I sang a lot in high school and I don't want to brag, but I was pretty good at it back then. More than one rude classmate would say "It's not over till the fat lady sings" to me as a jibe. Even though at the time, I weighed 130 pounds and was *maybe* ten pounds overweight. I was not fat. But you know what? I hear that jibe playing over and over in my head now that I'm a truly fat adult (even Continue Reading >>
Small Gifts for Kids Stockings
One of the tricks in picking a small gift for a child is finding something affordable AND worthwhile. Especially if you are filling a stocking - you don't want each gift to cost an arm and a leg. But you also don't want to give your child a bunch of junk that will end up shortly in the trash can. So you choose with care. And sometimes it takes a lot of looking! That's why in this post we Continue Reading >>
Best Gifts for Tween Boys
I have four boys. One is fifteen and already past the tween stage. One is ten and is all tween. And two are seven (yes, twins) and will be tweens sooner than I want to admit. So picking out the best gifts for tween boys is something I need to be good at. And then there is the fact that I have six nephews, and four of those have already been tweens and are now teens and grown-ups. I've done a Continue Reading >>
How to find the Best Gifts for Babies and our Favorite Baby Gifts
Babies are fun to buy for, but how can you tell if what you are buying is the best toy for a baby or just a useless piece of garbage? Ask yourself these questions - sort of a toy litmus test. 1) Is the toy interactive? Something the baby can see, touch, taste, hear, or smell? 2) Is the toy functional? Something that "holds" the baby safely and keeps his or her attention while Mom and Dad get Continue Reading >>
Best Gifts for Toddlers
With six kids and ten nieces and nephews, we've bought our fair share of toys for toddlers. Some were awesome (like Thomas the Train, for instance) and some not so much. One of the things that makes a great toddler toy is its capacity for pretend play. Can your child use this toy to pretend? If you can answer that question with a yes - you've probably made a good choice. For the most part, Continue Reading >>
25 Best Cranberry Recipes for the Holidays
Are you a fan of cranberry jelly from a can? Neither are we! That's why, a few years ago, my husband dug around on the Food Network site and found Alton Brown's cranberry dipping sauce recipe. It's delicious on turkey, rolls, or biscuits - oh my! Janice, my mother-in-law, also makes a cranberry salad that remains a requested family favorite. If you would also like to keep cranberries as part Continue Reading >>
