MomDot Blog Party Day 4- What is your favorite Holiday recipe?

What is your favorite Holiday Christmas recipe?

Probably Hands down Peppermint Dreams.  Don’t be fooled by the name though.  There is a hint of peppermint, but it’s balanced perfectly so as not to be too minty.  I wish I had a picture!

4 egg whites
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 c. sugar
1 12oz package of chocolate chips
1/2 tsp peppermint extract

Wip egg whites to foam.
Add salt and cream of tartar.
Beat till stiff but not dry.
Add sugar 2T at a time
Fold in chips and extract
Drop by tsp. on heavy paper. (brown paper bags work best)
bake 25 minutes at 300 degrees.
remove while still slightly warm.

This recipe is very temperamental. Do not cook on a moist day or when you have run the dishwasher!

MomDot Party Day 3- Christmas Shopping

The question today is as follows:

“Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?  Do you budget for the holidays?  Do you always stick to your budget?  Share with us any budgeting tips you may have!”

Wow, what a question.  Because of the economy dramatically effecting our finances… this question is bigger for us this year than ever before.  I’m assuming a lot of you are in the same boat.  The real meaning of christmas will be in full effect this year as the gift giving will probably be at an all time budget low.  In some ways, this is actually refreshing… I’m excited to get back to the real meaning of it all.  Jesus Christ, Love, Family, all the blessings we have that have NOTHING to do with anything monetary… the stuff that is eternal… our relationships with God and with one another.

So on to the questions…

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? Mentally, yes.  Physically no. I have a pretty good idea of what everyone is getting, but that is it.

Do you budget for the holidays? Yes, but in the past we have always spent more than we planned.  This year we won’t be going over planned spending.

Do you always stick to your budget? As I answered above, No.

Share with us any budgeting tips you may have! Well for one this year my family decided to just do kids, We will be giving family photos to the adults but that is it.  This simplifies so much.  There are 8 kids on the one side (including my own) and four on the other.  The oldest cousins (3 of them) just want gift cards, so that makes it pretty easy to stay in budget… unfortunately though their gift cards will be smaller this year.  They are the sweetest girls and not bratty or greedy, so I know they will understand.  The smaller kids wants are always simple and inexpensive.  It should be pretty easy to stay in budget.

For friends?  I’ll be baking.  This is a great way to show people you love and appreciate them but not have to spend a lot of money.  The packaging will stay pretty simple this year, I’ll have to update you on what I come up with… but I probably won’t be buying 20 tins or anything.  

What about you?

Contests on Does Mommy Love It?- November 13, 2008

Quilt Baby Bib and Burp Set Ends November 13th, Midnight. 

Kleen Kanteen Products Ends November 17th, Midnight. 

Shi Shu Mini Blankets Ends November 18th, Midnight. 

Personalized item from Mitetees Ends November 19th, Midnight. 

Premium Membership to SpiritClips.com Ends November 19th, Midnight. 

Through the Storm Book Ends November 20th, Midnight. 

$20 Giftcard to Simple Salutations Ends November 21st, Midnight. 

Baby Bargains Book Ends November 23rd, Midnight. 

Baby 411 Book Ends November 24th, Midnight. 

Toddler 411 by Denise Fields & Ari Fields, M.D.Ends November 26th, Midnight. 

Bebe Belay Ends November 26th, Midnight. 

Flit 7 Flitter outfit of choice. Ends November 28th, Midnight. 

Cleanwell Starter pack. Ends November 30th, Midnight.

MomDot Party Day 2- Traditions

My favorite family tradition would have to be Christmas Eve growing up in my family.  My dad’s familly had 5 siblings and as soon as they all started pro-creating I think they must have realized Christmas Eve would be easier to celebrate than Christmas.  That way each of the individual families could celebrate Christmas day with their own families.  

There are an absolute ton of us grandkids and when we were all little the house hosting Christmas Eve would be a zoo!  I remember random dance parties and tons of inside jokes were birthed there.  I wish so much that I could capture all this fun in a picture… but none really captures the scene on the whole.  

Everyone would bring food.  At all our events there was always a feast of food!  And it was always so loud.  So loud we called ourselves “the loud family”.  Our heritage on that side of the family is GREEK, so my husband likes to compare it all to My Big Fat Greek Wedding.  

That was my favorite tradition.  As far as creating a new one?  Hm.  I think for now carving pumpkins and roasting the seeds in the Fall.  It’s the only “holiday” that we are predictably in one place.  BUT I now will be thinking about other important traditions we can start around Christmas! 

SEABIRD’s Falling For You on Grey’s Anatomy Tomorrow

YAY Seabird!  For those of you new, Seabird is an incredible band my husband has the privilege of managing.  One of my favorite songs of theirs, Falling For You, will be on Grey’s Anatomy tomorrow.  Please support and check it out!  It will be during a 3 minute climax video montage type thing.

MomDot Party Day 1- My Family and Christmas Past!

Today is the first day kicking of the MOMDOT.com Blog Party and I’m one of the VIP hosts.  For those of you that have been around a long time…. some of the topics may be redundant.  For newbies, here goes…  The first topic is to introduce you to my family and post pictures from Christmas past.

As of  4 months ago the Mommy Zabs family is a party of 5. My husband and I have been married for 6 years and in that time have lived in 3 states, 5 houses, and had 3 kids.  My oldest is a boy named Owen who is 4 and 1/2, then there is Lukas who is almost 3, and Avery my little 4 month old girl.  

If you want to learn more about this blog check out my About Page. 

Now for pictures from Christmas Past!

2004- Owen was 7 months and was OUTSTANDING for the picture (in my humble parent opinion)

2005- Owen was PETRIFIED and my husband had to join in.

2006- Owen was 2 and Lukas was almost 1,  I think the picture is HILARIOUS and laugh every year when I get it out.

2007- The boys did pretty well… compared to the year before.  Owen was 3 and Lu was almost 2.

Letter to President Elect Obama by Rich Nathan

This is an open letter to Obama that my pastor from my hometown church wrote….

“President Obama, on behalf of the Vineyard Church of Columbus, I offer our sincerest congratulations and encouragement as you assume the awesome task of providing leadership for our country and our world. As a Jewish-Christian pastor of a congregation that includes blacks and whites, Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans, the able-bodied and the disabled, old and young, rich and poor, Republican and Democrat, we come together now to support you as our president. We pledge to pray for you. Without God’s help we cannot succeed; with God’s help we cannot fail.

The greatness of our nation will continue to be measured by our treatment of the least and the last. In our country the least and the last surely include the unborn and their mothers, immigrants, the medically uninsured, and those who still go to bed hungry in this land of abundance. Our congregation urges you to fulfill your commitment to reduce the number of abortions in our nation. Around the world, America is our brothers’ keeper of those suffering in the Darfur and the Congo. Please work on behalf of those enslaved by global sex trafficking, the billion people who live on less than $2 a day, and those who are the victims of religious persecution. As you lead, remember Jesus’ words: “As you have done to the least of these, my brethren, you have done it unto me.â€

America has an extraordinary capacity to reinvent herself, rarely more so than in this election. We remain the screen upon which the world projects its greatest hopes and its most noble aspirations. Live a life worthy of our hopes. Be a reconciler. Be a peacemaker. May God bless you and your family. And may America bless God and the world.”

Well Well Well

I took a little break yesterday.  I needed it.  Am I doing alright?  Yes.  I pretty much knew that Obama winning would be the outcome, but I suppose part of me held out hope McCain would.  My friend assures me he will govern from the middle.  I hope he is right.

The thing that I dislike the most is the liberal trinity aspect.  Pelosi, Reed, and Obama ruling this nation.  Do my friends that voted Democratic realize that Pelosi defended a homosexual orgy depicting the last supper as an ad for the controversial San Francisco street fair?  Oh well.  Do they realize that abortion isn’t passe issue and that Obama will most likely choose 2 to 3 supreme court judges?  Ah well.  What is done is done and the Lord’s hand is in it.  I still serve him above all.

Because it’s good to say something positive… it is quite a landmark in our history that we have a 1/2 African American president.  To think of all the ground covered since the 50s!  My question… Should there be affirmative action anymore when we have progressed this far?  Food for thought.

Either way  I keep living my life.  I’ll probably watch the news less than I did during this almost 2 year campaigning season.  I’m very interested to see what this ride will be like and what history will show was the right way to go.  I hope I’m very wrong about Obama.  I hope my friends who are his fans are right.  After all, country first.

Vote 2008

So far I don’t have anything to say today.  I’m left somewhat speechless now that this day has finally approached.  Possibly because I know most minds are made up.  We’ll all vote our conscience.  Then we’ll see what happens.  Then regardless, I and many of you should and will trust in the Lord regardless.  At least I’ll be getting free Starbucks.

Contests on Does Mommy Love It? Nov. 3rd, 2008

Choice of Nashelle Jewelry Ends November 2, Midnight. 

Child’s Craft Cloth Ends November 3rd, Midnight 

Smashies Ends November 4th, Midnight. 

Girl Gourmet Cupcake Ends November 6th, Midnight. 

Sounds Tough Board Book Ends November 8th, Midnight. 

Pillsbury Product Coupons. Ends November 8th, Midnight. 

12-18 Month Election Gear By Charming Meaeve Ends November 4th, Midnight. 

No Slip Charlie Bathing Gloves Ends November 11th, Midnight. 

Sibling Set of Shirts from Little Threads Ends November 11th, Midnight. 

Quilt Baby Bib and Burp Set Ends November 13th, Midnight. 

Kleen Kanteen Products Ends November 17th, Midnight. 

Shi Shu Mini Blankets Ends November 18th, Midnight. 

Personalized item from Mitetees Ends November 19th, Midnight. 

Premium Membership to SpiritClips.com Ends November 19th, Midnight. 

Through the Storm Book Ends November 20th, Midnight. 

$20 Giftcard to Simple Salutations Ends November 21st, Midnight. 

Baby Bargains Book Ends November 23rd, Midnight.

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