Family * Travel * Food

Momfiles year in review 2009

I decided to write this post in list form and there is no order, just random:
  • We have made so many amazing friends along with getting to know the existing ones better that we met through the blog world. I love my blog pals :)
  • We completed a full year of Vent Day Wednesday and we are still debating if we will continue in 2010. We may consider doing a segment once or twice a month.
  • We have gained new followers and new loyal readers.
  • We have another year documented through the blog of the kids' accomplishments and other fun stuff.
  • We are so happy that more of the people we know personally have been enjoying their daily dose of Momfiles.
  • I have made so many new friends through Facebook that came from the blog.
  • We have been pretty happy with all of our sponsors and PR peeps that have been so generous.
  • Our family has grown and learned whole lot this year.
  • 2009 has been the best year ever for us and we are excited about what's to come in 2010.

    HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! We wish you all good health and happiness :)

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Let's talk diapers

I have been encountering a big problem with William's diapers during the overnight hours. Leaks. Not nice at all. This requires me to wash sheets, blankets and mattress covers daily and it is getting old. I have tried all of the most expensive and premium diapers including Huggies, Pampers and Luvs. They all failed me. Even the ones made for overnight protection just would not cut it. I have even refrained from giving the boy any liquids past 6:30 to see if that would help and nope, same thing.

I knew I had to figure something out. I decided to give the Kroger brand of diapers a try and I had nothing to lose at this point. Would you believe that a store brand diaper actually held up overnight? Seriously, it costs me an average of $3 less per convenience sized pack and it does the trick. I am thrilled and I really hope it lasts! I just thought I would share this information with you and please don't tell Dwayne, I did not receive any compensation for this post. Y'all know how Mr. Cheapie is about his endorsement dollars!! I would recommend these diapers to even the pickiest of moms :)
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William update

Well little William is 21 months and is one curious and active toddler! He is always on the go and he loves for you to chase him around the house. He discovered how to hide. I really don't know how he knows but he does and he has specific little places he loves to go. He likes to peek at you and giggles while you are "looking for him". Sneaky fella! He is really starting to grow in ways that he shows he has a good sense of what is going on and is starting to listen. Yes, I did not think it would happen this soon that he will actually listen (sometimes). He has the most scrumptious smile and he knows how to flash em when he's doing naughty things!

William enjoyed Christmas as much as any toddler would. The wrapping paper was the biggest attraction and he really could care less about his new loot. He is finally somewhat starting to show some interest in toys so what we do is keep a few different ones out for several days and then swap them out for new ones to keep things fresh. He still loves books. They are at the top of his list. Dwayne takes him out in the back yard as often as the weather allows so he can run wild. He loves the outdoors. A strange thing about him is he is very good when he has to brush his teeth or get his nails trimmed. He really loves both of those things! I can't believe how still he stays for it. We have been sitting him on the potty seat before bath time...mind you he is in NO WAY ready for it but we are getting him in the practice of sitting on it. I don't like the pee pee shield. They are scrapey!

We are really enjoying watching the little guy grow and develop. He brings our whole family so much joy and we look forward to him getting older and learning all he can. We are still waiting for the talking part but in due time. He is showing signs of wanting to have conversation so that is a step. He's a happy and healthy boy and that is all we can ask for!

Decent photos to come soon!
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Eat your breakfast! General Mills Cereal Giveaway

I think it is believed by most parents that if you feed your children cereal for breakfast you are giving them too much sugar and calories. Well guess what?? This is not true!

Did you know that ready-to-eat cereal eaters consume less fat, less cholesterol and more fiber than non-cereal eaters? Cereals also deliver important vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients, making cereal a top source of key nutrients in children’s diets.

Other cereal benefits:
  • Ready-to-eat cereals, including pre-sweetened cereals, account for only 5% of sugar in children’s diets.

  • Ready-to-eat cereal is the No. 1 source of whole grains in a child’s diet today.

  • More frequent cereal eaters tend to have healthier body weights and lower Body Mass Index measures.
Studies also demonstrate the benefits of eating breakfast. A
1998 study showed that children who eat breakfast tend to perform better at school. Compared to children who skip breakfast, children who eat breakfast score higher on tests, are less likely to miss class or be tardy. With 3 kids of my own and a busy schedule cereal is a great option during the school week. As a matter of fact we all love the Oatmeal Crisp in Crunch Almond and an old favorite, Lucky Charms! We sometimes have cereal for dinner!! I also believe that cereal is an economical option as well.

For more information about kids and cereals, please visit Cereal Health and Wellness.

Right now if you visit here you will find a $1 off coupon for one of four General Mills cereals, while supplies last.
_______________________________________________

Giveaway: General Mills and MyBlogSpark have offered one Momfiles reader the chance to win
VIP coupons for 4 boxes of General Mills cereal ($24 value) to help your family come together at the breakfast table every morning!
Mandatory- What is your favorite General Mills cereal? Comments that say "thank you" or "count me in" will be deleted. Want an additional entry? (You must complete the above method to qualify for extra entries)

--You can Twitter this giveaway (one per day) and leave me a link to your Tweet.
Example:
Enter the General Mills Cereal Giveaway @momfiles http://blog.momfiles.com/2009/12/eat-your-breakfast-general-mills-cereal.html #giveaway

-- Facebook this giveaway, and please leave a separate comment/link for each entry to count. (one per day)

--Follow me on Twitter or "friend me" on Facebook (leave a comment with a link) If you already follow let me know.

--You can also place our button on your blog or follow us (please leave a blog link in your comment or specify if you are a new or current follower).

*Be sure to have a visible email address in your comment if you do not have a Blogger profile. Giveaway is open to US residents only. Deadline to enter is January 8, 2010 at 11:59 pm EST. Good luck!
All information was provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark. I received 4 free cereal coupons for posting about product.
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Putting it all away

I started late last night taking all the ornament off the tree. It was supposed to be just that. Instead the lights made their way off and then eventually the tree itself completely disappeared, tucked away in enormous storage bins. All signs of Christmas have vanished. I am one of those people that just don't like keeping seasonal things up past the time. We really like getting the house cleaned up and organized for the New Year. Dwayne has gotten our bill book made for 2010 and I got a new computer and so we have no excuse to have things get out of control. I even bought a new coupon organizer to help save the family some money. If I don't have a coupon or it is not on sale I generally won't purchase that item. So now that I have completely switched subjects it is time for me to go! I will be back tomorrow :)
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I miss my blog

Seriously, I have really missed my blog. I can't believe I have not updated it in days. I last wrote about being sick. Well I went and overdid it and relapsed so I have been really taking it easy. I am feeling up to par now so I will stop being such a slacker. We had a nice quiet Christmas and I am always so amazed by how much planning, preparing, wrapping and cooking you do for it to all be over so quickly. I guess it will be time to get the house all spiffy for the new year. I am not making any resolutions except to keep myself healthy. I feel like that is important and I already do what I can daily to ensure good health. Well I have a lot more interesting things to talk about so I will get back on the ball and blog daily to fill everyone in on all the latest shenanigans and goings on in the Ismail household. I hope everyone had a great time this holiday season!
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I've been away

Gosh, it's been a while since I have posted anything or even checked my favorite blogs. I have had so much going on and have been sick with a cold for about 4 days now. With the kids being out of school it seems we have been so much busier. Oh yeah and my computer crashed. I am not happy about that but gladly I backed up most everything that was important so I am grateful for that. For all my friends that celebrate the holiday season I wish you all the happiest of holidays and I will not be absent like this come the end of the week! Have a great day :)
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Where is the "physical" in Physical Education?


Before anyone gets all huffy thinking I am about to bash the school system you can chill. I stand by my Public School System 100% by staying involved and encouraging my children to take full advantage of their education. I do however have a bit of an issue with the area of physical education. Remember years ago when we had to go to P.E. we had to dress out and be prepared to do physical activity for a good solid hour? Remember playing kickball, football, basketball, rope climbing, tumbling and all the other great stuff you did? Okay, I admit I have never been the top PE student but I do know that we had to participate in different physical activities.

This school year my high schooler has been telling me how PE has been a joke. I am thinking she is exaggerating and is going off of what all the other students who previously took that class were saying. It turns out that there are several days in the week that they are given free-play time (with lots of limitations), computer time or TV time. This really shocked me! I know that there are bad weather days but come on there are always alternatives of things that can be done. I feel like video games and TV have encouraged our youth to be lazy and physically unproductive. I'm really not sure if it is a high school thing or not. It seems like the girls did so much more in the elementary and middle school years in PE class. I would love to see the physical part of physical education to come back!
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Vent Day Wednesday

Welcome to this very special holiday edition of Vent day Wednesday! We really hope you enjoy this wacky video and look forward to reading your comments. HO HO HO!

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Terrible Two's so soon?

Someone please tell me that the toddler/terrible two's stage does not last forever. Seriously, we have never been through this before because the girls were complete angels. This little boy can really try your patience. If something is in his way he will pick it up and throw it, no matter what the item is. I can't get the boy to sit still except maybe for a meal, but know that he will be back up and running the second he swallows the last morsel. Temper tantrums with back arching and all?? really?? Please tell me he will get some kind of an attention span. Please!!

He is still not quite talking as yet. The doctor tells us it's normal and not to worry since he is doing so well in every other way. That's really not good enough for us. William shows that he knows what's going on and can follow commands but still won't speak. It is really frustrating but we continue to do our best working with him. He will occasionally say something out of the blue and we all get so excited. All of my friends and family tell me that before long I will be begging him to shut up and I should enjoy the peaceful quietness while I can. Has anyone had a late talker in the family? Please tell me I am not alone.

*Sorry for all my whining. Now I will go back to my usual cheery happy self :)
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Christmas cookie craziness!

The girls and I decided to make Christmas cookies this year. At first we were going to make the cookies from scratch but changed our minds since we had a dozen cakes to bake as well. I found some pre-cut sugar cookie dough at the store that was ready to bake. We also got a bunch of cookie icing and decorations. We sat for hours decorating some of the stupidest looking cookies ever but had such a blast doing it! We ate at least 6-8 as we decorated. We shared a lot of laughs and made a lot of mess. It was so much fun! I think we will make it a yearly tradition (not only during the holidays).

They look so pitiful!! hahaha!!!
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Holiday teacher gifts

My last post was about baking mini pound cakes for the girls' teachers and here they are! I did not go with the lemon ones because I did not like how they turned out. I went with the one I made last year and whenever the name Paula Deen is mentioned you know it's going to be perfect!

They look a little rough but trust me they are so moist and rich. Dwayne was drooling over the little taste he got.

We wrapped them up in plastic wrap and then in decorative tissue paper along with a copy of the recipe inside.

I think they came out cute :) Here is the recipe I used....

Grandmother Paula's Sour Cream Pound Cake *Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

Ingredients:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
3 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups all-purpose flour
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla


Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the sour cream and mix until incorporated. Sift the baking soda and flour together. Add to the creamed mixture alternating with eggs, beating each egg 1 at a time. Add the vanilla and pour the mixture into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes.

*NOTE: I used 7 mini loaf pans and baked for an hour instead.
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Getting things together

This is going to be one of those very random posts so here I go... First of all I have made a decision to deactivate my Facebook account for at least a week. Most people are in shock and wonder why. It's simply for me to take a little more time to focus on everyday tasks as well as work on some things that I have neglected. I am assisting Dwayne with his business and I need to get a good sense of organization and planning. My office is in shambles so obviously I need to get cracking on that ASAP.

My toddler son is curious and very fast. I can't take my eye off of him for even a minute. He found a glass that way left out that contained a little bit of leftover adult beverage and thankfully it spilled before he could take a sip. That was a bit of an eye opener that once again organization is needed.

With Christmas on it's way I have all these lavish plans to bake bake bake. I plan to do just that. I had to come up with a good teacher gift idea for over 12 teachers that would not break the bank account. I decided on making some mini lemon pound cakes and presenting them nicely wrapped in cellophane and fancy tissue paper. I might even go the extra step of printing out homemade gift tags with the recipe attached. I will post photos once I complete them so you can see how they turned out. I might just post the recipe as well.

The biggest thing I want to do is take time daily to stop and smell the roses. Life is not as complicated as we make it. Simple is good :)
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Wordless Wednesday

William sleeping on daddy's vent day chair :) and yes Tanyetta, he has his tongue sticking out just for you!

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Family Photo

It is amazing that you can take over 2 dozen photos and ending up going with the first shot! It is very tough working with a toddler. Here is what we ended up with.

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Launch of Moms of Hue

I just very quickly wanted to let you all know about the ladies over at Moms of Hue and their blog launch on Monday, December 7th. This blog has several contributors who are moms of color. They offer everything from advice, real talk and even reviews and giveaways.



My blog pal Renee Ross mentioned that they will be hosting a number of giveaways and tweeting about Moms of Hue with the hashtag #momsofhue all day long. Be sure to follow them on Twitter.
I know I can't wait to check it out!
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Flashback Friday


Shelly and Dwayne- High School 1990
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Ismail Family Tree

Here is our tree! I honestly think it looks a lot better in person. We went with blue, gold and chocolate.




I even made little gift packages as decorations.



We put together a very simple garland for the fireplace.


If you celebrate the holiday season have you put your tree up yet?

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Vent Day Wednesday

Welcome to another episode of Vent Day Wednesday. Be sure to hit us up in the comments with your vents! Enjoy :)
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The boy just loves books!

You gotta love this kid. He's really "into" books!! We keep a bin just for books and somehow he always manages to sit IN the bin! I am so glad he was occupied so I could snap a few photos :)

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Thanksgiving photos

We had a really lovely Thanksgiving this year. As always we had tons of great food and I wanted to share a few photos.

Here is the pasta and cheese experience. Okay fine, it was mac & cheese but a lot went into it!


Here is all the good stuff on one plate (paper that is). We had turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, candied yams, black eyed peas, turnip greens, mac & cheese and cranberry sauce.


Here is the most amazing and perfect turkey I have ever cooked. I can't believe how juicy and delicious it was. It was a Beer and Rosemary roasted turkey and if you want the recipe just email me. I will be making this same one every year. I have been doing it wrong all along it seems.


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500th post & Tide® Coldwater Giveaway

**Contest Closed**
The winners are Darrin and Hondoray6. Thanks to all for participating!

We can't believe that we are celebrating 500 posts here at Momfiles! 500 posts?? Wow, we are really loved! Thanks for all your support, friendship and comments over the past few years. We have made some great connections along the way and value our readers.

We wanted to do something fun so our friends at Tide® decided to help us out. They sent us what I call a 'mom's dream', a full year's supply of Tide® Coldwater! How amazing is that?? In days of a weak economy everyone is cutting back where they can. One great way is to do laundry in cold water. Most people would think there is no way you can get clean clothes in cold water. You would be amazed how well this product works! My daughters use it especially when they do a load of denim since they don't want their jeans to fade. They even hang them out to dry saving even more energy! In fact, you can save up to $10 on energy by washing in cold water with 100 oz. bottle of Tide® Coldwater. Go here and click on the "info" tab to see how the product works. I always check for Tide® Coldwater on sale and stock up when I do! Y'all know Dwayne is loving the fact that we are saving him money :)

Now I did mention the word FUN right? Well, the amazing folks at Tide® offered Two lucky Momfiles readers the chance to win a year's supply of Tide® Coldwater! The prize is in coupon form and I know you would LOVE to win this! Here are the details on how to enter:

Mandatory- Visit the Tide® Coldwater site and tell us what you have learned about the product or leave a comment telling us what you love about Momfiles. Comments that say "thank you" or "count me in" will be deleted. Want an additional entry? (You must complete the above method to qualify for extra entries)

--You can Twitter this giveaway (one per day) and leave me a link to your Tweet.
Example: Win a Year's Supply of Tide® Coldwater @momfiles http://bit.ly/7eTEgV ... #giveaway

-- Facebook this giveaway, and please leave a separate comment/link for each entry to count. (one per day)

--Follow me on Twitter or "friend me" on Facebook (leave a comment with a link) If you already follow let me know.

--You can also place our button on your blog or follow us (please leave a blog link in your comment or specify if you are a new or current follower).

*Be sure to have a visible email address in your comment if you do not have a Blogger profile. Giveaway is open to US residents only. Deadline to enter is December 16, 2009 at 11:59 pm EST. Good luck!

Thank you to Tide® for providing Momfiles with a year's supply of product coupons as well as sponsoring two winners one year's supply of coupons as well.
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Black Friday anyone??

I am going to ask for your forgiveness if I commit any major grammar mistakes. I just got up from my after-shopping power nap. I went out there in the cold at 4 am. Dwayne came along too. We hit several stores and it was awesome! We got such great deals and "saved" over $500. I think because we stuck with necessities and not fun things we were able to maneuver around the stores and make our way out very easily. We had so much fun. The girls stayed home with the baby monitor so we had some freedom. We made it home by 6:40. I'm tired still but happy with my purchases. Just a heads up...look out for our upcoming 500th post. We've got something good going on. Stay tuned...
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Gobble Gobble!

To all of our friends in the blog world, we wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

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Things we love to hate


- I really don't like heights at all. Even a 3 step ladder makes me nervous. Yet I will gladly ride a roller coaster.
- I don't like coffee flavored anything but I love coffee.
- I don't care for bananas but love banana bread and banana splits.
- I'm not a fan of comedy yet I married Dwayne. Enough said on that one.
- I love craziness yet don't like chaos.
- I love sunshine but don't like being hot.
- I don't like peanuts but can tear up a peanut butter cup!
- The smell of maple syrup is not pleasing to me but I enjoy it on my waffles.
- I love make-up yet don't care to be too made-up.
- I love having my family around but don't like how much I eat when they are around.
- Dwayne does not like Lil Wayne yet he loves to recite every one of his songs. The songs get stuck in your head.
- Dwayne is a fool but does not stand for foolishness.

So what things do you love to hate??
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Who needs real toys anyway?

Our William is still not a big toy fan. He'd much prefer a book or Milo's dog toys! Thankfully Will does not put things in his mouth so there is no harm. Silly boy!

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Traditional or Different?

Well it is that time of year, Thanksgiving. Time for family, friends and feasts. I am a big planner so I have been compiling menu ideas for a few weeks now. I was all set to do some different dishes this year (a little more gourmet). I decided to get some input from the husband and kids and everything they came up with is what we have year after year. They got all worked up because they felt I was going against tradition. They said I did not need to mess up a good thing that is always perfect each year. So there went my fancy gourmet ideas...

Something else I have done for many years is to use actual real dishes and eating utensils. Most of my friends and family would laugh at me and ask if I loved washing dishes. So this has lead me to become a fan of good quality paper plates and flatware. I never thought I would do it but hell, once you eat who really wants to wash a million dishes? I guess I have changed a lot with a growing family and I try to make things a little easier on myself when I can. Having a toddler running around this year really makes me want to go the easy route!

What about you... what are your plans for the holiday? Are you traditional or do you dare to be different? Do you use real dishes or paper plates? Sorry for being so nosey!
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Flashback Friday

Aww just look at my girls when they were little! They were 4 and 6 when these shots were taken. They were doing a coloring activity together. Everything was always so organized and clean. Of course Hurricane Willie has changed that now!

Look at those cute faces. They are now 13 and 15 and even though they are best friends still, you won't ever see them hug like that anymore~!

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What happened to the Eggos??

If you are not a perfect mom like me then it is not unusual to peruse the frozen breakfast aisle of the grocery store to grab a box or two of waffles or pancakes. I have noticed that for many weeks I have not been able to find any Eggo Waffles. What in the world?? I finally found out why here. I was lucky to snag one box of the Cinnamon Toast variety for a higher price today. I only got one box because they were way too expensive. I can't wait for the factory to be back at 100% because this mom needs some school week easy breakfast options for the kids! Homemade waffles are weekend only waffles, ya feel me?
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Allergy shots

Our daughter Briahnna has been suffering from headaches for years now and has gone through many doctor visits (including 3 Cat scans) to finally come to the conclusion that it is all sinus allergy related. It was recommended by our ENT Specialist that she gets a weekly allergy shot. As a mom I was not sure if that was what we wanted to do. I insisted that we try her on a different round of allergy meds and see how she did with it for 90 days. It worked very well for about 2 weeks and then the headaches were back. There is nothing worse than seeing your kid in pain and no matter what you give her she is not improving. We finally broke down and agreed to the shot. The alternative would be surgery and the doc says he really does not want to go that route. We started the first shot last week and we are not sure if it is really happening or just in her mind but it seems to have calmed the headaches down a little bit. The doc says that it generally takes 3-6 months to see improvement (they have to give you a longer time frame) and some people have been known to see a major difference within 30 days. I am really hoping we are one of those lucky ones. The great thing about the shot is even though it seems a pain to get it once a week, the office is close to home and it take a few minutes and you are in and out of the office with no wait or appointment. I will keep you all posted on her progress.

If anyone has had the allergy shot please feel free to share anything you think we might need to know. So far we have only heard positive things.
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Vent Day Wednesday

Hey everyone! Welcome to this week's edition of Vent Day Wednesday. We hope you enjoy it and please be sure to leave a comment telling us your vents.

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Build-A-Bear Workshop Giveaway

**Contest closed**
Winner is geek by marriage

Look at the cute puppy I received from the generous folks at Build-A-Bear Workshop! He's a Portuguese Water Dog and boy oh boy is he a cutie in person! The minute William caught a glimpse of him he immediately hugged him and gave him kisses. Needless to say I guess we all know who this pup's new owner is!
This sweet pup makes a great gift for any dog lover! It has shaggy black and white fur and floppy ears. You can personalize this cutie with clothes and accessories to make the perfect unique gift. Build-A-Bear Workshop donates $1 from the sale of this Bearemy's Kennel Pals® friend to the Build-A-Bear Workshop Bear Hugs Foundation to support local animal shelters, stray pet rescues, rehabilitation organizations, educational programs for animal welfare and administrative expenses related to these programs.

With the holiday season nearing Build-A-Bear Workshop is offering shoppers the gift generator process that helps to identify the perfect gift based on an individual’s character traits. And, there’s always the one click shopping option that lets you choose a fully attired furry friend, click on it and you’re set to go!

The prices are more affordable giving more options to fit every budget. I have had so much fun playing around on the website checking out all the cute animal and outfits! The holiday themed items are so adorable :) Now here's the fun part... Build-A-Bear Workshop offered the same Portuguese Water Dog they sent me for one lucky Momfiles reader to win! Here's how to enter:

Mandatory- *Go to the Build-A-Bear Workshop site and let us know what item you loved the most or if you win the prize who will you give it to? Comments that say "thank you" or "count me in" will be deleted. Want an additional entry? (You must complete the above method to qualify for extra entries)

--You can Twitter this giveaway (one per day) and leave me a link to your Tweet.
Example: Win a Build-A-Bear Workshop Portuguese Water Dog @momfiles http://bit.ly/3cRfsS #giveaway

-- Facebook this giveaway, and please leave a separate comment/link for each entry to count. (one per day)

--Follow me on Twitter or "friend me" on Facebook (leave a comment with a link) If you already follow let me know.

--You can also place our button on your blog or follow us (please leave a blog link in your comment or specify if you are a new or current follower).

*Be sure to have a visible email address in your comment if you do not have a Blogger profile. Giveaway is open to US residents only. Deadline to enter is December 3, 2009 at 11:59 pm EST. Good luck!

Thank you Build-A-Bear Workshop for providing a product as compensation for this post.
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Father & Son time

The boys headed out in the backyard to check on what was left of our garden.

There's farmer Dwayne and his sidekick little farmer Willie tilling up the soil (not sure why)
Willie loved it!

Look at that cute face!


Here is what they harvested. Some banana peppers and green onions.
Every night after his bath, William has to run into his daddy's office to say good night.


Dwayne put the pen down for a second and of course those curious and fast fingers had to try writing with a pen too!
Even though William scribbled all over Dwayne's paper he thought it was cute and says he will save that page forever to remember the first time his boy wrote with a pen.

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Vent Day Wednesday

Welcome to this week's edition of Vent Day Wednesday. Be sure to leave your vents in the comments. Enjoy!

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Sleepy

Something happened last night that NEVER happens to me. I had not even a wink of sleep. None. Nada. Zilch. I don't know why that happened, I just could not sleep at all. Today's forecast calls for rain all day (100% chance). Great sleeping weather right? Not when you have a Hurricane Willie! Naps are rarely an option as long as he is awake. I hope I can make it through the day without losing it. I have Briahnna home today as well because she has a cold. Looks like it will be one long day.
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Testing the Ice-Children's Book Giveaway

I was recently contacted to review the book Testing the Ice by Sharon Robinson (the daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson) and Illustrated by Kadie Nelson. I along with my two teenage daughters read this book individually and shared our thoughts and opinions about it. We all came to the same conclusion that the book was well written and the illustration was beautiful and unique. I really think this book is about bravery and unconditional love of a father. I won't lie, I had tears in the end. This book would be a great asset on any bookshelf and because it is an easy read, it would be great in the elementary school classrooms. It is a big book so you can really see the details in the pictures. Testing the Ice also makes a great gift especially with Holidays coming up.

Here is your chance to win your very own copy. Our sponsor has offered one grand prize winner the opportunity to win a copy of the book along with a cute scarf, hat and mittens (no specific color) gift pack. 4 additional readers will win 1 copy of Testing the Ice.



Here's how to enter:
Mandatory- *Simply leave a comment relative to the post. Comments that say "thank you" or "count me in" will be deleted. Want an additional entry? (You must complete the above method to qualify for extra entries)

--You can Twitter this giveaway (one per day) and leave me a link to your Tweet.
Example: Win a Testing the Ice gift pack from @momfiles http://bit.ly/o4d4m #giveaway

-- Facebook this giveaway, and please leave a separate comment/link for each entry to count. (one per day)

--Follow me on Twitter or friend me on Facebook (leave a comment with a link) If you already follow let me know.

--You can also place our button on your blog or follow us (please leave a blog link in your comment or specify if you are a new or current follower).

*Be sure to have a visible email address in your comment if you do not have a Blogger profile. Giveaway is open to US residents only. Deadline to enter is November 28, 2009 at 11:59 pm EST. Good luck!

Special thanks to Scholastic for sponsoring this giveaway and providing Momfiles with a copy of the book.
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