Giveaway from GameStop and Todays Mama!

TodaysMama and GameStop are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What is your holiday wish for your family?
  --  hmmm that is a good one.  I wish that we could all be together.  Part of our family is going to visit inlaws for Christmas.
2. What is your Christmas morning tradition?
  -- We started a new tradition last year.  Everyone comes over and has breakfast (egg casserole, of course), and after breakfast we see what each other has stuffed in our stockings. (we all bring little goodies to put in each others stocking ;)
3. If you could ask Santa for one, completely decadent wish for yourself, what would it be?
  -- I would say a cruise vacation for me and my family
4. How do you make the holidays special without spending any money?
  --  we go look at the "tacky" lights in town.  It is a huge thing for us!
5. What games did you play with your family growing up?
   -- uhm... Sorry and Chinese Checkers! (aging myself, I think)
6. What holiday tradition have you carried on from your own childhood?
  -- NO opening gifts until after breakfast!! (Santa stuff is excluded!)
7. Where would you go for a Christmas-away-from-home trip?
 --  I think a cabin int he mountains would be awesome!  Esp if it snowed!
8. Check out GameStop and tell us, what are the three top items on your GameStop Wish List this year?
Duh!
XBox 360 250 GB with Kinect
Nintendo Red DSi XL Bundles
Super Super Mario Bundle - with Free Charge Station!

Only 8 Days Left To Order Your Letter? An interveiw with Santa's Secretary!

I decided to ask Holly from Santa's Secretary why they shut down so early in the season.  The holidays are just getting started!  Here is our interview:

Me:   Hello, Holly! First,  I want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to chat with me..

Holly:  You are most welcome!  I am always glad to talk about Santa's Secretary!

Me:  Some people are wondering why Santa's Secretary site shuts down so soon. 

Holly:   I'm so glad you asked, Cindy.  You see, it is the only way that we can ensure that no child's letter is received too close to Christmas.  Sometimes Santa needs to remind them to correct some behavior.  If they get the letter too close to Christmas, they don't have time.  It's just not fair!

Me:   Well, that does makes good sense!  But still, to shut down at the end of November?

Holly:  What people may not realize is that I work out of a satellite office.  Keep in mind that it takes about a week to ten days for a letter to get turned around once it is sent to Santa to sign.  After it leaves our hands, we lose complete control over it.  The post office does a fabulous job, but sometimes things happen and the letters get lost.  When we allowed the site to be open up to mid December, the week before and up to Christmas Eve  we would receive frantic emails from mothers looking for their children's letters.  It broke our heart. From that point on, we  decided to shut the site down at the end of November.  We just don't like to take the chance that a child won't get their letter from Santa in time.  This way, if a letter does gets misdirected, it can quickly be resent out in time to be received before Christmas!

Me:   From a business standpoint, does that not affect your sales?

Holly:  Yes, it does affect sales, but this is the bottom line; it is about the children and keeping them excited and believing in the big guy.  He needs that Christmas spirit to help him get around the world in time!

Me:  Well, I know you are busy and I don't want to tie you up any longer, Holly.  Thank you again, for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions.

Holly:  You are most welcome!  And Cindy, I see Malia has been doing really well since her motivation letter in October!  Don't forget to order your follow up for her!  You only have 8 more days!    Merry Christmas everyone!!

Me:  Merry Christmas to you as well!   Thank you for the reminder, Holly!  I'll get right on that! 

Well, there you have it folks!  Holly, from  Santa's Secretary, cleared up that nagging question!  You have 8 days left to get your orders in!

Lenovo laptop givaway at Dear Crissy

 I entered Dear Crissy  Can’t Wait til Christmas Lenovo Laptop Giveaway and hope to win a $799.00 IdeaPad!

One would wonder why I would try and win such an awesome gift... HA  the answer is in that sentence!  It's an awesome gift!  I like to work with different medias and Lenovo can handle my habit!

So.. in order to earn 10 extra entries, I finally caved in and agreed to blog about it!  So.. you peeps know the rules..  If you decide to enter the giveaway then you have to reference my your email address so that if you win, she can notify me you :)   Your email addy is love2bgigi at  gmail dot com in case you forgot!

Giveaway: Guidecraft Moon & Stars See, Store And Take Along Toy Storage Cart (ARV $210)

Giveaway: Guidecraft Moon & Stars See, Store And Take Along Toy Storage Cart (ARV $210)

This would be great for keeping all of Malia's things in order! Ends 12/5

Malia's Tea Party

Malia had her birthday party this past weekend...  OMG look at the cake my cousin made for her!  I hated to take it apart... Amazing what you can do with cupcakes, huh!

So, we set the stage...

 Complete with a menu!

 Look at my little lady having tea!

 Even had some little men there

 Time to sing Happy Birthday!!

We had a great time!  It is so hard to believe she is three now!  Where does the time go?

Big Mama's Blog: Review & Giveaway: Bracelet-mate

Big Mama's Blog: Review & Giveaway: Bracelet-mate:

How cool is this?? I can see that I need one.. hint hint to my girls!! (43 more days till Christmas)  I hate carrying a purse, but if I had one of these I could slip my debit card and my license in it and be ready for a night on the town... ok.. maybe a trip to Wal-mart! Stop by Big Mama's and enter for your chance to win!!

RCA Small Wonder Giveaway

RCA Small Wonder Giveaway

Digital camera, anyone??
Check out Mama Must Have It and all her other Christmas Giveaways!!

GIVEAWAY: $360 Worth of Prizes to Celebrate Bird Crafts Party Blog 1st Blogversary!!

GIVEAWAY: $360 Worth of Prizes to Celebrate Bird Crafts Party Blog 1st Blogversary!!

She is throwing a huge bash to celebrate her one year blogversary!
This party animal has some great ideas!! Looking forward to her next year of blogging ;)

Thursday Blog Hop :)

A letter from Santa!

While this is not her real first letter from Santa, it is the first time she was aware of what it really was!  Her eyes lit up and she was in awe!  It was really quite exciting for me her!  This year was the first year that SantasSecretary.com offered motivational letters in the "off" months.  The letters can reinforce good behavior .. or let them know they have time to correct some questionable behavior and get back on the good list :)  Can I tell you that this little girl was sooooo excited that Santa wrote to her!! 

LOOK!! It's from the NORTH POLE!!!!

Very carefully I will rip open the envelope....

 I'm so excited I can hardly stand it!!!

Look... it's a real letter.... for me!!!

Read it to me, daddy!!

 She has been mesmerized by the letter...  Santa told her how proud he was of her that she is using the big girl potty all the time....  and how she is such a big girl to sleep in her own bed and to keep up the good work!  But he also told her that she needs to work on her whining and be the big girl that he knows she can be!  He let her know that the Motor Works (from Discovery Toys) is put aside just for her if she can stay on the good girl list..  (Not sure what leverage we will use come January!)

 See!  Right there it says I'm a good girl!!

SantasSecretary.com is now taking orders for the Christmas season.   Letters ordered will be processed to arrive approximately 1-2 weeks before Christmas.  Stop by and check it out!

Halloween Fun

This was the first real year that Malia has been trick or treating.  She went last year, but was really too young to even understand what was going on.  She was ready to put her costume on at 4:00.  Yes, we had to play and romp and roll for two hours before we could even go out the door to start the festivities! 

Here is the picture journal of her night!  Allow me to narrate.....  

DADDY!!!  please don't take my picture!  We have to go!!!

 Sheesh... you'd think they would put these door bell buttons down where I could reach it!!

 I said "trick or treat"... Here's my bucket, now please add candy!

 That's it?  Seriously?

 Ok guys.. lets go.  We have a lot to do tonight!

 Huh?  What do you mean I can't have it all tonight?!

 How about if I smile real pretty and use my manners?

 Uhm.. excuse me?  What did you say?

 No, really, it's ok to eat this.. it's a protein bar!!!

 What candy?  I'm not eating candy!   (Poor Mickey keeps trying his best to get at what she has)

 It's mine! It's ALLLLL mine!

 Bedtime?  Yeah, right! 

Ok.. so that is not really what she was saying, but I like to add my sense of humor in on pictures!  I see them and stupid stuff pops out of my head!  It's a curse!