Heidi Jo's Holiday Shopping Guide

My brother dislikes it when I post a picture of a specific product. He says it looks like I am a paid endorser. I am not. I should be, but I am not. Any of you companies want to send me some free product...I could deal with that. There are just so many products that I have discovered or tried that I think are fabulous...and who doesn't want to have a recommendation from time to time.

So, I have put together a few items that you may wish to check into the Christmas shopping season. If you have difficult people to buy for or are looking for something new, take a chance and pick up one of these.

1. Lights of the Prairie Candles I don't know what to tell you except these are the BEST candles on the market. And yes, they are made right here in Heaven South Dakota. I have purchased Yankee candles, Party Lite candles, expensive candles, cheap candles...none compare. The scents are mind boggling. They burn to the bottom of the jar with full fragrance from start to finish. And they are made of 100% natural materials. So they burn clean and safe. Very affordable. No one...I repeat NO ONE who has purchased one of these has ever been disappointed.



2. Woolrich Slippers. I will be getting a pair of these this year. (Because if my husband doesn't get the hint, I will be buying them for myself!) How do I know they are good? My mom has a pair and I wear them every time I visit. I am not a slipper wearer usually. I am not sure why, but they just have never appealed to me. This style though...is divine. I love them. They are definitely more expensive than a department store version, but would make a great gift. And aren't your feet, or the feet of someone you love worth it? (And they don't have to be pink.)



3. Shade clothing. You have heard me express my love for Shade clothing before. It is a combination of the soft fabric, inexpensive price, and modest coverage that I love so much. There is nothing fancy about Shade tops. But those of you who have tried them, know why they are so great.




4. Garrett Popcorn. Not all popcorn is created equal. And this is the way to prove it. This stuff was on Oprah's Favorite Things list 2005 edition. I am NOT a popcorn lover AT. ALL. In fact, it's one of my least favorite things. I can eat flavored popcorn, because let's face it, who doesn't eat it when it's in front of them, but have never been overly impressed. Then I tasted some of this...holy Toledo it is f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s. Which means you could eat the whole can. You shouldn't, but could. I really can't tell you how good it is, but trust me. DELICIOUS. Have a tin sent to grandparents of relatives you will not be seeing at Christmas. Wait. Better idea, order for someone who you will be visiting, so you can try it too!



5. Beaded Socks. An Iowa Mom first sent me a pair of her cute socks for girls last year. I wasn't convinced at first because I feared what might happen when I washed them, and quite frankly, I'm not a ruffles and sequins kind of mom. My girls LOVED them. And they require no special attention in the washer. PERFECT. I just received an order of 10 pair that I plan to give to the special little girls in our life at Christmas this year. What a great gift to have around for unexpected school birthday invites, last minute stocking stuffers, and just something special for your daughter for no reason at all. You get to custom pick the color options and it may just be the way to get your kids to keep their socks on!


6. Victoria Secret Lip Gloss. I love this stuff. And what women wouldn't love getting this gift set in her stocking or under the tree. Honestly guys, it's you who get all hopped up over buying other items from VS. Make us smile and stick with the lip gloss. If you are lucky maybe it's all we'll wear to bed that night.


7. Mercy Me Music. If you are new to the Christian music scene and don't know where or who to start with, try these guys. Their hits are too numerous to mention. This is the CD that is on my wish list, but any of theirs would be a hit.


8. Little People Deluxe Christmas Story. This is a great gift for those of you with younger children. It is a Christmas decoration that can be touched, played with and enjoyed by the whole family. No more worrying about Joseph's hand getting broken or the baby Jesus breaking off the tip of his nose. We ordered this as a family Advent present. But even at Christmas it would be a great gift for the family to use year after year.


I am going to stop here. I want your input. Please, if you have tried any of the above products and have an opinion on them...speak up. If there are some other products that you think we should know about and would be a great Christmas gift idea please share!

The Land of the Giants & Dwarfs

Apparently we are living in the land of Giants & Dwarfs. At their recent well-child check-up, Katharine and Andrew's statistics could not have been more opposing.

Kate:

Weight- 95th percentile of other 3-year olds.

Height- 95th plus percentile of other 3-year olds.

Head - 90th percentile of other 3-year olds.

So, she is apparently gi-normous. Which we already kind of suspected through observing her interaction with a few of her three year old friends. She has towered over them by almost a head for at least a year.

Andrew:

Weight- 30th percentile of other 2-year olds. (Meaning that 70% are larger than he.)

Height- 25th percentile of other 2-year olds.

Head- 65th percentile of other 2-year olds.

So, he is a midget. Ever since he was born we have lovingly referred to him as, "Big Daddy". At the time, his chubby cheeks seemed to be a foretelling of things to come. However, two years into it and the cheeks are still there, but the boy is tiny. It is rather deceiving. When people see Andrew he appears "BIG"...and he really does have nice meaty limbs- but his bones must be full of air, because he is pretty darn lite. And oh so stumpy.

Both were, not surprisingly, very developmentally and emotionally 'mature'. Not bragging, it's just the way it is. We take no credit for this accomplishment, we only give thanks to the Lord for such healthy and smart children. Their speech always amazes the doctors and yet it is something that I just take for granted, until I have the opportunity to see them interact within their age group, and then I am usually pleasantly surprised at their verbal capabilities. Many days at home, however, I would not mind if they were less capable at expressing themselves! I have no idea where they learned their gift of gab.

So, as long as we do not find any Werewolf teeth or lizard tails growing on Nicholas and Olivia, I am okay with living in the land of Giants & Dwarfs.

Are you as pathetic as moi (mu-wha)?

I think that I have pointed out before that I do not have a terribly observant husband. I've said that right?

After a long day of being home and actually accomplishing something other than butt wiping, bed making, and teeth brushing, I am usually pretty proud of myself. I have to take pride in these little things because, well...it's all I've got.

So, here is where the pathetic factor comes in, if nothing that I wrote up there sounded so already. To insure that my husband, who is pretty unaware of the details of house-keeping, notices the fruits of my laborious day, I leave my cleaning supplies lining the freshly scrubbed counter top for further and concrete proof that 1)We do own cleaning supplies and hopefully that 2) I know how to use them properly...even if not frequently.

No, it's not enough for me to just know that my floors are lick-able clean. Or that my toilet now winks at me with it's shiny bowl. Or that the breakfast nook is now more sterile than an operating room. Or that the dust bowl has officially ended in the television armoire. I want to hear someone say, "Wow it smells good in here, have you been cleaning?" Just so that I can say, "Oh goodness, let me put those cleaning supplies away...you caught me!"

Five days on the road...

This was my contribution to the
Thanksgiving Feast we partook of

at my brother's home.

Pretty ain't it?

(yes, it's homemade...from scratch)

The Rock Star Champion.

I had no idea that inside that conservative

shell was a natural born Rock Star.
Started out mellow...but boy did it heat up!

Father/Son duo.

Yeah, I'm pretty much a grunge babe.

The kids tried to entertain themselves with
their adorable baby cousin, Gwen.

Grandma helped out by remembering the

necessities. Play-doh!

We even managed to steal away

for a dip in the hot tub.

Andrew and his 'Unca Jason'.

Bronco mania!

Check out those chubby cheeks!

This is baby Gwen. Andrew took his turn at not feeling well,

but even in sickness he still is pretty darn cute!

Before leaving Minnesota we hit the

Space Alien Cafe to celebrate Nic's birthday.

We rolled into the farm and the boys

managed to sneak in some hunting.

A first of the season for Brian, Ethan, & Jim.

The mighty hunters returned with food for

their table. They were pretty proud!

We finished off the extended weekend

with a beautiful day for jumping

and Honda riding on the farm.

Always a goober!

A lovely Thanksgiving weekend with family.

Ghost Writer #2

No change = No change. Why can't they just get it?

Okay, lets look at logic for a moment. If a coach has a game plan and it is just not working, he not only has to change the game plan but he should change his thinking as well, if he wants to be a winner. It's annoying to me, to say the least, when people find themselves drowning in the cesspools they have created and yet think things will change and get better, even with no personal change.

You've heard it, things have got to get better they can't get any worse. Hello? They can and will get worse. If you want your life to get better, you have got to change your game plan. Not just try something different- but remove the log out of your eye and start seeing things for what they really are.

Now, am I saying that a person can't change? Absolutely NOT. But if there is going to be change of significance, of lasting value, of something that is more than a streak of luck, then that change needs to start with you, them, me.

You can't go from problem to problem, running away. Because you will still have the problem with you...YOU. Why is it that people often think, "if I could just move or get a different job or win the lottery or find the right person then...things would be different."? If you are no different then you'll just have a whole new set of problems because you showed up and you still have all your baggage on board.

So if you want change, you must change. If you are tired of things the same old way then do something about it. Change your thinking. Change your way of looking at things. Start listening to wisdom. It's not working your way...so change. The alternative is simple: No change = No change.

Defining a birthday boy.

Nicholas is passionate. He is intense. He wants to be successful at whatever he does. He expects the best from himself and those around him. He is learning to see the good that can come with failure. Letting go and jumping in is not where his comfort lies.

He loves deeply and gives the purest of affection to those for whom he cares. He runs to the aid of his siblings in their time of need. Often Nicholas is moved to tears in intercession for those who are hurting. He prays for and deeply feels for our soldiers that are away from their homes. His heart breaks for children of divorce. While his mind can not understand, his heart can feel the pain and hurt.

Everything has it's place and everything is in it's place. Logic and reasoning are the utmost authority on any situation. If it doesn't make sense then Nicholas has very little time for it. Laughing at himself is a skill yet to be acquired. But then, I guess I have yet to master that skill either.

Nicholas is reliable. I am always amazed by what is expected of him in relation to what is expected of others at his age. Often times I begin to question my expectations, but he so quickly reminds me that he is capable and more than willing to be the responsible young man that we need him to be in our family.

I have lost count at the number of times I have been told, "Nicholas is a natural leader." It's not a role that he is necessarily comfortable with at all times, but it follows him nonetheless. We now have the great task of teaching him that with leadership comes great responsibility. A lesson that can not come soon enough.

Nicholas has made me a better mom. But in the 'tested in fire' kind of way. I am daily challenged to guard my tongue and restrain my temper. Daily I fail. But daily I grow.

Watching him grow from a dependant toddler into a young man has been a joy, even if it has happened much more quickly than I was prepared for. I love this child with a love that deepens every day. I know that much joy is to come in his life. And I can only imagine what lies ahead for this passionate, determined leader.

Happy Birthday Nicholas David!

For this I am thankful...

I think that it's pretty obvious that I am

thankful for these little round-heads.

And maybe not as obvious...but just as thankful for this great guy!

So very thankful for this group of people-

the one's I call family. I'm thankful for a pretty great bunch of these too.

(opps that was supposed to be a picture of my in-laws!)

I couldn't be more blessed or thankful

for all the people like this, that I call friends.

Very thankful that in +/- 50 days

I'll be on this thing.

Thankful and privileged to call this land my home.

I'm very thankful for a warm one of these.

And a reliable one of these.

But mostly, I'm thankful for this guy.

And that he did this...


For me.




Happy Thanksgiving!

Holiday Tour Extravaganza...info

Because some of you are already getting all over your holiday decorating, I have decided to announce my plans for hosting a "Holiday Home Tour Extravaganza".

"What was that?", you may ask. Well, I am asking all of you fellow bloggers, both my regular readers and commentors...and even those of you who are irregular (*giggle*), to participate.

Here's the scoop:

Decorate your homes for Christmas/Advent. Keeping in mind that you will be photographing areas of your home to share with all of us in this home tour. You get to choose what we will see and you can post no less than 5 photographs and no more than ten.

This is not the official beginning, but because of some impatient holiday decorators I wanted to get the word out so that you could make it extra special, not just for your families...but well, for me too.

All of the participants will then be eligible for a prize. Not based on their decor (I know some of you were thinking, "Thank God!"), but just on random partcipation. I won't share those details yet, but the prize will be something fabulous and seasonal, of course.

Go ahead and get your post ready, but do not publish it until the official start of the tour. I will post more about it and my own holiday home tour on Monday, December 10th. You will need to link back to that post and leave a comment sending us your way to be eligible for the prize.

Happy decorating! I can not wait to tour your homes.

A little celebration

We are not typically big 'birthday party' parents. With a pretty large extended family it is usually all that we can manage to have a family party for our kids and haven't made it a routine practice to have friend parties.

Nicholas turns seven the Friday after Thanksgiving and has usually shared his special day with the day that we all gather to celebrate the holiday. This year we decided to take the time to throw a little home party together and even though it was a lot of work and at moments a bit over-whelming...it turned out well.

I picked up four extra boys after school on Friday and brought them home to help us celebrate Nic's upcoming birthday. We enjoyed treats, games, rough-housing, and general boyish goodness. I think you'll see in the slide-show that fun was had by all.

*Press the 'party on' and 'party back' buttons on the lower sides to flip through the show.

Make a slide show, scrapbook or ecard

Just Write It People

It's that time if you have not done so already. Write your Christmas letter. Stop thinking of excuses like, "I just don't write well.", "Nobody wants to hear me brag about my kids!", "I don't know what I would say." Just write it people.

Is there anything better than getting Christmas cards in the mail? I don't think so. But the thrill is quickly diminished if upon opening you find neither a picture nor a letter. I understand that the 'thought' is still there, and believe me I appreciate being thought about in any way. But it is a thrill every single time that I find a Christmas card, complete with picture and letter in my mailbox. For me to open a Christmas card and in one short page or two to be caught up on all that is happening in the lives of those whom we love is just joyous.

There are many different types of Christmas letters to write.

There is the "Brag About My Children" letter...which, for the record, is perfectly acceptable. This is the one time when we expect to hear how good Johnny is doing in school and how perfectly Jane sews. And this isn't limited to parents with children living at home. Sometimes the biggest culprits of such letters are the distinguished generation who can not find enough people to tell that their baby is now a Neuro-Surgeon and all because you cared enough to breast feed him.

There is the "Look At All The Stuff We Have" letter...which, while it can be annoying to some, if you are going to collect things you may as well share why you do it. So write us and tell us about your new snow-mobile, motorcycle, or house.

There is the "We're So Busy I Shouldn't Even Be Writing This" letter...the fact that you are so busy and still wrote me a letter reads as, I-must-be-pretty-dang-special, and the gift of time, which you don't have much extra of, is better than any store bought gift around.

There is the "We've Been Or Will Be Traveling" letter...always a jealousy trigger right there, but it gives the readers something to hope for. So write me and tell me how fabulous Rome is in the Spring or what you plan on wearing on your tropic vacation in February. I'm a stay-at-home mom so I need to live vicariously through others.

There is the "My Family Is So Dysfunctional That I Have Nothing To Say About It" letter...not a fun one to read because you can sense the sadness or disappointment in each word. But if it's your reality right now maybe sending the letter will bring prayers your way and hands willing to help now that they know your sufferings.

And the ever popular "We're Expecting Or Just Had A Baby!" letter...been there done this one many, many times. I think that I even have a form letter that I can just pop in different dates and names. This is the way to break the news to those friends and family that love to hear intimate details in mass communication.

I could go on and on. Seriously, I could. My point is that I don't care what you write to me but write me a Christmas letter. It can be as short as you like but longer is appreciated. I am sure that you are painfully aware that brevity is not my strong suit. So be prepared. If you are on my Christmas list you will be receiving a letter. I'll try to mix up the variety of it for you and include at least a couple of the different Christmas letter styles mentioned above.

And just in case my suggestions weren't helpful enough, check out this website on Christmas letter ideas. Or just google Christmas Letter Tips...there is a ton of information out there. No excuses people.

Different strokes...

I don't know what it is about....

waking pre-dawn, layering ugly color upon ugly color onto your body, tromping out into the chilly morning air, riding in a boat when there is no possibility of actually swimming or skiing, walking mile after mile in pursuit of the 'big one', pulling cockle-burs and God knows what out of your socks and pant legs, eating granola bars from your dirty coat pocket, passing up multiple opportunities to just get the smaller deer, reaching your hands into a dead animal whose body is still warm to pull out the guts, dragging the dead carcass sometimes M I L E S up and down the hilly landscape surrounding the Missouri, loading it into a boat while splattering yourself and others with blood droplets, returning home to hang the victim in your garage, ripping it's fur from the meat while your hands are a mixture of blood and hair, cutting the meat off of the bones, hosing down the meat and garage floor, and hauling three bloodied water buckets full of flesh to the meat locker.....

....BUT it sure makes him happy.

And them too for that matter!