Ask Away Friday

This week I'm linking up with the uber Fab Wendy from Effie Girl! I had a blast answering her questions. Be sure to swing by her blog and read the answers she had for me. Wendy blogs about jewelry, DIY projects, RAW food and beauty products. LOVE!

Here are the questions she had for me...

1. Many of us eat light, or have a big breakfast before the big feasting ahead.  What is your typical Thanksgiving breakfast? 

I don't think I have a typical Thanksgiving breakfast. I'd say I'm a lighter eater that morning for sure.

2. What was your very first blog spot about, and what was your expectation?

My very first post was an introduction to what I thought it meant to be a Chic SAHM. Back then I think I actually wrote more. Now I think I talk to my readers versus writing for them if that makes any sense. I miss my older posts. I should start sharing them on twitter or something.

3. In watching the GREAT video with your husband, I know you "don't" want to be "voted most like any Atlanta Housewife", but which RHW do you think you are most like? 

Aww, thanks for checking out the video! honestly can not think of one RHW that I'm similar to. Some of them have an ambition that I can relate to but I don't think I see "Tia" in any of them. I do love NeNe. I think she's hilarious. If anything, we share the same sense of humor. 

4. You've tricked your husband into thinking your taller than 5'4" (haha, too funny), how high of a heel do you where on a normal 'chic' day?

Four inches at least…

5. Siblings at times have issues with new babies coming home. Did Savannah have any 'issues' when Baby M first came home?  Or soon after?  

Savannah has been such a great big sister. We didn't experience any of the horror stories or transition periods that you hear about. Thank goodness. She's going through her normal crazy 3s but I think she would have unleashed that on us without a sibling.

6. How many F2FF's have you done, and link your favorite one. (Could be by you, or anyone that joined the link-up.) 

Hmmm. I'm not sure how many Face to Face Fridays I've done. That link up didn't really take off that way that I'd hoped. I'm going to keep it around. I've got plans for a revival. I always enjoyed watching Yaya White's videos. She's a Mom of four who recently gave birth at home to a sweet baby boy. Yaya is a super Mom and a nurse. She's pretty much incredible. Check her out.

7. With the letters in  your name "TIA", use each letter to describe yourself. 

Timeless style. Intelligent. Ambitious.

8. What inspires you, to 'be'?

Trying to live a better life by remaining positive is inspiring to me. I am learning  to cast my cares on God and that has been totally freeing. The more my relationship grows with Him the more I am inspired to 'be'.

9. When do you put your Christmas decorations up?

Thanksgiving night. Sometimes I get excited and put them up before but normally it's Thanksgiving night.

10. Do you do anything for New Year's Eve to celebrate into the New Year?

Before we had kids we'd stay up and watch the ball drop or go to a house party. Now that we're parents we never make it to midnight. We ring in the New Year by getting those much needed REMs.

Oh. And I will be giving you all a recap of my Thanksgiving. I have family in town and I haven't been able to blog much this week. Be prepared for a "Tia Overdose" this coming week. I know you love it!

If you want to link up with Ask Away Friday let me know and I can get you connected! Visit Penny at The Real Housewife of Caroline County for more details.

Glade and Ziploc Holiday Collection

We are so close to the true start of the holiday season. In my opinion, the holiday season doesn't truly kick off until after Thanksgiving. We've been talking a lot about Thanksgiving here. I wanted to share some very fun and inexpensive ways to add that extra touch to your home this season. I am so excited to share the Glade® Winter Collection and the Ziploc® Holiday Collection. 

One of my favorite ways to get into the holiday spirit is by filling my home with yummy smells. I'm currently burning the Pure Vanilla Joy™ Glade® candle. It smells like a fresh batch of frosted sugar cookies. Yum! The collection also offers Sparkling Spruce™ if you prefer the scent of fresh cut pine and Apple Cinnamon Cheer™ if red apples and spice is more your style. My family will be trying Frosted Berry Kiss™ next because it's a mix of red berries and fresh green garlands, love! Perfect for Christmas, especially if you're like us and you opt for a not-so-live tree.

I always decorate our kitchen for the holiday season. This year I'm happy to have a little extra Christmas flair with the Ziploc® Holiday Collection. All of my Thanksgiving leftovers and desserts for friends are going to look so festive in these storage bags and containers.

We got the red and green containers. Since there were coupons in the paper for this collection I grabbed a few extras. You know these types of items tend to leave your home and not come back around this time of year. I'm happy that I was able to score some to have extras on hand for to-go plates.

These would also come in handy for hostess and teacher's gifts. Visit Kmart.com for over $12 in savings on Glade® and Ziploc® holiday collection products. 

So what do you think? Are you as excited as I am about the approaching holiday season?

THIS IS A SPONSORED POST IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NICHE PARENT NETWORK. I AM A KMART SC JOHNSON BLOGGER, THOUGH ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.

Video Diary 11222013 Featuring The Husband

I thought it would be fun to do one of the husband tag videos. We actually filmed one a few weeks ago but something happened with the audio. Our video and audio wasn't in sync so I had to find new questions and try it again. I hope you all enjoy this video. I'm pretty sure my husband really wanted to be watching football. He seemed really sad when he found out I couldn't fix the first one that we did, LOL! Anyway, here it is. And of course, the babies make cameo appearances…

And apparently my husband feels that I need to answer twenty questions (which just reminded me of that 50 Cent song) so I guess we'll be filming another one with me in the hot seat. 

Do you have any questions you'd like to see me answer?

An Invitation For My Readers...

You can use the ribbons in the sidebar or click on the links below! I'm looking forward to connecting with you all!

FaceBook

Twitter

Pinterest

I'm also on Instagram! You can find me by searching chicsahm. Say hello if you join me on any of these sites. I'm having a great time getting to know my readers! Happy Hump Day!

A Chic Thanksgiving: The Recipes

I had a few people request recipes for the Thanksgiving menu. I created a PDF for the recipes that I've never blogged about or do not have a pin for. Please let me know if I missed anything. If so, I'll share it via Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Enjoy and I hope this helps!

Here is the menu in case you missed it…

Click here to get the recipes included in this menu…

And for the recipes that have been previously shared on this blog...

Potato Salad

Banana Pudding

Chewy Cake

I realized that I didn't have the squash casserole in the PDF. I knew something was missing! I'll be sharing decoration ideas for your Thanksgiving dinner this weekend! Let me know if you have any questions about the recipes. Happy Planning!

Preschool at Home: A Blooper (Kind Of)

This isn't a real Preschool at Home post. It's more of a blooper. I'm sharing what happens when a craft goes all the way left. I had good intentions for today's turkey craft. It was going to be a cute handprint turkey with pipe cleaner feathers and goggly eyes. 

But like I've said here many times crafts are not where I excel. So today's turkey turned into what I will call a Fall Face. 

I'm still not sure how all of that turned into this but I do know that Savannah had a great time making her Fall Face turkey, LOL!

When I noticed that the pipe cleaners weren't going to stay I switched it up and went for the adhesive foam leaves that we had. She was able to stick those on herself. When I noticed that this craft no longer looked like a turkey (Did it ever though?) I told Sav to just make a face with the eyes. 

I shared this blooper because I feel like it's unfair for me to only post the super cute stuff that turns out perfect. Not to mention anytime I can make fun of myself I go for it! Hopefully this inspires some of the not so crafty Moms like me. Sometimes you'll get the perfect turkey and sometimes you'll get whatever this is but you'll always get the memory of doing something fun.

What do y'all think of this Fall Face turkey? Will you be making it? (LOL!!!)

Making Your Own Baby Food

A few weeks ago we introduced Baby M to the spoon. He had no problems eating and loved his cereal. Now that he's five months old it's time for me to start making and freezing baby food. When I had Savannah a friend of mine told me about making baby food. Not only does making your own food save money but it also gives you peace of mind. You know exactly what your baby is eating. 

I decided to make Baby M some sweet peas for his first food experience. You can find baby food puree   recipes all over the web so I'm going to share my quick and easy process for making and storing food. Of course, you have to start by cooking your food. 

Once the peas were done I put them in my blender. I never bought one of those baby food making gadgets because I already had a blender with a puree button. Call me cheap but I prefer low maintenance. I just don't see the point in buying an additional appliance when you already have something that does that same job. See how close we've become. I didn't even try to clean off this counter for y'all. Notice my little sous chef. I let her push the puree button on the blender and she thought she was cooking for real!  Here is my finished pea puree. Isn't it so pretty. It taste pretty good too. 
I took a spoon and filled all of the cubes in my two trays. I reserved a little of the puree for dinner. From 14oz of peas I got 24 servings of food. 



I use the Fresh Baby trays. (I'm not getting paid for this.) I like them because they come with a lid. I was only able to find them online. The best deal I found was ordering them though WalMart online and picking them up in the store to save on shipping. I got two trays with lids for eight bucks. What I love about these is that I can also use them to freeze breast milk. That way, when I make his cereal I won't have to defrost whole bags of milk. I'm crazy about my breast milk and do not like wasting it.
After the puree freezes I pop the cubes out and place them in a labeled ziploc bag. Overall, I think I really like these Fresh Baby trays. It took me some time to get one of the lids on but other than that they performed right up to where my expectations were. I'd recommend them.

Ask Away Friday

I'm really enjoying this link up! This week I am teaming up with Stacy from This Momma's Ramblings. Stacy is a stay at home Mom who home schools. She's a romance novel lover who's new to learning about the frugal lifestyle. Be sure to stop by her blog and read the answers to the questions I had for her. You'll enjoy learning more about her! Stacy is also the host of a weekly blog hop. If you're a blogger check that out. I've made some great new blog friends from her hop.

Now for the questions…

1. What is your favorite thing about being a mom?

My favorite thing about motherhood is watching the world through my children's eyes. They remind me to slow down and not take everything so seriously.

2. What piece of advice would you give your 15 yr old self?

To make a long story short… I would tell my 15 year old self that dating at this age is almost absolutely pointless. Focus more on school and getting into college.

3. Have you ever had the chance to meet any of the blogging friends that you have made?

Yes I have! Before we moved to Texas I attended a BLM (Bloggers Like Me) meet-up where I had the opportunity to meet some of my favorite bloggers. I was still pretty new to blogging then and it was pretty cool getting to meet a lot of the ladies in person.

4. What is your fondest dream that you have yet to accomplish?

Becoming a published author...

5. Is there someone in your life that helped become the woman that you are?

There are many. My Mother, Father, Husband, Oprah…it took a village to raise this girl!

6. What movie would you watch over and over again? Any reason why?

Gee. This is a tough because there are several movies I could watch over and over. In no particular order I could watch Coming to America, It's Complicated, Mean Girls, Clueless, No Reservations, Baby Mama, Jumping the Broom -- Almost anything with Morris Chestnut in it. I love watching movies at home so this list doesn't even cover everything I keep on repeat. 

7. What is one recipe that you remember from your childhood that you make for your family?

Chewy Cake

8. How does your hubby feel about your blogging?

He's very supportive. We're actually going to film a video for the blog this weekend. I can't wait to share it with you all!

9. What is one dessert that you will go for above anything else?

I am a brownie girl. 

10. If you were given 1 million dollars, what would you do with it?

Pay off my student loans, put money away for my children, take a world class super fancy vacation and buy a house.

I hope you enjoyed learning more about me! Thank you to Penny from the RHOCC for hosting!

A Chic Thanksgiving: Getting It All Done

Now that we've made a menu and gone to the grocery store let's talk about our plan of attack. How are we going to get all this done? With little kids and no one to help it can be difficult to cook such a large meal. To keep frustration and rushing to a minimum I start prepping days in advance. Doing a little bit each day helps me stay organized and in the holiday spirit. 

To start off the week of Thanksgiving I normally check (and double check) my grocery list and recipes to make sure that I have everything. I do any last minute store runs and get all of my fresh produce. If I plan to buy flowers or anything like that I go ahead and make those arrangements too. Or I take note of what my grocery store is offering for decorations. Normally when it's the week of Thanksgiving you can get a pretty good deal on anything Fall/Thanksgiving related.

On Tuesday, I do my mise en place. (Can you tell I'm a Top Chef fan?) I chop up all my celery and onions. I clean and shuck my corn and cut it off the cobb. I cut and clean all my veggies. Once everything is clean and chopped up I place everything in a zip-loc bag or a tupperware container. Everything goes back in to the fridge.

Wednesday afternoon, maybe around lunch I'll start cooking. I make the cornbread for my cornbread stuffing. While that's in the oven I start on my pie fillings and appetizers. When my pies are ready for the oven I get all my veggies going. After my collards, corn and green beans are on the stove I make my potato salad. So by the time Wednesday is over I've cooked all my desserts, the potato salad and all the veggies. If you're like me and you only have one oven then you know it only makes since to make some this stuff a day ahead. 

I normally wake up at about five on Thursday morning because I like to have my dinner ready around one or two. I make my rice and dinner rolls the day of too. Thursday morning is all about the Turkey and casseroles. I make the Turkey last. While the stove is working hard I mix up the lemonade and make sweet tea. I begin heating all the veggies about half way through the Turkey's cook time. Once the Turkey is done I let it rest for a while and then it's time to eat!

This is how I tackle getting all that cooking done. I plan to have Savannah help me as much as she wants. I know it may seem like a lot but splitting it up really helps. I have been asked about sharing the recipes for the Thanksgiving menu I created. I am working on that and hope to share it early next week. How do you prep and plan for big dinners?

The Misconception of the SAHM

You know what? Sometimes people really kill me. Some of them may not mean any harm or they might just be clueless to this Mommy life. Either way I have been surprised by the number of people that think they need to give me an alternative to staying at home. 

When people say, "I know someone who's hiring if you ever want to get out of the house…" in a pitiful tone, like they feel bad for me, it makes me want to curse. In my outside voice. Now if I was looking for a job, then yes, by all means, share your leads with me. But you have never heard me mention or complain about my lack of things to do or need to get back in a traditional job.

If you want to invite me somewhere, invite me out for a couple drinks and some cute social food that requires a drive-thru on the way home. Invite me to that. But please keep that "I feel sorry for you" tone to yourself. Cause guess what? I'm not sad or bored. I actually like staying home with my kids. Yes, it's hard work and the hours are long. Nope, I don't get that much free time or adult interaction but I like what I do. I have no regrets or bad feelings about choosing this as my job.

Do. Not. Feel. Bad. For. Me. I am very happy living this Mommy life. Yes I get frustrated and sometimes I want to quit but that's par for the course with any job. Every job ain't (yes ain't) for everybody but I am glad that this job seems to agree with me. Sometimes I mess up and sometimes I get it right. Do not misinterpret my tired glaze as a longing for something more. The only thing I want more of these days is sleep, not more responsibility.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, make it a great one folks!

Guest Blogger: Sia from Diary of a Fit Mommy

Hi there! My name is Sia Cooper and I run Diary of a Fit Mommy blog. My blog is dedicated to pregnant and postpartum ladies who want to get back into shape, as well as for ladies who want to tone up before getting pregnant! I am currently 7 months along and have been enjoying a healthy and fit pregnancy. Before getting pregnant, I changed my whole entire lifestyle and ended up dropping 45lbs from clean eating alone. I would love to share some tips on how to bounce back to your pre-pregnancy shape after you give birth.

How to Bounce Back After Pregnancy

Bouncing back after pregnancy is quite the challenge for any woman when doing it in a realistic way. How you took care of yourself during pregnancy usually determines how fast or effectively you will “bounce” back. But, sometimes, the idea seems inevitable and impossible. Don’t give up! Anything worth building did not happen overnight, and your transformation is no different!

Diet

Diet plays a huge role in fitness-even more so than the gym, believe it or not! What you decide to fuel your body with is ultimately what you get back into return. My goal for bouncing back after my pregnancy is to lower my carb intake, eat 6 small meals a day, and fuel with my body nothing but water or flavored water.

You can steer clear by focusing on whole grains and unrefined, unprocessed foods. Stay away from any starchy veggies such as white potatoes or white pastas, breads, rice, sweets, and sodas! Instead, aim for whole grains, whole grains, oats, and quinoa. Choose green leafy veggies and veggies filled with colors! I love potatoes and have found a healthy alternative in switching to sweet potatoes instead. If you have a sweet tooth as I do, learn to make healthy alternatives of your favorite guilty pleasures. Simple swaps such as using Splenda instead of sugar, almond or coconut flour instead of all-purpose flour, or even almond or coconut milk instead of cow’s milk can lead to a huge difference!

Eating several small meals a day instead of 3 large meals actually does more for your weightloss than one may think! Think of your body as a fireplace-it NEEDS wood to keep burning a fire, right? Your body is NO different! By supplying your body with 5-6 small meals a day, it keeps your metabolism roaring! It is always working at a constant motion. Also, by eating several meals you become more satisfied and you are less likely to reach in the cupboards for more food or swing by the drive-thru window.

Water is very important to losing the baby weight because it flushes those fat cells and toxins out of your system. It also keeps you feeling full in between your small meals. The best way to calculate how much water you need daily is simple! Take your body weight in pounds and divide by half. That is the number in ounces of water that your body requires at a minimum. So, if you weigh 120lbs, you will need to drink at least 60oz of water per day to supply all of your bodily functions.

Exercise

Exercise goes hand in hand with diet; you simply cannot do one without the other and expect a perfect transformation.  I lost 45lbs through dieting alone, but I was left skinny with zero muscle definition. Once I started weight straining, I noticed my body changing and becoming powerful. I continued strength training and cardio throughout my pregnancy and will do so after my baby is born as a part of my postpartum fitness plan. To get back to your pre-pregnancy shape, there are a few workouts and exercises that I highly recommend! 

One huge workout tip-always pair cardio with strength training. Cardio will be your best friend after your give birth to baby. My favorite and most effective form of cardio is running! Take a jog with your baby in the stroller, or if you can get some alone time, head to the gym and run on the Elliptical. I also love running outside on the track and using the MapMyRun app for iPhone which tells you how many miles you run, calories burned, etc. If you are not a runner, simple jogging or even walking in the evenings will help you out more than you know. Swimming is another form of amazing cardio that won’t leave you sweaty and breathless.

Strength training for me consists of the bench press, squatting with free weights, bicep curls with barbells, and using the leg press machine at the gym (love that thing!). Start off with a lighter weight and slowly work your way up. You will notice your body adjusting to the weight as you go on. That is when you know it’s time to vamp things up! One common myth is that weightlifting will make you bulky- we do not have the genes or hormones to become bulky like men! Do not believe this myth. Other great forms of exercises that I enjoy and would be great to use postpartum are pilates, yoga, CrossFit, etc. Find what works for you.

Most importantly, to bounce back after pregnancy, you must stay motivated! I always make it a point to do my workouts first thing in the morning before anything else. It is my priority! Set your alarms, lay out your workout clothes the night before, and mentally prepare yourself for your transformation that is to come.

You can follow me at:

 My blog: Diary of a Fit Mommy

Facebook

Pinterest: 

Also, if you would like more information on eating clean and clean eating recipes, I have a few eBooks that you can view on Amazon here.

Ask Away Friday

I'm participating in Ask Away Friday again this week. This Friday I am linking up with Melissa from Home on Deranged. She is a fellow Texas blogger who writes about her life as a Mom, photographer and writer. She also has some great giveaways going on right now too. When you're done here click your way over to her blog to see the answers to the questions I had for her.

1. What would be your perfect Christmas destination and what would you do there?

The perfect Christmas destination would be back at home in the Carolinas or Georgia. My parents live there and it would be great for the kids to spend the holiday with them. I'd also like to see my nieces and nephews. That would be perfect.

2. If you were a reporter for Rolling Stone and could follow any band in the world, which one would it be?

This is an easy one. I would follow Beyonce. I still hate that I couldn't go see The Mrs. Carter show. Maybe next time Bey, maybe next time…

3. What is your ultimate blogging goal?

Hmmm. I'm not sure what my ultimate goal is to be honest. Right now, my blog is still a hobby that I enjoy. It's been great connecting with other mothers who enjoy writing and sharing their story. I'd like to see it grow into something fun. I like chatting back and forth with the Moms that come here. We'll see what happens…

4. What is your one homemaking skill that you would like to improve?

I could be more efficient with laundry. I hate doing laundry.

5. As an Army wife, you will likely move many places. Where is the one place you'd love to live for a while?

Well. We've lived in DC, San Antonio (this is our second time in SA) and Georgia. I'd love to get stationed in either Hawaii, Germany or Okinawa, Japan. Three years is the longest I could probably live anywhere though. This life has rubbed off on me.

6. What's your favorite guilty pleasure and when is the last time you indulged it?

Hmmm. Guilty pleasure? I don't tend to feel guilty about the things I enjoy. I indulge myself often. Right now I'm on a spicy dip kick. I've been treating my appetite to it a couple nights a week. Yum.

7. What's the one thing you miss most about your life before having children?

Free time. The ability to "run" in to the store for one thing. I miss grabbing a drink at the gas station. Happy hour. Date nights every weekend.

8. Tell me a secret about yourself that no one knows.

I'm not sure that I have a secret that absolutely no one knows. ;-)

9. As a chic mama, what are you trying to teach your children about being fashionable?

My hope is that they learn that while it's nice to look put together it means nothing if you don't actually have it all together. You should care about what you look like on the inside and on the outside.

10. If you had a day all to yourself, how would you spend it?

I would spend the day eating Chinese food, getting spa treatments and watching girly TV and movies. Kid and Husband free.

Thought Bubbles...

Bath & Body Works no longer sells my night time body splash. It got discontinued. That happens every time I fall in love with one of their scents. Every. Time…

So happy that the Real Housewives of Atlanta and Beverly Hills is back…

This week has worn me out emotionally and mentally. So glad it's almost over…

We might be walking in the Veteran's Day parade again. Gotta get outfits together for that…

I have had so much Dr. Pepper this week…

Tonight was "watch night" at Savannah's dance class. I'm not sure how much she likes dance but she looks cute doing it…

My big girl camera died five minutes into class. I knew that was going to happen...

The older I get the more I realize that the phrase, "Less is more.", applies to more than just makeup…

 I need a pedicure. And some girl friend time…

I think I want to dye some of the front pieces of my hair a la Tia Mowry-Hardrict

(c)

Or maybe I should just do a weave…

I'm not here for some of the personalities I've come into contact with lately. Some of these SAHMs are too much. And they shouldn't be…

There's a never worn before black maxi dress with a thigh high split hanging in my closet. Might have to break that out on our next date night. He ain't ready...

I have no idea what shoes to wear with it though...

"Bitch" has been on the tip of my tongue more times than I'd like to admit this week. Thank God for progress…

My Mother in Law is coming to visit this month…

I need some real sushi. From a real Japanese restaurant…

I went to NYC for my 25th Birthday. A year later I found out I was pregnant with Savannah…

Which reminds me that we were living in DC then. Miss that place with a passion…

Am I the only one excited about The Best Man Holiday & Morris Chestnut…

I think I'm in love with Andy Cohen…

Savannah didn't want to do somersaults at dance tonight. She said she didn't want to mess up her hair…

My teething baby needs some sleep training…

I've been saying, "I'm not here for (fill in the blank)" a lot lately…

I feel like Scandal is all over the place this season…

I really want a tulle skirt…

(c)

I can't believe it's 10 and I'm still up in front of this computer…

My husband is asleep on the couch downstairs. I do not feel like going down there to wake him up…

Andy Cohen just came on. I wasn't kidding. I love him…

I really need to start working out…

This is a link up…

A Chic Thanksgiving: Grocery Survival Plan

We have all been there. It's Thanksgiving Day and you're knee deep in pots and pans when you realize you forgot to buy something, you're about to run out of something or you don't have enough of something. It sucks. The last thing you want to do is try to find a store that's open. And God forbid you have to ask your husband or some other unwilling family member to run to the store.

We all know how that turns out. They either can't find what you need or they get the wrong thing. Even though episodes like this are the stuff that holidays are made of I try my hardest to avoid them. I like being prepared so that I can enjoy my time in the kitchen and my husband can enjoy his football.

You remember that episode of The Cosby Show when Claire kept having Cliff run to the store...

Love that episode. I don't want him to end up like Cliff so I start shopping in advance using two separate grocery lists. A list for non perishable items and a list for my fresh produce and items. I carry the non perishable list around with me and whenever I go to the store I grab a few things off the list. By the time Thanksgiving week comes I only have to buy what's fresh.

Tailor your list to what you're making. Here is an example of my non perishable list. 

We have limited freezer space so I'm not able to freeze much in advance. So, I buy my turkey fresh. I do freeze my butter though. 

Now. These are just examples. By looking at this I can already see where I need to add sour cream. Make your lists based on what you choose to make. I make my own Turkey broth so you'll notice there isn't any broth on my list. Do what works for you and your menu. If you plan to use coupons start getting the paper on Sundays if you don't already. I have already purchased my cooking soups, extracts and some spices because the coupons were in the paper last week. Last year there were several ways to save on a turkey and that's another reason I wait to buy my bird. Those coupons normally come out a bit closer to Thanksgiving. 

I like doing my shopping this way because it allows me to buy little by little. I don't have to worry about being in the grocery store all day or running around at the last minute to find special ingredients. Cuts down on stress. What do you think of this shopping plan? How do you get your Thanksgiving dinner shopping done? 

Preschool at Home: A Christmas List

Whether you have accepted it or not there are seven weekends left until Christmas. I was going through the Sunday paper for coupons when I noticed that there were several Christmas toy books in the paper. After counting how many weekends I had left to prepare I thought it would be a good idea to have Savannah write her Christmas list and letter to Santa. 

Anytime I work learning in to something we have to do anyway I feel like I'm winning.  Because there were so many sales papers and toys books in the paper I thought it would be a great time to help Savannah get comfortable with using her scissors. I started by having her cut coupons. (teaching her to save money and cut at the same time -- win) Her job was to cut along the dotted lines on her page. She thought it was very fun to cut coupons for the toys. 

I told her Mommy and Daddy would use some of the coupons and that we could send the other coupons to Santa to help him save money. (and yes, I realize Santa does not need coupons) I liked having her cut coupons because the dotted lines on them made for the perfect guide. My only tip would be to make sure they are not practicing on a page that has coupons that you might actually need.

Once she was done cutting her pictures and coupons we wrote a letter to Santa. I helped her a lot. We both hold the pencil and I make sure her letters are as close to the real thing as possible. She can do a few letters by herself but for the most part she still needs a lot of guidance. 

"I have been a good girl. We will bake cookies for you. Please bring toys to me and Mikey."

Then I had her glue her pictures to a blank piece of paper using a glue stick. I wrote in a couple of the requests she had and we were done. I am currently looking for Santa's address. I would like for her to get a letter back from him in the mail. I'm not sure if the USPS is doing that again this year. I was able to find this PDF but I don't know if that's for this year. I'm going to do more research and I'll post what I find out about this year's Letters From Santa program.

And I just wanted to share this. She has developed a love for the letter H. It's all she writes, paints and scribbles.

Have you and your kids made Christmas lists yet?

30th Birthday Countdown

While I was mopping the floor just now I realized that in about 93 days I will be thirty years old. I'm excited. Not even mad or dreading it. What I am struggling with though, is how to celebrate. My husband has thrown around a lot of different ideas about me possibly doing a girls weekend or a four day getaway with just the two of us.

I am so undecided. I can't even think of where I want to go. He seems to think that Vegas would be perfect. We could get direct flights and apparently Vegas has something to offer everyone. I have never been but from what I've seen it's gambling and a lot of partying. Which I'm cool with. Just not for four days. I want to leave this little getaway feeling refreshed and rested. If I'm in the club every night for four days I'll need a vacation from my vacation.

I want my Flirty 30 to be memorable, fun and exciting. Not exhausting.

So. Who's been to Vegas? What did you do other than club that you found to be very entertaining? I'm open to just about anything. 

Thought Bubbles Link Up Announcement...

Wow. November is here. 2013 flew by. Too fast for me. I wanted to invite all of my fellow bloggers to something special going on here on the blog next Thursday. A few bloggers requested that I do a link up for my Thought Bubbles post so next Thursday (November 7) is going to be the day. 

Thought Bubbles are my random way of getting things off my chest. If you've never checked out a Thought Bubbles post click here or here to get an idea of what we'll be doing. It's one of my favorite things here on the blog. I hope some of you will join me. Include as many photos and "Thought Bubbles" as you'd like. This should be fun! Have a great weekend!