That is one big tree!

This may be the biggest tree we have ever purchased.

 

An easy 10 feet tall with a circumference at the bottom of a whopping 22 feet, I give you the 2014 K Family Christmas Tree.  Or as it is affectionately called around here, Shamu 4.0.

 

 

We always get a big tree, but this guy is by far our biggest.

He also has about 1400 lights on him, which give off the prettiest glow in the foyer.

 

 

Not only is this our biggest tree, but it is also by far the most annoying. We had to re-string the lights three times (first there was not enough lights, then we bought more and one burned out so we had to replace it because of course it was the one in the middle) and the branches are incredibly soft and don't really hold onto ornaments all that well. But he sure does look nice!

 

 

Why yes, that is a drunk Irishman dancer nestled next to Dorothy's Ruby Slipper.

That's how we roll in this house :)

 

 

2010, 2011, 2012

They just keep getting bigger!

 

So tell me lovelies, how big is your tree? I need someone out there to let me know we're not the only Christmas Crazies!

 

Toddler Gift Guide

A few people have emailed asking me what is on the Toddler's wish list this year for Santa. So I figured since I'm sick in bed with a horrible cold I can whip up a little gift guide for all of the 2-3 year olds out there.  I've been asking Grayson for awhile now what he wants Santa to bring him, going through toy catalogs when they come in the mail.  He wasn't very into it at first, but we've been talking up the jolly red guy- and now he'll point to something and say  "Ho Ho" to let us know that he wants Santa to bring him this.  Mostly all he's picked out are Thomas Trains or Chuggington, but there are a few other items that Ho Ho will be bringing this year.

1. Melissa and Doug Art easel- Grayson loves to paint, color and draw.  When we go to the Children's Museum we cant get him out of the create space, so this was number one on Santa's list. We wanted him to have his own space where he knew he could make art, without it being on my floor or walls. He will also be receiving the paint cups, brushes, crayons, paper and smock to go along with this cool present.

 

2. Step2 Cozy Kitchen- In order to get Grayson talking more and trying more foods a speech therapist friend of mine suggested a play kitchen.  He has a play grill and he does like playing with that, so I figured what the heck.  However, since I wasn't sure if he would LOVE one, I didn't want to spend a lot or purchase a monstrosity.  This small guy was just the trick. I saw it on lightning deal not too long ago for $38, and of course it sold out instantly.  Luckily, Toys R Us price matched on their website and when I was in the store and I showed them the price online they price matched it in-store as well. Nana got him some play food to go along with it, so hopefully he'll love it.

 

3. Chuggington StackTrack Brewster's Big City Adventure- no surprise here that the toddler is train obsessed. We have Thomas and Chuggington sets, and he likes the Chuggington because they have ramps and he can race trains down. The die cast Chuggers are held together with kind of a ball/clamp mechanism that keeps them together on the crazy track. I love that these sets break down and set up quick, and can be stored easily.

 

4. Pottery Barn Kids Anywhere Chair-  Oh Pottery Barn, how I love thee.  These chairs are cute, easy to move, easy to clean and not ugly. Win!

 

5. Fisher Price Wheelies Loops N Swoops Amusement Park- We purchased a similar toy last year, the Wheelies Stand and Play Rampway, and Grayson loves it. He enjoys making the cars race, so I know he'll get a kick out of them going upside down.  His stocking may or may not also contain a few extra Wheelies as well, because they are just so stinking cute. I also think they are a little easier for two year old hands to use than say a matchbox car, because they're chunkier and easier to hold and push.

 

6. Chuggington StackTrack Wilson Carry Case- Because all of those action Chuggers have to go somewhere, right? This little box has a lot of storage for trains and keeps them all neat and not under my feet. Nothing feels quite like finding a well placed choo choo train with your foot! Hopefully this box will help keep all of the choo choos that Ho Ho will be stuffing in his stocking nice and neat.

 

7. Tonka Steel Dump Truck- This toy is all from hubs. He had these as a kid, and now he wants to start Grayson a collection.  I have a feeling these will be super fun outside in the backyard moving mulch and dirt around the yard with Daddy.

 

8. Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site Magnetic Characters-  We are obsessed with this book, so I knew when I saw this at Marshalls a few weeks ago that he would love it. The magnetic pieces can be driven on the pages, so its a perfect toy for the car or for when we are waiting at restaurants.  Plus he can work on his digger noises as we play, because there is nothing better than hearing diggggrrrr diggggrrrr coming from his little mouth.

 

What is on your little ones wish list for Ho Ho this year?

More is always better at Christmas (and Cottonelle Cash Giveaway!)!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cottonelle.

 

It goes without saying that at Christmastime around here, more is always better. For example,  the 11 foot Christmas tree we carted home, even though our ceilings are only 10 feet tall. Need more proof, how about the 4,000 white lights we then crammed onto the tree?  Still not convinced, how about the roughly 10,000 lights that adorn our front porch and dance and sing to music? Christmas cheer in excess is never a bad thing around here.

 

We bake cookies, decorate the house, put up three trees, leave neighbor gifts on the porches of our favorites, have breakfast with Santa, drive to see Christmas lights and spend time searching for the perfect presents for everyone. Last year I may have even pretended to be a reindeer with a few colleagues and pranced in front of the entire student body while pulling a principal dressed as Santa singing our own version of the twelve days of Christmas.  

 

When people see our house and tree they always ask if I know I married Clark Griswold. I am aware, and I may even encourage him from time to time, because Christmas is just so magical and a little more Christmas never hurt anyone.

 

 

As he was pulling the tree up the hill and was slipping, he was reciting this line from Christmas Vacation- I kid you not.

 

 

Yep, he's Clark alright.

 

 

But the one thing I would LOVE to have 25% more of this holiday season? Time. Each day I make my to do list and there is always something I just do not get to. This weekend I had it on the list to decorate the tree, the house, bake cookies and get our Christmas cards made and addressed. Well of course we got the tree up and the lights and ornaments on, only for the 300 count strand in the MIDDLE OF THE TREE to go out. There went three hours of my life, un-decorating, heading off to buy a new strand of lights and then re-decorating the tree that I had already spent four hours decorating. (I told you, the thing is a beast.)

 

Even if I didn't need the 25% more time to get things checked off of my to-do list, I would love to have more time to just hang out with the crazy toddler and just enjoy him enjoying life. He's a pretty awesome tiny human, and amidst the crazy of things that need to get done I don't get to enjoy that enough. 

 

No matter what you wish for more of this holiday season, its easy to see that 25% more of anything can make a big impact. More is always better. More time, more money, more love- its a win win.

 

You know what else is a win-win? Cottonelle!

 

 

 

When I say I want more time around the holidays it makes sense that I don't have time to be running out to the store every few days to stock up on essentials- like t.p.  Cottonelle Clean Care makes it easy by having 25% more sheets per roll than the competition- meaning it will last longer and keep everyone in the house happier.  The toddler loves to pull some off of the roll and pretend to blow his nose in it, just so he can toss it in the potty and flush it down (which is apparently thrilling when you are two).  I don't need to worry, because with 25% more I know that there is always enough on the roll to last through a few fake sneezes.

Another awesome thing about Cottonelle? They are working with some awesome bloggers and  giving away some serious cash this holiday! One winner (from all 30 giveaways) will be selected daily to receive a $500 American Express gift card for themselves AND for a charity of their choosing!!! The giveaway will be open Monday December 9th  and end Friday December 20th. All winners will be announced daily on the SITS Girls facebook page.  You can also follow the conversation on twitter #Moreisbetter!



So what are you waiting for- enter today and tell me in the comments, what would you like 25% more of this holiday season?

 

 

 

 

 

 



a Rafflecopter giveaway

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cottonelle.

Christmas Tree Hunt 2013

Where the heck is this month going? It is flying by, that's for sure! Things around here have been so crazy with attempting to redo a bathroom, getting ready for Christmas and my big girl job. One of the things that was a priority when I was on Thanksgiving Break was definitely getting the Christmas tree.  We go every year with the hub's family, and its easily one of my favorite things about the holiday season. 

It was about 40 degrees when we went out, so it wasn't too bad. There was about three inches of snow, so it kept the ground from being a mud pit, which is always a plus.

 

One of the things I am most thankful for are the two ladies in this picture. I totally blame them for spurring on the crazy Christmas obsession in this house, and I'm not complaining about that one bit.  They also share my love of Mexican food- which makes them even more perfect.

 

 

Taking pictures of her cutting down her tree- the hubs is such a good helper. If looks could kill hubs, you'd be dead.

 



 

If you saw my instagram picture earlier you know, its a large tree. It was probably around 11 feet when we cut it down. The toddler picked it, the hubs seconded, Momma was outvoted.

Meet Shamu 4.0, the K family Christmas tree!

 



Dada! Tree over! No!

 



Why do we always find a tree at the bottom of the big hill?

Even after ten years, those eyes still get me.

Pictures with toddlers are tough.

 

Now, the tree is in the stand, all that's left is to decorate it!



 

Custom T-Shirt from The Bellingham Baby Company Giveaway!!

Have you guys heard of The Bellingham Baby Company?

 

In 2005 Shelly and Jeremy Allen started a Mom and Pop online shop of fresh fun gifts and gear for babies, toddlers and parents.  They carefully selected each item they offered with safety, functionality and uniqueness in mind.  One thing they tried to make sure of was that their stock comprised mostly of products that are handmade by a mom, invented by a mom, or come from a mom-run company.

 

In 2008 they opened their first brick and mortar store in Bellingham, Washington. Doing this allowed them to expand their inventory and sell even more awesome products, always keeping in mind that customer service and satisfaction was key. 

 

And trust me when I say this, you will not get better customer service than with this company. Or a better selection of reasonably priced unique and customizable baby products.

 

When I first started talking to Shelly she reminded me of the kind of shop owner that would go around with you explaining all of the products if you needed help- and come on, you can't get service like that from a big box store.  They sell everything from shopping cart covers, teething bling,  handmade baby booties, diaper bags that are gorgeous and oh so much more.

 

 

One of the best sellers in the store are the personalized t-shirts, onsies and bibs that they offer in store and online. They offer tons of different pre-made designs and they even give you the option to work with them to upload your own custom design if there is something you have in mind at no extra cost. They really do want to help you to create your own special gift for someone, and if they cant create something you love you are not obligated to buy it.  All designs ship within 48 hours of order placement and the quality can not be beat.

 

 

 

 I immediately fell in love with this design, and when it arrived on my door step a few days later I could not have been happier with it.  The shirt is nice and thick, and its super soft. Even where it has been printed the design doesn't make the shirt stiff or wonky.  It washes beautifully-  just turn it inside out before tossing it in the wash. I have purchased these as gifts for friends before, and I can tell you that even after standing up to the roughness of a toddler and multiple washings they look as good as when they arrive.

 

 

Lovelies, seriously? This is like everything I love about Christmas in one shirt. A tree, lights, AND Rudolph? PLUS its personalized? Uh, sign me up!

 

Mr. Man will be sporting this next weekend when we go cut down our own Christmas tree, and if I could get one big enough to fit the hubs and me- well we would all match.
Maybe I need to give Shelly a call back on that one...hmm.

But here's the best part- the amazing Shelly has graciously offered not one but TWO of you lovelies your own awesome shirt!!  She's giving you the option to choose either a short or long sleeved bodysuit or t-shirt in one of their custom designs, or she can work with you to create one of your own, from size 0-3 months up to size 6!

So what are you waiting for, enter now!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway


****DISCLAIMER- I was gifted a product to review and two to giveaway, but all opinions and thoughts are, as always, my own****



 

 

Thomas the Train Birthday Party- The Details!

Choo Choo- Grayson turned Two! On a super rainy day in September (cue me doing a happy dance I decided to have the party indoors this year) we headed off to transform the workout room of the YMCA into Grayson's train-tastic fantasy.  Seriously, this was the easiest party ever.  We arrived an hour early and we set up in 30 minutes. The kids swam for an hour and then we had an hour and a half in the party room for food and cake. Clean up took 20 minutes and we were done.  Whomever thought to have children's birthday parties somewhere other than your house was brilliant and needs a statue in their honor.

 

If you remember back in August I shared my party planning post with my inspiration board for Grayson's big two year old birthday. I ordered the invite above from SplashBox Printables via Etsy along with the water bottle labels you'll see a bit later on.

 

 

 

Décor: I reused the Happy Birthday Banner I made last year as the backdrop over the food table.  To cover up the off white cinder block walls I picked up a Thomas party back drop from Party City for a few dollars as the back drop to the cake and present table.  I ordered some train track table runners to set up my veggie and cake pop trains.  On the food table I took metal bread loaf pans and attached paper wheels.  I simply filled them with cut up veggies and used a train case that Grayson had as the engine.  On the other table I ordered two dozen Thomas Cake Pops from The Cake Pop Shop and to display them I covered floral foam with burlap and popped them into the blocks.  I lined them up with a train engine as treats for the kiddos (and adults).

 

 

 

The hubs took some scrap wood and created two wooden sculptures for the food table. The first was a stand for the drink dispenser, which made it look like a water tower.  We put a sign on it saying Iced Tea Water Tower for the adults to know what was inside of the blue igloo cooler. The second was a three foot tall Cranky the Crane that we used to hold up the plate of sandwiches once they were delivered from a local deli.

 

 

 

 

Like last year's wooden cut outs I continued the tradition with making some Thomas ones to turn the tables into trains for the kids to sit at. I used the same technique as last year, made a transparency and used a projector to get the image on the board.  Then a little paint and time and you have choo choo tables, that were a big hit with the kids.

 

 

Then we filled the space with balloons and some hanging Thomas banners to make the room look less like a workout space and more festive. The plates, cups, and napkins all came from the party store for a serious discount.

 

As for food we had a local deli deliver chicken tenders, meatball sliders and chips at the time the kids were to get out of the pool. It was hot, delicious and perfect because I didn't have to worry about a  thing. Then we had iced tea, water bottles with custom labels and diesel fuel juice boxes for the kids.

 

 

The cake I ordered from a local bakery and while it was scrumptious and beautiful, it wasn't exactly what I was going for.  I took in various pictures of cartoon-y kiddy cakes and what I got when I picked it up was much more wedding-y.  Was it still good? Oh yes. Was it a kids birthday cake? No. Did anyone care? Not at all.  It did provide a good chuckle to everyone who saw it, especially when I threw the train in front of it.

 

 

Overall it was a wonderful party and I couldn't have asked for better day!

 

 



Choo Choo- Grayson Turned Two!!

The kid said he wanted Thomas- and Thomas he got.

 

 

 

The party started out in the pool- so of course Daddys mostly got swim duty.

 

After they got all dry, the food was delivered and it was time to eat.

 

Grayson decided that he would eat a chicken finger, carrots and cheese curls. At least he chose a veggie?

 

Then it was time for cake- and for us to find out that Grayson did not like being sung to, at ALL.

Telling me to make them "top!"

 



Lucky, once he realized he got to eat cake and had a new train all was right with the world.

 

We couldn't have asked for a better day, or more generous people to spend the day with. Since I literally had over 100 pictures thanks to my sweet friend Jackie who took them for me, I'll be sharing the details and projects in tomorrows post!