Sunday, November 30, 2014

Photo Sunday - Finding The Straight Line


The theme of Photo Sunday is Straight. You wouldn't think you would have a photo to contribute but I bet if you look just through the last few photos on your camera, cell or iPad you would be surprised.

We had our very first visit to Pier One and we LOVED it. When I look at this photo though all I see are straight lines!


These beautiful books are actually empty holiday boxes at Michaels. I didn't get one but really really wanted to.


This ornament keeps things straight and narrow


Red candy shop shelves and the rungs on the ladder couldn't possibly be any straighter.


My deck in the middle of the snow storm on Wednesday looks awesome covered in a white fluffy layer

Straight Out Of The Camera - Goddess and A Frosty Sally

This was an easy pic for the category Straight Out Of The Camera! Wednesday into Thursday we found ourselves in 10 inches of heavy snow in my area. It was beautiful and a very interesting Thanksgiving! We were supposed to go to my in-laws who we were very excited to see. They are only here 6 months of the year and spend the rest of their time in Spain. The kids were counting down the days but with the heavy snow and no electricity we opted to stay close to home. The turkey was in the fridge already defrosted as a back up plan (the snow was expected), the generator was on, and the fireplace.

Honestly it wasn't a bad day at all except we didn't have a traditional Thanksgiving meal with our extended family. I am a firm believe in everything happens for a reason and staying close to home with my little family served me just fine. My town is very generous and everyone was on generators and offering up their ovens or a meal but we stayed home.

My daughter and I played some board games and we got diner food to go for dinner but it was a great day all in all. I wanted my family together and we were.

During the day Goddess headed to the deck for a while and created a snowman on her own. We watched her roll it by, creating the biggest snowman we have ever had on our property.


Here she is trying to figure out how to get that body onto the first part.


Daddy was kind enough to go out and assist.


She is making sure it will not fall off.  LOL this photo shows how she puts her whole body into it.


Completely reinforced


She called her Sally! Here is a faceless Sally


A trip to the yard hailed us some stones for eyes and buttons



She loves Her! I love her too because she doesn't have a mouth which means less talking in my world. Not a bad thing!


This frog hat makes me crack up every time.


One more kiss!




Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Jingle All The Way 2 Starring Larry The Cable Guy






The 411:

I loved the first Jingle All The Way starring Arnold Schwartzeneger about a dad who wants to get his son a Turbo Man for Christmas. In this version starring Larry the Cable Guy; Larry plays Larry a single dad trying to get his daughter what he believes is the one thing she is asking for this Christmas. He is competing with a new shiny step father who has a whole lot of cash and will do whatever he can to make Noel's wish come true.

We love holiday movies especially the kind that have heart and are funny. This has a whole lot of heart and heck it's Larry so the humor is there. 

While it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the first movie. Larry does a decent job of playing a single dad trying to be the best dad for his little girl who loves him. 

Great movie for the whole family about love, never giving up, and sometimes family aren't always the people you were born to and that's OK.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy for my honest opinion. No monetary compensation was offered.

Falling Star By Laura DeLuca Is A Girl's Dream




The 411:

Falling Star is about two people from very different parts of the world. Jersey Shore girl Lainey lives and works in a Wildwood New Jersey and Drew is across the US living a rising actors dream.

When Drew decides to take a break and heads to the shore a place he recalls was relaxing to him as a child he meets Lainey. Lainey is just chilling alone on a swing, feeling the wind in her hair when suddenly a sexy stranger is way to close. She does what any Jersey Girl would do in this situation and threatens him. Intrigued by this sexy, strong woman he decides he will make it his mission to get to know her while keeping his true star identity hidden.

I loved how Laura added so many details about the Jersey Shore. I even appreciated how Drew wanted to keep his identity hidden and escape the celebrity world for a little while. I found myself really upset with him when he would pass up every opportunity to tell Lainey the truth as they discovered more about each other especially when she was so open and honest with him.

Knowing a little about Laura DeLuca I loved how she weaved in more elements of Wicca this time around. Some of my favorite parts revolved around Lainey and her girlfriends. Laura must be a really great girlfriend because all of her girl characters tend to have a awesome friends who really know and support each other.

At times I felt like I was reading a Laura DeLuca biography. Jersey Girl, Wicca, and a desire to be a Writer. Sounds like Laura to me.

Laura characters are always very real. You feel like they can be your friends and to be totally honest, this was my favorite Laura DeLuca book yet and I have reviewed a few.

I highly recommend this book about friendship, romance, and forgiveness. Great job Laura


Monday, November 24, 2014

Two Chicks In A Candy Shop

This weekend Goddess and I headed out for a ride. We never know where the road will lead but we try to go somewhere.

We were so excited as we parked and got out of the car amid the buzz of hundreds of others who obviously had the same idea. The street was packed and the sidewalk lined with many, many others. As we entwined our hands I felt like I was walking with my girl in NYC. We had to walk sideways between others, saw a horse drawn carriage, heard sidewalk singers, saw lines of folks who were out to enjoy the beautiful Sunday.

First we ended up in a jewelry shop which Goddess wanted to go into. It was filled with bling until I pointed out that a certain pair of earrings she was looking at were only $4,400. She was shocked. Our favorite shop was a candy shop that had just opened.

I had just been showing her pictures of candy I used to love when I was a girl last week. We JUST had to get this since I it was one of the few I had shown her.


We didn't get any of these but I loved all that red, white and blue.


Look at all this color! I LOVE the red shelves which were stocked with glass containers of candy to buy by bulk size. Just grab a bag, a scoop and go to town. We didn't!



This guy looks like he didn't want his photo taken! We were right in the doorway so I snapped and moved which is why we have the blur but I had to share this guy with his lolli head dress.


You can see people were taking their time selecting their favorites. I love the nostalgic feel of the candy shop especially with that ladder.


She is holding our buys but I just had to keep looking. There was not enough time. I need to go back.



Don't judge but we found a spot outside, down the street and sampled it all!



Sunday, November 23, 2014

Mighty Leaf Tea Gift Box



The 411 by Maria:

I LOVE LOVE LOVE tea. In fact my nickname is grandma among my girlfriends because when we all lived together I was 2 and 3 years old then them and every night had to have my cup of tea. We were only in our early 20s but they found it so funny. One night they hid my beloved tea and there was hell to pay. I need my tea! I don't even have a favorite. I like them all black tea, herbal tea, green tea, I don't play favorites. I am a coffee lover as well. I don't know if it is habit or if I just love the warm, calming feeling I get when I drink one or the other.

This week I gave up my beloved coffee because after trying Mighty Leaf Tea I was truly hooked and couldn't get enough. I received the Mighty Leaf Holiday Collection Tea Chest to try along with their patented travel brew mug. The mug has a slit for your tea bag which means you never lose it and your tea doesn't over brew because as you drink it the bag stays close to the lid. 

The Tea is a whole other story! I drink a lot of tea. This tea is honestly and I am not even doing the blogger thing here. If you are a friend of mine that I see daily, you have heard about this tea. I even gave samples out at work as hard as it was because honestly all I kept thinking was how I would have fewer but I NEEDED to share these. It wasn't enough to just say how good they were. Here is a picture of the tea. It looks wonderful and unprocessed. I have never seen tea like this. I am used to tea that just looks like a bunch of black stuff in a tea bag. OH...and speaking of tea bags...I love these tea bags. They are almost so pretty I don't want to use them. Truly a work of art. Each bag looks hand sewn as if someone who loves you made them for you.


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Saturday, November 22, 2014

The Massive Caterpillar

We are cold here in New York. I wish we were back to the warm days of Summer already and it is only November! My girl found this huge caterpillar which was the size of her finger. I wish I could have taken a photo of its feet. There were massive and you could feel each one moving.



Thursday, November 20, 2014

Some Days I Just Don't Know How I Keep It Together

Life is crazy, hectic, boring, heartbreaking, sad, moody, funny, amazing and everything in between. You know it. You've had those days too. My life is no different than yours but there are some days I just can't! I really can't!

Yesterday was one of those days. You know the kind where you just want to throw and the towel and say screw you guys, I'm outta here!

It all starts with your mindset and mine has been on lock down for a while now. There are things even bloggers are just not willing to share until they NEED to. If your mindset is askew everything else is off too but mostly lets just say, I head into each day a little screwed up to begin with.

I am very even, never moody and mostly very rational so when I need to face something I just face it. The facts are always the facts and my mood represents that always. So while there is a million things going on in my life; unless I tell you, you will not know it. Recently I spoke to a friend in the know about this very thing and they said, Yes, if you didn't tell me, I would never know what was going on with you. This chick wears a poker face no matter what to the outside world. In my house I will let it all out though.

So....anywhoooo...there are a lot of things that have been hard lately.

My husband works a lot! I mean a LOT! We only see him Friday, Saturday and Sunday which means most everything except for the financial aspect of our life falls on me. It did before too but with him gone until the weekend there is seriously ONLY me.

My Handsome and Goddess are amazing kids. They really are. BUT like all kids there are certain aspects of their personalities that make them both easy and complicated at the same time.

Yesterday Handsome started counseling at school. It is something I have been asking for since the end of June. Well we finally got it and yesterday he had his first 30 minute session. There were three of us with him. The School Psychologist, Me and his teacher. I love these people. They truly have his best interest at heart and since I also work in the school I also like and respect them as people beside the fact they are on his IEP Team.

The reason we started was for some anger issues, blurting out, and self control issues that have always been there but have escalated as the work has become more difficult as his school career progresses.

It was a 30 minute meeting and for most of it we looked at the top of his head because he refused to talk to us or look at us. He was upset to be there and unwilling to participate. He went through about 5 tissues until he said, "please stop handing me tissues, I am fine with these."

We came together as a team, alternating between good cop and bad cop (except his teacher who definitely stayed on the good cop side). No one yelled at him, no one was angry well except him. He felt that we were all lying to him (?), that everyone wanted him to have a bad day and that it was our fault he was there. I was on the verge of tears much of the time because I could see how much he REALLY is going to need these sessions. His behavior was far from normal.

He is a good boy. He is! His disability makes it difficult for him to understand everything we are saying. He sees things very literally and when things are asked of him he needs it said many ways to make sure he understands however, he still needs to understand. Which is why we are starting this. He is on the edge of the point were it would be harder to get through to him. At 11 he thinks he knows everything, things everything is everyone else s fault, thinks his life is more complicated, important and different than everyone else and is just plain angry. He has no control over his feelings or the words that come out of his mouth and that is what we are trying to help him with.

Hopefully these weekly meetings do him some good. I think it is going to take some time and we are going to have to have consequences balanced with positive reinforcements but there is hope!!!!

Next, my Goddess! I love that girl. I seriously do. There is probably not another person I spend more time with or even want to be with more then her. She is my little buddy and she makes me laugh. She wants to be with me and I am going to take that for as long as I have it. Teens years are going to be horrific!

Anywhoooo...homework is very hard. At night my little 4th grader is knee deep in 2 plus hours of work that can take us as long as 3.5 depending on how hard things are for her. AND...everything is hard for her. She does not know how to read at grade level yet, still does phonetic spelling and math lets not even go there.

Well, last night and the night before, and three nights last week consisted of her just losing her mind. She can't focus on it. It is too hard. She ends up crying hysterically where I can't even reach her until she calms down and the words....oh the words...."I wish I were dead so you wouldn't have to help me." I'm sorry Mommy, I will try now. UGH....It is hard and this is where I come back to the mindset we start our days with that I wrote about at the beginning of this (sorry) too long post. If I had relief, felt whole, knew that at the end of the day there would be someone there for a safe, soft place to fall I may be able to handle these outbursts better. It would still suck but we would get through it and I wouldn't stress that tomorrow we get to do it all over again.

It is a lot for one person. It is too much for one person. How do you deal with the stress of your kids when you feel like it is all falling apart and you are all alone? 

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

A Christmas Tradition I Am So Snatching!



I love creating memories with my kids and doing things that hopefully they will remember the rest of their lives.

When they were much younger I started creating a Christmas Basket that took us through the most of the month of December up until Christmas eve.

I spend a few days in November wrapping our holiday movies and books, put them in a big basket with a new movie and an ornament for the tree and starting on December 1st we would open one  "gift" until Christmas when they knew the next day Santa would have come. If it was a movie we watched it, if it was a book we read it and spent time together.  It was our own Avent calendar and the kids and I loved it.

After 6 years the kids weren't as excited. I guess I needed to get rid of some of those preschool books and Barney, Wiggle movies. I didn't do it the past two years but this year, plan on revisiting along with this awesome idea.

The Night Before Christmas Box which I spotted here!  I also love this Day Before Christmas Box and hope to get started on these next week.

What traditions do you do that I could incorporate into our memories?

Monday, November 17, 2014

Our First Snow!

These photos will win no awards but I love them anyway. It was way cold and I shot them through my slider but at 8:30 PM Thursday of last week, my two were enjoying the first snow of the season. Doesn't look like much but it ended up being a pretty decent dusting. It was freezing but you would never know it from these smiling faces although Goddess did have much warmer PJs on than her brother.
BTW...the little big wheel has been around since Handsome was 2. Don't judge! They still ride it and I am not ready to toss it.

 

Friday, November 14, 2014

Letter To My Children - Being Grateful



Sometimes in life we find ourselves forgetting or neglecting to see how much we have to be grateful for. It's easy to get down, angry and upset over what we feel we DON'T have in life. What is important to remember is you should always be thankful for what you DO have.

I am not saying, don't strive to have better. I am not condoning status quo. I am simply stating that being grateful for what you have starts with knowing what grateful means.

Being grateful simply means appreciating the good you have in your life. The blessings that you sometimes don't focus on. Looking right past all that is positive in your life instead focusing on the thought that you deserve more, better, bigger.

You do deserve it! You should have it. We should all  have what we want in life. Hard work, good thoughts, feeling from your heart and doing what you can to get there is what is necessary. However, life sometimes gets in the way of everything going as planned but that still doesn't mean you shouldn't be grateful for what you have!

Over the years, I  kept a Gratitude Journal. Unfortunately I didn't always keep it up but I love looking at it now. Every day I had to write 5 things that I was grateful for. Sometimes it was as simple as a good cup of coffee or waking up to a song I love. Other times, it was a compliment from a boss or friend.

Unfortunately in life some don't know how to be appreciative and grateful for the things they have. They weigh themselves down with feelings of inadequacy and longing for more.  They spend all their free time thinking about how they resent what others have or expect that others should be the reason for them to be grateful. If you can't be grateful everyday for what you DO have, you will spend many years, consumed with worrying about what you don't have.

DON'T
  • Don't spend anytime thinking of what others have.
  • Don't blame others for what you don't have.
  • Don't expect that you should have because someone else does
DO
  • Do what you can to be your best
  • Do count your blessings everyday (even the smallest ones)
  • Do reach out for help if you can't see the positives in your life. There is no reason to suffer alone! Everyone needs help once in a while.
  • Do keep a gratitude journal when you need one. You will be surprised at how much you have going for you.

If nothing else remind yourself that gratitude cultivates positive thinking. Positive thinking leads to happiness and well being. Happiness and well being leads to empathy, energy and optimism. 


Thursday, November 13, 2014

Holiday Gift Guide Idea For Kids - The Amazing Zhus



We received:
  • One (1) The Amazing Zhus™ Magician Pets
    • The Amazing Zhus™ Magician Pets are motorized pets that will amaze your friends as they perform magic tricks and gravity-defying stunts. The Amazing Zhus™ Magician Pets can correctly guess the answers to the Magician's Cards - without even looking, follow the Magic Wand wherever you lead them, or predict the pea's location in the Shell Game trick - every time. They even magically find their own way home to the Magician Houses!  These talented pets can also perform stunts - including the High Dive and High Wire acts as well as the disappearing box!
    • Each Amazing Zhus™ Magician Pet includes 1 Magician Pet, 1 Magic Wand and 3 Magician Cards. Batteries areincluded.
  • Two (2) The Amazing Zhus™ Stunt Pets
    • The Amazing Zhus™ Stunt Pets perform astounding acrobatics and gravity defying stunts! They can plunge over 3 feet from the High Dive into a bucket below, brave a Tightrope, run around on Circus Balls, and vanish in a Disappearing Box
  • One (1) The Amazing Zhus™ High Dive
    • Watch as the Amazing Zhus™ free fall a spine-tingling 30 inches from the High Dive into a tiny bucket of water below! They may act scared at first but eventually they will work up the courage and make the brave leap of faith!
  • One (1) Amazing Zhus™ Magician Shell Game
    • Hide the Pea under a Shell, shuffle them around, and let your Amazing Zhus™ Magician Pets work their magic! They will guess which (Walnut) Shell the Pea is hidden under, no matter how fast the sleight of hand. They have never been stumped!
  • Fun extras:
    • Magic wands
    • Magician Hats
    • Branded playing cards
    • Fortune Telling Fish
    • Snacks

The 411 by Maria:
 

My kids love doing home parties with their friends. We used to do one almost every week for a few years, they are few and far in between as I search for something that will astound everyone in our friend age group. 

The Amazing Zhus IS truly amazing.

We had 10 kids scheduled and ended up with 7 after school last week so we could introduce them to our newest favorite toy The Amazing Zhus. 

The kids have been playing with Zhus for three weeks now as they had a chance to learn all his magical moves including a death defying feat, making predictions, and all over adorableness.


We had ages 4 to 12 and they all loved everything about The Amazing Zhus. I was surprised that the boys were as into as they were but I saw this with the Zhu Zhu Pets too. They really love them.

The Amazing Zhus are like the Zhu Zhu pets however they are all plastic and we think much cuter.

Here is Zhus himself. The hat is part of him, it is not removable. 



My son who didn't play with Zhus and the rest as much as my daughter really got into the role of our ringleader. He showed everyone what the Amazing Zhus pets can do.


Goddess gave him the opportunity because she was so into setting up for the party and refilling juice. 

All the kids had a wonderful time. I had told Goddess that we were giving one away to the kid who got done with their word find the quickest. She had a hard time deciding which one but it ended up being a little girl so she was nice enough to give away Abra. Abra is pink and pretty with a pink bow on her tail. Goddess told me that she was putting Abra on her Christmas list along with Dynamo and Madam Zhu, two other Amazing Zhus and the high wire accessory.

I really want to thank MommyPartys for the awesome additions to the party. The kids loved the mini magical hats and the magic wands. It is amazing how such little things make kids happy. All the kids went home with their mini hats which where filled with snacks through the party, fortune telling fish and their wands. I had a great time and so did my kids.

If you really want to see the Amazing Zhus in action, check out Goddess' review here.
I think she did a great job explaining how they work and showing them off. 

The best part of the party! No one was playing an electronic device! Worth the price of a Zhu Pet to us all, right there.

Teaching The Meaning Of Thanksgiving

Goddess with our Turkey 2011


For my kids the meaning of Thanksgiving is a lot more food than is ever on our table, football and getting together with their extended family.

This year I really want to focus on the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

  • I want to explain and discuss the meaning of origin of the day. Ask them why we celebrate the day. 
  • We can also discuss that one aspect of Thanksgiving is being grateful for the food you are going to eat and how there are children who will not be celebrating and why we should donate to our food pantry. We can bring a bag down together so they can see where our towns is.  I wish they had a soup kitchen in my town so we could volunteer. 
  • We could also talk about why turkey has become the symbol of Thanksgiving. Well, Turkeys are very large, can feed a crowd and don't serve a utilitarian purpose like laying eggs. 
  •  Let your children help with preparations for your Thanksgiving meal, and encourage them to make appropriate decorations.