Tag: Thanksgiving

Because Moms Need to Know: Shopping & Dining

Posted on by MommyQ

placemat

MommyQ’s Inbox is always overflowing with information. Sales, grand openings, new products, special events, community giving and more. Seriously, I have 125 unread messages and they ALL pertain to motherhood. I never knew it was such an email-intensive job. Here are some of the highlights so you don’t miss out on something special or as my two-year-old says, “sumpin peshal.”

Kirsten James Handbags Holiday Sale
I LOVE these diaper bags. I have one and use it all of the time. These bags are a great gift idea for any gal on your shopping list. Order your custom bag now and get 10% off your entire purchase. Plus, you’ll receive it just in time for Christmas.  Spend $250 or more and receive 15% off your purchase! (Remember, this company give 5% of the amount you spend to their non-profit too.)

You can receive your discount by using promo code “KJ Holiday Sale” in the message to seller box at time of purchase (your discount will be refunded thru paypal within 24 hours of order). Sale ends on November 30th. Visit Kirsten James today!

Four Days of Feasting in Austin
If you’re going to be spending the Thanksgiving holiday in Austin, you must attend these events. Hosteria Verde, owned by the fabulous foodie Anne Rutt-Enriquez, is teaming up with FLAVORS of Austin to present four consecutive days of unique dining events. You can get all of the details at Hosteria Verde. Buy your tickets today and invite your friends to join you. Trust me, you don’t want to miss out on this tasty fun.

The Brand New LK Stationery Company
Welcome to the BRAND NEW LK Stationery Company, proudly offering new designs by artist Laura Kelly. Welcome to the bright, fun, and whimsical world of Laura Kelly. We look forward to offering you happy and artistic designs on stationery items. From mini memos to note cards to placemats, if you can write on it – they’ve got it! Shop until your heart’s content at LK Stationary.

A Foodie Event in Austin: Four Days of Outrageous Feasting

Posted on by MommyQ

lucha-libre

Skip the turkey swimming in gravy and opt for something a bit more unique. A bit more Austin. A bit more weird…

If you’re staying in Austin for the Thanksgiving holiday, you’re in luck! Thanks to Hosteria Verde Supper Club & Catering and FLAVORS of Austin, you can experience four consecutive days of foodie delights. Plus, proceeds benefit the Sustainable Food Center so you can feel good about giving back to your community too.

Anne Rutt-Enriquez, owner of Hosteria Verde, promises great food, countless cocktails, divine entertainment and the coolest vibe Austin has to offer. The event date are November 29 – December 2, 2009.

The kick-off event is a lobster brunch with plenty of Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Then you can gamble your holiday stress away playing casino games and enjoying the soothing sounds of one of the city’s most fab lounge singers at the ‘Old School Las Vegas’ event. Next up is ‘Arabian Nights’ complete with belly dancers. The festivities end the following night with a salute to Mexican cuisine. And yes, Austin’s QVC Lucha Libre Team wrestlers will be providing serious entertainment.

You can buy tickets now at Hosteria Verde for $85 per person. Get your tickets soon because seating is limited! Get connected online at Flickr.com/HosteriaVerdeAustin and Twitter.com/HosteriaVerde

7 Things Moms are Truly Thankful For (Whether They Know It or Not!)

Posted on by MommyQ

We’re all grateful for the normal stuff – health, happiness, love, family, etc. – but what about those unexpected little blessings moms are really thankful for?

  1. Naps – Once in a rare while, mom gets to take a nap. Maybe the kids are out with daddy, maybe they’ve fallen asleep too or maybe they’re running through the house with scissors. No matter how it happens, all moms are thankful for that unplanned opportunity to S-L-E-E-P.
  2. Manners – Hearing your kids say “thank you” without prompting is such a treat. No matter how bad your manners may be Mrs. I Brush My Hair in Restaurants, you always appreciate it when your kids are considerate for no reason.
  3. Cellulite – We may complain about it, but in reality we should all feel blessed to have cellulite. Why? Because if we all had silky smooth thighs and firm butts, we’d dress way too young for our age and embarrass ourselves, and our children, by wearing teeny-weeny bathing suits and micro miniskirts. Thanks to cellulite, we’re insecure not cougarlicious.
  4. Muffin Tops – No, not the playful baked good. I’m referring to the cute little love handles you’ve acquired. Moms are thankful for these impossible-to-get-rid-of friends because they keep us from wearing low slung jeans that went out years ago with Britney Spears. Believe it or not, your oh-so-sweet muffin top is making you more stylish.
  5. Botox – Thanks to botulinum toxin, we always look carefree, confident and graceful. No matter what life may throw at us – puke, spit-up, poop, tantrums – we handle it with ease. That’s because our facial muscles are partially paralyzed, but who cares.
  6. Caffeine – Due to the lack of Blessing #1, mom can’t function without the lovely little addictive pick-me-up we get from a good cup of coffee or 5 Diet Cokes per day. Nothing gets rid of a mommy headache faster than a steaming hot cup of severely overpriced teeth-stainer or a swig of fizzy sugar. Thank goodness for caramel colored miracles.
  7. Ambien – Refer to Blessing #1 again. It rarely happens, so this is the real blessing.

MommyQ wants to know what you’re thankful for this year?

Black Friday for Dummies: It’s Just A Misunderstood Friday

Posted on by MommyQ

Oh, no! Black Friday is coming. Batten down the hatches! Hide your children! Expect dark skies and creepy cloud formations and perhaps, locusts. Run, run for your lives! Wait…oh, sorry. Black Friday is actually a good day. Oops. My bad.

Black Friday is special because it’s the very first shopping day of the holiday season. And if that means nothing to you, think of it as the first steaming hot Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season. Now I know it sounds sinister like a black cat or a black hole, but it’s not. You see, in the crazy world of finances (and media) black is actually a good thing. “In the black” means turning a profit. Who knew!

To avoid some of the implied gloom and doom, if I were Black Friday I’d consider changing my name. Fantastic Friday, Yummy Friday or Purple Polka-Dotted Friday sound much more fun. According to Wikipedia, the gloomy Black Friday term was coined by employees who had to work on that hectic, long day. I feel sorry for the person stuck in the sweater department that probably had to refold the same cashmere sweater over and over again. You know, the one with the sleeve that doesn’t quite match up with the other sleeve, so the sweater doesn’t fold right and every time it looks decent some idiot picks it up, carries it around and doesn’t buy it. Ugh! Stupid sweaters.

As far as I’m concerned, Black Friday is simply the day after Thanksgiving when most people feel guilty about eating everything they ate the day before and will continue to eat until the leftovers are gone. It’s a great day to sit around and be lazy. And eat. Is it “the” day to shop? Not in my book. It’s just another Friday.

Do people really line up outside the stores at 5 a.m. for special Door Buster sales, rush inside and shop? If so, why? The sales typically go through January so there’s really no need to rush. Why shop in the crowds at all when you can buy everything you’d ever want online?

When I was a kid, I was always so excited to see the new holiday displays with the mannequins all bundled up in turtle necks and tacky argyle sweaters playing in a tiny heap of cotton balls. And there was always one mannequin that got stuck in a reindeer hat, sitting askew on his head. Poor guy. Shops have ruined that small delight because now holiday decorations start appearing in October. Just like bathing suits mysteriously start appearing in January.

Anyway, you’ll be hearing a lot about this Black Friday for the next week or so. Plenty of talking heads will appear on television blabbing about it. Do yourself a favor and treat it like any other Friday. Rest easy knowing you can join millions of procrastinators by doing your holiday shopping the Sunday before Christmas, also known as Scrambling for Something Sunday.

Agree or disagree with MommyQ?