Don't throw away your old shoes until you have got new ones. -Dutch Proverb

As I've posted before, Robeez baby shoes are one of our absolute favorite "baby bits," as they are the only shoes I was able to keep on the girls' feet for the first 18 months of their lives. And as I've also posted before, when you're buying two pairs at a time, the costs can add up quickly. So I was very excited to see this morning that Robeez is knocking off up to 50% on select styles.

There are some really cute shoes and boots available, and as always, you get free shipping if you purchase two pairs or more. So take a look and see if there's any must-have footwear on sale that your peanuts must have!

Robeez - Girls

Robeez - Boys

If Robeez's sale prices are still a little steep for you, though, consider Bobux or Ministar shoes. The girls have worn all three brands and with the exception of some differences in washability, we've found them all to be great footwear options.

Happy Tuesday and happy shopping, y'all!

Quick question...

I have in my possession approximately 475 lbs. (give or take 474.5 lbs.) of peppermint candy in various shapes and sizes thanks to the cornucopia that is Christmas. Any ideas for what I can do with it?

Thanks in advance for your minty-fresh help!

And she's back!

As my house is still dripping with boughs of holly and Santa-hatted creatures of all shapes and sizes, it seems odd to say that the holidays are over, but since yesterday was Epiphany, I guess I'm going to have to face the fact that Christmas is once again 11-and-a-half months away. And while I'll miss the heightened goodwill and eggnog, a year-long wait might be just what I need right now, as I'm gonna' need a few months to get over a rather unpleasant, eye-opening yuletide revelation.

What was this jarring realization, you ask? Simply put, I am now a Mom, and Christmas (or any other holiday/occasion that requires a lot of preparation and effort) can really be rough on a Mom.

Between my posts here and on facebook, my longing for even a smidge of Christmas Spirit during the holiday buildup was well-documented (once again, sorry for the repetition). Happily, I can report that on Christmas Eve, when everything was done and the girls were blissfully covering their beautiful velvet dresses with cookie crumbs, the spirit finally took over and I ended up really enjoying the final week of 2009. But as I reflected on my not-so-merry countdown to December 25th--hoping to figure out how I could prevent the same thing from happening in the future--I, quite unexpectedly, had a full-on "I'm The Mom" revelation.

Of course, this wasn't my first Christmas as a Mom, but for Yuletide 2008, the girls were perfectly content to lounge on their play mats or sway in their swings while I decorated the tree, baked cookies and wrapped presents. This year, however, the girls were slightly more interactive, happily unrolling countless tubes of wrapping paper, tearing up Christmas cards to their hearts' content and de-decorating the tree every chance they got. And all of that was awesome--really! Some of my happiest memories of this Christmas are the visions of my sugarplums exploring, enjoying and dismantling everything the holiday had to offer. But the energy it took to keep up with my peanuts and prepare a festive celebration that met my grandiose expectations meant that I spent a lot of the season in a less-than-jolly frame of mind.

I know I'm not alone in this struggle--looking back on my childhood, I can remember lots of special occasions when my mom ran around like a chicken with her head cut off, trying to ensure that everything was perfect and everyone was happy. She'd finally have a chance to sit down and let out a sigh of relief during the event in question--be it a birthday, holiday or dinner party--only to be up and running shortly thereafter, cleaning up and putting the compulsory party paraphernalia away. If I haven't said it recently, Wizard, thank you for being the best mom ever! :-)

Judging from the facebook status updates posted the week of December 21st, most of my friends were caught up in the same kind of holiday rigmarole, frantically trying to get one more batch of cookies baked, send out a few more Christmas cards, find the perfect gift for Uncle Mel, get the dog to the vet after it ate Grandma Rose's fruit cake, and so on. But as I've said before, I do not subscribe to the belief that misery loves company--I don't want my friends and family zipping around like decapitated poultry any more than I want myself to be.

So where does all this reflection and introspection get us? Do we pinky swear that we'll give ourselves a break when it comes to life's landmark occasions? That we'll focus more on the meaning of the event than on the menu and decorations? I know that's a gross oversimplification of life's realities--it's the rule rather than the exception that if Mom/Wife/Daughter/Sister doesn't take care of things, a lot of special moments would simply pass by unnoticed. I think for my own sanity and contentment, however, I'll try to take it a little easier at holiday time from now on. Maybe I'll switch to eChristmas cards next year, or cut back on the number of perfect stocking stuffers I want to find. And maybe, instead of waking up early on Sunday mornings to scour the newspaper for sale circulars, I'll wake up early and go to church--after all, personal enrichment is vastly preferable to the depletion of our bank account. :-) All it takes is a little self-awareness and a slight adjustment of expectations...

Speaking of expectations, has anyone been to MarthaStewart.com recently? They've posted instructions on how to make your own candy jewels for Valentine's Day!!! They would look just beautiful on a from-scratch, four-tiered, fondant-enrobed Valentine's cake, don't you think? Now all I have to do is find the perfect cake recipe, buy the right pans, learn how to make fondant, watch a few episodes of Ace of Cakes, make the candy jewels and I'll be set!

~Sigh~

;-)

Short, sweet and slightly pine-scented...

I just wanted to hop on and wish everyone a very, very Merry Christmas! I hope you're all having a wonderful day and that your evening is warm and snuggly, and full of relaxed sighs signifying a job well done. :-)

All my best to you and yours! Now bring on the giddy kiddies and the eggnog!

In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it 'Christmas' and went to church; the Jews called it 'Hanukka' and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank. People passing each other on the street would say 'Merry Christmas!' or 'Happy Hanukka!' or (to the atheists) 'Look out for the wall!' -Dave Barry

So this will probably be my last Christmas-shopping-related post for the year, seeing as how you won't even be able to get this item in time to put it under the tree, but it's so flippin' cute, I had to share! Kids.woot.com has the Zing Foam Sweet Home Playhouse for $79.99 plus $5 s/h today, which is half the price it's selling for elsewhere online. Measuring 70” x 50” x 49” (L x W x H), it's big enough for a preschooler to easily get in and out of, but since it's made up of individual foam panels, it breaks down to 35.2" x 45.2" x 5.5" for storage. How cool is that?!?

So if you're interested, head over and pick one up as a belated Christmas gift, or tuck it away for future gift-giving purposes. Either way, get going 'cause there's less than 96 hours left 'til the big day!

Merry, merry, everyone!!!

 

  

Oh, and happy Winter Solstice! What could be better than longer days and more sunlight--spring will be here before you know it! :-)

May the lights of Hanukkah usher in a better world for all humankind. -Unknown

So I was obviously WAY off when I posted Sunday that there were 7 days left 'til Hanukkah, since it had already started on the 11th at sundown. Stupid countdown calendar website!!! In a woefully belated attempt to celebrate the Festival of Lights, I thought I'd post links to some of my favorite Hanukkah recipes--I hope you enjoy them, but first you'll have to work on  overcoming the fear of frying! 

Traditional Latkes  - Seriously, I could live on potato pancakes! Any of you northeast Ohioans ever had the Beef Latka at the Chicago Deli in Solon? A miracle of deli science, it's built from two latkes, a mountain of corned beef and sour cream. Oh how I miss those heavenly "sandwiches"!!!

Cheese Latkes

Easy Sufganiot (Jelly Doughnuts)

Spiced Cake Doughnuts

And in a quick side note to my fellow gentiles, did you know it's tradition to eat foods fried in oil on Hanukkah as a commemoration of the miracle of the container of oil, which followed Judas Maccabeus’ defeat of the Syrians and the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem? A most yummy custom indeed! (Thanks to Wikipedia and www.huliq.com for the Hanukkah history)

Happy Hanukkah!

Have a burgeoning Julia Child or Alton Brown on your hands?

Kids.Woot.com has a beautiful KidKraft Play Kitchen - replete with dishes, silverware, pot and ladle, oven mitt and pot holder - on sale today for $89.99 + $5 s/h. O.K., so maybe your little Alton won't love the pastel color scheme, but at $95 shipped, you could afford a can or two of masculine-hued spray paint! See, you just have to think creatively sometimes - which is exactly what your peanut will be able to do with this super-cool, super-detailed, super-stocked, super scullery!

Super!

Happy Monday, everyone!

 

No, this isn't the KidKraft Kitchen, but given how much the girls enjoy playing with their 

Little Tikes galley (thanks again, Meg and Aunt Katie!!!), I can certainly see a

Pastel Cottage Kitchen in our future!

Anyone know where their Cabbage Patch Kid is? Tickle-Me Elmo? Furby?

So I guess these little guys aren't chock-full of toxic metaloids after all. If you know someone who is desperate for their own Mr. Squiggles this Christmas, TotallyAnything.com has them today for $28.50 + $6 s/h. They've had Zhu Zhu Pets up for sale a few times in the past weeks, so if Mr. Squiggles doesn't do it for you, they might have a different critter available later in the week. Or they might not.

Oh, and don't forget, there's only 12 days 'til Christmas, 7 days 'til Hanukkah, 13 days 'til Kwanzaa and 9 days 'til the Winter Solstice! :-)

Shopping tip: You can get shoes for 85 cents at the bowling alley! -Anonymous

Had to post this one! Not only is this a super-cute gift idea that little peanuts will love to play with (or snuggle with, depending on their bowling skills), it's a fair trade item, so your purchase will also help artisans in less developed areas of the world. Babysteals.com has Bowling Buddies play sets on sale for $23.98 plus s/h, which is 63%-off the regular retail price of $65. I'm sure these will sell out quickly, so if you're interested, click on over and buddy-up!

After all, it's never too soon to begin preparing your kiddos for the fast-paced, glamorous world of the PBA (Professional Bowlers Association)! :-)

Happy Friday!

And it's up!

Well, I'm happy to report that the Christmas tree is finally on display at the Hooper house and everyone seems pleased. :-) It's not exactly on-par with the tree at Rockefeller Center, but it's also not as pitiful as Charlie Brown's Christmas tree. Somewhere in the middle, our happy little tannenbaum makes my babies' eyes sparkle, and truth be told, that's all I need this Christmas.

Only 15 days to go!