7 Things We Must Do During The Holidays

The holidays are here and I'm thrilled. I love the lights that come with it. The food. The fun. Every year there are things my family MUST do.

1. We always make sugar cookies and buttercream frosting. Natalie usually dumps at least an entire thing of sprinkles on like two cookies, but it's why she has her own batch.

2. We decorate the tree together. Yes, it might mean the kids put like three ornaments on one branch, but it's okay, I can fix it when they go to bed.

3. We see Santa Claus. Although my kids are getting bigger, so we might not always do this. But maybe we will. I mean, it's SANTA.

4. We play in the snow. Well. At least we DID. We're in Texas now. Snow doesn't come here very often. But we can remember how we used to play in the snow.

5. We're also always thankful when my husband is able to be home for the holidays. Since he's in the military, he's not always with us. So when he's home, we thank the Air Force for allowing him to be home.

6. We go see fantastic movies together. Last year it was the new Star Wars. This year it'll be SING©, a hilarious movie about various animals who participate in a talent contest. It comes out on December 21st. 

7. We eat delicious food together. Cookies. Brownies. Cakes. Cereal like Honey Bunches of Oats®.

I imagine we could make cookies from the cereal. We might have to try that! I found a variety Honey Bunches of Oats® at HEB in the cereal aisle:

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What are some of your holiday traditions? Will you be seeing SING©?

Hey, It's Okay

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. You can link up any day of the week. All you have to do is make a list of what you're okay about. Simple!

Hey, It's Okay....



--To be ALMOST done with the new Gilmore Girls. I wish there were more episodes. I only have one left. But then I'll know what the 4 words are.



--To not be surprised that Kanye West was hospitalized. I hope he gets the help he needs.


--To have seen Moana over the weekend. It was a sweet movie. My husband was pleased that there weren't songs every "damned ten minutes" like in Frozen.



--To hope everyone who celebrated Thanksgiving had a good one! I did. I celebrated on Thursday and again on Saturday. I pigged out and didn't even care about calories.



--To have dragged out the Christmas decorations. Most of them are out now.



--To plan on giving Natalie's teacher a $25 gift card to Starbucks. I am amazed at all teachers do on such little pay. She's also getting a Harry Potter themed gift since she loves Harry Potter. Thank goodness for Etsy.


--To have driven through some Christmas lights! Then there was an area where you can walk through them. This was one of our favorites:

A Holiday Gift Guide For Tween Girls

This post contains affiliate links. It costs nothing to you to click, but can add up so I can purchase a new book.



Sometimes shopping for tweens can be difficult. They seem to be on that cusp of wanting toys and outgrowing them. You don't want to get anything that they deem "babyish" but at the same time you'll burst into tears if you hand over lip plumping stuff from Kylie. I have several affordable selections that I am actually getting my daughter.

1.

My daughter loves crafts, so I knew she'd enjoy the Pom Pom Wow. You can create colorful poms. If your daughter likes the starter set, there are other fun sets to continue the fun. You can purchase the Pom Pom Wow here.




2.

I've written about her love of Shopkins before. She's a fan of any Shopkins set. This is one of the new ones. You can purchase it here.



3.

Again, since she loves crafting, I figured she'd enjoy designing the Barbie dresses. I have a feeling her Barbies are going to be very...uh...colorful. You can buy Barbie Be A Fashion Designer here.



4.

I'm hoping she learns to sew so she can fix our ripped clothes. This looks like it will be a blast for kids. You can buy the Sew Cool Machine here.



5.

Traysaurus and the Enchanted Crystal book. If your kids watch YouTube, they probably watch Dan TDM. Well, he's written a book. I wrote more about that book here. Natalie loves it! You can buy it here.



6.

Toys from Justice. Clothes from Justice. There is so much you can purchase at Justice. This tiny dog is from Justice. Natalie has several of them.


7.

I wrote how to score a Hatchimals. But really, as I said before, your kid won't be lost if they don't get one. I promise.


Do you have a tween in your life? What are you getting them for Christmas?

Why You Should Give Shari's Berries As A Gift

**This post was inspired by Shari's Berries. No monetary compensation was exchanged**



Sometimes I have no idea what to get people for the holidays. I have so many wonderful people in my life that I want to spoil.

I have my husband, who is a MTI in the Air Force:

I have my mother, who is a retired Air Force officer and a wonderful Nonna to my kids:

I have my father, who stayed home with me as I grew up and is an excellent Papa to my kids:

Plus, I want to give to others: teachers, because they go through a lot for little pay. Bus drivers, because they drives miles and miles a day with loud kids in the back. Postal workers because they deliver in horrible weather.


The list goes on and on and on. Luckily Shari's Berries is around. It offers so many delicious choices. I was sent some items from the cheesecake section.

Here are reasons why you should consider buying someone special Shari's Berries:

1. Their chocolate dipped strawberries look and taste amazing.

2. Look at these delicious cheesecakes!

3. They have a variety of amazing items to choose from. There are berries. Cheesecakes. Cookies. Cake Pops. Among other things.


4. If you want to go healthy, they have a bunch of fruit arrangements! This one looks scrumptious:

Source

5. They have 24/7 customer service if you have any questions.




Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to finish eating my treats.

Will you be getting something from Shari's Berries?

How To Keep It Together During The Holidays

 I have received information and materials from Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Inc., McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division. The opinions stated are my own. This is a sponsored post. This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WinOverWinter #CollectiveBias

The holidays are here! I'm thrilled, but with the holidays it means lots of running around.


Running around for food:

Running around for gifts:

Running around in the snow with the kids:

Cleaning the house so guests don't think we live like animals:

With all this running around, minor back pain can occur for me. When this happens, I'm grateful for Ultra Strength BENGAY® Cream. 

It temporarily relieves my aches and helps to relieve my simple back pain that I get when I'm busy chasing after kids, cooking, shopping, and cleaning. I bought my Ultra Strength BENGAY® Cream at Target in the Braces & Muscle Care section:

I like to be able able to quickly grab what I need to help with my minor discomfort so I keep everything together in a Winter Toolkit. The holiday and winter season brings a lot of fun, but it also can bring illnesses, aches, and pains. When someone ends up sick, it usually means everyone can get sick, which is not fun. Who has time for that? Having a Winter Toolkit helps me to not lose my mind during the holidays. I can easily reach for the toolkit when I need it.

I put the following in it and yes, everything was purchased at Target, including the box!




1. Ultra Strength BENGAY® Cream-- I mean, of course!


2. Extra Strength TYLENOL®, which also helps relieve minor aches and pains when headaches, colds, backaches, and arthritis occurs. It also can temporarily reduce fevers and is for people 12 years and older. My teenage son recently used this when he had a fever and it helped make him comfortable.

3. Cough Drops, to help sooth a sore throat.


4. Chocolate, because chocolate helps with nearly everything in my opinion.


5. Tissue, for when noses won't stop running.


6. A thermometer so I can quickly check if someone is running a fever.



Other tips to keep it together during the holidays?


--Take breaks. Seriously, you don't have to do it all at once.


--Don't clean all the time. Your house doesn't have to look perfect. Honestly, immaculate houses frighten me. It's the memories that count!


--Buy pre-made cookies. Then you can just make the frosting and not have to deal with all the rest. Or hey, if you don't want to make frosting, just get some from a can!


--As I mentioned before, put together a Winter Toolkit so you can easily grab it when you need some relief! Make one for yourself and a friend. Go to Target and find all sorts of helpful items.

With the Winter Toolkit, I can be prepared. So bring on the holidays! I'm ready for all the cooking, cleaning, shopping, and wrapping. But I'll be sure to take breaks so I don't lose my mind. And I'll reach for the Ultra Strength BENGAY® Cream if I need some pain relief. 

What would you put in your Winter Toolkit?

Hey, It's Okay

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. You can link up any day of the week. All you have to do is make a list of what you're okay about. Simple!

Hey, It's Okay....



--To hope that everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving enjoys it!



--To be going to my Nana Jo's retirement village for Thanksgiving. It means I don't have to cook! It's amazing. I can act like a dude and just show up and eat.



--To be celebrating Thanksgiving AGAIN on Saturday. We're going to my mom and dad's house. This time I do have to cook a few things, but not everything, which thrills me.



--To be shopping Black Friday online. I can't deal with the people.



--To know I will never Boycott Hamilton. I still hope to see it. My son wants to see it too, since he enjoys history.



--To be pulling out our Christmas decorations this weekend.



--To think it's cute that Natalie loves Dan TDM so much. She found some pajamas at Walmart and was so excited:

How To Score A Hatchimal

Hatchimals.

They seem to be a hot toy for Christmas this year. Honestly, I don't get it. But it was on my daughter's Christmas list, because of course she'd want difficult things to find.

I didn't think I'd luck out. But I kept calling my local Toys R Us and was told they generally get new shipments every few days.

I happened to go to Toys R Us one day. I looked down the aisles for a Hatchimals. Natalie wanted the exclusive unicorn Hatchimal found only at Toys R Us. Naturally it was no where to be found. But then I went to customer service and found 4 Hatchimals sitting there. No unicorn, but oh well. A Hatchimal was a Hatchimal, right? I could make a horn and stick it on the thing's head.

"Can I get one of these?" I asked.

The worker nodded. She said they keep them at customer service because people kept buying them all up to sell online. Or they'd try to steal them.

First of all, if you're buying these up to sell for triple the cost online, you suck. Don't do that. I know you need Christmas money and blah, blah, blah, but don't do it in a disgusting way. Stop it.

Second of all, how in the world would people steal a Hatchimal? The box is all awkward. But okay. People are weird.

I was pleased with my purchase because it was on sale for $49.99. I think the normal price is $59.99.

I'm also hearing they pop up randomly on Amazon.com. Add the Hatchimals to your cart and keep checking if the $59.99 price comes up. Unfortunately there are assholes on there too and some are selling the thing for $100+. Don't give into their greed.

A few people online have also suggested going to the Target Inventory Tracker and typing in the DCPI numbers of the Hatchimals. Some of them are: 086-08-0396, 086-08-0898, and the Target exclusive one is: 086-08-0899. This will tell you if they have any in stock.

If your kid doesn't get one and really wants one, just explain that it's really not that great. Seriously there are YouTube videos showing that the toy isn't the best. My daughter might get a kick out of the thing when it pecks out of the egg, but I can almost bet it'll end up at the bottom of the toy chest after a week or two. I'll try and remember to share a video of the toy in action.

So if you have a Toys R Us nearby, call them. Ask if they have any in stock. If you go into the store, check out customer service. That's where I found mine, plus 3 others. This thing reminded me of when Furbys came out. I really wanted one, and happened to find one at the shoppette, because I was in Belgium at the time. They were all the rage and guess what? I played with it for a week, then turned it off because it kept making noises at me in the middle of the night and freaking me the hell out.

Does your kid want one of these? If you already opened one up, does your kid like it?

Why Watching Military Shows With A Military Man Is Tricky

I love watching TV and movies with my husband. It's a way to spend time together. We always send the kids upstairs at 8 and then it's our time. But sometimes it's not easy watching shows with my husband. Especially if they are military shows. Or if a military member pops up in the show. It happens often, because Tom is only interested in programs or movies where things are blowing up, people are blowing up, and lots of guns and tanks and explosions are occurring.

He's been deployed multiple and has been in the military for fifteen years now, so he's learned some things.

I think it's great that he's learned some things, but sometimes his knowledge can get distracting.

Here are some of the comments he has made as we watched TV or a movie together:

1. "The guns are all wrong. You'd have to cock it twice to get it to fire." Me: "Ha, you said cock."



2. "That gun doesn't even SOUND like that."



3. "The uniforms don't look right. That medal wouldn't be there. That other one looks weird. His medals aren't straight. They're crooked. No way would a general walk around like that. No way."



4. "That kind of gun doesn't cause that sort of damage. It couldn't blow through a wall like that on the first time."



5. "Why does the tank look like that? It's all wrong."



6. "Not all vets are complete psychos. Why do they keep making vets act like assholes in all these shows?" (He was especially miffed at the way they were portrayed in the latest season of Orange Is The New Black.)



7. "That's a 240 Bravo machine gun, not a 50 cal. Why did that dumb ass troop call it the wrong thing?" Me: "WTF? Does it matter?" Him, quite serious: "Oh. It matters."



So yes, it can be rather distracting. But I'm almost used to it now. And if I'm watching one of my girly movies and someone shows up in uniform, I scan it and I'm like, "Those medals are all wrong."


Thanks, hun!

Hey, It's Okay

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. You can link up any day of the week. All you have to do is make a list of what you're okay about. Simple!

Hey, It's Okay....



--To not care who Prince Harry is dating.


--To hope America gets kind again.


--To have a parent/teacher conference with Natalie's teacher today. I hope Natalie is doing okay!


--To be trying to get a NES Classic but they are sold out everywhere.


--To really hope Negan is ambushed in a future episode of The Walking Dead. Maybe I should check out the comics and see how it goes. I was also confused at Rick's admission that Judith wasn't his. I thought we all knew that? Or was he just realizing it when everyone else was like, "That's so Shane's kid?"


--To think it's cute that Natalie made this spider. She's better at crafting than I am. I just do the basics.

Tips To Get People To Buy From Your Direct Sales Business

Many people have a direct sales business these days and I think it's great. It's something that folks really enjoy and the products are generally pretty fabulous. I personally have many Scentsy items, Lularoe leggings, Pampered Chef products, and books. Sometimes people even have a small business payroll with these businesses. 

But sometimes sellers can do things that rub the buyers the wrong way. Here are some tips that sellers can do to help get a buyer to purchase some items.

1. Don't automatically add people to Facebook sales parties. Ask first. I have several people on my friends list who will inquire if it's okay if they add me to their parties and guess what? I always say yes.


2. Don't be overly aggressive. No means no. I understand you need to sell stuff and I respect it--I do--but don't get annoying. For example, there are these press on nails things, and I don't like anything on my nails. It's distracting. This lady kept trying to get me to go to one of her parties and I kept declining. She insisted I'd "love the nail products!" and I kept explaining that I would not.


3. Understand that some people are loyal customers to someone else. If I do like a product, I generally purchase from one or two people. I feel guilty buying from someone else. So respect it if someone already explains that they already buy from a consultant.


4. Make sure you actually know the person before asking if they want to host a party or join your team. I once went to a kid birthday party and this woman was all, "Hi, do you want to host a Scentsy party? You get free products." I was flabbergasted. I didn't even know her name yet!


5. Do NOT send multiple messages online asking if people want to join your "clean eating group" and learn how to lose a few pounds. Do not send messages asking if someone wants to "wrap themselves." I cannot tell you how many messages I get on Instagram from strangers wanting me to buy their stuff. It comes across as rude.


6. Don't up the cost. On Facebook I'm seeing a lot of people complaining that some (not all, I repeat, NOT ALL) Lularoe consultants are pairing the Christmas leggings with other items so a person has to spend $100 if they want the leggings. Allow your buyers to buy what they want. Don't lump things together just so you can get rid of product or receive more money. It's tacky.


7. Please don't message people on Facebook making it seem like you're doing them a favor. "I see it's your birthday! Can we chat for 10 minutes and discuss your skin care routine?" A kinder way is to offer to send a product, no strings attached.


8. Don't be like "hi babe!" or "hi hon" in social media messages. I have a name and it's not babe or hon. Don't follow that up with, "I'd love to help you out!" and then proceed to ask if I'd like to join your team. How is that helping ME out?



So there you have it! I hope this helps. I imagine these sort of things are discussed at conventions and other get-togethers for direct sales businesses, but it seems some consultants forget. Understand that the main goal isn't just to sell and get money. Really get to know your customer. If you do this, they'll most likely come back.

Happy selling!