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When my girls were born, they received an abundance of blankets and stuffed animals. We moved to a different state shortly after their first birthday, so many of the stuffed animals ended up in boxes. Over the years, I've pulled out those stuffed animals to give my daughters on their birthday or Christmas. It has been nice to give them these gifts when they're at an age to actually appreciate and use them. Unfortunately, yesterday my scheme began to unravel.
This past Christmas, Santa left a stuffed bear in each of my girls' beds as she slept. They thought it was great to wake up and immediately find a gift from Santa. They all still play with these bears (which most parents will agree is an accomplishment, since stuffed animals tend to get tossed aside fairly fast). Yesterday I was purging an area of the house that was long overdue for cleaning. (It's part of the purging I started in January. I said it was going to be a slow process). I found a cute photo book I made from birth to age one and knew my girls would enjoy looking at the pictures. Soon after looking at the book, R approached me and said "Aren't these the same bears Santa gave us for Christmas?" Busted! Um, why yes, the bears you are posing with at your first Christmas are indeed the same bears you just received! I took a deep breath, avoided eye contact with Hubby so I wouldn't laugh and said "Well, look at the picture. The bears are bigger than you! Santa realized you weren't ready for the bears, so he saved them and brought them back when you were older." She seemed to buy my story.
I don't mind that my daughters may have figured out my regifting error. What I'm not ready for is for them to figure out who Santa really is. The excitement leading up to Christmas morning is always so much fun. I'm not ready to give that up just yet. So I guess I'll need to go through my picture albums and see if they have any more secrets to tell!
This Christmas can be summed up in one word: fantastic. We all had a blast. Everyone was over their illnesses. We had decent weather. It was truly a Christmas to remember.
We started our festivities with our annual Christmas Eve feast. We get so caught up in seeing family on Christmas Day, that I've always tried to do a dinner just for the six of us. This year my daughters decided they love stuffing. Much to Hubby's dismay we did not have much leftovers when it came to the stuffing and mashed potatoes. I also learned that a 17 pound turkey isn't big enough for the six of us if we want decent leftovers. By Christmas night we had already devoured most of the leftovers! Here I thought I would end up freezing some of the meat! I did manage to make a casserole with the dark meat since we're more of a white meat family.
On Christmas morning my girls woke up at 6:30 am, but stayed relatively quiet until 7 am. That in itself is a wonderful Christmas gift! They were each delighted to find the special gift they had asked Santa to bring and, much to my surprise, they shared those gifts with one another. Cakes let everyone try her camera. Roo let everyone test her scooter. Tortilla promised to let everyone help her bake with her Easy Bake Oven (we haven't made anything yet, but we will soon!) And even this girl, who opened her Gameboy, sat down to play it and had to be persuaded to put it down and open more gifts, has allowed her sisters to play a few games.
Clearly we're going to have to set some rules for the Gameboy, but for now I'm letting her play her heart out.
I had to work last night and spent most of yesterday doing laundry, but Hubby and the girls spent the day playing Legos. It was definitely a great Christmas and I hope you all had a memorable day as well!
Christmas definitely snuck up on me this year. I managed to get most of my shopping done by the beginning of December, but little things keep popping up. For instance, I realized yesterday I have two things to put in each stocking. Fortunately, Hubby picked up some small candies at the store, so I think we're set.
But I still have to wrap. Ugh. Every year I swear I'm not going to wait until Christmas Eve to wrap gifts. I had initially arranged for my mother in law to take my daughters out for lunch yesterday, which would have given me some time to wrap. Unfortunately, with the stomach bug that hit Tortilla, she just wasn't up for being out of the house. There went my wrapping day. I'm hoping tomorrow night I can get some wrapping done once the girls go to bed.
I have everything purchased for our Christmas Eve "feast" and the turkey is thawing, so I plan to spend Friday baking. (I have to work Christmas Eve morning so I want as much done before then as possible). We have a big snow storm headed our way tonight, so I guess it will help put me in the mood for Christmas!
Hubby and I do not buy each other Christmas gifts any more. Once our daughters were born, we decided it was more fun to put that money toward an extra gift for them. This means there are few gifts under the tree for us, usually a nice gift card or two from thoughtful family members. This year, however, our daughters visited the Santa Shop at school and picked out presents for us.
In order to keep things simple, two girls were given the task of buying gifts for me and the other two were assigned to Hubby. A few days before the actual shopping day, each class visited the shop to create their wish list. Tortilla and Roo's class went first. They each came home with a list of 10+ things. As I looked at their lists I realized they had picked out gifts for themselves! We had a long discussion about giving to others and they were able to find some items on their lists within their budget ($5 each) to buy on their shopping day. (Tortilla bought me a small jeweled box and a snowflake pin. Roo bought Hubby a singing Santa pen and a turtle figurine). Before Cakes and Sue Sue went to look at the shop I reminded them who they were shopping for and encouraged them to put things on their lists that only Mommy and Daddy would like. They each came home with one item on their list. Cakes wanted to buy a "mom" Christmas ornament and Sue Sue wanted to buy a pennant for our local NFL team. Since I wasn't thinking, I only sent them with the exact amount of the gifts they picked out, rather than the $5 budget. Sue Sue had to settle for an NBA pennant and the mom ornament was sold out. Fortunately a "helper" at the shop found something for Cakes to buy that was the exact same price as the ornament. I will be receiving a "fancy" pink heart ring. It's pretty much the kind of ring you get from a gumball machine, but Cakes is so excited that I am actually very excited about it, too.
That's what it comes down to. They are so excited to be giving us gifts that they picked out. They don't know that I know what all the gifts are and I'm not letting on that I know. They keep whispering to one another about what they bought and how they think we'll react on Christmas morning. It's giving them a small sense of what it means to give at Christmas and I know we will treasure these gifts. Of course, I've already told Hubby his singing Santa pen that doesn't have an off switch can only be used at work!
When I was younger, every Christmas Eve after church we would pile in the car and drive around looking at Christmas lights. I love seeing lights, especially when people go all out. In recent years, I've expanded this tradition with my daughters. Instead of only looking at lights on Christmas Eve, we try to go out every Saturday night in December.
We made our first trek this year over the weekend. It was fun to see what people do. There's one nearby neighborhood that has a lighting contest. On one block there are two houses where the owners must be in a fierce competition. They have their houses lit beyond all imagination... front and back yards! One of the houses even has a life-size Santa on the porch. My daughters and I joked about what it must be like for the surrounding neighbors to have those lights blazing in their bedrooms every night.
Still, not as many homes are decorated this year. I don't know if people are trying to save money or just didn't get around to it this year. We had a huge cold snap over the weekend, so maybe people are waiting for a warm up. (Hubby usually puts ours up just before Thanksgiving when it's in the 60s, but we don't turn them on until the day after Thanksgiving). One block away from us is a house that usually has lights galore and music. This year they don't have the music playing... yet. We're hoping by next weekend the sound system will be turned on!
Some day my daughters will be too old (meaning "too cool") to spend every Saturday night looking at Christmas lights with me. For now, though, I'm happy to hear all the "oohs" and "ahhhs" from the back seat! Most of these houses have more lights than Hubby would ever agree to spend time putting up, but it's still fun to get ideas for next year.
Christmas shopping has been fairly stress-free this year. I've been using the Amazon.com gift cards I racked up through Swagbucks, so we aren't really paying for much. But, as luck has it, the one item Tortilla wants is becoming impossible to find.
She wants an Easy Bake Ultimate Oven. She's already talking about how we will no longer need to buy birthday cakes because she will make them all. I had it "saved" in my cart through Amazon, but, apparently I'm a little too thrifty. As I waited to see if the price would drop below $39.99 closer to Black Friday, it suddenly was out of stock. Now it's back on the site for.... wait for it... $52. (The other day it was $63!) I am not shelling out that much for a pretend oven, even if you can make cakes and pretzels in it. I don't care if my gift cards would cover the $52. Not doing it. Kohl's doesn't carry it. Toys R Us was out. I ordered the oven from another retailer, and if the price on Amazon drops, I'll return the other one. These cakes better be delicious!
This was supposed to be the best Christmas ever. It wasn't. There were lots of things that happened bringing tears and frustration throughout the day. I won't say Christmas was horrible, but I will say it didn't go the way any of us thought and that made us all a little sad. Here are the things I learned:
- Illness is inevitable in our family during the holidays
It started the morning of Christmas Eve. I woke up to one of the girls throwing up. She has been battling a cold and made herself sick from her continuous coughing. Fortunately, she was better almost immediately. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for me. I woke up Christmas morning raring to go. Soon after the gifts had been opened and the cinnamon rolls devoured, I started feeling cold. Eventually I was freezing. I was so chilled that even sitting in the sun wrapped in my Snuggie wasn't helping. Soon, my stomach started churning. By the time my in-laws showed up to give the girls their gifts and eat lunch, I was ready to retreat to my bed. A few hours later, I started feeling a tad better and we managed to spend the night playing all our new games. (This, of course, caused huge drama with a relative who invited us over to dinner at the last minute and was beyond angry that Hubby refused to go. He didn't think it was appropriate to leave me alone on Christmas and I'm grateful that he stuck to his guns).
- My closet is not a good hiding spot for gifts
My girls aren't old enough to know gifts are hiding somewhere in our house. My closet seemed like a good spot.... until the night I wanted to wrap presents. I had to walk by each of their rooms with the gifts, so Hubby and I had to wait until they were sound asleep. Next year, the gifts will be stored in the basement!
- Bike helmets should be bought sooner, rather than later
The big gift this year was big girl bikes. They were a hit. Somehow we avoided a white Christmas and instead had a 50 degree Christmas... perfect for testing out the new bikes. I couldn't buy helmets before Christmas without giving away the surprise (I need the girls with me to make sure the helmets fit), but after Cakes took four spills yesterday, I've decided we'll be going to the store in the next few days for helmets.
- You need to go with the flow
Yes, there were some disappointments, namely the illness and drama, but overall we still had a good Christmas. Things didn't go as planned/hoped, but we were all together, we're all healthy (well, we are now) and we managed to share more laughs than tears. Months from now when I look back at this Christmas, I won't look back at the drama. I'll look back at the smiles and excitement as my girls figured out how to maneuver their new bikes. I'll look back at their delight realizing the game Pretty Pretty Princess involves wearing tons of jewelry. I'll look back at the fact that all six of us found a way to salvage a day that could have been a disaster.
I don't like leaving things to the last minute. Ever since my girls came along, my Christmas shopping takes place year-round. I start as soon as the January clearance sales begin and I finish in mid-November. Still, this year I feel like I'm missing something.
I can't put my finger on it. I've done a mental inventory of everything I've purchased. Everyone is accounted for. Sure, it still needs wrapped, but that I can leave for the last minute (mainly because wrapping is so tedious).
Maybe it's the lack of snow. By now, the area where I live has typically had at least one major snowfall. This year... nada. We will likely have a brown, crunchy Christmas instead of a white one. It makes for safe travels for those driving to see us, but also makes it hard to be in the right mood.
Either way, the big day is almost here so I guess I had better make sure everything is in order.
Trimming the tree is no fun when you're the only one doing it. When I landed my first job out of college and moved several states away from my family, I didn't buy a tree. I lived in a small apartment. I'm allergic to real trees and the fake ones are expensive, especially when you're a recent college grad trying to make ends meet as a news reporter. And, quite frankly, I thought the whole process would be lonely by myself. When Hubby and I married, one of our first purchases was an artificial tree. Finally! A tree of my own to decorate and someone to help me do it.
Decorating the tree is one of my favorite things about Christmas. I love unwrapping each ornament and remembering certain events... the penguin driving a car that I received right after obtaining my driver's license, the ornaments that hung on my grandmother's tree, the ornament my sister and I fought over every year because we both wanted to hang it.
This year's tree trimming was a fun day. My daughters are now at an age where they want to hear about the ornaments. They understand that some decorations are fragile and no longer complain when Mommy hangs them high so no one can touch them. They even have ornaments of their own... special mementos from their first Christmas, decorations they made at school (I don't save very many things from school, but the ornaments are a must-keep).
You can definitely tell which parts of the tree were decorated by a bunch of five-year-olds. This is what you'll see throughout our tree:
It would be easy to redo all their hard work and make the tree look organized, but what's the fun in that? When I was little, my mom let me (and later my sister) have free reign decorating the tree. Whenever my grandmother came to visit she would try to de-clutter the ornaments. I could tell right away if she moved something and would always move it back to the spot where I had it. So to me, this tree with several ornaments hanging together is perfect.
(Don't forget to check out my review of Bare Bones, the latest album from Bryan Adams. You can also enter for your chance to win a copy!)
Ever since my daughters were born, Christmas cards have been a big deal. Their first Christmas I think I sent more than 150 cards. I didn't include a picture with their birth announcement because they were still so tiny. So at Christmas I sent a photo card to everyone I knew.
This year I've really been trying to cut costs and trim the list. But I may not have to trim it as much as I thought. Shutterfly is giving bloggers 50 free cards in exchange for writing about the company. Since I already use Shutterfly, this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.
I actually started using Shutterfly long before my daughters came along, mainly to print my pictures. One year I made a calendar using a bunch of pictures my dad had taken while visiting us in Michigan. After my girls arrived, I made photobook. It took a lot of work, but it was also a lot of fun.
I like the ease of Shutterfly. I organize my pictures by month (and year), so it's really easy to find and print older pictures. I also appreciate being able to have my title printed on the back of each picture... no more going through a stack of pictures with a pen trying to document who is who.
Each year, I try to put some thought into what our card will look like. This year, I'm thinking about having my girls pose in their Christmas dresses. My favorite card, by far, is this one... but I think I'll keep it simple. I like to do a card that allows people to cut out and keep the picture (which then cuts down the number of school portraits I have to buy!), so I'll probably choose this one.
For all you bloggers out there, there's still time to participate in this promotion. Just click here for more details. (Disclosure: I was not given any monetary compensation for this post. Shutterfly is going to provide me with 50 free for writing this post).
Last year was the first year my daughters grasped the concept of Santa. They finally understood that if you ask him for something, it's probably going to be under the tree Christmas morning. Last September they started asking for Pillow Pets and never strayed from that request. So, Christmas morning, they each found a Pillow Pet under the tree.
This year is proving to be tricky. They are constantly seeing something they want... a bike, a scooter, a doll, you name it. I've tried explaining to them that just because you want something, doesn't mean you will get it... you need to pick one thing and stick to it. Frankly, Santa is done shopping in our house. I buy throughout the year and purposely try to finish shopping before the crowds are out.
It doesn't help that a certain relative essentially told my daughters that Santa is going to bring them the stuffed animals you see at the registers at Kohl's. When I told her I had no intention of buying them, she told the girls "You can ask Santa for whatever you want, just don't expect him to give it to you."
Before you think my daughters are spoiled, I should point out that I know they'll be happy with whatever they find under the tree Christmas morning. I've also talked with them about the less fortunate and how we can help. Our finances are tight, but I'm hoping I can take them to pick out a gift for Toys for Tots or a similar local organization.
Still, the fact that they believe in Santa has its upside. I can still say "You need to behave because Santa is watching," and find myself faced with four well-behaved girls!
I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm exhausted! Christmas can take a lot out of a parent, but it's well worth it.
Can you believe Hubby and I actually had to wake our girls up on Christmas morning? They stayed up late on Christmas Eve, and the next morning I rolled over, looked at the clock and discovered it was 7:30 a.m. Definitely time to see what Santa brought.
The Pillow Pets were a huge hit. Tortilla found them first... and found hers last, so it was slightly comical to watch her excitement and then disappointment as she discovered each of her sisters' Pillow Pets. She was overjoyed to finally find her purple unicorn. They've each been using their Pillow Pets at night.
After all the presents were opened we had our traditional cinnamon roll breakfast and then I set about trying to straighten the house.... or at least clean up all the wrapping paper and stray boxes.
Then it was time for round two when grandma and grandpa came to visit. I gave up trying to keep the house clean. After two days of stepping over toys, I finally made the girls sit on the couch until I could make things look presentable again.
It was definitely a magical Christmas. They finally understood all the fuss. It was so much fun watching their sheer delight as they discovered the treasures Santa left for them. It's also the first year they sat through the entire Christmas Eve service without fussing or fidgeting, which I think is pretty impressive.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to start shopping for next year!
Last night when I drove home from work, I passed the UPS truck. It was just leaving our neighborhood. Could it be? Were the Pillow Pets finally here? Yep!!!!!
I was so excited to see the box, but a little concerned. It was an awfully small box to be holding four Pillow Pets. I couldn't wait. I grabbed the box, dashed into the den, shut the door.... and found four Pillow Pets crammed into the box. They fluffed up the second I took them out of the box. They're soft. They're cute. They're just what my girls want for Christmas.
Am I excited? I cannot wait for Christmas morning. It's going to be a truly magical day... and not just because the Pillow Pets arrived in time!
(And just a reminder from my original post about Pillow Pets: I was not paid to write about these things nor was I given any free Pillow Pets. My daughters saw a commercial a few months ago and have been telling me Santa's going to bring them each one. And he is!)
Much to my dismay, our house does not have a fire place. Our home in northern Michigan did and the cats and I were quite spoiled by it during the winter. When we moved, a fire place wasn't a deal breaker, but it was on my list of "wants." Unfortunately, it just didn't happen. Now my daughters want to know how Santa will get in the house.
When the question came up, I gave them the first explanation I could think of: Santa will knock softly on the front door and mommy or daddy will let him in. They liked that idea but were still concerned Santa might not find our house since there's no chimney. Then their preschool teacher came up with an excellent project: Magic Reindeer Food. Each child filled a small baggie with "reindeer food" (oatmeal) and "magic dust" (glitter or small shiny ribbon). On Christmas Eve my daughters will sprinkle the food on our sidewalk. When the reindeer see the food, they'll know to come to our house. I thought it was a really cute idea. Oh, but if you try this at home, remember the teacher's final words: the reindeer will be eating lots of food that night, so there might be some left on your sidewalk and lawn in the morning!
Over the weekend we had the opportunity to go to our local zoo to see the Christmas lights set up throughout the facility. The added bonus? Santa was there. All day long, all four of my daughters kept talking about how excited they were to sit on Santa's lap.
When we got to the zoo, we went searching for the big guy. A moment of panic set in when a zoo volunteer gave me a blank look after I asked him where to find Santa. Fortunately, someone standing nearby knew just where Jolly Old St. Nick was. We arrived at a good time and didn't have to wait too long. Santa's helper was in awe over seeing quadruplets. Sometimes I dread the unwanted attention, but the elf's excitement ensured she would let each girl sit on Santa's lap by themselves, and then regroup for a shot of all four of them. (Did I mention you got to take your own pictures? Yippee!!!) There were other families taking individual pictures of their non-multiple children, so it's not like we broke any rules.
Sue Sue and Roo had a slight disagreement over who would go first. In years past, this argument would have been something along the lines of "no, YOU go first." This year, however, the two of them couldn't wait to climb on Santa's lap and tell him what they wanted for Christmas. Sue Sue went first, smiling in delight the whole time. Then Roo followed, grinning from ear to ear. Then it was Cakes' turn. She looked a little skeptical. She held the elf's hand.... climbed on Santa's lap... and gave a huge smile. Then I looked at Tortilla. She was trying to hide behind the nearest adult. Not good. So I crouched down and quietly asked her if she wanted to talk to Santa. She shook her head no. I asked her if she could just jump on his lap really quick for a picture and told her she didn't actually have to talk to him. She nodded her head. When it was her turn, she shyly took the elf's hand, walked over to Santa, got on his lap and practially buried her head in his beard. He said something to her that I couldn't hear... she smiled and then proceed to tell him what she wanted for Christmas. After she received her candy cane, her sisters joined her for a group picture. Tortilla is the one with the biggest smile in that picture.
It's the first year we've made it through our visit to Santa without a single tear. All four girls keep talking about how much fun it was to see Santa and how nice he was. They keep asking if they can see him again and I've had to gently remind them that other children need their turn to visit with the big guy.
I love decorating the Christmas tree. Each ornament brings back great memories. I remember when I was growing up, my sister and I each had certain ornaments that we wanted to put on three tree. Hubby and I both have ornaments for our tree that we've had since birth. Some of our ornaments are family "treasures," passed on from our grandparents to our parents to us.
It's hard to tell four preschoolers that they need to sit still while you tell them about each special ornament. Instead, I showed them their special ornaments, which they thought was really exciting. They each have ornaments with their names, or pictures, or ornaments they made last year in preschool. They had a blast trimming the tree yesterday.
When I was little, the bottom part of the tree was for me. I was allowed to decorate it however I wanted. It may have looked like sheer randomness, but when my grandmother would visit and try to "straighten things out," I immediately knew when something was out of place. So I let my daughters have at it. This is the result.
Sure, there are spots where you can tell the tree was decorated by preschoolers, but that's the beauty of decorating the Christmas tree. A perfectly decorated tree is just no fun.
We actually managed to get through the entire process with only one broken ornament (so far). Believe it or not, the ornament jumped off the tree all by itself. No one was standing near the tree and then I heard a thud, gasps (all of us), and finally shatter. I think in my haste to get the breakables out of reach I made a major mistake. I put some of them up first, rather than last. In all the excitement and jostling the ornament fell off, hit the carpet (where it did not break) and then bounced to the wood floor where it met its inevitable fate.
One broken ornament could not ruin the day, though. The sheer joy and delight in my daughters' eyes when the tree was finished and lit up was priceless. We still have decorations to put up throughout the house and they cannot wait to see what's inside all the boxes and tubs sitting in our dining room.
I have turned into that parent. You know... the one who uses Santa as a threat. As in: if you don't behave Santa will know.
I didn't want to do it, but I was at my wit's end. Hubby and I think our daughters have realized they outnumber us and are using this fact to their advantage. How else to explain why that "magical switch" everyone told me about didn't get flipped when they turned four? I was promised by numerous people that four would be so much nicer than three. Eh. Not really. They're more defiant. More willing to test boundaries. More likely to make me want to pull my hair out.
So then it happened. The other night Sue Sue was testing my patience and I told her Santa might have to put her on the naughty list. "No!" she wailed. "I want presents." (OK, I might have also mentioned that kids on the naughty list only receive lumps of coal for Christmas). BUT... ever since the threat of being on the naughty list was tossed out there, all four of them have been a little better behaved. Some days. Now what will I use when Christmas is over?
I lamented last week about my stress related to Pillow Pets. My daughters each want one of these stuffed animals that unfolds to be a full-size pillow. My order is "back ordered" and I'm stunned by the number of people who want these things. A search on the Internet yielded numerous sites with parents talking about how desperate they are to get their hands on these things. All of this has given me a new appreciation for my parents and grandparents.
When I was somewhere between the age of three and five I wanted a Whoopsie doll. Maybe it was a regional thing because whenever I talk about this doll people look at me like I'm crazy.
When you squeeze Whoospie's stomach, her little pony tails fly up and she says "whoopsie." But, according to my mom, finding this doll was like trying to find a Cabbage Patch Kid when those first came out. Whoopsie was the hot toy one Christmas, at least for little girls in Ohio. Then one day my grandparents heard on the radio that a toy store about an hour from their house had just received a "Whoopsie shipment." They called the store and begged the workers to put one aside for them. No luck. They jumped in the car and raced to the store. I can just picture my grandfather on his CB talking to the truckers and asking them to alert him about any "Smokies" up ahead. Guess what? Christmas morning Whoopsie and I became fast friends. I still have that doll.
As for the Pillow Pets... I found out cyber friends can be awesome. Stephanie B from Ask Me Anything and Rocket Scientist went to her mall and found the Pillow Pets my girls want. She talked with the kiosk worker and found out I could have all four for $140. Stephanie was willing to buy them and ship them to me. After a long discussion with Hubby and an update from the site where I placed my order, we decided that we'll take a gamble and wait for our original order to arrive. Still, Stephanie deserves a HUGE thank you (THANK YOU!!!!) for her willingness to help. I like to picture her speeding along a crowded highway talking on a CB to truckers about the "Smokies." I'm pretty sure that's not how it happened, but it could make for a good story to tell my daughters one day.
This is the first year my daughters have a good understanding that Christmas is important. I think for the most part they understand Santa is coming, but I'm trying to teach them about the true meaning of the holiday. Still, they like to discuss what Santa might bring them.
For the first time they have actually requested something from Santa. In years past I would just put ideas in their head. Something along the lines of "Wouldn't it be nice if Santa brought you Tinkerbell pajamas?"
This year, though, they know what they want. Pillow Pets. What is a Pillow Pet, you ask? It looks liked a stuffed animal and unfolds to a full-size pillow.
*DISCLAIMER: I am NOT being compensated by the makers of Pillow Pets to write this post. In fact, the makers of Pillow Pets probably don't know that this blog even exists. My point? I didn't receive any freebies, money, or anything else to talk about how much my girls want Pillow Pets this Christmas.
First I looked up Pillow Pets online. Roughly $20 each when you count shipping costs. Then I emailed the company to see if any stores in my area carry the animals/pillows. I'm still waiting to hear back. Then I emailed someone who loves shopping for my daughters and asked her to be on the lookout for these mysterious creatures. She actually found two: The bumblebee Sue Sue wants and the ladybug Cakes requested. But what if I bought two and never found Tortilla's unicorn or Roo's dog?
After much searching, I realized my best option was to order them online. I waited until "Black Friday," in hopes of finding a good deal. Amazon? Yeah, they're being sold for $150. I am not joking. So back to the official website I went. Sold out until Dec. 1. Then I checked the website shown on the TV commercials. Bingo. Placed my order... and then received a confirmation email telling me I'll receive my four Pillow Pets in two to four weeks. No, I'm not stressed out that they might not arrive in time. The one gift my daughters are convinced Santa will leave under the tree and I'm relying on some corporation to make that wish come true. So if by some miraculous reason someone connected with Pillow Pets is reading this blog (ha ha) then please make sure the order with the unicorn, bumblebee, dog and lady bug is shipped soon.
