10 Reasons Why I Dislike Baby Showers

Yesterday I attended my cousins baby shower and while this has nothing to do with her shower in particular, it reminded me just how much I dislike them.

Honestly, I hate baby showers. 

I don't mind celebrating with you, I simply dislike the way people have organized them.  Although, in recent years I've been to a few that have evolved into straight up parties with both women and men in attendance and sometimes I wondered what we were really celebrating!  But those aren't the showers I speak of.  

So here is a list of reasons why I dislike going to baby showers, in no particular order;


1.  They are scheduled in the mid-afternoon to late evening on my good Sunday.

2.  It's awkward when you arrive and the people that were there before you are sitting down all in a row watching as each person walks through the door.

Baby Shower games

3.  The games, oh my dear, can we get rid of the effin' games?!  No, I didn't know that if the father puts weight on during the pregnancy as well that means you are having a boy. I think I'll just ask my doctor who has this thing called an ultrasound, but thanks for that useless information anyway.

4.  There is no alcohol served because obviously I must suffer along with the mommy-to-be. Unfair.

5.  Must we really sit around and watch you open your gifts?

6.  While we sit around watching you open your gifts for your new crumbsnatcher, must we subject ourselves to the chanting of "Ooooh, Ahhhhh, that's niiiiiice!" for each and every single gift??? 
**please someone bring me a drink!**

Baby Shower Decor, picture courtesy of seshamo.com

7.  Why are we still playing games?!

8.  The mommy-to-be ALWAYS shows up at least an hour late. People, let's stop making these showers a surprise.

9.  The baby shower decor.
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10. Please, pretty please do not tie the styrofoam plate filled with bows around her stomach or head!





We are in 2014, why are we still doing these things? 

Do you enjoy going to baby showers of this nature?  How would you change this event to make it enjoyable for all?


Signed, 
Candilaria

A Family That Plays Together...

Who knew a ten dollar game could be such fun?!  My kids received a Pop-up game Christmas past and stayed in the box until February!

We were bored; looking for something to do so we took it out and played it. It turns out it was good for at least 45 minutes of fun. We laughed and cheered.  I screamed when I won. Did you get that? I won.  Insert smiley face here.  All in all it was good cheap fun.

Our family is always looking for ways to spend time together.  With a tight budget you start to get a little inventive. I have actually found that the things that cost you little or nothing are the ones that are more bonding. Here are some of the activities that you can try with your family.

1.  Game Night:  Find a few board games and have fun. If you prefer electronic games, rent or borrow a new game. Family Feud for the Wii is a good one. Split the family into teams. Be competitive, it's fun!

2.  Movie Night:  If you don't have the funds to go to the movies then rent one.  If you are renting make it fun.  Buy some snacks, popcorn, nachos and cheese, and candy. During this time there should be no phone calls, no computer/tablets and everyone should understand that the purpose is to watch the movie together.

3.  Go for a walk/Exercise Together:  When my husband started waking us early Saturday morning for a walk we all went kicking and screaming. Who wants to go walking 5:30pm on a Saturday morning?  After a few weeks though we were all looking forward to it. We walk to the beach and spend 20-30 minutes just enjoying the sunrise while the kids play. If you are not a morning person take an evening walk.

4.  Go Fishing:  I admit I have not done this one yet, but my 15 year old just asked me this week if we could go fishing.  Can't say I am too enthused but it's on the "bucket list".

5.  Play tourist:  Ever took your kids to the Forts?  Yes, you may have driven past them or parked next to them, but how many times have you actually gone and taken a tour? This would be a great history lesson while enjoying the beautiful scenery. The glass bottom boat is another great family activity.

6.  Cook a meal:  This is one of my personal favorites.  Go online and find a recipe.  It could be savory or sweet, but do it as a family.  I choose a day that is stress free like a Friday or Saturday night.  A few weeks ago my son and I made curry chicken roti.  We watched the YouTube videos together (this could be done the night before). Then we went into the kitchen and cooked it together.  He loved it.  So now that as become our thing.  We have done it three times already.

I know our lives are mega busy but family is important.  You would be surprised how a couple of hours of your time can bring the family closer together.  Have you ever thought about setting aside one day a week for family? I know it sounds crazy, but with all of our busy schedules you can easily find yourself living with strangers.

Once your day is set it must be understood by all that anything done on this day, besides work, must include the entire family. This rule gets fun once your kids become teenagers.  Once the family day has been established someone has to be dedicated as "The Enforcer".  In most cases, Mom that's you, but solicit Dad's help.  As I said earlier, they may come kicking and screaming at first, but if you stay consistent it will pay off.

I hope I have gotten your creative juices flowing.  There may be some other activities that may pique your interest.  Try it!  Not every family day will be a success. The important thing is that you spend time together and have fun doing it.  A family that plays together, stays together.

Peace and Love

Ernesta 

Parent Post

Good Morning Beautiful Ladies, 

I wanted to write a parent post for this morning and couldn't think of anything new to write.  Last night I wrecked my brain thinking of what I could possibly say.  The truth of the matter is the majority of what we do as parents is doing the exact same thing over and over again.  

I woke up this morning before everyone else, showered and got dressed. Woke up the kids.  Made breakfast. Placed lunches in their lunch bags. Children got dressed.  Assisted with brushing of teeth. Turned off all the lights, TV, fans, and closed all the doors (yes, I have to close all the doors to the bedrooms and bathrooms before I leave the house because I'm a little OCD that way) and headed for the car.  Sat in a bit of traffic.  Dropped kids to school. And here I am at work.  Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

However, as I was walking into work I witnessed a couple having quite the difficult time with their toddler child.  I work inside a hotel and there is ALWAYS an audience.  It was pretty extreme.  The shrill of the child's scream was as if she was experiencing some sort of physical pain. Onlookers stopped in their tracks to view the situation that had so quickly transpired. From the outside it seemed as if she couldn't get the stuffed animal from the store she and her parents were just in.  Uh-oh and oh dear!  I didn't stick around long enough to see whether her parents were able to calm her down but it made me think about past tantrums with my children and what I would've done in that situation.

All of that led me to ask you to do this,


Complete this sentence... 

"The most embarrassing place my child has ever thrown a tantrum was..."

And what did you do to resolve it?



Signed, 
An exasperated Candilaria

MARRIAGE:'Panty On!'

"To be a good wife and a good mother you must begin by being a good you!" 

To be a good Tiffany my hair has to look right! If I am not having a good hair day, the Hall family is not a happy family. Trivial maybe, but true.

Yesterday I sat at my desk and wondered if my curls would last another day.

Hmmm...


I washed my hair on Monday night and had an exceptional good healthy hair Tuesday! 

Yahooligans!

Since the curls were ringing just right, maybe they could last another day.

Maybe....

Now, there is nothing I hate more than when I wake up and one side of my hair has curls and the other does not.This lopsided hair drama has the potential for happening when I go to be bed with my hair exposed. This is great for my marriage because I look like the women on television who lay on their pillows with loose tendrils. Eric can run his hands through my hair or tug it a little maybe... but nonetheless the loose hair is an attractive accessory with my pajamas.

And so here I am clean face out of the shower, hair wild and free ready for Eric to walk through the bedroom door and utter,"What you saying?"

Ah yeah no!
Are you crazy? 
I can't go to sleep with my hair like this. 

Here's why.

1. My hair will be mashed up in the morning.
2. My hair will break.
3. My hair will be dry.
4. My hair will need styling in the morning.

I have no time at 5:00 a.m. to be hot curling and pinning up. 

So to avoid me having a bad hair day this my dear readers is how I Tiffany go to bed. I have to do this because it works for me. 

Yes I use rollers!
Yes they still make rollers!
Yes rollers are still good for my hair!

Now if you're thinking, jeez this is how she goes to bed with her husband then you will think I am absolutely insane when you see this next photo.

"Is that what I think it is Tiffany?"
You may be asking. Is that a...
Are you serious?

Dead serious!

Yes! I have a panty on my head!!!!!!!

Here is a better view!

When I don't feel like roller setting my hair I wear a pair of lace panties. They are absolutely fabulous for keeping my curls without mashing them up. I pull my curls through the openings for the legs! 

Voila!

When I shared this with a friend of mine she bought me a black bonnet but the bonnet does not work for me. My curls are mashed without a doubt!

Remember you have to do what works for you! And so I sleep with a panty on my head for the welfare of my family!  

Don't judge me! 

Here's my point. In a recent post I wrote about putting your husband on the list. It is important to consider your husband however, you have to consider yourself too. 

Eric knows how important my hair is to me. He knows I can go to bed looking good for him but I will be a grumpy-mcgrumperton the next day when I have a bad hair day. When your husband loves you he will consider your feelings. 

Does Eric like this...hell no but this one is a deal breaker for me. I have to do what works for my hair.

You have to do what works for you too! A marriage will be a more pleasant one with two individuals who respect one another and the quirks they bring to the table.

This is my daughter and I. Look at her face. That is the sign of a happy kid. She is happy because she has a happy mother. She has a happy mother because I sleep with rollers or a panty on my head.

I do what works for me!

Until I blog again,
Tiffany
P.S.


I do my endeavour best to make sure my hair is wild and free for Eric during you know what! Gotta have the curls out for the fun!

The Truth is...

Signed, 
Life is real, Candilaria