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Resolutions for the New Year – Without Taking Yourself Too Seriously #Humor

“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” – Oprah Winfrey… Ok, it’s that time again. Time to say goodbye to the old year, and turn to look ahead to the new year. The world didn’t end, even though Snooki AND Kim Kardashian got pregnant, the Mayans predicted it, and Twinkie went bankrupt. Nope, we’re all still here, and if you’re anything like me, you’re probably excited for a fresh start, new possibilities, new adventures. So, I wanted to share a little bit of my plans for 2013 with you. Feel free to be wildly inspired…. Lol.

New Year's Resolution Humor - Be more awesomeNew Year’s Resolution #1 – Be more awesome than last year. Lofty goal? Indeed. And it’s funny, because my “Blogging Resolutions” for last year also started with being more awesome, lol. When I go back and look at that post – 10 Blogging Goals for 2012: Starting with Be More Awesome – I’m super proud to say that I pretty much nailed them. Sure – some are still a work in progress, and I’m still working on building better routines into my daily life, since the new work-from-home lifestyle has been a HUGE adjustment. But in 2012 I built my blogging and freelance business into a real career, that allows me to work from home and spend my days with Abby. {Well, spend my days typing away for hours while a 2 year-old prances plastic dinosaurs across my keyboard. Not glamorous, but it’s much better than being away at an office all day!} I hit almost all of my major goals. And I can’t wait to see what I can accomplish in this new year!!

New year's resolution humor - Remember to write the right year!New Year’s Resolution #2 is a little bit less ambitious – Just remember to get the stinkin’ year right!! Lol. Thank goodness it’s not too hard to add a little loopy tail onto the bottom of a 2, and make it look like a weird, drunken 3. So I should be ok. Thank goodness no one writes checks anymore – remember how you’d CONSTANTLY mess that up all month in January?? Writing all of your checks in the past? {And then secretly hoping no one would be able to cash them because they were so old…. } So, this year I resolve to realize what year it is, from day 1.

Sticky note swagNew Year’s Resolution #3: Sticky note swagger. Yes – In this new year, I’m going to work on getting my swag on, every day. I mean this in a few different ways – One, I need to bust out of “Frump-Mom” territory. I recently ran into a really good friend of mine, who’s mid-pregnancy, super tired, still working full time, you know how it goes. And she looked awesome – cute outfit, fully accesorized, great hair. Me? I had a mess of a bun, sweat pants in public, and I’m not even sure that my shoes matched. Abby was just as bad – wild, no-brush hair, and a messy face. Yes, it was a last-minute Walmart run while she was sick. But still. I used to do fashion merchandising in retail stores, and was somewhat stylish. I used to have really good hair – I swear. So it’s time to get back to that. AND – it’s time to feel this way when it comes to blogging and business too. I’m definitely one of those chicks that have a hard time being firm, asking for what I want, insisting on what I know I deserve. I’m turning that swag on EVERY morning from now on. Oh yeah.

New year's resolution to eat healthierNew Year’s Resolution #4: Lose the rest of this damn toddler weight. Yes, I called it baby weight for a year. Everyone said, “It takes 9 months to put it on, it’ll take another 9 months to take it off. Don’t stress it.” Then it became, “It’s ok – it takes everyone about a year. That first birthday, you’ll be back in your old jeans again – no worries.” Now, they’ve probably given up, lol. I can’t call it “baby weight” when she’s 2 1/2. It’s now “toddler weight” which is not as socially acceptable. So, after I eat every single deliciously fattening after-Christmas morsel in my home, I’m starting fresh tomorrow morning and WILL lose this weight. {I’m doing a weight loss challenge too – and will be posting a photo of my weigh-in’s once a week. EEK! But watch for it. Tomorrow morning is post numero uno. Ghad.}

Promote what you love quoteNew Year’s Resolution #5: Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate. Oh maaaahn. I could go on about this for quite awhile. Whether it comes to religion, to politics, to society, to guns, to motherhood, to what people wear, to whatever – In life, this is the resolution I’d love to share with everyone, and hope more people pick up on. When you talk about your God, whoever He or She may be, do you think people listen when you’re supporting people, doing good works, spreading positivity? Or when you’re telling gays they’re going to hell, that kids are shot in school because we don’t teach your specific religious beliefs there, or whatever else it is that you want to be negative about? Your beliefs are yours. But remember that if you want support for them – In ANY part of life, on ANY topic – the way to go is by being positive and giving people a reason to feel good. Not telling a portion of people why they suck. No fun.

New years closing goalIn closing – here’s a thank you for listening to my goals, and not laughing at them. Most New Year’s Resolutions are easily forgotten in those first sober moments of the new year… Or at best, work as a “To-Do list for the first week of January” – lol. But, I’m a list maker. A goal checker. A get it done-er. I’m super excited to have had my business goals posted on this site, for last year, which help keep me accountable – and that I accomplished almost all of it. So, watch soon for more specific goals coming from me soon – to again, keep me accountable.

Share your New Year’s Resolutions with me in our Facebook community – Funny, sarcastic, serious, emotional, all of ’em. I want to hear your realistic plans, and overly ambitious dreams. I don’t have mine all written down yet, so I’d love to be inspired by you guys too!!

Happy New Year’s! Be safe, drive safe, don’t say “I love you man” too many times tonight, and may the person you kiss at midnight – spouse, significant other, or random stranger – have nice breath and be non-regret-inducing tomorrow morning!

Cheers to 2013 – to the fresh start, new adventures, exciting and unexpected changes! 

 

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Dad Gets a Holiday Surprise He’ll Never Forget…

Febreze Delivers The Holidays! Watch this dad getting a surprise he’ll never forget…. On December 24th, Febreze announced the winner of their holiday contest,{remember when I told you about that $10,000 surprise holiday delivery they’d be giving away??} making one family’s dream come true! Watch Febreze “Deliver The Holiday” to one amazingly lucky dad, as he gets a surprise he’ll never forget! And grab a couple of tissues, it’s a tear-jerker…

[Read more…]

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Last Minute Gift Ideas: Holiday Spirits – #Humor

Finding the Christmas Spirit

Have you found YOUR holiday spirit yet?

This was on a friends Facebook page today – and kind of cracked me up. I know quite a few people like this – A few men, especially – who need a little bit of “spirits” to find their holiday spirit, lol. So, if you have a few peeps on your gift list like that too – those types that have been so hard to shop for, and you still haven’t picked up a gift for- I have two awesome ideas for you. These are sure to please those “holiday spirit” lovers, for sure….

CraftBeerClub.com-America’s Best Micro Brew Beers Delivered Monthly - 300x250 banner

The Craft Beer Club makes a perfect gift for any beer lovers on your list!

This is a monthly package shipped right to their door, with a great selection of super popular craft beers. CraftBeerClub.com-Flavorful, High-Quality, Independent Brews Delivered Monthly, Quarterly, or Every Other Month! Click here!

Cellars Wine Club

This is another really great option – send a selection of hard-to-find, high-quality wines right to their door. You can even get a E-Card for last minute gift giving from Cellars Wine Club. Either way – these are great gifts for {very!} last-minute gift giving. You can send a card, or even an e-card, to let them know when they can expect to receive their first shipment. And trust me – anyone I’ve ever given these too were definitely excited about them.

Happy Holidays!

 

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How to Pick the Perfect Pairing: Coffee & Pastries #DeliciousPairings

“Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe, help to make the season bright…” – Well, you know what else makes the season bright, in MY house? Delicious coffee, freshly baked cinnamon rolls, and good conversation with awesome people. Because, really, the best thing about Christmas is the people you love sharing it with you, right?

Delicious Pairings: Starbucks Holiday Blend coffee and Walmart Bakery cinnamon rolls

“Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.” – Peg Bracken

This week, I decided to put together a little surprise brunch for my mom. She is absolutely amazing, and has been my very best friend in the world since I was a little girl. And since I became a mother myself two years ago, I now have even more appreciation for how awesome she is – now that I know how hard motherhood can sometimes be. So, since she was coming over this morning to take Abby and I to a great Christmas Party for kids that I help volunteer with, I wanted to pick up some surprises for her while we were out shopping at Walmart yesterday. {See the whole trip here, on Google+, to get some ideas of your own.} As I shopped the bakery, I noticed this big Starbucks sign, talking about #DeliciousPairings, which I’d been hearing a lot of buzz about…

Starbucks Coffee - choosing the perfect blend

Picking the Perfect Starbucks Blend to Pair with Christmas Treats

Ok – where has this been my whole life? The Delicious Pairings display is amazingly helpful! It shows you how to pair your favorite Starbucks coffee with the perfect pairing of sweet treat. Since each coffee has different notes and undertones, they’ll each pair differently with specific flavors. Just like when you go to a wine tasting, and the same wine can taste totally different when paired with certain cheeses, or dark chocolate – coffee works the same way! Since I was picking up some super duper crazy-delicous looking cinnamon rolls to share with mom for a little surprise brunch, I headed to the coffee aisle to pick up the Starbucks Holiday Blend.

Christmas Flowers for Mom

“It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.” – W. T. Ellis

As I wandered the aisles towards the coffee section, I couldn’t help but pick up these absolutely gorgeous flowers for my mom too. I was amazed at what a beautiful selection they had, and how affordable they were – this pretty bunch was only $7.99! And it’s so festive for the holidays – I knew it would make her day feel a little more special. My mom is an amazingly talented gardner, and really enjoys flowers and greenery. Perfect.

Cream Cheese frosted cinnamon rolls

Trying out our Perfect Pairing – Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls & Starbucks Holiday Blend

Ok, so I told you that to make the morning a little brighter and sweeter for my wonderful ol’ momma, I was surprising her with a pretty little brunch – just her, and I, and Abby. A “girls morning in”, if you will. {Quite different from my “girls night out” adventures of my pre-motherhood years…} Well, this is as deliciously sweet as you can get – a freshly baked cinnamon roll from the Walmart Bakery, smothered in a delicious cream cheese frosting. Mmmm…. We both took a bite, and seriously – it’s hard to believe these weren’t homemade. Sooooo good, even on their own. But – then it was time to try them with the coffee too, and see how the flavors combine together…

Starbucks holiday blend coffee with marshmallow dippers

“At Christmas, all roads lead home.” – Marjorie Holmes

The complimentary notes for the Starbucks Holiday Blend coffee are: ginger, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange, and cloves. Sounds good already, right? Well, lemme tell ya ladies – paired with the cream cheese, flaky & buttery pastry of the rolls, and the flavors in the cream cheese – this was sooooo good. It does seriously remind me of choosing the right wine – swirl a bit of that coffee around in your mouth to really enjoy that mix of scents, and savor the flavors. {Yes, I said “savor the flavors” – this is serious holiday magic here.} Then when you take another bite of your pastry, you’ll love it even more than that first bite on it’s own. My mom thought I was just so smart and classy – giving her this fancy pairing, at a beautifully festive holiday table – including her gift of that perfect Christmas bouquet. Definitely was a hit – and it made me feel amazing to do something nice for my mom, to tell her thank you for all that she does for us….

“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” – Norman Vincent Peale

Now that we’ve wrapped up our lovely ladies brunch, we’re headed out to the Christmas party. I love helping to host these great annual events, and can’t wait to see how happy all of the kiddos are. We’ve had a challenging year as a family – with Abby’s seizures and treatment, daddy being out of work, and the rest of the usual stress. But after the tragic events of yesterday, I’m all the more joyful and grateful for what I have, and will be hugging all of the kids today a little tighter than usual. Happy holidays to all!

Let’s Chat: Do you plan to check out this Delicious Pairings display at your own local Walmart too? {Follow the #DeliciousPairings tag on Twtter to see more!} Who would you surprise with a special gift like this? Share some comments!

{Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #CBias #SocialFabric}

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Princess Kate is Pregnant – But this Redhead is the Real Story…

“Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus, right down Santa Claus lane…” – Wait a minute, that’s not Santa – that’s Molly, the Christmas Elf Magic Elf! Unlike some of those other new trendy elves trying to get attention these days, Molly and the other Elf Magic crew are the originals in charge of spreading holiday magic since 1956. And while the whole “Kate Middleton is pregnant” news is spreading through the talk news shows like crazy, I’m here to introduce you to a redhead with a more season-appropriate newsworthiness…

The real elf on the shelf - and what are all these elf pics about? [Read more…]

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My Heartfelt Letter to Santa This Year, for Abby….

Dear Santa, I’ve been really good this year… Like – really good. And so has Abby. She’s been through a really tough time this past few months, with the seizures, the crazy-abundance of doctor and hospital visits, the testing, poking, prodding, and probing. But she’s dealt with it all amazingly – she was a trooper through all of her tests, and cooperated as well as a two year old possibly can during each one, no matter how scary. She’s still the same sweet, silly, smart little cutie pie. She just started on medication – they’re hoping it will control these seizures, but it has potential for some pretty scary side effects. So after the total chaos that we’ve been through lately, I think she deserves some pretty big holiday magic this year at Christmas.

I know that the holidays are NOT all about the presents

We’ve got some awesome family experiences lined up for December – like visiting the Santa Train at the Railway Depot and Museum, seeing the Nutcracker play live at the theater, bundling up warm to watch the Lighted Christmas Parade downtown, baking cookies with grandma, and making homemade gifts and cards for the family. But for a two year old, some amazing new toys under the tree is part of the magic and excitement of Christmas.

Even Santa is on a Budget

I’m sure that even the North Pole isn’t immune to the downturn in the economy. I’ve heard that the elves have had to take a 5% cut in cookies and milk, and you had to lay off both Dasher and Dancer for the season. So, in addition to sharing me and Abby’s Christmas Wish List with you, I’m also going to share a tip to help you get the seasons best new gifts on a tightened toy budget…. One word: Ebay! Yep, all you need to do is jump on that computer that Mrs. Clause set up for you, head over to Ebay, and there is a selection of great-priced top-notch toys that will make even your best elves blush with envy. {Moms around the globe have been using Ebay’s “Buy it Now” option to get great gear that fits their budget for years!} I’ve included a list of our favorites here – if Abby found one or two of these under the tree this year, she’d be as delighted as a nutcracker who just got a new medal. ..

Best toddler toys of the season on Ebay

  • Kids Kitchen Table and Chair Set: How adorable is this? It would give us the perfect spot to play with classic toys from my own childhood – like an Easy Bake Oven, or a couple of energetic rounds of CandyLand!
  • Fisher-Price Doodle Bear: Abby loves to draw, and loves her “babies” – so this is a perfect combination for her! Plus, this might cut down on some of the, um… artwork… that she leaves on the walls.
  • Nintendo 3DS in Pearl Pink: We received a big gift package as a thank you for helping to host the Activision Family Game Summit last month, and it included 7 awesome games for the Nintendo 3DS. I know this is a bit advanced for a 2 year old, but I know we’ll have fun playing it together on our long road trips to Seattle Children’s Hospital each month. {Plus, since it’s pink, it’ll stop her cousins from stealing it when they come here each day after school!}

Great deals on toddler toys on Ebay

  • Imaginarium Master Studio Easel: This is amazing! Abby loves to color, paint, and draw – so she would fall in love with a great easel set like this one. And mommy loves all of those storage cubbies underneath, to contain the mess.
  • Unicorn Pillow Racer: This is PERFECT! Abby’s cousins love to get our pillow pets, and use them to scoot, hop, and slide in races across the kitchen floor. This would ensure that Abby could beat them every time! {And wear her out in time for naptime…}
  • Little Doctor Kit: I think that this would be a great set for Abby – she’s had so many doctor visits, and sometimes gets awfully scared. This might help her feel more comfortable with it all, and we can play doctor together, fixing up her baby dolls and stuffed animals.
  • Little People Nativity Set: I am so in love with this. And it’s an amazing value – I had looked at buying Abby some individual animal figures – but at around $6-$7 bucks each, they added up quickly. This set includs a bunch of fun animals, and will be a great way to get Abby to understand the real meaning of Christmas.
  • Your Baby Can Read: We were super lucky to start baby signing videos with Abby when she was just 6 months – she now knows over 200 signs, and has a pretty advanced vocabulary. We read together every day, and I’d love a set of books like this to help me guide her into beginner reading too.

Great for Busy Toy Shoppers on the Go 

Trust me Santa – Ebay is a safe way to shop, and easier than you might think. It’s simple to search by price, category, color, age – or check out their awesome Gift Guide List filled with popular gear for inspiration. And since you’re pretty busy this time of year, why not take advantage of the Ebay app, that you can access right from your smartphone? Whether in the workshop, feeding the reindeer, or up on the rooftop – you’ll have instant access to the best gifts everywhere you go, anytime a great gift idea strikes you! Little Tommy suddenly went from the Naughty list to the Nice, and you need a last minute gift? No problem. And – another quick tip to help you out… Join MyPoints. When you start your Ebay shopping there first, you’ll earn THREE points for every dollar you spend, which you can redeem later for free gift cards to your fave places. {Use them to take Mrs. Clause out somewhere nice, after the holidays.}

Signed – Your biggest fans, Abby, and Meagan. 

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night….

eBay
{Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of eBay. I received a product sample to thank me for taking the time to participate.}

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Get Personal with Completely Customizable Photo Gifts – #CyberMonday

It’s time to buy your holiday cards, invitations, and more – at crazy Cyber Monday discounts… Just in time for the season, Tiny Prints is offering 30% off everything on their site. Custom holiday cardsChristmas cardsHanukkah cardsholiday party invitationscustom photo gifts…you name it, it’s on sale for two days, today, Monday November 26 and tomorrow, Tuesday November 27.

Tiny Prints Cyber Monday photo deals [Read more…]

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