Updated Preparing

If you go Here you will read what I have set aside for Christmas for my kids so far.  In addition, my boss was cleaning out his house and brought me in a big bag of stuffed animals today.  I will be honest and say that I don't particularly like stuffed animals very much.  They end up all over the house and somehow they reproduce quite quickly  ;)  hahaha   They also aren't very functional.

But I said thank you and looked to see what was inside.  I was pretty excited when I saw the following mixed in the bag:

It's a bird.  It's a plane.  Oh wait, it is....

MATER

(Not a very good picture, I know.)

 

He loves Mater from Cars and with all the numerous ads on tv, online and everywhere we turn, he is getting more and more excited about Mater.  So these two bad boys will be cleaned up and set aside for him for Christmas!  :)  Total cost: FREE!!! 

So my total for Christmas as of right now is $11.19.  Pretty good if you ask me.  Let's see what else I can score by the time Christmas rolls around.  Stay tuned for additional finds.

Who Loves Giveaway!?

Right now Mommy Katie is having a grand giveaway!  She is giving away an XBox with A Kinect pack!!!  Who else is jumping up and down?  I have always wanted to try out the Kinect since hearing great reviews from friends and various reports online.  How fun would that be? 

I need a way to get my butt off the couch when I am at home.  This would be such a great way to do so and of course motivate my kids to do the same.  Let's face it, we need a little kick and this would surely help.  Head on over to Mommy Kate and check out her blog.  I have been following her for a little while and love her site.  Feel free to follow her and enjoy.

Closing a Chapter to My Life

Well, today I decided that I am closing a chapter to my life.  When I say that, I primarily am speaking about certain individuals in my life that frankly, just don't belong.  No, this isn't me sitting here saying I am better than anyone and have no use for certain people.  Not at all.  Certain people that have been in my life for quite some time are
a) too judgemental
b) negative and downright rude
c) love to talk crap behind your back and when confronted say they never said anything
d) just too much drama to handle.

So today I am embracing taking my imaginary scissors and cutting the strings/closing a chapter.  I am beyond tired of focusing on the problems and worrying about what they think or say.  I am me.  I will never be anyone else.  Of course, I will change in my life.  In fact, I will change MANY times in my life.  Isn't that what life is? 

WE ALL CHANGE.  We learn.  We grow.  We find ourselves and focus on who we want to become and how we are going to get there.  I for one will happily detach myself from said individuals in an attempt to better myself and my life.  Maybe I am better than having these people in my life?  Maybe that is wrong to think or say, but I am done.  Not in a negative, venting kind of way.  I am just happy to let it go.  I will be the better person and be content :)

Pampers (Giveaway)

Health, Beauty, Children & Family is having a giveaway!  Do you know anyone who is expecting and is deserving of a baby shower?  How about a giveaway providing $300 in the form of a gift card for the baby shower?  I bet you will want to enter this.  While you are at it, check out Pampers Mission.

Kid Safe, KidZui (Giveaway)

Are your kids starting to get more interested in computers and technology?  Are you fearful of them being exposed to garbage and junk?  Right now Dear Crissy has a giveaway on her blog from KidZui.  I was very happy to stumble upon this.  I love that this site is face for kids.  They won't be exposed to stuff they really don't need to stumble upon.  I am definitely going to have my kids check this out and really am looking forward to it. 

"If you are looking for a safe, fun, and easy way to allow your young children to experience the internet, you will love KidZui–the browser designed specifically for kids!"

Who Doesn't Love Mickey Mouse?? (Giveaway)

My son loves Mickey Mouse.  He also loves singing the "hot dog, hot dog hot diggity dog" song!  :)  Right now if you head on over to Shining2Save she is having a giveaway for a Mickey Mouse Great Outdoors DVD.  Do you have a Mickey Mouse lover in your house?  What fond memories do you have of Mickey Mouse from your childhood?  I honestly LOVED Mickey Mouse as a kid.  I loved sitting on my parents' bed when I was about 5 or 6 and watching the shows.  I loved Goofy and always cracked up when he would do something clumsy and yelp with that loud howl only he could do.  hahaha

Preparing

I know it is only June, but I will admit that I am already thinking about Christmas.  Primarily I am thinking of shopping for my kids' gifts.  So far I have the following set aside for Christmas:

Jack:

• Monsters, Inc. DVD, which he has been begging for for a long while now.  This is such a great movie, if you haven't seen it.  I highly recommend this to anyone, and not just if you have kids.  I must confess that I absolutely LOVE this movie.- I won a GC online and got this for free. Monsters Inc
• Batman Movies 4 pack (Here) since he is such an avid Batman fan- I won a GC online and got this for free.
• Arthur and The Invisibles 2 (Here )- I won this online on a blog (New Age Mama) and I know he is going to love it. Free
• A stash of 14 Chevron Techron cars (Like These) that I found at a yard sale, various styles for only 25 cents each! $3.50 total
• A car rug (Almost Like This One) that I scored at a yard sale as well, for $2.00!  I couldn't believe it when she told me that price.  It looks like it has been hardly touched.
• Last year's Lego finds.  One was at a yard sale which if I remember right was only $3.00.  One was given to us when their grandma was cleaning out their shed and I set it aside for when he was a little older.  $3.00 total
• I decided since I got the 2nd movie to the Arthur and The Invisibles, I would get the first one (Here)with some left over money on a GC from Amazon that I won on a book blog a couple weeks back.  (I decided to purchase used books vs. new, so I was able to buy 2 books and this movie instead of just the one book I would have been permitted to had I purchased brand new.)  The overage was exactly $2.69. 

So far the total for Jack is $11.19!

Bug:

• Enchanted (Enchanted)- I won a gift card online and bought this primarily for her for Christmas.  She has been wanting this movie for a while now.  Every time we check it out at the library, she throws on her dress ups and sings her little heart out.  It is so precious!   So this was free.
• I entered a giveaway on Hip2Save (Hip2Save) for a Build-A-Dream Playhouse and won a little while back. I was so excited, as I knew my daughter would absolutely love it.  I picked the castle. (Check It Out).  It is sitting in the garage hiding. So free.

Bug's Total is $0.00!

So a total of $11.19 spent so far in all.

How far in advance do you do your Christmas shopping?  As a single mom, I never know what life is going to throw at me, so I shop throughout the year.  It is soley my income that provides for Santa.  If you don't check out yard sales or online giveaways, I highly recommend it!  It can be well worth your time, especially the yard sales.  I tend to find some great finds in my searching.  Get planning ahead of Christmas!  Happy hunting :)