Sexy Bandz Review and Giveaway!

Okay, I'm going out with a BANG this year! I'm stepping completely out of my PG-rated box and am going to tell you about some great adult-themed party favors for New Year's Eve and adult birthdays. Notice the word "adult" mentioned over and over. Hey, we parents need to have some fun sometime, don't we?

You know the latest craze - Silly Bandz! - that all of the kids are making us buy everywhere we go? The little rubber band bracelets that all have their own special shape...

Well, Sexy Bandz has come up with their own rendition...and they glow in the dark! I'd love to incorporate images, but I'm still trying to keep this as PG-rated as possible. Let's just say that the name of one of the 12 different shapes is "Lonely Night"...you can imagine what that looks like (and you can head over to the website to check out the shapes for yourself!)

Each packet includes 12 different shapes with adult themes and cost $4.99. I think that they are pretty hilarious.

They are also latex free and hypoallergenic, so you'll have fun wearing them without worry that they will irritate your skin.

Win It!

Want your own party favors that will definitely stir up some gossip?

Sexy Bandz has offered to give away a package of their adult-themed rendition of Silly Bandz to a Mommy Rantings follower with a good sense of humor. ;)


Mandatory entry: Go to the My Sexy Bandz website and tell me something else about their products (let's keep it rated PG - I can't wait to see what you say!).

The winner MUST be a Mommy Rantings follower to win the giveaway.

Extra entries:

1) "Like" Mommy Rantings on Facebook. (2 entries) (right hand column of blog)

2) Follow QueenBMomma on Twitter. (2 entries) (left hand column of blog)

3) Blog about this giveaway - tell me your blog's URL (3 entries).

4) Tweet this giveaway (you can do this once per day!) (1 entry per tweet -leave twitter name)

5) Grab my button and put it on your blog (leave the link) (3 entries)

6) Update your Facebook status with this giveaway. (2 entries)

7) Subscribe via email (2 entries)

Winners will be chosen through Random.org and the winning entries will be validated (I will make sure that you did the mandatory entry and the entry # that is chosen. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN ONE OF YOUR ENTRIES. RUNNING AROUND THE INTERNET TRACKING DOWN WINNERS IS NO FUN!

Thank you to Sexy Bandz for sponsoring this giveaway! This giveaway will end on Jan 15th, 2011 at midnight EST. I will contact the winners by email and they will have 24 hours to respond before the runner up is chosen. Good luck!

I received a product for the purpose of review. I did not receive monetary compensation. All opinions are expressly mine. ;)

Lots To Say Baby Products Review and Giveaway!

Out of 6 children, believe it or not, I have never had a child who was attached to a pacifier....until now. Maybe it's because I didn't really buy into them myself - or maybe it's because we were always losing them and they become more inconvenient than they were helpful.

I thought that Lots To Say Baby pacifiers were the most adorable things on Earth when I saw them! The one that I was sent to review was the "Pull to Sound Alarm" one. My kids had to think about what the words really meant, but when they figured it out, we all got a laugh as Dakoda ran around the house with the pacifier in his mouth. The kids kept saying, "Pull it so we can hear the alarm!"

We had a fun time sounding the alarm throughout the day...and still like to "Put the plug in" and then pull it to see what happens!

I thought this one was cute, too:

History

In a sleep deprived state and desperate to hear her 3 month old JUST SAY SOMETHING, Erin Wilson came up wit the ultimate idea...pacifiers with sayings on them! She must have been REALLY sleep deprived (we all know how that is!), because her first thought was a 3 month old saying "Hi" and then she came up with the plan..."that would be funny on a pacifier!" And, so the story goes...

Buy It:

You can find these adorable pacifiers at Lots To Say Baby or...

Win It!

Lots To Say Baby has offered to giveaway their super cute pacifiers to two Mommy Rantings followers! One will receive the Snooze Button Pink and Hi White pacifiers and the other will receive the Hi Red and Volume Control Blue. Be sure to let me know which ones will "match" your boy or girl the best so that I can try to appropriately allocate to the winners!

How can you win???

Mandatory entry: Go to the Lots to Say Baby website and tell me something else about their products.

The winner MUST be a Mommy Rantings follower to win the giveaway.

Extra entries:

1) "Like" Mommy Rantings on Facebook. (2 entries) (right hand column of blog)
2) Follow QueenBMomma on Twitter. (2 entries) (left hand column of blog)

3) Blog about this giveaway - tell me your blog's URL (3 entries).

4) Tweet this giveaway (you can do this once per day!) (1 entry per tweet -leave twitter name)

5) Grab my button and put it on your blog (leave the link) (3 entries)

6) Update your Facebook status with this giveaway. (2 entries)

7) Subscribe via email (2 entries)

8) Like Lots to Say Baby on Facebook.

9) Follow Lots To Say Baby on Twitter.

Winners will be chosen through Random.org and the winning entries will be validated (I will make sure that you did the mandatory entry and the entry # that is chosen. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN ONE OF YOUR ENTRIES. RUNNING AROUND THE INTERNET TRACKING DOWN WINNERS IS NO FUN!

Thank you to Lots to Say Baby for sponsoring this giveaway! This giveaway will end on Jan 14th, 2011 at midnight EST. I will contact the winners by email and they will have 24 hours to respond before the runner up is chosen. Good luck!

I received a product for the purpose of review. I did not receive monetary compensation. All opinions are expressly mine -and my children's and husband's. ;)

So Easy Baby Food Kit Review and GIVEAWAY! CLOSED

My apologies for not putting up any giveaways this week - as promised. Today, I'm feeling a little behind on sleep and a lot behind on energy. But, I'm still going to work on fulfilling a promise or two this week. :)

I was very excited when Fresh Baby offered to send me their So Easy baby food kit! As a mom, I think anything that makes life easier for us is super cool. People can downplay the job of a "stay-at-home mom", but I say, "Spend a day in my shoes and you'll be begging for you day job back!"

There are so many creative and innovative moms out there who have already come up with their own baby food making system, but for those of us who HAVE NOT, Fresh Baby has created a kit for you! Inside the handy-dandy box that is perfect to keep it all in when you are storing the items, you will find a cookbook, two freezer trays, a how-to DVD and a nutrition card.

The 118 page cookbook includes more than 40 recipes, how to introduce solid foods to your baby and age-appropriate suggestions for servings. The freezer trays, of course, are to make the perfect serving sizes for your baby - these even come with covers for safe food storage. The DVD is a great guide for making baby food, serving it, and selecting different produce for your little one. The nutrition card is - waterproof! - more than just a nutrition card; it has wonderful tips is the prefect quick-reference guide for the kitchen.

It only takes 30 minutes to make foods for your little one with this kit! I love the idea because it is healthy for babies and time-saving for moms. The time you could spend shopping in the baby aisle for the jar food could be spent at home making healthy, preservative-free food for your child!

I also came up with an idea I can use for the older kids in the house, too with this kit. You can also make some neat popsicles with these trays for the older children. Imagine the different types of good-food popsicles you can create! (And, they'll never be the wiser!)

The So Easy baby food kit retails on the Fresh Baby website for only $37.95, but...

Win It!

Fresh Baby is offering one lucky Mommy Rantings follower the So Easy baby food kit, right here!

How to win:


Mandatory entry: Go to the Fresh Baby and tell me something else about their products.

The winner MUST be a Mommy Rantings follower to win the giveaway.

Extra entries:

1) "Like" Mommy Rantings on Facebook. (2 entries) (right hand column of blog)
2) Follow QueenBMomma on Twitter. (2 entries) (left hand column of blog)

3) Blog about this giveaway - tell me your blog's URL (3 entries).

4) Tweet this giveaway (you can do this once per day!) (1 entry per tweet -leave twitter name)

5) Grab my button and put it on your blog (leave the link) (3 entries)

6) Update your Facebook status with this giveaway. (2 entries)

7) Subscribe via email (2 entries)

8) Like Fresh Baby on Facebook.

9) Follow Fresh Baby on Twitter.

Winners will be chosen through Random.org and the winning entries will be validated (I will make sure that you did the mandatory entry and the entry # that is chosen. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN ONE OF YOUR ENTRIES. RUNNING AROUND THE INTERNET TRACKING DOWN WINNERS IS NO FUN!

Thank you to Fresh Baby for sponsoring this giveaway! This giveaway will end on Jan 12th, 2011 at midnight EST. I will contact the winners by email and they will have 24 hours to respond before the runner up is chosen. Good luck!

I received a product for the purpose of review. I did not receive monetary compensation. All opinions are expressly mine -and my children's and husband's. ;)

What Are Your Kid's New Year Resolutions?

What Is Your New Year Resolution?

It didn't really cross my mind until today, as I was reading through other people's blogs (call it "catching up" after being consumed in so many other things) and bumped into a whole bunch of New Year Resolutions that everyone is making...or thinking of making in their blog posts. :)

I haven't made a New Year Resolution this year.

I can't believe I forgot.

It's that time of year that we all think about starting over - like being handed a new chance at life. I guess I need to hurry up and figure out what I'm going to accomplish this year...I have about 48 hours until the ball drops to get this straight.

And then I thought, You know, I should ask my kids what their New Year Resolutions are.

On New Year's Eve, we'll watch Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest, as usual. The kids will pass out along the way through the evening hours. (I bet the oldest two will make it to midnight, no problem this year.)

Why not have a family fun round of resolutions? (Not that they last very long...but that's another blog post.) Look, I don't know about you, but I'm not going to pay a babysitter armloads of money to watch my kids this year so that I can go out...so, we're going to make the best of New Year's Eve as a family. We'll get some yummy New Year's Eve snacks together, watch the craziness happening in New York City...

 

And come up with some hopeful resolutions together.

Doesn't that sound like fun?

Thanks and Upcoming Review

I want to say a big THANKS to all who had little Dylan in their prayers. Today went as smoothly as any surgery day can go - and he was soooo brave! To be quite honest, I can say that Dylan was braver than I...which doesn't give him as much credit as he is due.

Although he is in quite a bit of pain right now, it's all downhill from here. We're so glad that the surgery went well and are blessed that he was in your thoughts and prayers!

Onto more...


SheBlogs.org



I'm proud to announce that Mommy Rantings has been accepted ("after careful review", according to the email from Julie Wohlberg, the founder of Sheblogs) into the Sheblogs "community of influential female bloggers" (again, according to the email)! This is exciting for Mommy Rantings followers, because the more opportunities that Mommy Rantings receives, the more that are shared with YOU!

Upcoming Review

Finally, for today, I want to mention that I will be doing a review for NaturalSkinShop.com, thanks to Mommy Rantings' induction into SheBlogs.org. I have chosen to review the Alpha Beta Daily Exfoliator Kit: Salicylic 2% 2oz, Glycolic 10% 2oz, Hyaluronic Moisturizer 1oz, Glycolic Cleanser 4oz.

So, look forward to that in the upcoming weeks! 


Thanks for the support, love and prayers!


 

New Year's Eve Drinks For Kids

Why Do The Adults Get To Have All The Fun?

When you're toasting in the New Year the night before, the children should be able to make their own toasts, too, right? If you haven't created this easy New Year's Eve tradition before, it's time to make a new resolution! Get the kids involved, let them make some New Year Resolutions and give them a super cool and yummy drink to toast with.


Here's some quick ideas:

New Year's Eve Punch

2 c cranberry juice
1 c orange juice
1/2 c pineapple juice
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c water
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp almond extract

In a Kool-Aid type pitcher, mix the ingredients and serve on ice. Yields 4 cups.

Resolution Slushies
1 can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 pt pineapple juice
3 ripe bananas or other choice of fruit
Mix ingredients in pitcher. Put the pitcher in the freezer until the mixture is slushy. Drop 5 - 6 Tablespoons (or more, if desired) into a wine glass and add ginger ale. Serve as is.

AND MY FAVORITE!

Shirley Temples

This is quick and simple. Buy some Grenadine. Pour a glass of your choice of clear sodas (7-up, Sprite, etc.) - this makes the drink bubbly! Pour enough Grenadine in the clear soda to color it light pink-ish. The more Grenadine you add, the cherrier it tastes. Then, add a cherry (or two...or three or four - if you're my own kids) and a lemon, lime or an orange slice.

If you have any great drink ideas for kids, leave a comment! I would love to try your ideas!

Enjoy!

Preparing Children for Surgery: A Prayer Request

The day has finally approached and I think mom is more nervous than Dylan. After months and months of waiting and one re-schedule, little Dylan will finally get his surgery that is long overdue (tomorrow - December 29, 2010). I know that God has our little guy in his hands and that everything should go just fine, but there's always room for prayer.

I have held several little talks with Dylan to "prepare" him for the day and he is being so brave! He knows that the doctors are going to "fix" him and he says that he is ready to be a big boy and show how brave his is tomorrow.

I'm not sure if there is a "real" way to prepare a child for surgery, but even at three years old, Dylan understands that he needs surgery to "fix" him.

Here are my recommendations if you ever need to prepare your child for surgery, even at a very young age:

Preparing Your Child For Surgery

• Talk to your child. Explain the problem on their level and ask if they have any questions. 
• Answer their questions to the best of your ability and try to dispel any fears that they have.
• Assure your child that you will be with them all the way through. Let them know that they will not be alone, at any point of the surgery (even if you can't physically be right next to them during the surgery, you will be there for the parts that they will actually remember.)
• Allow your child to express their feelings and talk through their fears.
• Dispel their fear of pain by telling them that the surgery is to make them better, not worse.
• Some children think that they are getting punished for being bad, rather than getting surgery to fix an issue. Make sure that this misconception is cleared up and that your child completely understands why they need the surgery, to the best of your abilities.
• Read them books about surgery and hospitalization. Here are some suggestions:

Fred Rogers. Going to the Hospital. G.P. Putnam's Sons, Inc., 1988
Deborah Hautzig. A Visit to the Sesame Street Hospital. Random House, Inc., 1985
Sara Bonnett Stein. A Hospital Story. Walker and Company, 1974

• You and your child can participate in a hospital tour prior to the surgery. This may or may not be good for your child. It can cause even more anxiety and seem overwhelming, so the decision whether or not to participate in one of these tours is up to you, the parent.
• Most of all, give your child lots of hugs, kisses and reassurance that you will be with them through the whole process. Make them feel special and loved.
• On the day of surgery, be sure to bring anything your child uses for security; a blanket, a pillow or a favorite stuffed animal. This will come in handy after the surgery is over.

Good luck if you ever need to go through surgery with your child. Send me a message and I will say a prayer for you.

God bless you for your prayers!

The Parent's Guide to the Ultimate Babysitter's Checklist

With the New Year quickly approaching, some of you parents are scurrying to find a babysitter so you can go out and enjoy a night out on the town. Or, maybe you already found one!

If you're on top of your game, you lined up your New Year's Eve babysitter months ago - before they made their own plans! (I'm not going to be going out this year, FYI. I'm staying home and spending time with the kids - watching the ball drop and everyone partying not too many hours from here, in the big NYC. Maybe next year, we'll get brave and head out there!)

Peace of Mind

We all know, as parents, that when we leave our children with a babysitter, we would love to know, deep down in our hearts, that they are in good hands. When it comes all the way down to it, we want to know that everything is going to go smoothly and we can go out and enjoy ourselves without worrying about what is happening back home.

I Was A Babysitter - Many moons ago!

Babysitting is the "job" that I did for many years, starting at the age of 12, to make money. I loved it! The parents who left me with a list of resources and "rules" helped me feel more in charge. I felt like I understood the "ropes" and was able to handle issues that came up by referring to the pre-made list that the parent left me. You'll want to leave a quick guideline explaining the food, meals and snacks that the kids can eat, how-to's for electronics, allergies, television rules, bedtime routines, and everything else!

Here is a fairly comprehensive list to think about (for anytime of the year) when creating your babysitter checklist:

The Checklist

At the top of the list would be the important phone numbers:

• Your cell phone number
• Any other emergency numbers
• Poison Control 1-800-222-1222
• A neighbor or relative's phone number (in case you are unreachable - you never know when your cell phone won't get service)
• Write down your address at the top of the list, too. This is just in case of an emergency - your babysitter will be able to relay the address quickly, if need be.

 The Rules

1) Outdoor play and friends: can the children have friends over? Are they allowed to play in a neighbor's yard? Where? When do they have to come in? Is the babysitter allowed to have friends over? How many? Who?

2) Phone, Television, Games, and Computer - should the babysitter answer the phone? What are your rules for the television, games, and computer for both the children and the babysitter? How long can they use them? What channels/Internet sites are acceptable? What are the rules for the phone?

3) Meals and snacks - what can the children/babysitter eat? What should they not eat? Are there any allergies? How much can they eat? Where are they supposed to eat?

3) Appliances and technology - leave instructions that explain how to use appliances and technology, such as the DVD players, the stove, microwave and alarm system. Is it okay to adjust the temperature in the house? How?

4) Discipline - how do you want the babysitter to discipline your children when they misbehave?

5) Is there a first aid kit and a flashlight? Where? (sunscreen and bug spray during the summer)

6) Which rooms in the house are off-limits to the children/babysitter?

7) Medications - are the children on any meds? When do they need to be given? Are there any side effects that the babysitter should look out for?

8) Pool rules (If you have a pool, it won't be an issue in most places on New Year's Eve, but during the summer...) - make sure you let the babysitter know the rules of the pool and whether or not you are comfortable with them letting the kids get in while you are gone. Are friends allowed? (I would suggest the pool be off limits, but that's just my opinion).

9) Pets - If you have pets, let your babysitter know whether or not they can be let inside (or outside) and make sure they are fed and watered before you leave.


10) Bedtime - when should the kids start their bedtime routine? What is their bedtime routine? (Brush teeth, baths, medications) Do they need assistance with getting ready for bed? Do they have a blankie, pillow or teddy bear that they bring to bed for security? Where do they sleep? Is it okay to sleep somewhere else? Is the babysitter allowed to go to sleep (if you are going to be out late)?

I recommend taping this list to the fridge or the inside of a cabinet for easy reference and if you type it up and save it on your computer, you can always update it easily as needed.


If you have any other ideas or if I've managed to leave anything off of this oh-so-very-important list, please feel free to leave a comment!



Have a safe night out!

Me & Goji Review

I had the absolute pleasure of trying the Me & Goji make-your-own (nutritious) artisanal cereal. The system on the website is pretty neat! It gives you recommendations every step of the way that tell you: "Most people choose 2-3 items in this group" or "Most people choose 4-5 items from this group". This way, you have the right amount of each grouping to make the cereal come out evenly mixed (I think).

You can pick your own ingredients, name your own cereal and save it for the next time you want to order! They even ship it to you FREE! (From New Hampshire, where I was born.)

Ultimately, the idea behind Me & Goji is to create your own nutritious cereal (or snack food), and I LOVE the idea! I have a handful of junk-food junkie children, who love their sugar-coated cereals...so, I wondered what they would think of the Designed-By-Mom cereal that I created. I chose quite a few dried fruits, some granola, oats, chocolate chips (apparently, they are good for you - LOL) and made quite the mixture. I think that the dried fruits put just enough "sugary" flavor in the cereal, because - believe it or not - the children LOVED it!

First, they tried it without milk, and their reaction was "Yum!"

But, my oldest said, "I think it would taste even better with milk, like cereal." So, they tried it with milk.

My children ate healthy food again! And, they liked it!

If you are bored with the cereal that you find at the stores and would like to try making your own cereal, I suggest you take a trip to Me & Goji and check it out for yourself! They have their own neat containers (see above pic). What's even better? If you don't like the cereal that you create (which, in my opinion, would be dumb, because you pick what you want in it), they'll allow you to create another cereal of your own choosing. How's that for customer service???

They also post some stats on the site:

Thank you, Me & Goji, for giving me the opportunity to try your cereal! The kids (and I) really did like it! (I guess I chose just the right ingredients for my spoiled, sugar-loving children!)

I received a full-sized sampling of my own making in order to write this review. I was not paid any compensation; the opinions in this post were REAL and expressly those of mine and my children.

Warmly Yours Infinity Towel Warmer Review

Warmly Yours sent me a marvelous towel warmer! It came just in time for Christmas!
And, with a jacuzzi tub in the bathroom, the only thing that was missing was something to warm my towels with. "Luxurious items" are not items that I normally splurge on, being a mom of 6 - I'm usually focusing my time and MONEY on the kids, so I was extremely excited when the towel warmer showed up on the doorstep!

The towel warmer that you see pictured above is the Infinity - the one that I received! Along with your towel warmer, you also receive 24-hour installation help - something that I did not have to use, because I have such a wonderful handyman of a husband, who figured it out just fine with the detailed instructions that came with it.

They have several different towel warmers to choose from, that range in prices for those that need to stay in the "economical" bracket.

If you are planning on a luxurious make-over for your home, Warmly Yours will also work with you on a plan. They have some super-cool items, from floor-heating to snow-melting to comfort products (like the towel warmers). When my kids are grown and moved out (not to rush the process, because I will be sad when they are grown), I definitely plan to deck out the house with the luxury and comfort that Warmly Yours offers.

The Trial

I definitely took the "birthday bath" to start my birthday off, the day before Christmas. (Oh, did I neglect to mention my birthday? I was trying to skip it this year and stay a year younger!) Back on track...when I stepped out of the jacuzzi tub, I was greeted with a soothingly warm towel - what a way to start the day!

If you love sitting in the lap of luxury, adding a Warmly Yours towel warmer to your bathroom is a great way to experience the world of "Pampered Luxury". Especially if you're a mom and the only "me-time" is when you get to relax in the bath tub. As a mom of 6, I can't think of anything better than being greeted with a warm towel after a relaxing bath. Can you?

I received a product for the purpose of review. I did not receive monetary compensation. All opinions are expressly mine -and my children's and husband's. ;)

Boogie Wipes Review and Giveaway! CLOSED!

I'm experiencing quite the holiday hangover! Kids were checking to see if Santa came throughout the night, making it tremendously exhausting! We finally decided to celebrate Christmas at 4 am! My feet are dragging and my head is working verrry slooooowwww.


But, I've decided to carry on the holiday through the New Year by giving away many, many more gifts! This one came late in the mail and was supposed to be part of the holiday gift guide - I received it two days before Christmas, however...I can assure you that these are items that will be needed throughout the winter!

Today's gift is Boogie Wipes. I have to admit that I thought the name was quirky - but, for marketing purposes (and my children's sense of humor), the name suits just fine. They came at just the right time, too, with sniffly noses running around the house. I had a pretty yucky sinus infection myself!

Do you get tired of those paper tissues when your nose is red and sore? Do you feel bad wiping your poor little one's red nose when it looks so sore?

Boogie Wipes is the answer! They truly soothe those red, sore noses! They are made to dissolve mucus, they moisturize with Vitamin E, chamomile and aloe, they're alcohol free and hypoallergenic! They are also made with natural saline. So, you can stop feeling bad when you wipe your little one's nose.

I loved them! They left my nose feeling moisturized and helped to clear up that nasty sinus infection! Boogie Wipes definitely has a new Mom on board! I'll be buying these for my kids when they have sinus issues!

GIVEAWAY!

Boogie Wipes has offered to 2 winners here at Mommy Rantings:

1) A 30-count package of Boogie Wipes
2) A handful of other samples to try out
3) And coupons for when you need more!

What do you need to do to win???

Mandatory entry: Go to the Boogie Wipes site and tell me something else about Boogie Wipes that I did not mention.

The winner MUST be a Mommy Rantings follower to win the giveaway.

Extra entries:

1) "Like" Mommy Rantings on Facebook. (2 entries) (right hand column of blog)
2) Follow QueenBMomma on Twitter. (2 entries) (left hand column of blog)

3) Blog about this giveaway - tell me your blog's URL (3 entries).

4) Tweet this giveaway (you can do this once per day!) (1 entry per tweet -leave twitter name)

5) Grab my button and put it on your blog (leave the link) (3 entries)

6) Update your Facebook status with this giveaway. (2 entries)

7) Subscribe via email (2 entries)

8) Like Boogie Wipes on Facebook.

9) Follow Boogie Wipes on Twitter.

Winners will be chosen through Random.org and the winning entries will be validated (I will make sure that you did the mandatory entry and the entry # that is chosen. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN ONE OF YOUR ENTRIES. RUNNING AROUND THE INTERNET TRACKING DOWN WINNERS IS NO FUN!

Thank you to Boogie Wipes for sponsoring this giveaway! This giveaway will end on Jan 6th, 2011 at midnight EST. I will contact the winners by email and they will have 24 hours to respond before the runner up is chosen. Good luck!

I received a product for the purpose of review. I did not receive monetary compensation. All opinions are expressly mine -and my children's and husband's. ;) 

Coca Cola Holiday Song w/42,000 LEDs

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

 For old time's sake, I wanted to post this and wish a very Blessed and Merry Christmas to you all!

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
by Clement Clarke Moore
or Henry Livingston

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

Where is Santa? The Norad Tracker

Each year, since my kids have been old enough to understand how big the world is, we have joined the thousands of people tracking Santa Claus' travels on the Official Norad site. My kids love to see the places that he is traveling to...the North American Aerospace Defense Command has been tracking Santa for over 50 years now! (In fact, they're celebrating 55 years of tracking Santa this year!)

He moves fast! And, he's already making his trip around the world. If you've never been to this site before, you've got to start a new tradition with your kids! Hurry up and go check it out! He's already making his way around the world to deliver goodies to all of the "Good" little boys and girls!

How in the World Do They Track Santa?

According to the site:

"NORAD uses four high-tech systems to track Santa – radar, satellites, Santa Cams and fighter jets.
Tracking Santa starts with the NORAD radar system called the North Warning System. This powerful radar system consists of 47 installations strung across the northern border of North America. On December 24th, NORAD monitors the radar systems continuously for indications that Santa Claus has left the North Pole.
The moment that radar indicates Santa has lifted off, we use our second detection system. Satellites positioned in geo-synchronous orbit at 22,300 miles from the Earth’s surface are equipped with infrared sensors, which enable them to detect heat. Amazingly, Rudolph’s bright red nose gives off an infrared signature, which allows our satellites to detect Rudolph and Santa.

The third tracking system is the Santa Cam network. We began using it in 1998, which is the year we put our Santa Tracking program on the internet. Santa Cams are ultra-cool, high-tech, high-speed digital cameras that are pre-positioned at many locations around the world. NORAD only uses these cameras once a year. The cameras capture images and videos of Santa and his reindeer as they make their journey around the world.
The fourth system is made up of fighter jets. Canadian NORAD fighter pilots flying the CF-18 intercept and welcome Santa to North America. In the United States, American NORAD fighter pilots in either the F-15 or the F-16 get the thrill of flying alongside Santa and his famous reindeer: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and, of course, Rudolph."

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Reflections...

library.creativecow.net

As I sit here wondering how I'm going to "pull off" Christmas this year...(yes, I have waited until the last minute, for all of you Plan-Ahead Moms...the Christmas "wishes" that my children have change by the day!)

I think about how blessed we are to be happy, have food, and have each other to celebrate Christmas with.

I think about all of the parents who are wondering what they are going to feed their children this Christmas.

I think about the parents who are sitting beside their child in the hospital, holding their hand and wondering how much longer they will be able to look into their child's eyes and tell them that they love them.

I think about all of the parents who are trying to figure out how to keep the spirit of Christmas alive in their home with no income.

I think about the children who have lost a parent in the war.

I think about the children who have lost a parent to an illness or sickness.

I think about the families who are living in shelters - the families who have no home at all.

I think about the children who do not have parents at all to spend their holidays with.

I think about the families who might not be experiencing any of the above issues, but are struggling in some way...

And I say a prayer for everyone who is struggling this Holiday season, for whatever reason they may have woes.

I am thankful for even the smallest things this year. We have a table to eat on and food to feed our children. We will be shopping tomorrow for the items that are high on their list (no, they won't be getting EVERYTHING this year). We have each other and we will be celebrating Christmas together. That's more than a lot of families...and I'm very thankful to God for all of our blessings, no matter the size.

Take a moment to reflect on the little blessings that you receive each day and remember...no matter what your woes are, you are in someone's prayers.

Winner Announcement!

Sorry to be so late AND so short on this post, but I am so overwhelmed with Christmas only days away! The winner of the Kiss My Face products is:

Congrats, Elaine, Random.org picked lucky number 100:

Elaine said... 100

I would love to try the Kiss My Face Exfoliating Face Wash.  I will email you and you will have 24 hours to respond before I choose another winner. Thanks again, Kiss My Face and thank you to everyone who participated!

Unique Gifts 4 Women Photo Bracelet Giveaway! CLOSED!

Mommy Rantings followers...you were promised an awesome giveaway when the Mommy Rantings Facebook "Likes" reached 100...and it did, just yesterday! So, in order to say, "Thank you!" and continue to be a woman of my word, I have the giveaway ready for you!

Unique Gifts 4 Women has offered to give away one of these super cool bracelets!

It's a unique photo bracelet that you can personalize and change to your desired taste anytime that you want. No more trying to figure out which piece of jewelry is your fave anymore! And for those of you that have several children (or grandchildren) that you would like to feature on your locket necklace, but there's not enough room...well, now here you have it! Room for 6 photos!

This $38 value is going to be one lucky Mommy Rantings follower's new piece of bling for the New Year. You know the routine:
 

Mandatory entry: Go to the Unique Gifts 4 Women site and tell me what else you like there. (Maybe something for Valentine's Day?)

The winner MUST be a Mommy Rantings follower to win the giveaway.

Extra entries:

1) "Like" Mommy Rantings on Facebook. (2 entries) (right hand column of blog)
2) Follow QueenBMomma on Twitter. (2 entries) (left hand column of blog)

3) Blog about this giveaway - tell me your blog's URL (3 entries).

4) Tweet this giveaway (you can do this once per day!) (1 entry per tweet -leave twitter name)

5) Grab my button and put it on your blog (leave the link) (3 entries)

6) Update your Facebook status with this giveaway. (2 entries)


7) Subscribe via email (2 entries)

Winners will be chosen through Random.org and the winning entries will be validated (I will make sure that you did the mandatory entry and the entry # that is chosen. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN ONE OF YOUR ENTRIES. RUNNING AROUND THE INTERNET TRACKING DOWN WINNERS IS NO FUN!

Thank you to Unique Gifts 4 Women for sponsoring this giveaway! This giveaway will end on Jan 5th, 2011 at midnight EST. I will contact the winner by email and they will have 24 hours to respond before the runner up is chosen. Good luck!

Another Round of Winners!

Sorry it took so long for me to get to posting these! Things have been NUTS around here! I want to thank Random.org for helping me chose the lucky winners.

And a BIG THANK YOU to the sponsors!

So, without further ado...

The Winner of the Softlips giveaway is #57

jenn29love said... 57

Mommy Rantings follower. jenn29love@hotmail.com

The Winner of the Enjoy Lighting Flameless Candles is #15

Alison said... 15

I think I am following everyone on everything. I would love the chance to receive these candles. I just love candles!! I love the fact that they have flameless candles for when you have little ones around and also for people who have pets.

The Winner of the Hickory Farms Gift Box is #113

Elaine said... 113

I'm a follower

The Winner of the Udderly Smooth products is #73

pmj said... 73

GFC follower 2 pjames330 at aol dot com

The Winner of the Gourmet Gift Baskets Santa's Midnight Snack is #54

MangaCruiser said... 54

following you on twitter. @goodenuf4oats CONGRATS TO ALL OF YOU! MERRY CHRISTMAS (but, at this point in time, don't expect them to get to you by Christmas...more like Happy New Year?) You have 24 hours to contact me...I am working on emailing you all for your shipping addresses!

The Family Meeting

I think one of the issues that the holidays bring with them is complete chaos and confusion - and a whole bunch of excitement! So, family rules and regulations might fall by the wayside and some of us moms may feel a bit disrespected when the chores are forgotten and the rules are neglected. 

(As I've been told, "Call the Wahhhh-mbulance!)


There is a point in time - and it doesn't have to be during the hectic holidays - that a Family Meeting is in store! In a family of 8, these meetings are quite often the only way to get everyone on the same page or attempt to get everything back on track. I'm not good at holding routine family meetings, but if I feel like everything is going haywire, I'll certainly call one - on the spot - in a heartbeat! (I just recently did just that!)

For those of you that feel like the family could use some structured meetings, here are some tips:

1) If I was a Perfect Mother, I would schedule a family meeting once a week, mark the date and time on the calendar, and not budge on the time that I set. Rescheduling the meeting only sends the message that it is not important.


2) Turn off the computers, the televisions, the game consoles, the telephones (again, call the Wahhh-mbulance!) so that there are no interruptions or distractions. Try to have the meeting at the kitchen table - not at mealtime - so that it "seems formal" and the children take it seriously.

3) Prior to the meeting, you should come up with an agenda and at the opening of the meeting, elect a secretary to take notes (or draw pictures) to highlight the discussions and decisions in the meeting. Give everyone a chance at the secretary position by rotating to a new person during the next meeting.


3) Start the meeting with a compliment for each person. With big families like ours, you can have the person to the right say something nice about the person to the left of them. (It would also be ideal for the recipient of the compliment to thank the giver).


4) Bring up issues one at a time and work toward a solution. Every family member should agree with the solution. (The whole idea of this meeting is to get everyone on board, right?). This is a great way to teach your children problem solving techniques. Bring up the issue, discuss, then come up with solutions and determine which solution works best for the family. I actually found this worksheet at iMom that I think is fantastic!

5) Once problems are ironed out, this is also a great time to discuss upcoming events, family activities and other items on the calendar for the next week.



6) Close out the meeting with something that the family will enjoy -  a bedtime snack, a quick round of Go-Fish, or a delectable dessert!



The problem solving part of the meeting might be the real reason to hold the meeting, but if you start the meeting on a positive note and end it with a positive memory, it can become a positive part of your family's week, you can count it as quality family time (we ALL need that!) and the kids will actually look forward to the next meeting (if you don't believe me, just try it for yourself - my kids love our family meetings!)!