Happy New Year's Eve!!

Fact or Crap

We got this fun game for Christmas this year. It is an interesting way to play a trivia game. I love trivia, but hate looking like an idiot when I don't know something that everyone else knows. This is a perfect solution for me.

In a nutshell... to play, one player is the reader and reads bits of trivia to the other players. Each player indicates, with a card, if they believe the trivia to be fact or crap. You get more points if you guess correctly and guess first. You also lose points if you guess incorrectly. It was a fun, fast paced game.

*********

Sample trivia statements:

Tom Thumb's coffin was only 3 feet and 10 inches long. Fact or Crap?

Karlsbad, Bad Ragaz and Baden Baden are all family health spa locations. Fact or Crap?

Queen Elizabeth's great grandmother, the Duchess of Teck, was heiress to a toothbrush manufacturing fortune. Fact or Crap?

The Schwimmwagen was an amphibious model of the Volkswagen Beetle. Fact or Crap?

Leonardo da Vinci produced a blueprint for a machine gun? Fact or Crap?

**********
Answers:

All are fact, except for the Queen Elizabeth statement, which is crap!

Stuffing

½ cup of celery, chopped
1/3 cup onion, chopped
4 oz butter
12 c dry bread, cubed
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp sage
1 ½ cups chicken broth (I prefer Progresso)

Preheat oven to 375 and grease a 9x13 dish. Saute onion and celery in butter until onion is transparent. In a large mixing bowl, mix bread, cooked vegetables and seasonings. Add the chicken broth slowly to the bread, tossing until evenly moist. Place dressing in prepared dish and bake until thoroughly heated, and lightly brown, 25 – 35 minutes

Merry Christmas

Progresso Broth Giveaway - WINNERS

Congratulations to the following winners...

MarieC, Nikki and Kim and Nathan!!!

You have each won this great basket of goodies from Progresso!!!!

And thank you to Progresso for this fun giveaway!

I will post my favorite stuffing recipe tomorrow... Progresso Chicken Broth is perfect for it!!

Jan Brett's Christmas Books

Oh, our Christmas eve choices... which one should we choose?

Probably all of them... and a few other old favorites thrown in for fun!

I love Jan Brett... I love all of her books! But the Christmas ones will always be my favorites!

Wizard of Id - Christmas Dinners

Wintergreen Lozenges

I LOVE these silly little candies!

You can buy them at CVS stores for 99 cents for a five-ounce bag. OR... you can buy them online at places like this for about $21 for 5 pounds. 5 pounds... how dreamy!!

3 Sisters Love on PERCH!

You really need to check out my friend Justina's blog for a fun giveaway. Click here for the details.

3 Sisters Love is a fun little shop on Etsy. If you haven't been to Etsy ever, or even recently, take a few minutes to check it out today!

Progresso Broth Giveaway

Progresso is making it easier to create your favorite holiday recipes with the introduction of all-natural Progresso Chicken, Reduced Sodium Chicken and Beef-flavored broths. Progresso’s broths are 99% fat free and contain no preservatives, artificial flavors, or MSG! They even come in convenient, re-sealable 32oz cartons.

My favorite recipes that use broth are Stuffing, Hawaiian Haystacks, French Dip Sandwiches with Au jus, and of course... homemade chicken noodle soups!!

Because the holidays are also about sharing, Progresso has offered “Perfect Recipe” gift baskets to share as a giveaway!! The baskets include a free coupon for Progresso Broth, a recipe card holder, recipe box and wicker basket, as well as a set of serving spoons and a spoon rest.

Click here for a great coupon from Progresso. And click here for some great recipe ideas from Progresso. There are so many yummy recipes on this site... I'm going to try the Mashed Potato Au Gratin for the holidays this year... looks so good!!

You need to enter by Tuesday, December 23 at midnight! Winners will be randomly selected. Remember... leave me a way to contact you if you win! Good luck! And thank you to Progresso for a fun giveaway!

Bottlecap Tripod

Click here for information about this cool little gadget. It is a tiny, light-weight tri-pod that fits on top of just about any plastic bottle.

It is perfect for the photographer on your list... or for someone who is getting a camera under the tree this year! At $10 each, they make the greatest stocking stuffers!

Two Websites for Delivery Options

If you have packages to mail, and aren't sure the best delivery option...

visit www.shipgooder.com for price comparisons betweek USPS, FedEx, DHL and UPS. All you have to do is enter your zip code, the recipient's zip code and package weight.

If you are tempted to deliver the gifts in person... to say, your friend in WA (oh, I wish), go to www.fuelcostcalculator.com and AAA will tell you how much your road trip will cost! Phoenix to Seattle would be $200 in my car.

My Street Signs

Check out MyStreetSigns for a great and unique gift idea. You can personalize these signs with anything you want.

Mine is going to say... Disneyland 359 mi

One of our favorite teachers at school would love Conway Circle.

The ideas are endless.

All-Star Cookie Cutters from Williams Sonoma

You can make (notice I did not say that I can make) these adorable cookies with the All-Star Cookie Cutter Set from Williams Sonoma. I love sugar cookies, and I love using them as favors at parties, and fortunately I have found two bakeries that will make them for me! They will even use my own cookie cutters for special orders!

The All-Star Cookie Cutter Set is $25 for a set of 8.

Mite Tees

Mite Tees offers these darling shirts... up to 6T. (6T??? Never heard of it, but that is what their site says.) Anyway... they are all able to be personalized and I think they are so simple, yet darling!

Amazingly Simple Home Remedies

• Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop
• For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer.
• A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.
• If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives; then you'll be afraid to cough.
• You only need two tools in life - WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD -40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.
• If you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical problem.

Thanks to my friend Marie for this great post!

Armored Penguin

If you are like me and you have a difficult person to shop for on your list...

YOU MUST SEE THIS WEBSITE

http://www.armoredpenguin.com/

Armored Penguin can generate puzzles, with clues YOU give it. For free! They have generators for crossword puzzles, word search puzzles and word scrambles. I love the idea of creating a booklet for teachers, grandparents, siblings, etc., with personalized puzzles!! What a great idea!

I created my first word search puzzle this morning, saved it to my computer, edited it in Word and printed it out. It'll be a fun activity for my girls after school today!

Also, on this website there are some fun logic puzzles... I played the Bagels game and am hooked! I've marked the site as a favorite.

Top Chef Apron

I love Top Chef. I'm not a Top Chef... or even a Middle Chef... but I still think this is a super cool gift idea. I would love one!

However... Bravo TV Online is saying that this $30 apron is sold-out. Maybe for my birthday?

White Turkey and Corn Stew

White Turkey and Corn Stew

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups diced cooked white turkey meat
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. mild jalapeño sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 10-oz. box frozen corn
1 15.5-oz. can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 4-oz. can diced green chilies, drained
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat the oil in a 4-quart, heavy-bottomed pot. Add the onion and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 30 seconds.

2. Add the turkey, cumin, chili powder, jalapeño sauce, salt and chicken broth. Mix well. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

3. Stir in the corn, beans and chilies and cook until heated through. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream and cilantro. Serves 6 to 8.

Thanks to Family Fun for the recipe!!

Re-stickable Decal Photo Frames

I love this idea. Re-stickable photo frames... WOW!

At the Photojojo store, an 8 pack of these frames is only $20.

I think this is a great gift idea for college students and teenagers... and I can think of many uses in my home for these!

No Shopping Day!

I suggest a no SHOPPING DAY!

Resist.

... play games...

maybe go for a walk or a hike...

hanging out as a family is the order of the day!!

Apple Dumpling Gang

The Apple Dumpling Gang is a Disney film, (1975) about a gambler named Donavan (played by Bill Bixby, think Incredible Hulk) who is tricked into taking care of a group of orphan children. These precocious kids eventually strike gold during the California Gold Rush.

Tim Conway and Don Knotts (pure comic geniuses) are a team of not-so-bright gangsters who try to steal the gold, but later are offered the gold by the children. This movie is sweetly hilarious! I look forward to sharing it with my little ones this holiday weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving

The Giving Chest Winner!!!

Here are your random numbers:14


Congratulations williamsboys!!! You are going to love this book! I'm so excited for you and your boys!

Pogo Sticks

Last year, as an impulse purchase, we bought a couple of pogo sticks for our kids for Christmas. It ended up being one of our best toy purchases ever.

The kids, all of them, love them. And when we have friends over to play, they always end up jumping with one of the sticks.

This one is available at Dick's Sporting Goods for $35.

Cheryl&Co

Cheryl&Co is a bakery, founded in 1981, that offers fresh baked cookies, desserts and gifts! They are located in Ohio and they ship anywhere in the US and Canada. AND... they offer free shipping to any APO/FPO address... as a way to show support for the US Military! Love that idea!

Everything on their menu looks DELICIOUS and so tempting. In my perfect world, I would have a bakery right on the corner of my street!!!

Snoopy Loves the USA

This is a darling 2008 Hallmark Keepsake Ornament. I love it!

I love Christmas and all that is Christmas. And I have a definite weakness for Hallmark Ornaments. Click here to see all the new ornaments for 2008.

Blog Jokes

Stadium Seats

High School soccer season is about to start. Actually yesterday was our daughter's first scrimmage game! With two kids on the high school soccer teams I'm going to be at a lot of games.

It is crucial to have good stadium seats for the almost two hour games. My qualifications for a good seat are easy... 1) it must be thick enough that I don't feel the frigid cold of the bleachers, 2) it MUST have a back (not just a pillow to sit on), 3) it must not tip over when I lean back and 4) it must not cost a fortune!

My new favorite sporting good store... Dick's Sporting Goods... had these great seats! And they are only $25 each. Plus, I used a $10 off a $50 purchase... making them $20 each! Yea!!

This is what the Dick's Sporting Goods website said about the seats: The GCI Outdoor™ Bleacher-Back™ seat offers fully reclining back support for sitting on bleachers with a nylon adjustable strap and a 2-in padded seat cushion. The folding design and carrying strap make it easy to transport, and it includes an oversized storage pouch for holding a wallet, keys, etc.

P.S. These seats worked great inside for volleyball season as well!

Hugh!

Hugh Jackman, 40, was just named People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive.

My favorite Hugh movies...

Kate and Leopold

and

The Prestige

and I liked Someone Like You!

Did you know that he had a 'voice' part in Flushed Away and Happy Feet? How sexy is that?

Oral Fixation Mints

I love all the varieties of mint tins that are available. It seems that everyone sells their brand. I was at a Liz Claiborne store this weekend and they have a tin of mints... seriously, everyone has their brand on mint tins!

I love these mints from Oral Fixation. They have some great flavors (see their website, or below) and I love that the tins are so thin. They are the perfect size for business cards!

I think this gift pack is a fun idea. Six tins in a slipcase for $15. The six flavors included are:

Mojito Mint (lime mint cocktail)
7 Deadly Cinnamon (hot cinnamon)
Sugar Free Tibet (wintergreen)
Night Light (caffeinated chai)
Spare Mint (spearmint)
Classical Peppermint

The other flavors available are:

Mimosa Mint (Orange Mint Cocktails) NEW!
Antioximints (Green Tea Mints) NEW!
Jasmints (Herbal Jasmine Mints) NEW!
Fabulous Fruit (Very Fruity Tropical Mints) NEW!

"Mr. Finnegan's Giving Chest" Giveaway

I love Christmas. I love children's stories. I love books!

Combine the three and I'm hooked.

Add Dick Van Dyke and I think I'm in heaven!

"Mr. Finnegan's Giving Chest" is a wonderful Christmas story that teaches about the spirit of Christmas... the giving and serving others part that is such a wonderful tradition of the Christmas season.

The artwork in "Mr. Finnegan's Giving Chest" is remarkable. It was created with state-of-the-art 3D imagery. Dick Van Dyke's likeness is the title character - Mr. Finnegan. It is such a close likeness it almost looks like a photo.
Who would like a hardbound copy of this wonderful book? Leave a comment here by midnight, Tuesday, November 25 for a chance to win this for your library... or to use as a great Christmas gift for someone special in your life.

Did I mention the book includes a CD recording of Dick Van Dyke reading the story?? So fun!

Click here for more information about the book.

Good luck!!

Spoon Sisters

I recently discovered a fun website with unique gift ideas. The Spoon Sisters has almost 29 different categories to help you find the perfect gift! Right now they are offering $5 off a $50 online purchase. The code for this discount is GIFT and the offer expires 1/15/09.
This may look just like the bag that you carry home from the pet store, but don’t be fooled…this plastic goldfish is not swimming in water, it’s embedded in clear, glycerin soap shaped like "water in a bag". I love this idea as a hostess gift, or a thank you gift to a babysitter!! Click here for more info.

With these long handles, the Dipping Spoons are perfect for getting in to spice jars. It's always a balancing act to get in to my spices that I buy from warehouse stores... and these spoons would be perfect. I love them!

National Adoption Day

Foster kids across the country will be celebrating today! Hundreds of kids will finally have a family to call their own today! Yea for adoption!

Today is the day to support the effort to finalize foster care adoptions, honor adoptive families and spread the word about kids in need.

Of the half million children who enter foster care each year, 129,000 of them are currently available for adoption.

For more information about National Adoption Day, visit nationaladoptionday.org.

I Love Adoption

I'm adopted! And I'm an adoptive mother!

I love adoption with my whole heart!

To say that I'm grateful for adoption would be the understatement of a LIFETIME!

Happy National Adoption Month!!!

Arizona Heart Gallery

The Arizona Heart Gallery is an all volunteer run organization with a simple mission... to take professional, heart-reaching photographs of the most vulnerable children in our communities... the foster children who are waiting (and waiting) to be found by their forever families.

November is National Adoption Month and Arizona Heart Gallery will have two different exhibits. Click here to see the schedule of exhibits here in Arizona.

Please take a few minutes to look at the pictures.

Hot Vanilla

Turn the classic hot-chocolate treat on its head by serving up steaming mugs of this vanilla-flavored tummy warmer -- topped with dollops of chocolaty cream.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup of whipping cream
1 tablespoon of chocolate syrup
Dash of cinnamon
1 cup of milk (per hot vanilla)
2 teaspoons of sugar (per hot vanilla)
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (per hot vanilla)

1. Start with the topping. In a medium bowl, whip 1/2 cup of whipping cream until it's frothy. Add 1 tablespoon of chocolate syrup and a dash of cinnamon, then continue to whip the mixture until everything is well blended and peaks form. Makes enough to top about 6 drinks.

2. For each hot vanilla, microwave 1 cup of milk and 2 teaspoons of sugar in a mug for 90 seconds. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Top with a dollop of chocolate cream, a drizzle of chocolate syrup, and a dash of cinnamon.

Recipe from Family Fun magazine.

Veteran's Day

Freedom is never free. ~Author Unknown

***********

I think there is one higher office than president and I would call that patriot. ~Gary Hart

This Place is a Zoo

My husband wants a boxer puppy for Christmas... I think I found one.


But wait... my 7 year old daughter wants a Chihuahua for Christmas... What is a mother to do? A mother that has said for the last 20 years that she won't be getting a dog... she isn't a dog person?

I think I found a solution. Both of those adorable, lifeLIKE puppies above are actually
stuffed animals. They look very realistic when their tummys are moving in and out like they are really breathing. These breathing puppies come with their own blanket to lay on and a cardboard carrying case as well as a certificate of adoption and a care manual. They are $32.50 each and you can purchase them at This Place is a Zoo. I love it!!! What an amazing idea!

Perhaps your family is more exotic... and you need something a little more grand? Check these guys out...

This ostrich is 30" tall and is $99.

The granddaddy of all stuffed anmials is this guy... when sitting this gorilla measures over 28" tall and retails for $299.00.

Be sure to check out This Place is a Zoo. It looks like they might just have every animal you could think of!!