A Mama's Rant

Our old school style traditional holiday family game

Each year when we put up the Christmas tree, we have to rearrange things, and move the table with all the board games on it to the other side of the living room. Every year this gets to be more of a chore because we have an amazing selection of family games.

There are the traditional games like dominos, backgammon, chess, checkers, and cribbage. Classic board games like Trouble, Monopoly, Scrabble, and Operation. Silly games like Go Wake Up Daddy and the Spongebob Squarepants version of Life. We also have several card like old maid, go fish, and several versions of Uno. Of course, there are the little kid games like Candy Land, Hi Ho Cherry-O, Shoots and Ladders, which my five-year-old daughter, Lucie, still likes to play.

The games are played quite often when one of the grandmothers visit. Nathan attends chess club once a week, and a mini cribbage or chess board is always taken camping. I come from a family of old school gamers. Back in the ‘70s my mom and her friends played a lot of backgammon, which I learned by watching them. My dad played poker occasionally, and instead of reading a book, we’d play gin rummy before bedtime. My mom plays bridge at least once a week, and when her husband isn’t playing bridge with her, he’s playing poker with friends.

So what game does my family break out on Thanksgiving or Christmas day? PUZZLES!

Behind on your scrapbooking? Try digital scrapbooking with Karen of Scraps of Mind!

Here's a guest post from Karen of the Scraps of Mind blog, which is about the fine art of digital scrapbooking. I don't scrapbook (digital or otherwise) since I'm more of a writer than a crafter. (That's why I blog!) However, if you're a busy mom who loves to scrapbook, but doesn't have the time for it, you need to check out her blog and her new service Step by Step Digital Scrapbook.

Don't let today's moments slip away!

Hi I'm Karen and I write the Scraps of Mind blog, which all about scrapbooking. I'd like to tell you about a new scrapbooking website that I've recently launched to help absolute beginners get started in digital scrapbooking.

Why would I be interested in digital scrapbooking?

Well, if you're a Mom with young kids you've probably got a gazillion digital photos of them that are just sitting on your computer hard drive or on CDs. Digital cameras are a blessing and a curse. It's great to be able to take as many photos as you want. But when you have so many, you just feel overwhelmed and don't know what to do with them.

Moms have been making gorgeous scrapbook albums of the special moments in their children's lives for years. But often just at the time of their lives when you're taking the most photos, you find you have the least time or house space for crafty hobbies. And we all need some me-time and a chance to do something relaxing and get in touch with our creative side. (And yes, you do have one, even if you think you don't.)

Digital scrapbooking is the creative hobby for the Now Age

With no setting up or clearing away you can start and stop your scrapbook projects instantly whenever you want. Plus there are no half finished projects lying around for little hands to discover. With digital scrapbooking you can turn your special photo into a frameworthy piece of art, and then replicate it for your mom, your sister or pretty much anybody you like with no effort at all.