Happy New Year!

A poem, by Justice Jones

Happy New Year to you,

I live in a zoo,

my kids smell like monkeys,

and they are cute like them too!

May all your wishes for 2008 come true!

From,

The Mamas

Making My List; Checking It Twice...

Tonight:

1. Wrap teacher gifts for Chatterbox to take to school in the morning.
   
2. Purchase token of appreciation for office parking garage attendant?


3. Make Candy Pretzel treats for neighbors.


4. Buy gift for nanny's daughter.


5. Take inventory to make sure I received all of my online purchases.


6. FIGURE OUT WTH TO DO ABOUT OUR NON-EXISTENT CHRISTMAS CARDS.

Come On In!

Fa-la-la-la-la...

Due to technical difficulties that I won't dare bore you with, I am late in getting photos of our holiday swag up, as part of BooMama's Christmas Tour of Homes, but all's well that ends well, so without further ado...Season's Greetings from the Fergie Household!

And I really wouldn't be a good hostess if I didn't offer you something to eat, so please try some of my tasty Bourbon Meatballs. I've made then for two holiday parties already this year, and they were a huge hit. Here is the recipe from Southern Living, with some of my own modifications:

Ingredients:
2 cups barbecue sauce

1/2 cup bourbon

1 cup honey

1 cup prepared dijon mustard

1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 (32-ounce) package frozen cooked Italian-style meatballs, thawed


Preparation:
Cook first 5 ingredients in a Dutch oven over medium heat 5 minutes. Add meatballs; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes. Yields 10 to 12 appetizer servings

But save room for dessert. You must try my White Chocolate and Peppermint Cookie Brittle. It's heavenly. Which is, you know, appropriate at this particular time of year.

And now it's time to survey the decking of the halls.


Our front door wreath.

The tree. And if the star looks a tad crooked, well, it is thank you for noticing. Hubby promises to fix it for us any day now. The kids really hand a big hand in decorating the tree this year. And it's killing me.

The kitchen mistletoe.



The dining room buffet. Notice the vases filled with the pretty tree ornaments that I couldn't put on the tree because Conan-na the Barbarian, and her sidekick, the Mini-Destroyer wouldn't let them last one day on the tree.



The dining room table centerpiece. And if you have the nerve to suggest I iron the tablecloth, well you can just see yourself out. You know where the front door is - it's the one with the wreath on it.

Ahem.




One living room endtable. That's a Russ reindeer that I got at a holiday party gift exchange. He's much cuter in person.


And the other endtable with my glittery holiday tree. Are you trying to block out the toys that keep creeping in the pictures? Me too.

The mantel. You can't see it, but the stocking holders spell "PEACE."

The Kwanzaa table. "Habari Gani!"

And that's it! Despite what I just realized may come across as a very sarcastic post, I really do love our holiday decorations. Especially at night when everything is a glow. To see more holiday homes, visit BooMama and house hop away.

*Happy Holidays! *

The (Perfect) Christmas Photo

I am a perfectionist and can't leave well enough alone. I will do something as many times as needed until I think it's perfect, or as close to perfect as possible. Two weeks ago I took the annual Christmas photo of the kids to put on our holiday cards. It took about 45 minutes to get enough photos where they were all smiling, or at least looking, at the camera. It was a huge fiasco and I kept going until I was satisfied with one. After sending out a large batch I decided that the card should be a family portrait, and not just one of the kids. So this weekend I set out to try and do this all over again.



This was no easy task. I got ready almost two hours before everyone else. Then I washed and untangled daughter's hair and braided it all pretty and nice. We fought the whole time but I tried to maintain a Christmas spirit about it. Next, I convinced Oldest to get dressed in a nice shirt. Any shirt with buttons is considered a church shirt and he's not into it. Last, I dressed youngest in cute jeans, white shirt, and a Christmas colored tie. He discovered how fun taking the tie off was so keeping it on was a fiasco itself. Meanwhile, Hubby was still on the couch shouting at the TV. I convince him to get ready so that he can participate in a memorable picture with his beautiful family (not exactly how I put it but after several failed attempts at the nice way, I resorted to more "assertive language").


After setting the camera up on the "adjustable tripod" (baby highchair with adjustable height), we were all ready.




Here are my first practice pictures. Doesn't Oldest look so handsome! Never mind that he hadn't put his shoes on yet. He was such a good sport.






I wanted a few with just the just kids and this one represents most of those photos. Oldest is the only one smiling and looking, while Daughter intentionally does not look. For each photo, she intentionally tried to scoot her way out of it, just to drive me crazy. She was still holding a grudge about having her hair done. This was about our 15th picture.


















More practice photos, just wanted to make sure that we had the right height. Hubby was just having a blast.

Finally, the perfect picture! Oops, we're missing someone. We almost didn't catch it. Daughter of course, she slowly wiggled her way out of the photo, again.

I ultimately went with the photo on the left. I was not satisfied at first because Oldest had his eyes half closed and was chewing a piece of candy. But Youngest and Hubby were done with the entire process. But after looking at the picture though, I thought it was perfect. It makes me laugh. Daughter has a sneaky smirk, Youngest is jamming the 10th piece of candy I had given him to try and keep him still, Hubby was seething under his breath because he was missing the game, and I'm just praying that we are looking. Perfect!

'Tis The Season for Giving...

And because we're feeling so jolly and Santa-like, we're giving away a sweet-smelling gift right on time for the holiday season. The Southern Candle Lady has generously offered to give away one of her scrumptious 16 oz candle jars! All you have to do to win is leave us a comment and tell us what your favorite scents of the holidays are. Also, let us know which candle scent you would prefer to receive: Pumpkin Cheescake or Peach and Papaya or Coconut and Lime. A lucky winner will be picked using a random number generator on Friday, December 21. So take a break from your holiday frenzy and enter yourself to win a fantastic pampering treat!

Love It! Thursdays

Drum roll please...... This week, my LIT deals with bargains, shopping, and (priceless) convenience. Ever want something really bad but you didn't want to fork over the pesos because of the price? Or, do you ever get a natural high from getting a too-good-to-be-true deal on something? If that sounds like you, then you will absolutely LOVE Ebay. Now I know that Ebay is not anything new. But that doesn't mean that all of you have tried it, or trust it enough to try it. Well let me assure you, the deals are great, and unless you are upgrading the rock on your hand, you can get a great deal on just about anything on Ebay.

Here is just a sample of a few things I have purchased on Ebay, for a fraction of the price of what they are retailing.

• Just this week, I bought the latest model of the best flat iron out there. I've been eyeing it for quite some time, but I just didn't feel good forking over $150.00 for it. I've seen it on the Internet for better prices, but those prices do not compare to how much it was selling on Ebay. I paid $49.99 for a brand new Chi Biosilk Ceramic Hot Iron by Farouk. $49.99 I said.
  



• If flat irons aren't your thing, how about a nice shag rug, just like the one you saw in Potterybarn that cost over $800.00? I paid less than $200 for mine, including shipping. And before I made a purchase, the retailer sent me as many samples as I wanted, free, in all colors I wanted. How neat is that?
  
  


• And since this is a blog about motherhood, I can't leave out my mother related purchase. I bought my Combi Twin Savvy stroller on E-bay as well. Again, brand new for a great price. I also bought the matching car seat from another seller.

While Ebay offers great prices, here are just give a few tips for you Ebay virgins to ensure you don't get scammed.

First, buy only from sellers that have a history and a good one at that. When you look up items, the ad provides info on each seller. The seller is ranked based on their selling history and customers that have purchased from them in the past are encouraged to provide feedback so that subsequent purchasers can feel good about making a purchase.

Second, when you are in the market for something, test it out in a store first. I would recommend you do that for anything purchased on the Internet, regardless if you get it on Ebay.

Third, do not bid on an item days or even many hours before the bidding ends. You may end up bidding against yourself (the seller) and drive the price much higher. For example, let's say you want the flat iron and there are over 40 sellers offering the same product. Check the prices, then check the time the bids end. If you see several in your price range, watch them. Wait until about the last hour or less before the end time and start bidding on it. If it doesn't look like there are many bidders, your chances for getting it at a low prices are better. About 15 minutes before the close time, place your bid. You can even set Ebay to bid automatically for you,until your max bid is reached, so that you don't have to sit in front of your computer to see if you have been out bid. If you do that, be careful at the increments you set. I've won a bid on just .50 cent increments.

Last but not least, don't try to get that Louis Vuitton bag you've been asking hubby to get you for your birthday. For those types of products, you are usually not getting the real thing and too good to be true really is the case.

With Christmas fast approaching, I recommend you give Ebay a shot. It's not just good for the deals, but if your kid really wants this year's hot item with a waiting list in all the stores, you can probably find it on Ebay, for a premium. But hey, the kids are worth it.

I give Ebay shopping 5/5

Love it, can't live without it!

And the "Firsts" Just Keep Comin'

Chatterbox's first trip to the dentist...

She did great! She wasn't scared at all and was such a big girl. I just can't take it - she's growing up so fast! What's next? College graduation?

Love It! Thursday - Stress Relief

Hi folks....once again I've been super busy, and let's not even start talking or thinking about Christmas. I think I have subconsciously convinced myself that if I don't think about Christmas, it'll just pass. Anyway, my LIT! post is so cheeeeeesy, but I simply must post it because it is such a big part of my life:)

As I said, I've been working a lot and I've been super busy - so busy that I procrastinated on planning my daughter's 2 year old birthday party until the day before - yes ....I know I'm lousy - but it'll get better. But anyway, I digress..... I've been very busy and fairly stressed, but I must admit that I look forward to Monday and Wednesday and Thursday nights at 10 p.m. "Why?", you ask. Because of MTV (i.e. Mindless TeleVision). I put DD to bed around 8:30 p.m. and then I can't wait for my shows - I love them!!!! The Hills on Monday, Real World on Wednesday and Run's House on Thursday. They are such stress relievers. Trust me, they're addictive. You get so roped in to the stories that you forget about whatever else is going on around you. I have been relying on these 30 minute stories for some life relief. I recommend that you put aside 30 minutes or so every night (don't watch on Tuesdays, but you may like whatever's on), kick your feet up and just relax.

They are perfect for me and they really work. Try them out one of these nights .... or share what works for you as a stress reliever; but make sure to link back to us.

I give MTV 5 gavels. - Loved It! Can't live without it!

Christmas, Christmas Time Is Here...

Get Myspace Christmas Countdown

December's officially here! Time to get in the mood for Christmas. I think because my girls are both old enough to get excited about things, I am extra excited. To kick off our holiday season, Saturday we began by having our own ornament party. And I say that very loosely seeing as how the girls are both of the age where coloring on the paper is not nearly as intersting as coloring on the dining room furniture. But anyway. Washable markers and non-toxic glue in hand, we printed out ornament instructions from Kaboose and got to work. Afterwards we settled in front of the fire and watched the Radio City Christmas Spectacular on NBC. It was great! The girls were mesmerized from start to finish. We've definitely got to take them in person one year.

Yesterday we went to see a holiday light show sponsored by a local hospital. You stay in your car and drive through an elaborate display of lights, listening to accompanying music on your radio. It was big fun. Sunday was also Day 2 for the infamous advent calendar. My sister and I had one of those every year when we were growing up as long as I can remember. My mom even sent them to us at college. I know Chatterbox and Giggles don't quite get what all the fuss is about, but once they realized that CHOCOLATE was hiding behind each little door, they got real excited. Speaking of chocolate, my Ghirardelli Hazelnut Hot Cocoa and marshmallows are patiently waiting for me at home. Hubby has already gorged himself on eggnog - each year he continues his quest for the perfect blend.

The inside of our house is almost all decorated. The living and dining rooms mostly because that's all I can keep up with. I was just putting the finishing touches on last night when the power went out thanks to a wind storm. Which was a blessing in disguise because, the decorating, dishes, and laundry all had to wait. I'll try to finish up this evening. The only bummer is that we don't have outdoor outlets for some bizarre reason, so no outdoor lights... Any ideas on how to make the exterior festive?

Other holiday activities we have planned: 2 holiday parties, a cookie decorating party, a trip to a puppet show rendition of The Nutcracker and, of course, a visit to see Santa at the mall.

Ho Ho Ho!