Author Archives: The Dose of Reality

Christmas Is Making Us Crazy!

Posted on by
28

Christmas is making us crazy over here y’all! Raise your hand if the holiday season is weighing you down…and we don’t just mean because of all the yummy Christmas cookies you have been making thanks to Pinterest!

FBChristmasWallets

It seems like there is just so much stuff to do at this time of year. Between the gift buying and the house decorating, we start out broke and tired. When you throw in school holiday parties and dance recitals, we feel ourselves going over the edge into crazytown. Forget throwing an unexpected illness into the mix, because that is just a recipe for why mommy rocks in the corner crying all day!

So, we had grand plans of blog work all week and part of next week, where we would then treat ourselves to blog holiday break…check out of social media and really just focus on time with our families. We all know how relaxing long school breaks are for moms, right?

But then, well, life happened. And we discovered that if we actually planned to sleep on Christmas Eve and not find ourselves combing the aisles of the local Walgreen’s for Christmas gifts for the whole family (really, though, who can’t use a new comb and some Jujubes), we needed to actually use our very limited remaining free time wisely.

So if you need us, we are knee deep in the dollar bin at Target grabbing all remaining batteries and rolls of tape. Once we finish there, we will be heading over to Justice to relive our 80’s youth and attempt to find our preteen girls a few sweaters in any shade other than day-glo green. Good luck on that front, are we right?!

In the meantime, since we know everyone currently reading this has a to-do list a mile long, we are just going to share a few of our favorite holiday posts from the past couple years in one spot. Read them at your leisure (HA!) or when you need a break from all the holiday visitors (more likely!). We are all in this together. And boy does it take a village, especially during the holidays!

That Time I Accidentally Told My Kids Santa Is A Jackass

SantaInTheHouseForPost

A real lesson in making sure you have your story BEFORE your kids question you!

Dear Santa, Please Make My Kids Smile On Command Just Once

ChristmasCardPinCollageActualPin

Kids really just know how to put the cheer in holiday cheer, don’t they?!

The Worst Christmas Display You Will Ever See

DeadSanta

Try explaining that choice of Christmas decorating every day on the way to school!

So, there you have it, folks. Our version of a Christmas season wrap-up. Now, everyone, back to your regularly, scheduled programming, i.e. teacher gifts, grocery shopping trips, and figuring out where you hid that gift you bought last April when it was dirt cheap and your couldn’t pass up the savings!

Happy Holidays Dose Peeps!

We will see you all back here on January, 5th, 2015 right after we send our children back to school and pour ourselves the first cup of actually hot coffee we will have had in 2.5 weeks!

 

 

 

 

Making The Cut: When Christmas Is Painful

Posted on by

It is no secret that my mother died a few years ago. I have written about it a few times here, including when I shared about the difficulty of the first holiday season without her. As anyone who has experienced loss can tell you, it is often the most unexpected moments that hit you the hardest.

I can honestly say that even three years later, the process of doing holiday cards is one of the times I miss my mom the most. It is one of the times that I can genuinely hear her voice raving about my choice of cards and my children in their photos.

I am beyond honored that The Huffington Post is sharing a post that I wrote about what it feels like when Christmas is painful. When you have to make the cut in the Christmas card list that you wish you did not have to make.

When Christmas Is Painful

We are closing comments here today in hopes that you will share your thoughts over at HuffPo instead. It would mean the world to me, and I can promise you that somewhere my mother will be sharing them all beaming with pride.

ChristmasCardMomPin

 

Does Your House Have A War On Christmas Music, Too?

Posted on by

We are total Christmas music junkies over here at The Dose of Reality. Like, the second the all Christmas music, all the time radio station blasts the first notes of I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas, we know it is going to be a good day.

Our hubbies and children do not feel the same level of love and commitment to carols that we do. Let’s just say that Lisa’s hubby refuses to listen to the same song twice, which makes the holidays a bit tricky for him. And Ashley’s hubby has declared a ban on all carols recorded by wives of famous musicians. Yes, Yoko Ono, he is looking at you.

So, needless to say, when we read this post by our friend Kathy Radigan at My Dishwasher’s Possessed, we called each other immediately to laugh over our favorite parts (spoiler alert: it was all of them).

Before we share with you the fantasticness that is Kathy’s ode to her love of Christmas music, we want to tell you a little about how amazing she is. You know those people in the world who just exude kindness and generosity? If you look up those words in the dictionary, you will see Kathy’s picture. She goes out of her way to spread the blogging love, and her love of this community shows in everything she does. We feel so lucky to call her a friend.

If your family is giving you fits about wanting to crank up All I Want For Christmas then you will not want to miss this post! Conversely, if Rockin Around the Christmas Tree is not exactly your idea of a good time, you will laugh relating to how Kathy’s family feels. Either way, this is a win-win for you!

Just to give you a quick taste of what you are going to read, here is a snippet.

November 1 starts the annual “War of the Christmas Music.”

Each year, it’s me against my husband and the three little darlings that I brought into this world, I should add after a collective 36 hours of labor and three C-sections.

This year, I’m taking a proactive stand. I’m taking my case to the people (or at least the few wonderful souls who take time out of their day to read my blog).

Mommy wants to listen to “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas” without the groans and moans from the back seat of the minivan. I would like to enjoy all 55 versions from 55 different artists of, “It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” without hearing Joe call me a “Lame-o.”

I’m listing 10 reasons why my family shouldn’t give me a hard time listening to the holiday music that gives little old me such joy:

Let us just warn you that each reason is laugh out loud funny! Comments will be closed here today so that you can all head over to Kathy’s place and bust out a little 12 Days of Christmas while you leave her some Dose Peep love!

http://mydishwasherspossessed.blogspot.com/2013/10/its-beginning-to-sound-lot-like.html

KathyRadiganBlogPicturedForPost

Can’t you just tell she is the nicest person ever?!

 

Would You Rather: Talk Santa Or S-E-X?

Posted on by
63

Warning right off the top: This post is not safe to read with little eyes around! And probably will trigger your work SPAM filters, despite the fact that I swear never to actually type out the word S-E-X. Phew. I feel better now. I don’t need emails later about how I ruined your child’s Christmas or how you now have to attend your company’s “safe internet use” policy and procedure seminar.

It seems you have been using the company computer to read about S-E-X. And I still need those TPS reports, so yeah, I’m going to need you to come in on Saturday.

It has been a while since we presented you with one of our head-scratching Would You Rather scenarios, but we have a doozy today.

It all started with a conversation way back in the fall of 2013. I had thought about making it a Would You Rather then, but those levels of Candy Crush weren’t going to play themselves time got away from me. You get it, I am sure.

It is no secret that I do not think well on my feet, especially when it comes to the tough questions in motherhood. Questions like, “How exactly does the baby get into your tummy?” and “Why does my toy from Santa have a Target sticker on it?”

Look kids, squirrel!

But the tough conversations are coming. And we have to be prepared for them. And by we, I mean Lisa. See, I decided that she is better equipped to handle these situations. She has no qualms about talking about S-E-X (even using correct terminology and everything!), whereas I would prefer to shower with my clothes on. So the mere idea of “going there” with my children tends to leave me rocking in the corner and crying feeling a bit unsettled.

I told her that I would trade her. If she would spill the beans on the whole birds and the bees situation, then I would take the Santa conversation for her.

Total bestie win-win, am I right?

We decided to bring the question to our Dose Peeps and see which option you would prefer.

So here is the scenario: You have to tell your best friend’s child the real truth about the big guy in the red suit OR you have to give the nitty gritty details on just exactly what happens when a mommy and a daddy really love each other.

In both scenarios, the child is of an appropriate age to find out, so it is not like you are having to spill the beans to a 4 year-old or anything. But nevertheless, you will forever be known as the one who gave up the goods on what could probably be declared the two most uncomfortable childhood conversations.

No, you may not. Now get busy answering this question! No pressure or anything.

Would you rather talk Santa or S-E-X? Remember, you have to pick a side. My jeans already don’t fit from the last time I had to eat my feelings.