5 min for Mom knows how to celebrate the Holidays!

Maybe you've noticed that there are tons (and tons) of Holiday Giveaways being hosted by your fave blogs. I want to talk about one of mine.

It's called 5 minutes for Mom. To be honest I spend waaaaay more than 5 minutes at a time there, but shhh, don't tell DH.

Created by twin sisters Janice and Susan and run with the help of lots of very nice people (my opinion), 5 minutes for Mom hosts contests, feature other mom-blogs, websites and businesses, discuss faith, parenting, and more. I love to browse the site, though I am an infrequent commenter, they get tons and tons of repeat visitors. Like me, people just want to go back.

Right now they are hosting a HUGE giveaway with many many, many chances to win something special for someone special.

The best part about it all is that each of the sponsors will also be donating products to Under The Tree, the sisters' special project. 5 minutes for Mom will be sponsoring Christmas for some very special families. (Aren't they great?) You can even nominate a family right here!




On to the Prizes! There are so many, it makes my head spin, but here are the ones I've entered in the Christmas Giveaway 2008:

Stuff Their Stockings with Playskool/Hasbro
Win Wall-E
Mrs. Goodbee Talking Dollhouse
Win a $100.00 Gift Card to Sears
Skating is Fun and Easy with Skorpies
Totem Boys Recycled Construction Toy
Some Charlie and Lola Fun
Even More Charlie and Lola Fun
Win A Stepping Stone Play Mat
Get Cozy this Christmas with Lands’ End
Wholesome Groovy Girls
Win a Poingo
More Hasbro Fun
Pulse Kick N’ Go Nitrous Scooter

And plenty more that I didn't enter...


Whew! Can you get any more impressed with this site? Well, sure, go check 'em out, silly... Enter some giveaways, read some articles. You'll love it there, too, I just know it.

P.S. Wish me luck with my own entries, will ya?

Layaway is back!

You probably know by now that Wally-world has *gasp* ended it's layaway service. (Why - oh why?)

But there is still hope my bloggy-friends. Did you know that you can do layaway at Sears? Yup! Your local mall anchor-store has brought back that holiday lifesaver!

All you need to do is walk in, gather your perfect gift purchases, go to ANY register and breathe those magic words, "Layaway, please." Of course they require a deposit, and you really need to make payments on those gifts (or they will languish at the store without you.)

I bet you wanna know what's on my wish-list... 'course you do.


For my lil' man, I soooo love this

Chicco Chicco: DJ Guitar Cute, huh?






For my lil' darlin' it's gotta be the Moon Sand Adventure Island
(She is crazy about Moon Sand. Really, really nuts for it.)





And for my honey, 'cause he seriously rocks: Mi Jam Pro Air Drummer (Um, yes, I know it's a toy. ) That's totally the point...and of course, he totally needs the Craftsman LocBoard 64 pc. Heavy-Duty Steel Storage cause, well - his tools could use a decent place to live...


For my Ma: The Concept Housewares Espresso Wood Rectangular Ceiling Rack, she's moving in just a couple of weeks, and she plans to completely renovate the kitchen in her new home. How cute would this rack be?



And my mother-in-law would absolutely love this
Zero Xposur Mini Dot Jacket.




Yay, Sears! The call it wish granting. For budget-concious families, I have to agree....




So get on over to the Sears Layaway and make some wishes come true!

There's always something to celebrate!

Thanks to Hot Mom's Club, for sending this great widget my way...

Body Bootcamp

I'm busting my butt, literally. Mama Mio's Bootcamp for Butts has been my inspiration. According to them "We wanted to create a kit which was the perfect product mix to help the tone, texture and tightness of your skin...By improving the tone and texture of your skin, and also strengthening and toning the muscle structure that supports the skin, the results will be more dramatic." I like that bit, more dramatic.

I've been exercising my Gluteus Maximus, Medius and Mimimus faithfully (Not to mention my Adductor and Abductor muscles), and swathing that tender skin in Mama Mio's Tummy Toner and Shrink to Fit. The exercises, called The Butt Raise and The Doggy are easy, but after all the repetitions (you add one each day) phew - I really do feel the burn!

Do I see any difference?

Well.... My stretchmarks are noticably smoother, (for that alone, All Hail Mama Mio and Tummy Toner!) and there seems to be slightly more definition at the bottom of my, er, bottom. I'm feeling hopeful.

Mama Mio's Bootcamp for Boobs has been just as inspirational. In this kit, you massage the Tummy Toner and Boob Tube onto your neck and chest, to right below the breasts. The exercises here are The Fly - which I actually enjoy doing, and the Push Me Up, not so much with the enjoyment part. (I hate push-ups. Always have.)

Difference here, too?

Um, yeah. Those dreaded Push Me Ups are actually tightening my triceps and biceps as well as my Pectorals. And The Fly, besides being kinda fun, adds to it, with the targeting of Deltoids, Rhomboids and Latissimus Dorsi. (Ooooh, don't you just love Latin? Even muscle groups sound exciting.) In other words - I noticed some subtle tightening under my boobs. Also, the small stretchmarks are smoother, (again, yay!) and overall - I think my skin fgeels somewhat more elastic, if that makes sense.

So far, so pretty good. We're not quite at dramatic change yet, but there are still three weeks left!

November is Military Family Appreciation Month

With today being the Marine Corp.'s 233rd birthday, and tomorrow we celebrate our Military Veterans, I'd like to give you some quick info about Military FamilyAppreciation Month.

Instituted in 2002, the designation of an entire month is meant to (according to Marine Corps Commandant J. L. Jones, General) provide "an opportunity to honor the extraordinary contributions of our nation's military families."

Here are some things you can do to facilitate maximum appreciativeness (I totally just made that word up):

1. Send a holiday card or gift package to overseas servicemembers! Just know that Thursday, Nov. 13, is the deadline for sending holiday packages to troops stationed overseas using Parcel Post to all Air/Army Post Office (APO) or Fleet Post Office (FPO) ZIP Codes. For cards/letters, you have untilThursday, December 11. However, all military mail, regardless of destination, is sent by domestic mail rate. International rates do not apply to military mail delivery. (Sweet!)
2. Make a donation to one of these many (many) groups, gathered here at America Supports You.
3. Order FLAGS Across The Nation Note Cards. They're very cute...
4. If you're a business owner, offer a discount for military families.
5. Hire milspouses! (Like me, lol!) (No seriously - cmwpro.com)
   
6. Support your local Armed Services YMCA.
   

Maybe you are wondering why we military families even need an appreciation month. I'll explain. (Well, after I shoot you a nasty look.) Consider if you will, the extreme lifestyle of the military family. Relocation, most often to places we've never been. We subsist on quite a bit less and do a whole lot more. We raise our children quite literally on the fly. We rally, and we inspire, and we give those men and women a pretty darn good reason to keep fighting for home, because home is us. You're welcome, folks!

My-oh Mama Mio

My boobs just aren't what they used to be. *sigh*

Two babies, and they've lost that perky profile I was so proud of. No really - not to be terribly immodest, but I had a great pair. Now, however, there's a definite droop.

Enter...Bootcamp for Boobs. Mama Mio's boxed skincare set that promises to "perk your profile in 30 days". That's a pretty big promise. Can they deliver?

Included in the box are two of their luxe skincare products, Tummy Toner (called "gym for slack skin") which is meant to lift and tone & Boob Tube, whose purpose is to help your chest "defy gravity" (and smells yummy!). Also you get a handy laminated how-to card which explains the process, and has diagrams of the two mandatory (yup!) exercises that target your pectoral muscles.


And then there's the bottom. Mine specifically. I wasn't exactly known for my butt, however, I always thought it fit my body, filled out my jeans nicely, and never, ever jiggled inappropriately. Ah, I wish I could blame that loss on my children, but it's all the internet's fault. Too much time in a chair has flattened and broadened my err, rear.

No fear, Mama Mio has an answer for that, too!
Bootcamp for Butts is another boxed set; for booty-lifting this time. Included is the handy how-to card, Tummy Toner, Body Buff (a gentle exfoliant) and Shrink to Fit Cream (this stuff is awesome!).

As it's a 30-day program, and I'll be updating weekly with my progress.

I have totally been doing it all this week. DH and the kids find the exercises pretty funny, and the "Doggy" is definitely the favorite. You wish I was masochistic enough to upload video, but I'm not...
I liked the Body Buff, especially that it's not very strongly scented. The Tummy Toner, which comes in both kits, is light and easy to apply. The Boob Tube is thick and smells pretty yummy. (Probably thanks to the Avocado Oil and Shea Butter.) The Shrink to Fit cream leaves a kind of tingle behind, and it lasts for a good long while. So far, so not much difference, to be honest. My skin does feel smoother, but I haven't noticed any real lift, either North or South... Still, I have high hopes, and figure that I just need some more time.

I sooooo hope this works!

Blogs to check out:

Okay - I told you about some of my fave sites, and now some blogs you really should be reading:


Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. has a blog! Did you know? Well now you do! Right now they are having a giveaway featuring the oh-so-soft Loungewear for kids.

Lipstick to Crayons is also hosting a giveaway. (Actually, quite a few) Direct from the sisters in charge: "Lipstick to Crayons was created for moms to 'escape' their busy lives".

Simple Finds, a review site that's more! I love their Holiday Gift Guide.

Mom Most Traveled - if you and your kids get lots of traveltime, this is the place to get gear ideas to make it easier. Also hosting a giveaway! Very cool between you & me journals...

A Brand New Day

Like so many others, I am thrilled, awed and overcome. Last night we opened a new chapter in the history of our great country. I am so very, very happy.

I pray that God is with the Obama and Biden families in these coming months and years - for the task ahead is difficult. But I firmly believe that it is not insurmountable.

Congratulations President-Elect Barack Obama, and godspeed.

Some Shout-outs

Even though I've been an absentee here in blog-land, I have been online. Some sites have made me laugh, cry, feel righteous, uncomfortable, and fired-up. Some did all of those things!

Here's the who's-who of my online loves (in no particular order):


WAHM 2.0 'Cause Kelly McCausey knows her stuff...
Joomla awesome website development!
List PlanIt um, lists, lists and more lists for people (like me!) who love erm, lists!
Traveling with kids a retail site, it's all in the name
Etsy if you aren't buying from here...Why not?
Online-Sweepstakes um, because I like free stuff, and so do you - I just know it.
Christian Women Online full of Godly goodies
Cool Mom Picks reviews of stuff I never knew I needed
SAHM Answers all kindsa stuff
Family Time something we all need to get lots of....
YummyMummy club they say that "mummy needs to play, too" - I couldn't agree more!


Oh, man and so many more, but my kids are ready for some momma-attention now. More later, BYE!

Oh my gosh!

So - I took an unannounced break from blogging - but here's the thing, I drafted like twenty-five posts so that I could do it pretty low-key, right (no on the wiser).

Um, yeah - so uh...


NOTHING POSTED!

I am super-bummed, 'cause my poor 'lil blog looked completely abandoned. *sob, sniffle*


I am so sorry. All apologies, my friends. Totally a mistake I made, and since they were all pretty much time-specific, not even worth trying to put them up now. Guess I'll start fresh.

Err, starting right after I find my sons binkie - 'cause he is totally freaking out.

So - I'm like freaking out a little

Have any of you ever heard about Vacation Bible School? (also handily shortened to VBS)

Let me tell you how I, a rank amateur, ended up sweating the fact that I'll be teaching (guiding, herding) more than twenty 3-year-olds come Monday morning.

I love my church. Really (and I never, never thought those words would come out of my mouth.) I decided some months back that I needed to be more involved in both the church and the community. So, I joined a womens group, called Lydia Circle. At the second meeting, one of the ladies was talking about VBS (she is of course the director); and lamented her lack of three volunteers to complete the ranks of teachers for this weeklong summer program.

I can honestly say that I thought, "Aw - that's too bad. I hope she finds people in time." But what I said was this, "I'd love to help out." WHAT? Was that me? I actually heard the words, but I certainly had no intention of volunteering! What just happened here? (Lord, they say You work in mysterious ways, but literally putting words in my mouth ... I'm shocked.)

Kathy jumped right on them, and now I am preparing to face a room full of other people's children to teach them about God and Jesus. I barely feel capable of explaining it all to my own three year old. What on earth am I doing?

So, of course I'm praying that I'll remember not to swear, or take his name in vain, or lose my temper or, you know, accidentally turn them to the dark side. Do me a favor ya'll...pray for me too. (And those kids, please pray for those poor children. They have no more idea of what they're getting into than I do!)

Hey - I'm almost famous!

Just a quick note to tell ya'll about my brief brush with fame. No, no - I'm not talking about Al again. I just found out that I won Stonyfield Farms monthly recipe contest. Check me out under the June 2008 Winners for my super-tasty Curried Tuna Sandwich. (Yes, curried tuna - it's totally delicious.) And looky-here at what I won:






They asked me to send in a headshot. I'm not really much of one for being in front of the camera. So - I didn't have a whole lot to choose from. I picked this one, tell me what you think.



I'm pretty cheeky (ha, ha - get it? Yeah, *sigh*, sorry) but I thought maybe the angled head would...oh, alright, but believe me when I tell you, it's one of the best pictures I've taken since my first pregnancy. (Also - it was taken by the fruit of said pregnancy, which tells you exactly how that particular camera broke not more than 15 minutes after that picture was taken.) But I digress. Ummm, make some yummy sandwiches or something, eat some Stonyfield yogurt, and stop looking at me like that!

The Weird One

Um, DH is a very big fan of Weird Al Yankovic. Huge, really. Early on in our relationship, he expressed great shock when he learned that I had the barest of acquaintance with "The Weird One". (UHF, Eat It!, and Amish Paradise pretty much summed it up.) I didn't even know that he did anything besides parodies! (Um - I sooooo know better now, after an exhaustive intro to the Weird Al retrospective.) Apparently, Mr. Yankovic was a huge part of DH's growing up years - so when he heard tickets being offered up on a local radio talk show, he called in, and wouldn't you know it - the man actually won! Not only did he get two tickets to the "Straight Outta Lynnwood" concert at the Pier 6 Pavilion Friday night, but he scored a meet -n- greet with the man, too.


Can I begin with just this: I haven't laughed so hard in at least ten years. I actually had to fight for breath, and was clutching my aching sides. I'd say it was quite possibly the best straight-up performance I've ever seen. It is a show, folks. Some pics for ya:

This is from the opener where he performed two compilations, and finished with "Canadian Idiot".




And this is the finale to another compilation called
"Do I Creep You Out?"

And then we've got "Eat It,"...

...and "The Saga Begins,"...

..."Smells Like Nirvana,"...

...and "Amish Paradise,"...

...and the notorious, "I'm Fat".

But the best pic?




There were so many songs, videos, celeb interviews courtesy of "Al TV", cartoon shorts, and costume changes - I cannot even begin to tell you how the man managed it all, and still stuck around for an hour of photos and autographs.

At any rate - I used to think Weird Al was a funny guy. Now, I'm a fan. Thanks for the laughs, Odd One!

You're my WonderFaaaall

Have you heard of Beaches All-Inclusive Family Resorts? You have to have seen the commercials, right? Turquoise waters lapping at gorgeous sandy beaches, happy families frolicking in the pool, childish wonder at tropical fish swimming in their native waters? Luxurious rooms, blissful spas, on-site childcare...Ahhhh, now I've got ya.

I am drooling over the new WonderFall package at Beaches. Book for 5 or 6 nights, get one of those for free -or- book a seven-night stay, and only pay for five of them! Combine it with up to 45% off the regular price for super-savings. If you travel between September 1, and November 4, 2008 - you can get in on this incredible deal.

So, where does the magic happen? You'll be blown away by the luxurious digs at Beaches Boscobel, Beaches Negril, and Beaches Sandy Bay in Jamaica, as well as at Beaches Turks & Caicos. (Click the links for details like photo galleries and amenities.)

Now you may have heard about all-inclusive before, but I want to illustrate what a Beaches resort provides, so that you can see just how affordable a truly amazing family vacation can be.

• All meals, unlimited snacks (and most restaurants have kid-friendly menus, and even child-size tables and chairs!)





• Unlimited premium drinks





• Supervised activities for kids (By age group: infants up to 23 months, toddlers ages 2 - 5, children 6 - 7 yrs, pre-teens 8 - 12 yrs, and teen programs, for 13 yrs and up.)





• Fine dining
  
  

Arizona Restaurant, an outdoor TexMex restaurant at Beaches Boscobel, Jamaica

• Scuba diving





• Water sports





• Land sports





• Luxurious rooms and suites

(Gorgeous, isn't it?)

• Taxes, tips and gratuities (All included!)





• Airport transfers (No worries!)





• X-Box video games center





• The Caribbean Adventures with Sesame Street ®

(I think this is my favorite, so far.) With activities like Sesame Street Stage Shows & Parades, Story Time with Elmo, Bake with Cookie Monster, Dance with Zoe, Make Music with Bert and Ernie, Discover Magical Treasures with Abby Cadabby, and Explore with Grover, (even birthday parties!) - Beaches WonderFall Celebration is set to be a truly memorable family experience.

(Doesn't this pool make you want to jump right in?)

Now - think of all the savings, and consider how much you'll have leftover for souvenirs!

My other fave thing about Beaches? All Sandals & Beaches Resorts have been awarded the coveted Green Globe Award for environmental stewardship. GREEN GLOBE 21 is the worldwide benchmarking and certification program that facilitates sustainable travel and tourism for consumers, companies and communities.

Go! Feel good about your vacation! Oh, just one more thing, before you jump on over to book your Beaches WonderFall vacation, comb your hair, honey, 'cause passports are required!

poor little bug

I hope you ll had a fine fourth. BBQ, friends and family, parades, fireworks, etc. We tried to. Catonsville hosts a big-deal July Fourth celebration, with kid's games and races, booths, a 61 year old parade, and an impressive fireworks display.

But yesterday morning, our Liv woke up with a fever. Poor little bug. My girl is a lively one, normally. Everything she does and says is imbued with masses of energy, and for her to do little more than lay on the couch, pushing away food, it's just heartbreaking. When she woke from her afternoon nap, we hoped she'd feel well enough to at least see the parade, but her eye was swollen nearly shut.

Here - I'd like to b*tch a little about the way our health care system is run. Because there are no office hours on holidays (and okay, I understand that - even doctors deserve some time off) you have to call the after-hours care number. Why do they spend more time and concern regarding your bloody insurance information than in giving any useful stinking advice? After going through our particulars with two completely different people (very s-l-o-w-l-y), I was told that I'd have to wait over an hour before a nurse would be available to call me back. I wondered aloud if I should just take my sweetling to Urgent Care, and was told that they couldn't help me with that. (Uh, hello - why am I calling here in the first place? Aren't you supposed to help me?)

We plied her with children's Tylenol, and Pedialyte, and she seemed to liven up a bit, so we waited for the call. Of course, a person over the phone cannot give a diagnoses, only very generic advice. Liquids, rest, more Tylenol for the fever, yada, yada, yadda. Then I tried to find out where we should take her or if we should take her to Urgent care at all, and went similarly unhelped. Gah. Useless.

The later it got, the more listless she became, and DH insists we should just take her in. Phew.

Know this about me. I am not a doctor lover. I don't go unless I absolutely have to, or DH makes a big deal about it, because in general, I just feel like I can take care of myself. Though I am not nearly so cavalier with my children, I do tend to want to hold back. I mean, kids get sick, and then they get better, and Lord knows - one of the worst places to be with a sick kid is in a doctor's reception room or waiting area at the E.R. I'm just saying.

However, in general, in this area, I tend to let DH lead, cause it's better to be overcautious than under. Ah, yeah. I sure am glad I did.

We went to St. Agnes' Pediatric Emergency Care. Not only was it one of the best ER visits in my experience, but fairly fast, too. We waited less than two minutes before being seen by the triage nurse, and less than ten for the ER doctor. (DH and I were stunned. This is totally unprecedented.)

A few questions, a brief, but gentle exam (that Liv cried and cringed over - this kid hates doctors, too many needles as far as she's concerned,) and hey ho, diagnosis.

DH and I fully expected to hear that she had a weird virus or something like that. What we were informed, however, was that our kiddo had cellulitus, a skin infection. Possibly caused by a bug bite. I was completely bugged out when I googled it. On the one hand, fairly common - but if left untreated, possible death! Or blindness in children whose eyes have been infected. Holy crapola! Thank God for DH's doctor-love. Thank God for St. Agnes. Though I no longer consider myself Catholic, no girl raised as one would have felt any less comforted (though mildly weirded out) by the sound of a nun reciting the Trinity and Psalm 23 over the intercom system.

We did get a little something in, though. On our way home from the ER, we dropped off her antibiotics scrip at a 24 hour pharmacy (thank you for that, by the way) and stood in the parking lot, watching the far-off fireworks loosed in celebration of our nation's indepedence. Ah, well. Better than last year, anyway. Did I mention? Last year we spent most of the fourth at the Children's Hospital with our younger son, at the time, just days old. I'm thinking, next year - lets try to start a new tradition. One that doesn't mean sick kiddos.