Crable Sportswear Outlet for Your Holiday Gifts

In need of Christmas presents for a college sports fan?  If you are local, head to the Crable Sportswear Factory Outlet.  Definitely worth a trip.  Lots of sweatshirts, pullover jackets, zip-front jackets and vests, sweaters, polos, ties, etc.  For men and ladies.  I did not see any youth items while I was there.  Prices were great - you can see some below. 

And the selection?  Great!  Lots of local colleges, of course.  Xavier, UC, Ohio State, Miami, IU, Louisville, Ohio University, etc.  Not much Purdue while I was there.  And then there were tons of other out-of-state selections as well...Florida, Texas, Alabama, etc.

I grabbed a couple of $19.99 XU polos as gifts and a new XU sweatshirt $10 and XU sweater $15 for myself!





  Where is it? In the old McSwain building on Kemper between Mosteller and Chester roads.   Hours? Thursday and Friday 11:00-6:00 Saturday 9:00-5:00   I was told they'd be open every weekend the rest of the year.   All sales are final.

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Polly Pockets and Other Nonsense

How's your Christmas shopping going? 

My girls suddenly LOVE their current Princess Polly Pockets (handed down from a cousin).  And now that Henry no longer tries to eat the small itty-bitty shoes and accessories, they are allowed to keep them out more.  BUT, they are not current.  Meaning they are the old princesses...Snow White, Belle, Cinderella, etc.  So, I've been spending my time comparing prices of the new princesses.  Seriously, $18 for a miniature choking hazard?

For those of you not on Facebook or Instagram...we got our tree! 

An annual tradition for us. 

And I stayed up super late one night decorating it ALONE.

Well, the kids put on one box of ornaments before they went to bed.

All on the lowest branches, of course.

And we got to go and see Alice in Wonderland playing at the Ensemble Theatre.

Very good.

In fact, the Cheshire Cat was fabulous!

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Way Better Snacks - Grab Some!

  Have you tried Way Better Snacks yet?  No?  Why not?!?    

  I was recently sent a box of Way Better Snacks to try.  

Since I got so many, I put them out at a girlfriends gathering at my house recently.

And the verdict?

Thumbs Up!

Especially the Sweet Potato and Sweet Chili flavors.



Only two agreed to be in a photo (THANK YOU!),

but about a dozen ladies enjoyed them.

And no one thought they were yucky!

After my friends left, it was on to tougher critics...the children.

But you can see by their faces that they said "YUM!" as well.

So, why are these Way Better??

Basically, I think it's the ingredients they use to make them better for you.

  As stated on their website FAQ :

"What kind of ingredients do you use?In keeping with our promise to remember to always be better, our recipes limit our ingredients to only those necessary to produce a great tasting and nutritious product. No fillers. No preservatives. All of our ingredients are all-natural, non-GMO (not genetically modified) and the highest quality ingredients available. And they can all be easily pronounced!"

And the best part?  They taste GREAT!

Locals can head to a Kroger, Whole Foods or Fresh Market...they should be there.

You can also put your zip code into their website for a store near you.

Or just order them online!

Website:  http://www.gowaybetter.com
Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/waybettersnacks
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/waybettersnacks
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/waybettersnacks
Instagram - http://followgram.me/waybettersnacks

* I was sent a complimentary box of these chips.  However all opinions are my own.

Frisch's Pumpkin Pie Photo Contest

 

Did you know that Frisch's is having a photo contest?

 

Buy their taste-test-winning pumpkin pie.

 

Take a photo eating it.

 

 

Submit to win by December 7th!

 

Go!  Do it.

 

 

In full disclosure, Frisch's contacted me to promote this contest. 

I am receiving a pie for my help.

And, NO, Big Boy is really not my baby's daddy.

 

 

Definitely Have My Hands Full

As a mom, don't you HATE when another mom sees you and your kids and says, "Boy, you sure have your hands full"?  Especially when that tone is added, all I hear is, "Put a lasso on your crew, biatch."  Because moms only say this when your kids are totally misbehaving and you are trying to be calm and collected.  The mom really should offer to help you or point out something you are doing right to lift you up...not smirk and walk away with her perfectly acting only child she has with her at the time.

The other day I was checking out at a Walmart with a mega-cart full of two kids and groceries.  The kids were over it and being loud, but not bad.  I thought it was going to be a smooth and successful finish.  And then Charlotte sneezed.  And the biggest snot was on her upper lip.  Yuck.

I grabbed my purse for a tissue.  None.  WTF?  Where was the always-there Kleenex pack?  Gone.  And so then I weighed all the options as I took inventory of what I was left with.

The Toddy Cloth?  No way.  That thing cost too much and if it didn't wash up nicely I'd be mad.

I looked around.  Of course this was the only check-out I've ever been in that didn't SELL a purse packet of tissues.  Argh.

I rummaged some more through my purse.

A tampon?  No.  (But yes, I considered it.)

A panty liner?  Better than the tampon.  Would probably do the job.  But I was surrounded by 3 men - one working the lane, one checking out, and one behind me.  Maybe it would be worth the looks on their faces.  Nah.

Seriously, I could hear the laughter from aisle 13 where all the tissues, paper towels and toilet paper were stocked.  I needed one square.

My sweatshirt?  It probably needed washed 3 days ago anyway.  But, double yuck.

Her own shirt?  Definitely would work.  But how many times have I said "Don't wipe stuff on your shirt!"  That would just be hypocritical.

No other workable options in my purse. 

And then I saw it.

She was writing on a notepad.

I ripped off a piece of paper and that was that.

The man in front of me said, "They sure keep you busy" in that tone.  He's now on my list with those moms.
   

Frisch's and The Pumpkin Pie Wars

If you are familiar with Cincinnati then you probably are aware of the Pumpkin Pie Wars between Frisch's and Busken Bakery.  The billboard pranks are great.  Well, the taste-testing results came out today and the winner was...the Big Boy!

We recently visited the Big Boy on Halloween.  We convinced the kids to go out for pumpkin pie instead of trick-or-treating since it was raining.  I tweeted a photo of the girls with their pie and @FrischsBigBoy found us!  Yep, the Big Boy tweets!  We swapped a few messages and a few days later we got some Big Boy tattoos in the mail for the kids.

Some of you know our history with the Big Boy.  There was a time back in February when Henry thought he was his daddy.  For real.  We went to the restaurant and as soon as Henry saw the statue, he screamed "DADDY!"  Then when he saw the menu, he again pointed and screamed "DADDY!"  When I told my co-workers the next day, one pulled out a Big Boy coin bank from her desk drawer.  Again, for real.  I brought it home and this was the follow-up video. 

 

As much as I love the Big Boy, especially his cherry coke, he is NOT my baby's daddy!

Do you like pumpkin pie?

 

If so, what's your favorite pumpkin pie?

 

Do you make it from scratch or buy it?

 

Cool whip or whip cream?

 

 

 

Holiday Shopping Wish Lists and Gift Ideas - How Do You Keep Track?

Holiday shopping is upon us.  Some of us (ahem) are almost finished.  Some haven't even started thinking about Christmas and refuse to until after Thanksgiving (whatever).

How do you keep track of your gift "wish lists" and ideas for others?  The grandparents want to know what to give the kiddos, the spouse needs some good ideas, etc. 

Do you use Pinterest?  Drop subtle hints?  Forward emails?  Take photos of ideas?

Share with me!  And the rest of my readers.  As always, inquiring minds want to know your tips and tricks for holiday shopping and specifically keeping track of who-wants-what. 

I have a master spreadsheet (of course I do!) that tracks all the gifts we have to purchase and our holiday budget.  It's nice to refer back to previous years to make sure I'm not getting my MIL the same things over and over.

I also snap a picture of an item I see in a store that I want and send it to my husband.  He recently received 3 photos from my latest Costco trip!

And finally, I LOVE using Amazon's Wish List feature.  I have multiple lists...for me, for Andy, for the kids.  I like that you can make them private or create a link to share with specific people if you don't want it completely public.  I also love their newest feature which allows you to add items to your Wish Lists OUTSIDE of Amazon...from any website (under Wish List Tips on left-hand side).

What do you use to keep track of gift ideas for yourself and others?

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Even More Stuff My Kids Say

When I picked up the kids yesterday at daycare this is what happened when I got to Charlotte's room:

Teacher: Oh my goodness, are you ok??
Me: Yes, why?
Teacher: Charlotte told us you fell last week.
Me: What?
Teacher: Down the steps!
Me: WHAT?
Teacher: And that your tooth fell out.
Me: {sigh} Um, no.
Teacher: Thank goodness, we were so worried about you!

Even after discussing with Charlotte, she is still convinced this occurred.  Hmmmm.....

In other news, Stella received the Responsibility character award at school.  Of course she did.

 

After work last night the girls asked what I did all day.  Having facilitated a class on coaching to a group of our leaders, I explained that I got to "play teacher today".

 

Stella: Did you teach gymnastics?

Charlotte: Or piano?  OR how to pet a giraffe?

Me: Not exactly.  It was adult stuff.

Stella: Like science?

Me: No. More like how to talk to people nicely.

Stella: What did you tell them?

Me: Be a good listener.

Stella and Charlotte: OH!

A few minutes pass...

Charlotte: Did you sing them a song?

Me: No.

Charlotte (very seriously): Then what did you do to them?

 

And finally, every time we leave our neighborhood and pass the grocery store:

Henry: Yogurt!! YOGURT!!!

Girls (always in unison): {sigh}Henry, it's KROGER!

 

Have a great weekend!

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More Stuff My Kids Say

Weekend morning cartoons...such a treat!

 

Here are a couple conversations at our house recently:

Last week I made a pot roast one night.  The next morning...
Charlotte: Mom, can you make a french roast?
Me: Huh?
Charlotte: You know, a FRENCH roast??
Me: A what?  Like dinner last night?
Charlotte: No, like with bread and syrup.
Me: French TOAST?
Charlotte: Yes, that.

****************************************************

Stella: Mom, can we watch the fat movie?
Me: Um, what?
Stella: You know, the fat movie mamaw and pops brought us.
Me: What are you talking about?
Stella: THIS!  (holding a VCR tape) This fat movie?
I guess a VCR tape is fatter than a DVD.

****************************************************

Henry was being ignored in the car yesterday while he screamed "MOMMY!"
Henry: TRICIA!  MISS TRICIA!
Me: Yes, Henry, what?
Henry: I miss my Miss Andy daddy.

******************************************************

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Who is Henry Voting For?

We actually haven't talked a bunch about the election with the kids. But Saturday morning, Andy and I had the news on and Henry was awake. There was lots of coverage from Romney's trip to West Chester Friday night. So I asked him...

Me: Henry, who should we vote for? Obama or Romney?
Henry: Spiderman.
Me: Not a choice buddy...Obama or Romney?
Henry: Elmo.

Enough said.

And a photo some of you already saw. I think he's tired of all the evening campaign calls.




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After Halloween Sale for Dress-ups

Today during nap time I ran out to Target quickly. I had not been yet since Halloween and I love the after Halloween sale. Because my kids LOVE to play dress-up. And I HATE to pay a lot for dress-ups. So I always go searching for costumes on clearance.

The girls are starting to outgrow some of the more toddler-sized princess items we have. So I was lucky to grab these Cinderella dresses for $9 and $6 each. Cinderella dress-up in the toy section? $15-20.







Stella has always wanted the Toy Story Jessie outfit. First she was too small for it. This year I just couldn't justify the $30. Today? At $9 it's mine and will be under the Christmas tree.




And Henry? Yo-ho-mateys-away! This Jake costume will fit perfectly and at $6...argh, what a steal! (I'll never forget a friend telling me to stock up on boy costumes, because boy dress-ups are harder to find.)




Spiderman is going to be too big to give to him for awhile (size 4), but for $3 I had to have it!




If these were just for Halloween, I wouldn't "stock up". I am a huge fan of swapping and sharing costumes with others to not have to spend any money.

However, other than Spidey, these "costumes" will all be Christmas presents and used as dress-ups all year long.

FYI - My Target said 50% off, but was scanning 70% off. So check prices before deciding on a purchase. It may be less than you think! Take advantage of those in-aisle scanners.

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