I swear I’ve written this on a mental chalk board a thousand times this past week.  It’s my new mantra and I’m repeating it to myself over and over again, trying to convince the skeptic in me that a chaos free holiday is possible this year. 

I can do this.  I will do this. 

How hard can it be?

Years ago I had it down.  Even the years I was working full time, I figured out a way to get my Christmas house in order.  Decorating (indoor and out) was always done early…but not too early.  Cards were creatively crafted, licked and stamped no later than the 18th.  Presents were bought, organized, and wrapped long before the big day.  And, I loved every second of the business.  It was as if I was dancing a Christmas can-can down my street wrapped in lights and glittering garland, while dribbling an artfully decorated snowball and slam dunking it on Christmas day.

 Somehow, last year, things changed.

I’ve found myself dreading dragging the decor boxes out of the crawl space, and the cards…ugh.  Considering last year was the first time I’ve ever had to wrap anything hours before Santa arrived, instead of dancing a Yuletide victory dance, I huddled in the corner with a wine cooler (not even an egg nog) chugging until I collapsed into the fetal position.  Christmas beat me last year. 

This year I’ll do better.

I’m organizing my plan of attack, which translates to realistically prioritizing and accepting my role as the mother to five…three of who are very high maintenance at the moment.

So, I’ve been thinking about what my biggest priority should be and have decided it’s about the way my family feels about the holiday.  What is their take-away? 

I want them to celebrate love this time of year.  Of course, I want them to feel loved every day of their lives, but this time of year is an outward act of love towards those that we hold dear.  It’s about  a time to take solace in the blessings we’ve been given.  Time spent together is critical to my kids understading what our family is all about.  That means pushing some of the doing aside in favor of dwelling in the experience. 

Lofty…Right?

Not really, but there is some reality that definitely comes into play.  Particularly the fact that it’s my job to engineer the entire shindig.  What I’ve learned is that if I’m running around like a lunatic muttering obscenities under my breath about rogue Christmas lights, and burned cookies, the ambiance is affected. 

My mother-in-law is infamous for getting her holiday tasks completed early.  I mean…way early.  In fact, I’m sure her Christmas cookies are already baked, tucked away in her freezer.  I used to wonder why she felt the need to get the holiday chores picked off so ahead of schedule, and now that I have a small tribe under my guise, I get it.  There was a time in her life that she was managing nine children in her house.  Think about pulling Christmas off for nine kids…um…without crying.  Now I can see that her need to check off her shopping in October was actually an investment in her mental health.  Doing holiday chores early is an exercise in self defense. 

Shear brilliance.

So, I have revamped my holiday plan of attack and am getting my ducks in a row earlier than ever.  I started last week by picking off one of my first chores.  My mother-in-law smartly gives me money for each child. My charge is to buy their gifts from her.  She wraps them and gives them on Christmas Eve (I said she was brilliant…right?).  This year, instead of running around last minute trying to get my act together on her behalf, I picked her list off first.  Saturday morning I piled all the gifts in the car, and proudly delivered them to her…on November 10th.  She was giddy.  I was giddier.

Boo-yah.  Score one for the new Christmas Carolyn. 

I realize that the chores of the holidays are not really what the holiday is supposed to be about.  I have also learned that in order to get my family to focus on what the holiday is all about, I need to have my act together.  This year it’s “game on” Christmas. 

I will win…even if it kills me.

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Make sure you tune into 101.5 on Wednesday morning.  I’ll be sharing three do-ahead Thanksgiving day recipes that will ease the chaos of the Turkey Day kitchen and render you a happier chef!

Do you have any tricks to simplifying the holidays?  Do tell.  I’m begging you!

 

 

 

Holy cute! 

That’s all I have to say about Mary Vogel’s latest contribution to Mama on The Fly!  She’s whipped up a darling Halloween inspired treat bag that is so simple to make and is sure to brighten a friend’s day!  MK and I will be making a couple this afternoon!  Enjoy!

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Halloween is just around the corner and I have a simple treat holder to share with you. And a treat to put inside as well, so let’s get to it!

 

Here’s what you need:

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 felt squares  – black

1 felt square each of white, orange and yellow

No-Sew fabric glue

Black ric-rac – wide

Ribbon  * See note below*

Black thread and needle

Pins

Tape measure

Scissors to cut fabric

 

*Note: When I got to the step in which to add the ribbon, I realized that the ribbon I had chosen (see above) didn’t work well as the print is not on both sides. Therefore, I changed the ribbon to one that doesn’t have a specific right and wrong side. The ribbon I used looks like this:

 

 

 

To start, fold one piece of black felt in half long-wise. Mark the center with a pin.

 

 

Using the corner of the folded felt as point A and the pin marking the center as point B, place your tape measure from point to point. Run pins along the tape measure. This will create half a triangle.

 

 

 

Cut along the outside line of the pins. Remove the pins and open the felt. You now have one triangle.

 

 

Repeat the process with the 2nd piece of black felt – or use the first triangle as a pattern for the second.

When both pieces are cut into triangles, measure 2 1/2 ” down from the top along the widest side. Cut this area off. This will create 2 triangles that are approx. 9 1/2″ long.

 

 

 

Now grab your three colored pieces of felt. Cut a 3″ wide strip from each. Pin these strips to one of the black triangles, leaving a little space between each color. Orange goes in the middle, white at the tip and yellow at the widest end:

 

 

Cut the ends of the strips even with the side of the black triangle.

 

 

 

Unpin and set the colored pieces aside. Now let’s assemble. Start with one black triangle and apply glue along the long edges. This is what the ric-rac will adhere to:

 

 

 

Repeat along both long edges. You can leave the ric-rac overhang at the top and bottom for now.

Add glue to the long edges of the second triangle and adhere to the first one, sandwiching the ric-rac between the triangles.

 

 

At this point, you should allow the glue a chance to dry before moving on. You can leave it glued, as is, or add some stitching to make the piece more durable. To do this, I threaded a needle with black thread and simply added a few stitches at the points along the sides between the ric-rac bumps like this:

 

 

 

Whip stitch at each ric-rac “valley” (bring your needle up through one side, wrap around to the reverse side and repeat. To get to the next point to stitch, slide your needle between the layers of triangles. This will hide the thread along the way. If you are comfortable with machine sewing, you can also zig-zag stitch along these long sides for even more durability.

 

Once you are finished tacking everything down, if you chose to do so, you can trim off the excess ric-rac at the top and bottom. To prevent it from fraying, rub a little glue along the edges with your finger and allow to dry.

Now we are ready to add our colored pieces. I added these with glue. Be sure to leave space between the strips so some of the black background shows

 

 

Again, allow glue to dry. Our last step is to add a ribbon so you can hang the treat holder. Cut a length of ribbon, about 20″ long. I used this length because I tied a bow at each end but if you prefer to add the ribbon without bows, you can adjust the length of the ribbon to a length that works for you. Once I had tied the bows, I added the ribbon to the top corners and stitched them through all of the layers of the piece. While you can forego the stitching that was suggested earlier, stitching the ribbon in place is a necessity as the glue will not hold as well once you put anything in the treat holder. So add the ribbon with 4-5 stitches in order to secure it to the candy corn treat holder.

 

.

And your project is ready for filling!

 

 

I made a simple Halloween bark to fill mine – here are the directions.

You will need the following:

 

 

At least 1/2 pound white melting chocolate (this picture shows a 1 pound package)

Package of candy corn

Bag of small pretzels

Waxed paper

A microwave safe bowl and spoon

Sprinkles (optional)

You can also add peanuts if you wish – just decrease the amount of pretzels and fill in with peanuts instead!

 

Break pretzels into small pieces in a bowl and add candy corn to the same bowl. I used approximately 3/4 c. of pretzels and a large hand-full of candy corn.

 

Spread a piece of waxed paper on your countertop or a cookie sheet. Place 1/2 pound of chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high power for 1 minute. Stir. There will probably still be some lumps so microwave a little longer – 15 seconds at a time – until smooth. Do not overheat heat or the chocolate will start to break up. Once the chocolate is smooth, you will need to work quickly. Add the pretzel/candy corn mix to the chocolate and stir well to coat. Spread the entire mixture onto the waxed paper. You can add a few additional candy corn pieces to the top, pressing into the bark and add sprinkles, if you wish. Orange sugar works well but I had some yellow cake sprinkles on had so I added those. Allow to cool completely – this works best of you can transfer the waxed paper with the candy to the refrigerator for a short time.

 

Once the candy is set, break into chunks, wrap in plastic wrap and insert into the candy corn treat holder. One batch of candy will make 2 nice sized packages of treats – one for you and one to give away! (To keep the candy from settling to the bottom of the treat holder, stuff the tip with some bunched up paper towels).  You can also add candy bars or other treats to your felt candy corn holder or fill with other goodies. Make one for a special neighbor and hang on their door knob or maybe on your child’s bedroom door Halloween morning.

 

 

All materials to make treat bag were purchased at Hobby Lobby! 

 

To see more Mary’s handy crafts (like this beautiful fall centerpiece) or learn more about her party planning business, visit her at her blog, Petite-Party.net!

 

So our plans for Friday night were thwarted by good ole’ Mother Nature.  So, instead of our fall outdoor plans, we opted for a cozy evening inside whipping up one of our favorite cold weather comfort foods! 

 

The recipe I use is my mom’s, but I’ve tweeked a bit over the years because I make it in such giant batches that I can vary the beans, and throw in some spice!  (Have I ever mentioned that Sean likes to sweat when he eats?)

A few tips about making a decent Chili! 

 

 

First, chili powder matters.  I used to use the store brand at my local grocery, but recently learned about Penzeys Spices (Penzeys.com).  Their spices are hand mixed with only the best ingredients.  Trust me when I say…it makes a difference.  I like Chili 9000 chili powder.   It’s spicy yet only delivers a teensy bit of heat.  Sean may like it spicy…but I let him doctor his own bowl with whatever he wants.  He knows if he uses this…

 

 

He has to sleep on the couch!  (To purchase Slap Yo Mama Butt Burning Spice visit satansbreath.com.  NO…I’m not kidding.)

 

Second…and last tip!  I make this in a huge batch so we eat, and I’m able to get four-five additional dinners out of this culinary effort.  I freeze the chili in quart container Gladware.  Yay me!

 

Chili Recipe

4 lbs ground sirloin

4 cups chopped yellow onion

3 cups chopped green bell pepper

4 cloves garlic – pressed, minced or chopped…whatever

4 16 oz cans chopped tomotoes

2 16 oz cans dark red kidney beans

2 16 oz cans black beans

2 cans yellow corn

2 cans white corn

4 8oz cans of tomato sauce

8 tsp of Chili 9000 powder (or whatever powder you want to use)

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

Brown meat with onions and green pepper.  Drain.  Add rest of ingredients, mix well and simmer (covered) for one hour.  Serve with fixins.  (Cheese, sour cream, oyster crackers, tortilla chips, hot dogs, jalapenos, and of course…Slap Yo Mama Butt Burning Powder…if you want.)

Oh…and serve with a Margarita.  Why?

 

 

Why not?

Enjoy! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not sure if you caught it, but there was a high speed chase in LA yesterday. I know, I know. Not exactly breaking news. Seems that high speed chases are a dime a dozen in LA, but this one was different. Why? Because the four genius’ who were attempting to outrun the twelve cop cars and multiple helicopters chasing them, decided to throw their loot out of their car windows. People watching on television, who realized the chase was taking place in their neighborhood, started to line the streets in an attempt to stuff their pockets with some of the airborn stolen cash. Many were successful.

I happened to catch the clip about this chase on the Today Show this morning. During their story they interviewed a man, Salvador Rayas, whose comments stopped me dead in my tracks. You see, Mr. Rayas, pocketed fistfuls of cash, and promptly turned the money into the police.

Why?

Watch his comments…he’s at 1:50 into the story….

 

 

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

 

Even though I’m sure Mr. Rayas could have used the money, he made an honorable choice and returned it to the rightful owner.  This story caught my eye not only because I love a good old fashioned example of people doing the right thing, but I also have an affection for those that return things they really would rather have kept, to their rightful owners. 

 

So hats off to you, Salvador Rayas.  Thank you for giving me the perfect “teachable moment story” for my kids.  Your mother should be very proud!

 

 

 

First days of school are big in our house.  We’ve celebrated them for as long as I can remember.  Ryan’s first day was extra special.  He was so proud to follow his big brother onto the school bus.

And so totally irritated to learn that Sean had followed the bus so he could walk Ryan to his  classroom!

As the boys have grown they’ve lost their enthusiasm for the first day!   That’s what happens when high school hits.  I’ve tried to make them stand still for a picture, but they’ll have nothing to do with it.  I guess that’s why I threw all my first day excitement at MK this year!  I’ve learned to soak up these special days, as there will come a time when they won’t be so thrilled to head back into the classroom!

So this morning we got up extra special early, as we had quite the to-do list. 

First hair…

with a bow…

Then smiles on the front porch…

There was a lot of excitement as we headed to her new school! 

 

There were old friends to be hugged…

 And new friends to be made…

I couldn’t be more excited for her to take on the adventures of school.  As a pre-primary student in one of the most innovative school’s I’ve ever seen, I know a world of possibilities lay at her feet. 

So here’s to a new school year!  Let the learning begin! 

.

Speaking of Back-to-School….

I’ll be appearing this evening on HLN at 5:15 eastern time to talk back-to-school tips with a national audience.  Tune in or DVR if you can!  I’ll post a link to the appearance below when it’s available! 

Read the post I wrote for HLN here! 

What can I say? 

Last week was exhausting. 

Between back-to-school errands, writing a few articles for Today Moms, and planning what was supposed to have been a “simple” first birthday party, I blinked and it was Sunday night.  As busy as it was, all of our craziness gave way to a very special celebration.  So I’ll spare you–for now– the story of how I wandered onto the boards of Pinterest and temporarily lost my mind, and instead share with you the smiles from the girls’ first birthday party!

There were oh so many!

First, I invited family and friends to celebrate with us and made the request to forego gifts!  Apparently…

…I’m easily ignored. 

It’s not that I’m against giving presents.  I actually think the art of giving is an important and carefully cultivated skill, but presence, not presents, was what this celebration was about.  I guess I underestimated how much people love to shop for little girls.

That being said, MK enjoyed being Reagan and Isabella’s unwrapping helper!

And the twins’ loved the paper and boxes! 

Soon it was cake time!  Reagan, true to form, excitedly dug in! 

 Isabella wasn’t as enthusiastic!

 So Reagan tried to help her!

And we all ended up covered in cake, but full of smiles!

One of the best parts of the night was celebrating our family with those that we love.  Of course, Sean’s clan is huge so we tend to do things big, but it’s the same kind of love that every family celebrates.

 Of course this evening was about so much more than a first birthday.  For me, it was about celebrating our happy place.  After having been on such a crazy journey, the fact that we’ve landed in such a soft spot is something I value.  I will carry my lessons with me for the rest of my life, and one of the most cherished lessons is that of  gratitude.  I’m just so thankful for my children, even in the midst of our more chaotic and frustrating moments.   

Of course, our family wouldn’t be what it is without the love and dedication of a very special person.   Jennifer made this birthday possible so celebrating with her was an absolute must!

Seeing her with the girls reinforces our instinct that she always should be an important part of their lives!

After all, the more people that love them that are involved in their lives, the better!  And there’s not a doubt that she loves them…and they love her right back!

 We couldn’t have scripted a more perfect evening!  It was bathed in smiles…

And frosted in gratitude! 

It was a night we’ll never forget!

The Give Away Winner

 

 I’m happy to share that the winner of the Back-to School inspired JansSport backpack and school supplies is Lynn!  Her comment was…

 

“My parents hardly ever bought us anything new when we were kids so back to school was the one time of the year that we got a few new outfits and new shoes. It was like Christmas! I LOVED school supply shopping (still do, for my kids now!) and arranging & rearranging all the school supplies at least 3 or 4 times a day in the days leading up to the 1st day of school. I love the smell of freshly sharpened pencils My kids are 23, 8 and 3, so I’m getting to experience “back to school” for 33 years straight!”

Lynn, send me your address through the “Contact Carolyn and Sean” button on the bottom of our homepage, and I’ll ship the back-to-school goodies asap!

 

Tune in this Wednesday morning to 101.5 The River to hear Mary Beth, Rick and I talk about the dangers of Pinterest for mothers!  I’ll have a crafty give away to go hand in hand with the topic of Wednesday’s post! 

I can’t believe it’s been a year. 

It seems like just yesterday we stood in the waiting room, eagerly awaiting our cue.  We were all gowned up and as nervous as ever.  In fact, I’m positive I didn’t breathe until I heard the first cry.  We were in the corner of the operating room, when I heard Reagan announce her arrival.   It was in that moment that my life changed.  When Isabella followed a few minutes later, it was almost too much.  I couldn’t believe they were here.  I couldn’t believe our luck.

In that moment, my world righted itself. 

I was swallowed by joy as the last traces of darkness floated away.

This past year has brought so much love to our home and healing to our hearts.  Sometimes I pinch myself because I can’t believe I’m so lucky.

We’ve come a long way since the difficult days of a few short years ago. 

 So today we will celebrate for many, many reasons…but mostly because…

 

…of our miracles!

Happy Birthday Reagan and Isabella!

We can’t wait to see how your next year unfolds!

All of the first year photos were taken by the awesome and obviously talented Allie Darr.  You can find her on Facebook here, or at her blog Allison Darr Photography.  I would highly recommend her as she has a great eye and she’s affordable as well!   

Last week fell into the category of “crazy-busy” for our family.  But it was the good kind of busy.  Actually, the best kind of busy.  A week full of house guests all loved and adored.  Trips to local attractions to show off our town.  And time spent with loved ones that are usually far, far away. 

I had lots of reasons to smile last week and  I love sharing them with you!

First smile…the zoo! 

If you are ever in the Toledo, Ohio, area for the love of God visit our zoo!  It is one of the best in the country as the exhibits are state of the art!  I took my nephew, Charlie, who was visiting us from Minneapolis. When we started our tour he remarked that our zoo was ”no better” than the Minneapolis zoo. 

But as the exhibits unfolded and he saw…

…the elephants,

         and the….

…Colobus,

           and the…

…rhinos,

            and the….

…snakes,

               and the…

…giraffes, he finally admitted that although Minneapolis has a lot over Toledo, the Toledo Zoo kicks Minneapolis’ Zoo from here to high heaven! 

 Ah…Toledo pride!

The second smile….

 

My roomates from college visited last week with their kids.  It was an overnight affair which translated to sleeping bags and air mattresses in every corner of our home.  Amy, my roommate from at Miami University, also has five kids, and this is her youngest.  She and MK are two peas in a pod, and the pictures above are oddly reminiscent of their mothers’  earliest shenanigans! 

I especially liked the pj’s and click clack heels…

 Third smile…

 

 

Mk loves music and spends a lot of time jammin’ with her imaginary rock band.  Saturday I caught her involving her sisters.  The funny part….she was incredibly frustrated.  It seems that Reagan and Isabella weren’t exactly on board!

Apparently the symbols taste better than they sound!

Fourth smile…

Reagan and Isabella have a HUGE day this upcoming Saturday and their party gear arrived last week!  I ordered their outfits from Groovy Gurlz on Etsy.  I can’t wait to be sponsoring a give away from Groovy Gurlz in a few weeks.  Stay tuned for the adoreable birthday pics!  Right now…we are in full out party  planning mode! 

Fifth smile…

The winner from last week’s Mac Wagon giveaway was Allie Darr, from TableforMoreblog.com!  Congrats to Allie.  Email me with your address so I can ship the wagon to you! 

 

 

I’ll be appearing on 101.5 The River this Wednesday morning.  We are talking Back-to-Schoool, and I’ll have a great giveaway to go along with the the appearance.  Tune in and check my blog Wednesday morning for more details! 

In the meantime  I hope this week brings you many, many smiles!

Lord knows there are plenty around here!

What’s the saying…When God closes a door, he opens a window?

Yes…that’s it.  If I had a nickel (maybe even a penny) for every time someone’s muttered that phrase to me, I’d be sitting on an exotic  beach somewhere with a cabana boy rubbing my feet!  It’s not that I don’t like the saying, but I do take a bit of an issue with the whole “he opens a window” concept.  I’m not sure he’s the one doing the opening.  Sometimes it’s our job to hunker down and make things happen in the face of disappointment.

So where am I going with this?

Well, I’m sorry to say that my gig with WNWO Moms On The Go isn’t going to work out.  It’s a long story as to why, and the details aren’t worth spewing, but I would still encourage everyone to tune in on Wednesday mornings to watch Allie, Lisa and Molly and all of their fabulousity!  They are a fun group of moms who have a lot of valuable tips to share.

Now to the “window opening”.

Tomorrow, I’ll be starting a new morning radio segment with Mary Beth and Rick over at 101.5 The River.  It’s a weekly commitment that will focus on relevant and current parenting topics!  I’m thrilled to be participating in their show, as I truly respect their work.  I love that while listening to them I can catch up on the latest entertainment buzz, laugh a little at their clever banter, listen to some great music, and never have to worry about the innocent ears are in my car!   They keep things “above board” on The River! 

I’ll be on during the 7:30 am drive time,  and tomorrow, in honor of the Olympics, we’ll be discussing the topic of over rewarding our kids with trophies, medals and ribbons for just about anything and everything they do.  I have a nifty little blog post about the topic that will be available on 101.5 The River’s website tomorrow.  I’ll post  a link when it’s up!

And now to Mama On The Fly’s first give away!

In honor of my segment with Rick and Mary Beth, I’m giving away a MacWagon! 

What’s a MacWagon? 

Oh…let me tell you…it’s a brilliant piece of parenting equipment that I put to good use at the beach last week! 

I pulled the twins in it…

It is quite sturdy…

It even stood up to Reagan trying to eat it…

And staying true to my MacGuyver parenting ways…

…Isabella even napped in it! 

My favorite feature of this wagon is that it collapses into practically nothing, leaving room in my trunk for all my other parenting essentials! 

Now you know you want one, right?

To qualify for the giveaway, you need to live in the continental United States and do either #1 or #2 of  the following on Wednesday, August 1st! 

(I’ll have links up as soon as they are available!)

1.   Leave a comment on my blog at 101.5 The River’s website and leave a comment on this post that you did so! 

                                                                                                                                               ( I’ll link the post here when it’s available!)

2.   Leave a comment regarding my appearanceon 101.5 The River’s Facebook page  (scroll down to the question about trophies) and leave a comment on this post that you did so! 

A winner will be announced on Friday, August 3rd in my “Weekly Smiles” blog post! 

Good luck and don’t forget to tune in tomorrow!  Should be loads of fun! 

I can’t believe how fast a week of vacation can fly by!  It seems like it was only minutes ago that I loaded practically everything we own into our car and headed north.  Now I’m sitting in my kitchen, surrounded by laundry that needs laundering and stuff that needs putting away.   Our house has that funky smell from being lifeless for too long, and there’s nothing in our fridge that isn’t screaming,  ”Warning!  I’m spoiled”. 

Part of me wants to go back. 

Back to the beach!

 

Back to the woods!

Back to the lake!

Back to our family!

 Back to the familiarity and sweetness of those we love the most! 

But, as we all know, there’s no going back! 

That’s why we file our precious memories and count our blessings for the magic of time spent together…

and move on! 

We have a first birthday to plan!