Margaritas + Feeling Like A Failure Mom(+ A Give-Away)

This week is crazy, crazy.
And not the good kind of crazy... know what I mean?

Maybe two weeks before Christmas, with so much other stuff going on, is not the ideal time to start having big evening events for my new job.
But I have two this week, last night and tonight and I have literally been running around like a chicken with my head cut off.
I can't wait until tonight is over.

The other day Charlotte started drawing a book of "Mommy's Favorite Things" and page 1 was a margarita.
She wanted to take the book to school to show her teacher and right now as I am typing this I just remembered that I never checked
her backpack to make sure she didn't.
Ooops.
That margarita is going to be sounding pretty good about 8:00 tonight though....

This morning I am feeling bad about snapping at Charlotte for losing one of her new gloves already, right before she left for school.
And yesterday she wanted me to walk with her class to a play at the University and I couldn't go because I had to work.
I hate saying I can't go.
And I think one day last week was her snack day and I just remembered. Yep.
Got it all together over here, don't I?
Also, my girl has to get a tooth pulled next week and there's more guilt.... my kids have inherited my terrible teeth.
It's so easy to let all of these things overwhelm you, make you feel guilty and less than.


BUT,  I have not failed completely with our Elf this week... it's the little things, folks, and I'm hanging on tight to the little things
I haven't screwed up.
In the midst of the busy craziness our little Elf is something to look forward to every morning.
Even if I forgot last night and Eric hung him off the back door know to make it look as if he was trying to get out of the house(Booooorrrrriing).

One morning we woke up to papers scattered all over the dining room floor.

It looks as though he was trying to draw the perfect self-portrait.

Another morning he got into the basket of CLEAN laundry and scattered socks 

and underwear all over the Christmas tree.

 I can't forget tonight though,  I need a good idea...

and I need to do it before I crawl into bed exhausted tonight...

no more of this hanging off the door handle business.

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Look at this post about my little GIVE-AWAY that ends tomorrow.

Leave a comment on this post or any post this week.

A swell little bundle of vintage goodness + one pretty sweet little coffee mug.

50% off everything in My Shop through tomorrow, 12/13/13.

Happy Thursday, y'all.

When It's Okay To Half-Ass It :: Our Elf On The Shelf

Meet our Elf, Kringle.

He made his big debut at our house last year about 4 days before Christmas.
My kids were 6 and 8 last year.
I was just a little late to the whole Elf On The Shelf game.
And if you want to know the truth?
Last year(like most years) I was feeling a little guilty about my lack of Christmas spirit and stopped on a whim and bought us an Elf,
hoping maybe it would help me get more excited about the Holidays.
Our Elf On The Shelf didn't work any crazy miracles, but he did help I think.

I admit, I was a little overwhelmed by the prospect of having to do the whole Elf thing every night...
I can barley remember to be the Tooth Fairy when I need to, ya know?

Of course I pin all the cute ideas and ooh and ahhh(and sometimes roll my eyes) at all the cool and fun things all the other Elves out there are doing.
And here's the thing- I could feel bad about the fact that I am half-assing this whole Elf thing, and not measuring up to what all the
organized + creative moms are doing.... But I don't.
Because it would just be dumb to do that.

This Morning-- 
At about 7:30 this morning I heard the kids awake, whispering about the Elf, hurrying up to get downstairs to find him.
Uh. I forgot to do anything with the Elf.
S*%$.
I hurried down right ahead of them and hid the Elf under my shirt.
The kids looked all around and couldn't find him, they went to the basement and before I could hide him they were back upstairs again.
They decided to go to the top floor so I propped him up on the back of the couch with a camera, hidden by the curtains.
Kringle was taking pictures of the FIRST SNOW outside! DUH.

The kids thought it was funny plus they were pretty excited about the snow, too.
Maybe tonight I will do better, maybe I will remember before I go to bed.
Maybe tomorrow morning the kids will wake up to see the Elf doing the funniest thing yet... and maybe not.

Either way, the kids are excited and happy, they look forward to him every morning.
And that makes me smile.
That's the part of the Holiday Season that I love, the wonder and excitement of it all.
So I just let myself off the hook, knowing that it's okay to half-ass most things in this
whole parenting job, and the Elf on The Shelf is no exception.

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Can I get an Amen?