Kaitlyn needs a plane ticket. And a passport.

Littlest Pet Shop playsets come with a little booklet that shows all the pets you can collect, with convenient check-off boxes so you can make sure you are being the BEST PARENT YOU CAN BE by buying your child every single pet. Kaitlyn has been carrying one around since Christmas Day, studying it thoroughly and occasionally thrusting it under my nose saying “can I get THIS ONE? Pleeeeeeaaasssseeeeeee?”  It doesn’t matter that she got eleventy-billion Littlest Pet Shop toys for her birthday and Christmas, she needs more. It’s the American way, after all.

So, I was poking around various websites looking at LPS toys, and I found one that I knew she would love, the Playful Paws Pet Daycare. I was about to click “add to cart” when I realized I was on the U.K. version of the Littlest Pet Shop site. Kaitlyn, who was of course looking over my shoulder, started wailing when I clicked away from the site to go to hasbro.com to look for the playset there.

Kaitlyn (wailing loudly): why are you leaving that screen? I want to look at that!!! (waaaaahhhhh)

Me: because those toys are only sold in England

Kaitlyn (after pausing a few seconds): Do they allow kids in England?

Me: yes, why?

Kaitlyn: So we can go to England and BUY THOSE TOYS!

Good thing for me this old Compaq laptop doesn’t work or she would TOTALLY be tweeting about how MEAN I am  :P

*********************

p.s. those two glowing things in the top right corner of the photo are the eyes of our cat, Blackdrop, a.k.a. Kitty.  And yes, she’s huge.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Subway-Putting the “Christ” in Xmas

Subway Employee #1- “I need to put up the sign with our hours for Christmas Day.”

Subway Employee #2-”Are you going to spell it ‘Christmas’, or ‘Xmas’?

Subway Employee #1-”Um…both?”

Awesome.

seen outside Subway at Waverly and West Saginaw in Lansing

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Last Minute Gift Idea-Taylor Swift Dolls from Jakks Pacific

I am such a huge fan of JAKKS Pacific, because they make my daughter’s absolute favorite toys in the whole world – Puppy in My Pocket & Friends™ pets. Kaitlyn was beside herself the other day when a box arrived from JAKKS, with a Puppy in My Pocket, Kitty in my Pocket, and Jungle in my Pocket set. I have a Playmobil advent calendar on my desk that comes with little animals, and the Puppy in My Pocket & Friends animals have become part of the advent calendar scene. She can spend an hour sitting there playing with them all, it’s so cute. I highly recommend any of the “in My Pocket” sets as a terrific stocking stuffer or gift!

JAKKS Pacific also manufactures and licenses products for older kids, including a very popular doll this year based on singer Taylor Swift. Although I haven’t reviewed the dolls personally, I promised Janis at Jakks that I would spread the word about the dolls starting with a post here, I’m sure there must be someone reading Table for Five who has a Taylor Swift fan on their holiday shopping list!

There are two dolls available now – the Taylor Swift Performance doll for $19.99, and the Taylor Swift Fashion doll for $14.99. The “You Belong To Me” Performance doll includes an outfit featured in the music video and plays about 30 seconds of the song. I’d suggest calling ahead to Walmart to make sure they have the doll in stock.

The Taylor Swift Fashion Doll from Jakks will each be wearing an outfit based on a real outfit Taylor wore to an awards show, concert performance or TV appearance. The current doll is wearing a fitted black top, black and white ruffled skirt, fishnet stockings, and thigh-high black boots. According to the Jakks site, the Fashion dolls also include a second outfit in the package.

edited to add: The doll shown above in the black outfit will not be available until SPRING. That was my mistake. Shown below is the Taylor Swift Sundress Medley Fashion Collection doll, which is available now:

So, in addition to the dolls I showed you here, new Taylor Swift Singing and Fashion Dolls are expected to be available at all major retailers nationwide in Spring 2010.  I hope this helps some of you with your last-minute holiday shopping!

So This Is What Calm Feels Like

Little People Christmas Toys
Image by Elizabeth/Table4Five via Flickr

Sometime last month, around the same time I mustered the courage to call my doctor and say HELP, I’M LOST IN A BLACK FOG, GET ME OUT, I made a decision. All I had to do to convince myself that it was the right decision was think back to Christmas 2008, when I was an anxious, nervous ball of stress every single day. Christmas is always stressful for me anyway, so the last thing I need to do is make it harder for myself.

So I decided this year that after a certain point in December, I would allow myself to stop worrying about my blogs all the time.  I saw how I had been living more of an online life than a real life, and I saw everything I was missing. I decided that I was going to make my husband and kids the number one priority. I began choosing to close my laptop and actually LOOK at my kids when they talked to me, instead of listening halfway while continuing to type. I started actually watching TV with Chris instead of half-watching while continuing to type, then looking up every couple of minutes saying “wait a minute, what did that guy say?” and making Chris rewind, which drives him nuts.

I’m a lot happier this year, my friends. The combination of the Effexor plus turning off the panic switch in my mind has made such a huge difference in my life, I can hardly explain it. I feel like I’m HERE, like I’m really being a wife and mother.

I’m still feeling a little bit of stress, mostly related to the fact that I STILL didn’t get cards sent out before Christmas, or do the baking I had planned to do, or get any presents wrapped yet at all, but I don’t lay awake for hours every night composing lists of posts I have to write. I don’t jump out of bed in the morning in a panic about the state of my email inboxes (which is pretty major since it used to be a daily source of stress for me). I don’t feel overwhelmed, I feel…calm.  I just wanted to share that with all of you. Thanks for reading!

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Jimmy Fallon as Neil Young singing the Fresh Prince Theme Song

File this under “Stuff that makes me happy that I just have to share with everybody else”:

Giveaway Winners!

Hana Professional Flat Iron #92 Tammy

Talkin’ Sid the Science Kid #111 pixie13

YooHoo & Friends (3) #36 Audra, #9 Rajesh, #96 Justine

Landers Bubble Bath (3) #35 Jessica #51 Tamaar, #21 Sara

Curious George #22 Lanna

Squeeballs #51 Anna

Thanks so much everyone who entered! I’ll be emailing everyone today for their mailing info. Enjoy your prizes!

Have a Frugal Holiday with Family Dollar!

There’s a Family Dollar about half a mile from my house. I’ve run in for trash bags, batteries, packaged snacks, but I had never checked out the toy section until I got an email from one of my favorite PR firms asking if I knew about the toy deals at Family Dollar. Well, no, I didn’t! I found out that the day after Thanksgiving, Family Dollar published an open letter USA TODAY in which they called on the “Altruistic A-lister, Charitable Celebrity and Savvy Shopper Superstar” to save money and spread yuletide cheer to those in need by spending less on toys and gifts and donating more to their favorite charities this season. Family Dollar offers value and convenience by providing hundreds of $5 toy and gift options throughout the holiday season.

Many people are on a very tight budget this holiday season, but still want to give gifts to their loved ones. Kids love brand name toys by companies like Disney and Hot Wheels, and with $5.00 and $10.00 prices at Family Dollar, gift-givers can pick up brand name toys without breaking the bank. These are the most popular $5.00 toys available at Family Dollar:

Top $5 Toys

1. Hot Wheels 5-Pack
2. Hot wheels Classic Play set
3. Handy Manny Bowling Set
4. Tea Set 29 piece
5. Disney Plush
6. Baby Maggie 12″
7. Bakugan Booster Pack
8. Disney Dress like a Princess

The current Family Dollar ad, which is valid through Dec. 24, has hundreds of toys and gift items for $5.00 and LESS. While you are picking up toys, grab wrapping paper, scotch tape, bows, gift bags, adult and kid’s gloves, slippers, sweatshirts, dish towels, brand name deodorant, mouthwash, baking supplies, cereal….see what I mean? It’s one stop shopping!

But, back to toys-thanks to MS&L (the fabulous PR firm I mentioned earlier), I was sent some Family Dollar merchandise to check out. They sent a Hot Wheels 5-Pack, a Tea Set, and a Radio Control Monster Truck.  Nathan had a friend over when I opened the package, and they pounced on the Hot Wheels and had them out of their box and were already playing with them in the time it took me to get the camera!

HotWheels

Kaitlyn LOVES the tea set, I keep finding pieces of it scattered throughout the house. When I ask her why, for example, there’s a tea cup in the back playroom, she always has a story about how a group of stuffed animals was having a party or something.

TeaSet

One thing to watch for is whether toys at Family Dollar need batteries. This Monster Truck takes batteries but didn’t come with them, we had some already. But that is one thing you will want to look for if you buy a toy that takes batteries.

MonsterTruck

MS&L is also sending me a Family Dollar gift card so that I can go check out the holiday deals for myself.  Use the Family Dollar Store Locator to find a store near you and let Family Dollar help you have a Frugal Holiday!

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Watch this with your kids-Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

NightMuseumBDWhen the lights go off, the battle is on! Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian arrives in a Blu-ray Disc/DVD Combo Pack (Blu-ray, DVD and a Digital Copy) and for a limited time only a “Monkey Mischief” double DVD on December 1 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. We received this on Blu-Ray from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment for review, and it was as funny as I thought it would be! This is a terrific movie for families to watch together. If you didn’t see it, here’s the description:

History is larger than life — and twice as funny — in this monumental comedy sequel. Ben Stiller (Meet The Parents, There’s Something About Mary) stars as Larry Daley, a former night watchman at the Museum of Natural History, where the exhibits come alive after dark. But now Larry’s nocturnal friends are being retired to the archives of the Smithsonian Institution, luring him back for a hilarious, all-out battle against a cranky Egyptian Pharaoh who plans to take over the museum… and the world! From returning director Shawn Levy (Cheaper By The Dozen), the film also stars Amy Adams (Enchanted), Robin Williams (Good Will Hunting), Owen Wilson (Wedding Crashers), Hank Azaria (“The Simpsons”), Ricky Gervais (“The Office”), Steve Coogan (Tropic Thunder) and Jonah Hill (Super Bad).

Since I didn’t see it in the theater I don’t have anything to compare it with, but this movie absolutely pops on Blu-Ray. Considering that the majority of the story takes place indoors and at night, colors like bright yellows, reds, blues, and shiny golds are used to brighten up the scenes. The music is muted or non-existent during dialogue scenes, and then punched up to majestic thundering during action scenes.

One of my favorite parts of this movie is how the paintings and photographs on display at the museum not only come to life, but actually become part of the plot. There’s a fantastic cameo by Jay Baruchel (“Tropic Thunder”) as a sailor from that famous photo of a sailor kissing a woman on V-J day in Times Square. If you own a Blu-Ray player, this movie is worth buying on Blu-Ray format.

There are three options for this movie; the Blu-Ray/DVD combo, a two-disc DVD set, and the single disc. Info on all:

Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack
The Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack includes a high definition version of the film with over an hour of mayhem, mischief and monumental magic of outrageously funny features – including an interactive museum scavenger hunt game, gag reel, 12 deleted scenes with an alternate ending, “Cherub Bootcamp,” “Phinding Pharaoh With Hank Azaria” featurettes – a Digital Copy and a standard DVD. The pack is available for the gift-giving price of $39.99 U.S. / $49.99 Canada. ($29.99 at Best Buy)

Monkey Mischief
The limited edition “Monkey Mischief” double DVD boasts a second disc including over 30 minutes of entertainment complimenting the bonus materials featured on the first disc, including cast and crew commentary, six deleted scenes with an alternate ending, a gag reel, and more. The holiday two-pack DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $34.98 U.S. / $45.98 Canada. (only $19.99 at Best Buy!)

Single Disc
The Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian single disc DVD has one hour of special feature laughs from favorite stars including commentary by cast and crew, featurettes, six deleted scenes with an alternate ending, and a gag reel for the suggested retail price of $29.98 U.S. / $43.48 Canada. ($19.99 at Best Buy)

Pick up this movie for your own collection or as a terrific holiday gift!

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Top ten books to read over the holidays

This is a guest post written by Emily Mansfield.

It’s that time of year again – rainy skies, dark and windy evenings, holiday lights brightening the streets – when curling up with a hot chocolate and a good book seems just decadently attractive. If you’re looking for ideas for what to read this holiday season, here (after much consideration!), are my top ten novels to lose yourself in this winter.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

It’s January 1946, and British writer Juliet Ashton receives a letter from a man she’s never met, from the German-occupied island of Guernsey. A correspondence begins, and the eccentric, literature-loving inhabitants of the island come to fantastic life for her in this charming and often hilarious story.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbary

An unexpected French bestseller, this quirky, intelligent novel has a cast of complex and surprisingly loveable characters. Set in a posh Parisian apartment building, the story centers around the vivid inner worlds of the concierge Renee Michel, and the brilliant, introspective twelve-year-old Paloma Josse. The arrival of a new tenant prompts transformation for them both – in true bittersweet, moving French style.

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

At the birthday party of a successful Japanese businessman visiting South America, the highlight is supposed to be the singing of a world-class soprano. Then a band of terrorists breaks in, and the guests find themselves hostages. The interactions of this group, told with gentle humor and lyrical prose, show the strength of the human desire to connect – even in the most unlikely situations.

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

Winner of the 1997 Booker Prize, this politically charged drama focuses on the antics of young twins Estha and Rahel and the swirling tensions of their family in Kerala, southern India. With playful wordplay and keen insight, Roy tells the story of characters who “tampered with the laws that lay down who should be loved, and how. And how much.” Terrible, wonderful, and unforgettable.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

This much-loved philosophical adventure narrative is about Pi Patel, the son of a zoo-keeper, born in Pondicherry, India. He and his father are planning a move to Canada, but halfway across the Pacific Ocean disaster strikes, and their ships sinks. Pi finds himself on a lifeboat with a 450-pound Bengal tiger, pitted in an astonishing struggle to survive. Winner of the 2002 Booker Prize.

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

This #1 New York Times bestseller is the story of a book club with a difference: held in Iran under the strict Islamic rule of Ayatollah Khomeini, Nafisi’s friends must wear veils, and read banned Western novels in photocopies. Reading about people who struck out for freedom gives these women the courage to stand up against repression in their own lives. A fascinating and extraordinary book.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

The classic British tale of gothic suspense and romance, as powerful today as when it was written in 1938, and a perfect indulgence for a dark December night. When the young and newly-wedded Mrs. de Winter arrives for the first time at her husband’s mansion she discovers that his impeccably glamorous first wife, Rebecca, although now dead, still has a powerful hold on the household. As the story of how she died gradually unravels you will get chills, I promise.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Another classic – and a heartwarming family novel. The successes and tribulations of the four March girls are told with realism and compassion in Alcott’s famous novel. Meg, the oldest, is down to earth and ever practical; Jo is a boisterous tomboy, and wants to be a writer; Beth is kind and quiet; and Amy, the youngest, dreams of being an artist. Their coming-of-age story is one to read again and again.

Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

The story of beautiful and intelligent Bathsheba Everdene is the first of Hardy’s Wessex novels, as well as the brightest and most uplifting. When Bathsheba inherits her uncle’s farm, she shocks the county by choosing to manage it herself. Her clear-sightedness, however, does not extend to knowing how to respond to the three men who fall passionately in love with her.

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

Historical fiction at its best. Chevalier’s telling of the story behind Vermeer’s iconic painting is beautifully written, its emotional arc as pure and clear as the Dutch art that inspired her. The details of Delft in 1664 and the intricate processes of mixing paints are superbly rendered, and the sixteen-year-old heroine ushered into a precarious new world of beauty is memorable. Enjoy!

Emily Mansfield, featured writer and contributor, received her English degree from Cambridge University. She is a content manager for Guide to Online Schools, a resource provider for accredited online colleges.

disclosure: I did not receive payment for publishing this guest post.

Toy Tuesday Giveaway Winner and an Update

Thank you so much everyone who entered yesterday’s Toy Tuesday giveaway for a $250 Toys R Us gift card! I hope you also stopped by toytuesday.com and took advantage of some of the shopping deals. The winner of the gift card was chosen by Bill Me Later using the random.org random number picker, and the winner is….

Comment #100 from Annmarie W! Her kids are getting a Wii and some new Lego sets for Christmas (sssh, don’t tell!). Have fun shopping with your Toys R Us gift card, Annmarie!

Thank you again so much to Bill Me Later for inviting me to participate in the Toy Tuesday campaign. Because the campaign was so successful, I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more special shopping deals and giveaways coming from Bill Me Later in the future!
********************

Now, an update- you might have noticed that I had been doing an “Eight Days of Giveaways” thing leading up to yesterday’s Toy Tuesday giveaway. There’s a list in the sidebar of the currently running giveaways, except for Day 7. Poor Day 7. Monday was a weird day. I had been planning to give away some Christmas DVDs that I picked up at Target on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, but when I went to look for them to set them aside for shipping to the winner, I discovered that they had been opened and watched already!

So, I went to my email inbox and started looking to see if anyone had emailed me about doing a giveaway, so that I could substitute that. Well, I emailed the PR person for one giveaway, and she wasn’t ready for me to start it yet. So, I emailed another person, same thing. I was waiting to hear back from a THIRD person, and then the boys came home from school, and we had cleaning and stuff to do, and dinner, and then I just plain forgot.

So, tomorrow I’m going to start another giveaway and we’ll just call that one the Day 7 giveaway, mmmkay? I also came down with a cold, of COURSE, and I felt fine until I took Nathan to the pediatrician on Monday for a medication checkup and refill, and I just know I accidentally walked through a cloud of germs or something. Now I have a completely stuffed up nose, a sore throat, a cough, and I feel all fuzzy. I have too much to do to be sick!

I used holiday stickers from Photobucket to jazz up a picture of my kids for my Wordless Wednesday photo if you want to check that out. Otherwise, I’ll have a giveaway posted for you tomorrow. Happy Hump Day!