3 Tips for a Cheerful Holiday and ONE amazing gift the entire family will love!

'Tis the season to be jolly... at least that's what they say. However, for most, 'tis the season to go crazy and broke (or just crazy broke)! That's why I'm sharing three tips that may not keep you from going broke, but at least keep you from going crazy broke and keep you somewhat sane at the same time.

1. Don't Try To Do It All. - Really, don't even attempt it! If your hosting a get-together whether it be with family or friends, don't be afraid to assign a task. I have found that people usually enjoy helping out with the food, especially around the holidays when the food takes center stage. We've all got that signature holiday dish, or cocktail in my case, we wanna share. However, for the Martha Stewart's of the world, keep doin' what your doin' and more power to ya (you probably wouldn't like my dish anyways)!

2. Christmas Lists Aren't Just For Kids - They're not just for Christmas gifts either. Not only do I make a list of everyone I need to by gifts for, but I also make a list for holiday travel. Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year and definitely not a good time to leave anything behind, though I have contemplated leaving the kids. I make a list of everything, down to how many pairs of socks and chonies we need to pack. Don't forget to check your list twice (Santa was on to something with this one) and you'll be on your way, knowing you've got everything you need to make your trip as smooth as possible.

3. Eggnog - Did somebody say Holiday Cheers? *wink, wink* Need I say more? Nothing spreads more holiday cheer then a glass of eggnog (except maybe Bailey's). Just remember to drink responsibly. :D

In the spirit of making the holidays easier, I have got a great gift idea for any little builder in your life. You can add this to your list. Hasbro's New KRE-O Building Sets are sure to be among the top gifts for kids age 6 and up this year. My son just received two of these great building kits for his birthday a few weeks ago and he just loves them. I love them too! We are talking about hours of entertainment here. Of course, feel free to jump in and help them build. We put together the BUMBLEBEE Construction Set one evening together and to my surprise, it was really a lot of fun!

Why We Love KRE-O Building Sets

• With KRE-O building sets your not only building, your playing! I was amazed at how well the sets stayed together when my son was done building. He drove his BUMBLEBEE sports car around for a week before transforming BUMBLEBEE into robot mode. They even come with KREON figures that fit inside the sports car for added fun!

• Not only are KRE-O building sets affordable (they start at a mere $7.99), but you get double the bang for your buck! Each set comes with two buiding options. Kids can create their Transformer into either vehicle mode or robot mode. With a deal like that you may even want to add one of their "basic" construction sets to your holiday packing list if your spending the holidays away from home this year. I know my sons OPTIMUS PRIME basic 90pc construction set will be coming with us. It's a small set that's easy to pack yet loads of fun!

• Maybe the best thing about KRE-O building sets is that they are compatible with other leading brand construction bricks so you can just add them to any collection your kids already own.

Get your KRE-O Transformer building sets in the construction isle of most major toy retailers nationwide or on HasbroToyShop.com and get building!


“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Hasbro blogging program, for 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points and a KRE-O gift. The opinions expressed in this post are mine and don’t necessarily reflect the opinions of SocialMoms or Hasbro. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Tax Breaks for Restricted Diets?

We all know avoiding certain foods can be very expensive. Most allergen free brands tend to be specialty brands and can cost significantly more then big brand or store brand products. There can also be shipping fee's included for items that require online orders. Now, I had no idea, but apparently you can claim gluten free foods on your tax returns. Check out this post from Gluten Free Society, How To Get a Tax Break With Gluten Free Foods. This leaves me to wonder if this works for other allergy safe foods? This could be very helpful to a lot of families dealing with food allergies. It would be nice to catch a break somewhere. After all, allergen free foods are just a small portion of the high cost of food allergies. I would love to know if any of you have tried this before or have any further information on this.

Real Moms Love To Eat... and boy do I know it!

As a real (notice the emphasis on real) housewife and mother I can honestly tell you, I love food! Really, who doesn't? Hell, even the real housewives on Bravo have to eat sometime right?... Though maybe not as much as the rest of us me. Luckily, there is a new book coming out this winter, written by certified health counselor Beth Aldrich called Real Moms Love To Eat; How to Conduct a Love Affair with Food, Lose Weight, and Feel Fabulous. Just in time for my New Years resolution, the title of this book says it all.

In Beth's book you'll learn a lot about the food you eat and how it impacts your body all while continuing your love affair with food. What really sets this book apart from other healthy lifestyle books, is that it was written with busy moms like me in mind. With an easy-to-follow 10 part plan, meal suggestions, recipes and tips you will finally be able to to gradually make the life-style changes needed to look and feel your best.

You can Pre-order your copy of Real Moms Love To Eat and be eligible to win some amazing prizes.

Also, check out the Food Affairiate program and register to receive a digital copy of Real Moms Love To Eat for review AND be entered to win even more amazing prizes including a Top of the Line Kitchen Blender.

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Beth Aldrich - Real Moms Love to Eat blogging program, for a chance to get 3,000 My SocialMoms Rewards points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”