Christmas — MomStart

Shrek The Halls ICE at Gaylord Palms Kissimmee Florida

December 19, 2011 By Momstart 11 Comments

Christmas in Florida is a nice balmy 80 degrees more or less, and I’m quite happy with that kind of weather so I love visiting Florida in the winter time. But if you’re a Kissimmee native and in need of some cooler weather you can find it inside the Gaylord Palms ICE exhibit

Christmas at Gaylord Palms is super cold I wanted out as soon as I got in, but I hate being cold and 9 degrees is cold. So bundle up, bring gloves and wear your coat.

They do provide parkas but you might want even more, I did. Inside the ICE exhibit is Shrek The Halls, where you’ll see 4.5 acres of carved ice Shrek sculptures.

As you enter the exhibit you can watch a quick introduction and informational video on where ICE came from. I found it fascinating that ICE is over 10 years old and that the blocks of ice are colored. I would have thought that lights gave the colored effect but nope, the ice is dyed and carved and pieced together to make such a fun exhibit.

My kids, Zoe and Miles both would have loved this exhibit. They wouldn’t have felt cold at all. Kids are so much more weather resistant than us sappy adults. Ok, I was the only pansy in the group. Everyone else made it all the way through!

I forgot to mention that you also get to watch the Shrek The Halls short before you enter the ICE exhibit and there are slides for everyone to go down inside the exhibit. I didn’t go down the slide because I was worried about getting my butt wet on the ice. I didn’t want to get any colder than I already was.

I was amazed at the talent displayed in the exhibit.

And for the final portion was the manger scene made out of white ice. It was beautiful

Ice at Gaylord Palms lasts until January 2.

All travel and expenses were paid for by Global Resort Homes And Kissimmee CVB.

Filed Under: personal, travel Tagged With: Christmas, FL, Florida, Gaylord Palms, ICE, ICE Exhibit, Kissimmee, review, Shreck The Halls, travel

The Kids Decorated Wordless Wednesday

November 29, 2011 By Momstart 22 Comments

Filed Under: personal Tagged With: Christmas, decorating, tree, Wordless Wednesday

What’s Your Holiday Tray Include? Ours is an Olive Tray

November 24, 2011 By Momstart 2 Comments

It’s Thanksgiving day and we celebrated with some friends this year. We were asked to bring something that our family loves to eat and that was EASY. We all love olives. I like green ones and the rest of them like black olives.

The holidays pose the perfect opportunity to hold a small gathering with close friends, but oftentimes we avoid hosting even a small party with the fear of having to spend hours planning. I never spend hours planning and still love hosting events. So, this year, try holding a low-key cocktail and appetizer party with a few family members or friends! Make it as simple or as complicated as you like.

I like to just have appetizers then I can make all kinds of dishes. I love to cook. When doing that it’s important to look for appetizers that won’t overstuff your guests. Try creating a variety of simple, delicious and health-focused appetizer trays.

Here are a few ideas!

For the first idea, select a variety of sliced meats; you have several options with Hormel® Natural Choice® meats, like cracked black pepper deli turkey, hard salami, and honey deli ham. Pick out unique cheeses to include; some favorites include brie, Camembert, and Gouda. Add in fancy Peloponnese® olives that will go well with the cheeses you choose, as well as include crackers and apples and you’ve got a well-rounded tray.

Veggies are always a great snack tray idea. Create a veggie assortment with broccoli, squash, carrots, cauliflower, celery, and others that you can serve with dip or hummus. This is a good, health-conscious, middle mini course to serve.

Finally, there are several different things you can do. Preparing bruschetta ahead of time is quick and easy and won’t take you away from the action of the party! Try a bruschetta with tomato and basil recipe that has a prep time of 15 minutes or less.

This is part of the Hormel Family Blogger program, this post enters me into a contest to win a prize.

Filed Under: Announcement Tagged With: Christmas, entertaining, holiday, holiday tray, olives, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving entertaining

Regift on Boxing Day is OK, what about Regifting for Christmas

December 24, 2010 By Momstart 4 Comments

Last minute gifting on your mind? Look no further than December 26, Boxing Day. Though the origins of Boxing Day are debatable depending on the country of the person you talk with about it; I’ll tell you what I was taught. The day after Christmas the bourgeoisie would regift presents. Either new ones they didn’t want (or they would give used items in decent condition) in Christmas’s boxes and paper to their house workers. So be green and celebrate by regifting the things you don’t want to people who would really like them. No need to wait for Boxing Day!

From Summer

Other thoughts on Boxing Day:

The tradition has long included giving money and other gifts to those who were needy and in service positions. The European tradition has been dated to the Middle Ages, but the exact origin is unknown and there are some claims that it goes back to the late Roman/early Christian era; metal boxes placed outside churches were used to collect special offerings tied to the Feast of Saint Stephen.

From Wiki!

My thoughts on regifting:

I see nothing wrong with regifting. Just make sure you don’t give the gift that someone gave you to someone else in front of them. They might be insulted.

About Summer:

Summer is the President of our Local MOMS Club chapter, she is the mother of two adorable active boys, and is always thinking of ways to help others. She is a friend, a wife, and always busy as all mommies are. She is very active on Facebook, addicted to Geocaching and very interested in organic and green living.

Filed Under: green, Summer Tagged With: boxing day, Christmas, frugal, regift, regifting

Get Rid of the Old and Bring in the New Christmas Lights

December 7, 2010 By Momstart 4 Comments

I love a good purge, it’s so refreshing to clean up and just be rid of all the junk. I’m going to admit that in the past we’ve been very wasteful. When we do a purge we just dumped it all. Yes, I’m really embarrassed to admit this fact, but I am proud to say it’s a thing of the past. Now, I donate as much as I can and find other uses for things that can not be donated or recycled. Over the next few days Summer is going to be helping us with tips on how to purge ourselves of different types of electronics. Today, Summer has great advice on how to make room for new Christmas Lights.

It’s time to make the upgrade if you already haven’t … new holiday lights. What’s your excuse for not buying LED twinkles for your tree and house? The Home Depot is offering a “buy back” program where they’ll give your $3 for each stand of light you bring in towards the purchase of an LED strand. I don’t know about you but I spent less than $3 on my non-LED lights. LED stands for light-emitting diode. But what does that mean to you? LED lights save you on electricity as they claim to pull 90% less electricity when turned on compared to regular or non- LED lights. So you’ll also see more green on your electric bill for December – money that is.

If you find that Home Depot is no longer running the promotion, do not toss your lights. You can donate your Christmas Lights to the Christmas Lights Recycling Program. All proceeds from the Christmas lights recycling program will be used to purchase Usborne books that will be donated to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. If that doesn’t work for you find another place to donate them, ask your school if they need any Holiday Lights (I know it’s sad many places no longer have public Christmas displays anymore, but I don’t see any harm in some Christmas lights do you?), or offer them to a church. Don’t put them in a landfill!

About Summer:

Filed Under: 2010 Gift Guide, green Tagged With: Buy Back Christmas Lights, Christmas, Christmas Lights Recycling Program, home depot, LED lights, Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, Recycle Christmas Lights

How to Create a Safe and Spooktacular Halloween, Thanks Giving and Holiday Season Giveaway

October 5, 2010 By Momstart 125 Comments

It’s October and Halloween is going to be here before we know it. I have always loved Halloween because I just love an excuse to dress up. Underwriter’s Laboratory is offering up some steps on how to be safe on Halloween.

How to Create a Safe and Spooktacular Halloween

For families across the country, Halloween is the official launch of the holiday and decorating season, which is why it is important for parents to recognize the potential safety hazards that may be associated with many of the season’s celebratory activities.

1. Inspect decorations for loose connections, frayed or bare wires and broken or cracked sockets when using lights to decorate the home for Halloween. When hanging lights, use plastic hooks or clips to reduce the risk of electric shock and fire hazards. Never nail or staple light strings.

2. Keep candles away from items that easily catch fire, such as decorations, window treatments and paper. Halloween is the fifth highest day for reported candle fires. Candles are the cause of approximately 15,000 reported house fires every year.

3. Look for flame resistant labels when purchasing costumes, fabric and accessories. Although this label does not mean these items won’t catch fire, it does indicate the fabric will resist burning and should extinguish quickly once removed from the ignition source.

Then after Halloween it always feels like November and December just fly by with Holidays and things to do. Growing up, I had a huge family. I have two moms and two dads and each of them have four/five siblings so visiting everyone was always a huge ordeal, but still fun. So I know that you will all be very busy this Holiday Season and I wanted to share UL’s tips on staying safe for the rest of the year!

Serve Up a Side of Safety This Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the No. One day for home fires, which isn’t surprising since Americans will roast, bake, brine, grill and even deep fry more than 45 million turkeys on November 26. This Thanksgiving, UL is offering these simple cooking safety tips to help keep cooks safe in the kitchen, regardless of their level of expertise!

1. Stay in the kitchen while food is cooking: Most fires in the kitchen occur because food is left unattended. If you must leave the kitchen briefly, carry an oven mitt with you as a reminder that something is cooking.

2. Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen in case of emergency and know how to use it: Make sure the fire extinguisher is rated for grease fires and electrical fires and read the directions carefully. The acronym P.A.S.S. can help make sure you use it properly.

· Pull the pin; Aim the spray nozzle low at the base of the fire; Squeeze the nozzle to spray the contents; Sweep back and forth as you spray the base of the fire.

3. Do not pour water on a grease fire: Pouring water on a grease fire can cause the fire to spread.

Last but not least is “The Most Wonderful Time Of the Year”, Christmas. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Christmas and all of the festivities around that!

Wrap Up the Year Safely This Holiday Season

Between finding the perfect gift for loved ones, trimming the tree and sprucing up the house with festive decorations, safety can easily be overlooked during the holiday season. That’s why UL is reminding families to take a few minutes to think about the most precious gift of all when celebrating the holidays – safety.

4. A fresh tree is key: If the needles are not fresh, it can lead to a greater risk of fire. Remember to ask your tree lot attendant to make a fresh cut to the base of the tree and place it in water as soon as you get home. Place tree in a tree stand that holds at least one gallon of water and check moisture level frequently.

5. Indoor or outdoor? Look for the UL Mark: Indoor-use only light strings are marked with UL’s green holographic label. Indoor or outdoor-use light strings are marked with UL’s red holographic label.

6. Read manufacturer instructions: When stringing lights together, the general rule is to not connect more than three midget light string sets together. Light strings with screw-in bulbs should never have more than 50 bulbs connected together.

7. Examine packaging : Parents should thoroughly examine new gifts, especially if they have young children at home. Pay particular attention to products in boxes or packages that do not offer the following:

· A brand name

· Manufacturer’s name with contact information for reporting problems with the product

Enter to Win:

UL picnic basket loaded with UL goodies

To Enter:

Leave a comment telling me which of the tips is most useful to you!

This is not a sponsored giveaway and it ends October 25th.

Filed Under: giveaway Tagged With: Christmas, Christmas Safety, Halloween, Halloween safety, Safe Tips, safety tips, Thanksgiving, underwriters laboratories

Beau-coup Personalized Goodies 75.00 Gift Card #giveaway

November 11, 2009 By Momstart 486 Comments

Beau-coup has all kinds of goodies for everyone on your nice list including personalized Hershey’s chocolates that will satisfy that sweet tooth, custom fortune cookies to liven up a holiday soiree, tea sachets to ward off the chill, and of course plenty of favor packaging like mini spice jars, and favor boxes wrapped in personalized ribbon to make the wrappings as pretty as your Christmas party favors inside!

They have a special surprise for one of my readers. Beau-coup Favors is offering a $75 gift card towards anything on their site! Beau-coup carries everything from wedding favors to baby shower favors, and party favors for all occasions including items for all the holiday festivities Christmas party favors and winter wedding favors!

To Enter:

Visit Beau-coup Favors website and tell us what you’d love to get if you win!

Extra Entries:

Advertise this giveaway on any giveaway site and tell me where you advertised it. 10 Extra Entries
Subscribe to my blog
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Use any of the Share options at the bottom of this post: Dig, Stumble, or fav me on Technorati (two entries for each one)
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You can vote for me too for five entries: Parenting

Wubbzy’s Christmas Adventure DVD and Book #giveaway

November 10, 2009 By Momstart 200 Comments

Join Wubbzy this all-new Holiday collection of wow wow or I like to call them oopsies. Everyone’s favorite bendy-tailed buddy pitches in to decorate The Figgity-Fig Tree, fix Walden’s snow sculpture and even solve the mystery of the Snow Shoo-Shoo!

Wubbzy finds trouble so easily. It is very hard to not like him though because he is so sweet and redeeming. He doesn’t mean to get into trouble it just happens. This isn’t very Christmas ish, but it does have a lot of snow and holiday decor. So get your Wubbzy on for a giveaway:

Enter To Win

One (1) Winner will receive the following prize pack:

Wubbzy’s Christmas Adventure DVD and “It’s Wubbzy” Book!

Two (2) Additional winners will receive:

Wubbzy’s Christmas Adventure DVD

DVD’s are valued at $16.98 each.

Shipping Guidelines:

The Wubbzy’s Christmas Adventure DVD giveaway is open to participants with a United States mailing address only (international readers can enter if they have a friend in the States who can accept their prizes by mail.)

To Enter:

Tell me about your Wubbzy Fan

Extra Entries:

Christmas Cafe Reliant K, Sleigh Ride Let it Snow Baby… Let it Reindeer

October 28, 2009 By Momstart 1 Comment

Another one of my favorites.

Relient K is another upbeat band that is great for the younger crowd and the crowd that wants to feel younger like me. I’m not old I know that but I love to listen to all kinds of music and one thing about Relient K is they are a Christian band that plays music your young ones can listen to, Will listen to.

Let It Snow Baby… Let It Reindeer

I can’t remember which track has one but there is an Easter Egg on one of the tracks. It’s a great listen.

With 16 tracks Relient K really delivered on this album. Stay Awake this Christmas with Relient K.

1. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
2. Sleigh Ride
3. Merry Christmas, Here’s to Many More
4. Angels We Have Heard on High
5. Deck the Halls
6. 12 Days of Christmas
7. Silent Night/Away in a Manger
8. I Celebrate the Day
9. In Like a Lion (Always Winter)
10. I’m Getting Nuttin’ for Christmas
11. We Wish You a Merry Christmas
12. Santa Claus Is Thumbing to Town
13. Handel’s Messiah
14. I Hate Christmas Parties
15. Boxing Day
16. Auld Lang Syne

Filed Under: review Tagged With: Album review, cd review, Christmas, Christmas Cafe, Let it Reindeer., Let it Snow, Relient K

Christmas Cards and Tips at Christmas Printer

August 2, 2009 By MomStart 1 Comment

Tis the season to be Jolly, wait, not quite yet. First there is back to school, then Halloween then before Halloween actually happens Thanksgiving and Christmas come out in the stores at the same time. Isn’t that crazy.

How do you keep track of it all?

Where do your ideas come from?

Do you use cards?

Do you do thank you cards after the season?

I did thank you cards the first year after my daughter was born for Christmas Gifts and her first birthday gifts. My goal was to teach my daughter better practices than I do but I’m terrible at it and I didn’t do it last year. My excuse is that now I have two children but I never did it before.

So I was introduced to this new blog. It’s called Christmas Printer. The writer there gives advice on Holiday practices such as etiquette ideas, and advice. I think the writer needs to learn to write with a little more depth, but that comes with time and experience. I look back on some of my old posts and wow, they were bad. I find that I’m putting a lot more time and thought into what I’m writing about. Being around other bloggers has taught me a lot about blogging.

Filed Under: giveaway Tagged With: Christmas, holiday gift ideas