Thanksgiving -- THE FOOD Baby

Onward to Day Eleven of Momdot's Rocking Christmas Party Are you excited yet? 2 days away from the grand prize!

Today's Question is all about the food, of course. So
If you could only eat ONE food on Thanksgiving Day, what would it be? Do you have a home cooked meal for Thanksgiving or do you go out to eat? Does your family dress up?



Thanksgiving is all about the food baby. One thing. Only one thing. Oh gosh. I'd have to say the Pecan Praline Pie. It's divine. DIVINE. And I only get it on holidays. You know, cause I'm too lazy to make my own.


We have a home cooked meal. We get together with all the family at one location (alternated) and everyone pitches in with the cooking.

We don't really dress up special. The kids play outside, inside, all over. The adults cook, and talk, its really a relaxed setting.

Momdot wants to know -- Christmas Decorations

Day 10 is all about the decor! What do you do to decorate?

Check out the Momdot Christmas Party

Do you decorate for the Holidays? Do you have a themed Christmas tree? Share pics! Do you think there is such a thing as OVER decorating?


We decorate the inside of the house, not so much the outside -- We plan to this year, but we'll have to see.

Our Christmas tree is Disney themed. We have all kinds of Disney ornaments, some from Hallmark, some from Disney, and some from other stores too. We have not foudn the perfect Disney lights for it yet, but we're looking. And We hope to get the Tinker Bell topper soon too.

I don't think there is such a thing as overdecorating. I love looking at Christmas lights and scenes.

Black Friday

Now for day 8 of the Momdot Christmas Party.

Momdot asked:
Do you shop on Black Friday? What time do you start? Do you complete your shopping this day? What's the best deal you have ever found? What's your shopping strategy?

Do you shop on Black Friday? EVERY YEAR. Even when I was hugely pregnant.

What time do you start? This depends on what stores I am going too. Usually 3 am.


Do you complete your shopping this day? Yes, for the most part. The only thing left after Black Friday is stocking stuffers.

What's the best deal you have ever found?
My Toshiba Laptop for $250, Before we minused the best buy bucks from McDonald's.

What's your shopping strategy?
My MIL, DH, Aunt, Mom, and several friends all shop Black friday. We view the ads online before Black friday and start making our lists. Then On Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we split up the stores and decide who's going where. We give everyone a copy of our preliminary wants for each store. Then on Thanksgiving we call and make any changes. The person going to each store, gets the item(s) for everyone from that store. We keep cell phones at the ready in case we do not get something, someone can try somewhere else. Then we meet up Friday night to exchange all items and collect any money owed.

Naughty or Nice -- I decide!

Fabulous Day Seven of the Momdot Christmas Party. Are you linked up?

Today's Question:

Who's on your naughty list? Whose on your nice list? Why?


So lets see, I'll start with the naughty list, its much shorter!

Naughty -- Jordy -- my baby brother. He's always on the naughty list, that's just who he is.

Jar Jar -- My older brother. He's on the naught list because of his noise maker presents from the past 4 years. Don't worry big bro, Emmy is going to enjoy all kinds of them herself.


Nice List:

Caity -- Mostly nice! She's getting better about listening.
Izzie -- She's a great kiddo.
Emmy -- She's too young to be naughty.
Lexi -- She's not walking yet, so still not naughty.

And of course lots of other friends and family.

Memories

Favorite holiday memory from YOUR childhood

Oh gosh. This is a tough one.

I think my favorite memory is the year I was very sick. I was so sick; I didn’t even feel like opening presents which made it all the more depressing. But the one thing I remember most about that year, wasn’t the chicken pox, it wasn’t the fever, or the itching or anything else about being sick. It was my brothers who opened my gifts for me, before diving into their own, because they wanted me to be able to enjoy my presents.

It’s amazing, how sometimes, even the people you don’t get along with, are able to do the nicest things.

For more holiday memories, check over on Momdot Post your own and be eligible to win some great prizes.

Volunteering

Another day, another topic. Have you been to the Christmas of Dreams party yet?


Do you volunteer during the Holidays? What organizations do you donate your time to? How do you teach your children the true meaning of the holidays?



I don't volunteer. I would like too, but most years it is not an option. We do get an angel off the tree at the mall and purchase gifts for them. The girls get to help pick out the gifts and we explain to them that not everyone is fortunate enough to have toys of their own. We also always try to donate to the bell ringers when we can.

I do hope that some time in the future I am able to donate more time to some of the great causes.

Holiday Food Food Food.

The party is going strong at Momdot, won't you come join us?

What is your favorite Holiday recipe, describe your Holiday table, biggest holiday cooking disaster

My favorite Holiday recipe is plain ol pecan pie. It's not Thanksgiving/Christmas time without pecan pie.

We have an interesting twist on our holiday table. The table cloth is signed by all who attend with their name and date, and then each name is cross-stitched over in various colors. My mom has done this since I was about 5 years old, and its amazing to see how much signatures have changed over the years and how much our family has grown and changed.

As for the menu, it’s sort of a free for all thing. My mom or grandma handles the Turkey and/or Ham and stuffing, while everyone else is designated to bring side items. Most years include, mashed taters, gravy, rolls, green bean casserole, candied sweet taters, mac&cheese, cheesy broccoli rice casserole, corn on the cob, and tons of desserts.

Today's Topic: Gift Buying

Day 3 of the Momdot Christmas Party. Are you blogging? If not you should head on over to Momdot and start entering.



When do you start Christmas shopping? How do you budget for Christmas? Do you stick to your budget?

I shop for Christmas year round. If I see something on clearance/sale and I know someone on my list would love it, I'll pick it up. I keep a rubbermaid bin in the closet of our bedroom to store such goodies in. This makes it easier to budget too, since I'm not spending one huge lump sum in a month or two. I try to budget a certain amount like say $20 for my nieces and brothers, and then work around that amount. I tend to stick to my budget for the most part unless I get a really good deal on something that I didn't plan on buying.

Holiday Traditions

Momdot's Christmas party is still going on. Get your posts in!



The Christmas party question of the day is:


Traditions, what are some of your favorite family traditions? What are some traditions you want to begin?


For Christmas, we have a few traditions.

First and most important is Christmas cookie decorating. We get together as a family, that would be My mom, aunt, SIL, myself and our children. If my stepsister was still in town, she would come too. We all get together and bake and cook and make all kinds of goodies. Sugar cookies for the kidlets to decorate, chocolate covered pretzels, peanut butter blossoms, chocolate chip cookies, candy cane cookies, fudge, almond bark, peanut brittle, and all kinds of other goodies. We keep some for ourselves and give the rest out in little goodie baskets to family and friends.


On christmas eve, after we are bathed and in our new christmas pajamas, matching of course, we all sit down in the living room and read the Christmas story out of the bible. After that, we'll read another holdiay book, usually Night before christmas or Polar Express. Then each girl is allowed to open one gift from under the tree and then its bedtime.


We spend the holidays with friends and family, but on Christmas Day, we designate that family day and we stay home with our girls, so they can enjoy their gifts and some downtime in our home. Christmas morning, after the gifts have been opened, we have a huge pancake breakfast.

Momdot Christmas Party Intro

Momdot's Christmas of Dreams kicks off today. Momdot has asked each blogger to answer a question as their entry to the contests and to join in the fun.

To start us off, Momdot wants us to introduce our families and share past holiday pictures.

I am Kris, I am 26 years old (at least until the end of the month). I am married to Jay, who is 27 and we have two daughters, Caity, 4 and Izzie, 20 months.

Here is Caity's first christmas picture (2004)


And Opening Presents



2nd christmas:



And her first cookie decorating Christmas (2005)


Izzie's first Christmas (2007)



Such wonderful memories and many more to come!

The Grand Package from MomDOT

I've briefly introduced Momdot's Christmas of Dreams blog party, but now I want to highlight the grand prize Christmas of Dreams package.

So further details are as follows.


These are the current sponsors of the grand prize package, and while we don't know their exact contribution, its plain to see from looking at them, that its going to be one killer prize package.

So for now, check out these sponsors and then head over to momdot to enter to win.


Sponsors:

• Dyson
  
  


• BabyPop


• The Shrunks


• Soda Club



• Kadi Prescott


• Uncommonly Cute


• Lollipop Book Club


• Kuster


• Silly Monkeez


• LA Plates


• Natitys Design


• Little Black Box


• Koshas



• Kidz Sunglasses


• JAS Creations


• Appledonia


• LeapFrog


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• Kushies


• Huddy Buddy


• Mimsi-Bags


• BottleWise



• Lets Go Strolling


• DaBib


• Sassy Baby


• Baby Legs


• Scentsy


• FeeFiFoto


• Randi100


• Organic Blankees



• Shi Shu Style


• Georgie Tees