Rhonda Gales, Author at Mother 2 Mother Blog

Dollar Store Holiday Deals

December 15, 2014 by Rhonda Gales

Need party or craft supplies for Thanksgiving or Christmas? Dollar store holiday deals await you. I’ve always been able to find cups, plates, napkins, and table cloths to compliment my theme whenever I host a party or family gathering. Buying items from the Party Supply Store can get expensive, so I get creative and add complimentary items from the Dollar Store, Dollar Tree, Dollar General. If it says Dollar, I’m there. Why should I spend $5.00 on a plastic table cloth when I can get it for a $1.00. This momma works hard for the money and I don’t just throw mine out the door.

The Dollar stores always have a nice selection of holiday table items, cookie tins for gift giving, and trays to hold your delicious treats. I get major compliments on my table displays when I’m hosting a party. I accept them with a giggle, the Dollar stores never fail me.

I have found good deals on:

wine glasses
seasonal decorations
picture frames
craft supplies
gift wrap
party supplies
holiday items

I love filling wine glasses with chocolates and other candies as a little token of my appreciation for my guests time during the holidays. If you’re into making your own holiday wreaths or center pieces check out their supply of berries and other greenery. I stock up on items for stocking stuffers too. I found flash cards, games, candy canes, Golden Books, coloring books you name it.

Big Lots and the Christmas Tree Shop are other stores that I love. I’ve found great gifts for baby shower prizes there as well as wall art and throw pillows. If you’re a bargain shopper, head to your local Dollar Stores and get your hunt on. I’m sure you’ll find a bargain or two as well.

Filed Under: Life-Thoughts Tagged With: bargain shopping, dollar store bargains, party supplies

Inspirational Quote-Remembering

December 14, 2014 by Rhonda Gales

Filed Under: inspirational quotes, Uncategorized Tagged With: Printables, quotes

15 Budget Toddler Girls Stocking Stuffers

December 13, 2014 by Rhonda Gales

Today, I’m sharing parenting tips on toddler girls stocking stuffers. I like stocking stuffer items for my granddaughter that are fun and safe. I had a blast searching for items, and I thought I would share my stocking stuffer ideas with you. As you know I’m a bargain shopper and a big fan of the Dollar Stores. With the money that’s spent on other items, I don’t want to spend a fortune on stocking stuffers. I will say finding items for little girls is so much easy than boys it seems.

Toddler girls stocking stuffers:

Little Golden Books
Character drinking cups
Flavored lip balm
Disney movies
Fluffy socks (for those barefoot days at home)
Hair accessories or hat and gloves
Coloring books and crayons – Doc McStuffin, Minnie Mouse, Disney Princesses etc.
My Pretty Pony
Blanket for week-end naps
Stickers
Monster High Dolls
Nail polish (for those mommy and me days)
Shopkins
Disney Princesses
Character eating utensils

Head out to your favorite Dollar Store and get to work on your list. I stuffed my granddaughter’s stocking with quite a few of these items and stayed within my budget. I found a great selection of Shopkins options at Five and Below. My granddaughter loves anything Shopkins. They have lip balm, nail polish, bubble bath, doll accessories and more. Additionally, you can find items for the Finding Dory fans.

The Dollar Tree has a great selection of Disney and Sesame Street coloring books, crayons and board books. You can also find the fluffy, warm socks there too. My granddaughter hates socks, but on those cold, winter days we insist that she have something on her feet. I love the warm fluffy socks too. Because I have hardwood floors, I purchase a few pairs for myself. I put a pair on when I ask her to wear them when she’s visiting.

My granddaughter loves headbands and flowers for her hair. I can always find a bargain at Dollar General or Family Dollar.

Don’t forget Target’s bargain bins. They have great stocking stuffers for toddler girls too. Do you have ideas to add to my list? Please leave me a comment. You may also like: Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Toddler Boys.

Filed Under: Parenting Tips Tagged With: Christmas ideas, stocking stuffer ideas, stocking stuffer ideas for toddler girls

Inspirational Character Quotes

December 12, 2014 by Rhonda Gales

Today, I’m sharing empowerment tips on inspirational character quotes. Character is the sum of your personality. It demonstrates how reliable, honest and trustworthy you are. If someone is of good character, you can depend on them.

I have put together a round up character quotes. I hope that they will inspire you to demonstrate who you are.

Inspirational Character Quotes:

“Character is the sum total of a person’s choices.” – P.B. Fitzgerald

“A person’s actions will tell you everything you need to know.” – Unknown

“Character is higher than intellect. A great soul will be strong to live as a well as to think.” – Robin Sharma

“Character building begins in our infancy and continues until death.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“Character is the real foundation of all worthwhile success.” – John Hays Hammond

“May your character preach more loudly than your words” – Mohamed Ayyed

“Your character is so much important than your looks.” – Scott Sanford

“The truth of your character is expressed through the choice of your actions.”

“Bad company corrupts good character.” – Menander

“Character is how you treat those who can do nothing for you.” – Unknown

“It’s not only what you say, it’s also how you say it.”

“Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.” – John Wooden

“Character is what you do in the dark.” – D.L. Woody

“Our ability to handle life’s challenges is a measure of our strength of character.” – Les Brown

“Slow success builds character, fast success builds ego.” – Unknown

“It takes nothing to join the crowd. It takes everything to stand alone.” – Hans Hasen

“Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.” – Unknown

“Beauty catches the attention, but character catches the heart.”

I hope that you enjoyed these quotes, and you will tuck a few away in your heart and pull them out when you’re in stressful situations or are being challenged by life. You may also like Inner Conflict.

Filed Under: inspirational quotes, Quotes Tagged With: character quotes, empowerment quotes, inspirational quotes, motivational quotes, quotes to live by

12 Days of Christmas – Christmas Stockings

December 12, 2014 by Rhonda Gales

Welcome to Day 5 of my 12 Days of Christmas posts. Today I’m sharing the Christmas stockings for the kids. Christmas stockings weren’t big in my house when I was growing up. As a matter of fact, I’ve never had one and I never purchased one for my daughter. My how things change when grandchildren enter the world.

I decided to purchase one for my grandson when he was born. The first picture shows the first stocking that I purchased for him on the left and a stocking that Xavier made. Isn’t it adorable.
My daughter decided to try her hand at making his stocking the second year, the stocking in the middle. I thought it turned out great, she’s not the craftiest person so it was a major endeavor for her. We used that for several years, it was special. I picked up the third stocking at a craft fair when he was four.

When Zarriah was born, we decided to purchase these adorable stockings in the bottom picture and have their names embroidered on them. I love how they turned out, so they have become their permanent stockings.

The best part about stockings is searching for the little stocking stuffers. My favorite place for stocking stuffers are the bargain bins. Check out my list of ideas for toddler boy’s stocking stuffers. Do you use stockings for your children or grandchildren?

Filed Under: Christmas Stockings, holiday decorating ideas, Uncategorized Tagged With: Life-Thoughts, Parenting-Kids

13 Stocking Stuffers for Toddler Boys

December 11, 2014 by Rhonda Gales

Today, I’m sharing parenting tips on stocking stuffers for toddler boys. Are you in the holiday spirit, and looking for stocking stuffer ideas for toddler boys? Look no further, I have a list of ideas for you that I used for years with my grandson. They were a hit! I love the holidays. It’s the time of year when I put my creative juices on full throttle. I always set a budget for myself, and I strive hard to stay within it. I came up with a few ideas for stocking stuffers for my grandson when he was a toddler and I thought I would share them.

Stocking Stuffers for Toddler Boys:

Hot Wheels Cars
Plastic dinosaurs, army men, zoo animals etc. (Anything that can be used in a fight)
Movies
Books
Hat and gloves
Coloring books and crayons
Lightning McQueen/Cars
Character drinking cups
T-shirt with their favorite character
Spinners
Favorite character eating utensils and plate
Dinosaur items
Colorful Bendy Soft Pencils
Action Figures
Tattoos
Slime

I was able to stuff his stocking with several of the items from this list. Before you head out make a list of your toddler’s favorites or a list of items that they need. This will cut down on your browsing time and help you work within your budget. You can shop for most items at your local Dollar Stores. The Dollar Tree has a great selection of Hot Wheels, dinosaur, army men and more. You can also find coloring books and crayons, board books and more.

So, Wal-Mart and Big Lots have a great selection of Hot Wheels, Lighting McQueen and the other cars as well as plastic figures. Five and Below has adorable hat and glove sets. Make sure the items you select are age appropriate and don’t have small parts that can come off and become a hazard.

Last, don’t forget, little boys like bath toys too. My grandson loved playing with his army men and dinosaurs in the bathtub. He also like bath crayons and his hot wheels in the tub.

Finally, we would love to hear any ideas you came up with for your stockings. Please leave us a comment. You may also like Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Toddler Girls.

Filed Under: Parenting Tips, Shopping Tips Tagged With: stocking stuffer ideas, stocking stuffers, stocking stuffers for boys

Turn It Up Tuesday – Week 64

December 9, 2014 by Rhonda Gales

Welcome to Mother 2 Mother and the 64th week of Turn It Up Tuesdays! We’re so happy to have you here again this week – we had such amazing posts last week! We enjoyed reading them all!

Turn It Up Tuesdays is all about being happy, excited, energetic…and having fun! Link up your favorite posts (old or new) and meet some awesome bloggers in return! Link up your funny stories, DIY posts, recipes, mommy moments — anything at all, as long as it is family-friendly. We want to laugh, be entertained, be inspired, and have a good time!

Thanks so much to everyone that joins us each week and makes this blog hop the best that it could be!

Are you interested in having your blog or website featured on Turn It Up Tuesdays? Do you want to offer a discount to Turn It Up Tuesday linkers?
Then, sponsor Turn It Up Tuesday for a month! Click here! It’s only $5 for an entire month!
We’re accepting sponsors for 2015!

[tweetthis]#TurnItUpTuesday is live! Link up & join the fun![/tweetthis]

Welcome the lovely ladies of Turn It Up Tuesday!

(from the top – left to right)

And welcome our awesome guest hosts for December!

(from the top – left to right)

Interested in being a guest host for the month or becoming a permanent co-host?

Complete the form here! Monthly co-hosts will be chosen on a first come first-serve basis. We’re now accepting guest hosts for January and February.

Here are the Featured posts from last week!

Ce Ce chose Cardboard Tube Snowman Family Craft from The Organized Dream. “This is the cutest craft to add to a 25 days of Christmas crafts list!”

Angie chose Don’t Forget Jesus from Kids in the Word. “Jesus is the most important part of Christmas and even as an adult I practice many of the wonderful suggestions in this post.”

Tina chose Holiday Lunchbox Idea + Jokes #BICMerryMarking #SummerMelon from A Mom’s Take. “What a sweet Holiday Lunchbox Idea!! So simple to make. Small suprises that make your loved ones smile do matter,love Rudolph and the joke.Thanks for sharing.”

Kelly also chose this post. “I always like new ideas for the kids’ lunches.”

Cathy chose Easy Homemade Santa’s Cookie Plate #DIYwithPainters #PaintersMarkers from A Mom’s Take. “I love the simplicity of this precious keepsake! What an awesome idea!”

Rhonda chose Build A Christmas House Out of Twinkies by Home Making Hacks. “I have always loved Hostess Twinkies. Making an edible Christmas House with them will be a fun craft to do with the kids for the holidays, adorable and delicious.”

Chelsea chose 10 delectable christmas cookie recipes from Dreaming of Leaving. “My mouth literally drooled after looking all these delectable cookies! Such cute ideas that make me want to jump in the kitchen and bake!”

Jillian chose 7 Reasons Why I’m Grateful for My Broken Kneecap from Surviving and Thriving in the Second Year of My Divorce. “I chose this post because we often need to be reminded that we should be grateful for even the little things. This posts reminds us that even in a terrible situation, there IS good!”

thank+you+for+the+gif+_1702c7a2b305471dd44c75a00aeadb32

Tiffany chose 13 Signs You Are Blog-holic… from A Kaleidoscopic Dream. “Such a fun post and definitely on the nose for each sign. I am truly a Blog-holic and I am darn proud to say it!”

Silvie also chose this post. “I could relate to every single one of the things mentioned and it gave me a good laugh. Which I totally needed. I love blogging and wouldn’t stop doing it for anything!”

Laci chose Decor Challenge: Christmas Ribbon Garland from A Dose of Paige. “This is easy and such my style and adds a unique touch to any room that anyone will notice.”

Elaine chose Stuffed Tomatoes from My Lamp is Full. “This stuffed tomato recipe made my mouth water. To me, that is always a sign that the recipe will be great.”

Stacey chose Snickerdoodle Cookies from Luv a Bargain. “My two youngest absolutely love Snickerdoodle cookies! I can’t wait to try this one and add it to our Christmas cookie baking during this coming Christmas season! Thank you so much for sharing!”

Stacy chose NinjaBread Cookies. Not Your Ordinary Gingerbread from The Crafty Side of Sarcasm. “My favorite this week is the NinjaBread Cookies by The Crafty Side of Sarcasm. I love them because ninjas. Is there really anything more to say? :”

Jessica chose Is Your Life an Adventure? from Stuck In Your Rut. “What an inspiring story! It made me re-analyze my life and goals I had for myself but never did. It’s a great reminder for all of us that life is too short and we should make the most of it, even when obstacles get in the way! Thanks a million for sharing!”

657075_91693820-running-cropped-shadow-title-660

Nancy chose 4 Fun Ways to Stay Fit With The Help Of Your Dog from Urban Naturale. “It was visually appealing, great photos, and the tips that she offered were simple and practical.”

Natasha chose Toddler Boy’s Christmas Wishlist from The Everyday Momma. “I must admit, I’m also an addict for buying my son toys, especially educational toys. I love this Christmas wishlist – I may be getting some of the things on this list. Thanks for a great post!”

The post with the most clicks is Things I Said Before I Was a Parent from Crazily Normal.

Stop by and show some love to our featured bloggers this week! I’m sure they’d all appreciate it!

If you were featured above, feel free to share the badge below with pride on your blog or website!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" title="Epic Mommy Adventures" target="_blank"><img src="http://epicmommyadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/200pxturnitupbuttonfeature1_zps09bd5c75.png" alt="Epic Mommy Adventures" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

And the Best of the Best is…

10 delectable christmas cookie recipes from Dreaming of Leaving

Cardboard Tube Snowman Family Craft from The Organized Dream

Show some love to our Best of the Best bloggers this week!!!!

As the Best of the Best, you win free ad space on Epic Mommy Adventures for 30 days! Please showcase the badge below with pride on your blog!

Please send an e-mail to Natasha at 1EpicMommy@gmail.com and she will provide you with all the details for the free ad space!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" title="Epic Mommy Adventures" target="_blank"><img src="http://epicmommyadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/200pxturnitupbuttonbest_zps00692ef1.png" alt="Epic Mommy Adventures" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

So now that you’ve met our sponsor of the month, our hosts and co-hosts, and our Featured and the Best of the Best…

let’s get started!

*Show some love to your hosts and co-hosts simply by following them on social media and leaving a comment so they can follow you back. *Link up as many posts as you’d like! The more, the merrier! *Check out some of the other posts and make some new friends! *Grab the button below and showcase on your sidebar! Invite your fellow bloggers to join the fun!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" title="Epic Mommy Adventures" target="_blank"><img src="http://epicmommyadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/200pxturnitup1_zps05216d89.png" alt="Epic Mommy Adventures" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Link up your posts, make some friends, and earn the chance to be featured or become the Best of the Best on Turn It Up Tuesday! We will feature the favorite posts each week!

**Disclaimer: Adding your link to this link party gives permission to Epic Mommy Adventures, along with co-hosts, guest hosts, and participants of Turn It Up Tuesday, to share your posts and pictures via social media and as features, roundups, etc. with an explicit link back to the original source.**

An InLinkz Link-up

Never miss another Turn It Up Tuesday! Sign up for reminder e-mails!

Interested in reading all of our favorite posts on Turn It Up Tuesdays – past or present? Or do want to know if your post was featured before we go live next week? Follow Natasha Peter’s board Featured on Turn It Up Tuesdays! on Pinterest.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: social media, social networking, Turn It Up Tuesday

Inspirational Quote-Just Say No

December 8, 2014 by Rhonda Gales

Filed Under: inspirational quotes, Uncategorized Tagged With: Printables, quotes

Fun Kid’s Food Ideas – Donut Snowman

December 7, 2014 by Rhonda Gales

I’m always looking for fun kid’s food ideas. So, I made these adorable donut snowmen for my grandchildren. I originally found the idea at Dukes and Duchesses and decided to give them a try. Fun kid’s food ideas can make meal time a big hit. These were a huge success with my little ones. Today, I’m sharing parenting tips on fun kid’s food ideas.

Sugar is everywhere during the holidays. As parents we worry about the sugar content, but these were just too cute to worry about sugar. They make a perfect snack on Christmas Eve or on a cold snowy day with a cup of hot chocolate. Print out a snowman coloring page to add to the fun.

Grandmothers are sugar queens, so we’re allowed to fill our grandchildren with sugar. At least occasionally. These were so cute, my daughter and son-in-law couldn’t resist me offering these goodies to the kids. They were washed down with a huge glass of milk.

Here’s what you need:

*Mini Hostess donuts
*Mike and Ike Candies
*Fruit Roll-Ups
*Black Food Pin
*Skewers

Step 1 – Carefully run the skewer through 3 donuts.

Step 2 – Cut an orange or red Mike and Ike in half. Place each half in the first donut for the nose. Next, cut another Mike and Ike, your choice, in half for the buttons. Next, place them in the hole of each of the donuts as shown.

Step 3 – Cut a strip of a Fruit Roll-Up and place it between donuts 1 and 2 to make the scarf as shown.

Step 4 – Use the black food pin to make the mouth and eyes. Your done!

Note: Last, cut off the pointed end of the skewer with a pair of kitchen scissors just to be on the safe side with the kids. Fun kid’s food ideas are great, but safety should be a factor too. These snowman donuts are a great for a school party, snow day snack or sleep overs. Give it a try, the kids will love them.

Finally, you may also like: Christmas White Trash Recipe.

Filed Under: Meal Time Tagged With: food ideas for kids, fun kid's foods, kids food ideas