MelissaStuff

A Rain Poncho  - In Texas, we can use a rain poncho anytime of year. We have gotten lots of rain recently and it probably isn't over unless it gets cold enough to freeze all of the precipitation. These are simple and can range anywhere from simple, plain and inexpensive ($3.95) to a fun, kid-themed, high-end version (the OliveKids poncho pictured that runs just over $20 .) *********************************************************** Exergen Temporal Thermometer - Some of you may find this to be a very, ahem, unique stocking stuffer, but hear me out. As a mom, I know how difficult it is to take a little one's temperature and how much more difficult it is when you don't know what their temperature is because you can't get them to let you take it. I also know how unhappy children are when they already don't feel well and they suddenly have to hold a glass thermometer in the mouth or . . . even worse, somewhere else. For both mother and child, a temporal arte

Thank you  Capital One Home Loans  for sponsoring this post. This is a paid endorsement. To learn more about how Capital One Home Loans tools can help simplify your home-buying process, visit  CapitalOneSmartHomeLoans.com . The journey I have been on in the last few years has taught me just how big a fallacy it is to assume that everyone has the same experiences in life or learns the same lessons. I have now successfully purchased two homes. One was a starter home - a brand-new build where we where we were able to choose every detail from the ground up. The other was a foreclosure that involved going through a difficult, tedious process which ultimately netted us a home in need of a lot of work but also with a lot of equity very quickly. However, in my line of work, I regularly deal with people who are saving up for down payments, buying homes, selling homes, refinancing homes, investing in rental properties. It's exposed me to a much wider array of home buying experi