Curly Wurlys

Imagine my surprise when I discovered this little treasure...

In the very late 70s and early, early 80s, there was a fun candy bar, made by Mars, called the Marathon Bar. It was a long skinny, milk chocolate covered caramel bar that was delicious and a favorite treat that I would get with my Grandpa M. and my dad. In 1981 the candy bar was discontinued. ...sigh...

This candy bar, called the Curly Wurly, is the same size as the original Marathon Bar, and is made by Cadbury, in England.

You can pick up a Curly Wurly in Germany, Canada, or Australia or order some from Old Time Candy.

*** This just in... Cost Plus World Market carries Curly Wurly candy bars for 99 cents each! AWESOME!!

Picture Puzzle

The most popular feature in LIFE magazine every week—perhaps the most popular weekly page in any American publication—is the Picture Puzzle. There will be variations on themes and variations on the game itself, as scores of color and vintage black-and-white photographs—many from the famous Time-Life Picture Archives—are twisted, doctored, and otherwise toyed with, all in the name of fun and entertainment.

Our family loves these books. Even our youngest daughter, who is seven, gets in to the hunt! There are several editions available, and we've bought our copies at Target, Barnes and Noble and even the book orders that come home with the kids from school. I did a quick on-line search and Amazon has a great selection of the books for great prices.

Tiny Tales Giveaway

File this under "why didn't I think of that?" Seriously... way cool idea! Tiny Tales has created an innovative way of keeping track of all things that are normally tracked in a baby book. However, instead of a bound book, it is a filing system. WOW! I love that the cards are 4x6 inches... the same as a regular photo. Perfect for assembling a photo album!!

From their website, Tiny Tales explains... "Looking for the perfect way to capture life's little moments, but don't have the time? With a dash of fun, a dollop of convenience, and a generous helping of adorable, Tiny Tales has a recipe that is as easy as pie."

Baby Tales Kit, starting at $30

Toddler Kit, starting at $30

Babysitter pad, $8

Tiny Tales has generously offered a Babysitter pad to one lucky reader of Laugh Until Your Cheeks Hurt!!! Yea, thank you so much Tiny Tales.

To win, please leave a comment on this post by Tuesday, October 28 at midnight. Early Wednesday morning a comment will be randomly selected!!

Worry Dolls

In Guatemala, before going to bed, children tell one worry to each doll and then put the dolls under the pillows. When they wake up in the morning, the worries are gone.

I love this idea for the worrying child. And the dolls are so cute.

Worrydolls.com sells 1 basket, with 6 dolls, is $2. You can also get 12 baskets, also with 6 dolls each, for $13.

100 dolls ranging in sizes from 2/3" to 2" for $15. These are perfect for crafting, or to simply use for your own worries, or to give as gifts. Also available at worrydolls.com.

Be Delicious

This is my favorite perfume... currently! I tend to be very fickle with perfumes. Once a scent makes it as my favorite I will always like it, I just may soon get a new favorite.

So, right now, I am L*O*V*I*N*G this Be Delicious scent, by DKNY Fragrances.

"Feast your senses on this crisp blend of American apple, cucumber, grapefruit, and white amber. Its bulbous, pomme-shaped bottle makes the delectable scent that much more ripe for the spritzing."


It is a very clean, light scent... not at all heavy or soapy smelling!

Project Runway Winner!

I watch Project Runway! There, I said it!

And I like it!

Which is funny, because there is absolutely nothing high fashion about me.

Wednesday night was the Season Finale... and of the final three, the girl that I wanted to win, DID!

Her name is Leanne Marshall and I totally enjoyed her final collection. In another life (and a different body) I would wear a couple of the outfits that she presented.

Webkinz

Webkinz are the Beanie Babies for this generation of kids. And I love them! And so do my kids.

The following description comes from the Webkinz website... Webkinz pets are lovable plush pets that each come with a unique Secret Code. With it, you enter Webkinz World where you care for your virtual pet, answer trivia, earn KinzCash, and play the best kids games on the net!

My kids earn time on the computer and they almost exclusively play with their pets when they get computer time. I love to listen to them create fun worlds for their little pets!

Stephen's Gourmet Hot Cocoa

I LOVE hot cocoa! Love it! Stephen's Gourmet Hot Cocoa is arguably the best out there! My favorite flavors are the Orange Creme, Chocolate Mint Truffle and the Candycane Cocoa.

This is a new flavor for 2008... sounds yummy! And I bet it smells soooooooo good!

After several years of testing, Stephen's is introducing Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cocoa. Contains real, miniature peanut butter cups that melt while you mix. Sounds worth a try to me!

The Pay it Forward Winner is...

Here are your random numbers:4
Timestamp: 2008-10-15

Briana

Briana writes that her favorite aspect of Fall is WALKING!! I can finally get outside with the kids, squish all three of them in the double stroller and just WALK! Sometimes we have a destination and other times we don't. I love to feel the cooler air and burn a few calories too! Hey why not!

I have to agree... Walking is a great activity, here in Arizona, for Fall!!

Congratulations Briana on winning this Pay it Forward contest. I will make arrangements with you for delivery of your prize! As promised, it'll be some of my favorite things... including notecards from Hallmark, a candle, lip gloss from Bath and Body Works, and a couple of other finds. PLUS, there will be an item from the box of treasures that I received when I won a Pay it Forward last month.

If you choose to offer a Pay it Forward contest on your blog, please remember to choose one item from the box I create for you to include in your prize.

Congratulations!

And Happy Fall!!!

Monster Kit

Yikes... this is $250... more than I would spend for a plush... but if I could, I would! What a cute idea. Your child draws a picture of a monster, you send the image to the designers at North American Bear Co. and they reproduce your child's design as a plush monster.

See's Candy as a Thank You Gift

I have a few Thank You gifts that I need to purchase. I'm going to the mall later today, and will be stopping by See's candy. I need a fix... and I think it'll be the perfect place to buy the little gifts that I need.

There is no lollipop better than a See's Lollypop! I love using these as favor gifts for parties, or hand outs! We passed these out, with cute little homemade stickers, when several of our kids were born!

I'm looking forward to an Orange Cream... or a Pineapple Truffle. Or both.

Monopoly Mania!

After a brief search on-line, it appears that there are almost 100 different varieties of the Monopoly game.

Here are some editions that I find intriguing and interesting...

Fall Cookie Cutters

IF I made sugar cookies, I would totally make these candy corn cookies!! Too cute. Cookie cutter $1.44 at Off the Beaten Path.

And I love this leaf cutter... a great buy at $1.19.

This set is $10.95 and includes 7 cutters that range in size from 3" to 4.5".

I have a favorite local bakery that will make and decorate sugar cookies for a reasonable price and the best part is that I can provide them with my own cutter to use! I have had cookies made for birthday party favors, sports team treats and as client gifts! I love that they can be personalized for just about anything!

Off the Beaten Path is a family owned and operated warehouse where you can get some great deals on all styles of cookie cutters and other bake ware needs!

Pay it Forward: My Turn

I won this PIF contest a couple of weeks ago and, as part of winning, I must now hold my own contest.

Here’s what you’ll win: a few of my favorite things!!! I'll put together a mix of fun things that I love and enjoy! Also included will be a mystery item from the contest that I won. It'll be a fun package, I promise!

Here are the rules:

1. Respond here with your name and email by midnight Tuesday the 14th of October. Also please share your favorite tradition of Fall. Mine is the focus of gratitude!! I love chatting with my kids about all of the things that they are grateful for. I learn so much!

2. A random comment will be chosen on Wednesday morning, October 15, using a random number generator. I will contact you for your mailing address and send you out your prize.

3. You agree to choose one item from your package to add to the package you will create for the winner of your contest.

That’s enough rules. Time to comment and get on the PIF train.

The Winner of the Childsplay tickets is...

soccermom

Congratulations soccermom! soccermom wrote: I just took my kids to their first play this summer, to see the Wizard of Oz. I would love to take them to as many other plays as I can! Growing up, my parents took us to ballets, to see the symphony, and plays. It's so expensive now that I keep putting it off. But at least I've started on it!

I am confidant you will love this show and the experience of childrens' theatre. Enjoy!

And thanks to Childsplay for the generous donation of these fun tickets!!

Here are your random numbers:1
Timestamp: 2008-10-08

P.S. email me your mailing address at alisonsannouncements at yahoo dot com and I'll drop the tickets in the mail! Congratulations again!

Breast Cancer - Pink Things

It seems that every company, every product, has a line that has gone pink!! I love this idea and hope that the money genuinely goes towards finding a cure. Here are some of my favorite "pink things."

Build-a-Bear just introduced their 2008 Breast Cancer Awareness bear. The Hopeful Wishes Teddy II is $25 and for every bear sold Build-a-Bear will donate $5 to advance breast cancer education, research and support.

Sprinkles Cupcakes has a strawberry cupcake, with the Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon on it for sale... just through today. Last year, Sprinkles raised over $20,000 from the sale of these cupcakes to support Breast Cancer research programs.

Save-the-Tatas has these t-shirts, for $24.95. A portion of every sale from Save-the-Tatas goes to support Breast Cancer research and support.

I love Brighton jewelry. And I have always loved their Power of Pink bracelets. The 2008 bracelet is $60... a portion of each sale goes to Breast Cancer research.

"Pink of Hearts" polish by OPI. Price varies.

National Stamp Collecting Month

October is National Stamp Collecting Month. I have long loved fun new stamps. I'm not an official collector, but I do have a little box in my stationery cabinet that has cancelled stamps that I have gotten over the years. I love using fun stamps on the (rare) letters that I write. The above stamps are recent issues... I think they are pretty cool!

My favorite stamp of all time is the Adopting a Child stamp that was issued in 2000.

Chalk Talk Storage Jars

I found these very cute, and very reasonably priced jars at Cost Plus World Market! I think they would make great teacher holiday gifts! Fill them with a homemade goodie, or even a bunch of wrapped candies, and label them with the teacher's name and presto... gifting done!

Also, I thought of many uses for these jars at home. I think I'll get two... one for a chore jar and one for a special treat jar. In both I'll put colorful slips of paper with either 'extra' chores or special treats or privileges. I will use the chore jar for chores that can be done to earn extra money or be done as a consequence! In the treat jar I will include coupons for things like an extra serving of dessert, an extended bedtime, a dessert date with mom or dad, a mini-manicure, a little toy, etc... all things that I can use as rewards!

I started thinking... these jars range in price from $4 to $8 each... I wonder if I could find some bulk jars (maybe from IKEA) and buy some of the blackboard chalk paint and create this gift for much cheaper! I think so.

Fun project...

Don't Almost Give. Give.

Looking for a way to give? Not sure where to start?

The goal of the Generous Nation campaign is to translate our compassion to action. At the Don'tAlmostGive website you can search through hundreds of national non-profits to find a cause that you are passionate about. They have organizations listed in the following categories: children, education, animal, health, safety, hunger/homelessness, disaster relief, community, and seniors.

One of the things that I love about this website is the Acts of Kindness suggestions that are shown on the bottom of each page. These suggestions are random ideas on little things we can do with very little effort.

This is a website that is worth your time.

Current Giveaway!! Childsplay!!!

I LOVE CHILDSPLAY!!! I really do! Childsplay is a professional theatre group for young audiences! They are a highly acclaimed organization, with many, many awards and recognitions over the years. Last month I took my girls to see their production of "Miss Nelson is Missing" and it was incredible. We had a great time. We have seen many different Childsplay productions and have NEVER been disappointed.

I have season tickets for the 2008-09 season and am looking forward to some fun shows. Childsplay does season tickets different than the customary method of buying subscriptions. They sell what they call "Play Passes" and if purchase 12 or more passes they are only $16 a piece... which is a great deal! Ticket prices are normally $20-25 a piece. Their productions are first rate and their home theatre is the beautiful new Tempe Center for the Arts. Every seat is a good seat!

One play pass equals one ticket. You choose WHICH shows you want to see and HOW many passes you are going to use for that show. For example... if you buy 12 Play Passes, you and a guest can attend six different shows throughout the season, OR you could take three guests to attend three different shows. YOU CHOOSE how to use your Play Passes. For more information about Play Passes, click here.

I am looking forward to taking my girls to see Velveteen Rabbit in December. I am confidant it will be fantastic and a great holiday activity for us to do together.

Childsplay has generously donated TWO TICKETS to the Childsplay Production of The Velveteen Rabbit. These tickets are for opening weekend, Sat and Sun, November 22nd and 23rd. There are two performances each day to choose from. Please leave a comment here by midnight, Tuesday, October 7 and I will randomly select a winner on Wednesday morning!! Good luck!

The Winner of the "Kisses" books is...

...Claire...

and this is what she said...
I have never even heard of these books before until I took Brigg to his first day of K. His teacher read the Kissing Hand to us all. I sat there and tried not to cry, the whole time thinking I hope he knows how much I love him.

Congratulations Claire!!! I know you are going to love these books!

Email me your address so I can drop these in the mail!