TheMorrisonFamilyBlog

  A Spectacular Weekend! I want to be six again! Last week, The Divine Miss M received her first "official" birthday party invitation. It has been the dinner conversation topic every night. Excitement couldn't contain itself and lead to a phone call either in the morning or after school to her Dad to tell him, "We have to get a birthday present"! Finally, Friday was a BIG day. I think she was possibly more excited than the Birthday Girl! She took a nap after school, without complaint. When she awoke we showered and got dressed.   Then, we took this schnazzy picture and dropped her off at the party. It went an hour past her bedtime! Back home we heard about the party in great detail. Life is mighty good at six! The party was anticipated so much that this next part became sort of an "Oh, yeah" thing. Every day, first thing through the door, we unload the backpack. It's typically pages of coloring, perfecting handwriting, learning to ________, etc. Oc...

  Thank You, Southern Ooaks   You know, this blogging thing isn't a paying gig. It's time-consuming. I love it. I have met soooo many wonderful people through my blog. It's grown tremendously and I feel warm and fuzzy like it's my child and we're experiencing so many "firsts" together!   Sometimes, someone will reach out and send me something as a thank you. I love surprises in the mail and my family enjoys experiencing the love someone put into something for us.   My girls are CRAZY about the hair accessories from "Artistry by McKenzie*G".   My husband has "claimed" the 5x7 art work by Robin of smArtee.   I try and live up to the expectations of my mother and write a "Thank You"--in the world of blogosphere, I call it a "review"! Thank you for these little moments in my mailbox that span over the hearts of my family.   Today, I experienced something different. Regina from Southern Ooaks wrote the most love-filled po...

  How One Week Without Television Changed Us We recognized our children as television tyrants when we walked into the house, and one of them would automatically turn the television on. It wasn't necessarily that someone was "watching" it, but it had to be "on". It was on through dinner, causing heads to turn from the table and food to hit the floor. They'd barter bedtime with "on the next commercial" or "after this show". It was out of control. So we started a project. No TV for one week. The first day was absolutely a nightmare. The children screamed. They couldn't "function" without the television. It was too cold to venture outside, so they had to rely on, dare I say it..."imagination". There were endless cries of  "I'm BORED!" I was standing on the cliff's edge, prepared to jump by the end of Day One. By Day Two there were still withdrawals, but dinner time was a time of the conversation. We e...

  Happy Anniversary Jake & Becky

 Laundry Tip Removing Grease Stains Tutorial Out Grease Spot! Out! It's a good thing I like to do laundry because we generate a lot of it at our house. This morning was wash day and as I was checking the clothes for stains before washing, I came across a shirt worn by my husband. He's a pig--as this shirt reveals.   Those "spots" are grease! Gross, I know, but behind every clean shirt is this laundry-loving Wife. I make his clothes lend the impression that he is CIVILIZED! This is a laundry tutorial on how to get grease out of clothes. It can be done. First, you'll have the best success if you catch it before you wash it and definitely, before it finds its way through a dryer cycle. This part is optional, but I find it helps me identify the "stain" later on. Using a fabric pencil, trace around the stain. I used white on the dark shirt. It doesn't have to be detailed, just an outline so you know where the grease spot is on the garment.   Place inside ...

  Artistry by McKenzie*G Review You may remember not too long ago I did a feature and giveaway for "Artistry by McKenzie*G". As a thank you for that feature, McKenzie sent my girls two absolutely darling hair accessories. They've been wearing them and getting so many compliments. The first hair accessory my girls unwrapped was this large hot pink, white and black hair barrette. It is adorned with beads and buttons and is perfect for so many hairstyles. Abi's favorite way to wear it is at the top of a ponytail.     My MacKenzie likes to wear it to hold up her short hair.  The barrette is sturdy. It is of high-quality. My girls usually complain that the barrettes trap their hair and then we have to struggle to unwind their hair from the clasps. We have not had this issue with the Aristry by McKenzie*G hair clip. It has held securely and does not tangle the hair. The backside of the clip is a soft, hot pink knit. It is very professional looking and made with great craft...

It's been a dreadful ten days or so...my days have all merged into one very long chain of "just when I thought it could not get any worse". To start the domino effect, my grandmother, " Charlotte the Great ", lost her older sister. It's not so much I was close to "Aunt Pat". I remember her. I remember picking strawberries with her and she was an incredible cook. Her health had been deteriorating over the past seven years since she had a stroke--and she was 88---it was expected. But to see "Charlotte the Great" grieve. To hear her remember fond moments. To also hear my mother speak of "Aunt Pat"...it was a sad time for my heart. Tuesday my cousin called to tell me my paternal Grandfather was admitted to the hospital with fluid in his lungs (not pneumonia) and congestive heart failure. I spent a lot of time at my grandpa's playing with my cousin as a child. My grandpa is one of the wittiest and humorous people I've ever e...

  Charm Factory Review    I love charms.   They seem so delicate and dainty and there are so many ways to express "me just by adding charms that represent what I like or what represents me to a bracelet.   Located and made in the USA, Charm Factory is completely lead-free! Recently I had the opportunity to receive the Silver Heart Bracelet from Charm Factory.  From the moment I opened the package, I was impressed. My bracelet came in a gift box, making it perfect for gift giving or, in my case, putting the bracelet away when I'm done wearing it.   The bracelet is beautiful! The chain is delicate with its large links separated by two smaller links. The hearts are the perfect touch. Some of the hearts are simple and plain, while others are ornate. They are placed perfectly to wear as is or to add more personal charms in between. The bracelet is made from .925 sterling silver and features a strong lobster-style clasp. I was impressed by the length (7″ + ...

  Piggy Paint Review One of my most favorite moments with my girls is "GLAM TIME"--nail polish just entertains them. In fact, they will do darn near anything for the chance to pick their own color and be pampered. I hadn't really thought about the toxic properties of this fun activity. I mean...NEVER even crossed my mind. Then I read the story about Piggy Paint! and my jaw hit the floor. "One day while we were painting nails over a foam plate, my daughter dropped a glob of her solvent-based polish onto the plate. Shortly after, the paint began to bubble and “ate” through the plate. I looked in dismay at the hole in the plate and decided to test all of her other “kid” polishes on the foam. Within minutes, ALL of the solvent-based polishes began to bubble and eventually left big holes in the plate. From that day on, I decided that any flammable substance that could eat through foam was unacceptable for my children’s fingernails, which would inevitably end up in their m...

 Southern Ooaks Feature I love Faeries, Santa and all things Southern. It's an eclectic list I know. I'm diverse and original! While blog hopping, I ran across an amazing artist with some truly unique sculptures and jewelry. Meet S. Regina Moore, a Southern Gal from Alabama. She is delightful and engaging. "Being a true GRITs (girl raised in the South) I wanted a catchy name that folks would remember and connect with. The South is known for its huge oak trees so I came up with Southern Ooaks. My ooaks is of course "one of a kind sculpts". I asked if she had a storefront. "Haven't gotten that brave just yet BUT I'm working on it. Right now I sell by way of email and then letting folks pay with money orders. Being the old school Southern gal I think snail mail is still useable!!!!" I spent a very long time just reading through her posts and looking at her one of a kind creations coming to life before me. I love the story behind each one and the de...

With six kiddos I've seen a lot of Ouchies! Some have unfortunately required medical attention outside of Mom's abilities, but for the most part, a band-aid heals and lessens the pain! My youngest, Li'l Man, is rough and tough. He sports a new bruise or abrasion every day. As he has grown, so has his imagination!  He once fought an apricot tree and lost , but more recently, he came inside and had a scratch ALL the way down his back. When I asked him, "What happened?" Here is what he told me...   We received Ouchies! bandages in exchange for this review. All opinions and my kiddos love for bandaids remain our own. Ouchies Review "I was outside playing when over the wall came Saber Tooth. I had to transform into Wolverine. We had a battle, and he got me right here (points to his back). But don't worry, Mom. I saved the day!" Ouchies were created by a dad who was tired of boring beige bandaids . He really outdid himself!   For this review, we were sent ...

  Review One of my favorite things is True Blood. I dream about hanging out at Merlotte's with Sookie, Sam and all the other great characters! Thanks to Crazy Dog T-Shirts, I can let my imagination carry me away and flaunt my souvenier shirt!   Yup! It's the tee shirt I chose from Crazy Dog T-Shirts and I LOVE IT! Crazy Dog T-Shirts, an online t-shirt company based out of Rochester, NY, has put "funny" back into shirts! They have  every kind of conversation-starter shirt you can imagine. 80’s T-shirts, Vintage T-shirts, Bachelor Party T-shirts, junk-food T-shirts and dirt-cheap T-shirts for those gag gifts you may need for everyone’s favorite game of Dirty Santa or the Up and Coming St. Patrick's Day! Crazy Dog T-shirts has EVERY kind of kooky T-shirt you can imagine As you can imagine, with so many options, it took me awhile to decide which tee-shirt was my favorite. At my  house our mantra is to MacGyver it...   Flashbacks from Junior...

 This morning my six year old shared with me her school work...pages she had tucked aside to reveal this morning because they were her "best work". My 20-year old will tell you I'm a stickler for good handwriting. It's true. I love the letters of the alphabet. I love how they can be simple and yet fourish with personality. Janna Smith of McEwen, Tennessee loves the alphabet also! So much in fact that she opened Delightful Daisy--a shop with a name that sounds positive and happy, like Janna, and reflects her love for...yep! Daisies! It took some coaxing, but many of her friends recognized her talent and encouraged her to start her business...she "took a leap of faith!" and as they say, "the rest is history"! Janna has a passion for crafting. "I have always enjoyed crafting in one form or another. I especially enjoy stamping and card making. The techniques I used on my cards, I soon realized, could also be used in other areas of crafting. My til...

  Science Fair Winners Announced!   I have a six-year-old kindergartener who thinks if her school offers a certificate of ANY kind, it's worth entering. So, several weeks ago, we spent 12 hours doing a Science Fair Project. It was tedious. Explaining the process. Doing the process. Then, letter by letter, she spelled out every word of the process and waited for her to write it down in her data book.   She wrestled her completed project onto the bus.   She practiced daily telling me what her project was about and what "Hypothesis" meant.   Today, they announced the winners.   Winner of the Kindergarten Grade Level, School Science Fair is....MY DAUGHTER!!   I"'m one proud Mama!

  Joanie Leeds  "I'm a Rock Star"  Review  We love music at our house! My children enjoy having their own "music". One of their favorite CDs has been Joanie Leeds' "City Kid". My kiddos love the upbeat music on the "City Kid" CD and the fun and silly lyrics. We recently had the opportunity to review Joanie's NEW CD, "I'm a Rock Star" set for release on March 23.   If you don't know of Joanie Leeds, you're missing out. She's been singing since the age of TWO! She majored in musical theatre at Syracuse University and composes her own songs. She started singing on the New York nocturnal club scene, bartending when not on stage, and then realized the fun in singing with and for children while managing one of the Manhattan Gymboree locations. That realization has created THREE full-length CDs, " City Kid ", " Challah, Challah " and the upcoming, " I'm a Rock Star ". She is workin...

  Get the Judges Attention with these Science Fair Projects Elementary science fair projects that are sure to attract judges include topics on Zoology, Astronomy, Meteorology, Physics, Botany, and Food Science projects. You can make your science fair project attractive to judges through your display and most importantly with your methodology. You also have to make sure that the project is choose is feasible for your level and can be displayed neatly and creatively. Here are some cool elementary science fair project ideas that judges will surely find attractive: Zoology Science Projects Do you love animals? Then you can study about them. You can start with your pet or end up working about creepy insects. These projects are great to work on not only because the materials and resources are easy to find, but also because they are so interesting that you will really love to study about them. Once you have full interest in your work, then you can easily bring out the best in your scien...

  Better than the Awards   It's been a few months since MacKenzie won not one, but TWO medals for her entry in the PTA Reflections. She has admired her "Award of Excellence" and "Medal of Merit" (that's FIRST and SECOND Place to those of you who aren't "politically correct". If you appear at our door, you're going to have to take a look and you're EXPECTED to "oh" and "ah"!   Know what beats winning TWO awards at Reflections?   Getting THIS custom, hand-carved shadow box from GRANDPA STEVE!   Isn't it SPECTACULAR!?   And there you have it--a gift of LOVE trumps TWO awards.   We appreciate your subscription to Mommy's Memorandum

  Six Great Strategies One of the goals of a parent is to be able to prepare your child for various school activities and events such as a science fair. Here are the best strategies that a parent can do to help a child in their preparation: develop techniques on motivation; guide the child  in selecting topics; integrate the fair with other subjects; set up a timetable. The success of science fairs relies greatly on the child's capacity to perform well during a science fair school activity. The preparation is one aspect that plays an important role in the success of this event. Preparation starts right inside the classroom and should carry over into your home...Below is a list of strategies you can try doing, and see a big difference: Develop techniques on motivation Think of some motivation methods you can use to bring the spark in your child's’ eyes when you mention the words science fair. Although rewards are very promising and convincing for children yet, you need to empha...

One of my daughters' favorite things is hairbows! They love ponytails with giant bows or small braids with bows. Even a dainty up-do requires the perfect bow. I have to admit I love it. I love the variety of colors, ribbon textures, and doo-dads that guarantee the bow complements a favorite outfit. Precious Angel Bows is based out of Athens, Georgia. and named after her first daughter. "Precious Angel is what I called my first daughter, and I wanted my business name to reflect something that meant a lot to me." Sometimes it takes a while to find the right outlet. "I never had much luck on eBay and when I heard about Etsy I thought it would be the perfect place to sell my bows." Not one to quit or become discouraged, Precious Angel Bows is persistent. "I taught myself to make bows. I bought instructions and sat for hours tying bow after bow until I got it down. I really just wanted to make them for my daughter but then I fell in love with making them and wa...

 We are always on the go! It's a chaotic comedy at its best. To minimize stress, each kiddo has their own tote. They are responsible for keeping it filled with activities to entertain them, snacks, and anything that they might need to endure: errand running, a sibling's recital, or just a long car ride. It's a great concept, though not foolproof. While looking at various tote ideas, I ran across Tracie Seed Designs. A shop named after the owner/creator herself, "I like the sound of my name, and I do so many different arts and crafts that I thought Designs encompassed all that. Plus, I had a business with the same name several years ago. Just wanted to keep it consistent." Tracie Seed Designs materialized because Tracie "wanted a venue not only to sell my products but to showcase my creativity. It is easy to use and has low fees for listing products. I thought it was an economical way to start out rather than hosting my own website." This shop offers a se...

 'm a True Blood fan. It doesn't matter how it's packaged HBO Series or The Sookie Stackhouse Series of books, and I love it! Know what else I love? COFFEE! There is no doubt in my mind that Sookie and Arlene are serving Community Coffee at Merlotte's. I know this because Sookie and Community Coffee are both in Louisiana. In fact, Community Coffee was there long before Sookie, though it's debatable if Bill Compton was there before the Coffee! Of course, you know the history of Sookie and her Vampire Adventures, but did you know that For four generations, the Saurage family of Louisiana has owned and operated Community Coffee Company? In 1919, Henry Norman "Cap" Saurage discovered the secret of making this great-tasting coffee in his country store in Dixie, Louisiana, near Baton Rouge. He named his coffee "Community" in honor of his community of friends." The rest is history! "Steeped" deep in Southern Hospitality and tradition, the...

 The Bay Area of California is my absolute favorite place if you know me. I love the coastline with its jagged cliffs. I love the rolling hills. I love everything about it! In fact, my husband is from the Bay Area, and I often remind him that I married him ONLY because I thought we would get to visit the Bay Area often! I have another item to add to my "Reasons to love the Bay Area"--The Joy of Soap! They're located in Hayward, California, where Dear Hubby was born! I always love the story behind a brand's name, and this story is empowering. Let's start with how the company came to be known as "The Joy of Soap". This is the story as told by founder Melissa. "I grew up moving often as a child throughout the US and was at a new school every two years, including college. This experience taught me the value of exploring new ideas and places, which likely influenced my creative process." "It is a bit challenging to keep this answer 'clean,...

 Forever, "Bea's Gift Baskets" will be my reminder that I have the "Best Love Story"! There are many things I love. Among them are writing and "William." Occasionally, I find a blog that inspires me, a blog like One2Try. I love her writing, her reviews, and her fun and flirty giveaways! I also appreciate Rita, the creator. She is an amazing woman who is dedicated to her blog and readers. SOMETIMES, the opportunity presents itself where ALL three of my FAVORITE things get together and ignite the passion and joy in each of them! While visiting One2Try one day, last month, I saw she had a Review and Giveaway for "Bea's Gift Baskets". The review was inviting, but the Giveaway encouraged me to write about "The Best Love Story"! Wowie! Wow! Wow! Wow! It's been almost 25 years since that moment when love put a sparkle in my eye and gave the definition of LOVE to me at last. Here's an excerpt from my "entry": "His...

 My children love to color. They color at home and they like to color on the go. Sometimes the Tupperware box is too bulky to be convenient and NOTHING ruins dinner out more than when the restaurant gives all the children two colors...THE SAME COLORS!   I've complained and I've whined, just like my kiddos! There has to be a solution for this. I want something compact and yet large enough to offer a choice of colors!   Thankfully Carrie, owner and creator of "Freckles Galore!" thought ahead and did something about this crayon catastrophe! She offers "Crayon Roll-Ups"...they are delightful!   Aside from discovering her "crayon rolls", I had to stop and giggle at what a fun name her shop has, "Freckles Galore!" I have six children, two have freckles, it's just in the DNA I'm told. I love that Carrie embraces this. "I wanted my shop name to be fun, unique, and something easy to remember. I also wanted it to reflect me and my kids...