Like or Dislike?

I can't decide about this shot. There is something so...quieting about it.
I love the over exposure and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the dog in the background guarding the kids. Some would say it is a bad snapshot, but there is an artistic quality to it. What do you think? Like or Dislike?

Ok, how about this edit? (I can't seem to get it together this morning...I am distracted, but that's another story...

Christmas Pictures

Here are a few pictures I took over the Christmas holidays.

There will be more to come as I find time to edit.

:)

The Real Meaning of Christmas

Everyone knows what the real meaning of Christmas is.

Even if you don't believe, you know what I mean when I say that don't you?
Jesus. The ultimate gift.

Yet, it occurs to me that Christmas means even MORE than that.

I don't think I am supposed to say that.

It seems that if you acknowledge that you are a Christian, you are somehow supposed to pretend that Mom's famous sugar cookies or It's a Wonderful Life mean nothing to you. Because Jesus is everything. I never have been good at reconciling my faith life with the rest of me, so I offer no solutions to you if this is something you struggle with also. I think I will always feel a twinge of guilt about loving things that sparkle and the feel of a perfect new pair of shoes when I know there are children starving in the world. ...when I know that there is a danger that I will love those things too much... *sigh*

But I digress....

I have been trying to wrap my head around this whole Christmas thing...you know...what it's all about really.

I had such high hopes for this time off from school. I just knew that the Christmas break would be filled with joy! We would:

• sleep in late
• live in harmony
• bake cookies, make candy, etc
  
• listen to carols
• find immeasurable joy in the puppy we are babysitting and maybe even decide to add a new four-legged family member to the CRAZYHOUSE
  
• take a family drive through a light show during a light and lovely snow fall
• spend our days wrapping presents and doing holiday crafts.
• look picture perfect at Christmas Mass
  
• escape the hustle and bustle
• send out the Christmas cards I designed
• not gain an ounce ;)
  

Well so far...



well...



well...



let's just say things don't always work out the way I plan.



The kids have been getting up at 6 o'clock! (yes, these are the same kids I have to BEG to get up at 7:30 on a school day)
There have been a few fights (between the kids).
The aforementioned noise YELLING, SCREAMING, CRYING has all but made me sour on the caroling. Quiet please!
The puppy has pooped in the house TWICE. (in 3 days) Peed 1, 2, 3, 4 times!

Holy Potty Training, Batman!

We are just now getting around to the cookies...oh crap! hold on

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Ok. I am back. whew! Those might have turned out a little darker than usual. :) Perhaps I am not the mulit-tasker I profess to be. *grins sheepishly*

Tonight was going to be our holiday drive (out of town) but with the freezing rain we are predicted to get, we may have to keep it local. Hopefully there are some neighborhoods in town that have decorated.

My gifts are almost all wrapped, save for a last-minute strays...but so far we haven't tackled a single craft. I need to do better. I know.

Picture Perfect. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! ROFL!
Hustle and Bustle. Check. I am afraid to leave the house with the WWF trainees. Neither hustle nor bustle has come to me.

OK, so I designed the cards(see post below) and I love them but, they want a fortune to print them locally at this late date. Dang it! I haven't printed a single one.

Well, I am doing OK so far on that one. SIL left a 12 pack of Diet Coke in my fridge last weekend, so I decided what the heck! She looks great. Maybe I should give it a whirl. So I have. I am down 3 lbs already! I am also trying my best to starve myself so I can pig-out tomorrow. :)

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All in all, it has not been a bad vacation, just not exactly like I had fantasized. When will I learn?
Frustration always follows such expectations.

My kids are kids. They can't even conceptualize these Beaver Cleaver images I conjure up. They just are. And since I love them, I have to make myself realize that who they are is good enough. Flaws and all. Immaturity and all. Snotty noses and poopy pants and all.

So today, we will frost the not-so-perfect cookies. And go to Mass as we are. In the freezing rain. We will celebrate the birth of our Savior with our imperfect singing voices and maybe not so recently-washed hands. (I try, but let's get real here!) I might be annoyed with someone saving an entire row of seats at Mass, or get a little huffy with Superman when he tries to make me hurry up so we can BE the seat-savers, I might even have to break up a fight or two between the boys. But I will embrace the holiday, camera in hand...trying to savor every sweet moment I can glean.

Afterall, before I know it, it will be Easter and we will be contemplating Our Lord's death and Resurrection. It seems too quick a turn-around for me. But what a metaphor!

Too soon they will be grown up. The messes will go with them, the dirty hand-prints on the wall, sticky arms on the chairs, the shoes at the door... Too soon I will miss them...and all that goes with them. Imperfections and all.

Now is the time to rejoice. Now is the time to celebrate.

Yes, Christmas is about Jesus. And all the lessons he taught us.

Enjoy.

Last Minute Gift Ideas

...so I SAID I wasn't going to post for 2 weeks, but...well...

...with 4 kids, 2 dogs (we are babysitting) a cat, 3 snakes (we added one for an early Christmas!), 2 lizards, 1 fish...and a brand new Wii....

let's face it, nobody here is listening to me,

so I have to blog to get that feeling that someone hears what I have to say! LOL

Plus, I have a playlist filled with Christmas tunes that I love listening to! :)

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Are you are procrastinator like me?

If you are finished with your shopping, wrapping an baking, move on to the next post in your RSS. :) You will probably just read this and roll your eyes anyway. Yes, I am still going.
Superman, always used to say there is nothing like shopping on Christmas Eve. (This from a man who hates shopping!) But he's right!
I always panic a little when I get too nearly finished before the 24th.

Luckily for me, they have drugs for this. :)

I was thinking of a few creative ways to whip up a last-minute gift for those who might have slipped past the list this year.

I LOVE Christmas stockings. Don't they have some cute ones out? mmm...hmmm!

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I decided to see what's on Etsy, just for an example. If you are crafty, you could crank one of these out in NO TIME, if not, check out your local gift shops to see what they might have. If you are lucky, they might be marking them down by now!

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(images are linked but I have no idea what's in stock at this point.)

I love little things, so I was thinking I will get a cute stocking (or a gDollar Store gift bag IF I am desperate.) and fill it with goodies. Try a theme or an over-the-top crazy-fun-filled stocking like one of these:


If your friend loves Hershey Bars, how about filling the stocking with hundreds of Hershey kisses or minis candy bars? *
Need a gift for a lady who has dry skin or washes a lot of dishes: How about filling the stocking with mini hand lotions and potions?
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10 bottles of nail polish?
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For your Superman:
homemade cookies
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golf balls
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tees
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For Kids:
Bubble Gum
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chapstick
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Can you see I am an over-the-top kind of girl? Well, not always, but getting 105 chapsticks can certainly make an impression, eh? (leave the safety seal intact and your recipient could donate them to the soldiers if you happen to get TOO MANY. Is that possible?)
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Last night I finished my Christmas card. I am going to post it, because quite frankly, I am exhausted and seriously considering NOT sending them...except for a few to those dear ones who are elderly or have no means of electronic communication.



What do you think?

Of course, I went with a U of I theme. GO ILLINI!

You know we love U of I, so it seemed appropriate. I found the awesome background in my files. (pathetic! I have SO many digital files!)

It was created by the lovely and talented Sara Ellis. Check her out!

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I am signing off for now. But no promises, OK.
Sometimes a girl just has to be heard! :)

Merry Christmas.

Christmas Crafting

I totally missed the Blog Hop yesterday. :(

Well actually I wrote the post and then decided I needed to cut something from my endless to-do list so instead of editing, I went to bed BEFORE MIDNIGHT!

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Hoorah!
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Here's what you missed:

I have been trying to share some of my homemade goodies throughout the season, so if you don't get inspired by the pics I am posting today, keep clicking "older posts" and maybe you will find one that you like!

Since I am ALWAYS crafting something, this one was easy. I have also included some crafts
from MIL. She has filled our home with handmade goodies! I have just shared a few here today.

First up, is this gorgeous Nativity banner MIL made for us a couple of years back.
It is just lovely.

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Next: a craft I am working on:

Here are the candy cane hobby horses I am making for the Kindergarten party on Friday.
Aren't these adorable?

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If you are a TidyMom reader, you know that Cheryl has posted some pretty awesome Dollar Store crafts lately. Here is my version of her decorations:




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If you like these, there are directions on her blog...or maybe she got them from another blog.

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It is all starting to run together in my mind these days...luckily Cheryl has her act together so check her out at www.tidymomof2.blogspot.com
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Here is another Dollar Store find I HAD TO HAVE!

I {HEART} sparkles!

Notice the beautiful Nativity behind it: made by MVP in preschool. We put it up every year.
I love it!
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Speaking of sparkles, even the BVM gets a little bling this time of year!

{SWEET}

Following are a few handpainted ornaments I found at a craft store one year. They were raw plaster--very inexpensive.
I just painted them and finished them off with a clear coat and a ribbon!
These have become family favorites

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Lastly, I had to try "tacking up" a couple of snapshots of my mantel.



The stockings are handmade by MIL. So beautiful!

The plate was made at a local pottery shop last year. They had a cookies with Santa event and each child got to make her own handprint plate with the date on it.

Such a sweet keepsake!

I hope you are enjoying your Advent season. Remember to take time to relax and enjoy your kids. I will try to do the same, which is why you will not be hearing from me so much in the next 2 weeks. But I will try to post some pictures as I can.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Tree March

It's still Tuesday, right?

LOL

I know I don't HAVE to Blog Hop today, but I had so much fun taking pictures for all of you, it would be a shame not to share them, so...I hope you enjoy. I decided to try making a little slideshow for you this time. Let me know what you think.

(the pictures seem to be showing very dark in the slides...even after lightening them...hmmm....)

These are shots of our 3, yes, you read that right, 3 trees!
(I am CRAZY!) and a few other goodies....

Have yourself a beautiful Advent season.

PS. Here is the link to today's Blog Hop hostess: A Baby Changes Everything

Homemade With Love

Do you realize it is only 10 more days until Christmas?

I am panicking!

In fact, I should not even be here now. I have SOOOOO much left to do!

But,
I did want to share one small and lovely gift that I got his year for my birthday.
It is so sweet and USEFUL at the same time.



My oldest, a.k.a. MVP, arranged a trip to the fabric store with Grandma Go-G0. Together they made a pattern and sewed me some new sleep masks!




I have used sleep masks for about 10 years. I cannot sleep without them.


So you know I loved this gift!

AND they are handmade...from the heart.



Precious!



Check out the soft flannel they chose.

YUMMY!

I tell ya, I sleep like a baby in these!



Hop on over to TaterTotsandJello if you want to check out a whole bunch of homemade gift ideas for the holidays or any day!.

That's all from me today, but I will be back tomorrow for HOLLY BLOGGY DAY2.


Until then, tell those you love that you do!

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

I have been looking forward to reviewing this book for a while.
I loved it!


This book is for the middle grades, though I think it is more of a girl book than a boy book. Just my opinion. It WAS written by a man though.

The characters in the story are Freshmen in high school, if I remember right. But the content is sweet and innocent without being boring. As a matter of fact, I am looking forward to reading part 2 Love Stargirl which is supposed to be excerpt from Stargirl's diary.

There is a little bit of romance and lots of shenanigans. But no kissing, no drugs, no violence. Imagine! You CAN write a kids' book without those elements! AND have it be a best seller!

Hooray!

I am not making any money from this post, but if you want to buy some books from Amazon,
I'd love it if you used my links, so I can afford to review more books for you!

Old Navy Tanks

It's Fashion Forward Friday! Woo Hoo!

I just had to share an awesome deal I found this week during all the sales that are going on. Maybe I should cross-post this on a True Confessions day...but here goes: I have 4 kids. Let's face it, I don't have the body I had 10 years a ago.

I confess: I have a muffin top.

Sad, but true. But ladies, you have to face facts: If your not skinny, your just not. Deal with it! DO not try to squeeze you size 10 butt into size 4 stretch pants and expect people NOT to laugh at you. Life doesn't work that way!

So I was at Old Navy the other day and they are having SO many bargains right now it is CRAZY! You know I love a CRAZY bargain, so I was shopping!


I found these adorable LONG strappy tanks for $5 each!!!
(prices may vary--I'm not affiliated with Old Navy)

(Old Navy calls these the Women's Stretch Tank. They are meant to hit your hips.)

And yes, some of you have been noticing that Old Navy's quality has gone
...down...down...down...
BUT do not despair because I will not advise you to wear cheese cloth T-shirts.
I am cheap (as you know) but not that cheap. :)
These are a nice medium-weight cotton.


But here's how they tie into my Confession:
they are long enough to cover the muffin top!



You can trust me on this because I am not some 100 lb, 5'10" model with anorexia. I am a real mom who REALLY could lose a few pounds. But until I do, I have to work in the realm of reality. So do you!

The reality is, ladies, that most tutleneck, T's and even sweaters that are already in your closets are not going to cover the muffin top if you keep sampling the cookie dough, so get your butt to Old Navy (you need the exercise anyway, huh?) and buy a couple to layer under your stuff. It is a good look this season and it will save you a fortune in replacing your ENTIRE wardrobe to fit your new *ahem* size.

xoxo

I am not getting paid a dime to tell you this information, though I wish I were, being that I could use a few more tanks! :)

Getting Organized: Scarves

This is my first MckLinky post. Yeah me! I have wanted to jump on the blog carnival at
We are that Family for a while. Well, I am finally getting to it. (I hope I do it right.)

I wanted to share something that works for me.

Here's the problem I WAS having:

my scarves were unorganized.

I LOVE scarves and they are SOOO cool this season, but they were getting all bunched up in the bottom of the mitten box, or lost on hangers underneath heavy winter coats. So I did some digging into the back of the closet to find one of those multi-tiered pants hangers Superman used to used back in his sales days. I simply hung the scarves on there, folded over one of the bars. Because of the tiers, it holds a TON of scarves! AWESOME!





And if you are not a packrat, like me, you can pick one up at any big box store.

And THAT, my friends works for me!

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More Christmas fun at the CRAZYHOUSE.






Shhh...Don't tell the teachers that we are having so much fun while Princess is home "sick". :)

Stuff From Me

First, a Vent

Man! I am in a mood! My dear Audrey would have called it THE MEAN REDS.

Well, maybe that's exaggerating a bit...

Here's the source of my funk: I thought I would do a little "a day in the life of" post because, let's face it, my life IS pretty colorful! So I whipped out my NEW CAMERA! *ta-da!* and took a bunch of awesome shots of my day.
However, I have the Blogger Photo Upload Blues. If you are a blogger, you know what I mean!! :(

So I have tried photobucket (so-so)...picnik(suck-ola!)...what else...I can't remember. I have tried a FEW of them. But I am SO unhappy. Thinking of buying a Gallery Manager. They are actually pretty cheap. If it truly saves me the time they promise, it would be worth it...as much as I am at this keyboard! (it called me "Mama" today! J/K)

What's a Blogger to do?

Christmas Treats

I am going to try to participate in some of the festivities of the Holly Bloggy Christmas Bash. Check out the link in my sidebar or here !


I will be linking up with lots of other cool blogs, so stay tuned for that!

What is the Christmas Season like at the CRAZYHOUSE?

Here are some pictures...

Cookies are made.
Fingers are licked.
Poinsettias.
Picture frames Memories Abound.
A few Casualties.

Hopefully I will master the lighting features of this camera soon. I guess I need to spend MORE time on here...looking up {MORE} photo blogs.
I can feel my butt growing at the thought!
Perhaps a real class at a local college would be wiser...maybe I'd even have to walk a little to get there!

:)