If you read my post in the Relationships section, you'll know every year in the days leading up to Christmas my husband gifts me with The Twelve Days of Christmas. This means that each day he gives me a gift – nothing too pricey! – in the countdown towards Christmas.

This year, I'm going to gift someone with the Twelve Days of Christmas. And my kids are going to help.

Things you need to know:

• If you would like the last day to fall on Christmas Day, you'll need to start with the first gift on Monday, December 14.
• Whether you start with Day 12 and count DOWN or Day 1 and count up is up to you (we usually start with 12 and count down)
• The point is not to spend a ton of money – but rather to give gifts you know will make the recipient smile (remember, 'tis better to give than receive, right?)
• Sometimes you have to be creative with finding fitting gifts (one year, I was given a bag of beef jerky on Day 6 because it held six ounces of product!).
• If you're mailing it, you'll probably opt to use lighter items so that shipping won't be too expensive

Who should be the recipient of your Twelve Days project? That's a good question! Do you have a neighbor that needs a smile? Maybe a family member that lives far away? Your college roommate that you don't see often enough? Your kids' favorite uncle? 

Once you've selected your recipient, brainstorm ideas for things he or she likes – remember, the goal is not to make this an expensive project that you will resent. The goal is to let someone you care about know that they're thought of.

Pick your twelve gifts, wrap them up separately. If you are shipping them to someone, put the details on each package ("Open this gift on December 20!", for example). If your recipient is local, you can deliver a gift each day.

Then? Kick back and watch your Christmas spirit brighten someone's (twelve) days. It's definitely better to give than receive, and this is a fun way to show your children how fun giving can be.

Photo Credit: Fazen

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Moms are a funny thing. At least mine is. I can’t think of a single relationship in my life that is more complex, convoluted, and packed with a complete range of emotions (and then some) than the one I have with my mother. Many of the things that drove me crazy about her when I was a child still do. But for the most part, I can brush those things off with some perspective—and sense of humor, especially when I see those same things in myself. Then there are the things that I’ve learned to embrace in a whole new way. Some things really do get better with age.

For example, my mom is beyond old school—she’s old world. As a young woman, she left her war-torn country after the Second World War. Like many who experience great loss, my mother has her ways of holding on to the past—nostalgic and old-fashioned are only a few ways to describe her. (Please call her Mrs. Peterson if you meet her.) One of those ways has to do with technology. What was available then is still just as good now. Mom lives without a computer or cable TV. It’s only been recently (within the last decade) that she gave up her rotary phone for a touch tone (and even then it took her a while to use the “machine” that would allow for people to record messages when she couldn’t answer). And as far as what her daughter does, she doesn’t totally understand, but she’ll tell people, “it has something to do with the computer.” Obviously, email is out of the question. Even phone calls are too extravagant. When it comes to communicating, mom uses the tried-and-true method of letter writing.

The letters are usually predictable: the cards have cute baby animals or wildflowers on them and say things like, “Hang in there” or “Thinking of You” or “Just a Little Note.” The messages are often predictable, too: news about the weather, stories about her pets, health updates about her teeth or feet or random ailments. And then there are the words of wisdom. My mother is a fan of cliché sayings of comfort, like the sun will always come out tomorrow. There was a time when that was exactly the kind of thing I didn’t want to hear. Now, I read a bit more between the lines. The letters have become a kind of fortune cookie for me, each one sure to have some little treat or thought to take away.

Like my mom, I’ve come to be nostalgic about a few things, and keeping her letters has been one of them. It doesn’t take much to get a little dose of mom when I can open a random letter and find something that will inevitably give me that fortune cookie smile.

Read More Here

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Like a good patient I took my medicine as prescribed, but what neither I nor my doctor knew was that I had developed bleeding ulcers in my stomach. By the time my husband found me, I had six of them and had been bleeding internally for more than a day. But of course he didn't know this. All he knew was his wife was unconscious and unresponsive on the bathroom floor.

Thankfully, my husband was a nurse trained in first aid and CPR and having just graduated from nursing school he knew what to do. He called 911 and then performed first aid while he frantically waited for the cavalry to show up.

Would you know what to do in a similar situation? Would your family? I know now only because I went through that experience, but sadly not only was I not prepared, but I would not have been able to respond if our roles had been reversed.

It is an easy thing to put off to another day. We think we will always have tomorrow to take care of things, to get prepared. But all too often we are caught unaware and unprepared.

I know something like this has happened to you or someone you know. Tell us your story of how first aid saved your life or the life of someone you know. Or tell us about a time you weren't prepared. Leave a comment or write your own post and link it below and we will enter you in a giveaway to win the most advanced first aid kit available.

Intelligent First Aid strongly believes in the importance of families having not only a first aid kit, but also the right one, that’s why they are giving Blissfully Domestic readers a chance to win the most intelligent safety and first aid kit available.

The Talking First Aid kit comes with Talking Care Packs for Breathing/CPR, Bleeding, Shock Care, Head & Spine Care, Bone Care, Eye Care, Burn Care, Bites & Stings Care, Basic First Aid. It also comes with a full color guide book, the Talking product manual, and a flashlight/book light, and all the supplies you need in a first aid emergency. Basically, this kit will tell you what you need to do in all of these emergency situations!

For an extra chance to win:

• Visit the Intelligent First Aid website and leave a comment telling us which kit you think would be the most beneficial to your family.
• Tweet this contest.
• Become a Fan of Blissfully Domestic on Facebook
• Subscribe to our Newsletter

The winner will be chosen at random and announced November 20th at Midnight.

* Intelligent First Aid is partnering with Blissfully Domestic for this campaign.

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When I was next ready to have my hair trimmed I didn't hesitate to turn to my sister again. She did such an excellent job the first time. I didn't have a single negative thought about turning my noggin over to her. And yet… two days before my thirtieth birthday (and one day before the surprise party my husband had planned with all my family and friends), I found myself with some severely short hair. Whoops.

On my actual birthday, I found myself in tears in a salon having a stylist discretely repair the damage — straightening up the ends, fixing the layers, making it liveable until it grew out. And I never told my sister what I'd done (don't worry, she doesn't read my blog!).

It's a tricky line to walk – I never wanted my sister to start questioning herself or her abilities (especially when she was still in the learning stages). I didn't want to shake her confidence or hurt her feelings. I wanted her to be able to realize gently that she'd made mistakes and that they weren't the end of the world, and that hair is just hair. It grows back (even though it can be slightly traumatizing if you let it – I've tried to let go of that part of my personality!).

I remind myself of this often – when my daughters are working on new stunts in gymnastics, when my youngest is working on shaping and recognizing her letters, when my husband is trying to improve his mile time, and even when I'm struggling with a new song in guitar lessons: Sometimes new skills require time. Sometimes things don't come easily to us. Sometimes it takes a little more practic and a little more effort on our part, and the support and cheerleading from our family and friends can make the whole process a little easier.

Photo source:  Photos by Lina

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For starters, I received the B Begonia Eco Bags to review. I am a tree-hugging kind of gal, I have a lot of reusable bags but these bags? They take the cake. They are stylish, sassy, and they roll up and snap closed for stowing in your purse until you need to use it again (No more forgetting your bags at home!). I don't use mine for groceries, because while they seem sturdy, I don't know if it would withstand the heft of canned goods, however I took mine with me recently to the mall while I did some holiday shopping. No plastic bags to lug around and I actually got several compliments about my very pretty bags.

The whole family was glad that I purchased Up (Single Disc Widescreen) on DVD when it was released Tuesday morning. Though we had gone to see it on the big screen, I think it retains its magic on the home television. My daughters and I have watched several times in the past week, and y'know – that's totally okay with me. When we find a movie that everyone enjoys, well… we watch it A LOT.

Perhaps one of the things that most accurately signals the start of the holiday season and triggers the urge to holiday shop for me is the return of the Starbucks red cup and their holiday drinks. My favorite is the Gingerbread latte (no-fat, no-whip for this gal). Something about gingerbread gets me in the holiday spirit.  In addition to the gingerbread latte, this time of year brings the egg nog latte and also a peppermint mocha. When I swing through my local Starbucks, I also pick up Horizon Chocolate Milk boxes for the kids. Makes holiday shopping in a group a little easier to tolerate.

These are some of my favorite things this month. What are you and your family loving these days?

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A way to make a not fun task a little easier though, is to share it with your family. I typically kick start my menu for the upcoming week after browsing the grocery store's sale flyer – I can see what's on sale and sometimes plan a meal or two around the weekly specials. Beyond that? Usually I've got a few more dishes to come up with to round out the week.

Sometimes we brainstorm ideas in the car (I drive, my seven-year-old writes down ideas) or sometimes we hang out at home poring through cookbooks to come up with ideas – but ultimately, I try to have everyone in the family pick at least one meal for the week – this ensures that everyone has one meal each week that they love (versus them all hating EVERYTHING, which is no fun for me).

Sure, we maintain some ground rules in our planning (i.e. no junky foods, no we're not having pizza EVERY night) but for the most part, planning the menu with the family makes the task a little easier for me as well as creating a little more variety in our meals.

Photo credit: Tyger_Lillie

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While The Princess is an even-tempered, conflict avoidant kid, Pumpkin is outspoken and doesn't hold back (though it's partly a function of being four, The Princess was never like this).

Initially, when The Princess was born and her temperament and personality was so different than my stepson's I thought to myself, "Well, they only share half the genetics and they live in totally different environments. OF COURSE they're going to have differences." Of course, that theory had to be amended when Pumpkin was born — because even though she and her sister have the same pair of genetic contributors and live in the same house under the same rules, the two of them are like night and day.

And that's fine.

I mean, to some degree it keeps me and Hubby on our "parenting game". Clearly, a one size fits all approach isn't going to work with both kids. We've had to adapt and tailor our parenting strategies somewhat, to best meet the needs of each child. Now, that doesn't mean that each kid has a different set of rules, per se. No, our expectations are the same for each of our daughters (and Stepson too when he's in our home) – but the way in which we communicate those expectations is different.

In the classroom, I'm finding that our kids carry on their differences even when not under our roof. The Princess thrives when she is challenged and is excelling in her classes. She likes to know exactly what is expected of her, what happens when, and where she'll be at any particular time. Pumpkin needs a little more freedom – she doesn't want to follow a schedule, necessarily (though she'll have to learn how), as long as the end product is the same, she prefers a more fluid path to reaching that point.

So what does that mean, exactly? Well, I'm finding that as a parent it means that sometimes it's not enough to just be satisfied that once the children are out the door that the teachers have everything figured out. I have hesitated to get involved but after a talk with The Princess's teacher, during which I said, "I really don't want to step on your toes!" she told me, "I have a background in education. YOU have a background in your child."

No one knows your child and his or her temperament like you do. Sometimes a cookie cutter approach isn't going to cut it – in the house or at school. Keep the lines of communication open with your child's teacher and keep your eyes open, but most importantly embrace your child for all his or her quirks and traits and characteristics that make him or her the kiddo you love so much.

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As a mother and stepmother, I know first hand that being a stepmother is very different from being a mother. In fact, most days, being a stepmother is one of the hardest jobs on the planet. When you have children of your own you are in control. When you have stepchildren, the control is up for grabs.

Looking for ways to gain control in your home without turning into the Wicked Witch of the West? Here are a few quick tips to maintain control while decreasing your wicked reputation.

• Never discuss big conflict items in front of the children. These can include child support, schedules, rules and discipline.
• Always try to keep the communication lines between you and your spouse open and nonjudgemental.
• Never ask your spouse to choose between you and their children.
• Decide on house rules together. These rules apply to everyone in the house and don’t change when the stepchildren coma and go.
• The most important rule: Always put your marriage first. The kids will grow up and leave (hopefully) but your spouse will be around long after that!

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This is why when my daughter came home with her second grade school pictures, I couldn't fit one more picture in the frame! It wouldn't shut! I figured maybe it was time to do something about it. My mom suggested putting them in a box. That didn't appeal to me – I mean, this is my daughter's face we're talking about.

Instead, I purchased a 12" x 12" scrapbook. I picked a solid color cover with no frills whatsoever – I wanted to be organized, not break the bank. While I was at the store, I picked up some adhesive photo corners (you can find them in the scrapbook section).

Mind you, I'm not a scrapbooker – my plan was not to get carried away with embellishments and page layout fuss. That's outside my skill-set. Instead, my daughter and I sat down and from her very first studio photo to her first grade photo, looked at the way she's grown and changed in the past seven years. She smiled at seeing her baby face and her pretty dresses and her chubby cheeks. In one picture, we remembered how she had just had stitches removed from her forehead after a mishap with a chair.

We put one picture on each page, secured with photo corners only – this allows you to remove the picture later if you'd like. We also wrote her age beneath each picture. We'll continue to add to this album as years go by.

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This post by Just Ask Baby originally appeared on Divine Caroline.

As I watched my four-year-old granddaughter, put her doll to bed, I was again reminded of the many ways in which make-believe fosters healthy growth and development. In her make-believe, Heather was not practicing for a later role as a mother. Rather, she was dealing with the fact that she had a new baby sister who was taking a lot of her mother’s and father’s attention. Sometimes children create imaginary companions who can help a child deal with socially unacceptable impulses, or avoid responsibility for certain actions. A child who broke a plate insisted that his imaginary companion, Stevie, had done it. And when children engage in dramatic play and put on adult clothing and adopt adult postures and language, this is not simply imitation. Rather in such play, children are making believe that they have the power and prerogatives of adults that are denied to them as children.

The benefits of make believe go well beyond the therapeutic. Engaging in make believe encourages children to go “beyond the information given,” to conceive of options and not to accept the first idea that is presented to them. Indeed, critical thinking has its roots in make believe play. It encourages creativity as well. Norman Brosterman in his book Inventing Kindergarten makes some fascinating observations. He found that Frank Lloyd Wright, Paul Klee, and Piet Mondrian had all attended Froebelian kindergartens. In these kindergartens children create a variety of forms, structures and images with blocks of various kinds, paper cut into geometric patterns, dried peas and toothpicks (the forerunner of tinker toys) and many more materials of this sort. Brosterman found remarkable parallels between what children created in the Froebel kindergarten and the work of the artists who had attended these kindergartens as children.

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