The Spectacular is at the Wang Theater, which is a beautiful space. We were seated in the dress circle, which was a bit removed from the action, especially at the 5pm performance on a Friday. It worked out well, though, because it gave the kids room to stretch and no one could hear when LadyBug exclaimed excitedly over every thing that happened on stage.

I don’t want to ruin the surprises, but I’ll give a quick overview. The show is narrated by Santa, who flies on his sleigh to Boston and then takes us on a special journey that includes a visit New York City, the Nutcracker Ballet, and even back to the North Pole. Every scene is magic-filled in large part due to a 50-foot LED screen that serves as an ever-changing backdrop.

Every dance number is a spectacle unto itself and the story moved along quickly enough to keep my kids from getting restless. The show is 2 hours long with a 15-minute intermission which arrived at just the right time. We took a bathroom break and bought some snacks. The kids looked around the theater for a bit and were then eager to see the second half of the show.

I’m pretty sure that most of the seats in the house are wonderful, but there is something to keep in mind when you’re purchasing tickets. Some of the characters walk through the audience on the floor, which is typically pretty cool for kids. They also (*spoiler alert*) shoot confetti canons into the audience at one point. I was completely unprepared for it and I imagine that some of the kids in the orchestra seating might have been scared half to death. On the other hand, the kids on the floor seemed to have fun collecting the streamers when all was said and done. We were too far up/back to be in the midst of any of that, which I had mixed feelings about. If you have a kid with sensory issues, especially noise, that might have sent them over the edge.

There is still plenty of time left to nab tickets to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in Boston. The show runs through the 28th. Unfortunately, my giveaway is over, but I’ve got a discount code that’s still available in that post. I can’t recommend it enough as a family holiday event.

Disclosure: We were given complimentary tickets for the purpose of writing a review. There was no promise of a positive review and the opinions in this post are my own.

Related posts:

1. LadyBug, Vomit and Christmas Cheer
2. It’s a Small World and Family Dynamics
3. This Is the Christmas that Never Ends…

I love having a large family and do my best to try and keep in touch with even the extended cousins on my mom’s side (thank you, Facebook). But at Christmas, it can be a bit unwieldy. We do our own Christmas at home, and then Christmas with my parents and siblings (plus their husbands & kids), and then extended family. That’s all on Christmas day. My in-laws usually have an extended family Christmas the week before, and then we celebrate with just my husband’s parents and siblings (and their spouses/kids/boyfriends/dogs) sometime within the next few days. We haven’t gotten together much with my dad’s family because it’s simply too large, but we used to have a Christmas with them, too. I typically see my grandmother on my biological father’s side at some point. And then, if we’re able, we join my sisters’ biological mother’s family. Although it sounds complex, I love them just like we were actually related. The end result is often an overabundance of Christmas.

This year, it’s feeling a bit strange. People keep telling me that they hope I had a wonderful Christmas and I reply, “Thanks, we did. But it’s not over yet!”

When I was younger, I loved the never-ending Christmas, but now that I’ve got kids I find it a bit more challenging. First of all, it’s exhausting. But more importantly, it’s hard to explain to little kids that life isn’t just about them receiving presents. Mounds of presents, no less. We’ve talked a lot about giving away old toys to kids that have none, but it turns out that it’s a lot harder to donate toys than one might imagine. We have some options, but it’s just a roadblock we’ve had to get around. Next year, I’m hoping to have the energy and time to help them make gifts for people. That way, they’ll start to learn the joys of giving, and not just receiving. In the meantime, we’ve got a couple of Christmases left to enjoy and I’m trying to give each on the attention and spirit that it deserves. After all, we’re a very lucky family to have so many people who love us, and who we love in return.

Related posts:

1. LadyBug, Vomit and Christmas Cheer
2. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular–Magic for the Whole Family
3. Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas

I enjoy all of the cards we receive, but I especially like the photo cards. It’s fun to see the highlights of the year, and how much kids have grown. We’ve been sending photo cards each year since Bug was born (sometimes with a holiday newsletter inside) and I also keep a copy of each as our own special keepsake of the year. This year, when Tiny Prints asked if we’d like to review their Christmas Cards, I was pretty excited. In addition to the standard 4 X 9″ photo card most of us are used to, they have cards with tri-folds, pop-up cards, cards with pictures that flip and even round cards you can hang on your tree. In fact, they have more than 1000 Christmas card designs and many of those have various options such as color, font, and even the style of card (flat, fold, tri-fold, etc.). You can easily search based on cost, color, style, number of photos, size, font, designer, paper type and more. I spent far too much time just browsing all of my options and playing around with customizations. It helps to go in with a vision!

In the end, I opted with a fairly simple tri-fold design because I loved how our pictures looked in the settings:

This is just a screen shot of the cards, so the resolution is mediocre. The back has another family picture and all of our holiday greeting messages in red. I went with a semi-gloss finish (as opposed to the matte) because I think it will make the pictures pop. We’ll see! It’s super easy to add photos and swap them around, so once I decided on a design, things zipped along. Lucky for me, Tiny Prints has expedited service, so I still can get my cards here and sent back out again in time for Christmas!

Tiny Prints also offers you a webpage where you can write your family newsletter and include additional photos. They’ll print the url right on your card. It’s a nice way to include all of your favorite pictures and avoid printing a ream of newsletter pages. I didn’t do it this year simply because I didn’t have the time, but I think it’s a lovely option for extending your holiday cards. Another way to save time is to have Tiny Prints address, stamp and mail the cards for you. It costs $0.35 plus the cost of stamps. I considered that, too, but our mailing information is currently in label format and I just don’t have the time and energy to convert it to an Excel spreadsheet. If you have your addresses already organized, this would be a great time-saver. There are some other useful options, including a digital proof (so you can make sure it looks perfect before printing), accessories such as coordinated return address labels and gift tags, and complimentary photo touch-up service (brighten, sharpen, remove red-eye).

I’ll keep you posted when my cards arrive. In the meantime, you can start planning your Valentine’s Day cards now (but keep your eye out, because they’ll be adding lots of new designs).

Disclosure: I received complimentary holiday cards from Tiny Prints for review purposes. There was no promise of a positive review and the opinions contained in this post are my own.

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This giveaway is now closed. Please stop back for more great contests!

One of my favorite things about Christmas is finding just the right gift for someone. I spend a lot of time thinking about gifts and what would make someone really happy. Now most of my family members have wish lists and they’re otherwise hard to buy for, but when I can find a special surprise it’s a great feeling. eBay has captured the spirit of finding just the right gift for someone in their “Love to Give” campaign. They’re highlighting the “unwrap attack,” or the moment when you give someone the perfect gift and they tear the packaging open and shout with delight. My parents were quite good at creating unwrap attack moments, but the one that most stands out in my mind was when we found out that we were going to Disney World for the first time. We were shocked, in disbelief and then incredibly excited.

With the holiday season underway, eBay wants your family to have an unwrap attack as well. And to help make that happen, they’re providing one Quirky Fusion reader with $100 in gift cards to eBay. If you’ve never shopped on eBay, you’re in for a great surprise. You can find almost anything you could possibly want, whether it’s a new camera or gaming console, or a collectible figurine. You can bid on items and try to nab an extra-good price, or you can often use the “Buy Now” option to just pick up something you  know you want. Many eBay sellers now offer free shipping as well, so it’s a great way to get some shopping done while avoiding the craziness of the mall.

You can check out some hilarious unwrap attack videos on eBay’s “Love to Give” site. And, if you can’t wait for the holidays, you can make your own unwrap attack video on eBay’s Facebook page.

How to win:

The full rules are below, but the short and sweet of it is that you should leave a comment below answering one of the following: “Tell us your best unwrap attack story,” OR “What gift would give you an unwrap attack this holiday season?” in 350 words or less. This giveaway ends at 9pm Eastern on Thursday, December 9, so don’t delay!

Disclosure: I received compensation in the form of eBay gift cards to share this opportunity with my readers. The opinions contained in this post are my own. Any and all prizes are provided and fulfilled by the sponsor (eBay).

EBAY LOVE TO GIVE SWEEPSTAKES

OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. OPEN TO (A) LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE FIFTY (50) UNITED STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 18 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER, WHO ARE PHYSICALLY LOCATED AND RESIDE IN THE UNITED STATES OR DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA; AND (B) LEGAL RESIDENTS OF CANADA (EXCLUDING THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC) WHO ARE OF THE AGE OF MAJORITY IN THEIR PROVINCE OR TERRITORY OF RESIDENCE AND WHO ARE PHYSICALLY LOCATED AND RESIDE IN CANADA (EXCLUDING THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC). VOID IN PUERTO RICO, THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC AND WHERE PROHIBITED.

1. ELIGIBILITY:  The eBay Love To Give Sweepstakes (the “Sweepstakes”) is open to (a) legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia, 18 years of age and older, who are physically located and reside in the United States or District of Columbia; and (b) legal residents of Canada (excluding the Province of Quebec) who are of the age of majority in their Province or territory of residence and who are physically located and reside in Canada (excluding the Province of Quebec) (“Eligible Participant”).  Void in Puerto Rico, the Province of Quebec and where prohibited.  Employees, directors and officers, and their immediate families (spouse, parents, children, siblings, and their respective spouses), and their respective household members, of eBay Inc.(“Sponsor”), its  parent company, affiliates, subsidiaries, divisions, advertising and promotion agencies, Mekanism and Strobe Promotions, Inc., are not eligible.  Sweepstakes is subject to all federal, state, local, provincial and municipal laws.  U.S. law governs this Sweepstakes and personal jurisdiction shall exclusively be the state and federal courts located in Santa Clara, California.

2. TIMING/DESCRIPTION: The Sweepstakes begins at 10 am ET on Tuesday, December 7, 2010, and ends 9:00 pm ET on Thursday, December 9, 2010 (the “Sweepstakes Period”).  There will be one (1) Grand Prize awarded in a random drawing at the end of the Sweepstakes Period.

3. HOW TO ENTER: To enter the Sweepstakes Eligible Participants must go to http://quirkyfusion.com and enter via the comments section of the blogger’s post regarding eBay’s Love to Give campaign by posting an answer to one of the following questions, “Tell us your best unwrap attack story,” OR “What gift would give you an unwrap attack this holiday season?” in 350 words or less.  Entrants must include their name and email address.  Entries must be received by 9:00pm ET on Thursday, December 9, 2010 to be eligible.  There is a limit of one (1) entry per person/Twitter account in the Sweepstakes.  Subsequent entries submitted by the same person/email address are void.  Sponsor reserves the right to remove any post for any reason whatsoever at any time during and after the promotion period. The Website’s database clock will be the official timekeeper for the Sweepstakes.  Entries that have been generated by a script, macro, bot or any other automated means will be deemed void.  Entries that are mechanically reproduced, copied, illegible, incomplete, or inaccurate are void.  Sponsor is not responsible for late, lost, incomplete, illegible, damaged, or misdirected entries.  Sponsor’s decisions are final on all matters relating to this Sweepstakes.   Entries become the property of the Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned.  If a dispute results as to the identity of an online entrant, it will be determined that the online entry was submitted by the authorized account holder of the email address from which the entry is made.  For these purposes, the authorized account holder is the natural person assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, on-line service provider or other organization responsible for assigning email addresses or the domain associated with the submitted email address.

Entry must be in keeping with the Sponsor’s image, and may not be offensive, nor can it defame, or invade upon the publicity rights or privacy of any person or otherwise infringe upon any person or entity’s intellectual property, personal or proprietary rights, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.  Sponsor reserves all rights, including the right to edit, publish, use, adapt, modify, or dispose of any entry, proper names, likenesses, and photographs for advertising and promotional purposes in all media (including, but not limited to, the internet) without additional compensation, except where prohibited by law.

SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT, AT ITS SOLE DISCRETION, TO REMOVE ANY ENTRY POSTED TO THE WEBSITE THAT THE SPONSOR FEELS IS INAPPROPRIATE, OBJECTIONABLE AND/OR INCONSISTENT WITH THE POSITIVE IMAGE AND/OR GOOD WILL IT WISHES TO PROMOTE IN THIS SWEEPSTAKES.

ALL ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT ALL ENTRY MATERIALS SUBMITTED IN CONNECTION WITH THIS SWEEPSTAKES ARE SUBMITTED ON A NON-CONFIDENTIAL AND NON-PROPRIETARY BASIS AND MAY BE USED BY SPONSOR, ITS AGENTS AND SUBSIDIARIES, FOR ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES.

4. DETERMINATION OF GRAND PRIZE WINNER:  One (1) potential Grand Prize winner will be selected in a random drawing on or about 12:00 PM PT on December 10, 2010 from among all eligible entries received during the Sweepstakes Period.  The random drawing will be conducted by Mekanism, located in San Francisco, CA.  Judges’/Sponsor’s decisions are final on matters relating to this Sweepstakes.  Potential Grand Prize winner will be notified by electronic mail and/or overnight or U.S. mail and/or telephone on or about December 13, 2010.  Potential Grand Prize winner may be required to sign an affidavit/declaration of eligibility/liability release and where legal, a publicity release, and for a U. S. resident, a Federal and State tax release, and return these documents, properly executed, within 7 days of issuance of notification.  Non-compliance within this time frame, or if prize or prize notification is returned as undeliverable, will result in the entrant being disqualified, and the prize will be awarded to a potential alternate winner.  As a condition for receiving a prize, winner who is a resident of Canada will be required to correctly answer (unaided) a time-limited mathematical skill-test question.  Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of prize.  Odds of winning depend upon the number of eligible entries received.

5.  GRAND PRIZE: One (1) Grand Prize:  A $100 eBay Gift Certificate.  Approximate Retail Value (ARV):  $100 USD.  All taxes and any other costs not specifically stated within these Official Rules are the sole responsibility of the winner. eBay Gift Certificate prize will be deposited into the winner’s PayPal account (the “PayPal Account”).  Recipient must have or must create a PayPal Account at time of prize award at www.PayPal.com (the “PayPal Site”) to access prize and to use the eBay Gift Certificate funds.  The PayPal Account must have the same email address associated with the eBay User ID used to enter.  eBay Gift Certificate amount valid only when recipient pays with and the seller accepts PayPal.  Gift Certificate funds are void for off-eBay purchases.  EBay Gift Certificates may not be transferred.   Use of eBay Gift Certificates subject to terms & conditions at http://giftcertificates.ebay.com/terms.html. Prize is not transferable and no substitutions or cash equivalents are permitted, except that Sponsor at its sole discretion, may substitute the prize with a prize of equal or greater value.  Specifics of the prize are in Sponsor’s sole discretion.  If winner is deemed a minor in his/her state or place of residence, prize will be awarded in the name of a parent or legal guardian.

6. CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION: By entering, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules including all eligibility requirements.  Use of any eBay Site and Sponsor’s use of information submitted by entrants in connection with this Sweepstakes will be subject to the terms and conditions stated in these Official Rules as well as to the eBay Users Agreement and Privacy Policy available on the eBay Site.  You will not be eligible to receive a prize if your accounts on any eBay Site are not in good standing.  In order for your accounts to be deemed in good standing as that term is used herein, you must not have a hold on your account and your account must not be suspended or past due as of December 7, 2010.   All materials submitted in connection with the Sweepstakes become the property of Sponsor and will not be returned.  By accepting a prize, winner consents to the use of his/her name, eBay User ID (if applicable), image, likeness, photograph, voice and biographical material and entry submission for advertising, publicity and promotional purposes by Sponsor, or a party designated by Sponsor, in any and all media now or hereafter known including but not limited to, any online announcements, or for sharing this information with the press for viewing, whether TV or print, throughout the world in perpetuity, without additional compensation, notification or permission, except where prohibited by law.  Entrants agree that the conditions of submission set forth in these Official Rules, and all documents and agreements incorporated in these Official Rules by reference, solely govern the relationship between entrants and eBay in connection with this Sweepstakes.  Entrants agree to waive any right to claim ambiguity in these Official Rules.  Entrants agree that any and all disputes shall be governed by the laws of the State of California.

7. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES:  Entrant represents and warrants the following:  1) that he/she is the original author and owner (or represents and warrants that the owner of such rights has expressly granted any and all rights to the entrant) of any and all entry materials posted, uploaded, or otherwise submitted (modifying, enhancing or altering a third party’s pre-existing work does not qualify as entrant’s original creation); 2) the entry will not infringe any third party’s copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret or other proprietary rights or rights of publicity or privacy.  Entrants are prohibited from posting,  uploading, or otherwise submitting any entry material that infringes on any copyright, trademark or proprietary rights of another (including publicity and privacy rights); 3) that the entry is not the subject of any actual or threatened litigation or claim; 4) that the entry material is not obscene, offensive, libelous, pornographic, threatening, abusive, contains illegal content, or is otherwise objectionable, that would constitute or encourage a criminal offense, or that would otherwise give rise to liability or violate any law.  Entrant acknowledges that nothing herein shall constitute an employment, joint venture, or partnership relationship between entrant and Sponsor.  In no way is entrant to be construed as the agent or to be acting as the agent of Sponsor in any respect.

8. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: ENTRANTS HEREBY AGREE TO RELEASE, INDEMNIFY, AND HOLD HARMLESS EBAY INC., ITS PARENT COMPANY, AFFILIATES, SUBSIDIARIES, DIVISIONS, ADVERTISING AND  PROMOTION AGENCIES, STROBE PROMOTIONS, INC., MEKANISM, EMPLOYEES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS (COLLECTIVELY, THE “RELEASEES”) FROM ANY CLAIMS, ACTIONS, INJURY, LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH, RESULTING FROM PARTICIPATING IN THIS SWEEPSTAKES OR FROM THE ACCEPTANCE, POSSESSION, OR USE OR MISUSE OF ANY PRIZE AWARDED OR PARTICIPATION IN ANY PRIZE-RELATED ACTIVITY.  THIS LIMITATION OF LIABILITY IS A COMPREHENSIVE LIMITATION OF LIABILITY THAT APPLIES TO ALL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING (WITHOUT LIMITATION) COMPENSATORY, DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES; LOSS OF DATA, INCOME, OR PROFIT; LOSS OR DAMAGE TO PROPERTY; AND CLAIMS OF THIRD PARTIES.  PARTICIPANTS AGREE THAT EBAY HAS NOT MADE NOR IS IN ANY MANNER RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY WARRANTY, REPRESENTATION, OR GUARANTEE, STATUTORY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, TITLE, AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE), IN FACT OR IN LAW, RELATIVE TO THE SWEEPSTAKES.  WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING, EBAY DOES NOT MAKE ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE EBAY SITE AND EBAY SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR THE CONSEQUENCES OF ANY INTERRUPTIONS OR ERRORS RELATED THERETO. THESE TERMS GIVE YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS.  THE PROVISIONS REGARDING IMPLIED WARRANTIES ARE VOID IN SOME PROVINCES WHERE IMPLIED WARRANTIES ARE PRESCRIBED BY LAW. Releasees are not responsible for lost, late, illegible, damaged or stolen entries or submissions, or problems of any kind, whether mechanical, human or electronic. Releasees are not responsible for technical, hardware or software malfunctions, telephone failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, inability to access a website, post a comment,  fraud, incomplete, garbled, or delayed computer transmissions or inaccurate transcription of entry information, whether caused by the Sponsor, users or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in this Sweepstakes or by any technical or human error which may occur in the processing of submissions which may damage a user’s system or limit a participant’s ability to participate in the Sweepstakes.  Entry materials that have been tampered with or altered are void. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel or suspend part or all of this Sweepstakes, or modify these Official Rules at any time without notice, if in the judges’ opinion there is any suspected or actual evidence of electronic or non-electronic tampering with any portion of the Sweepstakes, or if virus, bugs, non-authorized human intervention or other causes corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness or integrity and proper play of the Sweepstakes. In such event, Sponsor may void any entries they suspect are at issue and award the prize from among all eligible entries received up to the date of cancellation. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT OR ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE OR ANY ONLINE SERVICE RELATED TO THIS SWEEPSTAKES OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE SWEEPSTAKES MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, THE SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES (INCLUDING ATTORNEY’S FEES) FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that or any other provision. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify entrants who violate the rules or interfere with this Sweepstakes in any manner.  If an entrant is disqualified, Sponsor reserves the right to terminate that entrant’s eligibility to participate in the Sweepstakes.  Any attempts by an individual to access any website associated with this competition via a bot script or other brute force attack or any other unauthorized means will result in the IP address and all entries from that IP address becoming ineligible.  Use of automated entry devices or programs is prohibited.

9. DISPUTES: Except where prohibited, all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of the Eligible Participant and Sponsor in connection with the Sweepstakes, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of California, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of California, or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of California.

10. WINNER’S LIST: For the name of the Grand Prize winner, available after December 13, 2010, mail a self-addressed, stamped envelope by December 31, 2010 to:  eBay Love To Give Sweepstakes, P. O. Box 997, Plainview, NY  11803-0997.  Residents of Canada may omit return postage.

11. SPONSOR: The Sponsor of this Sweepstakes is eBay Inc., 2145 Hamilton Avenue, San Jose, CA 95125.

©Copyright 2010 Strobe Promotions, Inc. All rights reserved. Entrants may copy these Official Rules for the sole purpose of personal use and not for any commercial purpose whatsoever.

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“I brought you a present, Mama,” he called excitedly as he entered the house. I was surprised by the gift, but assumed that his school had done some sort of craft as a gift for parents.

“Did you wrap it yourself?” I asked him.

“No, my teacher helped me. It’s for you and daddy. You have to open it together!” By this point, Bug was dancing in anticipation.

“Do you think we should save it for Christmas?” I asked him.

“No, it’s not that I kind of present.”

When Big Guy came back from putting down all of the kids’ bags and jackets, I made a big show of opening the present, tearing the paper slowly to build anticipation. It was the first time Bug had given us a gift that we hadn’t purchased ourselves and I was imagining how we would share this story for years to come.

Inside the paper was a Smart Ones Macaroni and Cheese Box. It was empty.

“Do you like it?” My son asked eagerly. “It’s a macaroni and cheese box!”

I burst out laughing and couldn’t stop. In the stress of the holidays, it was exactly what I needed and I enjoyed retelling the story over the next few days. I’m looking forward to telling Bug, as he gets older, that he gave me the perfect present this Christmas. It was one of the best gifts I’ve ever received.

Related posts:

1. LadyBug, Vomit and Christmas Cheer
2. The Sweetest of Parenting Moments
3. Play Ball

I’m going to admit it… the loss of magic was mostly on my end. The kids didn’t know that they were missing out on Edaville Railroad or Zoo Lights. The didn’t realize that I only put out a portion of the decorations or that we missed a couple of parties. They only saw the tree, and the lights. They experienced the Christmas music, the special time with family and, of course, the presents. It didn’t even seem to bother them that they were sick. That all fell on Big Guy and I.

As much as I love Christmas, this year was hard. It seemed as if every time we tried to celebrate, something stood in the way. In fact, LadyBug recovered from a stomach bug just in time for me to feel comfortable taking her out on Christmas Day. I woke up on Christmas morning feeling excited and listening for the sounds of happy kids. Instead, I heard the sounds of Bug throwing up. We took him out anyway, but I spent a good part of the the day feeling worried and guilty.

I guess the funny thing about Christmas magic is that it has a way of sneaking up on you. As I watched my kids delight in their presents despite not feeling their best, I had a glimmer of cheer. And as I greeted my family and sat down for a meal with them, I couldn’t help but feel happy. And by the time we sat down to play Rock Band together, I was having a blast.

I know… I’m ridiculously slow to learn this lesson, but this was another example of letting my kids set the bar. Sure, I had my vision of what Christmas should be. But they were just open to enjoying what it was. And once I was on board with them, I had a wonderful time, too. Let’s hope I can just embrace this for 2010!

Related posts:

1. In Which LadyBug Turns Two
2. This Is the Christmas that Never Ends…
3. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular–Magic for the Whole Family

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My family had the chance to check out a preview copy of Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas DVD. You can check out my review of it if you’d like. Long story short, the kids loved it.

Now you can win your own copy for your family to enjoy. It’s all part of the Not Your Mama’s Lump of Coal Giveaway.

To Enter (once per person/household):

1. Leave a comment on this post (right down below). It’s Christmas, so I’ll make it easy on you. Who would you give this DVD to if you won?
2. Make sure you enter the correct email address in the email spot on the comment form so I can reach you. Please don’t put your email in the actual comment.

Details:

• Contest will end at 11:59pm Eastern on December 13, 2009.
• Winners will be chosen via random.org. Winner must comply with all rules mentioned here, or a new winner will be selected. I will have the final decision in this matter.
• I will email the winners who will then have 48 hours to respond and claim their prizes. [Depending on the circumstances, winners may have additional time to responds.]

Bonus Entries:

• Subscribe to this blog via email/RSS (once)
• Blog about this contest using the full url *no shortened links* (once)
• Tweet about this contest (max 1 per day)
• Follow this blog on Networked Blogs (bottom right column)
• Grab the Lump of Coal Giveaway button (below) and post it on your blog

To claim bonus entries, please post one comment on this post per bonus entry (include permalink or tweet url).

Lump of Coal Giveaway button

<a href=”http://quirkyfusion.com/2009/11/not-your-mamas-lump-of-coal-giveaway” mce_href=”http://quirkyfusion.com/2009/11/not-your-mamas-lump-of-coal-giveaway”><img src=”http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/Dinosmile/lumpofcoal.jpg” mce_src=”http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/Dinosmile/lumpofcoal.jpg” alt=”Quirky Fusion Lump of Coal Giveaway”/></a>

Questions? Contact me.

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1. Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas
2. Day 36 – Win a Copy of the Let’s Grow Safety First DVD from Sprout
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Our party kit had lots of fun goodies in it, but the kids were most excited about the microwave popcorn. So, we popped in our screening copy of Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas and munched on popcorn together.

A Very Monkey Christmas is a cute move. George and the Man in the Yellow hat are preparing for Christmas, but each is having a hard time figuring out what the other one wants as a gift. Throughout their journey, they have adventures with different friends. I liked the emphasis on giving over receiving, but still felt that there was too much focus on the physical gifts. It’s a small complaint, but it’s one worth mentioning. My kids both enjoy this movie and have watched it several times since it arrived.

For fans of Curious George, A Very Monkey Christmas is a good buy. Just don’t expect it to be chock-full of positive Christmas messages about generosity of spirit and the like. There are some nice messages in there, but it’s more about the fun aspects of the holiday. Still, it’s a keeper.

Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas is an animated film. It runs 58 minutes.

Disclosure: I received a preview copy of Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas to review, as well as a full copy to give away. There was no promise of a positive review and the opinions contained in this post are mine.

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2. LadyBug, Vomit and Christmas Cheer
3. Cold Weather? Monkey Bread, Please

Guess what? I’ve decided that I want to give a gift to you. Aren’t you lucky? Problem is, I don’t know if you’ve been naughty or nice and I certainly have no idea what you like. The only solution I can think of is to give away a bunch of different things and hope that you find at least one of them appealing. Hey, it’s the best I can do. They’re all better than a lump of coal, I can promise you that.

Here’s the deal. I’ll be posting a bunch of different giveaways over the next few days and will link to all of them from this page for easy entry (see below). They’ll all end somewhere around December 13-15 with the hopes that I can get them out to you in time for Christmas.

For immediate extra entry on all giveaways, you can grab the Lump of Coal Giveaway button below. Happy Holidays to all, and to all a good night!

<a href="http://quirkyfusion.com/2009/11/not-your-mamas-lump-of-coal-giveaway"><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/Dinosmile/lumpofcoal.jpg" alt="Quirky Fusion Lump of Coal Giveaway"/></a>

Prizes so Far:

• Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas DVD (Contest now closed)
• Warriors in Pink Jacket and Tank(Contest now closed)
• Zhu Zhu Pets(Contest now closed)
• Clueless on DVD(Contest now closed)
• Leatherbound copy of Wicked/Son of a Witch and 5th Anniversary Cast Recording of Wicked(Contest now closed)
• Rwanda Path to Peace Basket

Related posts:

1. This Is the Christmas that Never Ends…
2. LadyBug, Vomit and Christmas Cheer