Small Business Christmas Challenge

As we're gearing up to tackle the holidays head-on, we're usually saving money ahead of time, shopping early or spreading it out, using layaway or any other method we can to ease the emptiness of our wallets that buying gifts for everyone entails. We're scraping together money and.... blowing it at big department stores.

 Now, don't get me wrong: I love my trips to Meijer with Aria, as my regular readers know, but when you think about it, wouldn't it be awesome to be supporting other people's Christmas shoping by simply doing our own Christmas shopping? Instead of running to Walmart, Meijer or Kmart, check out that family owned bookstore or toy store. Give a gift certificate to a local non-chain restaurant (they usually have better food anyways!) Or (my personal favorite!) find direct sales reps. in your area that can help you out. Between Avon, Mary Kay, Dove Chocolate, Thirty-one, Scentsy and Uppercase Living you can get tons of your gifts crossed off your list, and help a work-at-home-mom provide for her family's Christmas (and yes, most of these companies now offer some great gifts for men and kids as well!) If you click on the names of the direct sales companies I gave above, they'll take you to the sites of ladies I like to work with and my own site.

Now, you may feel as though I'm tooting my own horn here, but what I'm really saying is support any small business out there. You don't have to buy from my particular small business (although I appreciate it!) - just find one that you'd like to support. Ladies that run their business remember their good customers, and trust me, the service you get from them will be far better than what you get at a chain department store, because they need your business and will work hard to keep it!

My challenge to you is to find at least one gift on your Christmas list from a small business, whether it's a family owned shop downtown or a friend from college who sells from her home. Then share here! Tell me what you bought and about your experience - will you do it again? and why?

Remember, small business ownership is one of the things that makes the economy of our country work. So put it to work for you! :)

Reminiscing

Fall, for me, is a time to think back to the past few months and reminisce on things past. I'm not sure if it's the cooler temperatures, the beautiful, yet temporary, leaves or the impulse to be outside as much as possible before another Michigan winter hits that makes me so reflective, but it pushes me to capture as many of these moments as possible, before I forget them, and they're gone forever (probably the same impulse that had me pick up the blogging again, as a matter of fact.)

Aria is at the most amazing age right now - finding something interesting in every little - usually insignificant - thing. The scrap of paper on the ground, the cardboard box my order of Thirty-one came in yesterday, the piece of tape she can't shake off her finger; all these things just entertain her to no end. She's also enjoying the freedom to toddle around now on her own, and is at the point in walking where she doesn't fall nearly as much. She loves on her "babies" and rocks them, gives them kisses and pats them before laying them down for a nap. She has some sort of imaginary world with her finger puppets, and is always having the most in depth conversation with them. But of all these absolutely adorable new developments, my favorite is when she calls for me or Josh ("Ma!" or "Da!") and gives us a big hug and kiss. So precious.

These are the days that make those first few very long months all worth it. My baby girl is growing up.

What do you do to hang on to the memories and experiences of your children growing up? Do you blog as well? Or scrapbook? Maybe you journal? Please share your ideas!

Birthday Pictures

Looking back, I hadn't realized that there were no pictures of Aria's birthday on the blog, so, although it's almost 3 months late, here they are!

Fall Pictures

Here in Michigan, fall is not something you take for granted. Once those leaves turn and start to fall, you better get to the nearest apple orchard, take your pictures, and find a hay maze, cuz' winter's a' comin'! Unfortunately, on the last nice weekend of the year, both Josh and I were laid up - me recovering from surgery and Josh with a horrible strain of the flu. It was bad. But that's another story.

On the bright side, since I'm a SAHM, I can get out with Aria during the week and take pictures. Aria discovered a love of apples, and was definitely a booger when I was trying to get pictures of her face, but I did get a couple good ones in the end. That weekend, we were able to get out to Yates Cider Mill and grab some pictures before we blew away as frozen icicles. Aria enjoyed some apple cider and donuts, and we caught up with some old friends. It was a nice way to end out the last of the good weather.

Oh, be careful little mouth what you say.

At 15 months now (wow, how time flies!) Aria is at the age where she LOVES to imitate sounds she hears us make. She says things like "Cookie, mama, da, grrr, baby, buhbye and hi!" and other noises which sound like words, but I can't confirm for sure if she knows exactly what she's saying (a prime example of this is when Josh and my in-laws swear she said "go away!" to Josh after he'd been tickling her.)

She frequently imitates our vocal inflections, which can be hilarious. Her favorite comes up when we're reading her "barnyard friends" book, and we got to the rooster, who says "Cock-a-Doodle-Doo!" She just smile and tries so hard to say it.

She also is imitating our actions now; when she gets ahold of my phone, she holds it between her shoulder and ear, like I do when my hands are busy, and chats away. She'll also hold the remote up and push buttons, as if she's changing the channel (which she actually does on occasion.) She loves banging on the keyboard - both the computer and piano. She also has been trying desperately hard to drink out of a "big people" cup, but hasn't figured out yet that she has to tip it up to actually get something in her mouth.

Josh and I are now really having to take into consideration what we say now, because what comes out of our mouths will shortly be coming out of hers...