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Tag: think about it

  • Blogging Conferences: Are they important? {Think About It!}

    Blogging Conferences: Are they important? {Think About It!}

    A few months after I began blogging more for me, and less just about the kids, I heard that they had conferences for bloggers. All over the country bloggers gather together to learn, pick the minds of professionals, and network.

    Think About It!

    In just about every line of work, professionals gather together in some type of conference to learn and grow. So why wouldn’t bloggers do the same?  For many of us, we use our blogs as a source of income for our families. Sometimes it’s just for that little extra, and sometimes it’s how a blogger supports their family.

    I may have thought at one point that a conference for bloggers was kind of silly.  Then I started having companies and brands contact me to review their products. I had no idea that was even an option for bloggers at the time. I was pretty thrilled. Someone actually wanted to know what I thought about a product. 2 years have gone by since I began blogging as more of a job then just a hobby and I have learned so much, but a conference would teach me so much more!

    Think About It!

    If I could go to a blogging conference, oh the things I would learn!  I’d start by attending every single session on every topic humanly possible.  I’d equip myself with notebooks and a stash of pencils (because face it, I’m still old fashioned when it comes to taking notes).

    But blogging is so easy Adelina!  All you do is write and take pictures.

    True, that’s all you see. There is just so much more than that though. I won’t lie, my writing could use a bit of a boost.  I usually have to write up a rough draft (hello my notebooks), then rewrite it on the computer, and finally edit and re-edit. Sometimes a post sits in draft for a few days before I finish it. I really only want to share the best. Attending a conference would equip me to become even better.

    Then there’s the photography. At a blogging conference there is sure to be a photography class. Even if I can’t afford tons of fancy equipment, I know I can learn how to make my pictures stand out. It takes time to get the right angle, right lighting, and then edit them to pop it even more! 

    Once I learned all I could, I would then find myself networking. Let’s face it, after learning from the speakers, the best part of a conference is meeting other bloggers.  I’ve already found so many online friendships like – Mallery from Horrible Housewife, Jillian from Mommy Testers, Amber from Jade Louise Designs, and Nicole from Wyoming Girl *turned* Coastie Wife.

    Not only have these amazing bloggers become my blogging friends, and pushed me to improve, they have one other thing in common. They all have the #CBias tag in many of their posts. Was that just coincidence?  I don’t think so!  .

     

    Think About It!

    I #LuvSoFab!  The Collective Bias Community, aka Social Fabric, must be doing something right if I ended up following all these blogs for their great content and pretty pictures. When I read their “reviews”, I don’t feel like I’m reading a users manual, but an actual persons opinion on a product. They suck you in with their writing, and make you want to pin every image (and yes I have a pinning problem….).

    Did you know? This is the first year Collective Bias is putting together a conference?  I want to go!!!  I would get to meet my favorite bloggers, and become a better blogger myself. Here’s the kicker for me – #SoFabCon is being held in Bentonville, AK.  Do you know what that means?  Home of Walmart!  And since you can buy just about anything at Walmart, it also means the home of many Brands!  Brands I would love to talk to, pick their CEO minds and create lasting relationships with.

    Think About It!

    If you could attend a conference where you can connect with people that would make your business better, wouldn’t you do it?  That is what #SoFabCon would do for me. 

    After attending a conference I would come back renewed, with excitement bursting from the seams of this page, picture you would all want to pin like crazy, and content truly worth reading. The most important thing I would learn and bring from conference though, is how to better manage my time around blogging, to maximize my time with family.

    Mark actually made a comment the other day that had me say inside – Think About it. 

     
    “Sometimes I think you take more pictures of food then you do our kids”
     
    I honestly hope that’s not true, but when I go through my pictures, it’s not just food, but products, the house, random pictures of random things, and not so many of the kids. I want that back, and I know attending a conference would help me prioritize, get back the moments with my kids, and still create quality content for Home Maid Simple that people love.
     
    #SoFabCon, #Cbias, I have one thing to say to you –
     
     

    Have You Ever Attended a Conference?

  • Accepting Mediocrity {Think About It}

    Accepting Mediocrity {Think About It}

    I love learning little lessons from my kids, and spending time with them.

    Yesterday we had Princess V’s parent teacher conference. I dropped the smaller Princesses off at a friends, and went to see how my child is doing.  It’s always nice to hear from another adult who interacts with my child how they are doing.  One thing Mrs B. said has stuck with me, because it’s something Mark and I have talked extensively about. Mediocrity.

    Think About It!

    What does mediocre mean?

    Of only ordinary or moderate quality; neither good nor bad; barely adequate
    Will we accept mediocrity in our lives? Are we okay with being neither good nor bad? 
    Or do we want to be better? 
    Think About It!
    Unfortunately at the beginning of the year Princess V’s class went through a number of teachers. One moved up as Vice Principal, then they had a sub, and finally Mrs. B was hired.  This was our first parent teacher with Mrs. B, so she took the time to explain more about her teaching style, and what she would like to see accomplished with all the students.  Her key point went a little as follows “Some of the students are here (hand making a level in front of her). This is where they should be (moving the hand up a few inches), and this is where I want them to be and where I will push them to be (moving hand up more).”
    In my own terms, she is pushing them to be better. She doesn’t accept mediocrity in her class. She knows the kids have the potential and is working with them to reach that.  She told me though, that if a parent asks her not to push their child, she won’t.

    Who would want that tough?

    Think About It!



    What happens when we accept mediocrity in our lives?

    For me, it means not being the best I can be. I want to be the best! Now I’m no perfectionist, but that’s OK. You don’t have to be perfect to strive for the best. You don’t even have to be negative. Actually, being negative won’t help you at all. Pushing past mediocre means accepting your best in the moment, and then trying again.

    Mrs. B told me a practice she uses in the classroom, that at first sent me reeling a little, but as I thought on it, and she explained it more, it made sense.

    If a child brings her a picture that is scribbled, she has them walk it to the garbage, rip it up and throw it out.

    Now pull your jaws back up, I know what you’re thinking – Harsh!  I had the same thought at first. They are only in Kindergarten after all. But here’s the thing – they CAN color in the lines. They know how to, and they can do it. So why would they settle for scribbling?  Mrs. B talks to them about that, and asks them if they are in a hurry for something. Since they obviously aren’t in a hurry to be anywhere else at school, she has them take responsibility and then try again.

    It makes sense to me, and I’m perfectly happy that Princess V has a teacher who strives for the best in her students, pushes them to reach for it, and teaches them responsibility for their own actions and choices.

    Think About It!

    Do you accept Mediocrity in your home?  I personally push for my kids to brush their teeth as best as they can, make their beds neat, and keep their clean nice. I don’t settle for a chore half done, teeth brushed with water, or blankets tossed in piles. 

  • Respect {Think About It]

    Respect {Think About It]

    R-E-S-P-E-C-T
    Find out what it means to me
    ~Respect, Aretha Franklin



    Today I want to touch on a very serious subject – Respect.  Or, more specifically the lack of respect.

    What is happening to our youth? Why is there such a lack of respect?  If a teacher tells you to do something, you do it. You don’t mouth off, and try to bring them down. When a parent tells you “no” you don’t beg and whine and complain until they give in.

    Unfortunately, this is the kind of behavior that seems to have become prevalent in today’s society. It goes hand in hand with the sense of entitlement that is also running rampant through society.  So how can we combat disrespect and entitlement?  Like most problems we encounter, the solution can usually be found in the home.

    Think About It!

    Some of the first words we try to teach our kids – after mama and Dada – are Please and Thank You.  Even before they were talking I try to teach the sign for please. When we are polite, we are showing respect. We are telling them we respect them as another human being, whether we like them or not.

    So parents – it starts at home. If you don’t teach respect, they won’t learn it anywhere else. How can you teach respect?  My absolute favorite way of teaching is by example.
    Let’s imagine for a moment….

    You’ve gone out to dinner with your family. After ordering drinks for 5, appetizers, and 5 different special orders, you enjoy a moment for your food to come out. But when it does, your steak is overcooked, and the onions were left on your picky childs burger. You get the waiters attention, and chew them out for not listening. You start telling them they must be stupid because everyone knows what a medium rare is, and this is not medium rare. Can’t they get anything right?
     
    OR
     
    You thank them for your meal. You scrape the onions off your childs burger, and set them aside. Your medium well steak really isn’t that horrible – or you could kindly ask for a new steak, using words like Please and Thank You.
     
     
    Have you ever been in this situation? Maybe you’ve seen someone else act out at a restaurant. Yes, it’s the waiters job to get your order right, but they are human. Let’s start respecting that simple fact. We are all human, and we will all make mistakes. When we respect each other under that simple notion, life would be a lot better.
     
    Let’s go back to my example. What are you teaching your child when you put that waiter down? What are you teaching them, if you just roll with it? Or if you use polite words?  I think we all know the answers here.
     
    Think About It!
     
    Awhile ago, I had a good sit down talk with the Princesses. I was noticing a lot of disrespect in our house. It didn’t matter what I would ask them, I was met with fighting, whining, and tears. Excuses were given left and right. My oldest also began talking to me with what I call a rude voice – or very sassy.
    One day, I had had enough. I don’t like rudeness, and her tone of voice really set my nerves on fire, to the point I would be rude back. I definitely wasn’t teaching respect in those moments. So we changed. I told my girls that I love them. That I want them to be happy, and I want to be happy. When we work together, when we listen to each other, we can all be happy. I told them if they would listen to me, I would listen to them. Princess V does not like to be called rude. She knows it’s not a good thing to be. So when she is acting rude, I tell her. She gets a little defensive first, but soon will change her attitude and apologize. She then tries talking to me again, with respect.
     
    Think About It!
     
    So onto this other topic I mentioned of entitlement. How many kids do you see running around being given everything they want? They don’t have to work hard for it, let alone work at all. They yell – you owe it to us, it’s rightfully ours.
    These thoughts are bred from lack of respect. Believing that you are entitled to anything you haven’t personally worked for, shows lack of respect for our elders, parents, teachers, public service workers, etc.
     
    I think I’ll stop there, before I pound too much of my thoughts out. I’d love to hear how you feel about Respect. Do you think kids are lacking in this area? How do you teach your children about respect?
  • Green Power from Wind Turbines {Think About It}

    Green Power from Wind Turbines {Think About It}

    Mark and I have been talking this last week about getting a Wind Turbine. Not necessarily for the Green aspect of it, but more simply, because we think it will save us a whole chunk of money.

    You see, since we bought this house 2 months ago, we’ve seen a scary thing happen to our Electric Bill.  Normally topping out at $100/month, we were suddenly facing $200 and above bills.

    I about had a heart attack!  I spent a good portion of one day reading the bills, comparing the bills, and calling the Power company. How in the world are we using that much electricity? Our dryer is gas, we try to keep the heat below 70, and I turn lights off all the time in favor of opening the blinds for some natural sunlight.

    So far, we have concluded it has to be the heaters. Upstairs there are electric wall heaters in every room. Although we have mostly kept them off, we have used them here and there since we moved in.

    This last week we made drastic changes. I’ve unplugged all non-essentials. I turn the computer off nightly, and don’t turn it on until halfway through my day. We’ve turned the heat off in all rooms but the main gas furnaces and the baby’s room. I only turn the baby’s room heat on at night since he isn’t capable of putting more blankets on himself. 

    When I talked to the power company she told me it was probably the heat. We’ve seen some extra cold days this winter. Although it’s true, I’m still just not sure we were using THAT much.  So since we can’t be sure where our electricity is going, we’ve started looking into alternate power.

    Power we can generate for free from the Earths resources – like Wind. I mean really, think about it. We have this wind blowing around us all the time. Why not make use of it?

    Think of it like this:

    Kids. They have so much energy. So much that parents have a hard time keeping up with them. In trying to keep upbeat and positive, the parent remarks

    If I could capture their energy and bottle it, I would be a millionaire
     
    Well guess what people – someone said the same thing about Wind.

    If we could harness all that energy, I could save a million bucks.
     
    We have the technology, so we should use it!

     

     

    Think About It!
     
    A few questions you should ask yourself before purchasing a Wind Turbine for your home
     
    1. Do I live in a windy area?  Obviously if your answer is no, the cost of a  wind turbine probably isn’t your best option.
     
    2. How much electricity do I use?  Gather your bills together and start comparing. If you’re like most Americans you are plugged in almost constantly. Literally plugged in with all our fancy electronics the amount of electricity we use just keeps going up.   Getting a wind turbine to help offset the costs could be beneficial. If however, you live in a secluded cabin and use enough electricity to power your stove and fridge, well, it’s probably not worth it.
     
    3. Do I have frequent power outages?  Think about it. If you live somewhere that you can count on 2 or 3 power outages a year, a wind turbine could be your solution. I wouldn’t make this the sole reason for getting a wind turbine, but it will be more reliable. Especially if the power outage is caused by weather, you are probably experiencing some decent winds at the same time. Harness the power!
     

    Why I am considering a Wind Turbine

    As a whole, I feel our country has become too dependent on our government and big corporations. Although I’m not against these groups helping the people, and offering services, I think as individuals we need to depend on ourselves first. Wind turbines give us that little bit of self reliance I’m looking for.
     
    Shortly after Mark mentioned the idea to me, I saw this article in our local (and by local I mean state) news “Weber County Wind may soon be profitable for nearby residents”.  Although it’s not that close to where we live, it’s nice to see a city considering alternate energy sources, and allowing their residents to  put in wind turbines. 
    

    Will you consider a Wind Turbine? Why or why not?

  • Happy Valentines Day

    Happy Valentines Day

    Happy Valentines Day

    Today I would just like to tell you –

    Happy Valentines Day

    Cherish those close to you. Give of yourself today, so your children will never question that you love them. Disregard the angry words spoken in the past and start anew.
     
    I know there are many nay-sayers to this day of love. They argue we should love and show love every day of our lives. True. But why not have a day where we can really focus on that. A day to truly remember and focus on our love. Every day of the year should be special, but we often get lost in the hustle and bustle of life. Today allows us to slow down and remember.
     
    So online friends, I wanted this to be kept short and sweet. Get offline, and go shower you family with love.
     
    Happy Valentines Day
     
  • Social Media Effects the Home {Think About It}

    Social Media Effects the Home {Think About It}

    Twitter
    Facebook
    Pinterest
    Google Plus
    Instagram
    StumbleUpon
    LinkedIn

    Just a few of the many social media sites out there. What started as a way to connect with long lost friends, and family has grown into something bigger. We now connect with our favorite brands, companies, political parties, television shows and more.  We even “like” people/pages we don’t know for the sake of a giveaway, or to help a friend win something

    Have we taken it too far?  Has life online become more important than real life with real interactions?  What effect is this having on our families – in our homes?

    Many of you asked for this topic to be discussed. You wanted to know what effects social media has on the home, if there’s anything we can do to make it stay positive without overtaking our lives or our kids.

    I tell you it can. Social media can be used for so much good, and used right can be a tool for bringing families closer together.  Now, granted I don’t have teens, or kids old enough to use social media yet, so my thoughts are based on what I’ve seen others do.

    How can we use Social Media for Good?

    First off, we can use sites like facebook to connect with family. We don’t live very close to any of our family, so it’s nice to take a few minutes each day to see how our siblings are doing. If they’re sick, or having fun family vacations. We connect in a way, that otherwise we probably wouldn’t. Especially with Mark’s family scattered across the nation, I find I have a relationship and can help my kids know their cousins better through online interaction.

    Secondly – charities. There are so many ways to get involved online with charities. It used to be you’d get a phone call, or letter asking for a donation. We only heard of the groups that already had immense amounts of money because they could reach the farthest. With social media we can spread awareness for every charity, every sickness world issue. While speaking of it, let me tell you about the charity I support – National Alopecia Areata Foundation. You can read why I support this foundation on my sponsor page.  Social Media has created an online community of support and awareness I otherwise wouldn’t have had.

    When does it become too much? 

    So we know Social Media can be used for good. It’s not evil. But when does it become too much? I remember a few years ago, when I was deep in the thralls of facebook games….farmville anyone….. I heard stories of mothers shaking their kids, allowing anger to overcome them because a child disrupted their game.

    I mean really? It seems crazy to me that anyone could let something overtake their life so much like that. But then I started evaluated my life. I was letting the house go so I could play a game. I was checking into facebook every few minutes, putting things off until the last minute. I may not have outwardly shown it in my personality, but I was letting social media take over my life. That’s about when I started this blog. Something had to be done. 

    Maybe you take your kids to the park, and sit on a bench checking facebook on your phone. Or your missing the interaction with a live person as you check out with your groceries while tweeting about the crazy “Walmart fashions” you just saw.  Where is Social Media effecting you?

    Are you finding yourself sucked into social media? Neglecting your house? your kids? real relationships? 

    I find setting aside a specific time each day to leave the internet behind is the best way to bring the family back together in the home. For me, it’s dinner time. We ignore our phones, the ipads are kept out, and we sit at the table. Every night, we eat our dinner at the table. Sometimes we’ll have a picnic with a movie, but it is a very rare treat. At the dinner table we can talk, get to know our children better, and hear about their days.

    I want to hear from you. Where do you draw the line with Social Media? How is it effecting your home?

  • Till Death Do We Part? {Think About It}

    Till Death Do We Part? {Think About It}

    It’s a phrase we’ve all heard.

    Till Death Do We Part

    The question I pose today, though, is how often do we truly commit to that promise? In these days, how many couples stay married until death parts them?  
    It seems to me, that more and more, the words should be rephrased “Till I’m sick of picking up your socks” or “Till I’m bored, and want a change of life.”
    Think about it.
    How many people do you know have been through a divorce, have divorced parents, perhaps you’re divorce yourself?

    When the Exception becomes the Norm

    “Mawage. Mawage is what bwings us togeffer today” ~Princess Bride
    I’m sure you’ve all seen it, but let me recap. Buttercup has been forced to marry the Prince. She doesn’t love him though, she loves Wesley, but believes he is dead.  After the ceremony, Buttercup is alone in her chamber and begins to take a knife to her chest. It is better she be dead than married. When suddenly there is Wesley. Buttercup than suffers a conflict – she’s married, but her love is actually alive. She could just run off with Wesley, but she doesn’t. That is until Wesley shows her she isn’t married, because she never said “I Do”.
    Alright, this might be a confusing, and complicated example, bare with me here. 
    Marriage and the act of marrying someone meant a commitment. At least until death. Now I’m not saying opt for suicide over divorce, please don’t read into it that much! What I’m saying is Buttercup was married, and she knew the commitment that she made (but didn’t really). 
    I ask, when did the exceptions for divorce – unfaithfulness, abuse – turn into a normal occurrence? We divorce because “we fell out of love” or “she/he isn’t the same person”. When did marriage become easy? 
    Think about it!

    For Time and All Eternity 

    In the LDS faith, in our temples, we don’t marry until death. Instead the words “For time and all eternity” are used. We truly believe that we will be married beyond death. Connecting our families past, present and future generations. 

    Does that mean it’s easy? No! I want to be very honest with you here. Mark and I have had our share of struggles. A few years ago, the word Divorce came up. I think the mere mention of that word sent Mark and I into a little shock. It’s something neither of us had ever considered, so having it crop up so easily in a time of marital strife, was a shocker. 
    We chose to change. He had things to work on, and so did I.  I couldn’t hold a grudge and analyze his every action waiting for him to mess up. I had to trust that he would change, and work on my own problems, and hope that he trusted me enough to change as well. 
    We love each other, and we love our kids. We weren’t going to take our promise to love each other for eternity lightly. We wanted to make our marriage work. For each other, and for our kids. 
    Think about it.

    How does Marriage effect Home life?

    It does, doesn’t it? Otherwise, why do we bother with marriage? Why do same sex couples push so hard to have legal marriages? 
    There must be something we find important in a legal and binding marriage.  Otherwise, wouldn’t we all just live with whoever, whenever, having babies as they come?
    Here are my thoughts. Of course, they are faith based as well. I believe marriage is something ordained of God. I believe the family is central to our eternal lives. What is life without love? What would an eternity without our loved ones be like?  

    My top priority is to raise my kids in a loving home. If I wasn’t married I feel an important aspect of love would be missing for my kids. As we sacrifice for our spouses, our kids see that. They may not understand it as an act of love in their young ages, but one day they will. Did you see how we just bought a dog? I am really not a dog person, or any animal for that matter (though chickens I think would be fun…). I often found many excuses for us to not buy a dog. I always justified them with “one day. I promise”. Well that day came. I had to let go of my own reservation and feelings, because deep down, I knew it would make Mark happy (the kids too). And you know what, I wanted Mark to be happy. Turns out we got a pretty good dog, I’m in love with him already.
    What does divorce teach our kids? 
    What does marriage teach them?
    Think about it!
    (Feel free to grab this printable! Right click and save)


    I’d love to hear your thoughts. Let’s have an open discussion below. 
    Note: I am not suggesting suicide in place of divorce. I am not suggesting you stay in an abusive marriage. If you are being abused, I urge you to seek help. A marriage takes work from both parties, and there truly is only so much one person can give.


  • Social Impact on the Home {Think About It}

    Social Impact on the Home {Think About It}

    It’s a new year, and I’m switching things up with this weekly meme. When we began Think About It Thursday, I had some amazing co hosts, and we had a link party going on. It never really took off though. We were all getting burned out, and weren’t sure how to make it better. So we took some time off around the holidays.

    This week I’ve been thinking about it again, and decided I would bring back Think About It Thursday, but as a sole blogger. No link party. Just a weekly meme for me to talk about some deeper topics. I found in my Top 10 posts from 2012, that the majority of you visited when I got a little deeper. So my hope is this brings you back each week to have an open discussion on different topics.

    You may be wondering “but Adelina, how does that relate to the home?”  Well, let me sum it up for you with my new title –

    Think About It Thursday

    Social Impact on the Home

    I’ll discuss different topics as they impact home life. How as a stay at home mom, the larger social issues still effect me.  I want to help change the stereotype that as a stay at home mom I don’t have an opinion, that I’m somehow less than my husband, or that outside of my little family nothing else matters. It does. The world around me matters greatly, because it is a world my kids will face as they go to school, make friends of different faiths and races, and enter the workforce.
    I personally believe we should all take an active role in our communities, on a level that fits us. For some that means heading up the PTA, and planning events. For others it might just be silent support through voting on issues, and attending community events.
    Some issues we discuss may be political in nature, others religious. Sometimes I might tell you about local events, or national events and how you can get involved. I may discuss different charities I support, and some I don’t.
    Most of all, I want an open discussion with you my readers. I want to hear your thoughts and opinions. I want to know what’s important to you, and why you feel passionately about  it.

    Tell me, what topics would you like to see on Thursdays?

    What social impact do you feel in your home?

    *I’m excited to be kicking off our new Think About It Thursday: Social Impact on the Home with Blogelina’s 20 Comments event. Welcome new readers – feel free to browse around, and let me know what you think!
  • Holiday Traditions {Think About It}

    Holiday Traditions {Think About It}

    BWS tips button
     
    A little later than normal, but I’m here with another Think About It Thursday! Joining me are Mumfection and Tim and Angi’s Blog
     
    This week I’m talking

    Holiday Traditions

    Current Traditions

    We have yet to start any of our own family traditions, but I’m hoping to soon. For now we have carried on some traditions from both Mark’s family and my own.
     
    In my family, we always got to pick one present to open on Christmas Eve. We could pick any present we wanted.  Mark’s family always gives pajamas on Christmas Ever (something I’ve learned is common).  So to merge the two traditions…well basically it’s just his tradition. I’m ok with it though, because we still get to open a present on Christmas eve, and it’s something useful!
     
    Breakfast is another major tradition both our families had. While Mark’s family was eating Christmas Crunch, mine was cooking up Poffarages.  My dad served an LDS mission in The Netherlands, and that was a food he brought back with him. I have yet to find Christmas Crunch before it sells out, so we stick to (my personal favorite) poffarages.  Although I only have an Aebelskiver pan, the concept is similar, so we make do. (hmm, a recipe might be in order!).
     
    Sinter Klass day is one from my family that I’m trying to keep around. On December 4th we leave our shoes by the door for Sinter Klass to fill. This year the kids got a big bag of M&M’s. Nothing fancy, just good old fun. I may have introduced Swarte Pete this year as well…but he may make a quick departure when my kids really thought he’d come and take them away if they misbehaved.

    Baking. Who doesn’t spend the holidays baking?  Admittedly with our upcoming move, I haven’t done as much, but we have snuck some in. Especially our Gingerbread Houses! It’s just not the holidays without a gingerbread house overloaded with an instant sugar high.  Thank goodness for my Everyday Elegance Chair covers. They helped keep some of the mess to a minimum.

     

     

    Traditions I wish we kept, would like to start again

    It used to be tradition that on Christmas eve my family would host a talent show. We’d invite some friends to have dinner with us, and then everyone had to share a talent. One year, I decided to be creative and played “I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause” on the piano, with my big toe. No, I won’t go dig the picture out for you.  Although at times, I felt it was an embarassing tradition, it was also my parents way of encouraging us in our talents, and letting us shine.
     
    Playing out the Nativity.  After our talent show, my dad (sometimes my uncle) would pull out the Bible, and read the Christmas Story. While he read, the kids got to dress up as the different people, and act out the story. I mostly remember playing the angel, proclaiming the birth of our Savior. Our mood went from one of fun and laughter, to reflection on why we celebrate this holiday.
     
    Last, and I’m thinking I will do this next year, was our Penny Auction.  Some fun times came from this event.  My grandma loved yard sales. So what did we do with all the nick nacks? Wrapped them up, tossed them in a huge red bag and auctioned them off for penny’s. My dad would dress as Santa, and the kids took turn as an elf – passing out the won prizes.  Again we’d invite a bunch of friends over, give everyone 20 pennies and begin the bidding.  So much Fun!  I still have some of my most prized wins from those auctions.
     

    What are your holiday traditions?

    Go ahead and link up with us!
     
     
    

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  • Funny gifts – To give or not to give? {Think About It}

    Funny gifts – To give or not to give? {Think About It}

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    Funny Gifts?

     
    Do you give funny gifts?  I’m not really a funny gift giver. I like to appeal more to the sentimental side of people when I give a gift. I enjoy the thought going into a gift. The hunt for that perfect gift that someone will cherish for years to come (or as long as it will take them to eat…I give a lot of food gifts).
     
    So I can’t really think of any funny gifts I’ve ever given. I’m not sure I’ve ever received a funny gift either.  Though there was this one time, my brother gave me, I guess a funny gift. I thought it was pretty neat, and I still have them.
     
    One part of the gift was a Barbie Wedding Dress (no doll included). His reasoning behind it, was because someday I would get married.  True that! Maybe I should have looked to that dress for inspiration before purchasing mine, but I didn’t. I still have it somewhere though!
     
    The second part was a model car. It too is in storage somewhere, or I would tell you what model, but it is a nice silver car.  My brothers reasoning for this gift? Because someday I would have my license and be driving around.
     
    Mind you at the time he gave me these, I was I think 10 or 11. I thought they were the coolest gifts ever!  He was probably trying to be funny.
     
    Now cards! I do have a funny card from my brother. The picture was 2 eggs sitting on a beach. One was cracked and frying. The other had his sunglasses on and relaxing with a quote bubble “Bob forgot his sunscreen” or something to that effect.
     
     
    How about you? Do you give funny gifts?
    I’d love to hear about them.
     

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