WW #88 "Christmas 2009"

I hope everyone who celebrates Christmas - had a Merry one.

I feel like Christmas should really be about the kids. I don't really want to get into some of the family drama we had on Christmas revolving around some of my other family members. So let's just say my son & daughter had a great Christmas.

Here's a picture I really like of them. I took it on Christmas Eve at their Grandmother's House.

Visit Wordless Wednesday , 7 Clown Circus, Sunnymama, & 5 minutes for Mom for more participants.

New Winner

The Winner of the Pillsbury Crescent Creations Gift Pack did not respond. So I had to choose a new winner. The new winner is Stephanie.

Stephanie said... 93

I'm a follower of your blog
thegrants(at)live(Dot)com

December 17, 2009 1:50 PM

The new winner will have 48 hrs. to respond to my confirmation email or another winner will be chosen. Check out my giveaway for 100 Postcards, if you haven't already!

Winner of Pillsbury Crescent Gift Pack

The winner of the Pillsbury Crescent Gift Pack is Mary A.

Mary A. said... 164

Tartlets would be the way to go. You can change the fillings to make it your own.

marylavent31@gmail.com

December 22, 2009 3:41 PM

Also, without doing an official tally, it appears the winner of which appetizer I should make is the Crescent Bacon-Cheese Tartlets. That appears to have gotten the most responses. Although all received votes - the Crescent Bacon-Cheese Tartlets seem to have gotten the most. I will try to make them soon. And if anyone else tries any of these recipes - share with us your results.

Thanks to everyone for participating. I will email the winner shortly. The winner will have 48 hrs. to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

General Mills Cereal - Less Sugar

You may or may not have heard the exciting news recently from General Mills. Well I want to tell you about it in case you missed it. General Mills announced not to long ago that they are committed to reducing the sugar in their cereals.

They have already reduced sugars in some of their cereals. And they are committed to further reduce the the sugar in cereals advertised to kids under 12 to single digit grams of sugar per serving. They are also increasing key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, and providing whole grain.

The benefits of ready-to-eat cereal is eaters consume less fat, less cholesterol and more fiber than non-cereal eaters. Cereals also deliver important vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients, making cereal a top source of key nutrients in children’s diets.

For more information about kids and cereals, please visit Cereal Health and Wellness.

Right now if you visit here you will find a $1 off coupon for one of four General Mills cereals to help your family come together at the breakfast table every morning.

Disclaimer: General Mills provided me with 4 coupons for 4 free boxes of cereal. The opinions expressed are solely my own, and your opinions my differ. They provided me with the coupons and information through MyBlogSpark.

WW #87 "Tis The Season"

It has been so cold here for the past week or so. Every morning when I wake up it is only about 10 degrees out and that is not taking into effect the windchill factor. I always say I wish I lived somewhere warmer. But I guess I would miss the changing seasons. I'm not sure, as I've never lived anywhere else but Massachusetts or New Hampshire.

But anyway here are some pictures of the kids just last month in the leaves. I never got a chance to post these so I wanted to now.




And then only a month later, here they are on our first snow storm.




Thanks to all my "Wordless" Wednesday regular visitors. Hope you all are having a Happy Holiday Season.

Visit Wordless Wednesday , 7 Clown Circus, Sunnymama, The OmniCouple & 5 minutes for Mom for more participants.

CSN Stores Tetherball Set Review

As promised, I will review the Tetherball Set that I received from CSN Stores. Sorry for the delay in this review. But there were a couple of things that delayed it. I received the Park & Sun Tetherball Set from CSN Stores on December 1st, but my husband was out of town and I wanted him to set it up. The other thing that has delayed it is the weather, we have had quite a bit of snow here along with very cold temperatures.

But when I was contacted by Jason from CSN Stores to do a review on one of their products, despite the fact that Winter was coming, I choose the Tetherball Set. I looked on the website and saw a lot of fun yard games along with some really cool swing sets. But I was immediately drawn to the Tetherball Set. Mostly because it brought back memories of playing when I was young. I remember playing with my sister at the day camp we used to go to. I remember it was always a lot of fun to play.

Then the funny thing was my son was looking over the CSN website and without me even telling him I was thinking about getting the Tetherball set, he chose the Tetherball Set too. He played it a few times at a park near our house a few years ago, but they don't have it there anymore. So it was decided that we would get the Tetherball set.

Because the kids were really anxious to try it out, my husband "temporarily" set it up last Saturday. The kids really had fun playing it. Here's some pictures of them trying it out:



My husband was getting in to it to. He said he never recalls ever playing it. He wanted me to explain to him how to play. It is the easiest game: basically one person hits the ball one way, the other person hits it the other way. And whoever gets it all the way around the pole first wins.

This is a great game for the whole family. I can't wait until the warmer weather when we will really be able to get the full fun effects from this game. If you live were it is warm out now, I would really recommend this Tetherball Set. For us I think it will be a lot more fun after Winter is over (at least for me - I'm not a cold person!) One thing I noticed is my kids and my husband too for that matter are very competitive people. So they are really going to be playing this competitively. It is going to be a lot of fun to play against each other and have fun with this and of course they play to win!

Thanks to Jason from CSN stores for this Tetherball Set, my family really loves it!

Disclaimer: I was given the Tetherball Set from CSN Stores for the sole purpose of reviewing it. I received no monetary compensation for this review. The opinions expressed are solely my own, and your opinions my differ.

100 Postcard Giveaway

I have another great giveaway for you from my sponsor UPrinting.com. This is the perfect giveaway for the holiday season. It is for 100 Postcards!

Postcards are perfect as invitations, thank you cards, or note cards. Great for New Year's wishes or thank you notes for all those presents you received on the holidays.

Giveaway Prize details: Size: 4x6; Paper: 14pt Cardstock Gloss; Printing: Full color both sides Shipping: Winners will have to pay for shipping.

Win It: One lucky reader will win 100 Postcards

Mandatory Entry: Tell me how you will use the postcards if you win.

EXTRA ENTRIES: (leave separate comment for each entry you do. For example if you blog about this giveaway - worth 5 entries - please leave 5 separate comments)

1. Follow my blog (publicly)
2. Follow me on Twitter & tweet this giveaway (use retweet button above if you like)
3. Daily entries: tweet giveaway
4. "Grab my Button" and post it on your blog (worth 3 entries)
5. For 5 extra entries blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post.

RULES: Giveaway is open to US Residents only. Giveaway ends January 4, 2010 11:59 PM. Winner will be chosen via Random.org. Must have valid email in blog profile or leave email in comments otherwise you will be disqualified. Winner must pay for shipping costs.

Disclaimer: UPrinting.com will be awarding me 100 postcards too for hosting this giveaway.

Quotable Sunday ~ Snow

We are getting more snow today. It's been snowing since last night and is "supposed" to end around noon time. We might get another 8 or more inches out of this. Not as much as some places like my mother-in-law who may have gotten 15 inches already!

Here's some quotes about the thing called "snow."

1. A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water. ~Carl Reiner

2. When snow falls, nature listens. ~Antoinette van Kleef

3. When I no Longer thrill to the first snow of the season, I'll know I'm growing old. ~ Lady Bird Johnson

4. The aging process has you firmly in its grasp if you never get the urge to throw a snowball. ~
Doug Larson

Make Gravy Without The Fuss

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Club House. All opinions are 100% mine.

During the Holidays you may be cooking a Turkey or other meat that may require you to have gravy. I personally love gravy but I am not to sure about how to make home made gravy. That is why I was excited to find this gravy tips video.

Making the perfect meal for your family dinner is important and you may want to have gravy with it, but you are just not sure how to go about it. It can be a challenge to make from scratch. And it can be stressful to try to make it. That is where Club House Gravy products can come in.

Club House Gravy mixes will provide a dependable and consistent way to make gravy for your family. And it is very flavorful too. All you have to do is add the Club House Gravy mix to your drippings and then you simmer it. You can make great tasting gravy with no fuss or stress. Which you don't need any extra stress on you during the holidays. So this is perfect!

There is also a contest going on where you can win a Club House Gravy Gift Pack. Go to the
newsletter sign-up and contest entry. And you could win your own gravy gift pack to make this delicious gravy with no stress!

Orange You Glad It's Saturday

Yaya has a Saturday meme Called Orange you Glad it's Saturday. You can link up your pictures of your favorite colors or things.

These pictures actually show a rainbow of colors I thought. Last weekend my daughter lined up all her care bears. She hasn't played with them in forever, but dug them out again and was playing with them. I thought this made some very colorful pictures.

New Years In Los Angeles

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of DiscoverLosAngeles.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

I can not believe that the end of another year is almost here. Pretty soon it will be 2010! Do you have any plans? Wouldn't it be fun to really do it up for New Years? One place that would be really cool to party on New Years is Los Angeles. It would be awesome to stay at one of the los angeles hotels.

Right now there are some great LA new year's eve hotel specials. Like at hotels where they have filmed movies at. That would be so neat to stay at a hotel where some of your favorite movies were filmed. Or even to stay at a hotel where they might be filming a movie right then! Sometimes that happens. At hotels in los angeles, you could be staying at a hotel and there could be film crews setting up for a movie shoot. You might even run into an actual celebrity!

One hotel in Los Angeles that has had movies filmed at it is The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Some of the movies filmed there were 2002's Catch Me If You Can, And Beverly Hills Cop II which was made in 1987.

Another Los Angeles hotel that has had many films made there is the Millennium Biltmore Hotel. One of the movies that had some scenes made there is Ghost Busters. I totally love that movie! I was actually just watching that the other day for the first time in years. The Ghost Buster team gets chased down the hallway of the Biltmore's Main Galleria! That would be so cool to see that in person. And there were many more movies filmed there.

And there are many more hotels in Los Angeles with some famous movies filmed in them. I am a total movie buff and would really be fascinated to see some of them. And what better time to do it then on New Years! That sounds like a great way to celebrate! Don't you think?

Aloha Friday #14

An Island Life hosts this meme. Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

My question: Do you ever shop at the dollar/buck store?

My answer: Yes! I went the other day to purchase wrapping paper, tape, and gift tags. And it looks like I will be going back for more soon. And maybe pick up some stocking stuffers there too. I love the buck store!

Tuna and Seafood For Your Health

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of HealthyTuna.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

Ever since I was a little girl my Mom always made Tuna Casserole. I remember having it all the time growing up. It is a quick and easy recipe. Here it is:

Tuna Fish Casserole. Cook a 16 oz. package of egg noodles. Drain. Add 1 can drained tuna fish, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, and about a can and a half of milk. Stir & heat up a little more. Serve.

That's all there is to it. And it is so delicious. I was brought up on Tuna Fish Casserole and I have since incorporated it into meals with my own family. My son in particular likes it.

I remember even making it for myself in College. And when I first moved into my house, when I was pregnant with my daughter. Because it is a very economical meal, and so easy to make.

There is some confusion on weather or not seafood is good for pregnant women. So much so that some pregnant women stop eating seafood altogether during their pregnancies.

Although it is true that women should stay away from fish with a high mercury count, such as shark, mackerel, swordfish, tilefish, other fish is actually a good idea to eat. Such as healthy tuna.

A recent scientific study shows that seafood and tuna are healthy for pregnant women. Seafood is a great brain booster and good for your heart. The study also found that women who skip eating seafood during pregnancy can suffer more from depression. Seafood is an important part of a pregnant woman's diet and is also important for the growth and development of small children too. So go ahead make some Tuna Fish Casserole tonight! I feel like having some now!

WW #86 "Gingerbread House"

It is becoming a tradition for my daughter and I to make a Gingerbread House at Christmas time. I think this is our 3rd or 4th year doing it.

Although we never seem to learn from past mistakes. We still got the one you have to put together yourself, we still did not wait long enough for it to dry to start decorating it, the roof still slid all apart at least a dozen times, and there was still crying and screaming.

But after it was finally put together this is how it turned out:

And after it was all said and done my daughter told me: "she loved me to pieces," "I was the best Mommy in the whole world," and that I was "awesome." So I guess it was worth it in the long run.

She has fun decorating it - so next year I hope to learn from our mistakes and buy the one that is already put together and you just do the decorating. But I doubt it.

Visit Wordless Wednesday , 7 Clown Circus, Sunnymama, The OmniCouple & 5 minutes for Mom for more participants.

Customize Your Stay In Branson

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing and Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel are currently offering some great packages this holiday season. You can really customize your stay in Branson, with exclusive packages at these two hotels.

There is a lot to see and do in Branson. There are tons of places to shop, dine, and lots of entertainment. There are many events taking place for the holiday season too. Like Christmas at the White House in Branson, MO. Each year in Branson, Missouri you have a chance to step into the past with Christmas at the White House at the American Presidential Museum. Another event is Area Festival of Lights in Branson. Every year people all over the country come in anticipation at having to wait for holiday light displays to be put up, and every year Branson, makes sure the wait was worth it with the Area Festival of Lights.

All these events and more can be enjoyed when you customize your vacation. You can do this by choosing some of the packages the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing and The The Hilton Branson Convention Center are offering. One of the packages is called It's a Wonderful Life. This package will give you the ultimate getaway to enjoy all the things mentioned above while staying in Branson. You can also get a treatment at the Aspire Medical Spa. This package starts at $329 a night.

Another exclusive package they are offering is called Santa's Coming to Town. There is Story time with Mrs. Claus, and Santa himself will deliver presents along with milk and cookies too your room. All starting at $189 a night.

With these exclusive holiday packages from The Hilton Hotels you can really customize your stay in Branson for real holiday fun!

Random Tuesday Thoughts

I don't write these too often, because sometimes I feel they are whining & complaining sounding. I try to be a positive person, and not let things get me down or angry, but lately a few things have really bugged me.

Mailman- sorry I didn't shovel the mailbox to your liking, but my husband was away for almost 2 weeks. And I have a previous injury that makes it hard for me to do the shoveling properly. Thanks for not delivering my mail for 3 days. Now that my husband is home though and shoveled, you can finally deliver the mail.

Thanks on the day that you could finally deliver the mail, you knock on my door anyway to hand deliver it to me because I had a certified letter. And thanks for delivering a card with gift certificates worth 200 dollars in it to the wrong house. Luckily we have an honest neighbor.

Mother's neighbor- We have known you for over 30 years, so if you go away for an extended time, it would be nice if you could let someone know. My mother thought you would be back right after Thanksgiving, but you have not come home since. We don't know your son's phone number in Las Vegas. Please let us know if you are ok.

Neighbor's son - I figured I could maybe contact you through Facebook. I looked you up and found you on there. I haven't talked to you in years, but sent you a message through Facebook. I don't even want to be "friends" with you, but would just like you to message me back that your Father is OK. Don't you check your email? Would it kill you to email me back?

Anonymous Relative- I know it was with good intentions that you sent me a check for presents for the kids. But I was pretty much done with my shopping. Now I have to run around trying to buy presents that are from you to give to them on Christmas. And I will probably end up spending more money then you even gave me for them. And I also have to do the wrapping. Thank you for that.

Another Anonymous Relative - Thank you for complaining to another family member about your financial problems. Now they feel bad for you. I feel real sorry for you - that you own 3 houses and that one was given to you years ago free in clear in somebody's will. But then you got greedy and bought 2 more. I feel bad that you get a check handed to you by the government every month for not doing anything. And that you go on trips to elaborate places every year. And that you don't even have kids to worry about supporting. Yes, I feel real bad for you.


Thanks, if you've read this far. I feel a little better now!

Pillsbury Crescent Roll Recipe Creations Gift Pack Giveaway - CLOSED

I have been making Pillsbury Crescent rolls for a long time. And I recently learned that that along with the original Pillsbury Crescent Rolls they also have a new Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations refrigerated seamless dough sheet.

But now I need your help! I have been asked by MyBlogSpark to make an appetizer using Pillsbury Crescent rolls. I have 3 appetizers to choose from to make and to put my own spin on it. And if it turns out great then I could even be featured on Pillsbury.com

Here are my 3 choices:

Crescent Wrapped Brie

Crescent Bacon-Cheese Tartlets

Crescent Holiday Tree

I was sent 2 coupons for Pillsbury Crescent rolls and 3 serving platters. To serve my appetizers on. I can't wait to make one of the above appetizers.

Win It: One lucky reader will win 2 VIP Coupons for Pillsbury Crescent rolls (valid only in the US) and the 3 serving platters as pictured above.

Mandatory entry: Visit the links provided above for the 3 different appetizers. Then come back here and tell me which appetizer you think I should make.

EXTRA ENTRIES: (leave separate comment for each entry you do. For example if you blog about this giveaway - worth 5 entries - please leave 5 separate comments)

1. Follow my blog (publicly)
2. Follow me on Twitter & tweet this giveaway (use retweet button above if you like)
3. Daily entries: tweet giveaway
4. "Grab my Button" and post it on your blog (worth 3 entries)
5. For 5 extra entries blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post.

RULES: Giveaway is open to US Residents only. Giveaway ends December 27, 2009 at 11:59 PM. Winner will be chosen via Random.org. Must have valid email in blog profile or leave email in comments otherwise you will be disqualified. Winner will have 48 hrs. to confirm by email, If no confirmation in that time frame a new winner will be chosen.

Disclaimer: Pillsbury provided me with the free product, information, and gift packs through MyBlogSpark.

Aloha Friday #13

An Island Life hosts this meme. Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

My question: Are there any commercials you really dislike? What are they & why?

My answer: There are many. But lately it is all the Christmas commercials. And my reason is that my daughter still believes and Santa and all these commercials - like Target & Walmart ones - are implying that the parents are buying the presents. My daughter keeps saying "But Santa buys the presents." I really wish they would consider this when they make these commercials!

Experience A Branson-Style Family Holiday

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.

Are you looking for a great place to spend your holidays? Then you should think about spending them at the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing or the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel.

There are some really wonderful packages right now for the holiday season. Such as the package called It's a Wonderful Life. This package starts at $329 a night. It runs from November 15 through December 23. While in Branson you can enjoy shopping, relaxation and entertainment. You will also receive a Branson Landing passport. This is loaded with discounts for dozens of shops and restaurants. It also includes a treatment at Aspire Medical Spa.

Another terrific package that the Hilton's are having is called Santa's Coming to Town. During your holiday stay with this package you and your little one's could have story time in the lobby with Mrs. Claus. Santa himself will deliver presents and cookies and milk to guests rooms. This package starts at $189 a night.

Doesn't this sound like a fun way to spend the holidays? I think this sounds like a great way for families to get together and have a real Ozark Mountain Christmas holiday season. And with these exciting packages from the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing and the Hilton Branson Convention Center you will have a real holiday treat!

WW #85 "Snowman & Joshua Tree"

Sunday, where I live (NH) we had our first snow storm. Not much, maybe about 4 inches total. Enough to make this little snowman:



Also my husband is in California for a total of 13 days. And will be home this Sunday! Yeah! But anyway on Sunday, I sent him the above picture of our 1st snowman via text message, and he sent back this picture from California:


A picture of a Joshua Tree, from the Mojave Dessert. I just thought it was cool, the total contrast in our environments on the same day at the same time!


Visit Wordless Wednesday , 7 Clown Circus, Sunnymama, The OmniCouple & 5 minutes for Mom for more participants.

Groundbreaking Online Auction Site

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Bidazzled. All opinions are 100% mine.

There is a website called Bidazzled. It is fairly new as it was just launched in November. This is a really exciting site, it is redefining the online auction market.

Bidazzled is offering a savings of up to 90% on name brand merchandise. And this is also while they are funding a charity.

How it works, is Bidazzled is similar to what has been known as Penny Auctions or Pay-Per-Bid auction sites. Bids are bought in advance and then are used to bid on merchandise. The price increases a few cents when a bid is placed. Also a few seconds are added to the countdown clock, to allow others a chance to bid.

The auction will end when no other bids are placed. So for example, if a laptop you were bidding on ends at just one dollar. You will win the laptop for just one dollar!

And if all that isn't enough to really like Bidazzled, then another really cool thing about it is that they are funding a lung cancer charity called The Ruch Foundation. Some of the proceeds will go to this foundation.

Some other highlights are: auction winners usually save over 80% off retail, if you don't win you receive up to 50 bonus bids, if you win Bidazzled may offer to buy the item back for either cash, cash & bids, or bids. And there is also a referral program. And Bidazzled is offering my readers an exclusive offer. Use this code on the registration page up until January 15th: Blog: BBP1202A Twitter: BTP1202A, and you will receive 15 additional bids.

This is really a groundbreaking auction site! Check it out for more information today!

The Biggest Loser Finale

I'm excited to watch the Biggest Loser Finale tonight. I voted for Amanda a bunch of times to be in the finals over Liz.

Who I want to win - Amanda

Who I think will win - Danny

Who I don't want to win - Rudy or Liz

I just didn't really like Rudy at all and Liz kind of got on my nerves. But I liked Amanda and Danny. I really liked Rebecca, but she got out awhile ago. We'll have to see tonight who wins!

New Winner

The winner of Skin MD Lotion Giveaway did not respond. So I had to choose a new winner. The new winner of the Bottle of Skin MD Lotion is Deb.

Deb K said... 25 I follow you on Twitter{Deb55106}

Tweet!
http://twitter.com/Deb55106/status/6364231330

I will email Deb shortly, please respond in 48 hrs. to claim your prize

Some More Winners!

I have a couple of winners to announce. First is the winner of the $25 BJ's Gift Card. The winner is Steph.

Steph said... 8

Following you on Twitter and tweeted:

http://twitter.com/1day1dollar/status/6062000733

ms0812(at)zoominternet(dot)net

November 25, 2009 4:44 PM

And the winner of the Bottle of Skin MD Natural Lotion is CrafyRia.

CraftyRia said... 20

I learned that Skin MD Natural has a moisturizing factor of at least 6 times greater than glycerin.

December 4, 2009 10:09 PM

Congrats to the winners. I have emailed them and they have 48 hrs to comply or a new winner will be chosen. Look for more giveaways coming soon!

Quotable Sunday - Christmas Shopping

How is your Christmas shopping going? I wonder if you ventured out this weekend for any Christmas Shopping? I am about half way done with mine. Still have a lot more to go!

Here are a few quotes I found about Christmas Shopping.

1. Christmas is the season when you buy this year's gifts with next year's money.
~Author Unknown

2. Oh, for the good old days when people would stop Christmas shopping when they ran out of money. ~Author Unknown

3. Once again we find ourselves enmeshed in the Holiday Season, that very special time of year when we join with our loved ones in sharing centuries-old traditions such as trying to find a parking space at the mall. We traditionally do this in my family by driving around the parking lot until we see a shopper emerge from the mall, then we follow her, in very much the same spirit as the Three Wise Men, who 2,000 years ago followed a star, week after week, until it led them to a parking space. ~Dave Barry

4. A hug is a great gift - one size fits all, and it's easy to exchange. ~Author Unknown

Go here to play and view more:

Flash Clocks and Calender Widgets For Your Blog

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Maani. All opinions are 100% mine.

I am a big time freak. What I mean is that I always have to know what time it is. I am constantly looking at the clock to see what time it is. I like to see what time it is when ever I'm doing something.

I have to know how long something is going to take, what time I will be done or what time something has to be done. I also am an on time kind of person. I hate to be late for anything, and am usually early.

I also spend a lot of time online. And in doing so I spend a lot of time reading blogs. So when I'm reading a blog it is nice when they might have either Flash clocks/calender widgets on their blog.

I found some really neat flash clocks and calender widgets at pitiko.com. Look at this one I found:



It is a cute little snowman! And he is moving! Isn't that cute? They have over 1000 different flash clocks and calender widgets. And they all have beautiful animation! This one is perfect for winter!

Wouldn't this be a great addition to your blog? Go check them out there is a huge variety for anyone's tastes.

Aloha Friday #12

An Island Life hosts this meme. Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

My question: Real Christmas Tree? Fake Christmas Tree? Or perhaps No Christmas Tree?

My answer: This year we are going with the fake Christmas Tree I've had for about 12 yrs. We were using it up until a few years ago, when we decided to get a real one for a few years. But this year my husband is actually away now for 2 weeks so it was easier to put up the fake one, and I also can't really afford a real one this year. And we have a perfectly nice fake one.

Master The Art of Teaching

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of USC. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you asked me when I was a child what I wanted to be when I grew up my answer would always be one of two things. The two things I would always say was a Writer or a Teacher. I always dreamed of being either one or both of those two things.

I did earn my BA at St. Anselm College. For some reason I started off as a Business Major, but then a year and a half later I switched to Sociology. I graduated with a degree in Sociology, with hopes of becoming a social worker. That never worked out, and I got a job for 5 years at an Insurance Agency.

I really strayed far from my original plan of being a Teacher. My biggest regret is I didn't follow through with getting my Teaching degree. But maybe it is not to late. I just found out about a program at the University of Southern California.

I decided to check out their program information. And I found some really great information there. What I found out is that I could earn a Master of Arts in Teaching, and that USC is an internationally renowned research institute with a 100 year history in educating Teachers.

The other thing that is terrific about this program is that the courses can be done online. Wow, this would be great for me! I could have the flexibility and convenience of studying online. And with teaching, there is some field work that needs to be completed. But I could do that all locally.

Some other things I found out about this program is that you can really finish your degree at a great speed. You can take the accelerated program in finish in as little as 12 months. And there is also a groundbreaking tuition reimbursement program. Wow! That sounds great! Maybe my dream of becoming a Teacher could really come true, with the help of USC!

WW #84 "School Play"

Last week, before the Thanksgiving break, my daughter's 4th grade class put on a little play they had been working on all month. The play was about US Geography. Where they were supposed to be aliens who come down and then have to find the best place to live.

Everyone was in the play. Kids who didn't receive a talking part, still sang the songs. My daughter actually got a part in the play though. She was the Pirate Skipper of a ship. Here's some pictures (maybe a little blurry).





Visit Wordless Wednesday , 7 Clown Circus, Sunnymama & The OmniCouple for more participants.

Get Wireless With The Yamaha PDX-60

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Yamaha. All opinions are 100% mine.

A couple of years ago, my sister gave me an iPod. She gave it to me, but it has sort of become the family iPod.

My husband took it over for awhile. He downloaded all his favorite music on it. He was using it in his car too, because he doesn't have a CD player in his car. Then I used it for awhile, and put some music I like on it. Because my husband and I have very different tastes in music.

Lately though our iPod is being used by my daughter. Here she is rocking out to some hip-hop music she likes.



Since we are getting so much use out of our iPod, I was really excited when I came across the Yamaha PDX-60. The Yamaha PDX-60 is a great way to enjoy your iPod or iPhone through wireless technology. You can use your iPod or iPhone on the Yamaha PDX-60 Speaker Dock. You could watch your movies, games and music anywhere in the room.

You also get instant connection, with no sound delays and really quality sound. There is also a dual charging system. So you can charge two iPods or iPhones at the same time.

I'm sure my daughter would love to be able to dance to her hip-hop music while "her" iPod is on the Yamaha dock across the room.

Top Entrecard Droppers - November

Here are my top 10 droppers from Entrecard. All with 31 drops on my blog each. Click on their pictures to visit their blogs.

Thanks everyone for dropping on me!