Worst Christmas Gift EVA...TRY TO BEAT THIS ONE!

Welcome to the 1st installment of the

WORLD'S WORST CHRISTMAS GIFTS EVA!!!

You know it has happened to you, maybe your just too nice to admit it, but deep down inside you were thinking "WHAT WERE THEY THINKING WHEN THEY BOUGHT THIS"??? Maybe you even thought to yourself.."Does this person even really like me"?

So we flash back to the 80's.

A period in time where my hair looked like this:

If you would like to check out the rest of my post...please click on over to the 5 Moms today!

I ♥ Faces...Out Takes!

Here it is, the cutest out take that I could find!!!

This was taken at Receivers Kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast.

I was trying to get 3 little boys to look at me Receiver looked up at me and said

no more pictures, but my camera snapped accidentally.

WHOOPS! Here comes cuteness...who can resist that orange mustache?

Check out I♥Faces this week. The out takes are amazingly funny!

No Time Like the PRESENTs.....

Well - We survived! Made it through another December
(and yes December ends at Christmas day)!

I'm not sure how many of you know this but December is one of the MOST hectic months that my job has to offer so it is just pure madness with Christmas parties, shopping and present buying as well as all the shuffling to sports and school and activities. I'm sure you can all concur that December is fantastic, amazing and magnificent but I for one am really ready to see it go every year! ;)

Here are some highlights over the past couple of days that made us laugh, cry and remember how Thankful we should be. We are all so blessed!

1. 19" Snowfall from Christmas Eve all the way through Christmas night.
Although it was beautiful, it made for some pretty yucky comings and goings.
It also made for a hubs who spent most of the day with my dad in the driveway with our snowblower..BOO!

2. My brothers fiance falling asleep after our Christmas Eve dinner.
We really only see them a couple of times a year,
so it was pretty funny that she just ZONKED out for all of us to make fun of!!! ;)

3. The boys waking up at 5:45am to tell me that "SANTA" brought Mom the biggest stuff.
I mean they could hardly believe that I got something bigger then them
(hello much needed jewlery box...I love you)!

4. Quarterback reading the Christmas story in the Bible.
He read it so beautifully and it was very centimental for me.

5. Jamming 24 people into our house for Christmas brunch. Man-
We are not sure how we do it every year but somehow we manage to!

Hope that everyone else had a blessed Christmas!

PS...what is it about Christmas Photos? Mine NEVER turn out as good as my other shots..

Is it because I am too lazy or stressed out? I need some help here!!! ;)

Festive Family Bowling....

It's my posting day over @ Five Moms so come check out what

 I have to say about Christmas Day Activities!

Christmas Cheer!!!

This time of year with the hustle and bustle,

We have to STOP for a visit with Santa!

These past couple of weeks have been filled with festivities, food and friends!

Hope everyone is having a blessed Christmas Season!

Eyeglasses Guest Post

Kids & Eyeglassesby: Hillary @ GlassesUSA

If you have a young child who has told you in the past

"Mommy, I can't see the chalk board..." -you should consider yourself lucky.

Most children will not tell you that they can't see. In fact, my middle sister was told by her son's nursery school teacher that his behavior might be caused by a problem with his vision. Luckily for my sister, her son did not need eyeglasses at four-years-old. Unfortunately, statistically speaking - my nephew will need eyeglasses by the time he's 10-years-old. Luckily for my nephew, eyeglasses have become a lot more fashionable.

So, how do you handle a kid who needs prescription glasses?

Well, consider the factors against a kid who wears glasses. Kids in school might make fun of them for being "four eyed" but chances are, in this day and age -

wearing glasses is considered cool.

The younger the child is when they start wearing glasses, the better they are at getting used to them. Also, if a child is used to seeing someone else in the house wearing glasses, the stigma that glasses are for nerds won't really exist.

How else can you help your child adjust to wearing eyeglass frames? Give them encouragement. The more you tell your kid that they look great and perhaps they even look smart, the more comfortable they will feel. Making wearing eyeglasses a positive thing. Remind your son or daughter to wear their eyeglasses at all times but also teach them to be careful because eyeglasses can break. If your daughter is a fashion fiend, reward her by purchasing more than one pair of glasses for her when she does something well. She will start to see that glasses are not a negative appliance that she has to wear (like head-gear!) but rather a fashionable accessory that can accent her wardrobe.

The more positive incentives and encouragement you give your kids when it comes to wearing eyeglasses, the easier it will be for them to adjust. If kids are mean at school, remind them that bullies just want to get a rise out of them and also that some of the smartest and most successful people in history have worn eyeglasses.

FRIDAY FREEBIE WINNER

We have a winner folks...of the $15.00 ITUNES gift card ;)

DRUM ROLL PLEASE...............

Comment # 9 thanks to Random.org

The winner is: Christine @ Our Greatest Blessings!!!

Thanks to Heidi for allowing me to guest host!!! ;)

Friday Freebie Giveaway!!!

Tis the season to be Jolly......

Heidi @ Sacred and Profane

hosts a weekly giveaway and this month she is allowing people to help out...

so of course I signed up!!!

So tell them what they have won Johnnie (or going to win if your name is drawn)!

Up for grabs, right before the holidays.... a $15 ITUNES Gift Card!!!

Why Thank you miss Tarah...whatever do I do to enter such a drawing????

LEAVE A COMMENT...that's all folks. It's Christmas....lets keep it simple!!!

Arriving before Christmas! You know you want it, or your kid wants it or you want to download that Carrie Underwood or Casting Crowns song....What Ev...just leave a comment!

Don't forget to Thank HEIDI!!!

Contest ends at Midnight tonight 12/11/2009

Merry Christmas...

So, I sit down for a little CSI Miami last night

(yes, I know David Caruso is the MOST annoying actor on the planet)

but to a Minnesota girl who is beggining to only see white...

some sandy beaches are just what the doctor ordered on Monday night!!!

I digress...

Anywho..about half way through I see this little commercial.

And I think to myself...

If this happened for ME as a Christmas gift someone would have some

SPLAININ TO DO!!!

Enjoy..it is 12 seconds!

Feeling like Christmas...PART 1

Alright..so I will admit, I am a day late...my give away ended yesterday and I just PLUM forgot with all the Christmas hoopla to do my drawing..so here goes SOMETHIN:

True Random Number Generator

Min: 1

Max: 25

Result: 24

What are the chances of this.......Lemonade Makin Mama who I totally blogged STALKED from my cousin He & Me + 3 came back to leave me a comment and BAM....just like that she snagged my giveaway so Sasha...COME AND GET IT GIRL!!! ;)

$10.00 to the place of your choice

(providing it is not some off the wall place called Humdingers that I can't find) LOL.

Thanks to all my NEW and OLD followers for playing along...I love all of you dearly!!! ;)

I ♥ FACES...TOOSHIES♥♥

Do I snap a lot of pictures of TOOSHIES?

Well, my 1st off the cuff answer would be No.

No, I don't. But then something really really odd happened.....

I started digging through my picture files and lo and behold,

I take TONS of Tooshie pictures!

Who would have guessed? 

My kids I guess because they are ALL of them!

Don't forget to link up to I ♥ Faces this week for the TOOSHIE extravaganza!!!!

What could be better than a HOCKEY BUTT?

A THANKSGIVING TO REMEMBER

What were we thankful for this year? A lot. Our thankful list was L-O-N-G!

 We had a wonderful day of relaxing with my husbands family (yes, they are now mine also)!

We are soo blessed!

The kids behaved so well, and we even got NAPS this year!

I've been waiting for this for 5 long years! Another thing to be Thankful for!

How was your Thanksgiving?

When Thanksgiving Goes Wrong...HORRIBLY WRONG!

I'm sure your Thankful right?

Thankful for all of the things that we have in this life that many people do without.

I know I sure am.

One of the things that I am Thankful for is the:

THE MACY'S THANKSGIVING PARADE!

Although, I have to question some peoples intentions with the floats.

Most of my issues mainly come between 10 and 11am.

While I am getting ready to put all things in the oven...this THIS is what I see.....

If that peeked your interest, click below &

Come check me out

@

THE 5 MOMS

A Lame Excuse...to Follow?

What makes you want to follow?

A blog that is.

I mean is it the hope that you might get or give another comment?

 Is it the hope that you will gain a new Blog friend?

I NEED MORE FOLLOWERS!~ I not ashamed to admit it!! I Want More!!!

Reasons you should recommend my blog to your friends and family:

1. I'm NOT an everyday blogger so I am not a HUGE committment!

2. I am a loyal commenter, sometime I comment without having a post of my own!

3. I try to keep it colorful, and interesting...like REAL LIFE!

4. It's just a click....C'mon!! ~~~

So, I have decided to have a GIVE-AWAY!

SUPER EASY...

(1) Entry for every new follower you send my way!
(Make sure they list who sent them in the comment)!

What am I giving away you ask?

Fruitcake...NO.

Sweatpants that look like jeans? Maybe.

A $10.00 Gift Card of YOUR CHOICE...
DING DING DING we have a winner!!!

(It ends on December 5th)

I ♥ Faces...SUN FLARE!

I ♥ Faces this week is SUN FLARE! Oh, how photographers LOVE their sun flare!

Me, I took these pictures are I had NO IDEA what was going on. When I took them to the photo lab to ask them how to correct them, they informed me that I not only had Sun Flare but also LENS flare!!! So, here is my pic for this week, taken at a corn maze that is close to home!

Good luck this week to all who enter!

Kindergarten Thanksgiving

My baby (yes, the one that is in kindergarten) has had quite a week!

We started out with Parent Teacher conferences and ended with the

Thanksgiving Feast!

I remember those special days at school and looking back on them, it was soo cool to see my parents come to support me in everything that I did

(even if that everything meant a plate full of chips, carrots and olives) !

The kindergartners this year seem to be so energetic, like they have known each other for years. So fun to see them all shuffle in and load up a plate of goodies, give thanks for everything and then off to Music class to sing!

We had a great time with receiver.

We are so proud of the good student he is as well as the behavior that he has at school

(we can't always condone his behavior at home).

Your moving up big fella and Mom and Dad plan to be there every step of the way!

Really Random....+ Thank You!

I have been sooo overwhelmed and under blogged lately. I just go in these spurts

(any of you like this)? I digress....

So, I have had many of the lovely ladies that I blog with leaving me comments and awards and I just don't post them until I have enough to make one post. So, here goes nuthin ;)

Christy Rose just gave me this awesome little award and I am soo thankful, but as a matter of fact..she brings TONS of son-shine into this world...so please give Christy Rose some love! She just lost her doggie dodger and she needs LOTS of cyber hugs!!! Thanks Christy Rose~~

I received a beautiful little scarf from Nikowa- She just makes them for fun!!! Are you kidding me, I can't make a dish rag for fun so this really great scarf was a HUGE surprise when I got it!

Thanks Nikowa! I'm still waiting for a picture of me in my scarf....I gotta get on that one!!! ;)

Finally, I won a blog giveaway (I am telling you, this NEVER happens)...but I WON!!! It was an adorable frame from Daniel Designs, I created it for my laundry room and I just hung it up last night! It is PERFECT!!! ;) Thanks to Shauna for picking my name! If you have not checked out her blog, do so! She has TONS of giveaways!!!

I ♥ Faces...Autumn

I ♥ Faces is a photography website that hosts a weekly photo opportunity in a different category each week. This weeks category is AUTUMN.

This photo was taken of receiver just a week or so ago, playing in the back yard with his brother...that little half smile is called the sidewinder ;) You know, where your kids start to become aware that you are taking a photo of them and they are *trying* to smile!!!

Good luck to all those who enter this week! Check out I♥Faces if you have not been there before!

It's Got To Be L-O-V-E...

Hi. My name is Tarah, and I am a STRESS BALL.

This is what I typically look like from day to day.

Carpooling, Gym, Work, Errands, Dr. Appts, Blogging, Shopping~ my plate is ALWAYS full!

And somehow my husband STILL loves me.

I can be sooo miserable to live with (and trust me..GOD is working on this BIG TIME).

Tight End and I had a date night the other night...and man- we both had a great time!

I really do love hanging out with my husband outside of our home

(no laundry, chores or dishes).

It so much more fun!!!

Thanks for the fun night babe...

(*and Yes, I know we look insanely young and gorgeous...don't be jealous-it's all in the editing!)

Did you do it?

Does it drive you NUTS when people steal your food?

It makes me stark raving mad!!!!

So head on over to the 5 Moms to see what I am talking about!!!

See you there!

Brotherly Love

I walk outside the other day enjoying one of our unseasonably warm days only to find these 2 little knuckleheads in the back yard with these little get ups on. What in the world? I mean it is actually really funny that YES, they have matching hats and
YES they still want to put them on "Together"!!!

So, even though these 2 really can push the buttons on each other...
Deep down, it's that BROTHERLY LOVE that keeps them coming back for more!!!