Merry Christmas? No thanks!

I'm not a fan of Christmas.

To me it's a huge hassle that usually compounds over the weeks before leading into a disaster on Christmas Day. Buying gifts, sending cards, oops I forgot the family photo, don't forget to cook all the things that no one wants to eat because it's tradition, what no tree?!, do we have to visit that part of the family?, and do I have to get dressed on the one day off from work?! 

I can't really remember a truly happy Christmas Day of relaxing and enjoying myself for at least the past 10-15 years. I pretty much just grin and bear it while hoping the clock will magically speed to the end of it all. Smiling while opening that gift you didn't want and thinking how it's going into the re-gifting pile when you get home. Just remember who gave it to you so you don't give it back! 

Trying to think of compliments to say about someone else's cooking even though you are trying not to eat very much of it and don't want to be dishonest or rude. 

I spend the whole year buying gifts that I can set aside for Christmas. I catch the sales, and pay attention to great deals. When you have 9 siblings, 2 parents, plus all your husbands family... And the occasional friend to buy for.... You learn not to wait until December to get everything. I don't even want to watch tv during the holidays. All you see are ads of 50-70%, but you know they are lies. Stores put prices up higher in the middle-end of the year then announce "sales" to make you think you are getting a bargain. Until they are clearance, I'm not really interested. A couple days after Christmas until the beginning of January or even February, is when the real deals can be found. That's when stores are purging their inventories and prepping for new products to be stocked. Then you also have to listen to your kids saying, "Mom, I want that!" to every toy they see. 

This year was no different. Maybe more miserable, but not different. I was awake about 1:25 this morning with a headache and unable to sleep. Since I didn't want to wake anyone else, I went to lay on the couch and play Hearthstone on the iPad for a couple rounds. Then I dozed off again and woke to a pounding migraine. So much for a restful day. Guess I should be glad that I got so much relaxation the night before. I quickly got to work wrapping the last of the gifts. I stuffed the stockings, made eggs, sausage and toast for breakfast, and began mixing up a batch of brownies for the in laws. We were supposed to go to their house for lunch. By this time, the children are awake. Ravenous little rug rats begging for food and trying to break into the neatly laid out gifts. 

Breakfast first! That's when my daughter throws up. A torrent of chunky liquid all over herself, her father (who freaks out and starts yelling), and the surrounding area. May I just say, I don't freak out. Ever. Panic only makes things worse. I give my husband a handful of paper towels and then gather up my baby girl to go upstairs and bathe. After that, it was a whirlwind of cleaning for me. Something just clicks and puts me on the warpath. First the kitchen, then the floors, the stairs, on upstairs to the bedrooms. My stress levels begin to rise as my husband tried to tell me to stop and rest or continuously ask why I was cleaning. Any other day of the year, he'd be telling me I don't do enough. That if I'm sitting after work, I'm being lazy. After all, when he was the working breadwinner he didn't need as much rest or sleep as I seem to. Also, being the stay at home parent is difficult and he needs me to take over on my days off. But not today? How is it different today than any other day? This is one of my pet peeves. Pick a stance and stay with it. Regardless of day, holidays, or plans. But I digress.

On to opening gifts and deciding what the plan of the day will be.

Since the kids are all sick, we have to stay home.

Can't say I'm too disappointed. I can stay home and get things done, or be bored out of my mind at the in laws. Which would you choose? 

Then I clean like crazy (which is what my husband thinks I am). I plug in the headphones to blast Skillet, AFI, Thrash80, and Sabaton among others. I know it won't help the head pains. It will, however, help to drown out the background noises and thoughts in my weary head. 

My husband complained about not getting gifts for each other. I opened one gift from my parents but he had nothing as he'd already opened his gift from them. My gift to him was telling I'm divorcing him next year. I delivered that last week. No need to gift wrap something after dropping that kind of news, right? 

My daughter again lost her stomach contents just before lunch. It looks to be a long day of cleaning and headaches. But I can't say I'm not happy. I'm not at work. I'm wearing comfy pants. I don't have to answer personal questions from family I don't see often. And I don't have to leave the comfortable, clean, organized chaos of my own home. 

So today, enjoy your Christmas celebrations. Whether you do so in religious ways, with family, or as I'm doing in some form that is uniquely your own - do so with pride and pleasure! Get ready for a new year. It's almost here! 

Solo Universal Fit tablet/eReader case review

 

Its time for another wonderful product review via Shoplet.com. Shoplet.com offers a wide variety of office supplies. This is for a Solo Universal Fit Tablet/eReader Case.

This comfortable case that protects your tablet, can be used on tablets ranging from 8.5 - 11 inches.

They are universal in their ability to cover several types of tablets.

I like that they have stretchable corner attachments to hold the tablet firmly in place.

I also like the textured outside and soft inside. I know it will be protected.

The clasp on the outside is magnetic.

  I only wish it had an opening so that the camera was usable while the case was on. It would also be better if it had the ability to be its own stand. As it is, my husband takes the case off to set it up on a stand when he wants to go hands-free.

Don't forget to check out the other things that Shoplet has to offer. They have promotional supplies to help you get your business name out there. Or perhaps you could use medical supplies. They now also offer office stationary. Check them out and let me know what you think!

Gatti's pizza review

As a part of the U.S. Family Guide bloggers, I was invited to write a review for our local Gatti's. Located at 2921 Pat Booker Road in Universal City, Gatti's offers a fun, family experience for all ages. 

We went at 4PM with the hopes that an early dinner on Saturday night wouldn't be so crowded. We were wrong. The parking lot was already pretty full. 

You can reserve rooms for parties and fun occasions. They also have multiple dining rooms. One of the dining rooms has a large TV where movies play to provide entertainment for the kids while you dine. We chose the Quiet Dining room, though my kids had a hard time keeping their voices down. 

Food choices are abundant.

They have various types of pasta and sauces to choose from, a salad bar, myriads of pizza flavors that are ever changing throughout the day, and a dessert set up.

Some of my personal favorites were the Italian type pasta and jalapeño pepperoni pizza. My oldest son devoured a plate of spaghetti right off the start. Normally I can't get him to be as enthusiastic when I make it at home... My younger son loved the macaroni and cheese. Apparently I don't make that right either since he had far more gusto for Gatti's than he has for mine. They have baked potatoes and even potato salad that was pretty good. 

From the drink choices, I really loved that there were 4 types of tea to choose from. I chose green tea, though you have regular sweet and unsweet as well as Nestea Raspberry to choose from. 

As with any buffet-providing restaurant, clean plates are never ending. You finish one, dump in a receptacle for such and grab a fresh one. 

There is a huge game room to play in.

Games are typically .25 or 50¢ each though some cost more, such as the bumper cars or (my favorite) Fruit Ninja

which are $1 or more.

You can either purchase a game card, or use cash to pay for the games.

There's a little something for everyone. One of our favorites was the Goal Rush.

You get a set amount of balls and you have to toss/roll them upward and into various point value "goals". We ended up playing it over a few times. 

There are plenty of ticket-rewarding games. Tickets can be used to redeem prizes.

The ticket machines were having issues counting and adding credit to the cards. So the lines were a bit long. But that's to be expected with such a high volume of people using them daily. 

It was a great experience for my family. My husband is even talking of making it a regular thing. And if you sign up for the Gatti's newsletter, you can receive emails letting you know what the latest deals are. And if you're tired of having turkey for your holiday meals, maybe you should consider taking the family out one night! 

Fellowes Callisto 125 Laminator review via Shoplet.com

Shoplet.com has graced me with another item to review for you guys! They sent me this Fellowes Laminating Machine.

There are certain things I want to last for a really long time. I have recipes that I could put in a sheet protector, but this makes a more worthwhile choice.

Sheet protectors only protect them so much. But lets say something falls over the top? It could go inside the open end. With a laminated page, there is no more worrying about that. Its enclosed and protected for as long as you need it to be.

The machine itself is much lighter than I thought it would be, judging from the outside of the box.

There is more than one size to choose from when laminating. Just line up your choice and adjust the edges. The laminator will continue from there. It takes several minutes to heat up, but it's quick to laminate. I felt like a kid in the candy shop. What do I laminate first?! 

I chose a couple of my favorite recipes that I use repeatedly. 

I also decided to laminate a single page instruction for a Lego build my kids enjoy using often. 

The last one they had fallen apart far too quickly. 

My husband has a particular list he uses quite frequently. It was getting tattered around he edges. So he decided to make a double sided copy and laminate the copy. No more worries about how long his list will last now. 

I like how easy it was to understand and follow the directions. It didn't take long to set up. There weren't any strong fumes. It doesn't get so hot as to ruin my table. The laminate was smooth and cooled within seconds. I was able to trim it slightly and punch holes without ruining the page. 

Overall, greatly enjoyed using this. It has a lot of potential for future projects. Also, don't forget that Shoplet.com has many other things to offer. They carry Office Supplies (that's a given) but now carry other products such as; Promotional Products for building your business, Medical supplies, and Office Stationary. Check them out, and let me know what you think!

A busy month ahead

So many things going on this month! I won't post about everything just yet. I still have a review to deliver to you all. But here some deals and savings I just needed to share.

I just ordered my wreath for the Wreathes Across America program. They will be laying wreathes next Saturday with the Mayport Sea Cadet group. My recognition name was one of the cadets, Jesse Carter. Lets remember our fallen during the holidays. They truly gave all.
The form to order yours is here. Time is running out.

Now in other news....
There's a Domino's Pizza deal you might be interested in. For those nights when you are too tired to cook, order online and get 50% off ALL pizzas at menu price until December 7th.  

Also, sign up for the alert of when the 50,000 gift card giveaway goes live! Values range from $100 - $2. Use this link: https://www.quikly.com/726-dominos/t/7Wb6JKQ-lnk to sign up. Adding friends can give you extra time towards getting in on the action sooner.

Get 50 bonus points for your Kelloggs Family Rewards account. ENJOY50KFRPOINTS.

Get 5 bonus points everday for your Disney account. The first code was yesterday, 25D1ST Get more details here: http://www.disneymovierewards.go.com/articles/25Days?int_cmp=DMR|HERO|25Days

Texr 727272 daily to get movie offers from Redbox. Text NICE or SHOPPERS to get started. Valid until December 7th.

On December 12th, you can get a great deal on Krispy Kreme Donuts. Buy one dozen original donuts, get another dozen free! If you received the email newsletter, you should have gotten a coupon for it. If you haven't, you can get the coupon from their website.

And finally, get 10% off electronics at Target! Check your Cartwheel to add the offer today.

Take life in stride

Its a whirlwind of action these days. With the incoming holidays, stress from work, daily tasks in relation to my children, and just getting my everyday to-do list done... I find myself being stretched thin. I also find my time management skills in need of honing.
In the next couple of weeks, I'll be training towards a position in leadership. I've come to terms with the need to fulfill a short term goal of staying at my retail job, and in so doing, I'll need to build up that pay check to keep my other goals in focus. I have no desire to stay in retail for a full career. Someone has to do it, just not me.
I'm also preparing for a long distance trip back to my friends and family in Florida. Almost a year has passed since I've had the comfort of being around people I love and trust so strongly. Besides, its also a chance to see a childhood friend graduating college, another good friend should have her baby by then, and being reuniting with a college friend that I hold in the highest regards. My excitement cannot be contained. Its certainly shining out in other aspects of my life.
This week, I get to deal with a 48 hour work week, Thanksgiving Day plans, and somewhere in between these, finishing my little projects. I doubt I'll find much time for me, but if I can just make it through....
I have another Shoplet review I'm working on for you guys.

I'm working on potty training my daughter. She loves her potty chair, but loves running around naked from the waist-down more. I'm beginning to wonder if she's going to be more difficult than her brothers after all.

There's a story that has been trapped in my head for too long. Being a creative writer at heart, I can't keep it locked up anymore. So every chance I get, I write it down. Then later I type it up. It may never be printed or sold. Maybe no one else will ever read it. But I have to get it written, nonetheless.
So what am I really getting at? 
My mother used to remind me quite often, "Don't lose yourself." I'm so-and-so's wife, mother to (insert child's name here), and so on. But who am I on my own? I'm a woman who goes by both her names. Who has many talents that mean nothing in the working world. I can weld, use pretty much every tool in my dads collection, build chopper-style bicycles, ride motorcycles, drive stick and automatic, spin a tale that is so unbelievable you have to believe, speed read, and kill almost everything I try to grow. Am I proud of these accomplishments? Most definitely... okay not the killing plants one. There isn't anything I can't do when I set my mind to it. So why are there days when I feel useless or as if I have nothing to offer? Partly because I have lived with someone who takes the time to put me down for everything I haven't done instead of recognizing what I do daily. Partly because, despite my best efforts, I don't seem to achieve too many of my ultimate goals. I see my failures in a stronger light than I do my completions. Let's be honest though, we are our worst critics. We put ourselves down needlessly. A dear friend of mine has been reminding me of this lately.

So what goals am I setting for myself now? To put out a more positive outlook. Instead of seeing the negative first, I'm going to search for the positive. Instead of saying yes to every request, I'm going to learn to say no. And instead of feeling rushed to finish everything for everyone, its time to manage what time I have a little better. Priorities will be made again. Even if it means going back to making lists.
Take everyday in stride, folks. And look for those positive things, no matter how small.

Mrs. Cavanaugh's Candies review via US Family Guide

I was recently chosen to write a review after trying some of Mrs. Cavanaugh's fine chocolates.

I was sent an assortment one pound pack and a few of the bars to base my review on.

The Mindy Mint bar is 1.8 ounces or fine milk chocolate truffle.

                It had to be my favorite out of everything I received. 

It's smooth, with a beautiful amount of mint to balance it out.The sample box contained truffles of orange creme, raspberry, caramel, and even some with pecans among other flavors.

Sorry I didn't get a picture before digging in... but I couldn't help myself!

Each one was creamy and a delight to the palette. The white chocolate Trinidad was a mix of nuts and caramel, covered in white chocolate. I'm not often a fan of chocolate having nuts mixed in, but these chocolates were fantastic! They are creamy and rich in flavor. The pecans or nuts in each one are mixed well enough to make the amazing blend. My only complaint would be not having a better guide to know what was in each truffle. I like being surprised from time to time, but I don't like all the flavors. Coconut wouldn't have been a pleasant taste to me. Knowing what each one was would have made my selections easier. The picture guide included in the box wasn't as helpful as it could've been.

This is perfect for sharing with friends, whether at a party or just because.
There is no trans fat, preservatives, or hydrogenated oils in these chocolates. I'm also happy to say they are made right here in the United States. You aren't just eating healthier, but you are boosting our nations economy.

Go to http://www.mrscavanaughs.com/  to checkout what they have to offer. Christmas is right around the corner. Parties, incoming visitors, and gifts to give all come to mind with such a sweet treat! You can create a box or pick something already designed.

You can also get free gift wrap added!