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Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Almost Wordless Wednesday and a WINNER!

Happy Hump Day! I finally had some time to get the 200+ pictures off of my camera and on to my computer. And, yes, I have still to post about our vacation. I am planning on doing that soon. But I did come across some other pictures that I wanted to share.


A few weeks back Chris and I celebrated our 8 year wedding anniversary. It was a nice quiet evening where we ordered dinner in and just hung around with the kids. Now, if you have been reading my blog for a little bit now, you know that I never got my wedding dress preserved and I put it on every year on my anniversary.


Well, the night came and went and as we were getting ready for bed, little Christopher reminded me that I did not put my dress on. So, needless to say, I threw it on quick to make him smile.


Don’t mind the ‘no make-up’ and the messy hair…..lol!
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I am actually glad that I never preserved my dress because now at least I can put it on and remember how much I loved it. Maybe I will get it cleaned and someday where it to renew my wedding vows!



Ok, now on to some exciting news!! The winner of the Super Mario Party Pack is……


Comment #3 – Texas Bargain Mom


Congrats!! I will be contacting you via email to tell you how to claim your prize!!


Thanks to all that entered.



REMINDER – Be sure to enter my business card - mommy card giveaway too!!

Monday, May 21, 2012

Mommy Cards and a Giveaway….

Happy Monday everyone!! Hope everyone had a great weekend. The weather here was gorgeous. And with that, we were able to get out and go the park. It is great to get the kids out in the fresh air. The kids were running around playing and making new friends as they climbed the monkey bars…lol! It got me thinking. Now that we are going to be out and about more, meeting new people, I am in the market for some new ‘mommy cards.’ You know, the cards that have your name, phone and email on them that you can give out to other moms so you don’t have to write it a million times…lol!


Here are some examples:
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Well, I went online and started looking for some printing companies where I could order the cards. I came across a great company called Day 2 Day Printing.  The company was founded as an online division of Color On Demand Printing. They have been serving local and national clients for over 25 years. They offer a wide array of products to meet any business and personal needs. Some of those include business cards, flyers, brochures, greeting cards, postcards and much, much more. You can can customize these materials to fit your needs which is great!


I am so excited to order my cards!! But I am even more excited to share with you that Day 2 Day Printing is going to offer 250 free standard size full color business cards to one lucky reader. The reader will have to pay a minimal shipping cost based on their shipping location.


In order to enter this giveaway, just comment below and tell me what you would use the business cards for. It is that simple!! 


For extra entries, do the following:
     
1. Follow Day 2 Day Printing on Facebook   and/or Twitter.
2. Tweet about this post or share it on Facebook.


Please be sure to include your name and email address with each comment.


This giveaway is open to anyone 18 years of age or older and who is a legal resident of the U.S. Contest will end on Monday, May 28th at 11:59pm. A winner will be chosen via random.org.



Good luck!!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Party Planning Tips and a Giveaway….

Happy Hump Day!! Hope everyone had a great Mother’s Day. Mine was perfect. I spend time with my family and that was all I needed!!


You all know that last month we celebrated both of my boys birthdays. With that, I had done a lot of online searching for party supplies. I came across a great site called The Party Works. They had a ton of different themed party supplies for both boys and girls. And their prices were very affordable!! So, I just wanted to share some info with you. They have provided me with a some great tips on how to make your child’s birthday a success. Check them out below. And the ‘icing on the cake’ (get it??) is that they are going to giveaway one Super Mario Brothers party pack!!

Are you excited?? I was when I saw that!  We all know how much kids love Mario. All you need to do to enter is to post a comment below telling me the theme of the best party you have ever hosted. That simple.


The contest will be open until Sunday, May 24th at 11:59pm. Winner must be a resident of the U.S. and will be chosen via random.org.


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Ways to Make Your Child’s Birthday Party Less Stressful For You


You’re probably pretty good at managing your kids’ behavior, but you’re maybe not so good at managing the behavior of other people’s children. Few parents are. When you throw a birthday party for your child, you have to do your best to keep a room full of rambunctious children under control, which can be tough. Additionally, you have to make sure that every other aspect of the party goes over well. Thank goodness you only have to throw one birthday party for each of your kids every year. Birthday parties aren’t usually very much fun for parents, but they can be. Your kids’ birthday parties undoubtedly require work, but there are a few things you can do to make them less stressful. 


Here are some ideas to help you out:


Invite fewer kids…….
If your child doesn’t mind, try to keep the guest list short. A small party is usually more enjoyable for everyone involved. Plus, if the party’s small, the behavior of the kids will be easier to manage, you won’t have to prepare as much food, and the party expenses will be less. Inviting around 10 kids is usually a good idea. That way, the party won’t be too small, but it won’t be too big to manage either.


Ask for support……
There’s absolutely no reason you should try to throw your child’s party on your own. Ask your spouse, parents, other family members, and friends to assist you in planning and prepping for the party and during the party. The more extra hands you have, the easier and less stressful things will be for you.


Stick to snacks….
You may be feeling overambitious when you’re planning the party and consider cooking a meal for the party guests. However, if you do cook a meal, your stress levels on the day of the party will be considerably higher. It’s generally best to cut down on the amount of food preparation you need to do on the day of the party. So, consider just putting out some cheese, crackers, and fruit. All the kids will really expect at the party is cake. Anything else you provide is nice but not necessary, unless you’re having some kids over for a sleepover and need to provide them with dinner. In which case, you might want to consider ordering pizza.


Don’t allow for any idle time….
Before the party, make sure you’ve planned out enough activities and games for the party to keep the guests busy, happy, and out of trouble. You may want to consider hosting the party away from your home at a party and play or adventure center where the kids will have access to all different kinds of games and activities. If you do host the party at your house, make sure you have an arsenal of activities and games up your sleeve. Kids typically get in the most trouble and cause you the most stress when they’re forced to entertain themselves.


Your child’s birthday party probably isn’t going to be perfect. A few things invariably go wrong at every party. You can make things easier for yourself if you try to keep a level head, try out the tips above, and do everything you can to make sure your child has fun. Oh, and take plenty of pictures!


Author’s Bio: Melissa is a mom and guest blogger who writes for a variety of blogs about being a mom, event planning, and throwing themed parties with stuff like Super Mario party supplies.

Friday, May 11, 2012

We’re Back…..

Happy Friday!! Did you even know that I left?? LOL! Or did you just think that I was being a slacker and not paying attention to my blog?? Well, we were away on a family vacation. I am going to tell you all about my trip next week. I just wanted to do a quick post to say hello. I will leave you with two pictures to help you guess where we went……
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And I am going to try and catch up on my blog reading over the weekend.


Oh, and HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!! Take some time for yourself, you deserve it!