Letters to Santa

I think letters to Santa are one of the cutest things about the holidays.  The creativity and work that goes into them from those adorable little hands melts my heart every time.  Believe me I'm not normally a sappy person but come on, how could that not make your heart swell up with joy?!  I've saved a few of those letters over the years and just love looking back and being reminded of how innocent and magical their little thoughts and wants can be. If you save them just be careful THEY never find them!

Does anyone send "real" holiday cards anymore?

From as far back as I can remember, one of the most exciting times of the holidays was going to the mail box to see what holiday/Christmas cards were there! I loved opening them and see what pretty sparkly glittered card would be inside. Or finding a cute family picture in front of a fire place or someones pet's running on the beach.  As I got older I looked forward to reading the "Family Letter" about what has happened over the last year with the kids, jobs, new home etc..

We would save EVERY card we received and hang them up around the mantel, next to door frames and even in the cute card holders you could hang on the wall. Not only did it help make things look festive but it was fun to see all the cards and family pictures from over the years.

Recently, after going through whats left of my decorations, I noticed how few cards I have anymore! I realized that this is a tradition that seems to be dying with the digital age of E-Cards, Facebook and a multitude of other online ways to send a card.

Yes it's "green" to send virtual holiday wishes and yes it's obviously much quicker but I think we as a society have seriously lost touch with what used to be real communication! There is something much more personal and "real" about a hand written holiday/Christmas card rather then just choosing from a generic list of text and pressing send! My late Grandmother has probably written more letters, Christmas, Birthday, Sympathy and get well cards then Hallmark has!

I admit I'm not always on top of sending cards so I don't write this to point any fingers or pass judgement.  More than anything, Holiday's or not, I wonder how many people still "write" anything?

Blind Date Disasters!

From one of my fabulous readers:

Sounds close to a horrible blind date I went on, but this guy cried during his confessional, then took out his wallet and pointed out pictures of his entire family. Then he tried to reach for my hand across the table and told me he prefers to wear thong underwear. Seriously. Then, he went to the bathroom, and I should have escaped, but I sat there like a dumb ass. He walked out of the bathroom, made eye contact with me, smiled and flexed his arms the entire way to the table (like noticeably up in the air flexes). He got into the booth, on his side, and proceeded to climb OVER the table to my side and tried to whisper sweet nothings in my ear. I freaked out! He walked me to my car, tried to kiss me good night, but I dodged it. Then, he called for two weeks, but I never answered. At the end of the week, he left me a message screaming at me saying I lead him on and his mother had been really excited to meet me!!!! LOL! You can't make this stuff up. True story!
Oh! And I forgot one of the best parts! When he shared his thong preference, he asked if I wanted to see. He ignored my plea, pulled up his shirt and his pants down slightly, and revealed a silky leopard print piece of something. Then, he says, "oh, and my belly button is pierced too!" Of course, he proudly flicked that a few times for me too. This opened up a can for my sarcastic soul, and I made extremely snarky comments about it throughout dinner, but he just laughed and said I was "soooo funny."

The Fat, the Skinny and the mislead perception!!

I want ALL of you to know something...YOU yes YOU are beautiful no matter what size you are!! Whether you're a size 0 or 28+ DO NOT let society tell you that being a certain size is what defines who you really are because it's NOT!! Yes being healthy is important but that's not what this is about.  This is about living your life and feeling great about who you are no matter how much you weigh, how light or dark you are, whether you have thin hair, short hair, long hair or NO hair.  Attitude is everything and when you change yourself from within that true beauty will shine bright on the outside.  Don't let what others percieve you to be control who you WANT to be! So let yourself GO...go on that cruise, go to the beach, walk on that trail, travel to where you want to go, wear those high heels if it makes you feel good BUT most of all LIVE YOUR LIFE and don't let anyone else live it for you! xoxoxo

The Closer I get to you...

How close are your kids?  Sometimes I wonder if the relationship between my kids would be considered "close"? I mean the youngest (4) seems to be close to everyone but the relationship between my oldest (13) and middle two (7&8) just doesn't seem close enough, or at all for that matter! I see other families and the kids all help each other and get along so great but then I look at mine and see almost a disconnect? More of a battle to see who can get more of my attention then actually having fun TOGETHER!! I understand sibling rivalry believe me I'm the baby of the family.  I wonder if I didn't or haven't done enough to try and help them be closer?

Waking up wet!

Ya I thought that would get your attention! Okay but seriously now I posted awhile back ago about my sons bed wetting issues.  He's not 7 and we're still having a hard time.  I understand from personal experience how hard of a habit this is to break.  I've tried all the usual things, restricting liquid after a certain time, waking him up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and have even taken him to the doctor.  I know he's REALLY embarrassed about this but STILL can't seem to stop.  Some think if he just keeps wetting himself that he'll stop...uumm not so much. 

I want to find another way to help him.  I feel awful that he's 7 and still having this problem.  Even his 4yr old sister wakes up dry every morning.  Maybe I should take a more unconventional approach not that I have any ideas or suggestions to support what that approach might be! Any words of wisdom from anyone who's actually been through this would be super helpful!

Ugghh Teenage Daughters!

Nothing like getting a call from your sister saying she saw your very soon to be 14yr old making out with someone in front of the house!!! Ughhh!! The problem
(well besides the obvious of course), I was doing the SAME THING at her age but HELLO it's not like I can tell her that! And of course what I thought was acceptable at 14 sure as hell isn't acceptable for MY CHILD at 14! Now I know why my mom drank....I gave her grief just like this if not worse :-/ #stickaforkinme

GPS for Mom's

Girls - Graduation wardrobe...LESS IS NOT MORE!!

So I'm not sure when this all started that the only thing considered fashionable to wear to your jr high/HS graduation are 5" heels and a dress the size of an apron?! I mean really? You're 13-18 and you can't even walk in them anyway? When you sit down you can see EVERYTHING!! Why is it these girls think they have to reveal more in order to impress their peers?  I just wonder if the stores sold something different, maybe a little longer and the heels a little shorter if girls would think that's just as cute? They're being brain washed into thinking this is acceptable and attractive!  Teenage girls listen to me "LESS IS NOT MORE"

Selfish and Selfless

I swear my headaches are a result from stress, not eating right and lack of

exercise but sometimes all I want to do is turn off the lights and crawl back into bed!

Keeping up with all we have to do as Mom's and/or parents can take such a toll on our bodies. Not just a physical toll but an emotional and mental one as well.  How can you NOT feel selfish when wanting to do something for yourself?! Yes we all know the whole "Take care of you first" phrase but really how many of us ACTUALLY do that?

Pretend City FREE Health Screening for your little ones! (Birth to 5years old)

Start:

April 16, 2011 10:00 am

End:

April 16, 2011 3:00 pm

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
It’s back again! Whether you’re interested in a free health screening for your little one, learning about the latest and greatest resources to promote healthy child development, or just looking to sing, dance and create – mark your calendar for Saturday, April 16, 2011 for our 2nd Annual Good To Go From Head To Toe Family Fun & Wellness Fair! Join us for a day of food, fun and festivities and to find out how you can earn your free museum admission ticket by participating in the fair! This health fair will be open to the general public right outside the museum at no cost and complimentary activities will include:
• Developmental, language, dental, hearing, and behavioral screenings for children
• Music & main stage sponsored entertainment provided by OC Family Magazine
• Special appearance by Anaheim Ducks mascot, Wild Wing, and Street Team
• Opportunity to speak directly to health care professionals
• Opportunity for children to earn a free museum ticket to Pretend City Children’s Museum
• 30+ booths of fun, food and festivities
Who is it for? All community members welcome; screenings for children ages birth through 5 years
Is there a fee? Health fair is open to the public at no cost
Anything else I should know? This activity is presented by Pretend City’s Child Development Initiative, Good To Go From Head To Toe! No RSVP required.

Too young for a cell phone??

What do you think the appropriate age is for a child to have a cell phone? I've seen kids as young as 5 yrs old with them? Makes it even harder when they have older sibling who has one to explain to them why they can't.  Does it just depend on the child and their maturity level? Yes there's games, music, pictures, videos etc...but there's also a huge safety issue to consider as well. Just wondered your thoughts as a parent...

Bed Wetting! Such a hard thing to break...

Six years old and still has accidents...not an easy habit to break! Even with restricing liquid is STILL happens. Even been to the doctor and they say it's nothing physical but gosh it has to end at some point...Right??

Social Networking and Teenage Daughters

I've come to realize that teenage daughters need more attention and guidence then most, if not all, toddlers.  With so much exposure thru social networking, computers and cell phones it's really hard to keep their attention on the important things in life. What are some of the ways you handle keeping them safe and informed of potential dangers?

Welcome!

Welcome! I'm so glad you stopped by to view my page! This is my first post and I'm still getting the hang of things so any advice or comments is welcomed.