Ten White Elephant Gift Ideas - Under $25

'Tis the season of the office Christmas party, or the family gift exchange. Either way, it's likely that you'll be involved in some kind of White Elephant Gift exchange this year. The gift should be gender neutral and inexpensive. I've compiled a list of ideas, to help you select a gift!

[caption id="attachment_1037" align="alignleft" width="173"] The Corksicle [/caption]

1. Wine-Related Gifts. There are many items at Target, but if you still have time some- the Corksicle is super cute! It keeps the wine chilled to the 'correct' temperature, and doubles as a bottle stopper. You could also do decorative bottle stoppers, a nice electric bottle opener, a pretty pair of wine glasses, or an aerator.

2. Gift Card. This is a super-easy, last minute gift that actually would make me very happy to walk away with! I'd recommend Starbucks or Trader Joe's.

3. Edibles. No, not underwear. Chocolate, cookies or any other holiday goodies! I'd recommend 'buying local'- for extra points. I know that a pound of See's candy would make just about anyone in my office happy! Or try a local bakery, and support small businesses.

4. Popcorn and Movie Tickets. Last year, someone brought a gift card for two movie tickets and chocolate drizzled popcorn - and it was a hit. It is essentially a free date night!

[caption id="attachment_1029" align="alignleft" width="252"] Unzipped Glass Zipper Bag [/caption]

5. Candy dish. Another item from uncommon goods, this clever candy dish caught my eye a while back- and this would be a perfect occasion for it!

6. Stationary. This is primarily a female gift, but Thank you cards or nice note cards are always handy to have. I love Papyrus for this type of gift.

7. Gag gifts. I'm terrible at these, and they give me anxiety. But if you are the type of person who could pull it off- this blog has a great list!

8. Board game. Who doesn't love board games?! You can get these for under $20 at Target or Walmart.

9. Chia Pet. I've always wanted to bring one to a gift exchange. I think this would be an awesome gift to take home! There is quite a variety available on Amazon.com.

[caption id="attachment_1033" align="alignleft" width="148"] LED USB-Powered Christmas Tree[/caption]

10. USB Plug In Desktop Items. This seems to be a new trend. Our Executive Assistant has this one, from Target. Just Google it, there are so many options!

And lastly, you can always go with a bottle of alcohol (or wine). It's not very creative, but that always works. I hope I've given you some decent ideas. Are you going to a gift exchange this year?

 

What's your favorite item that you've received at one of these events?

Day 3: TheCrazy Adventures of Staying Home with My Kids

Thursday- I decide to go 'low-key' today. We spend the morning playing with dinosaurs. 

Then we plan to meet a couple friends at the Ladera Water Park in the early afternoon. J loves the place, and I know that Mayhem will enjoy being in the water. So I pack up the van, and head over at 1 pm. J usually takes his nap around 2 pm, but I tell myself that we'll stay a few hours- and just take a late nap. I slather all three of us in sunscreen. I pack a bag of snacks, and a bag of toys. I stake out some lounge chairs... and I'm thinking we're doing well. It's hot, but we're OK. My friend brings her 'older kids'- they are 5 and 7 (Hi, Jen!). Usually, J stays RIGHT with me- but this time he's decided to venture off with them. During our periodic 'safety breaks'- I'm prepared with snacks and more sunscreen.

Then, it's time to go home. Besides the fact that I have lost some toys to the greater good... J does NOT want to leave. He loses his mind. This is not my child. He does not act like this. But, he is extremely tired... and it's 4 pm. I hand Mayhem to Jen- and begin to chase J through the water park. In my sundress. I end up dragging him part of the way, and threatening his life under my breath. I load up the stroller the best I can- and stick J in it. He's wet, wrapped in a towel, crammed in a stroller, and screaming. I hold my head up, put Mayhem on my hip- and march to the car.

Boy, was I ready to go back to work. I told my husband, "If I say that I want to stay home with them again, just let me. Then, ask me again after two days home with them. I bet I'll say 'nevermind, working's not so bad!'" He just laughed, but I wasn't joking. I love my children, but I'm not sure that I'm cut out to be home with them full-time. Could I do it? Yes. Would it be the best move for our family? Not likely. Brutal honesty.

Has anyone else had an eye-opening experience like this?!

The Crazy Adventures of Staying Home with My Kids: Day 1

Our childcare situation is a mix of methods. Mondays, my mother-in-law watches the boys at her house. Tuesday through Thursday, we have a babysitter come to our house and watch the boys. And on Fridays, I work every other Friday from home. I work a 9/80 schedule, which means that I work a 9 hour day and get every other Friday off! Anyway, our babysitter is on vacation. This means that I have spent the past three days at home with my children, and I have so much to say about it that I'm breaking up the post into three parts...

My normal routine on a Tuesday would be wake up at 6 a.m., and throw myself together to get on the road by 6:45 a.m. I wouldn't see the boys, or talk to anyone- just get in the car and go! This Tuesday, at 7 a.m. (wow- slept in!) J came in and informed me that it was morning and he needed to eat. I went downstairs to get him some food, and realized that my dachshund... was having issues. She has recurring 'issues'- so I knew right away that we'd need to head to the vet.

8 a.m.: I arrive at the vet's office, and realize that I have no leash. Since I don't want Mayhem to dash into the road, I attempt to carry him and the dog into the vet. I asked J to open the door for me, but I just got a blank stare. OK, fine, I put Mayhem down- and we head in. The boys run over to the table loaded with toys, and I get put in an exam room with Kallie (the dog). J doesn't want to come, so I let him stay in the lobby and play- but Mayhem had to come with me. He didn't want to. He starts wreaking havoc when the vet comes in to discuss things with me- climbing on the chair, dumping the brochures on the floor, tossing the books around, whining... I leave the dog, go back to the lobby. The vet comes out, we'll need to head home with two antibiotics and two creams which I need to apply for 14 days. Great, there goes $250.

9 a.m.: We have Little J's first dental appointment. I try to fill out paperwork BEFORE they kill each other over the toys in this waiting room. Thankfully, it's a pediatric dentist- so they hopefully have seen this before? I try to remember when the last time J was at the doctor... as Mayhem drags a stool over to the fish tank, and puts his chubby little hand on my clipboard, then points up, "FISH!" Yes, baby, fish. Then we sit down in the chair, and there is a movie playing- Mayhem wants to see the movie.





Then, we had lunch with Daddy. I realized that there isn't a lot of 'staying home' when you're 'staying home'... Finally, it was naptime. Sweet, sweet naptime. I spent my time decorating J's goody bags for his dinosaur party, and trying to organize myself for the party.





I made a birthday banner, so I can check that off the list. Now I have a pinata, which needs candy. Cupcakes that I will need to bake Friday, goody bags that need filling, and paper goods.

Baby steps, there's always tomorrow, right?!

A Day Off From Work

Yesterday was the 4th of July, which meant that it was a rare occasion that my husband and I both had the day off from work! We 'slept in' until 7 a.m. - how glorious that was! Then we all got dressed and decided what we wanted to do for the day. I wanted to sleep all day, but I got overruled. We ended up heading to the mall for a quick trip, and then headed to a neighborhood fair type event. They ran out of hot dogs, at 11:30. How does that happen? POOR PLANNING. We bought some tickets for the boys to play games, and 'won' about 1,000 glow necklaces because that's all that was left of the choices. After chasing J out of the bounce house, "Just ONE more time?" we headed up to the playground.

Then, we headed home for nap time (yay!), and J said his tummy didn't feel good. Long story short- by the end of the day, I had cleaned up more than my fair share of #2 and puke. Lesson learned: Do not let your kid eat bacon and ice cream for dinner. (But I think he has a stomach bug, in fairness) Rather than focusing on that, I choose to just remember the day this way:





Matching t-shirts! How was your 4th of July holiday?

Flip Slips Save the Day!

So, a while back- my sister  who blogs at I Have A Degree In This! won a pair of Flip Slips from a giveaway from Midtown Girl  - but the shoes didn't come in her size (she wears a 4). So she graciously ordered them in my size, and sent them to me. I put them in my drawer at work, basically forgetting about them... until...

I had a City Council presentation to make, which means it has been a very long day. I get to work at 7:30 am and the Council meeting begins at 7 pm. I had a new pair of shoes on, and my feet are KILLING me. My boss offers to go grab a Starbucks before the meeting starts. And I think to myself, "Sure that would be great, if I COULD WALK!" Then, I remember that I had my Flip Slips!

I threw them on, and walked across the street. My feet were so happy! I hadn't through these foldable flats would be so comfortable! I love that they come with a tote bag, for storable. And they take up absolutely no room, so you can stash the anywhere. I highly recommend them, thanks Sis!

Mommy Van - Here I Come!

Well, I finally have to admit that a 5 seater vehicle is not for us. We can fit, but any additional items make it very cramped. By additional items, I mean things like a basset hound, a stroller, a tv, bicycles or kitchen chairs. All of which have been in my car over the past week.



Also, with the two car seats in the back- we cannot comfortably bring ANYONE with us ANYWHERE! So, when my mom and dad want to go somewhere with us- we have to take two cars. This has taken us to the point of revisiting the minivan discussion. To this point, I have said things like, "I would die before I own a minivan." "Why would anyone drive that?"



Now, some background- my mother drove a minivan until I was a teenager. The most memorable was the Ford Windstar, or 'the clunker'. Yes, I have fond memories of trips in these vehicles. But there is something else about it, and I think I've finally put my finger on it. Purchasing a minivan means I have given myself over to my children completely.

Not that I haven't done that mentally already (for the most part!). But when I drive to work and then drive home- all that time in my car (which is about two hours) is MINE. It's my last bastion of Keri-ness. I can listen to music other than 'Jake and the Neverland Pirates' or the Lion King soundtrack. I can zone out, and know that no one will need me until I get home. Until my husband calls, and snaps me back into reality...

And they are so darn practical... easy in and out of the third row, lots of space, low to the ground so they kids and dogs can jump up and down by themselves (saving my poor back!). I just can't fight it anymore.

So, those of you who have been here before me - Any minivan suggestions??

New Spring LOFT Clothes!

Went shopping this past weekend, and I was so excited by all the spring clothes!  My favorite store for 'work clothes' is definitely LOFT. My sister at I Have A Degree In This! says that I need to incorporate color and patterns into my dull wardrobe- so I'm trying! I'll show you what I picked up, and you can tell me how I did!

1. Accessories: I added a 'cool tone' long necklace, to accompany the many blues, greys and purples that I have in my closet. I love how this necklace picks up the color of whichever top I put on!

[caption id="attachment_400" align="aligncenter" width="289" caption="LOFT Long Multi Stone Illusion Necklace"][/caption]

2. A new top: I fell in love with this top when I saw it on a model in the LOFT store. It is light and airy, but still form fitting enough so that it doesn't completely take over!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Pants: I love these seersucker pants. I had to have them! I can’t wait to wear them with a pink top and wedge shoes. I love the bow!

I am pretty sure that the Maternity section in LOFT got me through my pregnancy with Baby Mayhem. Now that I'm FINALLY back (or pretty close to) my pre-pregnancy body, I'm excited for their new clothes!

What are you excited about for Spring?  Have you picked up any new clothes? Share with me!

Bitter, Party of One

This morning in Starbucks, I stood in line at 7:15 am, half awake after not sleeping well because of Baby Mayhem's molars. In front of me was a happy, wide-awake couple in casual clothes, with their perfectly behaved child in a jogging stroller.

[caption id="attachment_338" align="alignleft" width="146" caption="image source: www.visualphotos.com"][/caption]

They smiled, leaned into each other and Perfect Wife said, "Hey- it's supposed to be warm today, we should go to the beach!" In that moment, I hated Perfect Couple. I hated them so much.

I wanted to crawl back in bed, put the covers over my head and disappear for a few hours of blissfully uninterrupted sleep. But instead, I was going to down a Venti Latte and head into the office for 9 hours, then sit in the car for another hour. I was Bitter, party of one.

I took action. I have scheduled a weekday for my family and I to spend together. Of course, I still won't look like Perfect Wife. And I won't be standing in line at Starbucks, calming discussing plans for the rest of the day. I can dream...

But first, I need to get through the rest of the day- without falling asleep.

Confessions...

After feeling guilty that I was allowing JUST ONE MORE episode of 'Jake and the Neverland Pirates' last night, so I could take a bath and get 30 minutes to myself... I decided that maybe I would feel better if I just got this stuff off my chest. Since I know I'm not in the running for Mother of the Year 2012... maybe next year.

My laundry pile is bigger than me. I am pretty sure that laundry is a  full time job, but I've already got one of those. So, throw your pajamas in the corner.

[caption id="attachment_335" align="aligncenter" width="140" caption="image source: www.superstock.com"][/caption]

Sometimes, we eat dinner around the coffee table.OK, it's more than sometimes, and last night it was chinese food take out.

 

My kids watch tv. With two children who are not in school yet, and no backyard in our townhouse- there is a lot of time in the house during the day. Baby Mayhem takes two naps, and that ties you to the house for ... what seems like the entire day. I'm not making excuses, but Nick Jr. is educational!

I love wine. No explanation needed here.

[caption id="attachment_333" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="image source: www.artfire.com"][/caption]

I don't buy all organic food. When I was pregnant for the first time, I ate mostly organic food. It was 'for the baby'. Well, that was in 2008- and I haven't bought any organic food in a long time. I am working on serving up more veggies this year though- New Year's Resolution!

We don't do baths every night. I once had this idea that the kids needed to be put to bed CLEAN every night. Recently, I have been doing baths when Mayhem covers his crib in poo- or when Jacob wets the bed. There, now you know.

I'm in here because I was really dirty!

Sometimes I go to bed right after I put the kids to bed. Is that so wrong? Mama needs her sleep.

Is there anything you'd like to get off your chest? I know I'm not alone!

 

Daddy's Home!

 

In a recent switcheroo, my husband now gets home earlier than I do in the evening. When I walked in the door last night, I realized three things:

1. He was cooking. Well, it was a quesadilla, but I have to give him credit.



2. My baby had a black eye. Learning to walk is dangerous! I wish I could bubble wrap him for the next few months.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="247" caption="image source: http://thegloss.com/fashion/gallery-happy-national-bubble-wrap-appreciation-day/gallery-page/9/"][/caption]

3. I was not in a huge rush to do anything! Pretty amazing, right?!

When I learned that I would be home later than him, I'll be honest- I was worried.  Worried that things would not get done, worried that getting home later would somehow not work, just worried. I'm not sure what exactly I expected. I think as a mother there is a feeling that no one else can do it 'right'. Maybe it's just me. And maybe I want it to be that way, because like I think the boys (all three of them) need me.

I was so relieved, that I couldn't help but smile.  No one was hurt, well, minus the black eye from earlier in the day. Everyone was eating.  Everyone was FINE. It's not that I have no faith in my husband, really! He just doesn't usually have to juggle the household chaos alone, and I'm used to it.

When I walked in the door, I heard, "MOMMY!" coming from the kitchen.  It was actually kind of nice, but I was happy that Daddy was home... and we were all together, even if it was a little later in the evening. Have you had to work late?  What was your experience?

Managing Stress

The beginning of this year has been particularly stressful for me at work.  With the State of California taking action against redevelopment agencies (I won't bore you with details), my public sector job has been less than stable. 



I have been really trying to keep the stress at work, and not bring it home. It is a 'must' for working mother sanity! You have to take care of yourself first, I know you have heard that before- but it's true! I wanted to share a few of my favorite stress busters - and see if you had any to share!

1. Lavender - candles, incense, essential oils... whatever method works for you! There is something about the scent that just relaxes me. I happen to LOVE Bath and Body Works Lavender Vanilla bubble bath http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11669930&cp=4090259.4090258.4090278.4431583.11226303, which brings me to #2!

2. Take a hot bath! My mother always told us, whatever was wrong, to have a cup of tea and a hot bath. I still take her advice to this day. Add the bubble bath, and you're on your way to relaxation!

3. Get on the floor- After a long day, there is nothing better than kicking off the heels and playing with dinosaurs with my 3-year-old.  Kids can have a way of melting the stress away, SOMETIMES!

4. Dance- When nothing seems to make sense, put on a silly CD (I recommend "Silly Songs with Larry" from Veggie Tales) and just sing with your kid(s). They love it, and soon you'll forget what you were so stressed about in the first place.

5. Forget about 'have to's'- Give yourself a much-deserved break. The laundry will be there tomorrow, and the same for the dirty dishes, and the cobwebs, and the dust bunnies, and the recycling... just sit down! 

6. Put the kids to bed just a little earlier than usual- Mine can't tell time YET, so this may get harder as they get older! Sometimes, Mommy needs more 'me time'... and some wine!

7. Yoga- If you can get away for an hour, to do yoga (or whatever hobby/class you like)- it is worth it! It is an invaluable chance to focus on yourself, and the 'here and now'. Believe me, I know it isn't easy!

8. Don't look at your phone- I can't bear to turn off the cell phone, since we do not have a 'land line'. But I do put it on vibrate, and leave it in the kitchen. It's important to focus on your family when you are at home, everyone else can wait.

I also like to walk the dogs, but if you don't have dogs- that obviously wouldn't work for you.  What do you do to de-stress?