How to talk to your kids about the death of a pet

One of my favorite bloggers and new found e-mail friend, Helene, from I'm Living Proof That God Has a Sense of Humor, posted recently about how to deal with the death of a pet with kids. The post was amazing and had great tips, but had also made me appreciate the animals we have a little bit more. Your relationship and appreciation changes once you have kids since priorities change.

So head on over. You will be addicted to her blog with her humor and honesty with parenting and life.

http://www.twosetsoftwins.com/2012/01/how-to-talk-to-your-children-about.html

'Scary Mommy Manifesto'

Do you read the 'Scary Mommy' blog? No? Well, you should! This is stolen straight from her blog .. and I loved it so much I wanted to share it and remember it! It is the 'Scary Mommy Manifesto.' Read it. Memorize it. And remember it when someone you know and love is having a baby or tough day!

The Scary Mommy Manifesto (AKA The Mommifesto)

Please repeat after her/me:

• I shall maintain a sense of humor about all things motherhood, for without it, I recognize that I may end up institutionalized. Or, at the very least, completely miserable.

• I shall not judge the mother in the grocery store who, upon entering, hits the candy aisle and doles out M&Ms to her screaming toddler. It is simply a survival mechanism.

• I shall not compete with the mother who effortlessly bakes from scratch, purees her own baby food, or fashions breathtaking costumes from tissue paper. Motherhood is not a competition. The only ones who lose are the ones who race the fastest.

• I shall shoot the parents of the screaming newborn on the airplane looks of compassion rather than resentment. I am fortunate to be able to ditch the kid upon landing. They, however, are not.

• I shall never ask any woman whether she is, in fact, expecting. Ever.

• I shall not question the mother who is wearing the same yoga pants, flip-flops and t-shirt she wore to school pickup the day before. She has good reason.

• I shall never claim to know everything about any child but my own. (Who still remain a mystery to me.)

• I shall hold the new babies belonging to friends and family, so they may shower and nap, which is all any new mother really wants.

• I shall attempt to not pass down my own messed up body issues to my daughter. She deserves a mother who loves and respects herself; stretch marks, cellulite and all.

• I shall not preach the benefits of breastfeeding or circumcision or home schooling or organic food or co-sleeping or crying it out to a fellow mother who has not asked my opinion. It’s none of my damn business.

• I shall try my hardest to never say never, for I just may end up with a loud-mouthed, bikini clad, water gun shooting toddler of my very own.

• I shall remember that no mother is perfect and my children will thrive because, and sometimes even in spite, of me.

Cheap and easy craft to do with the kids

I follow this blog, Craft Snob, which posts daily on her blog with crafty projects that I wish I had time to do! BUT! Today, after not visiting for a week or so, was the day to check out her blog. She posted a simple tutorial on how to make foam bath toys.

You know, you wander the baby isles and see the package of the foam alphabet for $10+? Well, you can make your own for about $1!!! Score!

Check out her site, it's a must have for your list of blogs you stalk weekly, or, if you're like me, daily. :)

Mommy sweat

I swear, since I gave birth twice- I sweat. Constantly. And not just when it's hot. All of the time!! Anyone else? I follow a great blogger, It's ALL Good in Mommyhood, Jodie who describes it perfectly:

"Mommy Sweat n. Perspiration that hasno correlation to temperature or physical activity, but rather is a direct result of your children causing you anxiety in public places. Mothers are especially prone to this condition at grocery stores, shopping malls, school events and any location requiring a person to conduct themselves in a civilized manner."

'Kids Eat Free' series

I'm all about free stuff and a free meal. Likely, parents don't often get to eat free (unless it's their birthday- thank you Red Robin!!!!), but kids do!

Thank you to Money Saving Mom and Chili's, kids eat free at Chili's on Feb. 8, 15, 21 and 22 with the purchase of any adult entree. Make sure though that you call ahead to your local Chili's to see if they are participating!

Here's a great resource I just found that was posted by Bay Area Moms:

Kids East Free: East Bay Restaurants by Red Tricycle S.F. 

Do you have any other places where kids eat free?

Holiday cards already?!

Who else is thinking about holiday cards?? I am! I love receiving holiday cards and I love sending them out! I get all excited about the response that I will receive from my family and friends about the girls' cute picture I've enclosed. It's also an extra special feeling when you go to a person's home and see your holiday card on their fridge or mantel. Does anyone else feel this way?

My favorite holiday cards are the ones with pictures on them. In the past I have only ordered regular 3x5 pictures and put them inside a regular Christmas card. But this year I'm going to try and do something new. Life before kids, I can remember I ordered a bunch of photos and my husband and I with a cute little holiday border from Shutterfly. It worked and even my in-laws have that photo framed somewhere in their house!

There are many places to order your holiday cards, and in the past I've used Shutterfly, as I said before. With the options that Shutterfly offers, you can put a couple of different pictures on one card rather just one photo. And this is what I plan to do this year! Since from one of my previous posts about 'the picture perfect photo,' my children will not sit together and look in the same direction and smile.

If you are now thinking about your holiday photos (since Thanksgiving is JUST a week away!), I have given you the best gift yet-- a couple of links to Shutterfly's Web site for Christmas cards (for my fave, click here); holiday photos cards (for my fave, click here); a link for calendars (I like desk calendars); Hanukkah cards (my fave); and wall art (my fave). (Note: click on each highlighted group of text/wording to go to their Web site.)

And if you have never uploaded photos to Shutterfly, click here to get started! When you open a free account, you get 50 free photos just for signing up and other fabulous free services. I love that I can order photos at home before work and then pick them up on the same day at Target, Walgreens or CVS.

Well I better get started, as I hope to get my cards out before Dec. 2. What do you think about this example, 'Naughty or Nice?'

The first post........

Hmm... the first post! Welcome to my blog! I'm not really sure why I started to blog, except that I recently became addicted to MANY blogs via my co-worker. :) I visit thrifty blogs, mommy blogs (a lot of them!), family and friends' blogs, blogs I found on sfgate.com's Web site, and blogs I found on other people's blogs that they follow.

I love to go to the thrifty blogs to find free samples, free stuff and coupons. Oh my-- this momma is a coupon clipper. I love to visit mommy blogs... some that are serious and some that are down right-- hilarious! I have found a lot of great advice and have found that I'm not alone in this journey as a parent. I love to follow my family and friends' blogs and stalk them weekly to see what's new and to see beautiful pictures of their kids. I have also found other blogs.... of people I know nothing about, from other blogs I read. Friends of my friends or families... or ones that my co-worker pointed out to me.

I think the majority of my posts will be of funny things my kids do-- so that I can *try* to remember to write it in the baby book. My kids are pretty funny. Since they are so close in age-- they tend to fight A LOT. But recently, they tend to love each other A LOT. And I love them a lot. I talk about them constantly.

So here we go-- a blog where I can type/talk about my girls... constantly. :)

Here's a picture of them, eating an apple... (note: Emma managed to get the whole apple at one point-- and took a piece off, before Ava took it back), not fighting, in their PJ's... *almost* ready for bed.