The Oh, Hello Friend opening was pretty grand on Friday night. My best friend and I had dinner beforehand and then headed on over. The place was already pretty hopping and we felt so proud at Danni and Nick’s accomplishment. This has been a dream of hers forever and I’m so happy she finally made it come true. There were so many goodies everywhere and I love all the displays Danni had. It was good to see some friends I haven’t seen awhile, meet some new ones, all the while listening to Me & Mr. Cassidy singing live, oh and I can’t forget about the yummy cupcakes.

We had way too much fun that night. It was especially relaxing to actually get dressed and get out of the house, which I hadn’t really done for two weeks up until that point (the grocery store doesn’t count). I actually came home around 11pm and seriously, I was so tired. This mama ain’t used to being out so late! If you’re local (or visiting), be sure to stop by downtown Fullerton to see her shop. I bet you’ll probably be leave with a bag full of goodies.

“This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Chrysler. All opinions are 100% mine.”

The “Test of Ownership” for the Town & Country was pretty cool. While we don’t have it anymore, it was a pleasant experience the few weeks we were allowed to borrow it. I loved the extra space we had, though I still feel a van is just a bit too monstrous for me. I totally loved having Sirius XM Satellite Radio and that was really hard to let go of. Another feature I liked was the little triangle that would light up when someone was in your blind spot; it would then kindly beep-beep if you flipped on your indicator lights and there was someone in your blind spot. Of course, you wouldn’t rely on that solely, but I thought it was a nice safety feature. The girls also loved all the buttons they could press to make the doors close, and they especially loved the little sun shades that pulled up for their windows.

I remember the day my parents brought home their brand new minivan when I was about 10 years old. I was so excited and I vividly recall claiming the middle, left seat as my spot. And oh I raised a stink when my brother tried to take it from time to time. Well, I think I just raised a stink when it came anything to do with my brother because we fought incessantly growing up. Their van did not have any of the bells and whistles this van does, but we made lots of memories in that van and that’s how my mom toted us 4 kids around. Oh and my mom even sat on a pillow because vans are kinda big and my mom is really little. But in a modern van like this, built with the ability to adjust your seat height and angle, no pillows required!

Though we had the Town & Country for just a few weeks, I am sure the big girls will think of that time with fondness. They obviously won’t have as many memories as I did in the minivan I grew up riding (but they will have plenty in our current car), but they truly enjoyed and looked forward to riding in the van… I’m sure they’ll have some fun things to talk about when they grow up. One day they’ll probably ask, “Mom, why did we get to borrow a van for a couple weeks and where did it go?” And I’ll reply, “Well, a long time ago, there was thing called blogging…”

We’re back to normal in our car again. I love our car and I don’t feel the need to trade it out just yet, but it really was a nice little car vacation. We got to enjoy extra space in a super clean and modern car for a bit. I was talking to my friend Frances about minivans versus SUVs. She has a midsize SUV like us (and they’re soon to be a family of 6), but she was telling me she’s ready to trade out for the minivan, as she puts it, “The trunk space is sexy.” I’m not quite ready to make the jump, but I will admit, compared to my car that trunk (and other internal) space is pretty doggone sexy.

Thanks Chrysler for letting us borrow your car! The girls truly had a ton of fun in the borrowed car, so I made a quick little video for them to remember their car vacation.

Our church gatherings are held at a local recreation center and there wasn’t a teacher for them during our morning Sunday seminar class, so I spent the time outside with them swinging (well, I mostly held Glow). I love the swings. I love going as high as possible until I start to freak myself out and think that the swings are going to start wrapping around the top pole. That’s really what goes through my head as I get higher. Just yesterday, I discovered Soul really loves the swing and she’ll say, “Mommy, higher!” We put Glow on, but she wasn’g having any of it. It’s not her thing as of now, though I’m sure it will be.

This long weekend was grand and I got lots of things done with Ben home. We still haven’t decorated for Christmas, but that will come soon. Maybe today. I’ve got a few ideas of some things to make, but we really go pretty simple with decorating. I can’t believe Thanksgiving came and went and now we have Christmas to look forward to. I love this time of year so much!

Finally, the winner of the $100 gift certificate giveaway is Jody! I can’t wait to hear what shop she picks out for her gift certificate. Thank you again so much everyone. You all are such a wonderful bunch of thankful people (I seriously read each and every comment) and I’m thankful for you.

It’s Monday again and our week long vacation is over (it was so nice!), so it’s back to homeschooling today. Also, don’t forget to enter in this Misha Lulu Giveaway! Happy Monday everyone!!!

“This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Chrysler. All opinions are 100% mine.”

The Town & Country they let us borrow for the “Test of Ownership” program had not only one DVD player, but two! One for the middle row and one for the back row. Our current car doesn’t have a DVD player, so I knew the girls were going to get a kick out of trying this out. Personally, I’m kind of old fashioned and prefer cars without that capability. I like the idea of kids talking together, playing games, and looking out the window rather than at a screen, but since this was a borrowed car, we thought it would be okay to let them indulge a bit.

You can imagine their excitement when we popped in that first movie. They had lots of giggles and smiles. They were in complete disbelief that they could watch something in the car. I’m sure if I were a kid, I would have reacted the same way and would have ended up bugging my parents to get a car with that video capability. For the first movie we forgot to give them the headphones, so throughout our hour drive, Ben and I listened to The Little Rascals. We got smarter the second time around, gave the girls the headphones, and then we were able to listen to what we wanted through the car stereo system.

Not surprisingly, the movie-supplemented rides enabled a quietness never experienced before in a car with 4 girls. We’re used to lots of laughing and fighting (oh lots of fighting!), and us (loudly) telling them to calm down and stop bugging each other, but these drives were so different. That whole movie watching thing really brought a lot of silence. I will admit it was a nice break and Ben and I were able to have conversations in peace. Personally though, I’m still old fashioned and would much prefer a car without movie capability. It is nice, but I think the interaction that goes on between the girls during a car ride, even with all the bickering, is priceless. I guess if we ever wanted to allow them to watch once in awhile or needed absolute silence for something, we do have a mini portable DVD player, so maybe we could let them try that in the car once. I am not completely adverse to it, but for us, it just isn’t something we feel is necessary in our car.

What are your thoughts on DVD players in vehicles?

We went to the farmer’s market again this past week, which is held at a local outdoor mall, but the farmer’s market won’t be happening this week due to the Black Friday shopping frenzy that will ensue. I don’t really venture out for the crazy Black Friday shopping, but did order a few things online last year, but other than that, I’m not brave enough to go through crowds and craziness for shopping. I am perfectly content doing all my shopping online.

I recently shared my holiday shopping guide for kids over at the Etsy blog. Check it out here. It’s a pretty little list full of wonderful handmade and vintage goods with a variety for different budgets. I did get a few things from that list and I’m happy to say that I am pretty much done with my Christmas shopping. Woot! Woot! I have about 3 things left to order, and then get some little stocking stuffers for the girls (and Ben), Ben and I are doing another handmade gift for each other, and the girls and I have to do a little bit of baking and making for our friends. For our girls, we typically give them two smaller gifts each, and then one community one from “Santa.” Honestly though, Glow will just get one because she is still little and she has 3 older sisters who already have a lot of stuff, so she has plenty of stuff to choose from for wear and play!

I have some shopping rules that I try to stick by that definitely help me in evaluating a purchase…

1. I only buy something that makes me wanna dance. I think I read that on an article on A Cup of Jo eons ago. It’s true though, if something just makes you go “eh,” well, don’t get it.

2. Along with #1, I only buy something on sale that I loved enough to buy it full price. I think store sales are a mental game retailers play with our minds, but I try not to let them win. Before, I use to see something on sale, think it was cute, and since it was on sale, it felt like it was a deal I couldn’t pass up and the fact that it was on sale made it cuter, and I would buy it. I’d have the “it’s on sale, why not mentality.” Then, I started realizing the sale items I got were kind of unnecessary items that I didn’t love and only bought because it was on sale. I don’t know if this makes sense or if I’m clearly explaining this rule I made for myself correctly, but it has worked for me and has eliminated some impulse purchases.

3. Be careful when looking Fab, Gilt, and other sites that work in a similar fashion. I subscribe to all their emails (and have made purchases in the past), but I won’t click on it unless they have a brand that I have been waiting for. For example, Fab had Monchichi dolls recently and that’s on the wish list of two of my girls, so I checked it out. Other than that, I never click on them because those sites are so smart and know how to get us where it hurts… our wallet. If you peruse regularly, chances are you see something nice and then with a place like Gilt, they time you from the time you put the item in your cart, then you feel like you need to make a decision right then and there or someone else will snatch it, and heaven forbid they run out because then you’ll want it even more. Am I right?! Those sites have great deals, but they’re also dangerous.

4. I have a list and I stick with it. I make sure I know what I want, so I don’t come out with a lot of things I don’t really need. When I go to the mall, I don’t just wander from shop to shop (for me, that takes too much time and it’s too stressful with kids). I know where I want to go, and I go in and get out. When I have wandered from shop to shop, I find lots of things I like and all of sudden start really wanting those things and fooling myself to think I need those things, but reality is I don’t need them.

5. What I don’t know, won’t hurt me. I use this when I go to the flea markets. I used to like to go really early, but these days with the 4, it just isn’t as realistic, so I figure if I don’t know what I missed, I won’t feel so bad and end up with more cash in my pocket. Also, steering clear of the flea market (or thrift shops) helps in the savings department too. I try to stay away from my fave online shops too, but that’s a little harder to do.

I love shopping! It’s fun, but also dangerous, so I made rules for myself. We budget, so that helps keep me grounded, but it also involves working on contentment, which can be tough. It’s definitely a heart issue. There will always be something I’m wanting, but I’ve got to check where I am really placing my joy. I love my friend Frances’s motto, “appreciated, but not coveted.” I think it’s good to appreciate things because it’s fun and we should always have fun in life, but be careful of not coveting it.

How do you handle holiday shopping or shopping in general? I know some of you do the three gift rule… want, wear, and read, which I think is a great rule. Do you have a set budget each year? Do you have lists or just enjoy walking from shop to shop to see what you may find?

At True’s one day a week enrichment classes they have been studying the Earth, its layers, and how the Earth moves. This week, True came home with a little volcano that she made and some instructions. She had been wanting to show us how it works, but we never got to it until Saturday morning. I started it off and then Ben stepped in and went town with it by pouring on the vinegar! The girls were laughing and giggling because he would put his hand on top and shake it up and it would squirt out like crazy. The girls were being really silly and cute! Soulie watched from the sidelines, but she didn’t really want to get too involved.

I remember I once made a volcano for a science project to share at school, but I made mine with sand built around the bottle. I did my presentation in front of the class and when the volcano erupted, all the sand ran down the sides along with the liquid to the edges of the box, and it left my bottle exposed. I remember feeling embarrassed that the sand didn’t stay up. I wasn’t a big fan or science growing up, but I hope my girls have a love for it.