does forgiveness work then.

source

And then this leads to my last thing…Is it ok to just walk away? This is the biggest hurdle for me, personally. In my mind, I’ve forgiven this person for what they did to me in the past. But I don’t want anything to do with this person. I make no effort to contact this person and I avoid contact at all costs.  So, have I truly forgiven that person? If I have, shouldn’t I be able to sit in the same room as them? Or can you truly forgive but not forget?

This forgiveness thing is so confusing to me. I don’t want to have a cold heart. I want to be that forgiving person. But I just don’t know what that looks like. For me. In my life. With my circumstances. With my past.

What does forgiveness look like to you? 

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