My Christmas Wish List

Today I get semi-selfish and let you know what is on my Christmas wish-list.  As much as I love coming up with what my children need/want for Christmas it is second only to my needs/wants.  In fact throughout the year I think of all those little things that I really want but don't need but if you buy it for me then it's all okay.
So what is on my list this year??

First up....

 

Is it sad that I am thirty-(cough-cough) and I don't have a cast-iron skillet.  My corn bread batter cries every time I put it in a glass baking dish.  I can hear it.  It is sad.

 I want a Kindle* so bad it hurts.  I dream about holding it and reading.  I dream of going on vacation and finishing a book then going on my wireless connection and downloading another book.  It's good to have dreams.

 You can't have a Kindle without a cute Kindle case and this is the one I want.  This case is made by  Britgal Designs on Etsy.

This case is more expensive then other cases I previewed but the fact that you can actually read/use the Kindle in the case makes it worth the extra dough.

       

Susan, yoga pant?**  You don't do yoga. 

Of course I don't but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the extreme comfort and stretchiness of yoga pants.

But these my ladies are just not any yoga pants, these have a secret.

Wanna know what it is?  Come close....a little closer.  Shhh!

They have a tummy control panel.  SHRIEEEK right I know!!!!

I have to tell you I received a pair of these awesome pants and  they are HEAVEN.  I wore them 3 times in one week.  I could wear them all day everyday if it wasn't for my resistance to the laundry pile.

These pants make my body look good.

So what makes these pants better then other yoga pants.

Well first the company that makes them is called "The Girls" .  Sometimes it's all in the name.

That and when you put them on they are like butter.  BUTTER!  It's the fabric. A nylon/spandex mix that has a technical name because it is that good.  Everything that is good has a real technical name.  But don't worry about that, just worry about how good you are gonna look in these pants!

That's it Santa/husband.  I have been a real good girl this year so please make all my wishes come true!

*Disclosure: I did not receive a Kindle to write that I want a Kindle but if you click the link and purchase a Kindle I will receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

**Disclosure:  I did receive a pair of The Girl yoga pants.  No money was given to this write post.   What I said is 100% true, I would like Santa to bring me one....or ten more pair of these pants.  It's the tummy control, it gets me every time.

Don't forget to check out "The Girls" on Facebook

Christmas Gift Ideas: Gift Cards and How to Gift Them

I am not big on gift cards.  I get the appeal but I much rather give a gift that a person can hold and use right away.
But sometimes the gift card can't be avoided.
Case in point:  I have a niece who loves to read.  I don't have a list of books that she has and I have a feeling it would take my sister-in-law a good couple hours to form a list of books she owns.  I like my sister-in-law too much to do that to her.
So my only choice for my little-ferocious-reading niece is to give her a gift card so she can buy a book she knows she wants to read.
After I buy a gift card I like to put it in something other then a card.  There is a lot of gift card holders out there, they are cute but not practical, they are never to be used again.
I love the idea of putting a gift card in a new wallet or purse or a pouch....

From Paper Sparrow on Etsy.com

I love the unique fabric, bright colors and their versatility. I can imagine my niece putting her watercolors or her jewelry or her sewing needles and thread in one of these little bags.
All fabrics are custom designed by the owner of Paper Sparrow and lined with a vintage fabric.
Super cute!

Disclosure: I was not asked nor paid to write this post.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Christmas Gift Ideas: Bento Box

I reserve the right, as a mother, to put one to two items on my children's Christmas wish list.  Is this fair?  I don't know and frankly I don't care.  That is the great thing about being a mom, I get to make the rules.This year the item that I am putting on this kiddos' wish list is....
Bento Boxes!
Yes that is right I am making Santa bring the kids lunch boxes for Christmas.  In an effort to help that jolly guy out I did my research to find the best bento/lunch box out there and this is what I came up with, The GoodByn Lunchbox.

For the Boy

For the Girl

Cute right.  Not exactly what the kids expect to find under the Christmas tree.  But I have my reasons in putting these on their wish lists.
The big reason: MY KIDS ARE THE PICKIEST EATERS IN THIS WHOLE WIDE GREAT WORLD!!!!
Okay maybe not the whole world but defiantly in this house.  My husband runs a close third.  And basically I will eat anything I can scrap off the refrigerator shelf .
My kids are grazers and snackers.  They love a little of everything and that is why I love the idea of these Bento boxes for them.  I could put some cheese in one compartment and some cracker in another and finish it off with some carrot sticks.  Fill up the water bottle and lunch is done. Which may I say the Goodbyn lunchbox is the only one I could find with a built in water bottle.  BONUS!!!
Now you are asking "Why don't you just buy it for them today?  Why ruin their Christmas morning with lunch boxes?"
That is a very good question, didn't you see the part up above where I stated I make the rules?  This is just a huge power trip. WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Just kidding.  No, really I am not kidding.
Actually I am kind of a penny pinching cheapskate and if I went out today I'd buy the cheapest boxes I could find.
But Christmas brings out the spender in me.  I can loosen up the purse strings and dig a little deeper in the wallet to spend a little more money to get good quality lunch boxes.
Mean or not I am super excited to wrap up these lunch boxes for the kids.  And since they come with stickers to decorate each box, I don't think I'll hear much groaning.   I actually think this gift will be a welcomed surprise!

Stay tuned here for more Christmas ideas for you and yours!

Disclaimer: I was not asked nor paid nor given any product to write this post.  I am writing this post because I wanted to share with you the research I did in finding the perfect lunchbox for my kids.  Go now to Goodbyn because they are having buy one get the second half off sale, enter "onehalfoff" at checkout.  Offer end Nov.1, 2010