Because it's Christmas

The girls at What's that smell? have teamed up with Alyson from 3 P’s in a Pod and 3 P’s Mama Says for a unique project for this Christmas season.
They are hosting a giveway where not only readers have the chance to win some awesome prizes, but they are also giving away toys to needy children and deserving charities.
There are 5 separate groups to enter for, and a new prize will be opened every day. Here is what has been "unwrapped" so far. Make sure to check back as there will more added to this list:

Group 1: Duck Pull Toy from Haba: Enter here!

Group 1: Trix Mix Pull Toy from Haba: Enter here!

Group 1: Lets go walking Puppy from North Star Toys: Enter here!

Group 2: Haba Casalino Fabric Blocks from Maukilo: Enter here!

Group 2: Scribble & Sing Art Station from Crayola: Enter Here!

Group 2: Rainbow People Mover from North Star Toys: Enter here!

Group 2: Nature Discovery in My Backyard from The Little Enviromentalists: enter here!

Group 2: Short Jumbo Crayons and Sketch Pad from Creativity for Kids: enter here!

Group 3: Nana Star and the Moonman storybook and Moonman Lovey: Enter here!

Group 3: Dragonrock Castle from Creative Toyshop: Enter here!

Group 3: Nature Discovery in My Backyard from The Little Environmentalists: Enter here!

Group 3: Terra Kids Headlamp from Haba: Enter here!

Group 3: Plush Giant Panda from Xeko Pals: Enter here!

Group 3: Helicopter from North Star Toys: Enter here!

Group 3: Drift Cars Street Team from Creativity for Kids: Enter here!

Group 4: Planet Pixies from I Love My Planet Toys: Enter here!

Group 4: Rosegarden Palace from Creative ToyShop: Enter here!

Group 4: Plush Giant Panda from Xeko Pals: Enter here!

Group 4: Nature Discovery in My Backyard from The Little Enviromentalists: enter here!

Group 5: Sleepy Princess and the Pea Game from Maukilo: Enter here!

Group 5: Kit from Precious Girls Club: Enter here!

Group 5: Nature Discovery in My Backyard from The Little Enviromentalists: enter here!

Group 5: Plush Giant Panda from Xeko Pals: Enter here!

Group 5: Indoor Gardening Kit from Green Toys: Enter here!

Group 5: Chatterchix Starter Set: enter here!

Group 5: Pretty Pedicure Salon from Creativity for Kids: enter here!

Wordless Wednesday

My sweet boy, 4 years ago now!

COD #6

Sponsors: Day Five Blog Party Question is Brought to you by Flying Colors Baby, Uncommonly Cute and Lollipop Book Club.
VIP BLOGS to visit are Parent Reviewers , Mom Most Traveled, Mommy Zabs, MomStart, HipposToes, Run DMT

We would like to know what is your favorite holiday memory from your childhood.

My favorite holiday memory was spending time with grandma every Christmas. We would always head down to her house a couple days before Christmas, she lived 4 hours away, so that we could wake up at her house Christmas morning. She always had overstuffed stockings for us and a different porcelain doll for every Christmas. My cousin and I are only 1 month apart, we grew up very close and almost always received the same gifts growing up, sometimes it might be a different color....depending on what it was :) When we got back to our house there were always gifts and stockings left from Santa, that was always exciting too! It was like Christmas all over again a couple days later!

COD Blog Party: Day 5

Sponsors: Day Five Blog Party Question is Brought to you by Baby Pop and Chic Covers

VIP BLOGS to visit are Parent Reviewers , Mom Most Traveled, Mommy Zabs, MomStart, HipposToes, Run DMT

Today, make a blog post about what you do to give back during the holidays. Do you volunteer your time? If so, please tell us where. What do you do to teach your children the true meaning of the holidays?

We always donate to Toys for Tots and Coats for Kids. This year I also went through my son's very gently or never used sweaters with him and did a sweater drive with his pre-school. I occasionally, throughout the year, volunteer at our local Womens Resource Center, to help women and families in need of any assistance at all.

Ryan turned 4 this year, so actually just yesterday we were explaining to him the joy of giving over recieving. We will work on that more with him this year than we have in the past.

Blog Party: Day 4

Today it is all about food! Here in our family, immediate and extended, we are all about food.
Quick note, thank you Amanda, I hope you don't mind that I used the button you had on your page for this post. I'm not sure where you found it, but I couldn't get the one from Momdot to work on my post :(.

Sponsors: Day Four Blog Party Question is Brought to you by Bottlewise and Glow Mama

VIP BLOGS to visit are Parent Reviewers , Mom Most Traveled, Mommy Zabs, MomStart, HipposToes, Run DMT

My favorite Holiday recipe...hmm this is a tough one. My favorite, as in I enjoy eating it, would have to be the cranberry sauce that my mom makes. Unfortunately I do not have the recipe, but I know there are cranberries, apples and oranges involved. I don't know, I think I like it that much more because we only have it one time of year!
My favorite traditional recipe, that I actually do not like the taste of at all, is the "orange stuff". My grandma (on my mom's side), and my grandma's mother had been making this for as long as I have been around, possibly longer. My grandma and only one of my aunts are the only ones who ever eat it. My grandma has since passed, but it is still made every Thanksgiving for just my aunt, or if anything to honor my grandma :)

We usually celebrate Thanksgiving at a couple different places, so the setting of the table is different everywhere! It is the most elaborate when we go down to my grandpa and grandma's (on my dad's side) home. There are anywhere from 25 to 35 people there. My grandma has the granddaughters shine her fine silver while she takes care of the rest. She does place card seating and uses her fine china.

No disasters so far to date :) which is good I suppose! Hopefully I'm not jinxing myself!

Kreativ Blogger Award!

Amanda, from Divine Chaos awarded me with this~


Thank you Amanda! You inspire me to be a better blogger :)

Here are the rules for this one:
1. Mention the blog that gave it to you and comment on their blog to let them know you’ve posted your award.
2. Publish these rules.
3. Share 6 values that are important to you and 6 things you do not support.
4. Grant the prize to 6 people.
5. Mention the blog that gave it to you and comment on their blog to let them know you’ve posted your award.

Six Important Values/Beliefs:
1. Honesty
2. Motivation
3. Love
4. Trust
5. Confidence
6. Friendship

Nix Support For These Values/Beliefs:
1. Hate
2. Dishonesty
3. Jealousy
4. Greed
5. Impatience
6. Ignorance

I'd like to bestow this award to:

Mary, Being who God created me to be

Shana, Welcome to the Dieli family

Sheila, Just Plain Crazy!

Jen, We are blessed!

Christine, Princess Fiona

Valerie, A Day in the Life of Valerie

Christmas Giveaways

I just love Christmas time. It really is the time for giving and recieving. Thoughts from the Mrs. is doing a 12 days of Christmas giveaway. What a great idea to possibly win some cool things to give to special people in your life this time of year!

COD Blog Party - #2: Traditions

Well, it's the second day of the Christmas of Dreams Blog Party! I, of course, missed the first day :) You know, 'cause I'm really good about doing things a day or 16 late!

Today's (Day 2) topic is brought to us by LaPlates, Lets Go Strolling
and Natitys Design and is all about Traditions.

Thanksgiving:Growing up, my family always traveled 4 hours south to spend time with grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles...etc...Now that I have my own family though, the tradition has changed, just slightly. All of the grandparents live by us now, so we usually spend Thanksgiving day with my family, and the day after with my in-laws. We will go south to see my grandparents in between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Of course we always eat a lot!

Christmas Eve: I have always, and my family and I probably will always spend this night with close family friends of ours. We go to church and then head to their house for tons of food, and to exchange our gifts with them. We play games and always watch a Christmas themed movie.

Christmas: We wake up early and open presents!! I've never been able to sleep in on Christmas day, I still get as excited as I did as a child, more so to see everyone else open their gifts :) We have a big breakfast and mimosas' at my mom's, and then later my dad comes to our house.

New Years Eve: We go out once in a while for NYE. Last year I was preggo, and 3 years before that I was. It really just depends on the year! I think we've stayed up to watch the ball drop every year though!

Wordless Wednesday