I have held a gathering on Christmas Eve for as long as I can remember. I think it all started in 1990 the year after my Grandmother passed away and since she normally held Christmas Eve at her house, I decided to take over. We do that in my family, we tend to split the holidays and take turns hosting. I have moved quite a bit over the years from apartment to apartment to apartment as a single gal, and then I fell in love and got hitched and moved 30 miles across town and moved from a condo to a house. Each year most of my small family has faithfully... more

I came across a really good article on Holiday stress and how the Holidays can affect a newly adopted child. It was a light bulb moment for me. My daughter’s behavior got really vamped up about a week after her second birthday, I thought wow terrible two’s are right on schedule. Then after reading this article it dawned on me… we totally changed her surroundings a week after her birthday. She went to sleep and woke up to find a big tree... more

Just like us and for many other new adoptive families out there in blog land. This will be the first Christmas they are celebrating as a new family or with a new addition. What a wonderful time and exciting time. For the family newly home they are probably exhausted and trying to establish some sense of normalcy and routine. They may be facing attachment issues or having issues around mealtimes & sleep. We have been home for over eight months and while we are settled with our routine we still plan to keep things low key. Christmas is always bustling with... more

My husband is always telling me that I can't save the world. I know he's right. Sorta. I can't save the world all by myself. But, I could save the world if everybody in the world who was able would just pitch in and help me. I can't adopt every child who needs a family. But I am convinced that every child who needs a family could have one if every family that was able would just step forward. I'm not promoting an unrealistic idea. I really believe what I am writing. I think that there is a family for every single waiting child. I might not be a good match for a child with... more

Stress is a part of our lives and unfortunately it’s a part of the Holiday season. While there is plenty of joy & merriment to go around we are also faced with the stress that shopping, baking, cleaning, wrapping, traveling and visiting family brings. Stress is bound to happen. I find myself stressing over what gifts to buy for people…. The preteen nephew who is too young for toys and only wants expensive video games and the in-laws who have everything. The relatives who don’t rsvp and leave me having to guess at how much food to purchase & prepare. The... more

Last Friday was my 39th birthday… my first birthday as a Mom. I can’t even begin to tell you how special it was to celebrate with my husband & daughter. You know us Sagittarius gals are sensitive; we get sentimental and weepy over the smallest things. As a former infertile I would dread my birthdays. From the age 29 and on I would say “ well for sure by my next birthday I will certainly be a Mom” anyone who has struggled with their biological clock can relate to the pain & frustration of getting older and feeling as if your time is running out faster than... more

I wanted to write a quick post of some possible gifts to give to Dads’. I have covered Moms,Kids, crafts and trees. Its time to focus on Dad's.I think men get the yucky gift choices of Ties & Paperweights… lets face it most men have little interest in that stuff and I’m not sure what I’m about to offer as product advice will be much better. I like personalized gifts and recently I noticed some cool ideas online. I think homemade gifts with little handprints are especially cute. I just love snap fish and shutter fly .. you can add a picture... more

I don’t come from a Family that was big on Christmas Traditions. I mean we had a few but nothing out of the ordinary really sticks out from my memory banks. For example we never had our stockings filled. I don’t ever remember having stockings and if we did they were just decorations. I would like to start creating some traditions of my own and I have been scouring the net for some great ideas. I have had a Christmas Eve party every year since the 80’s. I have a few traditions that I incorporate every year and I will share them below.... more

Can you all tell I like making lists… as seen by my love of Top 5 & Top 10 blog posts. There are no shortages of gifts available for the younger child age 2-3. If a toddler in your life is into Dora,Disney, Elmo or Deigo then you will have no problem finding something to make them smile Christmas day. The Dora and Litte Mermaid merchandise in stores astounds me.There are so many toys out there and I thought I would share what is popular with my toddler. I tend to gravitate towards the simple educational stuff like puzzles & books. My daughter... more

In years gone by, when I have whined about not having Christmas lights on the outside of our house, my husband has always reminded me, "I told you. I don't do that (stuff)." To which I have always responded, "Yes, I know." Then we move on. That has been our routine for thirteen years.

It is important to note that my father was of the same mind. Not once, during my childhood, did we ever have outside decorations or lights on the house. No matter how much we whined, or carried on about it, or admired the lights of our other neighbors my father gruffly... more