Party Time! MomDot Day 2!

Can I just tell you how much fun I had yesterday? I added several people to my reader and I saw some really awesome pages! If you aren't popping around reading at least a few of the other participants in the MomDot Blog Party you are really missing out on meeting some wonderful and creative people!

Our question for Day 2 is brought to you by:

Sponsors: LaPlates and Lets Go Strolling and Natitys Design

VIP BLOGGERS: Parent Reviewers , Mom Most Traveled, Mommy Zabs, MomStart, HipposToes, Run DMT

And the question is:

Traditions, what are some of your favorite family traditions? What are some traditions you want to begin?

I love traditions. We have a few here at the Zoo and I am certain we will add more as the years pass. Some of my favorite Zoo traditions center on Christmas.

Christmas pajamas – You all got to see these yesterday in our family picture. My mother always makes the kids pj’s to wear on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately for me this is the last year that the three may be able to have matching pj’s. Tuck and Mo are getting a little older and will probably start to move to more “grown up” jammies.

The Cookie Bake – The weekend after Thanksgiving all dieters move away from my house. I will spend all of November storing up baking supplies little by little. Then the Saturday after Thanksgiving I go nuts. I bake all day long. Chocolate Chips, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Blossoms, Oatmeal Raisin, Oatmeal Scotchies, Chocolate Covered Pretzels, homemade Chocolate Covered Cherries, Double Delicious Bars, Oreo Truffles, and more that I would list if I was less fearful of keyboards across the blogosphere shorting out.

Then on Sunday the plating begins. We make trays for the fire houses and Daddy’s office and smaller bags for our mail lady and any other public servants the kids choose. Then we go as a family and deliver them. I may be off a little but I almost think the kids look forward to this more than they do to the presents.

The Magic Seed – This is by far my favorite!! Since we moved into our house three years ago, we have had a real tree. Daddy picks it out himself and brings it home from work the second week of December. Then we bring the tree stand up from the garage and let the kids “plant” the Magic Seed. It is actually a pistachio nut that one puts in the tree stand and the other waters. Then I put them in the tub.

While they are busy playing in the tub, Stephen and I set the tree up in the tree stand. Then while I do baths and jammies, Daddy puts on the lights. It is the highlight of the holiday season to watch their faces as they lay eyes on the tree for the first time.

That is just a few of the Christmas traditions here at Zoo Suburbia. I am tingly with anticipation that they are approaching quickly for this year again!

Want to pick up some more holiday traditions for your family? Pop over to MomDot and visit some of the other participants who will be sharing their traditions too! Make sure you share a little comment love - it's our version of chocolate (when we can't get our hands on the real stuff)!

The Blog Party!

Listen. I know I have already posted about the MomDot Christmas Blog Party but I have to tell you that if you aren't part of this - as blogger or spectator - you will miss out big time!

We got the list of topics early this week and there is soooo much blog fodder in this that I have already started working on my posts. People, I don't laugh at my own stuff often but even I think I am coming up with some real gems! And if that wasn't reason enough guess who gets to write a feature for the MomDot home page?

You may bow and peel grapes now. That's right Zoo Butts! I will be writing a feature and if the rough draft is any indication it could be a doozie!

Here. I'll give you a peek at the topic list.

*Traditions, what are some of your favorite family traditions? What are some traditions you want to begin?
*What is your favorite Holiday recipe, describe your Holiday table, biggest holiday cooking disaster (I'm tuning in for the disaster part myself!)
*Favorite holiday memory from YOUR childhood (RD, you better tune in for this one)
*Who’s on your naughty list? Who's on your nice list? Why? (Guess whose feature this is!!)
*Most unusual gift you have received? Best gift? Do you re-gift?
*If you could only eat ONE food on Thanksgiving Day, what would it be? Do you have a homecooked meal for Thanksgiving or do you go out to eat? Does your family dress up?

And that's only half of them! Now tell me that you don't want to get in on this. Think of the stress reliever this is going to be as you face the holiday stuff. I will be adding a Mr. Linky to each post so that folks can drop their posts off for you to visit.

And did I mention that participants can earn entries into a really awesome giveaway pull? So come on! Warm up those fingers and get ready to really have some fun this holiday season!

MomDot and the Christmas of Dreams

A few days ago I told you that I was starting my training for the Christmas of Dreams Blog Party that MomDot is hosting from Novemebre 12-27th right? Well, I still am but I wanted to tell you what happens when the party is over.

On November 28th Trisha and Co. will be pulling a winner of a MASSIVE prize pack worth (and this is just a ballpark until they finalize the prizes) $1000! Can you believe that? Now I know when I post about a prize that big you want to know just exactly what is going to be in it. Check out this list of sponsors for the big Christmas of Dreams.

Sponsors are (and subject to be adding more as the month goes on):
Dyson <---!!!
BabyPop
The Shrunks
Soda Club
Kadi Prescott <---!!!
Uncommonly Cute
Lollipop Book Club
Kuster
Silly Monkeez <---!!!
LA Plates
Natitys Design
Little Black Box
Koshas
Kidz Sunglasses
JAS Creations
Appledonia
LeapFrog <---!!!
Mutsy <---!!!
Kushies
Huddy Buddy
Mimsi-Bags <---!!!
BottleWise
Lets Go Strolling <---!!!
DaBib
Sassy Baby
Baby Legs
Scentsy <---!!!
FeeFiFoto
Randi100
Organic Blankees
Shi Shu Style <---!!!
Georgie Tees

And did you see the part where Trisha said that they could be adding more?!?!? Holy Schnikeys!! A Dyson? A print from Kadi Prescott? Two - count them 2!! - stroller companies? Listen. I don't need all of that. It would be absolutely fabulous though to be able to win a prize pack that big and share it with as many people as possible!

Can you imagine HOW MANY dreams you could make come true? That in and of itself is all the reason I needed to enter! So if you are a blogger you have to SPRINT over to MomDot and enter in this contest. You only have until the 26th so that they can sort through the entries in time for the BIG PULL. Make sure you read all of these directions when you enter. I would hate for anyone to miss out on such a great chance to have a dreamy Christmas!

You don't want to let her down do you?

So I'm up for "Embrace your Inner Dork" (after being monkey stomped in the Dotties last week) and I really feel that I can take this one!! So here's what you need to do. Pop over to the Inn and tell Kadi that you think #'s 10, 12 and 15 are the biggest dork you've ever seen! Yup! It's me in all three. I wish I could say "You've come a long way baby!"



Mo even did a cheer for me! You wouldn't want to let the poor tyke down would you? So go!! Quickly! Voting ends tomorrow night! Fly little ones! Fly!!