Is it me or does time go just a LITTLE bit slower during the days after Christmas, but before New Years? I've talked to so many of my friends who are just counting down the days for school to start back up again. Their kids are bored and after ALL those Christmas gifts, STILL looking for "something to do".

My kids are with their grandparents in Waco for the last few days, but tomorrow they come home and I'm afraid. So afraid. Hold me. Someone save me from the Holiday Break Blues before they strike our house! If they DO appear, I'm armed and ready with help from Alvin and the Chipmunks. Have y'all seen Chipwrecked yet?

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Christmas has come and gone. If you're anything like me, you may have already packed up all the decorations and already looking forward to the start of a well-organized and well-planned New Year.

Yup. I took the last week off from blogging to celebrate with family, but most of all organize my life. That includes cleaning the house, organizing closets, and weeding out stuff I don't need. The New Year symbolizes a fresh start and I've got six products that will have you well on your way to an awesome year in, both, your home and your beauty routine. Have you tried this yet?

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I thought to myself... I haven't really wished everyone online a Merry Christmas. You've probably seen it on my Facebook or on Twitter, but I was trying to concoct the perfect Holiday Wish for you guys to no avail. That's when it hit me...

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Earlier this week, I loaded up the kids on the back of a lighted trailer, grabbed my blanket and scarf, for a night full of Christmas Caroling and giving of fruit baskets to the community. This was all made possible by the wonderful church I'm a member of, but for me? It was more than that.

I can't sing a lick to save my life. Did you ever see the movie My Best Friend's Wedding where Kimmy tries to sing Karaoke? Ummm... yeah. That's me, but worse. I've often been told that if you simply make a joyful noise, you'll delight the Lord and those around you. Whoever said that, obviously, hasn't heard me sing. Nevertheless, I did! I did make a joyful noise and it brought a warmth to my heart in doing so. It also brought smiles to my children and those around us. How do you pay-it-forward during the Holiday Season?

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I don't know about you, but I, often, forget people on my list. I mean, I tend to be a little OCD with a spreadsheet that included everyone by alphabetical order including whether or not we purchase the gift and if it's been wrapped.

This year, however, my daughter keeps throwing curve balls at me, "Mom, what about my friend down the street? What about my BFF at church? What about the little girl who I've never met, but I know she needs a gift that lives down the street? You get the picture. I'm all about teaching my kids about giving, but this is getting out of hand. So, we ventured off to Toys R Us to check out simple, yet fun gifts for girls. I'm talking 8-yr-old girls.

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Last year, I was in awe of how much we could make a difference in my local community just by being a blogger. Thanks to Cepia LLC, through RAZ 2010, we were able to donate 100 Zhu Zhu Pets to a children's advocacy center called Bridgehaven.

This year I wanted to give TWICE as much. Not knowing I'd be asked to partner with RAZ 2011, I started collecting and asking for donations from companies months ago. Before I knew it, my garage was full of gifts from a variety of partners such as Creativity for Kids, Townley Girl, and, for the second year in a row, Cepia LLC (makers of Zhu Zhu Pets).

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This Holiday Season be on the lookout for a NEW emotionally riveting movie to be in theaters. We Bought a Zoo, with it's amazing ensemble of cast members, sent my heart on a roller coaster of ups and downs as I watched a story about the human spirit and it's ability to build itself back up in the midst of a tragedy.

No. This is not a children's film, although I thought it would be. Was it the movie poster that made me think that? Was it the trailer? Either way, I walked out of the theaters in Los Angeles with a sense of hope in this thing we like to call PARENTING. It gave me the strength to simply believe in myself as a Mother. Sometimes I get it wrong. Sometimes I make mistakes. Sometimes I have no early idea what to say to my child, but all I need is 20 seconds of insane courage to build myself back up. We Bought a Zoo... what else does it entail?

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This week we're counting down the days until Christmas, but we're also celebrating a semester of hard work with my daughter through cheerleading. She has grown so much since beginning just a few shorts months ago and it's a joy to see her maturity at the end-of-the-season.

The Cheer Competition is finally over and she feels like she can breathe again without the grueling weekly schedule. So, I thought I'd help her celebrate with a few of her friends as they cheered the end of the cheer season. One of the Mom's is a professional photographer. So we set up a photoshoot in my home for all the girls to get their picture made. We also enjoyed awesome healthy snacks by WhoNu? Cookies as we talked about our goals for the following year. Little girls are such fun!

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The Holidays can be brilliant and magnificent and amazing and beautiful, but for thousands of families across the country it can also mean stress and worry. I know, as a family of five on a tight budget, those worries can take away from the real reason for the season.

This year, I've teamed up with Leapfrog to bring you easy tips to embrace the Holiday Spirit with your family. We're featured on Leapfrog.com as this week's host and it's been an absolute honor to be a part. So, what do you do to get in the Holiday Spirit?

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I've seen a variation of Pretzel Turtles. This year, was the first year I went out on a limb to try these easy-to-make candies. I thought it would make great Teacher gifts or even for friends and family this Holiday Season, but I'm not sure if you know this..... Rolo candies are HARD to find. Am I the only one having a problem finding them?

So, I grabbed up a few rolls of Rolos at Walgreens (this is going to be your best bet I think), but I also thought Hey, let's experiment a little. I decided to pick up some Cookies & Cream Hersheys Kisses and Peppermint Kisses as well. I'm pretty sure that this treat is good with ANY kind of candy. Check it out!

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Sometimes it takes a lot to make me happy. Sometimes I get SO stressed out that nothing will make me feel better, but if you dangle ANY kind of chocolate in front of me, you might see a smile, or two, or three. Heck. I'm a sucker for good chocolate.

If you know ANYONE like me, you're probably going to spend a LOT of money on chocolate this Holiday Season... say maybe enough to fill a stocking? Well, if you are, don't forget to give her (or him) Lindt Lindor Truffles. They make awesome stocking stuffers. I got to try them today and WOWEE, they are so good. I'm loving the extra dark chocolate peppermint.

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Today, everyone is on the edge of their seat as our Christmas Vacation begins at Noon, but there's one thing that my kids are anxious about and it has nothing to do with baking cookies with Momma. They're all about the new movies out this Christmas.

No. Today the NEW Alvin and the Chipmunks Movie Chipwrecked hits theaters! They've been jamming to the Chipwrecked soundtrack the last few weeks and are ready to watch the movie. I, however, have already seen the movie and am eager to bring you guys my thoughts. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, will it be a hit with kids across the country? Here's my take on the dynamic trio of chipmunks and the dynasty that was built to be different, intriguing, and fun for the whole family.

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My 8-yr-old daughter isn't a big "gamer" by any stretch of the imagination. She's very much like me. All her guilty pleasure comes from cheesy television shows or interesting books about social circles. Every now and again, however, she likes to chill with her Nintendo DS. When I saw her Christmas Wish List, I realized her taste in video games is much like her taste in books and television shows.

So, what better Christmas present than the gift of both television, music, AND video games with the all NEW Nickelodeon Victorious Nintendo DS Game?!

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Oh.My.Sweet.Holiday.Goodness.

I woke up from the worst bout of pneumonia/stomach virus/flu/never-want-it-again today and realized there are only 10 more days until Christmas. While I have most of our Christmas gifts already {Thank God I planned ahead this year}, I don't have ANYTHING for the kids stocking. Our stockings are rather large, so, it's a little difficult to fill them on a budget, but I try. One particular stocking stuffer that fills the stockings with cheer is the NEW Limited Edition Paul Frank Crunch Bar and you KNOW I've got one waiting for you, right?

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It's kinda of funny, but after Thanksgiving I get a little bit giddy that the Christmas music starts to play on the radio. Something about old Holiday Tunes that makes my heart sing a little and warm my soul.

This year, I have to admit. I got a little tired of the same ole' same ole' the first week. I wanted something different to share with the family. Every year we decorate our Christmas Tree with an ultimate snack tray dinner and Christmas Music in the background. One of our favorites this year is by a hometown boy {and when I say hometown, I mean we were in Junior High band together}, Raul Rendon and his Christmas Fantasy Album.

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I had no idea what a "snack tray" really was until I met my husband. His family is ALL about the snack tray around the Holidays including different kinds of cheeses, meats, crackers, and relishes. For me, Holidays are about tamales with grandma. So, this was quite a change to my palate, but in the last 10 years we've adopted this family tradition and every Holiday Season we incorporate the ultimate snack tray into our activities.

For instance, this year while we trimmed the tree, we dived right into a Hickory Farms basket that was to DIE for. What do you guys usually have as a holiday tradition?

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We're counting down the days until Friday, December 16th. Not ONLY is this the last day of school before Christmas Break, but we've got lots of fun stuff planned at Church with a Parents Night Out for both kids and overly exhausted Mommas, like myself, who need a break.

Whats even MORE exciting on the 16th? Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked hits theaters! I had one of the most amazing opportunities to screen the movie in LA a couple weeks ago. So, I'll be bring you guys a few take-aways and fun stuff in the coming days. Did I mention we got to interview the producers, director, and Jason Lee? Stay tuned for that, but, today, I'm bringing you a fun Chipwrecked printable activity and a giveaway to get you guys geared up for some Alvin fun!

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Are you guys as anxious for Christmas, as I am? I have a shopping trip planned with my sister, I've got last minute gifts on my list, and I'm stocked up with wrapping paper and ribbon.

While the season is full of joy, it's also full of stress Eek. Gotta watch the budget. How much can we spend on each child? Wait. What about the gift exchange at school? The list gets longer each day. Hey. I get it. I'm a Mom with three kids and I shop around for the best toy deals to save a dollar too. That's why I'm SO excited to tell you guys about the Big Toy Event at Target, starting today, Dec. 8th, through Christmas Eve. All the hottest toys of the season you've been looking for all at great prices, like the ever popular Fijit Friend, Scrabble Flash (my 9-yr-old is DYING for this), and Lego City Bank and Money Transfer. Want to win one? You KNOW I've got you covered, right?

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For years and years we lived hundreds of miles away from family. This really took it's toll around the Holidays. One of the things I remember, in those days, was the on going frustration of not being able to go Christmas shopping with my husband. Someone had to stay home with the kids, right?

This year, it isn't a problem being we're home, where our heart is, but for all of you guys who might need a night out sans kids, mark your calendars for December 16th! If you're in the Houston/Baytown/Crosby/Highlands area, Second Baptist Highlands has all of you sweet Moms and Dads in mind this Holiday Season. So, go on a date night. Go shopping. Go take a nap. Go where your hearts leads you for one night during Second Baptist Highlands' 2011 Parents Night Out. 

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A friend of mine posted on Facebook that her husband told her, the Christmas list she created was boring. He wanted her to go back to the drawing board and try again. With my jaw dropped to the floor, I thought to myself I wish my husband would tell me that! Lately, he doesn't question my list Oh, she wants to geek out with more iPad accessories? Needs the latest version of Final Cut Pro? No problem.

Women are hard to shop for. I know this, but if you need ideas, check out our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide. There's lots of good stuff from Mud Pie (my latest craze) and we're adding this amazing Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds Fragrance Gift Set. It's beautiful in more ways than one.

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This is our very last Beauty Pick of the Month for the 2011. Where has the time gone? Just yesterday, it seems as if I introduced you guys to our first Beauty Pick, L'Oreal Youth Code. Wasn't it JUST yesterday?

I've had so much fun trying out new beauty products on behalf of H-E-B and some pretty amazing brands. This month, it's all about the hair with the December Beauty Pick, John Frieda's Premium Straightening Iron. Thanks to this iron, I have undergone an amazing transformation, but I couldn't just TELL you, I had to SHOW you.

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Holiday decorating can get overwhelming. So many people have told me they've got to be in the spirit, they've got to have the money, and they've got to have an enormous amount of inspiration to even begin. In years past, we haven't put many Christmas lights on the house due to time restraints and budget. Okay, and maybe because my husband loathes the whole process.

This year, however, we decided we would outline the house in colored lights, but where do we start? Do we go for LED lights and what's the difference? Thanks to our Home Depot, we shopped for exactly what we wanted at a great price and came home, well.... inspired.

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You know that awkward silence when you're in an elevator with another person and you have to go up a million floors? You kinda stare at the floor, breathe out loudly, or comment on how cute their purse is. If it's a guy, you kinda just stand frozen and secretly try to guess what cologne he's wearing. Note to self: Buy that for my husband for Christmas.

Well, I expect that kind of awkwardness in the elevator, but what I got from a fellow blogger (which I refuse to name because I don't like drama), at a blogger event months ago, was far from normal. I witnessed a phone  conversation between her and her husband and it wasn't pretty. In fact, it made ME uncomfortable.

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