Hiding While the Clock Strikes

Shhh, none of them know where I am.

I know I should be celebrating and toasting the year that was 2011,
but I'm actually feeling a little more like, "Hey, 2011! Don't let the door hit you on your way out!".

So, they're in the kitchen eating really greasy food and laughing over who can make the most annoying sounds and I'm here with you. Yes, one really can have too much family togetherness. Please tell me about your exciting plans so that I can live a little!

Last Giveaway of 2011!!

The sneaky, hidden pieces of broken ornaments are still littering corners of the living room; the Christmas DVDs are in all of the wrong cases and any chance of removing the red food coloring (used by a certain cookie chef) from my white counter top diminishes each day...

so it's a perfect time to scrapbook, right?!

My family probably doesn't agree either, but considering the huge production we all (as in you and me, not as in my kids, husband and I) just pulled off, I think we (as in you and I) deserve a break.

 I'm not a digital scrapbooker. 

  

I claim to be a traditional cropper because of the tactile gratification to be had working with textured papers and the satisfaction (stress release) obtained from smashing out wonderful cutter shapes- leaving bits of paper strewn from one room to the next...

but the truth is,  

I'm scared of technology. terrified.

I just don't understand how people make these beautiful, creative pages without pulling out a pair of pinking shears and gobs of sticky dots. 

Get thee behind me, Fear! because 

MyMemories digital scrapbooking software has changed everything.

Looky what an average technophobe like me can create in just a few minutes:

 Are you proud? me too! This literally took me only minutes! (Less time than it's taken me to compose this post, that's for sure). And there's no glue in my hair or glitter on the carpet. I don't have to wind the few bits of ribbon back up or...It was SO easy! Oh dear, say goodbye to me now kids.


I can't be the only one neglecting my home and children, so it's share time...(It's been a long time since I was so excited about a new product that I couldn't wear on my feet, so I hope this is something you'll be eager to try.)

If you want to give this a try for yourself, just visit the MyMemories website and

use this code STMMMS29382 to get a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite v3 digital scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories store - a $20 value!

Better yet, visit MyMemories, choose your favorite digital paper pack or layout, and then come back and tell me about it. You could WIN your very OWN MyMemories Suite v3 software **FREE**!!

What, you want more chances to win? 

Tell your friends and have them mention that you sent them for an additional entry. Link to FB, Twitter, or follow the MyMemories Blog through your blog, twitter or FB and receive even more entries. 

FINE PRINT -aka really small font declaring important details:

*Not a scrapbooker? There's photo books and calendars for future gift giving, and for the price of FREE, how could you resist?
*Anyone can win, I don't care if you live in Timbuktu-- the software is downloadable AND Mac compatible (yes, Windows too).
*Contest ends January 5th, 2012  8.00am GMT (in commemoration of my children going back to school so that I can do some digital albums!)
*You can share the $20.00 discount code with anyone, but the winner of the free MyMemories Suite v3 digital software will receive their code after the contest closes.

A video to show how easy it really is:


 Good luck!

Great British Advertising- Christmas

What I love about England, reason 5,022:

The recycling of adverts and celebrities. There's no need to spend thousands on new production staff when you can just reuse the same commercials year after year. If that doesn't appeal, use BITS of old commercials to make them new.

This little blue alien family has become a favourite in our house: (play it a few times and see if you can get it out of your head)

Another way to use The Snowman video:

And the sentimental:

I LOVE this place!!

One Step Forward...

I am not making, sending (or grieving over) Christmas cards this year.

Whew! That felt great to say.

Helping the kids with their 60 classmate cards was enough.


So, the huge box of ridiculousness I have saved over the year (recycled cards, cute things cut out for embellishments and wooden stamps) can take their guilt-mongering bits back into the Rubbermaid container they crept out of and go back to the garage where they should have stayed.

There is no family portrait, despite my researching local photographers and venues in November. Our calender was too full.

And yes, I really might just skip the baking as well thankyouverymuch.

Time for a little holiday downsizing! Some things are just going to have to go this year and it's either the excess or my sanity.


Do you hear the empowerment?






Now I'm off to create the bus-sized hamper I volunteered to do for one of the boys' football Christmas parties. I am a sucker for direct eye contact from the manager pleading, "We still don't have anyone to make this years' hamper..."*

Somebody please sew my lips together and tie down my stupid arm!!



*Addendum: Sorry all, I've been living over here for too long-I forget what's American and what's British anymore. A hamper is like a basket or box filled with goodies. They usually raffle them off. I'm NOT filling the thing, only making the wrapped box for everything to go into. However,  I have issues and will expect it to be perfect... thus my problem volunteering for things like this.

Another Christmas Nativity

Tomorrow my little tiny baby, born the same year my first school Nativity-aged child performed as a shepherd, will be appearing on stage as an angel.
She's five already! Where does the time go?

I've been especially broody this last couple of weeks-not necessarily to hold an infant in my arms again, but to watch giggling, mischievous toddler-aged boys in action. (I'm the gray-haired lady in the BX watching your children act up, with a smile ladies).

But I digress.

Christmas is really important to our family. We make a big deal about telling and retelling the story of the birth of Christ. Tonight at the dinner table Miss Ky's brothers asked her about her play.

Them: "What's it about Miss Ky?"

Her: "It's about Jesus" (I'm appreciating that she didn't finish the sentence with "Duh" even though her tone inferred it)

Them: "What does Jesus do?"

Her: "He goes to sleep".

Not exactly the same way I remember the story, but maybe tomorrow it will be a little clearer...

Because You Will Make the Same Mistakes Next Year

Dear 2012 Me,

Fight all urges to be helpful. When extended family asks you to give them an idea for Christmas gifts for the kids,
do not do it!
Do not listen carefully to every reaction the kids have in the store or to the advertising between shows. Do not scour the web pages of places like Toys-R-Us and Amazon for things you know the kids will like.
And especially do not take the time to make lists for each child of various ideas in different prices ranges to be emailed or read off over the phone.

They don't really want those lists!

Half of the family will just get what they want to anyway and the other half will just contact you a couple of weeks later--multiple times-- to ask you to tell them again, and then they will just get what they want to anyway.
Please remember: Your family members are incapable of reading through older emails or phone texts to read what you painstakingly compiled, so don't do it!

Please trust me on this. You do it every year. This year you have this warning, heed it.


However, with the world getting ready to end and all, at least this is the last year you have to fend off those relatives.

P/S Don't forget to stock up on mince pies-- I hear they are THE party food for the End of the World parties.