For Auld Lang Syne

This time of year is my favorite and is usually very happy for me. But there are always those moments. Those "Auld Lang Syne" moments that I never seem to be prepared for. Some sadness switch gets flipped in my brain and I go from fa la la LAAAA! to heave crying. The holidays remind me of those who are no longer with me and it makes me miss them more. And every year, it seems there's someone else to cry for at Christmas.

It’s just me? Never mind. Pay no attention to that lady in the white minivan, crying at the stoplight. She’ll be fine as soon as she changes the radio station. 

Life is Not Like an Episode of Family Ties

Hieeee! Guru here. I decided to write and say hi because, in case you missed it, Lydia has been super duper sick for the past two weeks. Kate finally kicked her in the taco and made her go the doctor and, sure enough, she has bronchitis and an ear infection. Her husband has had an insane work schedule and it snowed a lot where she lives (in VA anything above an inch is A LOT), and she hasn't done her Christmas shopping so she has just had a shitty few weeks. If I lived near her this is the part where I would make her some noodle soup and tea and pat her. But since I live 400 miles away I thought I'd instead make her go to bed early tonight and entertain you with some stories from my holiday season.

The Best Rap Ever about Christmas Lists and John Cena

You guys remember how excited I was about Froggy Fresh last summer? His "Dunked On" video killed me. My kids and I still crack up and cackle laugh every time we watch it. I thought I would share this Christmas classic with you, because it's incredible and because it's been stuck in my head like an ear-worm for the past three days.

Enjoy!

(c) Mommyland Blogs 2013

Quick update from Lydia!

She is my spirit animal.

Hello! Just a quick note to explain why I've been MIA for the past week and probably will be for the next week:

1) Holiday Death Spiral
2) Crazy amount of kid-related activities and projects
3) Husband travel schedule
4) The entire family has been sick
5) I've been sick for a week and I'm still not better
6) Ice storm
7) Snow storm
8) Finals & end of the semester
9) Desire to do things like snuggle my kids and bake cookies with them instead of blog
10) I haven't started half the stuff on my to do list because I've been sick and that list is now truly HORRIFYING.

I will dig out from under my crap mountain and see you guys next week, ok?

xoxo, Lydia

(c) Mommyland Blogs 2013

How to Pay Off a Stranger's Lay-Away

The title of this post should actually be: "How to Pay off a Stranger's Lay Away?" because I have no idea how to do it. Since we're not doing the gift card exchange this year, I'm taking some money I've earned doing sponsored posts and using it help families. We're going to put together some stuff for the women at the domestic violence shelter and rock the angel tree at preschool and a whole bunch of other things. 

This time of year, I've always enjoyed hearing about people who go to places like Walmart and Toys R Us and pay off the lay-aways of total strangers. I mentioned it Kate and Guru, who enthusiastically agreed that we should give it a try. While wearing elf hats. So I mentioned my plan in a blog post and got an email from someone who said "Ummm… Paying off a lay-away sounds good, but how do you actually do it? Do you just walk up to the cashier and say 'Can I please pay off a random lay away?'"