My Elf is Less Annoying Than Your Elf

While your house was bustling with high-maintenance elves causing chaos and mischief, we had Snoop on a Stoop holding it down in style. He spent most of his time chilling in the same spot, glued to the Martha Stewart cooking channel and vibing to my playlists. Occasionally, he'd get tangled up in the tinsel when a certain ornament—Betty Boop—caught his attention. (What can I say? She offered him a snack. Who could resist that?)
Snoop always had this big grin on his face, radiating a warm, laid-back charm... and, well, a lit blunt which probably played a part in that. (Mystery solved!) Christmas was a vibe this year. When I asked if he’d be back next year, he didn’t miss a beat and said, “Fo shizzle, my nizzle!

Too much Monday not enough coffee

We Listen and We don't judge

Sometimes, scrolling through Facebook feels like wandering into a room full of plot twists you didn’t see coming. You start thinking, “Wow, there are a lot more idiots in the world then I originally thought.

A Gift Should Stay

As someone that had a degree in child development I want to do a PSA announcement on behalf of the kids of divorced parents/grandparents. 

A gift is generally considered a symbol of love, but if you buy a gift for a kid but it has to stay at your house, it’s not a gift. (And you should be ashamed off your self.) This impacts self-esteem making them feel like they are not deserving of the new things and can give them anxiety about future gift-giving situations. If you gift it… they can take it home.  Period!

This happens to several kids this time of year and it’s long lasting!

It happened to one of my kids and I saw the repercussions of it for years!  

Don’t be a jerk!

The Polar Express was full of Magic!

 We hopped aboard the Polar Express and had an absolute blast! Now, as much as I’d love to present the entire crew in one picture, wrangling a family of 21 is like trying to teach cats choreography. Matthew and Cole? Not pictured here because they were off exploring the vending tents... Once were were aboard our traint, The Northern Lights, we found out seats and we the show got under way! We got hot chocolate and a cookie, several of the kids got to turn the page as they told the story, and Joanie and Sammi got to walk the cart and sign with the performers. I had the microphone in my face a few times to say Ho HO HO! and Merry Christmas. We all got beautiful Mugs to take home and a beautiful authentic bell that we could all hear! But the best thing of all was when they choose Danny to carry the present up to the main character. WE never thought Danny would do it, but he was a pro!

Once we boarded 1st class tickets on The Northern Lights, we found our seats and the magic began—literally. Cue the hot chocolate and cookie parade! It was like a Hallmark movie, except with fewer commercial breaks and more sugar. Several kids got to help “turn the page” while the story unfolded, which, let's be honest, felt like they were auditioning for Broadway. Meanwhile, Joanie and Sammi lived their best lives, signing and performing alongside the cast like budding thespians.

And yours truly? Well, I had a microphone thrust in my face multiple times to belt out “Ho Ho Ho!” and “Merry Christmas!”—clearly, they saw my untapped potential as Santa's understudy.

Then came the grand finale. We all got to keep beautiful mugs (anniversary additions) and an authentic bell, which we could actually hear. Believe me, I tried shaking it next to everyone's ear just to test. BUT...... the best moment of all? Watching Danny strut his stuff as he carried the present to the lead character. We thought he’d freeze up—maybe drop the gift, maybe cry—but nope! Danny nailed it like a seasoned pro. I'm not saying we should retire as his entourage, but I’m also not, not saying it.