Christmas Season Is Here

Thanksgiving is officially over and tomorrow is the first day of December. This means that Christmas is in full swing in our house! I spent the majority of today sorting through all of our Christmas supplies and decorating the house. Just about everything is up! Even the gnome is wearing his Santa hat. Pretty much the only decorating left is the tree, which we will go pick out tomorrow. Though, since Client One has a small fake tree in her room, we did get some tree decorating in.

Soon, our celebrating will commence. We have a wooden penguin advent calendar. Each day, we will open the appropriate little door, but instead of pulling out candy, we will pull out a little slip of paper with a Christmas activity on it. Sometimes the activities have been specifically planned for that day (like visiting Santa or baking cookies or activities that essentially have to be booked) but most days are random. This helps to make sure that we can spread out our Christmas activities and traditions throughout the whole Christmas season.

Another daily tradition is our Elf on the Shelf. We actually started with this tradition this morning. This is the second year for our little elf. Last year, we pulled him out and put him up a few places. Client One even gave him a name- Bell. But after a week or two I pretty much stopped messing with him. Client One enjoyed looking for the elf when reminded, but she was not quite old enough to fully appreciate him. This year, she will be able to enjoy him much more. Last night, Hubby read Client One the Elf on the Shelf book and reminded her of the rules. This morning she came out to find that the mischievous little elf had written a message on our window with a dry-erase marker. His message read:

I'm Back!!! Don't forget I report to Santa every night! Be good!

-Bell

And, just to add more Christmas chaos to our day, we will let the clients unwrap one Christmas book each night. On previous Christmases, we have given a Christmas book to Client One each night. Once Christmas is over, we store the books to use again the next year. This year, I actually took the time to wrap each book (well, at least most of them are already wrapped) to give it a more present-like effect. Each night, at bedtime, Client One will unwrap her surprise book and her Daddy will read it to her. If Client Two is still awake, he will join in the story time.

Hopefully, I will be able to find time to write a quick blog post each day sharing our fun Christmas activities. But, as the Christmas season is especially busy, I doubt I will be able to find time to write every single day. At the very least, however, I will be posting pictures of Bell's daily mischief and our activities on Instagram using the hashtags #mylifeasaSAHMom and #MyLifeasaSAHMomChristmasFun.

Merry Christmas!

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Citrus Lane Box Review- November

Another month brings yet another Citrus Lane box! This month, the shipping was extra slow due to bad weather in some of the states the boxes pass through, but once they finally arrived they were a big hit! As Client One saw her box, she immediately started jumping up and down and asking if she could open it.

Client One's box definitely appealed to her creative, artsy side. She received watercolor crayons and a watercolor pad form Faber-Castell, Clean Well hand wipes and a Barefoot Books 36 piece puzzle.

Box for a 3.5 year old girl. Sign up here!

We have received Faber Castell items in previous boxes (beeswax crayons and double-tipped markers) and I have fallen in love with this company. They are basically professional quality art supplies for kids. I totally steal them from Client One on occasion for my own art needs. Now, normally I would not shell out a bunch of money for art supplies for Client One but I love these. The colors are always bright and vibrant. The watercolor crayons were no exception. Client One had fun coloring and painting by herself and with her daddy and I. The only reason she even stopped was because bedtime snuck up on her. The watercolor crayons and the watercolor pad were a major hit! 

The Animal Boogie puzzle from Barefoot Books was another hit. Client One is really into puzzles right now and she is getting rather good at them. She has also been watching Wild Kratts on Netflix a lot lately so the jungle theme excited her. I like the bright colors and fun animals pictures. The puzzle also seems pretty durable despite being cardboard. I even like the little box it goes in. Client One had already put it together half a dozen times, so I foresee this getting a lot of use.

The last item in Client One's box wasn't very exciting to her but I was excited to see it in her box! I actually got to choose from a couple of items and the hand wipes were what I selected. These wipes are perfect for cleaning up Client One after a messy craft, especially paint. They are also nice to have on hand when dinner for either client gets a little messy. I love having these handy and am very glad to get them since the pack I currently had (from a previous box a few months back) is almost empty!

This month I aged Client Two's box up by a year so he could receive items that I could set aside for his birthday and Christmas. His box included a Barefoot Book, a snack from Annie's, Plan Toys cutting food and a chunky puzzle from Melissa and Doug.

Box for a boy with a February 2013 birthday. Sign up here!

I absolutely love Barefoot Books. They have cute story lines, bright illustrations and entertain while teaching. Client Two's book was Bear Takes a Trip and helped to introduce some time concepts. It was a fun little story. I stashed it away to put in Client Two's stocking, but first I read it to him just to see how he would react. The pictures captured his attention very well and he grinned the whole time. Granted, some of the concepts he won't understand for a while, but I love having books to grow with.

I don't know if it was the bright orange packaging or if he knew it was food, but as soon as we opened up Client Two's box he had to have his snack. He pulled it out immediately and sat there grinning. I love Annie's snacks because they are all natural and Client Two loves them because they are tasty. A coupon also accompanied the snack so I see even more Annie's snack in the very near future.

   

Plan Toys is another one of the companies I was not aware of before I started receiving Citrus Lane boxes. I love Plan Toys products. Since I aged Client Two's box up by a year, the cutting veggies were definitely outside his skill zone. Client One has received Plan Toys cutting food previously in a box so I know the quality is great and they are super fun.

The Melissa and Doug chunky dinosaur puzzle also caught Client Two's attention. The colors were nice and bright and the pieces will be easy for him to hold and manipulate. I know he won't be putting the puzzle together any time soon, but in the meantime he will be able to enjoy playing with and gnawing on the fun dinosaur pieces. Shortly after he opened the box, I actually also stashed this away for a future Christmas or birthday present.

All in all I must admit that we had another month of great boxes! Everything will get used and played with and everything is great quality and well worth the money. If you are interested in getting a box next month, sign up now! Use this link to get half off your first box! Then, you can have this big smiles at your house, too!

  

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Thanksgiving Cranberry Sauce

Okay, I am not a food blogger, so I am not great with the photos of food prep that usually accompany a recipe post, but I thought I might share one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes! So, if you're in search for a delicious, easy, last minute recipe for your Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, you are in luck!

I love cranberries. They are delicious. But I have never been a fan of the cranberry sauce in a can that was commonly served at Thanksgiving dinners. Food just should not be can-shaped. Last year, I looked up a bunch of cranberry sauce recipes and came up with one of my own by combining my favorite parts of each recipe and adding some of my own touches. It uses fresh fruit and has a very pleasant appearance with a natural fruity taste. 

What You Need:

12 oz Fresh Cranberries

1/2 cup Water

1/2 Orange Juice (Pulp Free is best)

1 1/4 cup Sugar

Half a Pear- chopped 

Half an Apple- chopped (I used Red Delicious)

Dash of Cinnamon (Okay, so I use a big "dash")

2 tsp Grated Orange Peel (or about one orange's worth)

What You Do:

1. Divide the cranberries roughly in half.
2. Combine half the cranberries, water, orange juice, sugar, pear, apple and cinnamon (everything except half the cranberries and the orange peel) in a medium sauce pan and cook on medium heat until the cranberries pop (about 5 minutes).
   
3. Add the other half of the cranberries and the grated orange peel and cook for 5 more minutes.
   
   
   
4. Remove from heat and put in a serving bowl and place in the fridge to cool.
   
   
   
5. Serve and enjoy!

See? Fairly simple and quite tasty! So, go on out to your closest grocery store and grab some ingredients to make your own! You won't be sorry! You may even outshine the turkey. 

'Tis the Season to Start Saving!

Only 45 days until Christmas!!! Okay, don't shoot me. I LOVE Christmas. It is my favorite time of the year. I love the decorations, the food, the activities, the weather, the presents and pretty much everything else. Well, I don't really enjoy going broke finding everyone that perfect gift but I do love seeing their faces when they open the gifts. As a SAHM, we live on a tight budget which makes finding that perfect gift and paying for it a little bit tougher. Luckily I have found a way to work the system, in a matter of speaking. I have started using rebate apps and websites to make a little money back on my purchases. They are easy to use and I can use the money I earn for every day things or more gifts. All of them also offer referral bonuses, which gives you even more incentive to share and put more money back in your pocket.

The most recent rebate program I started using is ebates. Ebates is a simple website that provides you with links to some of your favorite online retailers. Simply log in to your account, search for the website you want to buy from and, if it's one of the thousands of websites connected to ebates, click the link provided. When you click the link you will be automatically directed to the website and you can shop like normal. After you checkout, your ebates account will automatically update, giving you a certain percentage back on that purchase. The percentage of money you get back varies from website to website, but when you search for the stores you can see not only how much of a percentage you get back but also if there are any restrictions. You can also download a little ebates notification that lets you know if a website you are on is eligible for ebates just in case you forget to check through ebates first. They automatically send out check periodically, so as long as your address is updated, you will get your money with no fuss. Any amount $5 or more will get mailed out. If you haven't gotten $5 or more by the time they mail the checks they will roll the amount over for the next payout. They also have incentives for signing up. Right now I believe you get a $10 giftcard to one of a few stores after you have made $25 in purchases. My Target gift card is in the mail! Honestly, getting money back was never any easier! You can sign up for your own account here.

Rebate apps are super handy, too. Two of my favorites are Snap by Groupon and Ibotta. There are other rebate apps out there such as Shopmium or Walmart Savings Catcher but these are the ones I have found to be the most useful. They have items I am buying anyways and they are easy to use. You can even redeem receipts with both apps and make even more money back!

Ibotta is the one that I probably use the most. They have their rebates sorted by categories (grocery, apparel, entertainment, etc.) and then by the store. You can choose the rebates you are interested in and unlock them by watching a video, taking a poll, reading a fact or some other simple task that only takes a few seconds. Most of the items available for rebates are particular brands and they have to be redeemed at specific stores. There is a barcode scanner available on the app so you can verify that the product you are buying is indeed the item listed and that it meets all the requirements. After you make your purchases, simply choose the redeem portion of the app and verify any barcodes that you did not verify in store, submit a photo of your receipt and wait for everything to be officially verified. Usually it only takes a couple of hours for the money to appear. Once you reach $10 you can cash out through PayPal or Venmo or redeem the money for gift cards instead. I personally redeemed mine for a movie gift card that went towards a date night for me and Hubby. In addition to just getting money from rebates, you can also get additional money through bonuses. There are teamwork Bonuses and purchase Bonuses. The bonuses are easy to get and they add extra money to your account. It's super easy and profitable! Sign up here.

Snap by Groupon works a lot like Ibotta. There are fewer options to redeem for rebates but there are more generic items like bread, fruit, milk and eggs. Most can be redeemed at any grocery store, too, which makes it easier to get what you need and still get your rebates. If an item has certain restrictions they are clearly laid out for you. Some rebates can even be redeemed more than once! You get more back on average with Snap over Ibotta but the cashout point is higher. With Snap you need to have $20 before you can cashout. After you make your purchases, simply choose the big, green Snap receipt circle at the bottom of the app to send in a picture of your receipt. Within a day or so (sometimes it's fast, sometimes it takes forever) the money will be credited to your account. You can sign up for Snap here.

Every little bit that you can get back helps and if you are making the purchase anyways, why not take advantage of these great deals?  I know I am! With the help of these rebates my Christmas is shaping up to be a lot less stressful and a lot jollier!

Ebates- http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=8vBUwYqA%2BmRJjhIdsh7pKQ%3D%3D&eeid=26471

Ibotta- https://ibotta.com/r/ukydypc

Snap- https://snap.groupon.com/app?ref=6d2e6f82d650df64

**Please note that these are referral links and I may receive referral credit if you sign up through my link. Thanks!**

Sickness

Client One is sick. She had a slight cough last night before bed but woke up around 1:00 this morning with a full-blown cough, sore throat and fever. Her poor little throat was so sore she would cry every time she coughed. This, of course, would wake up Client Two. I spent the majority of my night going from client to client trying my best to comfort them and get them back to sleep.

I hate when my babies are sick. They just lie there so miserable. A couple of months ago Client Two was sick. He was majorly pathetic. All he wanted to do all day was snuggle. He had a fever that got almost scary high. I took him on in to his doctor and had him checked out but there wasn't a whole lot they could do for him except recommend Tylenol for his fever. Even with the Tylenol his fever stayed fairly high around 103*. I stayed up pretty much all night just rocking and holding him for two nights straight. I spent most of those nights in our living room chair. I was exhausted but my baby needed me.  After his fever finally broke, he got a rash from his head to his little piggies. Turns out, he most likely had Fifths Disease. It was scary but we made it through.

Now, it seems, it is Client One's turn. It's not the first time she's ever been sick, but she doesn't get sick often. Last time she was sick it was a stomach bug. She threw up in Barnes and Noble right in front of the registers. That was a blast. Luckily, her bug only lasted about 24 hours before she was pretty much back to normal. This time it's a nasty cold of some sort. Her sweet little voice has been replaced by the voice of a forty-year-old smoker lady. Since she can't call out for help I have provided her with a maraca to shake when she needs me. She's shaking it every five minutes or so. She has a pretty sweet set-up. She's back in the main bedroom all comfy on my bed with three pillows and big fluffy blanket. She has her Bo (the teddy bear she takes everywhere) and a new stuffed cat her "Frandma" brought over for her. She also has a cup of lemonade, cup of water, little bowl of strawberry Jell-O (which is a treat because it has red food dye in it), Goldfish crackers and a cough drop sucker (which is another special treat since she rarely gets suckers). She gets to watch TV all day in her pajamas, so she doesn't mind being sick as much. Right now her fever is down a bit thanks to Tylenol and she seems a little less miserable thanks to her "bee medicine" (Zarbee's Natural's Children's Cough Syrup). Like a dutiful mother I will make her chicken noodle soup for lunch.

Sick kids are never any fun. If I could I would happily take my clients' sicknesses away and be sick myself instead. I don't like it when they're sick. But, since I can't take their sickness away I try to make them as comfortable as possible. Now, granted, since I am with them 24/7 the chances are high that in a day or two I will be sick with whatever illness has beset upon them. Chances are also good that Client Two will get whatever Client One has, despite my best efforts to keep them separated over the next couple of days. Then I will have two sick clients and might be sick myself but we will make it through. Such is the curse of a mother.