Birthdays and Christmas Fun

I can't believe that another Christmas is nearly here.  Christmas 2012 seems like it was just yesterday with my kids anxiously opening presents and excited for their new toys.  The Holidays go way too damn fast and it's really my favorite time of year, it has always been. 

 

Even though I spend way too much on presents for my girls and try to have Santa get their entire wishlist, I love seeing the looks on my girls faces when they open their gifts on Christmas morning. I'm more excited about this Christmas because it will be the very first Christmas in our new (beautiful) home. 

 

As strange as this may sound, I have always wanted a home with a beautiful staircase that I could decorate with lighted garland and the Christmas cards that we receive from family and friends.  While many people have had staircases all their lives, I did not.  I grew up in a "mom and daughter" type house, just like the majority of homes in my city.  My grandparents lived upstairs and my mother and I lived downstairs in the two family house.  The house was rather small, often compared to a "shoebox" by many of my friends, but it was home for 28 years of my life.  Now that we moved into a larger one family house with two floors, I couldn't be happier and feel more accomplished for finding it and fighting for that to be our new home.  I was able to (over) decorate it to how I had always dreamed my home to look for Christmas and can't wait to see our brand new tree sparkling on Christmas morning with all of our presents beneath it.  Just one more day left until I can enjoy that.

 

Olivia's 6th Birthday was this past weekend and I had the honor of hosting her family party at my home this year.  We invited 13 family members to the party and planned a nice spread of food that we both got catered and cooked ourselves.  I had the best time and was so proud to have such a beautiful and roomy house to have everyone over.  It was really the best feeling in the world for me.  Olivia got some great presents including a Sofia the First Leap Pad, many other Sofia the First toys, some beautiful outfits and a gorgeous easel from her Grandma and Grandpa, which she can't stop playing with.

 

I can't believe my baby turned 6 on Saturday -- time really does fly when you're having fun raising your children.  I tell this to everyone, including my sister who will soon have her babies, enjoy them while they're little!  It goes way too fast and if you blink you will miss the best and most enjoyable years. 

 

Happy Belated Birthday to my darling Princess Olivia and enjoy the remainder of the Holiday Season to my readers! 

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A Mommy's Open Letter to Santa

 

Dear Santa,

 

I know I'm a 28 year old mom and shouldn't be writing you a personal letter, so I decided to be a grown up and write you an open letter instead.  Who said adults can't have fun and write letters to Santa?  There are just a few things that I want this Christmas, that I know I'm not going to get, but hey; I want to get it off my chest anyway.  As much as us moms say that we don't want anything for Christmas, everyone has something that they want but just don't want to say!  So here is my list.

 

1. I would like a new pair of Uggs.  Yes, I know that I already have a pair but they're three years old, have been repaired twice and are stained from water and snow.  Of course I had them waterproofed when I bought them, but I'm sure that wore off after a year and I was just way too lazy to get them back to the shop to get them waterproofed again.  I know, I know, it's my own fault.  If you're feeling kind, Santa, I would like this pair of Uggs.  They don't go with everything but they're a bright pop of color when the weather is dreary and snowy, why not be daring?  You may be questioning me since I have so many pairs of Fuugs (Fake Uggs...boots that look like Uggs but are not!) but they are not the same.  They're cheaply made, rip after one season and aren't as warm; but I do rock my Fuggs everywhere I go. 

 

2. A blue iPod Touch would be nice too.  I've been wanting to purchase one for myself and have been, on numerous occasions, close to buying one.  I just can't justify purchasing something I am never ever going to use.  I have an iPhone, I have a computer and a laptop and also have an iPad, but I do not have an iPod Touch and that's the only reason why I want one.  The blue is so pretty and really stands out.  I probably would never use it since all my music is streamed through Rdio and I never actually download music, but whatever.  I can ask, you're Santa.

 

3. What about a nice North Face jacket to keep me warm?  I purchased a pair of waterproof and fleec-y North Face boots about three years ago and absolutely love them.  They're my go-to winter boots when I need to go out in the snow.  You wouldn't think they're waterproof because the outside is fleece, but they really are.  So why not ask for a jacket that is probably warmer and more awesome than the boots?  Eh, I can dream, right?

 

4. Just a good ole' gift card.  There are a number of things I want to buy at any given time but aren't interesting or significant enough to really write in this open letter.  Santa, you should know what they are, but I will make it easy for you.  Just leave a gift card under the tree.

 

5. I would love some time to myself.  Just a day where I can relax, clean my house without it being messed up again within minutes, cook an actual dinner and just can relax on the couch watching mindless TV.  That would probably be my main Christmas wish!  I love my kids and my mother, but they always want my attention or need my help with something.  If I just had one day to relax I'm sure I wouldn't freak out and have nervous breakdowns as much as I actually do. If you can't get me some time to myself, maybe you can throw some magic dust down from our roof on Christmas Eve for my kids to be calm and behave.  It would be nice to have my girls actually listen to things I say and obey me.  I'm so tired of saying:

 

"Clean your room."  Numerous times a day.

"Do your homework." Again numerous times a day.

"Get up or you're going to be late for school."  About 5 times every morning.

"No, you can't pile 15 stuffed animals on your bed at night, you'll suffocate." 

 

Why can't they just listen to me? 

 

So Santa, if you're feeling generous and feel like granting some adults Christmas wishes, please do!  They would be incredibly happy!  I definitely have been a good girl this year.  (Sort of...) 

 

Sincerely,

Kristin

 

DISCLAIMER: I know most of you would take this in humor and good spirits but some others may think I'm a little nuts in the head.  I know that Santa is not real, but just felt like writing a letter since my kids get all the fun of doing that! Trust me, I did have fun.  I felt like a child again.

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My Favorite Present of All Time

Looking back at previous Christmases as a child, I realize now that I took my family's generosity greatly for granted.  I had a great childhood filled with everything I could ever want for Christmas presents.   I used to get American Girl Dolls, My Size Barbies, whatever the hot new toy was that year that I wanted and just about everything else that a kid in the 90's could want.  However, one present really stands out in my mind and that was a present not given to me by my mother or grandmother. 

 

It was Christmas Eve 1995 and we had already had our traditional Polish Christmas Eve dinner and went to church.  We were upstairs in my grandmother's living room and I was anxiously anticipating receiving my one Christmas Eve present.  Usually, it is a present that I have wanted all year and worked hard (homework, grades, behavior) to achieve.  My mother comes over to me with an envelope.  I was a little perplexed since my mother usually gave me an actual gift that I wanted, but I went with it.  (After all, I was 9.  I really didn't have a choice.) 

 

Inside that envelope was a card and a letter from my aunt and behind that was a photo of a kitten.  Of course, I looked at the photo before I read the card, doesn't every kid try to avoid reading cards?  The card told me that the kitten in the photo was mine and my aunt would be dropping it off the day after Christmas.  I freaked out, I had always wanted a kitten but my requests were always met with a, "No" from my mom.  I immediately called my aunt and told her that she had given me the best gift ever.  Which turned out to be true.

 

Years later, looking back, that was the best gift that I had ever received.  My cat, Buttons, was the love of my life and one of my best friends.  My mom, who was never a cat lover, even warmed up to my cat and loved her to death.  Buttons gave me years of happiness that I would never trade for any toy in the world.

 

One day I would love to get another cat just like her, although no one could replace her warmness and loving nature.  She is one pet that I will never forget and the best Christmas present that I had ever received.

 

Prompt inspired by Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop

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Why I Loved Being a Work at Home Mom

Image borrowed from It's a WAHM Thing

While browsing through my e-mail one day I saw this post and it really made me miss being a work at home mom.  In the post the blogger states the frustrations but also the many (more) advantages of being a work at home mom and I completely agree with both sides.

I was a work at home mom from the moment my daughter was a year old until two years ago and I used to absolutely love to be home with my little girl.  Before choosing to work from home I was hesitant to make that huge change.  The change from going to work every day and being social with my fellow employees to working from home and having no interaction with anyone else I work with or the outside world. (not to be dramatic!)  Though, the more I thought about being able to be home with my daughter and being able to watch her grow up, the more I wanted to make the switch.  I was glad I did.

The main advantages, for me, were as follows:

#1.  Being able to see her grow up.  That was a huge thing for me.  As a first time mom, at that point, I did not want to miss a second of her being a baby.  I had already regretted that I went back to work (outside the home) right after my 6 weeks was up until the time she was a year old.  I know, I was a single mom and that's all I could do at that point, but I feel like I missed a lot of her actual infancy.  I didn't want to miss another minute of any firsts for her.  I'm big on milestones and recorded absolutely everything that she did, so I was very happy that I would get to continue that.  

#2.  Being able to make my own hours was also a huge advantage for me.  For the first few years I worked with two companies that contracted at home workers, but I was still able to choose my own schedule.  I was able to work around my daughter's schedule, take breaks when she needed something and was still able to take care of the house while I had some downtime.  I loved being able to work when I was able to.  

#3.  The challenge to stay motivated was also a huge deal for me.  I love to challenge myself and this was a big one.  The transition from working outside of the home to working at home was definitely more difficult in that aspect.  Why?  When you work outside of the home you have a boss breathing down your neck every minute of the day.  You have a boss to tell you what to do and when to do it...when you work at home it's just you, in your home, with PLENTY of distractions.  So challenging myself not to turn on the TV, pick up a book, chat on my phone or letting the dishes in the sink nag me!  It was hard to stay motivated in the beginning, but once I got a momentum going it was much easier.  I loved it.

Those are the top three reasons I absolutely loved being a work at home mom.  Why did I feel I had to write this post?  Well, today I was offered a promotion at my seasonal job to become Office Manager and I accepted the job.  I'm not feeling sad about it at all, in fact I'm extremely excited to have gotten this promotion.  It's a huge honor and one that I will take on head first and combat my way to success.  However, I wanted to look back and let others know that working from home is completely do-able and a great opportunity if you have young children or are a single mother.  I may be working outside of the home now, but I wouldn't trade my work at home days for anything in the world.

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Two simple words to your younger self.

I read this prompt on a website at one point in time and I wrote it down in my blog binder to eventually write about.  I definitely think that now I know exactly what to write.  The prompt was to basically write two words to your younger self that really said a lot and that would be...

Be Yourself.

As a teenager I wanted to be popular and cool so badly that I made myself into what I thought other people wanted to be.  I tried to do absolutely everything that would make me cool or popular, but it never did.  I don't know why I even continued to try, but I did.  

Having children and getting older really made me realize that I needed to grow up. I had the unconditional love of my children and my family and my extremely close friends, I don't need to be anything else other than what I am.  I also tell my children the same thing, to just be yourself no matter what anyone else wants you to be.  All that matters is you. :)

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Mommy Miscellaneous's Top 6 iPhone Apps

The above photo is that of my beloved iPhone and it's home screen.  My baby is a pink iPhone 5c that I absolutely adore with a multi-color silicone case that I purchased on Amazon.  My phone is my best friend, I never leave home without it. (Screw Amex!)  Since I own my own business and communicate frequently with clients, my iPhone is constantly in my hand or on me in some way.  Some people get angry that I'm always on my phone, but that leads to my livelihood!  

I wanted to share six of my favorite iPhone apps that I absolutely love, maybe they'll help you in some way too!  These are also my six most used apps on my phone.  

1. Tweetbot - I've written about Tweetbot before but I just have to mention this app again.  Tweetbot is the best Twitter app, in my opinion.  I think it has a much nicer user interface and look than the stock Twitter app does and I think it's much more straight forward.  I only have amazing things to say about this app and always will.  It does cost a measly $2.99 but it is well worth it.

2. Evernote -  I've also written about this app before but it goes into my favorite apps.  Evernote is an extension of my brain, more or less.  Evernote is an app that allows you to enter text notes, voice notes, pictures, videos and record just about anything that you want to or need to remember.  I use it to help organize shopping lists, my kids birthday parties, Christmas lists/notes, blog post ideas, etc...  This app is used daily.

3. Cozi - I have two young kids that are now in a lot of activities.  They both have different daily schedules and I'm on my own with dropping them off and picking them up at different places so I need organization.  Cozi offers that organization by allowing you to color code family members and their activities.  You can also set reminders so you don't forget important events.  This app has helped me become so much more organized.

4. FeedlerRSS - I used to use Reeder but for some reason I decided to switch RSS readers.  I now use Feedler with my AOL Reader incorporated into it.  I love it.  It has a clean design, you can mark your posts as read easily, it's easy to read what you want to read...I love it.  It's a great great RSS reader if you're tired of using Reeder. :)

5. Timehop - This is the first app I open every morning.  Timehop allows you to open the app and see what you were Tweeting or Facebooking about a year to five years ago.  I love reading back and seeing how much I've grown, matured and changed since then.  Maybe I'm just easily amused, but I love this app.

6. Afterlight - This is an amazing app to edit your photos.  You can add filters, adjust the saturation, contrast, brightness, etc...  and just make your photos look beautiful.  I've been suggesting this app to fellow bloggers for a few weeks now and I'll keep suggesting it.  I love it!

What are some of your most used apps?

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Thanksgiving Tag Post

I know this is a Vlog tag and I will be making one of those as well and linking up below.  However, if you are unable to watch the video, I have also answered the questions below.  :)

1. What is your favorite Thanksgiving side dish? Ever since I was born my Grandma Alfreda has always made her family famous stuffing.  I would devour that stuffing in seconds and as I grew older, I always asked my Grandma to make me a pan of stuffing just for me.  My Grandma passed away five years ago but ever since, I have been making her stuffing with the recipe that she left me.  I keep my Grandma's memory alive through her recipes that I make.  

2. What is your favorite Thanksgiving dessert?  My Grandma Pauline makes the most amazing cheesecake that anyone has ever tasted in their entire lives.  (And I'm not kidding.  Other people have said the same thing.)  Her cheesecake is so creamy and delicious, there usually aren't any leftovers of this at all.  It's definitely my favorite desert and she brings it every Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.

3. What does your ideal Thanksgiving outfit look like?  For Thanksgiving I usually wear comfortable clothes because my mom and I are usually cooking and serving.  This year I am wearing a cozy oversized brown sweater with  my denim leggings and uggs.  Comfortable, fashionable, warm and cozy for the holiday!  Not to mention the leggings give plenty of room for my bloated stomach after I stuff myself crazy!

4. What is your best Thanksgiving memory?  When I was 17 we had a cat named Buttons.  Buttons loved to be a trouble maker and jump on counters while we were cooking because she constantly wanted attention.  Well, my mom was cooking something on the stove and Buttons was eating her food on the counter when I hear my mom scream, "Buttons is on fire!"  I run into the kitchen to find out that my cat's tail went by the stove and the tip caught on fire.  Thankfully, she wasn't hurt and wasn't phased at all by this happening.  I was horrified and so angry at my mom when it happened, but now we look back and laugh at that Thanksgiving memory.

5. Least favorite Thanksgiving dish. I hate apple pie or any pie with crust on top.  Give me pecan pie or pumpkin pie and I will be a happy camper.

6. Do you have any quirky Thanksgiving traditions?  We don't, maybe we aren't a quirky family?  We are starting the Elf on the Shelf tradition on Thanksgiving this year, maybe that can be our quirky tradition. :)

7. Where do you and your family usually celebrate Thanksgiving?  Every single year we have Thanksgiving over at our house.  I think we've only strayed from that tradition once and had Thanksgiving at my Grandmother's house a few years back.

8. What do you love most about Thanksgiving? I absolutely love the food and being with my family and friends.  Not to mention that after Thanksgiving dinner is Black Friday shopping -- another one of my favorite things!

9. What do you think has changed most since the first Thanksgiving?   Well, there are no Indians and Pilgrims anymore!  ;)  Seriously though, I think people get caught up in partying, being with family, cooking and thinking about what they're going to buy on Black Friday and forget that on Thanksgiving we are to reflect on what we are thankful for. 

10. What are you thankful for? See the prior post for what I am thankful for. :)

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Happy Thanksgiving 2013!

Happy Turkey Day to all of my amazing readers!  I hope everyone has a day filled with family, fun and tons of Turkey.  I can't wait to have my first Thanksgiving in my new home with the people that I love.  It's going to be a great day, I just know it!  My mom and I have been cooking since yesterday and we can't wait to devour the great food that we made.  I also hope that I can make it out tonight for some Black Friday shopping fun!  

What am I thankful for on this Thanksgiving?

• My children who mean the world to me.  They're my life and I would never exchange them for anything in the world 

• My new home that I am absolutely in love with.  I'm so glad that I found this beautiful place to be in for the Holidays and love that we have a lot more room for our family.  All of my anxiety about moving was just silly!

• My family who is so supportive and helpful, I don't know what I would have done without them in the past year.  They've helped me emotionally, financially and in every way in between.

• My friends who have been there for me through absolutely every hardship and great memory I've had in the time that I have known them.  Some friends have come and gone but my true friends will always be by my side...I'm thankful for that.   

Once again, I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.  

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Wordless Wednesday: A kid and her Build-A-Bear

She looks so adorable with her Build-A-Bear, who's name is Olivia-Bear! (Creative, right?)

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Trends that completely annoy me!

Disclaimer: This is solely my opinion and how I feel.  I in no way am criticizing anyone who likes any of the following or who does any of the following.  I am just stating my opinion of what trends I (personally) cannot stand.  Do not take this post to be critical of anyone in any way shape or form.  Thank you.

The Mustache Trend

No hate to any men with mustaches (and if men are reading my blog...hey!) but I can't stand seeing mustaches everywhere.  On T-Shirts, Jewelry, Notebooks, Clothing, Purses, Decor -- they are everywhere!  I will admit that I may have purchased a few things with mustaches on them when the trend first started, but now it's just getting annoying.  I honestly hope this trend dies pretty soon...lol 

Food Porn

I like food just as much as the next person does, maybe more!  However, we don't need to see what you are eating every hour of every day.  Sure, I take photos of my food to blog, tweet or facebook at times, but that would be when I am proud of something I made or saw/had something absolutely amazing.  I don't randomly take pictures of my apple I'm chomping on or my chips that I am munching on. 

The Acronym "YOLO"

Even though I'm 28 and not an obnoxious teenager (not all teenagers are obnoxious, just saying!) I know what YOLO means/stands for and I like the phrase "You Only Live Once", however I hate YOLO.  It sounds stupid, it looks stupid and in my opinion; it's stupid.  Is it too much work to actually say, "You Only Live Once"? 

Cryptic Tweets/Facebook Posts (For attention)

I've seen this even on my own feed, it's quite annoying.  If you say something like, "FML" or "I hate everything, I just want to die!" without explaining why, I'm not going to feel bad for you or give you the time of day.  If you cry poverty and two days later post about your brand new iPad Air, I'm going to unfriend/unfollow you and classify you in my "attention whore" category.  If you're going to post an extremely cryptic message, explain why so maybe people can have a chance to care!   

Vlogs By Pre-Teens

Most recently I saw a beauty vlog from a 10 year old girl who had a huge makeup collection and was telling her audience how her dad bought her a camera and allows her to do this.  First of all, my daughter isn't allowed to wear makeup in public until she's 14/15 and second of all, I would never allow her to post on YouTube at age 10.  I'm not trying to criticize any parental methods, but it's just something that personally irks me.  At 10 years of age, how much beauty knowledge do you have?  Don't you want to play with your doll house or video games instead of painting on your face?  At age 10, you're still a kid! 

 Smart Cars

They're cute but they can't be safe and have absolutely no room!  I'm sure they're great on gas, but that's because they're less than half a regular car! (And cost equal or more to a full size vehicle!)  I also see the biggest possible people in the teeny tiny smart cars, maybe they find it a challenge to try to fit themselves into the car, I don't know!

Current Music & Boy Bands

I come from the generation of Hanson, *N Sync, Backstreet Boys, LFO, 98 Degrees, etc...  I absolutely love the boy bands of the 90's and early 2000's.  After all, that's what I grew up listening to and I love it.  However, a lot of the music in this generation is just plain annoying to me.  I don't like Lady Gaga, I don't like Ke$ha, I don't like Justin Bieber (No offense to anyone who does!) and I feel like my mom when I tell my daughter to turn the music down.  I now understand how my mom felt when I would listen to artists that got on her nerves.

What current trends annoy you to death?

 

Writing Prompt Courtesy of Mama Kat's

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