Christmas Gift Ideas – Page 2 – Mom on the go in Holy Toledo

It was the best Christmas EVER!!!

December 27, 2011December 27, 2011momonthegoinholytoledo

We started off Christmas Eve at my parent’s house. We exchanged gifts then headed to Rosary Cathedral for 4pm Christmas Mass. After Mass the children wanted to take photographs of the nativity with their new cameras, we have future photographers in our family.

And in support of their new-found interest I will be adding a new installment to the blog titled, Kids Click and Pic, coming soon. After Mass we took a slight detour back to Nana and Papa’s so we could listen to Christmas music and look at Christmas lights. I so enjoyed the Chorus of “Wows” from the backseat, especially our little 16 month-old who just learned the word a few days ago.

Once at Nana and Papa’s the kiddos joined the rest of the family and grabbed a plate and started munching on some yummy hors d’oeuves.

After hors d’oeuves we had dinner, lasagna from Spaghetti Warehouse, garlic bread, and Salad. We all sat and toasted to an exciting announcement, my grandfather is officially cancer free (he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer five years ago and has under gone surgeries, radiation, and has a permanent colostomy bag), the best news ever! After dinner we all made our way into the Family Room where the smell of pine from the Christmas tree and a warm fire in the fireplace greeted us. Once everyone found a cozy spot Papa Joe began to recite Twas the Night before Christmas, a family tradition.

xmas2011 072 — The girls wanted a closer look at the pictures.

After Papa Joe has finished reading we begin to sing Christmas Carols. We always starting with Santa Claus is coming to Town, and low and behold, guess who shows up? Santa Claus!! He has been showing up for Christmas Eve at my parents’ house since I was two, I think they have his direct line.

The kiddos were so excited to see Santa, well, almost all the kiddos. The youngest was not a fan.

xmas2011 082 — Not everyone was a huge fan of Santa.

Once Santa left we began singing again and at the end of Twelve days of Christmas we received a great surprise. My cousin called, he is a Marine stationed in Afghanistan and this is the first Christmas he has not been with family. My Aunt passed the phone around and we all had an opportunity to say Merry Christmas. It was an incredible way to end the best Christmas Eve ever.

Christmas morning…..

It seems like Christmas morning comes earlier and earlier each year. The kiddos became overwhelmed with excitement at 6am when they saw that Santa arrived and he ate their Christmas cookies.

I popped some Cinnamon rolls into the over, made some coffee, and then it was GAME ON!

Each child took turns opening their gift and our eldest was so eager to give us, my hubby and I, our gifts that she purchased from her school’s Santa Shop. She gave my hubby a beautiful Santa ornament which he instantly jumped up and placed on the tree. While she gave me, a woman who is, and comes from a long line of individuals who have graduated from and/or are huge fans of Ohio State, a Michigan state ornament. Seriously!?! I wasn’t sure if I should disown her or hug her? So hug her I did, and graciously thanked her for the lovely gift.

christmas2011 017 — Future American Idol

The kiddos all seemed to really enjoy their gifts. We keep it small, each child receives four gifts, and it is perfect. We figure their birthdays are their big celebrations and Christmas is more about spending time together and giving.

christmas2011 025 — This does not taste like chocolate chip.

Oh, and our four-legged friends also received treats from Santa which our toddler had mistaken for human food, yuck!

christmas2011 023 — All three kiddos now have a table for Family Movie Night.

After we opened our gifts we packed up the car and headed over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house (and grandpa’s, my hubby and I are very fortunate that our parents are both still married, that means we only have two houses to visit).

christmas2011 039 — Looks like someone else wants a Vtech

christmas2011 043 — I love my new Vtech game!

Once there we opened gifts, ate dinner, and enjoyed spending time together. Then it was home for a long winters nap (until the 26th when we headed to Sauders Village for a Christmas gathering with extended family).

christmas2011 044 — Then it was time to settle in for a long winters nap in matching PJs

How was your Christmas? Any funny moments? ….Sad moments? …..Crazy gifts? Please share.

Momup! Monday: Ever woke up feeling like Scrooge?

December 19, 2011December 19, 2011momonthegoinholytoledo

Momup! Monday: Ever woke up feeling like Scrooge?

I am finding it difficult to maintain the “normal” day-to-day routine while preparing for Christmas festivities. I woke up this morning wanting to throw a full-fledged mommy tantrum. I am talking kicking and screaming until my face turns blue tantrum. I have this overwhelming anxiety that just hit me like a freight train this morning. I kinda knew it might hit me eventually because I have been breezing though the past few weeks cool as a cucumber, eager to celebrate Jesus’ birthday and spend time with friends and family (you know, the true meaning of Christmas). Then this morning I awoke with a Scrooge attitude, I realized that I have exactly one week, not even, make that five days, to complete everything for Christmas (mostly the materialistic things).

Then I started going through my “To Do” list in my head:

Need to get my 16 month old in for her 15 month doctor’s appointment (feeling sooo guilty for this one).
Need to fill out permission slips and get money for field trips, due today (it’s gonna be late).
Son needs a dress shirt for Christmas (sounds so simple but those crazy stores strategically place all toys or “cool” expensive character PJs next to the dress clothes, I am sure he will be asking for everything under the son. I need one of those “that was easy” buttons that say “no, it is not in our budget right now”).
Need to finish purchasing some Christmas Gifts, I would rather go into labor again than fight the traffic and crowds of crazy people, seriously, is there such a thing as a surrogate laborer? Sign me up!!
Contact family and see if anyone can make it to son’s Christmas program tomorrow (so last-minute, I meant to say something weeks ago, honestly!)
Need to wrap gifts, I am a greenie so, I try to wrap with whatever I have on hand at home. Last year it was brown packaging paper with pine cones, twine, and clips of evergreen. The year before I included cloth/linen, you can wrap small gifts in linen napkins and the person receiving the gift gets a bonus gift, linen napkins! This year I am using magazine pages to wrap gifts.

disney 020 — Reusing Magazine pages as gift wrap this year, going green and saving green!

Need to finish a few gifts for our playgroup kiddos.

x-mas 009 — Gift for kiddos’ friends - Noodles, the Dog, I love Christmas book and Scooby Snacks

Remember to move the elf! Poor guy has spent a few days just hanging around in the same location, I think he had one to many eggnogs and couldn’t fly back to the North Pole; he took the mature route and avoided a DWF (Drunk while flying).

x-mas 005 — Fisbee, our Elf on the Shelf

Finish teacher’s gifts. This year they are getting Eco-friendly soap and air fresheners.

Get Christmas morning PJs for my daughter (it has been tricky trying to find little girl PJs in a size 8, she is really tall for her age)
Address and send Christmas Cards (or save them for next year?)
Change sheets and much more but I don’t want to eat up any more of your time, you have your own list that I am sure is escalating as we speak/type.

I would like to just go back up to bed and call in overwhelmed. I need an assistant but I think they are expensive, anyone know anyone willing to work for Cheerios? Or, maybe I could multiply myself like in that Michael Keaton movie multiplicity? Although, if I remember correctly that just ended up being more work keeping track of all of his multiple selves. So, instead I am going to put some Christmas potpourri on the stove to get back into that Christmas spirit and take Julia Andrews /Froilan Maria’s advice and start at the very beginning; it is a very go place to start.

santadisney 032 — Christmas Potpourri from my friend Tammy, the aroma of Christmas will be lingering through my house. It’s a great way to get you back into the sprit of Christmas.

Please share your “to do” list, what’s the weirdest thing on your list? What are you dreading the most? Or, maybe you are on target, and have little left on your “to do” list, if so I am jealous and I would love to hear your secret.

Wrap It! Wednesday’s Gift ideas to keep Mommy Merry and Bright

November 30, 2011November 30, 2011momonthegoinholytoledo

Let me set the scene….

cookinkitchen 003 — These make the entire house smell amazing. The nutmeg and cinnamon mixed with the sweet aroma of the potatoes is so comforting.

Here I stand in the kitchen preparing sweet potato stix and Crunch Krispies on a stick, yet again, this time for my daughter’s Girl Scout meeting (it is their thanksgiving feast and her birthday celebration treat) this afternoon (I think I am the one who should be earning a badge!). Our toddler is running around the kitchen carrying a large Tigger around with her saying “moo, moo” (Not sure where she has seen an orange and black stripped cow, maybe Dr. Oz is right, there is some weird stuff in the children’s juice?) Meanwhile our preschooler is coloring in a Winnie the Pooh coloring book and repeating, “It is not Moo, It is no Moo, It is not Moo”, you get the idea), as Winnie the Pooh plays in the background (if you can’t tell we are getting very excited about our PJ party & Movie Night sponsored by Oral-B, we can’t wait!!).

cookinkitchen 001 — I have gotten smarter; I am now spraying an ice cream scoop with PAM to form the balls more efficiently.

cookinkitchen 009 — Had a little fun displaying them this time and I am thinking about making them again (shocking right?) and displaying them as a center piece for a future party.

Anyway, I have somehow managed to block out all the mooing, and, “it’s not mooing”, and have put my body in auto pilot dipping the Krispies in chocolate, sprinkling with silver sprinkles, cooling, wrapping, etc. (who is kidding who, I have made these darn Crunch Krispies on a stix so many times I could do this in my sleep!). So I freed up some space in my mommy brain to focus on my mental Christmas gift list and I thought I would share. I personally always appreciate another mother’s perspective. So here are some gifts this mother would highly recommend and a few that are sure to make some great memories for your friends and family.

If you are looking for a gift for a child between the ages of 4-12 (says 6 but my 4 year-old had no problem with the Disney version) years look no further! This makes for a fun family game night….

myasbday 129 — My sister even joined in the fun!

Disney Hedbanz is so much fun; we went through the entire stack of cards the first time we played. Unlike other games were I try to shorten the length deliberately I actually found myself sneaking cards back in the pile so we could play longer.

There is also the original version.

Spice up your family game night with the Hedbanz Board Game, a fun, fast-paced, and simple question game that everyone aged 6 and up can enjoy. In a group of two to six players, you’ll draw an identity card for an animal, food, or common object but with one catch–everyone but you will see the card, displayed by the headband on your forehead. The goal is to deduce who or what you are by asking the players questions before the clock runs out. Educational Gameplay for Kids
Hedbanz is not only fun, but inherently educational. Kids will flex their deductive reasoning skills with the game’s simple question-and-answer premise. By making connections and coming up with questions that will lead to answers, kids will also practice creative critical thinking skills. (Amazon write-up)

If you are shopping for a young lady (ages 6-12) who is on the girly side I highly recommend the Pretty Pedicure Salon. My hubby and I got this for our daughter for her birthday and we had a memorable mommy & me morning the day after Thanksgiving. It was so much fun being able to pamper her. I gave her a scoop of yogurt to enjoy while she soaked her feet and I gave her a pedicure. I also let her select a CD to listen to, she chose Muppets: The Green Album.

facefeetpic 006 — Pretty heart shaped petals sprinkled in.

The pedicure set is safety tested and skin safe, these cosmetic and body products will make you feel good about yourself inside and out. Deluxe heart-themed pedicure salon kit includes an inflatable pedicure pool, towel, spa slippers, toe separator, nail buffer and file, confetti soap, three bottles of nail polish (including French white), nail art and sparkling rhinestones. After you are finished, store all your supplies in the handy spa tote. (Amazon)

facefeetpic 009 — A Special Mommy & Me morning

facefeetpic 015 — I won’t quit my day job but they turned out okay.

If you are shopping for any child this CD a perfect fit. The Muppets: The Green Album is fun for the entire family, seriously. It is not one of those children’s CD’s that require two Advil before listening. It is tolerable by all family members, even my hubby, and each member of our family now has a favorite song that we take turns listening to. It is also a great incentive to get the kiddos in the car on time (“whoever gets their coat, boots, mittens, and hat on first and is seated and buckled in the car will get to select what song we will listen to” are the precise words that I uttered this morning, and it worked!).

510kFWSKJhL__SS500_ — I have a copy in the car and in the house, yes, that is how much we like this CD.

I am off to run my daughter to all her after school activities (Ever since her social life started mine has been sitting on the back-burner, I use to have a social life too!)

Stay tuned more great gift idea to come!