Worst Christmas Gift EVA...TRY TO BEAT THIS ONE!

Welcome to the 1st installment of the
WORLD'S WORST CHRISTMAS GIFTS EVA!!!

You know it has happened to you, maybe your just too nice to admit it, but deep down inside you were thinking "WHAT WERE THEY THINKING WHEN THEY BOUGHT THIS"???

Maybe you even thought to yourself.."Does this person even really like me"?

So we flash back to the 80's.
A period in time where my hair looked like this:

And my CHRISTMAS presents looked like this:

Yes, you might be thinking to yourself  I did not know Tarah was a drummer....

well surprise surprise...SHE ISN'T but somehow my aunt

(not Mimi's mom) thought that this just screamed Tarah!!!

(It screamed something that is for sure)...

 So what did I do with this lovely? I tried to return it to KMart only to find that I would not be able to get a pack of gum with the amount that it cost..

That was one sad sad day- Only to be followed by another sad sad day.

Yeah, for a really long time I thought that I was cool but according to my Christmas gifts,

I am the EXACT opposite of cool. I mean honestly, did I request socks that had every bone and muscle listed so that I could give myself the best food massage ever?

 I must have been so annoyed thankful when I received these.

Next, I can barely contain my excitement. Because of all people, you know that your Grandmother should give you something special. She always went the extra mile to find something great and then later in life she crocheted baby blankets and quilts but she had some kind of relapse this particular year in the 80's because on Christmas morning in Hawaii Detroit, Michigan I opened these:

YES, I went to public school. Yes, it was negative 15 outside.

 No, not any pair of tights was going to cover up the plaid. NO I never wore them.

I think unless you are Hansell or Gretal you can't get away with this.

The moral of this post????

It's the thought that counts....OR IS IT?

Till Next Week......

DECEMBER GIVEAWAY

It's time for our December giveaway! Wooohoo! Yeah, baby!

Here's what you win: your choice of a $15.00 gift certificate to one of the following:

Starbucks (can you say coffee anyone????)
Best Buy (how about a cd?)
Target (hmmm, lotsa good stuff there)
Walmart (oooh, good stuff here too)
Michaels (time to get your craft on?)

Want to play? Here's what you need to do!:

1. Just leave a comment here for your 1st entry.

2. If you already are a follower on this blog, or become a new one, that gives you a 2nd entry. Just say "I'm a follower" in your second comment.

3. Since Nan is the hostess this month, if you follow her blog that gives you a 3rd entry. Just leave a comment and say "I follow Mom's The Word" for your 3rd entry.

4. If you'd like a 4th entry, post about this giveaway on your own blog and come back and leave us a comment that you did it.

*Remember you MUST leave separate comments for each possible entry!*

The winner will be selected by Random.org and the contest will close Saturday, 1/2 at midnight, Pacific time. Be sure to come back here next Tuesday to see who won!

Out with the OLD & In with the NEW!

Welcome back.

Back to almost normal...

Almost sanity...

Amost everyday life.

*Whew*

Sure the kids are still outta school, and yes, I'm still on vacation...

But the hustle and bustle of this lovely Birthday Season has wound it's way down.

The Christmas music, the tree, wrapping paper & bows, the stockings, the snowmen... all can be packed away for yet another year.

The special Christmas musicals, Christmas band concerts, and special church services.... all come to a screeching halt now.

The chaos that is this most joyous season - and many of our FAVORITE times of the year - has just ended.

And as much as I loved every single last little minute of it, I must admit that I am breathing a big sigh of relief and contentment. It was good. It was all good.

And looking back on 2009 - wow, it was a life-changing year for me, that's for sure. And yet we're blessed. I feel peaceful, loved, joyous and thankful as I enter into the new year!

2010, Here we come... full steam ahead!

Happy New Year
to each and every one of you!

♥

Oh To Have Been There...

Luke 2:10-14

10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14"Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Mimi

A MOM'S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

It was the night before Christmas,
When all through the abode,
Only one creature was stirring,
And she was cleaning the commode.

The children were finally sleeping,
All snug in their beds,
While visions of Nintendo 64 and Barbie,
Flipped through their heads.

The dad was snoring in front of the TV,
With a half-constructed bicycle on his knee.
So only the mom heard the reindeer hooves clatter,
Which made her sigh, "Now what's the matter?"

With toilet bowl brush still clutched in her hand,
She descended the stairs, and saw the old man.
He was covered with ashes and soot, which fell with a shrug.
"Oh great," muttered the mom, "Now I have to clean the rug."

"Ho-ho-ho! cried Santa, I'm glad you're awake.
Your gift was especially difficult to make."
"Thanks, Santa, but all I want is some time alone.
"Exactly!" he chuckled, "I've made you a clone."

"A clone? she asked, What good is that?
Run along, Santa, I've no time for chit-chat."
"She'll cook, she'll dust, she'll mop every mess.
You'll relax, take it easy, watch The Young & the Restless."

"Fantastic!" the mom cheered.
"My dream come true!
I'll shop. I'll read,
I'll sleep a whole night through! "

From the room above, the youngest began to fret.
"Mommy?! I'm scared and I 'm wet."
The clone replied, "I'm coming, sweetheart."
"Hey," the mom smiled, "She knows her part."

The clone changed the small one, and hummed a tune,
As she bundled the child, in a blanket cocoon.
"You the best mommy ever. I really love you."
The clone smiled and sighed, "I love you, too."

The mom frowned and said, "Sorry, Santa, no deal.
That's my child's love, she's trying to steal."
Smiling wisely Santa said, "To me it is clear,
Only one loving mother, is needed here."

The mom kissed her child, and tucked her into bed.
"Thank you, Santa, for clearing my head.
I sometimes forget, it won't be very long,
When they'll be too old, for my cradle-song."

The clock on the mantle began to chime.
Santa whispered to the clone, "It works every time."
With the clone by his side Santa said, "Goodnight.
Merry Christmas, Mom! You'll be all right!"

******************************************

Merry Christmas to all,
and to all a good-night!

Fall on your knees...Oh, hear Tarah Crying!

Scene:

Novi, Michigan Twelve Oaks Mall

Date:

December 1993

Time:

Who the heck knows?

Incident:

Teenage daughter and mother with shopping bags as far as the eye can see..stuffed from one arm to the next and approach cramped, congested escalator. It's Christmas time in the city.

Both females appear to have made it on said escalator with no issues. Till mother decides to joke with teenage daughter and teenage daughter loses her balance. Does NOT just tumble but rolls violently, screaming and shreeking in horror as packages and presents are thrown from the top to the bottom. "I'm stuck" I scream!

My hair (to the middle of my back) is being eating by this chomping machine. Security runs over quickly as maybe about 60 people are staring at me as if I have just fallen down an escalator but why won't they stop looking??? Maybe it is because not only was my pride cut down a notch or two but so was my hair. Totally eaten and knarley....It was bad, It had to be physically cut out of the escalator..

My Most Embarrasing Moment caught before YouTube existed? Priceless.

My new holiday tradition: Avoid Escalators at all costs!

What is your holiday tradition?

TARAH

Failure Is Not An Option

Today I am braving the crowds, people. Yup. I am going to do some shopping. Yup. If I'm not back in thirty days please send out a search party.

If you hear about some wild woman who was screaming hysterically and pulling her hair out and crying.....that won't be me. If you hear about some woman who couldn't find a parking space and so drove her car through the doors and into the building and parked next to the cash register, that won't be me. Because I have a plan.

You ever heard of a Park and Ride? I'll be doing the Park and Run. That's because you can't find parking close to stores right now. You usually have to park in the next zip code.

My plan is to park and run into the store and grab the first thing I see, toss some cash, and then run out again. I figure, barring any long lines, I oughtta be out in about 30 seconds. Tops. Failure is not an option. Have no fear, I used to do a pretty mean 100-yard dash back in the day.

I thought I bought my mom a certain present but I can't seem to find it. Which leads me to believe that I probably didn't really buy her something at all. I just thought I did.

I have looked everywhere. Well, not everywhere, just everywhere I thought it would be. Boy, when I hide things I really hide things.

So today I will run in and grab the first thing I see. It may be olives. It may be a dvd. It may be an empty plastic store bag. Whatever I see first, she gets. I hope she likes it.

Sorry this post isn't much but I am in training for the big event. I have to practice my dash and grab, dash and grab. Shove and push, dash and grab. Sprint, catch my breath, ice my shin splints, shove and push, yell "Move it!" Dash and grab.

Or maybe I'll just slow down, relax, be polite, and enjoy buying a gift for someone I love. Maybe I'll just relax and appreciate the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of my Savior! Merry Christmas everyone!

Let's Play "Why is Erica so happy!?"

I'M SUPER EXCITED TODAY!!!

CAN YOU GUESS WHY?

Well, let's play a game and find out.

Wanna play along?
Okay, here's what you need to do.

• Grab a pen and paper and number it from 1 to 10.

• Write down your answers in order.

• At the end, fill in the blanks with the corresponding number.

• Leave me a comment telling me your answer.

• NO CHEATING BY READING OTHER PEOPLE'S COMMENTS!!!

Ready? Go!

Question #1 - The hole in the end of a needle is called the what? (one word only)

Question #2 - If you take two ends of a rope, and loop them through each other, what does that create?

Question #3 - Shorter form of the word FELINE... then remove it's first letter?

Question #4 - What letter of the alphabet follows L?

Question #5 - When Dorothy clicked her ruby heels, what was the fifth word she kept repeating?

Question #6 - What's the opposite of OFF?

Question #7 - What contraction do answers #1 and #4 put together make.

Question #8 - What's it called when you take a few days off from your job to go have fun?

Question #9 - The day after yesterday?

Question #10 - The holiday that we're celebrating right now?

Question #11 - Another word for LABOR?

Now put your answers in THIS order:
#1 #4 #2 #3 #11 #9.
#7 #5 #6 #10 #8!

Well? Did you figure it out? Did ya?
Huh, huh huh?

WOOO HOOOO!!!

Go ahead. Type it out in a comment... but no cheating!

Not Just A Deck Of Cards...

Here is a new way to look at a deck of cards!!

It was quiet that day, the guns and the mortars, and land mines for some reason hadn't been heard.

The young soldier knew it was Sunday, the holiest day of the week.

As he was sitting there, he got out an old deck of cards and laid them out across his bunk..

Just then an army sergeant came in and said, 'Why aren't you with the rest of the platoon?

The soldier replied, 'I thought I would stay behind and spend some time with the Lord.'

The sergeant said, 'Looks to me like you're going to play cards.'

The soldier said, 'No, sir. You see, since we are not allowed to have Bibles or other spiritual books in this country,

I've decided to talk to the Lord by studying this deck of cards.'

The sergeant asked in disbelief, 'How will you do that?'

'You see the Ace, Sergeant? It reminds me that there is only one God.

The Two represents the two parts of the Bible, Old and New Testaments

The Three represents the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost.

The Four stands for the Four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John .

The Five is for the five virgins there were ten but only five of them were glorified.

The Six is for the six days it took God to create the Heavens and Earth.

The Seven is for the day God rested after making His Creation.

The Eight is for the family of Noah and his wife, their three sons and their wives -- the eight people God spared from the flood that destroyed the Earth.

The Nine is for the lepers that Jesus cleansed of leprosy He cleansed ten, but nine never thanked Him.

The Ten represents the Ten Commandments that God handed down to Moses on tablets made of stone.

The Jack is a reminder of Satan, one of God's first angels, but he got kicked out of heaven for his sly and wicked ways and is now the joker of eternal hell..

The Queen stands for the Virgin Mary.

The King stands for Jesus, for he is the “King of all kings”.


When I count the dots on all the cards, I come up with 365 total. One for every day of the year.

There are a total of 52 cards in a deck; each is a week - 52 weeks in a year.

The four suits represent the four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.

Each suit has thirteen cards -- there are exactly thirteen weeks in a quarter.

So when I want to talk to God and thank Him, I just pull out this old deck of cards and they remind me of all that I have to be thankful for.'

The sergeant just stood there. After a minute, with tears in his eyes and pain in his heart, he said, 'Soldier, can I borrow that deck of cards?'

Please let this be a reminder and take time to pray for all of our soldiers who are being sent away, putting their lives on the line fighting.

Prayer for the Military.

Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands.

Protect them.

Bless them and their families

I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

Amen

Mimi

Are Your Potatos Heavy?

A teacher once told each of her students to bring a clear plastic bag and a sack of potatoes to school. For every person they refuse to forgive in their life's experience, they chose a potato, wrote on it the name and date, and put it in the plastic bag. Some of their bags were quite heavy.

They were then told to carry this bag with them everywhere for one week, putting it beside their bed at night, on the car seat when driving, next to their desk at work.

The hassle of lugging this around with them made it clear what a weight they were carrying spiritually, and how they had to pay attention to it all the time to not forget and keep leaving it in embarrassing places. Naturally, the condition of the potatoes deteriorated to a nasty smelly slime. This was a great metaphor for the price we pay for keeping our pain and heavy negativity! Too often we think of forgiveness as a gift to the other person, when it clearly is a gift to ourselves!

***************************************

I found this story and loved the message behind it so much that I wanted to share it with all of you. No one gets an exemption from getting hurt. After all, we're only human and we've all experienced it sometime or another. At times it comes from strangers and other times from those we love the most. Many times, in the heat of the moment, things come out of our mouths before they get filtered by our hearts and what we say are mean and ugly things. And yes, those things can hurt so badly that they break our hearts into a million pieces. But the only way to mend our hearts back together again is to show others the same compassion that God gives to us each and every moment in our lives.

So this Christmas, let bygones be bygones. Give others that same gift of forgiveness that God has graciously given to you and you'll see the weight of those potatoes lift off your shoulders and your life will get a little lighter (and happier too).

Much love,

Out of Office Notice...GONE SHOPPING....

Be Back Next Week ;)

Tarah

But You May Call Me Cookie

Do you ever feel like you're only eating dinner just to get to the dessert? I mean, do you ever feel like that?

My hubby made these cookies on Saturday and let me tell you, that night it was all about the cookies. I ate the dinner like my mommy raised me to, but if it's possible to have one hand on the fork and the other hand on the cookies......I was there.

Fortunately my family was gone for the evening so that I could devote my entire meal time thoughts to the cookie, the whole cookie, and nothing but the cookie.

I did not have to waste brain cells by talking about such unimportant things such as the state of the country, our bills, or whether or not we should take a vacation this year. No, I was free to inhale my foot, sorry, I mean inhale my food, and make sure I had room for a cookie or two, or six dozen.

Then, right as I was reaching the home stretch of finishing my dinner, my mother had the nerve to ask me to please get her another carton of milk as her other milk had soured. Really? She eats sour cream and she loves buttermilk (which I can't stand) and she can't swallow a little sour milk so that I can get to my cookie faster? What is this world coming to???

Then the dog entertained me with all his problems about not being tall enough to open the outside door and he has paws instead of fingers, and really, he's sorry and hates to bother me but could I please open the door so he could go out? Yeah, yeah, whatever, heard it all before.

Then the little dog is all like I haven't had my dinner yet and you fed me dog food again and there you are worried about eating your cookie? And I'm all like, your food is sitting over there in your bowl, why don't you eat it? And she's all like, you know I don't like to eat alone and my furry brother is outside, and I'm like so wait for him to come in and she's all like, you know, pulling an attitude with me and I'm all like, whatever dude.

Then the phone rings and it's my mother again (who lives in the same house as me) and she's calling me (using her cell phone!) because it's so much easier to call than to walk down the hall and did I know that "It's A Wonderful Life" is going on tonight?

People, just how hard is it to eat a cookie?

Treasured Pearls

A friend sent me the following story in an email, and I didn't know ALL of your email addresses, but wanted to share it with each and every one of you. So here goes...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The cheerful little girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.

'Oh mommy please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?'

Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.

'A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma.'

As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.

Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere, Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.
Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night as he finished the story, he asked Jenny, 'Do you love me?'

'Oh yes, daddy. You know that I love you.'

'Then give me your pearls.'

'Oh, daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess, the white horse from my collection, the one with the pink tail. Remember, daddy? The one you gave me. She's my very favorite.'

'That's okay, Honey, daddy loves you. Good night.' And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, 'Do you love me?'

'Daddy, you know I love you.'

'Then give me your pearls..'

'Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper.'

'That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you.' And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian style.

As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek. 'What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?'

Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, 'Here, daddy; this is for you.'

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny.

He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure. So it is, with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasures.God will never take away something without giving you something better in its place.

Seasonal Food

I was just thinking as I was making myself yet another bowl of Chili...

Why do I crave certain foods certain times of the year?

I mean is there some unwritten law that I would be breaking if I wanted a Shamrock shake in October? I blame the restaurants for only serving certain items at certain times of the year.

I am serious... *SIGH*

Here is my list of Winter Goodies/must haves...

Chili

Pumpkin Pie

Candy Canes

Hot Chocolate

Pumpkin Muffins

&

Reese's Christmas Trees

I don't really crave these any other time of the year(OK, maybe the Pumpkin Muffins), but come Fall & Winter they need to be available or this Crazy Lady is on a Mission to find them quickly!

What are some of your seasonal favorites?

Frantically Searching The Target Shelves For Christmas Trees,

Mimi

SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED

'Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house
I searched for the tools to hand to my spouse.
Instructions were studied and we were inspired,
in hopes we could manage "Some Assembly Required."

The children were quiet (not asleep) in their beds,
while Dad and I faced the evening with dread:
a kitchen, two bikes, Barbie's town house to boot!
And, thanks to Grandpa, a train with a toot!

We opened the boxes, my heart skipped a beat
- let no parts be missing or parts incomplete!
"Too late for last-minute returns or replacement;
if we can't get it right, it goes in the basement!"

When what to my worrying eyes should appear
but 50 sheets of directions, concise, but not clear.
With each part numbered and every slot named,
so if we failed, only we could be blamed.

More rapid than eagles the parts then fell out,
all over the carpet they were scattered about.
"Now bolt it! Now twist it! Attach it right there!
Slide on the seats, and staple the stair!"

"Hammer the shelves, and nail to the stand."
"Honey," said hubby, "you just glued my hand."
And then in a twinkling, I knew for a fact
that all the toy dealers had indeed made a pact

To keep parents busy all Christmas Eve night
with "assembly required" till morning's first light.
We spoke not a word, but kept bent at our work,
till our eyes, they went bleary; our fingers all hurt.

The coffee went cold and the night, it wore thin
before we attached the last rod and last pin.
Then laying the tools away in the chest,
we fell into bed for a well-deserved rest.

But I said to my husband just before I passed out,
"This will be the best Christmas, without any doubt.
Tomorrow we'll cheer, let the holiday ring,
and not have to run to the store for a thing!

We did it! We did it! The toys are all set
for the perfect, most perfect, Christmas, I bet!"
Then off to dreamland and sweet repose
I gratefully went, though I suppose
there's something to say for those self-deluded...
I'd forgotten that BATTERIES are never included!

*************************************

Wishing you lots of
PATIENCE & A MULTITUDE OF BATTERIES
this holiday season!

Operation Beautiful

OPERATION BEAUTIFUL:

Alright ~ So I try not to be very serious on my posts for this blog. However, I feel like this is something that although I don't have girls, I am passionate about. I want each girl and young woman to feel like they are beautiful JUST THE WAY GOD MADE THEM!

So....

1. Check out the video

2. Load up your purse with a stack of post it notes

3. Go to town on the mirrors in the bathrooms when you are Christmas Shopping?

4. If you snap a picture of it, send it into OPERATION BEAUTIFUL!!! They would love to see it!

TaRaH

I. Hate. Math.

I.

Hate.

Math.

Specifically.

Geometry.

Thank you.

Oh my goodness, I feel so much better now!!!!!

One of the "perks" of homeschooling your children is being able to teach them useless information and then wonder if they'll ever use it someday. One of the other "perks" is having to seriously answer their "Will I ever use this?" question with a straight face and an enthusiastic "Absolutely."

Now, everybody knows that Geometry has its place. I happen to think that its place should be down the street far away from me. I also happen to think that it's good for everybody else to know it but not something that I need to know. That's because I never liked Geometry (even though it speaks very highly of me) and now I have to teach it. Sigh.

I also know that Geometry is really necessary if........ummmm......you want to build Geome trees or something....... Because you can never have to many......ummmmmm......Geome's. Ya know?

What is it good for? Seriously. You can't cook it. You can't eat it. You can't wear it. You can't drive it. What's it good for? Anybody? Hello?

The other thing is that there are people out there that actually understand Math. They love Math. They think it's fun. Fun!!!!!! And how my children can get A's in it is beyond me. But that's good. Maybe they can teach me.

Join with me now. Come on, don't be shy. I'll even help you out. Take a deep breathe and say "I hate ___________ (fill in the blank)."

There, don't you feel better now? You're welcome!

By the way, this post is purely for fun. I don't really hate Geometry. In fact, just yesterday we were sitting together having a wonderful time. We talked and laughed and shared old memories. It was really quite nice. We'll have to do it again sometime.

"Not Me" Monday

Okay, so some of you may have heard of "Not Me" Monday, but maybe not ALL of you. So I'm going to use today to INTRODUCE you to it. This "Not Me" Monday therapy is one of the cheapest forms of therapy I know. And it is available to all!!! I use it on occasion when I just need to admit all of my shortcomings while denying them 100%. Oh yea, it's fabulous!!!

So without further ado...

Last week while downtown for our small town's Christmas Parade, I certainly did NOT lose my daughter. Nope, I could NEVER lose my daughter. After all, she's my youngest, my only girl, my pride and joy --- so I couldn't lose her. AND if I did lose her, I sure as heck would notice. Right? Right? I mean what kind of mom loses her daughter and doesn't even notice for 10 minutes? NOT ME! No way! I'm far better than that. I was NOT the mom who heard her voice called over the P.A. system, "We have a lost child... would ERICA SCOTT please come to the media trailer." Nope, those are NOT words that I heard. And in case you hear otherwise from the crowd of friends I was there with, they don't know what they're talking about! *sigh*

It was NOT me who could be found standing outside my office on Friday... sticking my tongue out... taking pictures of myself trying to catch SNOW on my tongue! Nope. I'm not that weird, that silly, or that impressed by snow flurries in Texas! Even though I've rarely seen it fall in my lifetime, I would NEVER be so silly as to go outside in the freezing cold and try to catch it on my tongue. Nope, NOT me. I'm way cooler than THAT!

I don't know where these pictures surfaced came from. They are NOT me. I obviously have a twin out there. OBVIOUSLY! Because I already told you that I would NOT be caught dead doing this outside my office. No way!

And this picture was NOT taken simply to prove that there were snowflakes out there. This one landed on my scarf. And just think --- there could be a whole WORLD of "Whos" living right there in that ONE little snowflake! =0) Sing it with me...

♪ "Fah voo dores, Fah voo dores, Welcome Christmas bring good cheer..." ♪

And THAT, my friends, is how you do a "Not Me" Monday.
{{as Erica climbs off of her therapist's couch and goes to take on her day!}}

Ahhhhh. Relief!

Have a magnificent Monday, y'all!

As Seen On TV...

Why do those As Seen On TV commercials always peak our interest?

It never fails...

Someone in my family is always asking for something crazy they have seen on a commercial.

Check out my families recent wishes.

Stunt Man would love the Touch & Brush toothpaste dispenser. Every time that commercial

comes on he comes running. He even told me on Wednesday & I quote..."Mom, your bathroom won't be a mess...if we get one"

If only it was that easy to keep the bathroom clean.

Agent wants the clapper because we don't have a bedside lamp. Really...I want it too because my side of the bed is closer to the light switch so guess who always has to shut the light off & get out of the warm bed?

Actress wants the BUMP IT. Really? She is 9 why does she need high hair with bumps in it? It is all we can do some mornings to get it in a ponytail, let alone a stylish bumpy ponytail.

Model wants the ever popular snuggie...she is always soooooo cold. She is one practical kid.

Angel might even want one too for our cold winters here in Michigan. Who knew snuggies for doggies?

I have to admit...I was lured in by the Twin Draft Guard...They did not keep out one draft and would not stay on my door, but the inserts were great for foam swords, so it wasn't a totally loss.

Have you tried anything from those As Seen On TV commercials?

Are there any you are dying to try?

Any that you just adore?

Do share...

Having a Giveaway today at my personal blog...visit here.

Meet The Evian Babies

Have y'all seen this?

It's the cutest thing!!!



I had no idea you could get The Fountain of Youth in a bottle!

I don't know about y'all, but I could use some of that energy right about now.

Pass me the Evian please!

CHECK THE MAIL.....

It's the MOST wonderful time of year! 

You go to the mailbox and find catalogs, coupons, advertisements, BILLS & most importantly...

CHRISTMAS CARDS

Come join me for a walk down Christmas Card lane...

(if any of these are your family members I apologize in advance)!

Nothing says CHRISTMAS like a bunch of hairy cats!!

Straight from the Quaterbacks mouth!

We already had a "CATTY" CHRISTMAS so heres to a DOG GONE New Year!!!

Tell us when we can open our eyes...

we are waiting for our CHRISTMAS Suprise!!!

 

If this is the "A" team then I would hate to see the "DD" team!!!

HAPPY CATMAS!!!

Have a wonderful Christmas Season!!!

Hope this lightened your day!!!

Have No Fear........

Have no fear........

....if there is a public bathroom with no toilet paper, I will unknowingly be drawn to it.

.....if the parking lot is crowded, I will lose my car in it.

....if there is a door open somewhere, I will bump into it.

....if I bend down and there is a shelf above my head, I will hit my head on it when I stand back up.

....if I am wearing white that day, I will get a stain on it within 10 seconds of putting it on.

....if there is a wrong line to stand in, I will pick it.

....if there is a reason to be late, I will find it.

....if I want the phone to ring, it won't ring no matter how badly I want it to.

....if I don't want the phone to ring, suddenly everybody and their mother has to talk to me.

.....if there is a hard way of doing something, I will find it.

.....if I have no tissue, I will suddenly have an overwhelming need to blow my nose.

.....if I don't want to eat something, we have a ton of it. If I suddenly crave it, we're out of it.

O.k., now you know. Just so we're clear on this!

Holiday Recap

Oh wow, what a holiday weekend...

where did the time go???

How come a 5-day workweek drags on and on,

yet a 5-day weekend speeds by in a flash?

I'm NOT happy to be back at work, but I'm very THANKFUL for a secure job.

I'm NOT happy that my tummy feels so bloated, but I am THANKFUL for all the great food that got me to this point over the weekend. =0)

I'm NOT happy that the holiday weekend is over, yet I'm oh-so-thankful that I got to have ALL FOUR of my kiddos together this weekend. I wrote a pretty 'meaningful' post on my personal blog today, so head over and read it if you get the chance.

I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend!!!
I know I did!

And now the countdown to Christmas begins.
Are you ready for it?

I.AM.NOT.

But I'm getting there!!!

Guess Who Won A Hug...

So last Saturday, we began a little GIVEAWAY!
Did you enter?


First we'll announce the prize...
What exactly was IN that beautiful prize box?

This:

I mean really, what better to wrap around someone's neck to give a HUGE WARM HUG from across the miles? And Erica DOES LOVE, LOVE, LOVE SCARVES!!! This particular one happens to be her favorite, so she decided to send an exact duplicate to our winner!!!

And now....

Drumroll please!

The WINNER is...

Comment #13

CONGRATULATIONS to Teri over at The Mighty M Family!

Drop by and pay her Super-Family a visit!

Thank you to every single one of you who entered our Giveaway,

and stay tuned for our next Giveaway in December!!!

~ ♥ The 5 Moms