(You might find this surprising, but most errands and chores are easier on the rare occasion I find myself alone.)

I told Mark that I wouldn’t be coming home for lunch, and that was that.

Until lunchtime. When Mark and Annalyn showed up at my office. Reportedly, that little girl had spent the last hour saying, “Mommy? See her? Mommy? See her?”

So being the good dad that he is, Mark brought her to see her mommy.

Okayyyyyy. Off to Target we went. We swept through the baby section, searching for a birthday party outfit and hurried over to the candy section to look for candy bananas to put on the cupcakes. Then as I paid for a shirt, a pair of pants, some small black shoes and a stuffed Elmo that I’d hid behind my back for 10 minutes, Mark got Annalyn buckled into the car.

I ran out of the store (okay, I walked briskly, let’s be real here), and we sped off to McDonald’s, where we snarfed value meals and begged Annalyn to eat something other than our fries.

And where I found myself saying, “Stop! Don’t touch me with those hands! Here, use this napkin. Yuck! Baby girl! Those are my work pants!”

I know, I know. Somehow, I let my errands and my work pants become more important than spending time with my daughter. I focused on not getting to the other store and the thought of stinky ketchup on my sleeve. And I almost missed that sweet girl just wanting to be with her mommy.

“Mommy? See her?” How could I think anything else was more important than that?

Reba McEntire sings a song called “Is There Life Out There?” and the video makes me cry every darned time I see it. It’s more of a mini-movie, really, about a mother who goes back to school and earns her college degree.

At the end of the video, her teacher returns a paper with an A but suggests she not submit stained work in the future. Those pages were stained because her daughter accidentally spilled coffee on her typewriter-typed report, an incident that reminded Reba’s character what was really important.

Reba tells her teacher, “I learned more from the stains than I did the paper.”

As I fussed at Annalyn about the ketchup on my sleeve and my pants, I thought about that scene.

I don’t want to be too busy to love on Annalyn. Time goes too fast and she’s already growing too much. I know this stage of Mommy-love and more hugs and one more kiss won’t last.

When we got back to my office – with a few minutes to spare, even – Mark told Annalyn to say goodbye.

“Buh-bye!” she said with a smile.
“How about a hug?” I asked.
“Okay!”
"I love you!" I said as she and Mark walked away.
"Wuv. Ooo."

Turns out I had plenty of time to do my other errand after work. And I’m pretty sure nobody noticed the ketchup stains on my clothes. Although it wouldn’t have mattered if they did. One day not far enough from now, I’ll be the one saying, “Annalyn? See her?”

So I’m taking all the hugs and kisses and unexpected lunch visits I can get.

Originally posted at Giving Up on Perfect.

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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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Our Family editor, Sarah, shares a special something about her special someone this week.

I recently took an inventory in a weekend long couple's session about "Which is YOUR Love Language?" (Not familiar with The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate? Check it out).  I wasn't altogether surprised with the results – giving gifts is one of the top ways to show me love.

Does that mean I expect to see a shiny red convertible in my driveway wrapped up with a big bow? No way – and fortunately, this is something that my husband just seems to "get". Several years ago, he started a holiday tradition that has grown into one of my favorite parts of the year. In the two weeks before Christmas, he kicks off "The Twelve Days of Christmas." The twelve days leading up to Christmas, he gives me a gift each day.

These aren't extravagant gifts by any means. For example, one year on Day Eight he gave me eight cans of Campbell's Tomato Soup because he knows I like it. Other common gifts are beef jerky, gift cards to my favorite coffee place, my favorite cinnamon gum (that's usually day three because it's sold in a three pack!).

None of these things are "break the bank" kind of things – but they mean more to me than those big-ticket items because it shows me that he's paying attention. He knows that I only like white Tic Tacs and that I prefer sugar-free candy canes. He knows a gift card to Target will make me giddy, even if it's just six bucks (Hello Day Six). He knows I like funky socks and the color green.

To me, there's nothing better than to know he pays attention to me. That he knows me and loves me and understands and appreciates my quirks and my preferences. That he has created a tradition that can be difficult sometimes (I know he hates buying me soup every year!), but he knows that I appreciate it and that it makes me feel loved so he keeps on each year. That he's expanded the twelve days to shower our daughters with some pre-Christmas spirit makes me smile as well – nothing more awesome than a good dad, right?

Click HERE to hop over to the Family channel to find out how YOU can shower someone with the Twelve Days of Christmas.

I know y'all have stories to tell! Don't hold out on us. E-mail me at malia@blissfullydometic.com and wow us with tales that prove your husband rocks! Also, be sure to join us today on Twitter as we brag on our guys in a 140 characters or less. Use the #myhusbandrocks hashtag and tweet him right!

Photo Source: Fazen

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'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey

Summary:

This book cleverly follows the classic rhyme 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. Some school children head to Farmer Mack Nuggett's farm for a class field trip to see the turkeys. They soon discover what Farmer Mack Nuggett's plan is for those turkeys, and they don't like it one bit! They find a way to hide those turkeys and end up having a vegetarian Thanksgiving instead. And those turkeys?! They lived!!

Activity:

Have your children disguise a turkey to keep it hidden from Farmer Mack Nuggett!

My son's turkey, disguised as an alien!

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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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What a fun game to play with your little ones! I think my kiddos will get a kick out of Mommy gobbling frantically like a turkey.

The videos put together by Cullen's ABCs are always so thoughtful and fun. You can see more at their site Cullens ABCs

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It’s not so much about the satin and lace but more about the surprise element that goes along with it. Sometimes you have to shake things up to let your husband know that you do still care what he thinks about you and that you’re willing to go that extra mile to excite him!

So what, you’ve already bought the hot baby doll chemise and matching panty set?

Well then Strip for your man!

I’m sure you’ve seen the advertisements for pole dancing classes in your area (if you haven’t then just Google it, I’m sure some will pop up).

Have you ever thought to try one out?

There seems to be this stigma tied to stripping, like it’s dirty or not something a respectable wife should be doing. But wait—for just a minute and imagine the confidence and poise a stripper must have. She’s in total control, commands all eyes to be locked on her as she slides and spins around seductively. Moving over and behind her partner demanding all his attention; all while seeming to understand his most private desires without ever speaking a word. She has no doubt in her mind that she is beautiful, sexy, and the only one he wants. She’s not worried about stretch marks or dimples because her poise confirms what he already knows….She is the best.

Don’t you want to be her? Umm, I do.

I had the chance a few weeks ago to take part in a pole dancing class at Stripper 101; located right on the Las Vegas strip. Kindra, our instructor is an actual retired exotic dancer who’s also married with children. She showed us all the basics you would expect like how to stand, move our hips and bend over without falling over in 3 inch heels!  However most of us came out with something we didn’t expect, confidence.

The classes give a feeling of self-empowerment that a regular workout class just doesn’t.  Women of all ages, shapes and sizes strutted around that pole with more confidence than most knew they had. Many of the women I spoke to had taken the class 2 or more times and couldn’t wait to return for another. The classes can be private or semi-private and no men or nudity is allowed so there really isn’t any reason not to feel comfortable. So go ahead, surprise your man with his very own private strip show and take it all off!

Have you tried a little striptease of your own? Tell us about it!

Editor's Note: Here's a previous Blissfully Domestic post about this topic: How To Perform a Striptease. It's a bit "tongue in cheek" but all the right elements are there!

T-Shirt photo courtesy of Stripper 101

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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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This post over at (In)courage took my breath away and made me think, first about how I respond to my husband when he compliments me and second, how simply we can bring love back into our lives, just by paying attention. For example:

Four Fixations

Four times a day think on love. When I leave the marriage bed, leave the front door, when I return to front door, return to marriage bed. These are the four critical archways of time in our day. Touch or whisper a sweet nothing when passing through these gate points, and we walk into hours of closeness. Forever love fixates like fresh love.

The entire post is pure poetry and I encourage you to read it and embrace it and learn from it.

Tomorrow, Erika will challenge us with something a bit more elaborate. It will stretch the comfort zones of many of us (including me!) but I think we can all find confidence in ourselves and a marriage that has been spiced up just by giving it a chance.

Tell us, what little thing do you do each day to keep a connection, a spark going between you and your husband?

photo credit: Clip Art from Microsoft Office Online

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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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