{Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme}

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme

TodaysMama (link to: http://bit.ly/tmwishlist) and GameStop (link to: http://bit.ly/gamestop10) are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What is your holiday wish for your family?
That we are all happy and healthy for many more years to come.

2. What is your Christmas morning tradition?
Watching the kids attack their stockings.



3. If you could ask Santa for one, completely decadent wish for yourself, what would it be?
An all-expenses paid month long trip to Spain.



4. How do you make the holidays special without spending any money?
I have the kids bake sweets with me and make gingerbread houses.



5. What games did you play with your family growing up?
Monopoly. I love that game.


6. What holiday tradition have you carried on from your own childhood?
We always used to be allowed to open one present on Christmas Eve and the kids continue that tradition.


7. Where would you go for a Christmas-away-from-home trip?
Skiing in Vermont -- at an Inn like in White Christmas.


8. Check out GameStop (link to: http://bit.ly/gamestop10) and tell us, what are the three top items on your GameStop Wish List this year?
Kinect


Wii NASCAR game


Special edition DS


To enter, link to your Mama’s Holiday Wish List post using the Mister Linky box below.

BUT WAIT. Did you think we were done? Oh, you must not know us at all.

We have another stockpile of gifts from GameStop that you can enter to win with our extra entry options.

Runner Up #1 will receive a XBox 360 250 GB with Kinect and a $250 GameStop gift card.
Runner Up #2 will receive a Nintendo Red DSi XL Bundle and a $250 GameStop gift card.
Runner Up #3 will receive a Nintendo Red Wii Bundle and a $250 GameStop gift card.
Extra Entry Options include:

“Like” Gamestop on Facebook
Follow @gamestop on Twitter
Head back to the tippy-top of this post and hit that “Retweet” button.


The deadline to post your meme and comment is Friday, December 10th (same deadline applies for extra entry methods).

* For an example of a Mama’s Holiday Wish List entry post CLICK HERE.

All I want for Christmas.....

Did you ever going rifling through your parents closets when you were a kid hoping to find your Christmas presents? Come on -- you know you did! Well, I did. And I got caught red-handed one year.

I can still remember that purple purse that I begged and begged my parents for months leading up to Christmas.


One day my parents left the house to go shopping, so me being the sneaky gal that I am, pulled up a chair to my parents closet and ransacked it trying to find that purse. I was so into the search that I didn't even hear my mom coming back in the house. Not until she walked in the room and saw me hugging, I mean admiring that beautiful purple purse.

She was so disappointed in me -- but deep down she knew I was going to do it or else she wouldn't have set me up like that. And I fell for it hook, line and sinker. And that beautiful purple purse, returned to the store never to be seen again.

At least that's how I remember the story. But in reality they may have given me a red purse and my sister the beautiful purple purse. Just imagine where my life would be now if I had that purple purse. I'd probably be living in Paris as a fashion designer with my own label -- Just Denise!

And the moral of the story kids -- if you're going to go snooping, make certain the parents leave the house, turn the corner and are gone for at least 5 minutes before proceeding.

** Note: I am positive that beautiful purple purse looked nothing like the one pictured but that's the only stylish purple purse I could find online.

Childhood memories

Do you have a smell that takes you back to your childhood? Some of mine are Anise, Kool-a-Ped (don't ask) and hamburgers. Not just any hamburgers mind you....but Wesley's hamburgers.


Back in the day, or as some might call it -- Middle School, we were allowed to go off-campus for lunch. We would probably walk around six blocks to Wesley's Grocery Store and head to the back of the store to where Wesley was butchering meat and put in our order for one of his burgers. You would sometimes even find a line of kids waiting for burgers. He would put them in his little toaster (microwave) and then hand it to you still in its plastic wrapper. Then you would open it up and that smell would hit you. Yum!!

Over the years I've thought about those burgers but never thought I'd find it again. Well....

Wait for it.

Wait for it.

Yes!! I've found Wesley's burgers disguised as, of all things, Weight Watchers Mini Cheeseburgers.


The smell, the taste, the size -- it's all the same. Who knew all those years ago I was on a Weight Watchers plan?

Ok so now back to that walking six blocks to get lunch. Seriously? What were our parents and the school board thinking? There are psychos out there. Not to mention bad drivers.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1: aka HP7

I abhor being like everyone else and will fight to not get sucked into going with the popular trends. Rushing to see a movie on the first day of release? No thank you....unless it's Toy Story 3. But not wanting to be like everyone else usually comes to bite me in the you-know-where because I am like everyone else and end up loving what is popular. Maybe there is a reason it is popular. Hmmm that's a different post to consider.

Anyway, I was not a Harry Potter fan for the longest time and it wasn't until my niece Sydni wanted a HP theme for her 10th birthday party this year that I even paid attention to this HP phenomenon. I had to do some research for the party, of course, or how else are you going to snazz it up. That didn't get me though. It was actually seeing the first movie on the big screen at the party that I was sucked in. And that led to a HP marathon the following weekend and the rest is history.

My favorite character, besides Harry, Hermione and Ron of course, is the most adorable house elf Dobby. How can you not fall in love with that little goblin. Especially the way he says Harry Potter.


I was so psyched for this latest movie and almost took the whole day off to go see the movie but that would just be, well, weird....unless it's Toy Story 3.


So I took off half a day, rested and went with the kids to go see the late movie. We were all so excited and when the movie FINALLY started Sydni even sat forward in her chair with her hands on her knees in anticipation.


The movie did not disappoint. It was so good and had people laughing (Bill don't look at me I'm hideous). People were running, literally running, to the bathroom so they wouldn't miss anything. Now I didn't go that far but I did power walk to the potty and had to body check a couple of people trying to clean up. There were some gasps (huge and I mean a HUGE snake makes an appearance) and some hands thrown up in front of my, I mean some peoples faces. There was also some fashion mixed in -- I'd like to request a beaded bag like Hermione has in the movie. Homegirl knows how to pack a purse.

And there were tears watching the movie. Lots of tears. I won't give it away but I will say that one of my favorite "little" characters is taken out by an evil witch. I was so glad my nephew Jacob was there by me because he hugged and petted me the whole time I cried. Such a sweet boy. (and thanks sis for telling him to do it because it did help.)


There was anger. How are you going to have me pay $3.50 for a box of M&Ms and give me less than I would if I bought a bag at the corner store? You're just asking me to sneak in candy so I accept.

And there was intrigue. At the conclusion people were saying "You've got to be kidding me!!!" You have to see the movie to learn what happens. And if you want someone to go with you, call me. I'll even take off work to go. I can't wait to see Part Deux.

What else am I missing by not following these popular trends? I might even read these books. Then maybe the Twilight series. Who knows, I might even break down and buy an Atari some day.

Royal Wedding

Prince William and his long-time girlfriend Kate Middleton are getting hitched. I'm not ashamed to admit I am looking forward to this wedding.


The day Prince William's mom, Princess Diana, got married is a day I will always have in my mind. As a youngen I got up so early just to sit there and watch the nuptials. I am looking forward to waking my 10 year-old niece to watch this one with me.


And who can ever forget that dress?


Being young and impressionable I wanted a dress, and especially a train just like that.


Hopefully Wills and Kate's marriage will fair better than his parents. That royal family needs some marital happiness. It works out in all my historical romance novels so why not in real life?