It’s getting disturbingly close to the time that people start putting up Christmas trees. Not me - with small children in the house generally aim for about a week before Christmas. We have to move furniture around, so having a more crowded living room for more time than that is just too hard.

Many times we find that one string of Christmas tree lights has burned out. We have excess due to buying them on a clearance sale some time back, but eventually we’re going to need more. And that’s when I figure on making the switch to LED Xmas lights.

They’re significantly more efficient, coolor and look really good too. Only reason I’m not making a switch is due to my feeling that I shouldn’t be replacing something that still works just fine. We don’t leave our tree on all night or anything, so the power savings will be a bit less than it might be if we had them on more.

These are just cute! Soap that look like goldfish in a plastic bag, like you bring home from the pet store.

Actually, I can see one problem… getting the kids’ hope up. I know my daughter wants a pet fish, and this could fool her for at least a few seconds.

Then again, as party favors for a kids’ birthday party it could be a great way to scare your fellow parents. Just picture the kids coming running up to their parents waving the bag around. “Mommy, look what I got!”

Definitely something for the evil sense of humor, there.

Technorati Tags: soap, party favors

I often wish that my husband and I were more into entertaining. It has a lot to do with the good dishes my sister-in-law insisted we HAD to register for that rarely get used. So far it’s just when the kids want to do a fancy dinner. Holidays are always at someone else’s home.

To make matters worse, we saw a huge set of fine china at an antique shop for less than was spent on the 6 place settings we received of our pattern. It was hard to resist the temtation to sell them so we could buy the complete set, but we felt that wasn’t a kind thing to do to the people who had bought from our registry.

Now I’m looking at the serveware on the Villeroy & Boch website, and oh is it nice! I clicked over to the classic section, and there’s this beautiful set called Wildberries that I really like. As the name implies, it’s a berry pattern, very simple and not excessively accented. And I’m trying very hard to not think more than necessary about their current 20% off deal that ends October 31.

The Aureus pattern has some beautiful flowers, but I never like more than a little gold patterning when I see it in person, at least for my own use. It’s still very nicely done when I look at it more closely.

One of these years I’m just going to have to insist that my husband and I host for Thanksgiving (not a chance we could get Christmas, just the way things work in our families), and actually get to use our good dishes. Beautiful dishes just add a little something to a special family dinner, and with more family moving away of late it is actually approaching where it would not be impossible for us to get enough dishes to manage it, especially since I would love to have a collection where each place setting matches, but each place has a different pattern. I just like that look.

Elegant isn’t something most people get to do very often anymore, but I do enjoy it every once in a while.

Yes, it really is almost October. Really is time to get serious about your Halloween costume, if you’re going to wear one.

I have a standard set of Renaissance Faire garb I usually wear for Halloween. It’s quick and easy, but one of these years I really ought to switch things up. You know, buy a new Halloween costume. After all, I have to work up something new for my kids each year.

My daughter is old enough to have definite plans. She’s thinking Rapunzel this year, as she still loves the dressup outfit I got for her as a Christmas present last year. She’s also just considering going as the color pink (her favorite, of course). It’s a costume I call a pigment of the imagination.

No idea what I’m dressing my son up as. He hasn’t expressed an opinion on any of the things I’ve suggested, but he really doesn’t understand what Halloween is yet.

I do love to shop online for Halloween costumes. So much of a better selection than the stores have, and no fussing through the selection trying to find the right size, hoping it’s not sold out yet. You just generally have better odds online.

So… what are you dressing up as?

Technorati Tags: halloween, halloween costumes

Bandaids aren’t just about covering scrapes and scratches. At least, they don’t have to be. Just take a look:

Pirate Bandaids

Arr! How could yer little pirates not love these? For that matter, what about yer bigger pirates? Black with white skulls, perfect to go with yer finest pirate apparel. Not that pirates worry about fashion, arr!

Crayon Bandaids

Perfect for your little artist. Now if they could just figure out how to make it look like your child just drew the bandaid on, that would be pretty much perfect.

Bacon Bandaids

These just sizzle! Have a sense of humor while you cover those owies.

Tattoo Bandages

When you heart Mom just so much you have to have a bandaid declare it for you!

I just love that bandaids don’t have to be the basic ones in a single color anymore, or just favored characters from children’s show. You can have far more fun than that in your selection.

Technorati Tags: bandaids, bandages

These days they talk a lot about how important it is is for kids to learn a second language early. I think about that a lot with my kids.

I didn’t start taking Spanish until junior high. I barely speak it anymore, for all I took it in high school and a bit in college as well. Took just a touch of French too, and it was fun to see the professor twitch every time someone in the class used Spanish pronunciation. The two languages are just so similar in appearance….

I’d love to get my kids into other languages earlier than that. I found out a couple weeks ago that my niece is studying German using the Rosetta Stone software. She loves it. As in asked if there was a version for her Game Boy. Of course, there isn’t, but I think that’s a good sign for how much she loves the program. She wanted to be able to take it with her places.

I haven’t picked the language I think my kids should learn. Spanish is pretty practical around here (southern California), but other languages may be more practical in the long run. I understand Chinese is getting to be in larger demand.

In the long run, of course, it really depends on personal interest, and I mostly just want to get my kids started on something. There’s no rule saying they have to stick with the same language throughout.

Technorati Tags: learning language, foreign language, education, kids, parenting