Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

JDaniel4s Mom

growing & learning with him

Deirdre Smith writes/owns JDaniel4’s Mom. After twenty years as a elementary school and technology resource teacher in Northern Virginia, she became a stay at home mom in upstate South Carolina. Her blog features ways she and her 5 year old are exploring learning, crafting, creating healthy meals and living life to its fullest. Deirdre can also be found on twitter as @jdaniel4smom and on her blog's FB page. You can also check her out on Google+.

Holiday House Decorating- Pressure and Envy

By

JDaniel and I went shopping for some Christmas decorations for the outside of our house yesterday. I was really feeling the need to keep up with the other people with in the neighborhood. Really not to keep up with them just to do something more than we did last year. We usually hang a wreath on the door, put lights on one tree, and place ribbons on our railing. It looks nice. With the expectation of the house next store that has a lot of lights the other five around us have wreaths with red bows on all the lower windows, garlands under windows, and some lights. It is all tastefully done. With the bad weather , lateness my husband gets home, and my inability to climb a ladder to decorate with a toddler our house doesn’t even have up what we had last year. The plan is to work on it this weekend so; JDaniel and I got four wreaths with ribbons yesterday at A.C. Moore. They were a great deal. All four wreaths were $21. Now I just have to hope the weather stays nice!

Do you have the only undecorated house on your block? Do you deal with house envy?

Thanks to Donors Giveaway ($25 Visa Gift Card)- All Welcome to Enter

By

I am so thankful for each and every shop and company that donated to my giveaways. This giveaway is a way for me to thank them, remind you of their great products, and have a little fun. I hope that all of you that participate find fun gifts for friends and family. One of you will win a $25 Visa gift card.

What do you have to do to win? You can do any or all of these things.

1.Follow me (1 entry)

2.Heart a shop that donated to a giveaway that is on Etsy.com. (1 entry per shop)

3.Twitter about this giveaway with a link back, you must also be following me on Twitter. Copy and paste: $25VisaGiftCardGiveaway@JDaniel4smom.(1 entry per day)

4.Add me to your blog roll. (2 entries)

5.Add my button to your blog (3 entries)

6.Favorite me in Technorati! (3 entries)

7.Search for the clues placed at the end of giveaways. Then put them together to write a wonderful Christmas promise. Finally e-mail the promise to jdaniel4smom@aol.com. (5 entries)

If I don’t get your e-mail, your entries won’t count.

8.If you donated to JDaniel4’s giveaways , all you have to do is type in your shop name and what you donated in the comment area.(10 entries)

9.Buy anything from shop or company that donated to a giveaway listed on this blog. (10 entries)

This giveaway ends December 26th at 11:59 p.m.

That is 9 ways to win. The winner will be chosen by using the random number generator at http://www.random.org/.

Tree Ornament Collection for Your Child’s Future Tree

By

My friend Caroline started a Christmas ornament collection for each of her children when they were born. Each year she gave them an ornament that represented them, a place they had visited, or was something they really liked. Her plan is to give each child their collection when they grow up and start their own homes. I remember her saying that they wouldn’t have an empty tree for their first Christmas. Each of her children would have a tree that was filled with memories of their childhood and they could build on it .

I started this tradition for each of my sisters’ children . Each year I send an ornament to them along with their gift. I like to give the Hallmark ornaments. (I buy them the day after Christmas for the next year at 40 % off.) I don’t know if my sister’s will put them together in a collection for them when they are grown up or not. I hope they do.

JDaniel will have two ornaments of his own this year. I think I am going to keep a list of the ornaments for his “Future Tree” in the ornament box so I will remember which ones they are.

Right now lots of stores have ornaments 40-50% off!

Thrifty Holiday Spending- Reusable Bags for Giving, Shopping, and More

By

Reusable bags might be a great gift for someone on your list. You might want to include a gift card to the store printed on the bag. I have even given gifts in decorative ones. If the person is very green friendly, they love that the can use them again.

I take the reusable grocery bags everywhere. We use them whenever we go shopping even if it isn’t for groceries. We take them to the library to carry books. We pack toys in them when we travel. We take them to the pool when we go to the Y. They are great for wet suits and towels. JDaniel even used one decorated with Frankenstein for his Halloween bag.

I try to keep some in the trunk of the car and some in the kitchen. JDaniel knows right where they are. If I tell him we need one, he goes off and gets one. Sometimes he doesn’t bring them to me. When he doesn’t bring one, I know I will find him standing at the door to the garage with one over his shoulder ready to go.

Some stores will give you credit for bringing your own bags. Target and Bi-Lo take money off for each bag you bring. I love seeing five cents taken off my total for each bag at Bi-Lo.

Consignment Shopping for Shoes and Toys

By

Many of you probably go to consignment sales for clothes. I do that too. I have found the best deals on shoes and toys. JDaniel has little feet. He wears shoes that children who are just learning to walk are wearing and he is twenty- one months old this week. That means that the size 4 ½ or 5 that he needs have barely any wear expect for a few scuff marks on the toes. I was able to get him Timberland hiking boots for ten dollars and Nike sneakers for seven at a local consignment shop.

How about toys? I have done well in that department too. You have to shop around your local consignment store to know which one clean up the toys well and you have to test them out at the store. I have found great deals that would have cost so much more at the store. JDaniel got a toy laptop for seven dollars.

Meditating on God’s Word with Eyes Closed

By

JDaniel has had a cold since last Sunday. My husband has just started coming down with one.I left my husband and JDaniel home today and went off the church.

When I got home, the house was really quiet. I rushed to get changed into jeans and put away my church clothes before I started looking for them.

Where did I find them? JDaniel was lying in my husband’s arms on the couch. They both had fallen asleep.

I guess they chose to meditate on God’s Word with their eyes closed today.

We had a Dinosaur for Thanksgiving

By

We had a dinosaur visiting at our house for Thanksgiving yesterday. JDaniel was right beside me as I went through some boxes yesterday morning and he noticed his dinosaur costume.

He dragged it out of the box and insisted that I put it on him. He wore it all morning and during lunch.

JDaniel looked so cute rushing around, tail swinging, scales flopping up and down. If he hadn’t spilled milk on it during lunch, he would have worn it all day.

Thanksgiving Quote

By

How wonderful it would be if we could help our children and grandchildren to learn thanksgiving at an early age. Thanksgiving opens the doors. It changes a child’s personality… Thankful children want to give, they radiate happiness; they draw people.

Sir John Templeton

Veggie Tales DVD Giveaway

By


I came across this really fun Veggie Tales DVD called The Star of Christmas. It is a great story that has Bob and Larry putting together a Christmas musical called “The Princess and the Plumber”. Unfortunately they have competition for an audience. As with all the Veggie Tales, there are a lot of fun hijinks going on.

This giveaway begins November 25th and ends December 9th at 11:59 p.m.

What do you need to do to get the DVD?

-Tell me who would get the movie. (1 entry)

For extra entries do any or all of the following leaving a separate comment for each entry.

*Write about this giveaway with a link back to it on Facebook or another social network. (1 entry)

*Leave a comment on any of my blog entries that are not a giveaway. Come back and tell me what entry you left your comment under. (1 entry)

*Enter another giveaway that I am hosting. (1 entry for each giveaway your enter)

*Follow my blog. Leave me a comment saying that you now follow or that you already do. (1 entry)

*Twitter about this giveaway with a link back, you must also be following me on Twitter. Copy and paste: VeggieTalesDVD@JDaniel4’s Mom (1 entry per day)

*Subscribe to my blog. Leave me a comment saying that you have subscribed or that you already do. (1 entry)

*Favorite me in Technorati! (3 entries)

*Add me to your blogroll. (3 entries)

*Vote for me on Love This Site . (3 entries)

That is 10 ways to win. The winner will be chosen by using the random number generator at http://www.random.org/. )

Teething at Turkey Time

By

JDaniel must be cutting some pretty tough teeth. He has been waking up at all hours of the night and napping only one hour in the afternoon. We are all sleep deprived.

I am hoping the tryptophan in the turkey will do the trick for everybody.

Categories

memberships

From the Past