Search Results for: blog the family celebrator

The Family Celebrator

I’m a celebrator. I enjoy commemorating evenest the smallest of accomplishments and the most obscure occasions. I feel like everyone in the world should eat cake on 10/10/10 or get a bouquet of flowers for pulling off a successful all-nighter, whether it be finishing a term paper or surviving your kid’s bout with chicken pox. You don’t need a birthday or anniversary to have reason to celebrate in my book. But what happens if you are married to the CEO of the under-celebrators’ club, or worse, a non-celebrator. I exchanged wedding vows and procreated with the former, which kinda stinks … Continue reading →

Happy Kids: Mission Impossible?

You’re familiar with the saying, “Happy wife, happy life,” but have you found the key to fostering that happiness? According to a new survey, happy kids beget happy moms/wives which beget happy husbands/dads. The equation seems simple enough until you factor in life’s discomforts, hardships and disappointments. I’d love for my child to be happy 24/7.  What parent wouldn’t?  After all, nothing makes most moms and dads happier than to see their children in high spirits. My own 8-year-old would love for her entire family to be happy every minute of every day and is visibly uncomfortable when that idealistic … Continue reading →

First Fourth of July

It is rather exciting watching my daughter as she experience things for the first time. There always seems to be something new for her to experience and as her first year of life progresses, she is having a good time exploring and experiencing numerous things for the first time. This past week she experienced her first fourth of July. The day began later than normal because we were all exhausted from all the late nights that we had recently experienced. I made celebratory buttermilk pancakes with blueberries and maple syrup. While our daughter is very anxious to eat solids, she … Continue reading →

Our Daughter’s Baptism Part IV

With my family dressed for the joyous occasion that was our baby girl’s baptism, we led the caravan (of extended family) to the church. We sat were we like to sit with two small children; in the back! Mass began and we did what we always do; help our son understand what is going on throughout the course of the mass (he enjoys singing and extending the sign of peace). After mass, all of the extended family gathered in the back of the church and when our parish priest was ready we all headed up to the baptismal font near … Continue reading →

Stress-Free Super Bowl Parties

Score big with family and friends by hosting a Super Bowl party to remember. For most people, the annual pigskin-themed party marks the kick-off to a new year of spectacular soirees. Fortunately, it doesn’t take too much planning to create a winning environment for your game day party. For starters, you’ll need invitations. Since Super Bowl parties are very informal, you wouldn’t fumble by simply asking guests over by phone, email or text. However, make it mandatory that they RSVP so you know how much food you will need on Sunday. Whether they are attending your big bash because they … Continue reading →

Chinese New Year Birthday Party

Did you know that the seventh day of the Chinese New Year is considered “everybody’s birthday”? Today is the third day of the Lunar New Year which is a time for sons-in-laws to pay respects to their parents-in-law. In addition, families who’ve lost an immediate relative in the past three years will not be partying at other people’s homes tonight. Rather, the day is reserved for visiting cemeteries and remembering loved ones who are no longer on Earth. This tradition is practiced in China, as well as Taiwan, Vietnam, and other nations with a significant Chinese population. Here in the … Continue reading →

New Year’s Layouts That Pop

My 7-year-old is obsessed with those plastic New Year’s Eve party poppers. Pull a little string and you’re treated to an explosion of paper confetti and a computer-generated fortune–depending on where the favors were made. The ones my daughter has been playing with were clearly made in China… but I digress. When it comes to making your New Year’s scrapbook layout pop, consider adding bits of wisdom and inspiration from your favorite celebrities. For example: “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” –Oprah Winfrey “An optimist stays up until midnight to see the … Continue reading →

Preserving Holiday Memories

Christmas Eve is here. While it’s easy to get caught up in the celebratory madness, if you are planning to scrapbook the holiday, you want to remember to document the festivities. Grab your camera and snap your family and friends partaking in holiday traditions, including sipping hot chocolate by an open fire or baking cookies to leave out for Santa. If you are planning to make a massive holiday meal, preserve the recipes to add to a recipe scrapbook or at the very least, place the directions in a journaling block along with photos of the finished products and shots … Continue reading →

Spend Less, Eat More

With the holidays fast approaching now is the time to review your food budget to adjust for upcoming celebrations. Whether you are hosting extended family or you’ve been asked to bring a dish to pass for a holiday potluck, it helps to find ways to stretch your food dollar. One of the best ways I’ve found to feed the masses on a budget is to skip the steak and opt for chicken. Save the fancier meats for the main holiday meal and use chicken to feed friends and family on the nights that precede or follow the celebratory meal. Preparing … Continue reading →

Spending Time With My Sister Part VII

That evening family began to arrive for the baby’s baptism which would take place on the following day. My sister’s in-laws were the first to arrive around dinner time. The pizzas we had purchased earlier in the week would be dinner. While my brother-in-law was getting together hors’d oeuvres and my sister was ensuring that the baby was good and nursed (in preparation for the attentions from family), I made red velvet cupcakes. My sister had decided that the celebratory cake in honor of her daughter’s baptism should symbolize the holy spirit and purity, thus red velvet cupcakes with white … Continue reading →