A Super Duper Pinterest Idea!

If you don't know what Pinterest is, you may want to crawl out from under that you rock you are living under. Even if you aren't a user of Pinerest, most people have heard of it. 

I, personally, am addicted!

I have seen recently there has been some talk about how it make Moms feel inadequate. Some of them feel that because they aren't or can't do all the things other Mothers do that they see on Pinterest, they feel less than the best Mom for their children. 

I can say that the thought never crossed my mind!

My thoughts are that once you become a Mother, you belong to this sort of secret sisterhood with all of the other Mothers in the world. I believe all Mothers are there for each other and offer support, advice and understanding to each other to help us raise these little aliens creatures that we have been blessed with.

I say if some other Mother has figured something out that I haven't, then more power to her! And if she wants to put it out there to share and make my life easier so I don't have to waste time, energy and brain cells, than GOD BLESS HER!

Let's face it, there is no manual for Motherhood so I am more than happy to share my ideas and even more happier to use ideas of others to get through life!

It's like a Mommy Network, so I say go for it!

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Okay, now lets move along the Super Duper Pinterest Idea!

In our house, we collect Hallmark Ornaments. Allison and I both have series that we add to every year . . . and then there's her birthday train (for ages 1 - 5 ). . . and then there's Baby's 1st Ornament . . . and then there's the Shrek ornament . . . and the Dora ornament . . .well I could go on but I think you get the idea!

The one thing I hate about Hallmark ornaments is putting them away when you take down the tree. It takes SO LONG to find the correct box, wrap the ornament up, put it in the box, close the box and put it in the bin. Taking them out isn't so bad because you are excited to put up the tree and see each one again and relive the memories. However, when Christmas is over, it just stinks to take all that time!
Does anyone feel my pain?

A couple of years ago, I took them all out of the boxes and put the empty boxes back into the storage tote. After Christmas, I wrapped them all in a piece of tissue paper and put them all in a smaller tote and labeled them. This seemed to work and it was much better than each individual box but it still took time to wrap each one up in a piece of tissue paper.

Well now, enter Pinterest and the answer to my after Christmas frustration!

Do you see where I'm going with this?
Ingenious, isn't it?

Here is the link to the wonderful Mom who posted this just so she could help make my life easier!
I want her to be my BFF!

Now for the how-to! All you need is cardboard, plastic cups and hot glue. Oh, and the storage bins of course. Hubby brought the cardboard home from work (thanks, honey) and I bought the cups at The Dollar Tree. I originally bought the 9oz. cups which is what you see in the picture above. Once I took all the ornaments off of the tree . . . okay, once Allison took all the ornaments off of the tree, I realized that not all the ornaments were going to fit in the 9 oz. cups. No biggie! I decided that I would do the bottom layer with the 9 oz. cups and the top layer with bigger cups. I ended up running to The Dollar Tree and picking up 16 oz. cups. I don't know if it is because it was Christmas but they had 2 different shapes of 16 oz. cups. One was taller and skinnier and the other one was shorter and wider. I opted for the short wide ones and they worked out perfectly as you can see in the picture below. I was also able to hot glue 4 of the smaller cups for some extra spaces on the top layer.

 

Here is the side view and as you can see there is room on the top layer for the ornament to extend over the top of the cups. 

One other thing that I did was to tape the outside edges of the cardboard (top layer only) with clear packing tape. I figured it will get more wear since it will be handled to gain access to the bottom layer of ornaments.

After putting the boxes together it literally took minutes to take the ornament off the tree and put them in the cups which equals one happy Mommy!

Have Fun!

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Too Cute to Pass Up!

Since being laid off, I've been very mindful of our expenses.

I've always been frugal but now I find myself really looking for deals and being very cautious of every penny I spend.

I try to stay out of the stores because it's just TEMPTATION, TEMPTATION, TEMPATION!

I haven't even been to Goodwill . . . and if you know me, THAT is an amazing accomplishment!

When I see something I like, I've been asking myself if it is a NEED or a WANT?

Unfortunately, most of the time, it's a want! So I put the item back on the shelf and move on.

HOWEVER . . . I was in the Dollar Tree the other day and came across this ADORABLE wine glass that says "Happy Birthday" on it.

Seriously! How CUTE is that?!?

I immediately knew that it was going home with me but in all fairness, I had to ask myself "the" question.

 Is it a NEED or a WANT?

What do you think?

My first reaction was that it is a "pretty" so I needed to put it back.

BUT . . . you saw the "but" coming, didn't you??

I knew you were smart!  . . . even though a picture of it on my counter was a dead give-a-way!

Let's get back to the BUT!

But, I changed my mind and decided it was a NEED! 

Why a NEED?

Because my family is wonderful and anything I can do to celebrate the day God gave them life, I am going to do!

Yes! I decided that the $1.06 (includes tax) was well worth making my family feel special on their special day!

A new tradition has been born in our family and I love traditions!

Have Fun!

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Unused Cards of Christmases Past!

Do you have unused Christmas and Holiday cards from years past like I do?

What do you do with them?

I don't know why but I keep them in a zippered baggy in my office closet. 

Honestly, am I ever going to sent them out??

Heck no!

Well. Here is the answer to getting rid of or letting go of all those cards from Christmases past!

SEND THEM TO OUR HEROES!

Here is my stash of what I'm sending!

Now for the details!

The American Red Cross heads up the card collection and distribution.

The program is called "Holiday Mail for Heroes."

Click here to go to their website for all the details. 

Below are the Card Guidelines directly from their site:

Every card received will be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and then reviewed by Red Cross volunteers working around the country.

Please observe the following guidelines to ensure a quick reviewing process:

• Ensure that all cards are signed.
• Use generic salutations such as “Dear Service Member.” Cards addressed to specific individuals can not be delivered through this program.
• Only cards are being accepted. Do not send or include letters.
• Do not include email or home addresses on the cards: the program is not meant to foster pen pal relationships.
• Do not include inserts of any kind, including photos: these items will be removed during the reviewing process.
• Please refrain from choosing cards with glitter or using loose glitter as it can aggravate health issues of ill and injured warriors.
• If you are mailing a large quantity of cards, please bundle them and place them in large mailing envelopes or flat rate postal shipping boxes. Each card does not need its own envelope, as envelopes will be removed from all cards before distribution.

 All holiday greetings should be addressed and sent to:

Holiday Mail for Heroes

P.O. Box 5456

Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

The deadline for having cards to the P.O Box is Friday, December 7th. 

That is NEXT Friday, so get to it!

Mine are on their way!

Have Fun!

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Tell Me What is on Your Mind, Baby Girl!

A year or so ago, I found myself struggling as a Mother. I felt that I must have been doing something wrong because Allison wasn't the Allison she once was. She wasn't happy all the time like she used to be. She was cranky. She complained about everything. She was not not nice to be around. Quite frankly, I didn't like the person I thought she was becoming. I felt the strong connection we once had with each other was slowly slipping away.

Of course as I usually do with most things, I blamed myself. I told myself that it was because I was working full time. It was because I couldn't give her the attention that she needed. I felt that if I didn't have such a stressful job, then I would have more energy in the evening to be the Mom I wanted to be . . . instead it took everything I had just to get through homework, dinner, bath and bedtime.

I shared this with her teacher last year. Thankfully, she said she didn't see all of this in class. However, she did tell me that she was about to tell me something that I probably didn't want to hear. Oh. My. Word! I gasped! What could it be????? Those few seconds ripped through my soul just anticipating what I was about to hear about my once sweet baby girl!  I braced myself and her teacher said "puberty." Oh geez! I had not even thought about that! Allison is physically such a tiny little thing that I sometimes forget that she is maturing! The teacher was wrong! I am so glad she brought that to my attention. It was the answer to my frustration and self-persecution!  Amen!

The teacher also shared with me that I shouldn't be too concerned with how she is at home. Was she serious??? Did she not know that I sometimes referred to her as the spawn of the devil??? Anyway, once she explained, I understood. She said that Allison was a perfectly sweet, well-mannered little girl with a great sense of humor who was always kind and sweet to everyone in her class. WHAT??? Were we talking about the same kid????  She continued . . . she said that I should be thankful that we've created an environment at home where Allison can feel comfortable and safe. That she can let her hair down and just relax in the comfort of our home when she isn't at her best. I'll take that! It was a great compliment!

So. Now that I knew puberty was to blame for what we had been going through, I needed to find a way to bridge the gap in our relationship that was slowly getting larger. I knew the most difficult time for a Mother and a daughter was just a few years away and if I didn't handle this right away, things could really get ugly.

One of the things I saw on a blog several years ago was a Mother/Daughter journal. Sadly, they had lost their youngest child in a horrific, backyard, freak accident. Their therapist had suggested this journal idea to the Mother for a way to communicate with her older daughters. I thought it was a such a great idea! I put it back in my arsenal of Mom ideas that I may need some day.

I think the day had come that I needed to pull this idea out and put it to use. I found this hardback journal and thought it was perfect for keeping the "peace" between Allison and I.

One the inside front cover, I wrote a little letter to Allison explaining what the journal was and how it was to be used.

"Allison,
This book is between just you and me. It's for no one else to see. If you have a question, thought, or some love to share, use this journal and put it under my pillow. I will write back with my thoughts, questions, and love and return it to under your pillow.
Love,
Mom
XOXOXO"

I share it, here on my blog, not just because it's a great idea but to share a few my observations of the benefits of this journal.

• Some of the questions Allison has asked in this journal, she has never spoken of or mentioned before. This makes me realize there is a lot going on in that brain of hers. By having this tool of communication, she can ask questions or bring up subjects that she may not feel comfortable approaching in person.
• Since some of the questions are "heavy", this allows me time to think it through and answer her with my perspective on the subject in detail and completely. If I need to ask her Daddy about his opinion on the subject, again, I have time before replying.
• Another benefit of this journal is that it is used as a reference book. Allison can look back on it to review my perspective or advice on the subjects we address in this book.

These are just a few benefits but there are so many more.

If you have a daughter, I highly suggest you start one. She will get to know you a little better and you will get an inside look into the person she is becoming. It doesn't take much time at all. It is not an every day thing for us. We use it when we need it.

Have Fun!

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Fun Idea Cracker Barrel!

If you have ever had a meal at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, then you recognize the peg game to the left. They have had this game on all their tables since the beginning.

When we were on a weekend getaway before school started, we had dinner at Cracker Barrel and played this game. My Goddaughter, Maria, taught us how to play and we all loved it. So, when I saw it at the checkout counter while I was paying the bill, I had to get one! Why not, it was only $3!

It's been a great source of entertainment! My family loves the little mind stimulation and challenge.

I had it in the living room for the longest time and then I moved it to the kitchen. It was on the baker's rack but it wasn't getting played.

So. I thought I would move it to the kitchen table for easy access. It's where Cracker Barrel has theirs so if it's good enough for them, then it's good enough for us!

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A Girl Scout's Thank You!

Allison sold a TON of Girl Scout cookies this year! I wanted to be sure to thank everyone individually but I couldn't see her writing out 44 thank you cards!

I put my Mom thinking cap on and decided to adjust an idea I saw for Valentine's Day cards on a blog last year. I saw the idea here after the holiday and saved it in my files for this year. I ended up using them for Allison's Valentine's cards and the G.S. thank you cards. Hey! When I find a great idea, I tend to run with it in as many directions as I can!
Thanks for the inspiration Alissa!

I had trouble getting a good picture because I kept getting a glare but you can click on the image to enlarge and get a better look. I probably should mention here that Allison doesn't like the pic of herself. She said she was squinting too much. Hello! I took this outside just after our blizzard of 2010 and the sun was reflecting off of the snow! I think she did pretty good!

Here are the Valentine's Day cards Allison shared with her classmates.

A close up . . . sorry about the glare . . . it's almost impossible to take a pic of a pic!

Here's the actual jpeg file so you can have a better look.

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