CHRISTmas Traditions

this year has been so fun starting new Christmas traditions. i never knew how time consuming this stinkin' little elf on the shelf would become! ha. i'm thinking next year she will just spill something on the floor everyday. the boys would probably enjoy that anyway.

besides elf on the shelf, we started The Sparkle Box. my mom went to a church and the author was there speaking about what "sparked" her to write the book and got the book for the kids. this year i wanted the to combine the two traditions. this book is so awesome to teach kids about giving to others. it talks about the true meaning of Christmas which is Christ's birth and since he is a gift to us on Christmas day, we should do things to be a "gift" to others. whenever you  start the tradition, you have the kids do random acts of kindness for people, each time you do you write it on a piece of paper and put it in the sparkle box (which comes with the book.) On Christmas morning you open the box and read it to Jesus as a gift to him. i thought that was such an adorable idea! 

i got to meet the author one morning and she is such a sweetheart.

for more info you can go to

www.thesparklebox.com

you can find the book at some local stores but the best deal is on amazon.com

jojo left the boys a note and some gloves to leave at a bus stop for someone

the note said that it is fun to receive but that we should always be looking for a way to give to others.

love this cute little book.

MAMA ELF

ok, so people are asking me a bunch of questions about mama elf MOMO HOLLIS! 

i wanted to do something fun for the kids with this whole "Elf on the shelf" tradition and remembered seeing a picture of a dad on Pinterest last year that was dressed up like an elf, so i can't take credit for all of the creativity. 

i let the kids each pick a name for the elf, hunter choose JOJO and Carter choose Woody girl because he likes Woody in the movie Toy Story,and she is a girl, makes sense to me! when choosing a name for mama elf i wanted something that sounded similar to JOJO. Hollis was the second name that hunter came up with so i just needed a first name. i was going to be HoHo Hollis and then thought it wasn't appropriate for a pregnant elf, so then i picked MOMO because it sounds kinda like mom and rhymes with JOJO.

where did i get an elf on the shelf coustume?

i got the red leggings and red shirt from walmart for $11 total, the hat at big lots for $2.50 and i had red flats in my closet from Target for $2.99! for the white part i cut an old white pillow case to resemble the collar that JOJO has on.

how did i get up there?

shawn was putting the kids to bed and i decided to surprise him and be sitting on the mantel like this. i was laughing so hard trying to get up there. i had to use a chair from the dining room table and then stepped on the recliner too. i barely fit. when shawn came down the stairs he was speechless. we were laughing so hard we were crying. i had him snap a few pics before i almost fell off! haha! he then helped me get down! this morning my sis and niece came over to help me get up and get down off of the "shelf" and to tape the kid's reactions. today i also had the baby's kitchen set to rest my feet on to help support me when i was sitting!

 

how did the kids react? 

the baby just stared at me! she was like "what is going on?" and was looking all around so serious!

hunter was the second one up, he came down the stairs and looked at me then sat down and just stared for seriously 5 minutes! i was trying to talk to him but he looked freaked out more than anything! i would be freaked out too! shawn just got home and as soon as he walked in the door hunter said "guess what daddy? mommy was sitting on the mantel when i woke up this morning and i was scared. 

i thought she was a real elf!"

carter came down next and he was so serious. all he said was, "mom, you don't look cool! you so weird!" 

let's just say that the adults might of thought it was way cooler than the kids!!! :)

how did LIVE with Kelly and Michael get my pic?

it was about 20 minutes till 10:00 this morning, and i always tivo the show and watch it later because the kids are watching cartoons. i thought i'll send this in to the show quick, it would be fun if they put it on, but they have never put anything on that i have ever sent in and its so late in the show! so about 9:53 my friend megan called and left me a message and said, "i hope you are watching Kelly and Michael because your on it!" i called her back right away, went to my tivo and turned it on and started screaming!!!! it was so crazy seeing myself on there! so fun!

i was holding tic tacs we planted in sugar that grew into candy canes overnight.

fun times! MOMO will probably be back next year...minus the baby bump!

here is the clip of Kelly and Michael:

simply give: the glove give

i thought this quote was really awesome for this upcoming week:

Let's not only give thanks, but give others a reason to be thankful.

it is stinkin' freezing outside in ohio. i always feel so bad for the people  i see walking up and down the streets and sitting at bus stops.

so, hunter and i decided to do something about it today! 

carter wanted to stay warm in his jammies so he didn't come with us. {and this busy mama had no time for make-up, so no judging people,wink}

we took an hour to go to the store and pick out 6 pairs of gloves (we already had two), we made a note and enclosed it with the gloves in a Ziploc baggie. we then looked for bus stops and benches that we see people waiting at for the bus and dropped off our gloves.  it became almost a "game" for Hunter....he loved scoping out the streets and would yell "look mom" when he found a bench. 

our note said:

 here are some gloves to keep you nice and warm, 

through this cold weather and winter storm.

may God bless you and fill your heart with cheer,

to pass onto others all through the year.

{yes, that was made up by yours truly, haha. that was the best i could do}

we left 6 pairs at the first bus stop, and took the other two to other benches we found.

this was so much fun to do. Hunter would run up to a bench, put the gloves down and would run back to the car with the biggest smile on his face. 

in between the stops i would talk to him on why we were doing this. i was telling him that he is so blessed to have a warm house and a warm car to drive in, and some people don't have either or even a pair of gloves to keep them warm. 

i encourage you to involve your kids in giving this holiday season{and all through the year}. not only does it teach them the importance of giving but it also makes them realize how blessed they are.

make sure and make time to make somoene's day through this busy week. whether it's dropping off some gloves to a bus stop on thanksgiving day, giving up a front row parking spot on black Friday {ahhh, don't know if i could really do that, haha}, buying someone's coffee behind you, or as corney as it sounds, just be extra nice and smile at people. 

i had to share this pic with you, these sweet boys took time to rake their aunt's leaves a few weeks ago. at the time the pic was taken, they were going on 3 hours of raking and without complaining! such sweethearts and what a great way to involve your kids in showing kindness to others. thanks for letting me share this christy! p.s. since the snow started falling the past week, look for an opportunity to send your kids to the neighbors to start shoveling! 

pillow talk.....

there isn't a better feeling then waking up to my hubby and actually being able to have a conversation in bed. this is one of the reasons why i love getting away with just him. how often do you really get to talk to your spouse without the kids busting in the room.  i can not tell you how many people have said  "you are leaving your kids for a week?"

yes. we left our kids for a week...to spend time together, uninterrupted. there is no sharing our food, no schedule around nap time, no wiping butts in the middle of dinner {which is oh so appetizing}, it's just he and i doing whatever we want.

i get that it's not everyone's cup of tea to leave their kids for a week, but i think having some alone time is essential in having a successful marriage. i know as a mom its easy to get wrapped up in our kids. we build our life around them, which is a good thing...as long as you are building it around your hubby too. when i hear people talk about not wanting to leave their kids or "its been 4 years since we have been overnight together, i could never leave my kid"  i am thinking to myself  "do you forget the reason you have your sweet babe? your husband."

i do have to say we have been blessed with wonderful parents that encourage us to get away, and if you have the same take them up on their offer. your kids will literally be spoiled by them and might not even notice you are gone!!! our parents are both doing so many fun things with them that it totally eases my mind and lets me relax.

i encourage you to get away , even if it's for one night. and really "getting away" might be shipping the kids off to mimi and papa's for the night and relaxing in your own home "away" from the kids. it is so good for your marriage. it shows your husband he is a priority, and your kids that mommy/daddy time is important.

it's so nice being together

just a little marriage humor for you :)

SIMPLY GIVE: THE $20 GIVE

a few years back i did a thirty day give, which was a ton of fun but i wanted to make things simple this november
 {mainly because i don't have time to blog every night with 3 crazy kids running around}

if you are looking for a way to be a blessing this november, set a budget on how much you can give and see how people you can bless, spending only that amount.  i picked the amount of $20 and would like to show you how many ways you can give with it, even if you literally only have 25 cents to give.

i know that people are in so many different financial situations and may see different things about giving to others and think "i have no extra money to give. things are so tight." i was delighted to see a friends post on Facebook the other night, about how things are tough for her and she literally didn't have the money in her budget to help someone but she did anyway. she was at the grocery store and the lady in front of her didn't have enough money for her groceries, she herself had just enough money for her own. without even thinking she took out her debit card and paid for the lady's groceries. 
after the fact, i had messaged her to see if i could share her story, she told me the money she used was allotted for their cable bill, but they would go without it  this month. she walked away.... on top of the world and had commented that the  "high" you get from helping someone is the best feeling ever. 

more people need to be like this. that's why i am encouraging you to do whatever you can this month to put a smile on someones face or really be a blessing to someone in need. and even though we don't give to get, i really believe you always get blessed back!

i am going to continue to spend my $20 through the month, but here are some examples of what the kids and i have done so far.....

donated a $1 to st jude's

the boys each left 25 cents in a candy machine for the next kid that came thru

i always let the kids get one thing for themselves. i think it's important to let them know its ok to want things for yourself but you should always want to bless others too.

{spent 50 cents}

i left a quarter in my shopping cart at aldi. i have been doing this since i started shopping there. i am always digging in the bottom of my purse when i get there to find one! it drives me crazy, haha!

{spent 25 cents}

don't mind my kids cheesy smiles and the clothes they picked out themselves.... we took flowers and a sympathy card to our  neighbors who just lost an uncle that they were really close to.

{spent $5}

today, i paid for the person behind me at dunkin! 

if you do this and don't want to risk the person's order behind you being over  a certain amount, you could just purchase a $5 gift card for the cashier to give them towards their order! i did that one time last year because there was no one behind me and it turns out a high school friend's friend got it and posted about it on facebook! such a small world!

{spent $4}

we bought gloves at marc's to leave at a sarta bus stop to keep someone's hands nice and toasty. i got the adult pair for $2 and the child's pair for $1. i always see people walking down the road or huddled in a bus stop when it's cold. some of them with out hats and gloves. the boys and i may go back and buy some more pairs and take a weekend to deliver these to any bus top we see sometime in december.

 {spent $3}

ok, so total, i spent about $13.75

and gave in 7 different ways. 

see how far you can stretch your giving budget to bless people over the holiday season and get your kids involved!! this goes to show you no amount is too small. the next few weeks, the kids and i will see how far our remaining $6.25 can go!

SIMPLY GIVE: OPERATION GWENS HOUSE

i bet your basements and closets are packed full of holiday decor!  i know mine are! it's time to give some of that stuff away that you never even put out! just think, by giving away your gently used Christmas decorations, it will leave more space for new ones this year! (wink)

a friend of mine recently took on an amazing task. she partnered with TRY ministries and opened GWENS house. it is a safe, christian, three bedroom home where women coming out of addictions and or prison can transition into a new life in Christ. GWENS house focuses on teaching these women employment skills, life skills and applying the Bible to their everyday life. Jill sees these ladies so valuable and she is grateful for the opportunity to help them rebuild their lives.

GWENS house is financially supported by 

TRULY REACHING YOU (TRY)  ministries,

 a non profit 501c3 in Akron OHIO.

www.trulyreachingyou.com

why is this sweet friend of mine so passionate about helping these women? well, in 2001, while in prison, God completely restored her life, she received Christ through the prison ministry at faith family church. then in 2008 she decided to go back into the prisons to testify about what JESUS can do when you surrender your life to him. along with prison ministry , jill partnered with TRY and opened GWENS house.

Jill Sullivan

so, what can you do? you can donate your gently used Christmas decor to make sure these gals feel nice and cozy in a winter wonderland! we are in need of a Christmas tree, lights, ornaments, a wreath for the front door, wreath hanger, stockings, stocking hangers, and any other cute decor that could spread the Christmas cheer!

there are currently 3 ladies staying there, so along with stockings, it would be awesome if a few people would take on getting stocking stuffers for each of the ladies! some ideas for items that would be greatly appreciated are: shampoo, conditioner, nail polish, body lotions and sprays, slippers, cozy socks, make-up bag, chap stick, and pretty much anything girly!

if you can help in anyway, please e-mail me at ajlaps84@hotmail.com with subject line GWENS house, or contact me on facebook! 

thanks for being such a blessing and for helping make these ladies feel extra special this holiday season!

SIMPLY GIVE: OPERATION ST.NICHOLAS

it's that time of year again when we hear about giving,giving, giving. i love it. people who may not give all year round, start doing it by donating $1 here or there, or buying toys for tots, and you may even get your coffee paid for one morning by a complete stranger!

well, i know thanksgiving is right around the corner, which is an awesome time to reflect on all we have to be grateful for. family .friends. health .a warm cozy house, and in no way do i want people to think i am skipping over that but we all know the Christmas music will be starting, and the sale ads will be out. 

i remember when i was a little girl, Christmas time would come around and at times it was a bit {ok,  a lot} stressful for my parents buying for 8 kids. one year in particular i can remember , my dad lost his job. my parents started to freak out, but knew God would provide. it was a cozy snowy night when all of us kids were sitting around and our door bell rang. my mom went to the door and saw a beautiful wrapped box sitting on the porch and someone running down the street. she brought the box in and all of us kids were gathered around waiting to see what was in it....she pulled out $100, then another, then another, until there were five $100 bills in her hand. it was amazing!!!!!

to me, looking back that was one of the most memorable Christmas to me. that someone who still to this day we do not know who it was, would give us $500. i want to be a giver like that. it brings me to this.... i know that our kids are all about Santa! which is so super fun, but each year at Christmas i tell the kids why there is a santa. 

the true story of Santa began with a man name saint nicholas. he was raised in a very wealthy family, and was taught to give to people in need. he also had a great love for children. he actually spent his whole inheritance from his parents assisting people in need, sick or suffering. after he died, a fiction character was made up named santa, representing him and a man who loved to give. i think its so important to tell kids that story. make it age appropriate and maybe leave out "santa clause died" lol! :-) but just tell your kids that "santa" likes to give to them and they should want to give to others too! encourage them to be like st nicholas and start teaching them to give in their own way (which will be a post coming up)

ok, with this all being said....i would like anyone who feels led to help me complete 

OPERATION ST. NICHOLAS

i have a friend who's husband has epilepsy. he missed a lot of work at the beginning of last year, which made them behind on their bills. she got a great job but as soon as they started to catch up, she got laid off along with a lot of other people at her job. they have 4 children Alyssa age 11,Ethan age 8, Emily age 4 and Aubrey just turned one. i knew a little bit of her situation  and contacted her to see if she would allow me to post this. presently her kids need new warm clothes for winter.  even though someone could be behind on so many bills, i know how much you want your kids to have a great Christmas  i had her ask the kids what they wanted and also got their sizes in clothes. i'll post the list below, if you feel like you want to help in any way, you can contact me through a facebook message or comment below. if you would like to send them money, i can send you their address so you can mail it directly to them or if you wish to remain anonymous, you can give it to me to give to them. if you make handmade things and want to donate, if you have a business and can get people to chip in, if you offer any services and want to be  a blessing, that would be awesome!

Christmas list:

Alyssa- Age 11

Tablet

Craft sets

Eiffel Tower Decorations

MP3 Player

Giftcards

Size 10-12 in Shirts

Size 7-8 in Pants

Size 4 in shoes

Ethan- Age 8

Tablet

Skylanders

Xbox Skylanders swap

Matchbox cars and Track sets

Giftcards

Size 7 in Shirts and Pants

Size 1 in Shoes

Emily- Age 5 (in a few weeks)

Tablet

Barbies

Playdough

Dress up stuff

American Dolls (the knock off ones...or real, wink)

Craft things

Giftcards

Size 6x in Shirts and Pants

Size 11 in shoes

Aubrey-

Typical Baby Toys :)

i know this is super early to talk about Christmas but i figure the sooner this stuff is bought, the more stress-free this sweet family can be. i would like to request that gifts are not wrapped. part of the fun at Christmas is wrapping your kids gifts.

thank you all so much!