Mom Rocks the Holidays -- About a Christmas Giveaway

How do YOU ROCK THE HOLIDAYS? Your answer could get you $1000 from Rayovac! Or, you could also win $250 from Rayovac, via 5 Minutes For Mom. “Followers who promote the Rayovac Mom Rocks the Holidays Sweepstakes may receive gifts from Rayovac.”

So what do you do to rock the holidays? This year, we're planning on having a birthday cake for Baby Jesus. I think our 1 year old and 4 year old will love it, and I'm sure that our 17 year old will too, even though he may think he's a little too old. Secretly, I KNOW he's excited!

My mom has baked the pieces to construct gingerbread houses, each year for the past 21 years. I'm not talking one or two gingerbread houses. I'm talking anywhere from 30-100 gingerbread houses that measure about 6 inches tall, 6 inches wide, and 3 inches deep. I used to help put them together after we baked the gingerbread. We would put them on pieces of cardboard, covered with aluminum foil, and then we would have decorating parties. Everyone would bring a couple of tubes of frosting, and a couple of bags of their favorite candies, as well as anything else that would work for decorating a gingerbread house (like pretzel sticks, corn chex, etc.). It was SO much work, but SO much fun! I may start the tradition in my own family some day. Maybe! Maybe we'll just do 2 or 3 houses. We'll see. Oh, but what memories I have from making and decorating those houses! It was always a contest to see who could create the best looking house. I did log cabins, and even a little white church, a couple of different years.

Don't forget to head on over and enter to win the Christmas moolah!

Mama Bear

Mint Chocolate Chip Gum???

I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical when I first saw the Extra Sugar Free "Dessert" gum on The Biggest Loser. I figured it might taste similar, but I'm not sure I'd like it. Well, I've tried the Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream gum, and I LOVE it! I LOVE mint chocolate chip ice cream, and the gum isn't too far off the mark. Since I'm doing Weight Watchers, I need something that can help with the sweet cravings. This gum is really helping. I've also tried the Key Lime Pie flavor, and I'm not a huge fan, only because I'm not a "lime" person. But I'll chew the gum. Next, I want to try the Strawberry Shortcake flavor. I will be very amazed if this meets up to my Strawberry Shortcake flavor standard. :-) But I have a feeling it just might.

Have you tried the gums? What do you think?

Mama Bear

Church Boy

Last night, Papa Bear and I were watching a movie with Bubba Bear, while the little ones were fast asleep. They had been down for over an hour after Little Bear woke up around 9:30 to 9:45, crying, and needing some cold medicine, due to a runny and sniffly nose. (See, I had originally put them down at about 7:30 for Baby Bear and 8:30 for Little Bear.)

Around 10:30, we heard Little Bear's voice, OVER the TV, which had the volume turned fairly high...it WAS a movie after all! I went back into the little ones' bedroom to investigate, and both of them were sitting up in bed, talking. I asked them, in a stern voice, "What are you guys talking about in here???!!!". Little Bear, who is 4, promptly answered, "God". Good answer, church boy!!! Now go to sleep!

Mama Bear

Christmas Photo Greeting Card Designs -- AND a Coupon!!!

Please check out my Etsy shop, where I design and sell photo greeting cards for all occasions. From now, through December 25th, I am offering a discount coupon for my blog readers ONLY. Get 15% off your photo greeting card design, by using this coupon code at checkout: MBGC15

Here are some of my designs:

Have a blessed day in Christ, and a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving!
Don't forget to thank the One who has given you ALL things!

Mama Bear

Crib & Toddler Bed Sheet Tutorial from MADE

Now that I have seen this EASY tutorial on the MADE blog, and since I have LOADS of cotton fabric, I want to try making sheets for Baby Bear's crib and Little Bear's toddler bed. SO COOL! Click on the photo above to get to the tutorial.

Mama Bear

Keeping Up With Baby Bear's Words

Baby Bear is talking a lot these days. Today, she turned 14 months old, and she has a lot to say. I wanted to put down "on paper" her vocabulary as of today, so that I will remember when I have the time to scrapbook about it. Now, granted, all of these words are not all coming out phonetically correct, but we know what she's saying and so does she.

The List:

Mama (and Mommy), Dada (and Daddy), Bubba, Erick, shoe, sock, play, pray, boppy, please, thank you, baby, no, sorry, book, Bible, bow (she asks for me to put a bow in her hair each morning when she wakes up), bye-bye, hi, cheese (for pictures), kitty, meow, moo, car, bird, duck, bath, elmo, show, out, up, night-night, turtle, hat, shirt, uh-oh, doctor, guy (which sounds like "die"), more, toes, ear, hair, mouth, moon, ........

I'm thinking....I'm thinking....

Mama Bear

Random Act of Culture -- AMAZING!!!