I love stopping by frequently to see what my new friend Stephanie has to say over at Metropolitan Mama. And something she said recently, on the subject of gift buying, gift giving and what really matters in our lives,  caught my attention:

“THINGS are so overrated. Things get tossed aside and put under the bed and – eventually – given away. People stick around. People matter. As such, the gift of time is a thousand times more valuable than the most expensive present.”

It’s important to make memories with those we love as opposed to allowing presents to shape occasions, she adds. “Instead of concentrating on presents, I think it’s fun to focus in on special experiences. Rather than purchasing a gift, plan a special camping trip or a fancy dress-up dinner or a picnic in the backyard. Spending money on good hiking boots or brilliant watercolors or ingredients for making a cake (WITH your child) is money that is well spent.”

I applaud Stephanie’s values and I think she speaks about them so beautifully. She really lives what she believes. It’s good food for thought as I make my own Christmas gift list.

It’s that time of year again…

I’ve been talking with friends who are trying to get that perfect holiday-card family photo. And that reminded me of the time we decided to take our own family photo for the Christmas card, complete with an (oh-so-sophisticated) white-sheet backdrop. Let’s just say that between the sheet continually falling down, the dog wandering off and the flash on the camera working sporadically, it was a loong afternoon — but funny, now that I look back on it.

Exhibit A (Dad still fiddling with the camera)

Exhibit B (Losing it while Mom fixes the sheet for the 14th time)

Exhibit C (“Do I STILL have to hold Charlie, Mom?”)

And finally - The Winning Shot!

Yep, the sheet was still wrinkled, but what the heck. I still smile when I see that picture.

Leave it to Smilebox to come up with this fun Halloween slide show that reminds me a bit of walking into the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland!

Here are some of our family’s favorite Halloween memories. Hope you make plenty of wonderful memories with your kids today and tomorrow! Happy Halloween!

P.S. Want to create your own slideshows? It’s easy! (You can even do it while grabbing that mini Snickers bar from your kid’s trick-or-treat bag… Check out all of these fun designs.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Got little ones? GoodyBlog is giving away every single toy from their holiday gift guide for the next month (starting with baby toys, then moving on to toddler, preschool, little kid, and big kid.)

Talk about getting a jump start on your holiday shopping! Check it out.

P.S. GoodyBlog is associated with Parents Magazine. Check out the three-years-for-the-price-of-one subscription deal they have going right now. Only 12 bucks!

Every year, our family looks forward to getting Heifer International's
catalog in the mail and choosing a gift of shares of a sheep, shares of a pig, etc. that can make a
difference in the lives of families living in poverty around the world. 

But New Jersey-based writer Melody Moser, who blogs over at Journeys Near and Far, did more than just send a check. She visited Heifer Ranch in Arkansas, and learned all about the organization and the cool stuff they're doing.

Check out her post, share it with your kids and then visit Heifer International and make a donation. (You can also learn more by watching this three-minute video.) Is there any better way to celebrate the holidays than by helping those who are truly in need?

I love Krista Colvin's organizational tips, and she's got a terrific post for the holidays (about gift hiding) over at Real Simple.

Krista is a lifestylist and organizing maven who "wouldn’t be caught without lipstick, a morning cup o' joe + fabulous girlfriends." My kind of gal! She writes a fun, helpful blog, Organize in Style, and she's the creator of The Shebang - The Smart Woman's Guide to Doing it All! (See the link on Organize in Style.)

No pressure, Krista, but I plan to follow all your great tips and turn myself into a fabulously organized, on-top-of-it-all woman in 2009! So keep 'em coming.

If you're like many families, you'll be hitting the skies or the highways for the upcoming holidays. Need some tips to help make it a better trip? Check out my latest article in Memphis Parent, Safe Travels During the Holidays.

You'll find car-seat safety tips, help for painful ears on long plane rides, tips for avoiding jet lag and much more.

I love Parents magazine’s wonderful blog, GoodyBlog. (Their fun tag line is “Must see. Must Do. Must Have. Right Now,” and they cover parenting news, hot new baby and kid products and much more.

One warning: The site is addictive, so don’t get too engrossed right before it’s time to go pick up the kids from a play date! They even have a cool GoodyBlog Facebook group that you can join for more news and tips.

Today’s post is especially fun. The editors are looking for families who
give back during the holidays (yes, they know it’s July, but magazine editors have to think far ahead), whether it’s making a cookie
plate for your local nursing home or making and decorating your own
canned goods for a homeless shelter.

If you’ve done a project (big or small; simple is fine) with your
kids to help those in need during the holidays, head over to GoodyBlog and share your idea in the comments section. Your idea and story could be featured in Parents this holiday season!

I just discovered a terrific website, cleverbabies.com, that offers Web coupons for all sorts of great companies, including Disney, LeapFrog, Vermont Teddy Bear Co. and Snapfish.

We’re talking deals like 20 percent off on your holiday photo-card order or a free box of chocolates with any teddy bear purchase.

And how adorable is this Thanksgiving bear? The bear and a (free!) box of chocolates would make a fun hostess gift this Thanksgiving.

Clevermoms.com also offers great deals for parents, and cleverdads.com features coupons on stuff guys like.