I Done Good

My children know me so well.

Before Christmas break, the kid's school had a Christmas Gift store, kids could exchange their good behavior tickets for gifts.

EM "bought" me this:

A little notepad.  Because I love making notes.  I love to-do lists.  I love note pads.

ED brought home a red fleece blanket.  I love blankets, especially fleece ones.  My living room is covered in blankets.  It is my personal belief that every living room in the world should have at least one blanket.

That is what my children gave to me for Christmas.  A mother could not ask for anything more, affirmation that I am teaching them well.

By the Numbers

TEN gift cards, and 1 rebate check, to help pay for the 3 DSi consoles, games, holders and accessories.

NINE x 10 lectures on responsibility, rules, when allowed to play, don't even waste your breath asking, and what did we tell you about putting everything away so you don't loose it.

EIGHT games cartridges given or bought, 1 already lost.

SEVEN times we changed our mind, Lites, i's, Lite's, i's, before purchasing. 
(We thought we had made up our mind, but then the i's were on sale, priced lower then the Lites.  After much debate, the i proved to be a good choice.  The camera and vocal abilities on the i's are worth the extra money.  And, just because it has the ability to access the web, doesn't mean our children have been given that ability.)

SIX reply's to our Craigslist posting.   0 actual takers.  Two didn't realize "Metallic Rose" meant pink.  Finally sold the Lite to a friend. 

FIVE trips to Target and Best Buy, just to look at the DS's and cases. 

FOUR very happy people in the house.  Yes, we only bought 3 DS's; however, Hubby has been playing with a DS when available.   

THREE stylus' already lost, and found by Mom and Dad.  They are kept in an undisclosed location, until someone starts whining about having no stylus'.  I'm hoping we find that lost game, to also be held in the undisclosed location.

TWO sweeps of the sofa, looking for that lost cartridge.  Other then the fact that it is lost, I'm trying not to care.  It was one of the three games bought with a rebate check, no real money lost. 

And, two times the consoles have been off limits.   Yep, they have become a discipline tactic.  May have been the best money ever spent. 

ONE happy Christmas.  Our kids are always happy with their Christmas gifts, even that Christmas when they received packs of construction paper.  However, this year they scored.  All those Christmas' of construction paper gifts have added up to one Christmas of the most awesome gifts ever.  Score one for Mom and Dad.  Next year, notebooks and pencils.

Make Your Christmas Local

If you are still shopping for Christmas gifts, may I suggest you look locally.  I know, I know, many times when people think "shopping local", "expensive" also comes into the equation.  That is not true, all the time.  Sure, they may not be able to beat Amazon's prices, or Walmart's Rollbacks, but some times they can, and many times the freshness (if we are talking food) and the quality is soooooo much better.

Don't misunderstand me, I've done plenty of Christmas shopping via Amazon, and of course, Target is my best friend.  However, I also love our local stores (what our area lacks in brand name stores, is made up, 10 times over, in local flare).

***Spoiler Alert:  If you are a niece of mine, or a teacher of my kids, or my kids, stop reading.  NOW!

So, here are some ideas for you, and a list of some of my favorite places.   

The Local Toy Store:
 



And, not necessarily more expensive then the boxstores.  Plus, check their websites, or Facebook page for coupon offers and mailing lists.  Pufferbellies sends out a catalog every year, with several coupons, which I took advantage of.  They also offer a frequent shopper program.  I'm only $100 away from a discount, which means I should earn it in two years, or so. 



Your Neighbor Jeweler:


Trust me, you want to make friends with a jeweler, well yes, the diamond kind would be nice, but I meant the jewelers who work from their home, and make one of a kind creations.




Here I bought initial necklaces for my nieces, and daughter, as well as a few hair accessories from 2 Little Birdies.  That is a link to her Etsy store, so anyone can shop, enjoy!


My other favorite mom jeweler is Artful Accents.  I visit her Etsy store just to browse, and maybe drool a little bit.  I was thinking of stuffing my stocking with this cutie:

 

I was, but then when I went to drool snatch a picture from her Etsy store, and it was gone.  Plus, Hubby bought me my birthday/Christmas/Valentine' Day/Memorial Day gift yesterday.  I've been spoiled, and I have no more money to spend ... especially after today's car repair bill.    

The Little Stores: 

Head downtown and check out the little stores.

This year, the kid's teachers will be receiving items from the All Things Virginia store,
and our favorite chocolate store.











And, our favorite coffee shop.   The coffee was also roasted locally, by Lucas Roasting Company.   Do you like coffee?  Want to give yourself a treat, purchase fresh roasted (which will probably mean local roasted) coffee beans.  We can't afford it on a regular basis, but I make a point of purchasing some in the fall, when the pumpkin spice is available.  




Consultants:  
And, though they are national companies, don't forget your local Pampered Chef, Lia Sophia, Close to My Heart, ... and the list continues, representative.


This books has been sitting in my house, since Friday, still in it's cellophane wrapper.  Since it is one of my Christmas presents (before Hubby spoiled me rotten) I'm trying to wait until Christmas to open it.  

Where have you done your shopping this year?
  Have you found a few little gems in your own hometown?  Please share. 









***In the interest of full disclosure, none of the business' mentioned above compensated me for using their name.  That is not to say I'm not open to such an arrangement.  Just sayin', in the interest of full disclosure.

Memo Monday

Now that Holiday shopping has officially begun (according to the marketers that be, though I'm almost done, and if Hubby has his way we will be 1 step closer to almost, officially, done today) here is a memo of warning.

A friends sent this out, after last Christmas, via email, and yes, I have kept it in my "Inbox" the whole time. I do blog after all.

It is a review on a certain toy most girls put on their Christmas wish list. I remember putting this on my Christmas wish list, but since we lived in England; however, the whole polarity of plugs and wattage whatever meant I never received this gift. I guess they didn't sell it in England, in the early '80's. Apparently, after reading her email, my life has been less scarred, than had I actually received one.

After reading this, consider yourself duly warned. If you purchase one anyway, well, it is your money. And, if you have one, and figured out how to correctly work it, leave a comment.

--------------------------------

Subject: A General Note for Parents of Girls

I must just vent because this is driving me crazy. . .

To all parents of Girls out there:
Do not--and I mean DO NOT--get an Easy Bake Oven for your daughters!

It is neither Easy, nor does it Bake (burn would be the thing it does). The mixes don't fill up the pans so nothing ever looks like it does on the outside (to MB's [her, then, 6 year-old daughter] dismay). The water dose is so small that you never can get the mix to stick together, let alone roll it out into cookies or pretzels or whatever else.

MB can't do it by herself so I end up helping her with it and being frustrated because it's not doing what the directions say it will do. She can only push it into the oven herself--which admittedly is the only fun part of the whole process.

However when I said today to MB "This mix is silly." she was instantly on the verge of tears (we're at that stage) saying "But Mommy I LIKE my Easy Bake oven! I LIKE to do it!" At which point, I of course, feel bad for spoiling her fun.

MB put it on her birthday list and in my ignorance, I left it on there. This message is to warn all of you out there who have not yet made this mistake--RESIST the List! It is easier to have her learn to bake from a real recipe and make something that actually turns out. The pans are cute but some of those little aluminum patty pans from Good's store with a real brownie mix would do just as well. Or maybe a toaster oven.

So consider this fair warning! And if you can make your Easy Bake oven
work like a dream--come on over here! I obviously am massively inept at
this!

:-) Melissa

It's All In the Details

A very happy, newly minted, 5-year-old was given this Playmobil horse farm for her birthday.


I love Playmobil. We have a couple sets, which is enough for a small village ... if that village included a medieval castle, a modern farm, a pirate's ship and an airplane.

Playmobil includes lots of detail to their sets. They are very realistic.

Check out the tack room:

Do you see the kitten?


Training arena:

Do you see the grooming kit, below center?


Again, the detail. A wheelbarrow of vegetables. Love the kitten!


The Stalls:


And the, ... wait a minute, what is that?



Do you see it?

It is a farm model, after all. Playmobil puts lots of detail in their sets.

To our children, it is a pile of mud. I have two boys, we have enough potty jokes to fill a ... well ....

And, we are moving on.


I do love the kittens, such great detail.

What Not To Give Your Wife

Before I get angry comments from husbands everywhere let it be known that MY Hubby showed me this. I believe it was sent to him from another husband. So don't complain, just take note(s).




Merry Christmas