iCaughtSanta–You can too!

Look who we caught putting presents around the tree. Thanks to an awesome website  - http://www.icaughtsanta.com/ –  we were able to keep the magic alive for Princess Cara! Love it!

 

Check out how iCaughtSanta and Rudolph in this unique photo opp at http://iCaughtSanta.com using the free code #SantaShare and you can too. While there I entered one amazing #giveaway for a new iPad Air and Visa, Starbucks and Amazon gift cards. But just like Santa it's only around for a limited time! You have until December 10th to use the code and create your own magic.

You can add Santa or Rudolph to a family photo to create a cool Christmas eGreeting Card, share the image with friends and family, scrapbook it or use it to create a fun button photo for you to wear. Choose from a variety of Santa poses and themes.

 

The free code for is #SantaShare and remember, it expires December 10, 2013.

 

Merry Christmas!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

The Adventures of Molly Chicklet–Elf On The Shelf

2012 was our first year participating in this fun Christmas adventure with our Elf On The Shelf Scout. It turned into a very serious look into the psychological warfare that can be done on an 8 year old that BELIEVES there is a Santa and NOTHING you can tell her will sway her for that belief.

Princess Cara is all bout Santa Clause. She knows we get her presents too, but Santa always brings her stuff too. This year, we introduced Elf on the Shelf and from the moment we read the book and named our scout (which gives her her magic to get back & forth from the North Pole to your house), Princess Cara was all about it and (obviously) I had BETTER be about my job too.

 

Our Scout Elf was named Molly Chicklet  and from that moment, just looking at that face and mischievous side eye, I knew I had best be a tad creative. Not “bad elf” creative – that is not how I wanted PC to see Molly Chicklet – just good ole fashioned fun. All was well until I had to go out of town for a training class and The EOTS Daddy-gate debacle, where Molly Chicklet appeared to get violated by one of our cats and was found laid out on the kitchen floor. HYSTERIA!!! Molly had lost her magic - SOB; Santa wasn’t going to come – WAIL; CALL MOMMIE – she’ll get Santa to understand. 911 call from the FireMarshall and I had to, on my feet, come up with a restoration of Molly Chicklets Magic plan. I had to make a “call” to Santa to get instructions and then Skype back with the plan of action…all before the school bus came.

 

Jesus be a fence.

 

I was able to convince PC that the plan (put Molly back in her box, sprinkle cinnamon & sugar over the box while saying her name 3x, put her back in the first place we set her – mantle place and all would be set right) would work and she got on the school bus satisfied that all was right in the world again.

 

WHEW CHILE! However, the FireMarshall was a BIG FAT FAIL and I had to supervise from New Orleans EVERY.SINGLE.DAY till my return. SIGH.

 

Christmas Eve was Molly’s last day with us. She fly’s back to the North Pole on Christmas Eve until next Christmas time. Princess Cara woke up to find a note from Molly Chicklet and Santa (who ate all the pizza we left out – Santa is sick of all those damn cookies and want some real food) and the absolute joy and excitement on her face was PRICELESS!

 

So, here are some of the Adventures of Molly Chicklet…

                 

                     

 

                

Did y’all know about this Elf on the Shelf business? Did you get an Elf Scout for your family this year? I hope you had as much fun as we did.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

A Living Doll Making Dolls–Overcoming Adversity w/Dignity

I saw Ariel’s story on the news Saturday morning – Teen Uses Talent to Try to Overcome Obstacles – and that young lady’s resilience in such a tough situation (she has an inoperable cancerous brain tumor, her dad has prostate & bladder cancer, her mom has lupus & diabetes, her brother has autism) struck a nerve.

iCANT not help some way. I can get me one of those dolls.

 

Ariel started making custom dolls to help support her family. I went to the Women’s Industrial Exchange to see her dolls Saturday afternoon and they are more than dolls, they are works of art, just like they said in the news report. I decided I had to have one to help support her.

 

Ariel had sold out of the 50 dolls she had already made! She had made $3000 in a day and was now taking orders. Custom orders. Give her a theme and she will make something for you. I, of course, requested a TriGirl/Fitness Guru theme. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with.

 

Just loved it…and The Women’s Industrial Exchange…what a wonderful place. Since the late 1800’s, the exchange has been helping women in need earn a living discretely. Today, The Exchange continues to serve its non-profit mission as an outlet of hand-crafted goods made by women and men intent on supporting themselves with dignity.

 

If you are looking for quality handcrafted gifts  - Shop Local – Shop Green – then you might just want to check out The Exchange. You will have to call the shop if you want to order a doll as Ariel’s website and links in the online store are not up yet. They were not prepared for the wonderful response, but are diligently working to get it up and running.  Don’t want a doll? She is also accepting material/fabric, old clothing, props- large doll furniture, buttons, hair (put that bad weave hair and raggedy wig to good use) to keep the cost of making the dolls down yet able to use most of the profit to help her family. Box it up and send it to the shop c/o Ariel – The Living Doll or drop it off.

 

My prayers are with Ariel and her entire family.

Foto Friday: It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas

 

The light display at “Symphony of Lights”

 

 

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

 

Beautiful decorations and floral arrangements at Homestead Gardens! A “must do” every Christmas season. Go check it out.

My Secret Santa Arrived!!!!

YEAH!!!! My Secret Blog Santa arrived today!…and I love it. I received this beautiful handmade necklace and a book called “The Alchemist” which my Santa said was a “great story about the importance  of life’s journey.” The back of the book has a review that says the story contains “a bedrock of wisdom about following one’s heart.” PERFECT!

 

I received my gift after the Big Reveal, so it wasn’t a secret anymore. Turns out it is even more special for this year my Secret Blog Santa was the blogger I was the Secret Blog Santa to last year – Kaylyn from Pages from Our Book.

Kaylyn…thank you so much! For the effort, the thoughtfulness, the beauty of your gift. I sincerely appreciate it. May you and Brett have a blessed 2012.

 

Thank you, Pserendipity, for putting on another year of the Secret Blog Santa. It continues to be a great way of meeting new bloggers and getting to know better bloggers I already “know”.

 

Merry Christmas!

Christmas 2011 in Review

We here at True Blessings Estate pray that you had a joyous & blessed Holiday. To us, this is the MOST Wonderful Time of the Year. Love Ya!

 

Joy to the World!

Happy Christmas from True Blessings Estate

Wishing you all a Blessed and Happy Christmas.

May all your days be Merry & Bright!

We Caught Santa!

Look who we caught putting presents around the tree. Thanks to an awesome website  - http://www.icaughtsanta.com/ – (and winning the giveaway from Average Mom’s Wear Capes) we were able to keep the magic alive for Princess Cara! Love it!

 

Merry Christmas!

Twas The Day Before Christmas…

…and we were busy, busy, busy! My Baby Maia came into town (yeah, yeah…her parents too) so her parents could go the Redskins/Vikings game, our annual Christmas Eve Party and leave out of BWI to fly to Val’s brother’s house in TX for Christmas.

While Manny & Val went to the game. Princess Cara, Princess Maia and I got busy making a Ginger Bread House & Christmas Bark (made famous by CreoleInDC). Princess Maia brought Princess Cara an apron for Christmas and once opened and attired, we got to cooking.

                     

                     

These ladies were serious about that Ginger Bread House. Look at the intensity here as we decorate. What Fun!

After we got done with the Ginger Bread House, I had my helpers work on melting chocolate (under supervision) for the Christmas Bark. Let me tell you how hard it is to keep those little fingers out of the chocolate. They kept insisting on doing taste tests for the sake of the Kingdom. Wanted to make sure that the Bark was fit for consumption and distribution to friends & family. I let the Princess sprinkle the nuts and dried fruit on the chocolate to make their own versions. Interesting how they were very meticulous about nut placement.

What a lovely idea. I’m hoping they are ready in time for me to take to the parties I have to go to this evening.

 

I hope your Christmas Eve has been starry & bright. Have you been a busy bee today?

Epic Holiday Party!

This past Saturday was my Holiday Party & Cookie Exchange…and this picture above is just half of those in attendance. WE HAD AN ABSOLUTE BLAST! Thank you to Nineteen69 who came down from Philly to help host this event.

 

EPIC. The Party started at 2pm and the last 6 or 7 guest rolled out at 11pm. We ate up everything during the party so about 8:30 pm, in order to not have a bunch of people driving home 3 sheets to the wind (that wasn’t going to happen no way-we would have been posted up in the theater watching movies and ish till ya’ll could drive), I whipped up a pan of lasagna. Funny how a bunch of people pulled up round the kitchen island and waited for it to be done. DELICIOUS!!!!

 

 

We played Christmas Trivia, had an Christmas Ornament Hunt and everyone got a chance to make their own Ornament (which was judged for a prize). We sang Christmas songs off Pandora, drank pitchers of the two Signature Drinks (Sparking Sidecars and Bubbly Cosmos) & LOTS & LOTS OF WINE!

  

We even had a gift exchange. The whole evening was filled with laughter and foolishness. It was definitely feeling like Christmas up in the crib Saturday night.

 

I love my friends & family. GREAT PARTY. GREAT FRIENDS. GREAT TIME!

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!