Blog Posts by MomFinds

I love this time of year. And not just for all the gifts and parties. I can't get enough of all the homes decked out in bright lights, and the festive holiday cards I receive from friends and family near and far? More, please! But what I really love are all the holiday traditions that bring my family closer together.

For starters, every year we spend an entire evening building (and snacking on) a gingerbread house. Some years it's a gingerbread train or tractor, but most years it's some version of a house. It's fun and fab way to get rid of all those Halloween candy leftovers!

And then each year we add a few more Christmas ornaments to the tree depending on what the kids are interested in. I write the year on the bottom with a Sharpie as a reminder what was "cool" that year. This year, we've added Hello Kitty for my daughter, and I'm probably going to MacGyver one of her Lalaloopsy Mini Dolls into an ornament before the end of the year.

We also count down to the

I'm all for making the kids smile during the holidays, but I also feel it's only fair to warn parents. A lot of those toys you're planning to buy--or already bought on Black Friday--will probably annoy the crap out of you for at least the next 2 months.

It's sad, but true. You skipped out on Thanksgiving dinner early and stood in line for 2 hours for a toy that will make your life miserable. Parenthood--fun, right?

But for those of you slacker parents who haven't even started holiday shopping--or you skilled shoppers who saved all your receipts--consider this your fair warning. If you get your kid one of these toys this holiday season, prepare to regret it for the rest of your life...

1. The Black Eyed Peas Experience for Xbox 360 Kinect. Because their songs were bad enough when they were in regular rotation on the radio, you'll now have to suffer through not only listening to them, but watching your kid attempt to dance like Fergie. #enoughsaid

2.

It's the day we've been waiting for--Cyber Monday! And the deals are even better than we could have imagined. 75% off at Kate Spade, 30% off at Old Navy, Gap and Banana Republic and 20% off UGGs.

Amazing, right? Don't wait to start shopping--it's midnight, which means the Cyber Monday sales have already started. Be the first to get there so you get the best selection (and you don't get caught shopping at work tomorrow).

Here are 10 we'll be ordering from:

Save 20% on everything at All Saints.

Save $30 on orders over $100, $60 on orders over $200 and $100 on orders over $300 at Endless with code CYBERMON at checkout.

Save 30% on all Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic orders with code HUGECYBER.

Save 30% on all Juicy Couture orders, no coupon code needed.

Save 75% on handbags, diaper bags, accessories and more at the Kate Spade sample sale.

Save up to 50% on toys, electronics and more at Target.

Black Friday? Stress-free? Ha! Who am I kidding? The only way Black Friday could possibly be stress-free is if you spent the entire day noshing on Thanksgiving leftovers.

But alas, there is shopping to be done, hot holiday toys to be purchased, money to be spent. So if you're heading to the stores, make sure your smartphone is loaded with these 10 best apps for shopping. They'll help you find the best deals and save you the trouble of being loaded down with sale circulars, coupons and rewards cards.

1. ShopRunner. Before you stand in that long checkout line, simply scan the barcode on your item using this app and it will display how much the exact same item is across the Web. Found it cheaper? Click right through to order the item immediately.
Cost: Free
Download It Now >>

2. ShopAdvisor. Looking for something specific? Set up a price alert now using this app and it will automatically notify you when your items drops to a certain price. It not only shows online

No, not that talk. My daughter is only 3 for goodness sake. I'm talking about the God talk. My little girl is only a toddler, but she is obsessed with God.

We go to church just about every Sunday and have been ever since she was born. Her fascination with God didn't actually begin until I told her that my grandmother--my dad's mother--was in heaven with God. Immediately, I could see the wheels in her head begin to churn. At the time, she asked why she was in heaven and when she would get to see her. I somehow dodged those questions, but over the last few months she's continued to ask about God and heaven and my grandmother in heaven.

It all got even more serious this weekend when we were getting ready for church. I was putting on my daughter shoes and she asked where we were going. I told her to church to say thank you to God and she started balling. Like hyperventilating, crocodile tears, the works. When I asked her what was wrong, she said she missed God and my

Call me a slacker mom, but I will not be braving the toy stores this Friday. I like to think of shopping as a leisure activity and going toe to toe with those Black Friday crowds seems too much like a sport to me.

But just because I won't be out there, doesn't mean I'm not going to help out all you moms who will be shopping on Thursday night. Black Friday bargain hunting isn't my area of expertise, but Jim Silver, the editor-in-chief of TimetoPlayMag.com, knows all about it. He reviews all of the latest toys to help advise families on the best of the best and we got him to share his Black Friday shopping tips, plus his top toy picks this holiday season and how can score them without losing all your money (or a limb).

MF: What are you predicting will be the top sell-out toys this Black Friday?
JS: I really don't think there will be too many toys sold out on Black Friday because retailers try to have enough inventory to last the entire weekend. Sunday will probably

There is a saying that goes, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth" and in general, I tend to think that's fine advice. If you want to continue to receive gifts, best to show a little appreciation. But the reality is: not all gifts are created equal.

So given that is 'tis the season of giving, I thought I'd do a little pre-emptive PSA on a few of the products that seriously annoy moms. That way when your friends and family are shopping for the kids this year, they know to skip right over these. Thoughtful right? Casually post this on your Facebook page to spread the word...

1. Anything that requires me to get less sleep than I already do. Yes, I really appreciate you buying my kid a discounted semester of piano lessons on Groupon or wherever, but you know what that means? I--not you--I have to wake up at the crack of dawn on my one day off to get her there. Either you really don't like me or you really don't value sleeping in very much.

2. Super skinny

Yes that's a butcher knife next to a sleeping baby, and according to the City of Milwaukee's Safe Sleep Awareness Campaign, co-sleeping with your baby can be just as dangerous. As a mom who co-slept with both her kids (and who still shares the bed with her 2.5 year old), I completely disagree and quite frankly, I'm offended.

I understand that co-sleeping isn't for everyone, and that this provocative ad gets people talking about co-sleeping, but to imply that all parents who co-sleep with their baby are reckless and negligent is just plain wrong.

Yes, there are some bad apples out there who are clueless--you know, the ones who get drunk or high and pass out with baby in their care--but the rest of us who do it responsibly shouldn't be put in the same boat.

My husband and I took all the precautions before putting our kids in our beds--we had the co-sleepers, skipped the heavy blankets and fluffy pillows, and so on--and both our kids survived...and thrived. In other