Wednesday Wow: I’m Not A Grinch!

What If Christmas means more?

Every Who down in Who-ville liked Christmas a lot… sorta like my Facebook timeline. Everyone is cooking, shopping and “selfi-ing!” And I think it’s really cute actually but the stress that come with buying to expectations……. it’s way to overwhelming.

It’s official, the kids have named us Mr. and Mrs. Grinch last night! In the back of my mind, I thought it was a compliment. He is a wise ole’ cat.

So yes, I’m ok with that. I understand that they have to be reminded everyonce in a while the purpose of the holiday.  It is hard when grandparents and others gift them but it comes back full circle when I start quoting my favorite scences from The movie, ” How The Grinch Stole Christmas.”

And then, they’ll do something I hate most of all. Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small, will stand close together… with Christmas bells ringing. They’ll stand hand in hand… and those Whos… will start singing!

Christmas should mean more.

We do not celebrate Christmas in our home the way most people do.

 “I MUST find some way to stop Christmas from coming!” “I MUST stop this Christmas from coming! But HOW?” …….They’re finding out now that no Christmas is coming! They’re just waking up, I know just what they’ll do. Their mouths will hang open a minute or two, then the Whos down in Whoville will all cry, “Boo Hoo.”

Narrator: And what happened, then? Well, in Whoville they say – that the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day. And then – the true meaning of Christmas came through, and the Grinch found the strength of*ten Grinches, plus two!

• How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

For us it’s a time of service. Like an extension of Thanksgiving! Gifts are for birthdays and that is when we go all out for our children and other loved ones.( I personally only know three people who has a birthdays on December 25th.) 

 

Just add green cookies!

OK, out of my way, small Who, I’ve got better things to do than to spend my time with you on Grinch Night.  I know just what to do! I’ll make a quick Santy Claus hat and a coat! All I need is a reindeer!

(time to get ready to volunteer for Entrepreneur High School and prepare for Kwanzaa tomorrow!  ” Grinch is gonna getcha, Grinch is gonna getcha, Grinch indeedy, fa-la-la! YA!” Tomorrow is Christmas. It’s practically here!

Now pucker up and kiss it, Whoville!

Click here for cute Grinch theme clips! You’ll love them!

Here’s a great playlist for tomorrow!- Various artist holiday songs and the list is here.

Eaim Turns 8 with Dr. Seuss!

“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, It’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do. And that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.”- Dr. Seuss

“You’ll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut.” ― Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!- Dr Seuss

 

YESTERDAY, WE CELEBRATED 8 YEARS WITH MY SON AT HOME WITH JUST US 8.

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!” ― Dr. Seuss

We did everything for under $80! I think I shocked my husband as well. Eaim was so excited to see everything up and laid out JUST for him.

I chose Dr Seuss because I love the messages of wisdom that are in his witty rhymes. I also wanted him to transition into a more responsible mode of thinking. Who better than the good ole Doc, right? He enjoyed reading his back splash of balloons, greeting and wishes too. His favorite one was:  “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose.”

-Dr Seuss

“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!” ― Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

To make them, I selected a few things from my craft box and homeschool kit.

We copied, pasted and printed much of the bright décor,, then glued them on the back splash. The balloons were mix matched because the little ones kept playing and busting them up. We also used craft tissue paper and construction paper of all sorts. You’d be amazed at how far a little creativity will get you.

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…” ― Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You’ll Go!

We made the menu based on what he asked for: It helps having young children that can help in the kitchen.

Birthday Boy’s Menu-

• Smore’s cake
• Whopper smoothie
• Nacho Tacos w/avocados and sour cream
• Tortillas chips and queso
• and a red bean and rice

We try to make a big thing out of our children’s birthdays because we don’t celebrate Christmas like many.  They get no gifts from us* on that day. Instead we serve the less fortunate or spend that time getting ready for Kwanzaa.

You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who will decide where to go.

 

Biggest Challenge:  Prepping everything without him knowing for sure. I kept telling him it was for his sisters class Christmas party. Unfortunately, he figured out his whole punched and looped name wasn’t a normal name for a party drink.

 

Most proud of: His siblings begging to help make it possible. They wanted him to be happy on his day.

His Biggest Gift: being able to go to the computer lab with out an adult. (At our community computer labs you must be older than 8 to surf alone)

What’s next: SHOPPING! He has funds to shop at a small business this week. So it goes without saying he will be celebrating his birth ALL week LONG! Oh my!

Instead of birthday licks, he got Birthday showers!

To my sweet Ramuntu, gosh, life is better with you!  We named him after SaMya, his sister that transitioned at 11yrs old. So grateful to God for allowing us to be your guide this life time around. Love you always wonderful son!   In the end, this year celebration was low stress, low mess, and high quality! Perfect!

Today is gone. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one. -Dr Seuss

 More Dr.Seuss 

and here – just click either one!  Every hour was worth putting this together for him, for us.

   Have a great week, QC Supermom!

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” -Dr Seuss

 

Stop Wasting Money…

Things are getting tight! Congress is cutting even more resources for families, from wages, child care resources to SNAP. It’s okay. Be proactive and start spending more wisely. Life is full of stress & drama. Don’t let the stress of money be the down fall of your happy home. Will Smith said it best:      Too

Our boys bathroom decor!

many people spend money they haven’t earned to buy things they don’t want to impress people they don’t like. You don’t have to be that way!

Here are some simple money saving tips that anyone can do!

• Use more cloth– do away with paper towels, and paper napkins.
• Make your own household cleaners – I use vinegar and baking soda for almost everything!
• Use your local library – I can pretty much request any book I would like to read and my library will let me know when it’s available!
• Borrow items – barter, borrow and exchange almost anything & everything,etc with friends and family
• Hang dry your clothing – Easy and they smell so good from being in the sun!
• Turn down your heat – there’s no need for your heat to be as high at night time and while you’re out of the house for an extended period.
• Make your own baby food – when you’re serving vegetables for your family, set some aside to make your own pureed/mashed baby food.
• Shop clearance racks – If you’re in need of some clothing, wait until you find something great on the clearance racks!
• Reuse your sandwich bags – Of course, I throw out the ones that held raw meat.

It’s easy to impress me. I don’t need a fancy party to be happy. Just good friends, good food, and good laughs. I’m happy. I’m satisfied. I’m content.-Jabela Ledsi

 

• Use your plastic grocery bags as garbage bags – Occasionally I’ll end up with some plastic bags that I put to use in our kitchen and bathrooms!
• Menu Plan – I know, I know, but it really does save us huge amounts of money! Try it and see how it works for you!
• Think about your purchases before you make them – Walk away, if you find
  

          A friends bedroom wall. Yes, I LOVE Dr. Seuss!

  you still need it or really love it after a period of time, then buy it. I don’t know how many times I’ve walked away and ended up not purchasing an item because I realized that I didn’t need it or want it that badly.

Here’s a few more resources:

Party at home.

More money advice from pigs. 🙂

LOWER YOUR mobile phone bill like I did- for real-Try Solavei

5 Extreme Ways to Go Frugal and Save
Make your own laundry detergent & other ways to stop throwing away money.

What are some tips you use?