PERSONALIZED Santa messages!

How cool is this? I don't have time to spell out all the details, but you can read all about it here on Design Dazzle! Basically, you fill in your child's name, what they've been working on (hello! listening!!!), and upload a picture of your kiddo, and done! You'll have a FREE movie clip of Santa, live from the North Pole, speaking to your child. Just click here to set yours up (but if you want an example, check out Toni's here!) I love it! I'm going to do this... as soon as I have a spare second. Maybe after Big Sister's Nutcracker "Sweet" birthday party, which is this.weekend. (OMG! So much to do!)

2009 Holiday Gift Guide goes recession proof!

As I was thumbing thru my new InStyle mag a few nights ago, I caught myself looking the the (beautiful! stylish! fun!) items and thinking... I can't believe how much all of this costs! I struggled to find one item I'd actually consider giving as a gift this year. My, how my thoughts and buying habits have changed in the last year and a half!

But Cool Mom Picks is on top of that! This year, they've included 100+ awesome gifts and they're making it easier AND more affordable! They've included tons of shopping discount codes (because, really... who shops without one these days?) and an 'Under $20' pick in every category. They even have an entire list of cool kiddo gifts for less than $12. It's like they 'get' me!!

They have gift ideas for everyone from your baby to your nephew to your dad, your neighbor, etc!

A few of my faves:

For the Future Rock Star: Personalized coloring books! I love the rocker one... but they also have a mermaid one that's right up Big Sis's alley (if there are 2 things she loves... it's coloring and Ariel!)

For the Future Food Network Star: Totally mod handmade apron. This is sooo cute! (Btw, I'm in the market for up to 20 CHEAP aprons.... would love to use them for Big Sis's bday party, if it works out. Anyone?)

For your sister, best friend, mom: Shabby chic picture frame. Okay, so the frame is a generic gift. But it's one I still love to get (esp if the frame is cute!)

For the preschooler who does NOT need another toy (esp a big, plastic one that takes up an entire room: Custom Rubber Stamp. I'm totally ordering this for Big Sis. Given her love of stickers, I think she'd be all over a stamp. And I won't be 'sticker shopping' nonstop.

So, check out this year's gift guide to find almost anything (including personalized necklaces with your twitter name - hilarious! Also many ways to give charitable gifts!)

Happy Thanksgiving - we're on our way up North (to OK, lol!) Oh, and happy shopping, too! :)

I just can't help myself... ANOTHER Semi-Homemade Birthday Party!

Y'all know that I love, love parties. Entertaining. Birthdays. Love the brainstorming and planning, even though (we all know) I struggle to carry out the actual plans. And that I always get some semi-homemade snuck in there.

Well, I've been planning Big Sis's 4th birthday party (in my head) ever since her 3rd birthday was such a disaster.... okay, not disaster, but not as I had planned. Big Sister's birthday is 4 days after Christmas (for any of you planning when to have your children, I'd highly recommend that you avoid your sig other the month of April... trust me!)

Anyway, last Christmas, we had a dozen out-of-state guests for G-man's baptism and Christmas... G-man was also super sick (with RSV - we've only been off the breathing machine a few wks now!) and her birthday party just never got planned. At least not to the degree I was hoping. The Semi-Homemade Safari Birthday Party turned out to be super fun. You can read all about it - we took The Everythings with us and the kiddos had a blast! (And the parents did, too!)

But since then.... I've been planning her next birthday, a cookie themed party. The premise was to bake a ton of sugar cookies and have kids over in mid-December to decorate them. They could take home their creations in cute cellophane bags and give to their family. I have tons of ideas for decorating, menu, etc.... just picture 2 crock pots - one with hot chocolate, one with a warm, spiked cider (the recipe is from Mrs. Everything and it's seasonal and yummy and totally necessary for parents at a birthday party with their small children). Picture kids running around in aprons with their names monogrammed... holiday music... ahhhh....

Anyway, imagine how excited I am to see that Design Dazzle did this exact theme! Look at all these great ideas!

I love, love the tile picture of the birthday picture. I'm not sure how... but I'm going to try to recreate something like this of Big Sis.... And the milk jugs and all the personalized tags....

And here's a cake. Love the dots. And while the yellow & brown is cute... I'd be surprised - knowing Big Sis - if we didn't opt for maybe PINK and brown instead. I'm just saying...

Anyway, before you ask, YES.... I know I have a problem.... I know it's crazy to plan birthday parties out this far in advance.... but this is the creative stuff I love! I live for this.... for bouncing my ideas off my sister and Mrs. Everything.... now, how do I figure out how to make a living on this fun stuff and quit working so hard? ;)

Isn't this cool?

Look how cool this is! (I know, I know, I'm prob the last to see this... so humor me.) I just typed in my bloggy address and this site made a word collage based on what I talk about! The bigger the word, the more often I say it, so.... we all knew I talked about pirates way too much, but this proves it! And apparently I say 'amazing' and 'cute' alot... G-man has a big presence, but it's a bummer because people with 2 names (i.e. Big Sis, Mr. Fix-It and Mrs. Everything) don't really show up quite as well, ya know?

Wanna make yours? Try it at wordle. You can even just type in a bunch of words and let it make you a collage. This could be addicting, if you have some spare time... ;) See what I mean? I ended up letting it 'randomize' to see it a few more ways... and okay, I'm going to bed!