Surviving the holidays

I've always thought that it was extremely ironic that the holidays are one of the most stressful times for people. Although Christmas has pretty much turned into a strictly Pagan holiday, we have to remember the reason why it started. Peace and Love CANNOT be left out of the Christmas spirit, or else we may as well be celebrating Groundhog's Day. Luckily for me, my family and I live in the South. So the holiday season for us has been a little bit more joyful than it has for some of my Northern friends. Since Thanksgiving people have been walking around with the brightest smiles on their faces, skipping and whistling, and offering good deeds to strangers...an extreme contrast to the dirtbag in Grand Central station that tried to cut in line in front of my friend and a lady with 3 kids.

It's so easy to get caught up in all the madness. For the past three years I have made a vow to not go overboard with all the commercial gifts I see on TV. Me and the kids make the most out of Christmas by spending our time together indoors. It is so much more gratifying, and keeps me from repenting to God for cursing someone out for grabbing the last Leopard print Snuggie. Here are a few things you can do to keep your sanity during the holidays:

1-Start your Christmas shopping early: If by chance you don't have the opportunity to do so, don't stress about getting those holiday deals. Give something from the heart such as a homemade scarf or an advanced Hygiene kit for that guy in church who always gets RIGHT in your face and doesn't realize how bad his breath stinks.

2-Take your kids shopping with you: I know, this sounds crazy right? Kids normally cause more aggravation when you're shopping, but the little demons can actually help you out in your time of need. When you're in there trying to grab that last Malibu Barbie for your kid, turn them loose and let them run and scream as soon as the person next to you grabs the gift you're trying to get. With an experienced Demon like I have, they will let loose on that toy aisle and wreak havoc like nobody's business. People will be so stunned that they won't even realize you stole that Barbie right from underneath them.

3-Play stupid-When your kid realizes that he didn't get the Rock Band video game he asked for you sit back, wrinkle your forehead, and look Uber surprised. Pretend as if the game is missing, and you are in extreme shocked. For extra effect, take the bag and shake it a little...then turn it upside down and say "Wow..I wonder what happened to it". Works very well for children under the age of 14

4-Go to see your in-laws with a smile on your face: Visiting your cranky, Southern Belle mother-in-law doesn't have to be tortuous. Show up early with a big smile on your face and some home baked goods, but keep your purse with you at all times because that's where you will hide your flask with the Irish Creme.

5-Stop rushing!: If you don't get a chance to do everything you wanted to do this holiday season, don't kill yourself rushing around trying to get stuff done. If your family is anything like mine, they will simply be happy to see your face on Christmas and New Year's. It doesn't matter what you bring for them as long as you're there with a big smile and kind words. The gifts don't have to be perfect, the cookies don't have to be made from scratch, and the kids do not have to wear matching sweaters. It's all about spending time together and making memories. Your family will love you just the same. So relax and enjoy yourself, and if all else fails, you still have that trusty flask!

Happy Holidays!

The recessionista strikes again!

I have always been a frugal shopper. Still to this day, I remember my first major purchase when I was 6 years old. My neighbors down the street were notorious for their famous yard sales. Never one to miss an opportunity for saving, I borrowed $1 from my Mom and came back home with a shiny new four wheeler in the shape of a motor boat. I rode that thing until the wheels fell off. I definitely got my $1 worth!

Now that I am older, I no longer search for items to add to my toy collection. These days it is all about frugal shopping techniques for my family. In the past year, I have focused more on frugal finds for my husband and son. One of my favorite places to find good key pieces is the Gap. I love the look on my son's face when we pull a great outfit together for him. Lucky for me, stores like Gap and Old Navy have great key pieces that you can use to pull any outfit together. What's even better is that I can go to these stores and get things for the entire family. Its a woman's dream come true!

This past summer ,my family had a photo shoot at the beach. Because our summer was SOOOO hectic, I completely forgot about our scheduled shoot, and before I knew it, I had only one day to pull together outfits for the whole family. After tossing and turning all night, and stressing about what we were going to wear, I got up the next morning and headed straight to the Gap. I found complete outfits for the whole family in just one stop! The clothes fit great, and we all looked FAB. Furthermore,all of the pieces I purchased were on sale! Talk about a life saver!



Our next family photo shoot will be for our family Christmas cards. This time I know exactly where to go to make us look our best. I can even pick up something for my pretty little Pooch, Georgie Patton! To take advantage of great savings for your family, go to the Gap outlet and go to Twitter Moms to join in on the contest and discussion

My heart was broken today

Every morning I wake up and reach for my trusty BlackBerry before I even get out of bed. I always check my BlackBerry before getting up because of the daily scriptures I receive in my Inbox. This morning's scripture was about taking your "Medicine". Not necessarily medicine as in prescription drugs or over-the-counter cold meds, but Medicine as in whatever makes you happy or brings joy to your life. For me, that means many things. My family is usually the first thing that comes to mind. I can always count on a good laugh from them to brighten my day.

Its funny how new inventions in our technological world allow us to stay connected and be reminded of things we often forget to do. It is also an amazing convenience for people like me who have busy lives. I am even able to receive info that I oftentimes blog about, or expand upon and write articles. But this morning was a little different. I hesitated about opening my emails so early this morning. There was a daunting feeling inside of me. I should have known to brace myself for a disappointment.

I put on my Big Girl Panties and looked anyway. My first glance brought me everlasting joy. My second glance brought gloom and doom. I opened up an email from RueLaLa.com to see an absolutely beautiful pair of shoes. But across the image of the shoe were the horrific words: SOLD OUT
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!" I think this could in fact be the worst day of my entire life.