Wordless Wednesday

Be sure to stop by these fabulous blogs for more Wednesday fun!
5 Minutes for Mom
7 Clown Circus
Momdot

Turkey Day Pics

We had a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving! We spent a wonderful day at my little sister's house. She and her man were superb hosts, and we had so much fun. There was football, music, family, FOOD, fun and a whole lot of love. It was a perfect day and I loved every minute of it.









So how did you spend your Thanksgiving?

Advent Calendars

December is here! That means it's Advent time. One of my favorite memories from childhood holidays is waking up each morning and opening the door on our Advent calendar to find a hidden treat inside and relish the little thrill of excitement at the realization that I was another day closer to Christmas. I love recreating this ritual with my own kids and there is no shortage of ideas for Advent Calendars. You can buy them at most card and gift shops, or even grocery stores or make your own. A google search will pull up loads of options.

One idea I really like though, is one I found on homeschooling.about.com, which offers a new activity each day for advent. You can visit their online advent calendar here. Suite101.com also has another version on their site.

You can visit Holidays.net to learn more about the history of Advent calendars.

I also found a few other fun online versions here, here, and here. As well as an Advent Coloring Book to make from Activity Village.

Plus, here is a sweet one that you can print and make from Jan Brett's site.
Or use Advientos.com to build one with your own photos!

There are many ways to make each day of the holiday season special for kids. You don't have to spend a load of cash on tiny trinkets or be a craft queen. The most important thing is to spend time doing something fun together!

Quotable Sunday

In honor of Black Friday & Cyber Monday, my quotes this week center on shopping! Enjoy :D

Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping. ~Bo Derek

When women are depressed, they eat or go shopping. Men invade another country. It's a whole different way of thinking. ~Elayne Boosler

If men liked shopping, they'd call it research. ~Cynthia Nelms

A consumer is a shopper who is sore about something. ~Harold Coffin

Shopping is a woman thing. It's a contact sport like football. Women enjoy the scrimmage, the noisy crowds, the danger of being trampled to death, and the ecstasy of the purchase. ~Erma Bombeck

The quickest way to know a woman is to go shopping with her. ~Marcelene Cox

I always say shopping is cheaper than a psychiatrist. ~Tammy Faye Bakker

A Christmas shopper's complaint is one of long-standing. ~Author Unknown

People will buy anything that is one to a customer. ~Sinclair Lewis

Buying something on sale is a very special feeling. In fact, the less I pay for something, the more it is worth to me. I have a dress that I paid so little for that I am afraid to wear it. I could spill something on it, and then how would I replace it for that amount of money? ~Rita Rudner

We used to build civilizations. Now we build shopping malls. ~Bill Bryson

I like my money right where I can see it - hanging in my closet. ~From the television show Sex and the City

A bargain is something you can't use at a price you can't resist. ~Franklin P. Jones

For more Quotable Sunday, visit A Daily Dose of Toni.

Christmastime Storybook Giveaway Winner...

Congratulations to Aunt Rene, lucky #10, you won my storybook giveaway! I hope you enjoy your new books!

Friday Photo Flashback

This is a favorite holiday memory of mine. In this picture I am making a gingerbread house with my grandmother (my mom's mom), in the kitchen of the house where I grew up. I miss that house! Check out the colonial wallpaper...nice! I must have been about 5 in the picture, so it would have been 1978. Sweet stuff :)

Thanks for stopping by today! Check out Alicia's Friday Photo Flashback for more retro-fun.