So Christmas is 2 weeks away.... and I'm FINALLY done with the shopping, the decorating, and now on to the wrapping... I have to say my favorite part of this time of the year is our annual family photo for the Christmas card. As devote Blackhawks fans, last year we donned our red jerseys (the boys had fake jersey T-shirts) and that was the formal fancy picture. Our caption: "May your cup runnith over in the new year." In honor of the 2011 Stanley Cup Champs.. This year I wanted to do the Cubs and say something like " All we have is faith....." seeing as it has been 105 years now since a World Series. Hey at least if you suck you do it well right?!
Again, for year 2, Nate has been BEGGING for a Blackhawks Jersey- begging. His favorite player is Brent Seabrook. Not Kane or Toews like every.other. kid. in. Chicago. No my son has to like Seabrook. Do you know how hard it is to FIND a Seabrook shirt?! Let me tell you. See the NHL has limits and they only make a certain number of shirts per player for a certain time. Seabrook is not to be found and I will not shell out 75+ bucks for a 5 year old. So I go calling... no one will put Seabrook on a kids shirt (too big)... but Target had these GREAT fake jersey shirts. I get one (20 bucks!) and go to our local t-shirt maker place and plead my case. Who really wants to disappoint a 5 year old on Christmas. THANK GOD the lady said it was not a problem and in 3 minutes WHAM the back said SEABROOK 7 in jersey letters.
Now I have to wait 13 days to give it to him. Christmas will rock. The simple things.
Tis the season for decorating as well.... It all started out simple, put lights on the bushes. So Saturday afternoon I venture out with Nate to put said lights on said bushes. We take the 1 year old lights (8 boxes) and try all the lights out to make sure they work. Yes success! We bundle up (its like 20 here) and go outside where for 2 hours we carefully, skillfully and artistically wrap lights about 2 5 ft/6ft tree bushes and 6 shrubs and our tiny porch meanwhile Nate is my "wingman" helping untangle--yes every December we vow this year we WILL put them back nicely to avoid the December tangle.. but then in January we get lazy and toss them in. We light up the house and BAM.. white light perfection. and satisfied we go in for hot chocolate. Hubby and Logan admire our work and we are satisfied. 2 hours later hubby looks out the window and says "hey honey you know only one bush is lit up...." yep.. all those lights DEAD. So I will head to Menard's to replace said lights and repeat the decorating.
Next year I think hubby will do the outside!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Defending the Shopper: Christmas Chaotic
Black Friday, cyber Monday, early bird or late owl... what ever your shopping habits are 'tis the season to break out the self-defense skills
First you have ever elusive hot item toy... you know the one every kid has, yours wants it and there is one left... that is when the 50 yard dash you did in 5th grade comes in handy. You eye the other mom, and GO. run like hell trying to get the toy. If you have to toss in an elbow like a hockey defender so be it.
Second, you have the "My kid wants it but I can't find it gift." The one you KNOW your kid would love (mine loves Brent Seabrook.. I can not find a Hawks shirt with that player.. why cant he like Kane or Toews like everyone else in America.")... you search high, low, Craigs list and Amazon to see and pray and hope and figure you can mortgage the house again just to make your kid happy.
While these are all justifications on our actions during this month of "giving"... there is the other side to defending the shopper... the verbal defense. As a mom of boys I feel like I forever have to be on the defense as a shopper. Going out with 2 of the same gender people think you are bat shit crazy.. right because parents with one of each some how get no tantrums, no yelling, no fighting?! ok. sure. But my biggest defense as a shopper is not the behavior or the gender of my children. It is clothing.
Yes boys clothing. Why is it that men make up about what 1/2 the population, and still have to get dressed (like girls) for work, school and play (like girls). Go on dates (like girls), to dances, weddings, and other 'events' (like girls) but have like 1/5th of the selection.. Who do you think is BUY and DRESSING these boys,,... GIRLS... and it is females like ME who want to rip fashion designers a new one.
Boys clothing can be separated in the following categories
1) Sports
2) Animals
3) Stupid Sayings
4) Animals playing sports with a stupid saying
5) Skulls
** Replace cartoon characters for animals in many stores**
6) 3 Ralph Loren Polo options: Lumberjack, Red Lumberjack, white shirt.
Really... at christmas Im not taking my son to church is a fabulous lumberjack shirt (we dont live in a lumberjack area), skulls (he is not the angel of death), or some random sports shirt. Im sure god loves hockey but its not church wear... Or for pictures?! Really my cute boys need plain old polo's, or collared shirts, or something that is NOT with a slogan or animal....I vent all the time about the lack of options in boys clothing. You want men to look classy, clean and appropriate well they dont just figure it out. Start having more than 2 options for young men. Start with nice shirts and pants without Tommy Hawk, Skulls or " I hate homework." If JC Penny can pull " Im too pretty for homework" then pull the boys shirts that say equally as derogatory statements. I want my boys to look classy for pictures, save the skulls for the park.
whew.. vent over. :)
First you have ever elusive hot item toy... you know the one every kid has, yours wants it and there is one left... that is when the 50 yard dash you did in 5th grade comes in handy. You eye the other mom, and GO. run like hell trying to get the toy. If you have to toss in an elbow like a hockey defender so be it.
Second, you have the "My kid wants it but I can't find it gift." The one you KNOW your kid would love (mine loves Brent Seabrook.. I can not find a Hawks shirt with that player.. why cant he like Kane or Toews like everyone else in America.")... you search high, low, Craigs list and Amazon to see and pray and hope and figure you can mortgage the house again just to make your kid happy.
While these are all justifications on our actions during this month of "giving"... there is the other side to defending the shopper... the verbal defense. As a mom of boys I feel like I forever have to be on the defense as a shopper. Going out with 2 of the same gender people think you are bat shit crazy.. right because parents with one of each some how get no tantrums, no yelling, no fighting?! ok. sure. But my biggest defense as a shopper is not the behavior or the gender of my children. It is clothing.
Yes boys clothing. Why is it that men make up about what 1/2 the population, and still have to get dressed (like girls) for work, school and play (like girls). Go on dates (like girls), to dances, weddings, and other 'events' (like girls) but have like 1/5th of the selection.. Who do you think is BUY and DRESSING these boys,,... GIRLS... and it is females like ME who want to rip fashion designers a new one.
Boys clothing can be separated in the following categories
1) Sports
2) Animals
3) Stupid Sayings
4) Animals playing sports with a stupid saying
5) Skulls
** Replace cartoon characters for animals in many stores**
6) 3 Ralph Loren Polo options: Lumberjack, Red Lumberjack, white shirt.
Really... at christmas Im not taking my son to church is a fabulous lumberjack shirt (we dont live in a lumberjack area), skulls (he is not the angel of death), or some random sports shirt. Im sure god loves hockey but its not church wear... Or for pictures?! Really my cute boys need plain old polo's, or collared shirts, or something that is NOT with a slogan or animal....I vent all the time about the lack of options in boys clothing. You want men to look classy, clean and appropriate well they dont just figure it out. Start having more than 2 options for young men. Start with nice shirts and pants without Tommy Hawk, Skulls or " I hate homework." If JC Penny can pull " Im too pretty for homework" then pull the boys shirts that say equally as derogatory statements. I want my boys to look classy for pictures, save the skulls for the park.
whew.. vent over. :)
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