It’s a day of videos for me today,this one made me almost pee my pants.
In my attempt to get my kids to school,there is not a day that goes by that I don’t get pissed when people cut me off or try to merge in front of me when they feel that they don’t need to wait in the traffic line like the rest of us and come up next to me when the light turns green to try and sneak in. And no I don’t let them in and yes I flick them the bird!
MommyWarriors.com
Written by Alyssa Banko
Published in SCV Health &Family Magazine December 2012
A publication of The Signal
One of the things that my family anticipates about the holidays is receiving the holiday cards. Sure,it’s a great way to be able to keep in touch with family and friends and see what everyone is up to but honestly,it’s all about the holiday photos for us. There are days when the entire family fights over who is going to get to the mailbox first and be the one to rip open the cards. As we huddle around the kitchen counter to look at the holiday photo cards,battles often take place when the cards don’t get passed around quick enough!
For years,those that shared their family holiday photo focused on the perfect traditional family portrait. Those are the photos that cost them a boat load of money due to hiring a fancy professional photographer. Yeah,they’re nice,everyone is matchy,matchy in their holiday outfits with their coiffed hair and the family is overly posed waiting patiently for the photo session to end. More often than not,that holiday card is viewed by the recipient for about a second and tossed into the pile. And think about all the stress it took to get that picture.
- Finding the right outfit and the ridiculous amount they cost,
- Getting everyone dressed in that outfit was a feat in itself,
- The aggravation of getting everyone together at the portrait studio in a good mood,
- The crying kids and the ones not willing to smile,and
- Arguing over who is going to stand next to who and mom yelling,“just put your hand on your dad’s shoulder already!”
In the end,how many people were truly happy with that picture anyway?
The holiday photos that we love the most in our house and are becoming the norm are not the formal portraits but the ones that stand out and are a little wacky and crazy. For example,some of our favorites we received last year were a photo card where everyone was holding up a little black mustache to their face,one where the whole family was pushing their Christmas tree out of a field on a Little Tykes plastic car,and one where the family used their bodies to spell out the word ‘PEACE’.
These are the types of cards that show that the family put some time and effort into making their holiday photo special. Often,those are the photos that spark the memory discussions in my house and lead us to re-connect with those old friends whether it be through a phone call or a Skype session. And believe it or not,those families that move away from the traditional portrait and try something different really have a lot of fun with it.
Fun holiday photos allow the entire family to get involved and come up with some great ideas to really bring out the family personality during the holiday season. There is no need to stress over the perfect photo. Go out on a limb and have a good time with it. You will be surprised how much enjoyment your family will have rather than have them cringe at that dreadful yearly photo shoot.
I’ve created a list of some simple tips to help increase the odds of getting a great holiday photo that you and your family will love.
Enlist a friend (one preferably familiar with a camera) to take your photos rather than deal with the self-timer. If no one is available,be sure to bring a tri-pod and let different family members set up and take the shot to get different perspectives.Pick a theme that fits your family and find the right setting. From baking cookies in the kitchen with aprons on to the kids taping each other up with wrapping paper around the Christmas tree. There are some fun situations that can easily be set up,if you aren’t very creative,just do some searching on the Internet.Match your clothing to the theme of your card and use lots of props. Have the kids wear matching PJ’s as they read holiday books in mom and dad’s bed or snap some shots of the kids having a snowball fight in their bathing suits.Play on words or phrases of the season. Take a photo of your family members each with a milk mustache and have the card say,‘Got Eggnog’? It can be as simple as dressing the kids in Santa hats with shaving cream beards and writing ‘Ho Ho Ho’ on the card.Play with different settings on your camera. Shoot photos in black and white,sepia or monochrome to get a vintage look. Capture different angles,move in really close or even shoot the photo off-center. Take individual or mini group photos instead of one large group photo and be sure to shoot a ton of them. Get those candid shots instead of all the fake smiles.Most importantly,keep it light and simple and everyone will enjoy the photo session. Let the kids come up with poses,allow them to make funny faces,be creative and show your family’s goofy side. Let the scene unfold in front of the camera,there’s no need to force it.So I urge you to go and try something different this year and see how much easier and fun your holiday photo will be. Take some time and talk with your family to come up with some great ideas. In the end,the stressful holiday photo will become enjoyable and you will be amazed at the amount of comments you will receive once your holiday card starts arriving in mailboxes this season.
www.mommywarriors.com
CBS CASTING AMATEUR BAKERS for a fun new BAKING COMPETITION SERIES based on “The Great British Bake Off”
Amateur skilled bakers will compete against one another in baking challenges that will test every aspect of their baking skills. At the end of the competition,one baker will ultimately be crowned the winner. The series follows the trials and tribulations of the competitors – young,old,from every background and every corner of the United States – as they attempt to prove their baking prowess.
We are seeking all types of non-professional bakers from across the country,whether you’re an athlete,teacher,truck driver or retiree,as long as you have the zest for baking,we want to hear from you!
CLICK HERE to APPLY TODAY
* Open Call:Sat,Dec 1,11am-4pm @ Chef’s Inc. 10955 W Pico Blvd,LA,CA 90064
* Bring your best baked good! Please pre-register online.
Good Luck from MommyWarriors.com
I recently wrote a review about the 2012 Hess Toy Truck (Click to read review) and in exchange,I received a 2012 Hess Toy Truck in the mail. I can’t tell you how excited I was to get the box. My kids looked at me as if I was nuts as they watched me rip open the box. They just don’t understand the long standing tradition my family had collecting the trucks every year during the holiday season!
There was never a question of the quality of the truck in the past and the same holds true today. The 2012 Hess Toy Truck is great for kids of all ages. It’s always been one of the trucks that went above and beyond the average trucks with lights,sound and motors. Around since 1964,it’s one of the longest running toys brands delivering a new model every year.
Check out the video below to see what this year’s model is all about and be sure to order yours today online at HessToyTruck.com.
http://www.mommywarriors.com/
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 30,2012
WASHINGTON — Americans did this more than 400 million times last year: visited usps.com.
With the holidays just around the corner,usps.com will be as busy as ever. That’s because it’s the easiest way to accomplish your holiday shopping and shipping at home or on the go.
“This Post Office is always open,and with a click of your mouse,you can ship from your house — with free package pickup by our dedicated letter carriers,” said Kelly Sigmon,vice president,Channel Access.
With Package Pickup,a carrier will pick up your shipment free during regular mail delivery if you’re using an expedited service like Priority Mail,Express Mail,Global Express Guaranteed or Merchandise Return services.
Other services on usps.com to make the holidays simpler:
Click-N-Ship — Using a home or office computer,customers can pay for postage,print shipping labels and schedule free package pickups. Check out this cool video.Track &Confirm — Enter your label number to see the status of your item. If you shipped with Express Mail,you’ll get point-by-point tracking details. If you used another service — Delivery Confirmation,Certified Mail,Domestic or International Registered Mail — you’ll see when it went out for delivery.Calculate Postage — Whether your letter or package is domestic or international,the Postage Price Calculator provides the right amount of postage for a variety of Express Mail and Priority Mail services. Don’t know the package’s weight? Weigh yourself on a bathroom scale and weigh yourself again holding the package. Calculate the difference. It’s that simple.Post Office Locator — Find Post Offices by typing in a city and state or ZIP Code. You’ll also see other locations such as grocery,convenience and other stores selling postal products and services.At usps.com/shop,customers can order this year’s Santa and Sleigh or Holy Family Forever stamps as well as shipping supplies,philatelic items and holiday gifts,including high-quality framed and canvas artwork,books,puzzles,games,totes and collectibles — all from the Postal Store.
Looking for an educational holiday gift? Consider the 2012 Stamp Yearbook or the 2012 Holiday White House Ornament.
With ZIP Code Lookup,you can find all those missing ZIP Codes for your holiday cards and personalize them with holiday stamps or Customized Postage. Or,Create Customized Holiday Cards via third-party websites. These sites help you create not only personalized greeting cards but also envelopes,postcards and a holiday newsletter.
Customers going out of town for the holidays can have their mail held from the Hold Mail Service till they return.
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage,products and services to fund its operations.
AND DON’T FORGET ABOUT OUR TROOPS OVERSEAS,USPS CAN SHIP TO THEM TOO!
MommyWarriors.com
As I prepare for Thanksgiving,I was planning on doing our usual tradition of going around the table and asking everyone to name someone or something for which they are thankful,until I read the article,“What’s Better than Gratitude,” at PsychologyToday.com. The article reports on two studies conducted at the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania where they took a group of people and randomly assigned them to list either things they were grateful for or things that they had done that others might be grateful for. In follow up behavior the latter group showed more signs of an increased desire to be charitable.
As a mother of 3,I’m constantly looking for ways in which I can teach my kids to be even more generous and kind. I want them to appreciate what they have and find motivation to make the world around them better. So this article got my attention.
There was conventional wisdom that if you focus attention on good deeds,people will feel satisfied and stop doing them. But this research shows the opposite. If you make people focus on their good deeds it motivates them to do more.
So I’m going to experiment this year. I’m going to let my kids know the morning of Thanksgiving that at dinner I’d like them to each tell us what they think they do that others might be thankful for. For example,did they help with making the meal? Did they help set the table? Are they generally helpful and kind? Do they think of others before themselves? I’m curious to see what they say,but I’m even more curious to see if it motivates them to make Thanksgiving a day not of giving thanks,but of giving thanklessly. Along the way they may actually be more thankful,too.
www.mommywarriors.com
Americans can be very hypersensitive to anything that even hints at racism,and for good reason. As a country born on the principles of equality,most of us strive not only to practice tolerance,but to teach it to our kids. So the reaction of the dad in the following story won’t surprise you,but his kid’s response will.
A friend of mine was sitting outside at a kid’s birthday party when he thought he heard his 6 year old son say the “n”word. He immediately stood up,grabbed his son,pulled him into the corner of the yard and said,“Where did you hear that word?”
The boy was shock and afraid as he looked into his daddy’s angry eyes. “I don’t know,”he whimpered.
“Who taught you that word?!”his father asked again.
“I don’t know,Daddy.”
“That is a horrible word! We never say that word! Do you understand me!”
“Okay,Daddy.”the boy said on the verge of tears.
“I want to know who taught you that word,”the father asked one last time.
“I don’t remember.”
“Did you learn it at school?”
“No.”
“Where did you learn it?” The father was intent on getting to the bottom of this. Somewhere his son had been exposed to bad language. Somewhere a piece of his son’s innocence had been stripped away. He had to get to the bottom of it.
“Where did you learn it!”
“I don’t remember,Daddy. I thought Snickers was just a candy bar.”
I’m glad to see our younger generation being taught tolerance with such intensity,but that poor child will never enjoy his favorite candy bar the same way again. And honestly,I’m not sure I will either.
www.mommywarriors.com
My 8 year old daughter was very curious last night while I was tucking her into bed.
“Mommy? How do you get a husband?”
“Well, when you’re a grownup you meet a man who you like, who you think is handsome and smart and funny, and maybe he thinks you’re pretty and smart and thoughtful, and then you decide you want to spend your life together. “
“Do you have to make a baby if you get married?”
“No, you don’t HAVE to.”
“Does it hurt?”
“You mean to make a baby?”
“When the baby comes out.”
“Yes, it can.”
“Do they give you shot or something?”
“They can.”
“Does the shot hurt?”
“A little bit.”
“How much?”
“Just like a little prick.”
“So how do you make a baby with a husband?”
I look at my watch. It’s already 25 minutes past her bedtime. “That’s a long story. We’ll have to talk about that when we have more time.”
“But real quick, what do you do?”
“You do special kinds of hugging and snuggling with your husband.”
“Let’s do that right now! You and me! I want to make a baby!!!!” She had a huge smile on her face.
I struggle to think quickly. I respond as calmly and seriously as I can. “Well, two girls can’t make a baby together like that, but besides, you’re still little and your body isn’t ready to do that yet.”
“Mommy?”
“Yes,my girl.”
“Can you hand me the rest of my stuffed animals?”
And then she rolled over to go to sleep. I guess I answered all of her questions for the night.
www.MommyWarriors.com
It will either be a late night on Thanksgiving or an early morning on Black Friday as shoppers gear up for the busiest shopping day of the year. In addition to scoring doorbusters and store giveaways,be sure to save a little extra on deals and everything else with in-store coupons. Coupon Sherpa has rounded up the top 15 offers for additional savings on Black Friday (and beyond),available on his handy mobile app for even more convenience. Save on!
1. Aeropostale
Take $15 off your in-store purchase of $75 or more through Nov. 30.
2. Ann Taylor
Take 40% off any full-price item through Nov. 30.
3. Bath &Body Works
Get a free product with any $10 purchase through Dec. 24.
4. Carter’s
Get $10 off your purchase of $50 or more through Dec. 5.
6. Famous Footwear
Take an extra 20% off your Black Friday purchase between Nov. 22 and Nov. 25.
7. FedEx
Save $10 on FedEx shipments of $20 or more through Dec. 31.
8. Guess
Spend $50 in November and get a coupon for 50% off a December purchase through Nov. 30.
9. Justice
Take 40% off your purchase through Nov. 30.
10. Macy’s
Get $10 off your purchase of $25 or more on Nov. 23 and Nov. 24.
11. OshKosh B’Gosh
Get 20% off your purchase of $40 or more through Nov. 28.
12. Payless Shoes
Get an extra 15% off your purchase through Nov. 30.
13. Sally Beauty Supply
Save $5 on any purchase of $25 or more through Dec. 31.
14. Sam’s Club
Receive a free one-day pass to Sam’s Club through Dec. 31.
15. Tommy Hilfiger
Take an additional 15-25% off Black Friday promotions through Nov. 23.
Just a few short months after "the egg panic" - in which we learned that our breakfast might be trying to kill us - there's more bad news about a beloved morning beverage.
A new study suggests that drinking enough coffee can cause vision loss or even blindness.
Published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science under the incredibly concise title, "The Relation between Caffeine and Coffee Consumption and Exfoliation Glaucoma or Glaucoma Suspect: A Prospective Study in Two Cohorts," the study is the first to examine the link between caffeinated coffee and exfoliation glaucoma in America.
Researchers tested 78,977 women and 41,202 men who were at least 40 years old and found that females with a family history of glaucoma were at a greater risk of facing these kind of health problems:
"A meta-analysis of the two cohorts showed that, compared to abstainers, participants who drank three cups or more of caffeinated coffee daily were at an increased risk of developing exfoliation glaucoma or glaucoma suspect. The researchers did not find associations with consumption of other caffeinated products, such as soda, tea, chocolate or decaffeinated coffee."
Glaucoma, which is usually caused by a buildup of fluid in the eye, is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world.
Pretty depressing news - especially considering that I'm drinking my third cup of coffee as I write this.
How many cups of joe do you drink on a daily basis?
Kids say the darnedest things, and they love to explain how grown up things work... or rather how they think these things work.
Probably one of the most confusing concept for children to grasp is love and marriage. To the youngest children, their parents just ARE. If you ask how their parents found each other or how they see their parents interacting, you’re sure to get the greatest explanation ever.
Our friends at the UC Berkeley Parents Network asked children aged 5 to 10 about love and life, and some of the answers were simply incredible:
What is the proper age to get married?
“Eighty-four. Because at that age, you don’t have to work anymore, and you can spend all your time loving each other in your bedroom.” (Judy, 8)
Why does love happen between two people?
“No one is sure why it happens, but I heard it has something to do with how you smell. That’s why perfume and deodorant are so popular.” (Jan, 9)
Surefire ways to make a person fall in love with you:
“Don’t do things like have smelly, green sneakers. You might get attention, but attention ain’t the same thing as love.” (Alonzo, 9)
How can you tell if two adults eating dinner at a restaurant are in love?
“Lovers will just be staring at each other and their food will get cold. Other people care more about the food.” (Brad, 8)
When is it okay to kiss someone?
“It’s never okay to kiss a boy. They always slobber all over you… That’s why I stopped doing it.” (Jean, 10)
How to make love endure:
“Don’t forget your wife’s name… that will mess up the love.” (Roger, 8)
What's the funniest thing your little one has ever said about love and marriage?
Is it ok to give a seven-year-old medical marijuana?
Mykayla Comstock is a little girl from Oregon who suffers from acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
She's also one of the youngest cancer patients authorized to use cannabis by the state.
Her mother, Erin Purchase, gives her a gram of cannabis oil daily in pill form (so it's not like she's lighting up a joint...) to help combat the side effects of the intense chemotherapy treatment she's been receiving.
Purchase credits the medical marijuana with her daughter's remission. It helps with nausea and restlessness even though it makes her feel "funny."
"As a mother, I am going to try anything before she can potentially fall on the other side," she told reporters.
"It helps me eat and sleep," said Mykayla. "The chemotherapy makes you feel like you want to stay up all night long."
Mykayla is one of 52 children in Oregon served by the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program. Each one has a qualifying medical condition, parental consent, and a doctor's approval.
But many are concerned by the notion of children using marijuana - including Mykayla's father Jesse Comstock.
He's worried that the cannabis oil will impair his daughter's mental development and has even contacted child welfare officials, police and her oncologist.
There is still very little research on the effects of marijuana on the developing brain, which makes this issue especially sticky.
As a parent, how do you possibly make this decision?
Do you give your child something to ease the incredibly brutal side effects of chemotherapy... or do you watch them suffer because of the possible long term consequences?
