Grandma

This morning about 5:00 am Grandma passed away.

It wasn’t a shock to us that she passed. Grandma had been living at a nursing home for several years now and her mind hasn’t been with us for some time. It just took her body a lot longer to finish what it had to do I guess. She hasn’t been the same Grandma I grew up with for quite some time. Grandpa passed away a few years ago and Grandma had been looking for him since that happened. I am very lucky in that I still have my other set of grandparents with us. Today I’ve just been remembering about her and I thought I would share a little.

Grandma was spunky! That is just a great way to describe her. One of my favorite stories is how she went against the school rules and wore pants one day. It was very, very cold and she just thought it was silly that she must wear a skirt when she could wear pants and stay warmer.

When I was young my brother and I spent a lot of time with her and just loved it. She always took the time to play games with us and taught us how to play cards and Yahtzee. Each Monday night we all went to Grandma’s house for dinner. Maybe that is why I never have minded Monday’s too much? She made the best mashed potatoes ever – still my favorite food to this day. While she didn’t have really long fingernails, she had just enough to be a perfect back scratcher. She would sit in the middle of the couch and I would lay on one side and my brother on the other side so she could scratch both of our backs at the same time. When she would stop I would wiggle around until she started back up again. I remember going to the zoo as kids and they had these big machines in each animal house that you paid 25¢ and got a molded plastic animal. These suckers were hot when they came out and had extra plastic on the bottom. Grandma would always hold them until they cooled and made sure to scratch off the bottom so they would stand for us. There were no favorites with the grandkids, she loved all of us and everything was divided equally. If she gave us a can of Spaghettios and Meatballs and there were 13 meatballs, we each would get 6 ½ meatballs even.

She and Grandpa loved to dance, that’s how they met even. I loved watching them dance together at parties, weddings, any event there was music. They went to dances with their own friends all the time also and on New Year’s Eve they always had a party to go to but would bring us home the great hats and noisemakers.

When I was about 12 they moved to Florida for a few years so we visited them there. I missed them while they were gone. They eventually moved back to St. Louis several years later and it was great being able to see them more often once again.

For some time now she didn’t seem to recognize most of us. That has always been hard, so I didn’t visit her as often. I want to keep those really happy memories of her being spunky and fun with me always and was afraid of losing some of those seeing her in such a different way. I know it’s selfish, but it’s honestly the way I felt. She was with us all just on Christmas Eve, although she seemed to sleep the entire time. Before I left that night I gave her a hug and a kiss and told her I loved her just like always, but this time it had felt different when I did it. It felt very final I thought to myself at the time. I guess something was telling me. Anyway, Grandma I love you very much and I hope you know you were a fantastic grandma and I will cherish all of the memories I have of you forever. I hope that when T grows up and has kids I can be just even 1/10th of the grandma you were to me!

Thanks to all of you who are taking the time to read this and for allowing me a chance to share my Grandma with you.

New Year Resolution Help

Passing along a helpful list from Buzzillions.com to everyone thinking of making a New Year Resolution. I don't do them myself, but know lots of folks give them a try. Enjoy!

Buzzillions.com has compiled a list of Top Rated products, endorsed by actual users, that are sure to motivate you from beginning to end, so you can finally put a big check mark on your New Year resolutions list and say, “I did it!”

• Stop Smoking: Kicking this bad habit doesn’t mean you have to go cold turkey or limit your lifestyle. The NICODERM CQ smoking cessation aid is a clear patch that is effective, easy to use and stays on no matter what – swim, sweat or shower these patches will stick by your side and help you quit. Users say these are easy to use and they really work!
  Buzzillions Rank: #1 of 32 (see top ten list at Buzzillions.com)
• Lose Weight: The key to effective weight loss is systematically monitoring your progress. The Omron Body Fat Analyzer is a nifty gadget that allows you to measure your body fat in the privacy of your own home. With separate modes for athletes and non-athletes you get the most accurate progress reports so you know your weight loss efforts are paying off. Users say it’s super easy to use, even if you’re technically challenged!
  Buzzillions Rank: #12 of 415 (see top ten list at Buzzillions.com)
• Get Organized: Keeping track of your website logins doesn’t mean you have to cover your office in sticky notes anymore. The Open Sesame! Password Reminder is an unassuming little book designed to store websites, usernames, hints and passwords. No more wasted time recovering lost login information, maximize your efficiency and get more done with this cool little book. Users say it makes their job more efficient and desks more organized.
  Buzzillions Rank: #2 of 415 (see top ten list at Buzzillions.com)
• Learn Something New: Enrich your mind and soul this new year. Learn something for your own personal growth and impress your friends in the process. The Esteban’s Complete Guitar Course for Beginners features step by step instruction course book and two DVDs to help you master the guitar in no time – and have fun while you’re doing it. Users say this has everything you need to get started.
  Buzzillions Rank: #7 of 1349 (see top ten list at Buzzillions.com)
• Get out of Debt: Don’t even consider keeping up with the Joneses – they’re broke! The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness offers proven how-to advice to get out and stay out of financial debt. This book explains debt and helps readers devise a plan of attack to eliminate debt and enjoy life again. If you have the desire to get out of debt, allow this proven book to help. Users say this book is easy to read and follow and changes the way you look at life.
  Buzzillions Rank: #3 of 553 (>see top ten list at Buzzillions.com)
• Spend More Time with the Family: Say “Goodbye” to mundane “How was your day” questions behind the dinner table. Getting kids, parents and grandparents together and livening up dinner time is easy and entertaining with the Family Dinner Games. This game caters to all age groups so no one feels left out. Users say this is “a must have for anyone with children!”
  Buzzillions Rank: #7 of 148 ( see top ten list at Buzzillions.com)
• Live Greener: Living green doesn’t mean you have to live like the Flinstones. Harness the power of the sun and illuminate your garden with the Worlds Brightest Double Solar Spotlight. Using high-tech LEDs that never need replacing and weather resistant construction, these lights will light the way to greener living! Users say these are the perfect for accent lighting while being environmentally conscious.
  Buzzillions Rank: #4 of 1628 (see top ten list at Buzzillions.com)
  

Direct Links to Twitter Messages

Have you wondered how you get the link to a single tweet (message) you made on Twitter? It's super easy! This comes in very handy for blog giveaways also where you can get extra entries for passing it along via twitter. I'm using just the regular twitter page in my example, but this works directly in apps like Twhirl also.

You can start on the main twitter page, make sure to log in, or if you are looking for your own tweets use the profile page (like my example). You will see under each tweet there is a time reference of how long ago the tweet was made. These time references are all clickable.


Simply pick the tweet you want a direct link to and click on that time reference link. It will bring up a new page that shows just that single tweet. Then copy the URL at the top and paste that link wherever you may need it. It will lead anyone directly to that single tweet.

You can actually (in most cases) just right click the time reference link you want and select COPY LINK to get the url without even clicking to save a few seconds.

Car Seat Safety

While T is long past the car seat stage, it was always something that was incredibly important to Hubby and I. If you, or someone you know, uses a car seat still take a moment to visit Evenflo's A Mother's Promise Facebook group. Motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of death among children in the US and Evenflo is trying to change this.

Meet Laptop 1 & Laptop 2

My son has been wanting a laptop for a while now and this year the prices were low enough that it because THE year for him to save up the money he received has gifts for his birthday (in early December) and for Xmas. It was very hard for him not to spend his birthday money for a few weeks but I helped him out by hanging on to it for him. He drove us all a little nuts looking at laptops the past month and telling us all about 100 different ones he found, but I understand the anticipation of something like this.

Anyway, this past Friday we braved the return shoppers and headed out for him to purchase a laptop. He was determined to buy one at a store that day and not order one. I told him we could go to as many stores as he wanted (I don't know where that came from). We hit a few stores and then finally he found an Acer he liked at Best Buy. It was crazy up there and the guy helping us (reminded me of a scarier version of Dwight from The Office by the way) wasn't sure about price and kept saying $399 which I knew was really wrong. He scanned it and it came up $699 which was find and then realized it was a different Acer that was only $399 so I raised an eyebrow and said really? Hmmm, could I see that one? He grabbed it out of the back still in the external shipping carton even. For only $399 I couldn't pass it up for what I needed so I ended up spending my xmas money too. That is very unlike me and I think it has thrown a few people that I spent that much on something for me, including making me have guilty pangs too!

T is thrilled with his purchase and has been showing or telling everyone he sees or talks to all about it. I'm proud of him for saving up for it also and I know he will take good care of it. We spent Friday afternoon installing security programs and getting things set up. Still a bit of tweaking to uninstall crapware that was on it at purchase, but they aren't as bad as some new computers we've purchased in the past. As you can see in the picture, T's is the bigger one and has a cool light up logo on the back, he even has a subwoofer built in and it sounds nice.

We both need to get bags though. Anyone have some new laptop bags that fit widescreens that they would like us to review? T and I both are willing to do reviews on them and any other nifty accessories, skins, etc. for laptops. Just drop me a note.

I'm going to encourage T to do another review (remember his first was the Flip Ultra) and post it here. I don't think I will have to twist his arm to do it though since he is excited to share his news with everyone right now.

Zenses Nintendo DS Giveaway

I love puzzle type games myself and play them on my computer already. One of these days I will break down and by myself a Nintendo DS to play some fun games on to relax for a few minutes here and there. Right now though, one of you lucky ducks who already have a Nintendo DS (or can borrow your kids maybe?) have a chance to win 2 great Zenses games from The Game Factory!

Need some downtime, a few minutes to escape the hectic day? The Zenses games may be just what you have been looking for! The games are rated E for Everyone. They are available in stores now at places like Target, Amazon.com, Wal-Mart, and lots of other places for just $29.99 each. The Zenses series of games will let you Escape The World Around You. The games all are calm and relaxing and have a nice soothing soundtrack. If you have only a few minutes or if you have a few hours even these games will help you relax and mellow out. Zenses has a collection of six different games. All use the stylus only, no key pressing is needed. Visit The Game Factory to view screenshots of the games, watch a trailer, see the features, and even download the soothing music from the games for free.

The Giveaway:

One winner (US only, 18+) will win the first two games of the series, Zenses Rainforest and Zenses Ocean. A value of $59.98!

To enter please visit The Game Factory and learn more about these great new titles for Nintendo DS, then comment below on what aspect of this type of game appeals to you most. You must have your email visible in your profile OR include it in your comment to win.

Extra Entries: You can 1 extra entry for each of the following. Leave an EXTRA comment for each thing you do:
• Blog about this giveaway on your own blog. Please include a direct link to your post in your comment.
• Follow me on Twitter (@RobynsWorld) and then send a tweet about the giveaway. Include your Twitter name in your comment below to receive credit. A tweet you can use is:

Win 2 Zenses Nintendo DS games from @RobynsWorld. Enter now http://snurl.com/95cqo-brt

All entries are due by Friday January 2 at 11:59pm CT. I will select one winner and email them. They have 48 hours to claim their prize or I will move on to another winner.

This post was written for Family Review Network as part of a program by The Game Factory, who also supplied the product for giveaway.

This giveaway has ended
Visit the main giveaway page for the winners
and all of the open giveaways still available!

Rough Hands

I'm excited that we have some of Vaseline's new Clinical Therapy headed to your house. If you watch this video Petal Ruch explains how her hubby's hands were so rough that they would even snag the fabric of her nice shirts just by putting his hand on them. My hubby definitely has rough hands like this. He is an auto tech and is in all sorts of chemicals and solvents all day. This dries out his hands immensely plus they get banged up on tools and parts. Even after work he is always tinkering around on cars at home or doing different handy-man projects which bang up his hands even more. In the winter it can be painful even for him with the dry and cold air here in St. Louis. When the Vaseline Clinical Therapy arrives and we give it a try we will let you know what we think.

Ultimate Party Meatballs & Sweepstakes

We are still in the midst of the holiday season with plenty of parties to attend. Do you need a super quick and easy appetizer to make for your own party or to bring to a friends? How about the Ultimate Party Meatballs? Mom Central provided me the chance to participate in another great blog tour providing the sauce ingredients for me to try out the meatballs.

The tour is from Heinz and Ocean Spray who have teamed up for one of the simplest recipes I've ever come across. I made the Ultimate Party Meatball recipe today to take down to my parents house to munch on for Christmas Day. All you need is a 16oz can of Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce, a 12oz bottle of Heinz Chili Sauce, and a 2lb bag of frozen, pre-cooked, meatballs. Throw everything in the slow cooker on high for about 4 hours. That's it. After the 4 hours just turn it to the warm setting to keep them at the right temperature.

In the past I have made a very similar recipes, but instead of cranberry sauce I used grape jelly. I actually thought they may have tasted more alike, but I was surprised at how different they really were. The ones with grape jelly are much sweeter, the cranberry sauce is a touch sweet, but definitely more savory than anything and the sauce as a whole isn't as strong as the grape jelly variety. Most of the folks at the Christmas party today have had the grape type so I was sure to ask if they had a preference. My mother-in-law prefers the cranberry variety, my husband prefers the grape variety, and most everyone else said they are both delicious, just different.

You can head over the UltimatePartyMeatballs.com for more great recipes, party ideas, and even a sweepstakes! One lucky winner will win $3,000 in gift cards to hold their own Ultimate Meatball Party, plus 20 winners will each get a new Crock-Pot. Enter before January 31 for your chance to win.

Merry Christmas

Learn more about Christmas on Wikipedia

Unique Personalized Gift

Even though I’m done with my holiday shopping, I still keep coming across gifts for some people on my list. Some folks are like that – easy to buy for. Then there are those folks on your list who are hard to buy for because they have everything they need and they just buy themselves whatever they want. You have to be more creative with this group.

My son, T, still likes to get all of his grandparents something special. Since he is a teenager he doesn’t like doing all those cutesy craft projects that he used to do a few years ago, but he still wants it to be unique and special. This year something perfect came up for us. Mom Central asked me to be a part of another tour for My M&M’s. When I showed the website to my son he knew right away this would be a perfect gift for his grandparents this holiday season. The tour provided us a gift certificate to shop with so we could try things out.

My M&M’s allows you to pick out multiple colors of candy. You can include 2 different messages, each 2 lines, and a few font choices available also. Plus you can include an image! How great is that? Since this was a holiday gift we picked out red, green, and white candy. We picked Happy Holidays as one message and Love T as the other. Then I took a photo of him to include also. The creative part of ordering is very easy to do and pretty self-explanatory. We did have a bit of trouble with the actual placement of order, but the phone rep was very friendly. None of this would prevent me from ordering again. You can go over to My M&M’s now and play around with it to preview how an order would look even.

UPS just dropped off our order a few minutes ago. They are VERY cute. I know all the grandparents will love them. T agrees that this is just the type of thing the grandparents should like. I mean, c’mon, having their adorable handsome grandson’s photo right on the M&M’s is great! I’ve done my best with the photos, but you all know that isn’t my forte.

Now these are not an inexpensive gift item in the slightest, but the customization and uniqueness of the item is worth the extra money in many cases. I also think this would be perfect at special parties and events. You can order big bulk boxes that would be perfect in those instances. Thinking through upcoming holidays and events in the next couple of months, here are some suggestions were custom My M&M’s might be a great idea.

• New Years Eve – Great if you are having a big party to set out, or give as favors at a small dinner party
• Valentines Day – You can put the love message of your choice on them and they would taste a lot better than those chalky hearts (ick). Guys (or gals) how about Will You Marry Me? messages on them?
• Super Bowl Party or Daytona 500 Party – You all know I’m not into sports, but if I were going to have a party you could pick team or driver colors, and put the names as messages.
• Birthdays & Anniversaries – if you have one of these coming up this really might make a unique gift choice, again for that person who has everything they need and want already.
• Weddings & Showers - just seems like a perfect fit for these events!
  

Thanks again to Mom Central and My M&M’s for the chance to order our own customized gift. Oh, and if any of your grandparents are reading act surprised please when T gives you your gift.

Kudos to Pampered Chef

Just thought I would give a thumbs up to Pampered Chef. A while back I bought a Decorator Bottle Set from them (item #1585) and it's been sitting in the cabinet for a while. Doing all this holiday baking I decided to use the bottle set for some melted chocolate. Turns out this is a bad idea LOL - the bottled melted right away. The lid and tip was ok, just the actual squeeze bottle didn't make it though. In the directions I hadn't seen anything about not using melted chocolate, just a warning not to put close to the heating element if you put it in the dishwasher.

So anyway, I thought I would give The Pampered Chef a call and suggest they might want to include that important piece of info in the instructions in the future. I can see other people trying to use the bottle for the same thing honestly. This evening I called and the automated voice told me they were having a long wait time but it gave me this great option of a call back! It said just enter your phone number and name and you will keep your place in the que and it will dial you back up when it's your turn. Perfect since the call time was approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours - yikes!

A few minutes ago they called back. A lovely young woman spoke with me and I explained what happened. She looked up my order and we talked about it. She said she would definitely pass along that the instructions need updated and even though I had purchased the item more than a year ago since it wasn't in the instructions about melted chocolate, they would still replace the bottle for me. So she is sending a new one.

Too often these days my customer service experience are not pleasant (to say the least), so it was a nice change of pace to have such a responsive company and friendly service representative to deal with. I have always liked The Pampered Chef products and will continue to purchase from them!

Free Holiday MP3 Downloads

Need some holiday cheer? How about some free MP3 downloads of some great holiday music to help you with that cheer?

Head on over to Amazon's 25 Days of Free MP3 Downloads to get a collection of free MP3's. A new one is available each day thru December 25. While you are there you can download the free Amazon Holiday Sampler also that has 5 classic holiday songs on it.

Now if you want more than just holiday music, take a look at Amazon's 691 more free songs! Great for if Santa brings you that new MP3 player that was on your list in a few days!

Happy Hanukkah!

Learn more about Hanukkah - the Festival of Lights - on Wikipedia

Happy Winter Solstice!

(the image is not mine for those who asked - see here - I just added the text)

Learn more about winter solstice and the entire season on Wikipedia

Magic Bar Cookies

Yummy, yummy! My first batch of holiday cookies are done. Thought I would start out super easy on these.

Preheat oven to 325 (I use glass baking dish). Melt 1 stick of butter, stir in 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs. Press into the bottom of 9x13 dish. Pour 1 can of sweetened condensed milk over the top evenly. Sprinkle one bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips on top. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups coconut flakes on top. Bake for about 25 minutes. You have to let this sit and cool to set up to be firm for cutting.

Easy-peasy! Maybe that is why they call them magic? I don't know, I just know they are very tasty and easy to make.

P.S. Foodie Mama is having a Last Minute Food Gifts Contest - head over and enter ASAP (ends 12/23) for your chance to win great foodie prizes!

Jewelry Win on Twitter!

Twitter is fun for lots of reasons, but one fun thing about it is the ability to win prizes! Today in the mail I received this very pretty sterling silver diamond pendant that I won just by following @GemAffair and sending tweets. You can get the full specs on the pendant on GemAffair.com.

Make sure you follow @GemAffair on Twitter also and watch for more giveaways. I think they are going to keep doing them for a while. Good luck and thanks again GemAffair!

Buzzillions.com Cash Giveaway Winners

I've selected the winners of the Buzzillions.com Cash Giveaway who will each receive $25 cash thanks to Buzzillions.com! The winners have 48 hours (from the time of the email I sent) to claim their prize, if they don't I will move on to pick replacement winners.

Thanks again to all of you who entered by visiting Buzzillions.com and giving them feedback. They have read all of your entry comments and have found some valuable information and are listening to what folks have to say.

Potential Confirmed winners are "foamfan" and "clynsg"!

Stocking Stuffer Ideas

It seems people have a lot of different ideas about what stocking stuffers are. In my family they are small, inexpensive items. I see advertisements that say "makes a great stocking stuffer" and it's something that costs $50, $100, $1,000, etc. Well, in my world just because it is small enough to fit in a standard stocking does not make it a stocking stuffer!

When I was growing up we celebrated Christmas Eve with my dad's side of the family. All of us kids wanted to open gifts right away and it was like torture waiting! Grandma came up with the idea of making stockings for all the kids and we could open those as soon as we wanted. She would fill it with just very small toys, inexpensive items, even practical items when we got older. That was always one of my favorite parts of the night. On Christmas morning Santa always had stockings for us also and my brother and I could open those while we were waiting for Mom & Dad to get up and moving, get their coffee, etc.

I've taken over for Grandma on the Christmas Eve stockings, plus I also "help" Santa with our family stockings on Christmas morning. That said I thought I would pass along some ideas of things I think make great stocking stuffers.

• Candy, gum, mints: These would be the regular size packs, nothing jumbo here. You can find a ton of variety from just 25¢ to $1 even. If you are doing multiple stockings look at the multi-packs to save money. Be sure to look at the regular section of the store for this, not the holiday aisle where prices are higher just for "decorated" packages
• Single serve snacks: Checkout aisles and quick shops are the best places to find these. Look for the small bags of chips, single serve dips, sticks of beef jerky, sunflower seeds, nuts, small package of cookies, etc.
• Purse size items: Again, the checkout aisle is a great place to look. Small items of things like sanitizing hand gel, flashlight key chains, small packs of tissue, etc. These may not work as well for little kids, but teens and adults these are great for.
• Pocket books: Those little 3x5 (or so) size booklets are a great size and cheap. Lots of self-help titles and puzzle books available.
• Hot Wheels: For years and years this was a must in any stocking for my son - I sort of miss those days now.
• Cards, Dice, Poker Chips: In the toy department you can usually find a section with regular playing cards for just $1 or $2. They also have speciality card games in that area but the prices vary a lot with those - a few deals to be found though. Packages of dice can also be found here which kids and adults can use. While serious poker players may not want inexpensive chips, kids love those poker chips to use for all sorts of things.
  
• Craft Supplies: There are thousands of craft supply items that can be found on the cheap. Great for kids or crafters on your list. Again if you are filling multiple stockings, look at larger packages that can be divided up among many people.
• Office/School Supplies: Ink pens, pencils, scissors, glue, Post-It notes, markers, mini-staplers, etc. All very practical, lots of variety, and very easy to divide up among many stockings.
• Hunting, Fishing, Golfing: If you have someone who enjoys these pastimes head to the sporting goods department to find all sorts of small inexpensive stocking stuffer items. Lures, weights, orange vests, golf tees to name a few.
• Automotive: Perfect for new drivers or car enthusiasts - look for air freshers, tire pressure gauges, decorative items, etc.
  
• Hardware: Pocket screwdrivers, assorted nuts, bolts, and fasteners - all great for the handy person or tinkerer
• Cosmetics: All sorts of little goodies here for anyone who uses cosmetics from little girls, tweens & teens, women, or even the drag queen on your list! Who doesn't like to try new cosmetics?
  
• Sample Sizes: Keep an eye out for free samples or inexpensive sample size promos at discount stores and grocery stores.
  

I hope those ideas are a bit of help to you. Remember to keep your eyes open as you go through the stores, especially in the regular departments vs. the holiday departments where the prices go up. Many folks are tempted to go to $1 stores for stocking stuffers, but honestly I find that most of the stuff at these stores is of low quality and some of it is even overpriced at $1 - shop smartly. I try to include an assortment of things to everyone. Each item is wrapped in tissue paper (and I'm not fussy about it) and tucked in the stocking. If you can have a few peeking out the top it looks even cuter.

AeroGarden $99

UPDATE 12/20 - Obviously the price is different now because it is no longer the Deal of the Day - still a nifty item though

I love these things - Santa are you listening? Today it's Amazon's Deal of the Day for only $99

Amazon.com Product Description
Enjoy fresh greens at every meal no matter what the season. With AeroGrow's AeroGarden garden kit, it's easy to cultivate lettuce, cherry tomatoes, herbs, chili peppers, edible flowers, and more in an energy-efficient, organic-based environment right in the kitchen. This compact chef's tool includes everything the indoor farmer needs: a preseeded bio-dome grow pod, two daylight-spectrum bulbs, nutrients, and a helpful tending and harvesting guide complete with recipes. Just follow the simple instructions to set up, and the growing process starts immediately, with germination occurring within 24 hours and a mature plant that is ready five times faster than if grown in soil. The AeroGarden system monitors itself to create ideal growing conditions for each plant and alerts you when it's time to add more water and nutrients. No dirt or natural light is needed, so even low-light spaces are suitable. Plug kits for many kinds of plants are available from AeroGrow.

Seven Reasons Gardeners Love the AeroGarden 1. Garden all year round • Extends the growing season to 365 days a year • No weeds, no pesticides, no mess • No land? No problem. Perfect for gardeners in condos, high-rises, and apartments. 2. Fresh homegrown herbs and vegetables, right in the kitchen • Garden-fresh food available all year round, "right off the plant and into the pot" • Grow a wide variety of salad greens, tomatoes, herbs, chili peppers, flowers, and more 3. Revolutionary aeroponic technology--plants grow in air and water, not dirt • NASA-proven space age technology; plants grow five times faster than in dirt • Grows hundreds of dollars of herbs and vegetables every year • Guaranteed harvests in 28 days (herbs and salad greens) 4. Plug-and-grow simple--100 percent success guaranteed • Grow lights included to ensure healthy growth without a sunny window • Preseeded bio-dome grow pods ensure 100 percent germination, often within 24 hours • Microprocessor automatically adjusts nutrient delivery, light cycles, and water flow for specific plant types for healthier growth • Reminds you when to add water and nutrients 5. Easy, no-mess seed starting for transplanting into outdoor gardens • Grow indoors to maturity and harvest or use as a seed starter for outdoor gardens for a head start on the growing season • Seeds germinate quickly and establish healthy root systems for transplant • Oxygen-rich growing chamber is ideal for propagation and rooting of plant cuttings for cloning plants of your choice 6. Convenient, no-mess, hassle-free growing • Plant in minutes, sprout in days, harvest continuously for months • Low maintenance--healthy, vibrant gardens in less than 10 minutes a month 7. Organic-based, timed-release nutrient tablets for healthier plants • Perfect nutrition and pH balance with more than 60 macronutrients and micronutrients for optimal plant health and abundant harvests

FAQ

Q: What is aeroponics?
A: Aeroponics is a dirt-free growing method in which plant roots are suspended in air within a 100 percent humidity, highly oxygenated growing chamber. Because the roots are bathed with ideal levels of nutrients, water, and oxygen, plants grow significantly faster, are healthier, and have a higher nutrient content than plants grown in soil.

Q: How big is the AeroGarden?
A: The AeroGarden has the footprint of a breadbox and is sized to fit conveniently under most cabinets. The AeroGarden measures 16 inches long by 10 1/2 inches wide by 15 1/2 inches high when it is first set up with the lights at the lowest possible setting, and 21 inches high at the highest level. Currently the AeroGarden comes in only one size.

Q: What can I grow?
A: Salad greens, gourmet herbs, chili peppers, cherry tomatoes, cascading petunias, and several types of basil.

Homeschool Winter Break

We are officially on our winter break from homeschooling now. T is ready for the break as much as I am. He has done really well the first half of our school year though and I am really proud of him. We will not start up again with "planned lessons" until January 7, 2009!

How about all of you? Homeschoolers, have you started your break yet? Those with kids in more traditional school settings, are your kids on break yet?

Oh So Fabulous Award

I received the Oh So Fabulous Award from Chrysa over at ThriftyJinxy - thanks Chrysa!

According to the rules, I'm supposed to tell you 5 things that I'm addicted to. This should be pretty easy since I get hooked on things easily.

1. Twitter - it is my latest obsession and I thoroughly enjoy it. Try it if you haven't already, you can follow me @RobynsWorld

2. The Internet - I think you all really knew this already, right?

3. Eclipse Cinnamon Breath Mints - I started with these when I quit smoking a few years ago and have been hooked on them since. Problem is they are very hard to come by so when I, or my family, see them we buy the store out.

4. Mexican Food - ok it's more American Mexican food, but I am on a kick lately where I really want Mexican. Qdoba and Chevy's are my favorites right now.

5. Soda - Still stuck on this one (sigh). Although at least now I do try to stop and grab a bottle of water a few times a day instead of soda. Regardless I still drink too much of it.

Now, to pass on the Oh So Fabulous Award to 5 other blogs:

• Feels Like Home
  
• Brain Foggles
  
• Bitten By Books
  
• Twitter! Tweet! Win!
  
• Laurie's Cobalt World

Kohl's Deal Act Fast!

If you are a Kohl's shopper and use a Kohls.com credit card. here is a deal, but act fast! I shopped at my local store last night, but today am shopping online at Kohls.com.

First, go to your favorite points or rebate site that you are a member of and see if you can go thru them to get points/credit/etc. for shopping at Kohls.com. If so use that link. I use MyPoints and earn points for each dollar spent. If you aren't a member of MyPoints and would like a referral just send me an email with the email address you would like me to send a referral link to.

Second, shop! Lot's of great sales, although I have to admit their online selection isn't quite as good as their in-store selection. Anyway, put at least $107.13 in your cart. This minimum will end up giving you the $75 minimum for free shipping. You can go over $107.13 as much as you like.

Third, use your Kohl's charge and enter code: MY30OFF at the checkout. This will deduct 30% off your entire merchandise total!

Fourth, shipping should be free since your order is $75+, just use standard ground shipping. In order to receive by Christmas you must place your order by tonight at 11:00 pm EASTERN.

Happy shopping!

Holiday Poll

Sometimes I forget that not everyone does the same thing my family does during the holidays. It used to shock me more and I just wondered how they could not do something, but as I've gotten older I've learned to listen to what they do instead. I've learned some great new things to try out from listening. While we are not a religious family, we do celebrate all sorts of holidays, including Christmas, which started out as something completely different than a birth (but that is for another day). So here is a little poll for you all - in your comment answer as few or many as you would like. Or if you have your own blog post your answers there and just leave a link in the comments so we can all come read.

Real tree, artificial tree, or no tree?
We use an artificial tree. I grew up with artificial and have continued to do the same with my own family. Hubby and son picked out the current one - it is silver (I kid you not) and has a big spotlight that hangs from ceiling and shines on it LOL).

Themed tree or hodge podge of ornaments collected?
We have ornaments that we have made and collected from trips, special occasions, etc. over the years. Even after being married for almost 17 years though we don't have enough. Of course, some don't make it from one year to the next and so we are always adding to the collection.

Do you celebrate (or give a nod even) to multiple holidays this time of year? Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, etc.
I like to learn about all sorts of customs and traditions so we do tend to give some sort of nod, as we learn, to other holidays this time of year.

Present opening - Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?
To the bane of Hubby & T, we open gifts on Christmas morning. I mean you can't open them before Santa delivers them, right? We actually open gifts with one part of the family on Christmas Eve, our own Christmas morning, more from other family on Christmas afternoon, and then we have Christmas in the country on the weekend before or after (this year after) with more presents.

Do you like Christmas Carolers or do you turn off the lights and pretend not to be at home?
It's been a long time since I have seen Christmas Carolers going door to door actually, but I would love to have them come around. I remember going caroling as a girl and it was fun. My dad was not a fan of them and would always pretend to not be at home when they came around though.

Old style Christmas lights or LED lights?
We have a mix this year. About 50% of each. Hopefully, next year we will increase the percentage of LED lights though.

Do you believe in Santa?
Y-E-S!

Do you put out snacks for Santa and the Reindeer?
Yes! Cookies and milk for Santa and carrots or apple for the reindeer! I'm thinking we need to add some cheese for Santa too based on those "power of cheese" commercials (those are great!)

Would you rather have a white Christmas with snow and cold or a white sandy beach Christmas?
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! We spent one Christmas in Florida when my grandparents lived there for a bit. It just wasn't the same.

What are special baked goods, treats, foods you like during the holidays?
I make lots of cookies this time of year to hand out as small gifts. Just got all my baking ingredients yesterday and will start today probably.

Do you sing along with holiday music or cover your ears when you hear it?
Sing, sing, sing. Drives my son crazy since he would prefer to cover his ears for all holiday music. Apparently there isn't a lot of holiday music in genres he likes.

OK - it's your turn, please share, even if it's just a little!

Amazon.com Holiday Shipping Cutoff Dates

Still shopping for the perfect gifts? Me too! Having a harder time than usual this year. You do still have time to shop on amazon.com and get it before Christmas. You can read all the details of the amazon.com shipping cut off dates on their website.

Important Internet Explorer Security Patch

I know many folks who read my blog use Internet Explorer for their browser. They have a very important security patch that you need to download ASAP. Many of you have IE set to auto-update, but please take a moment to make sure it has done it.

You can go to http://update.microsoft.com and it will scan and give you the list of updates you need to install. Just click and follow instructions. When you are done installing you will need to restart your computer also.

There are several other browsers available like Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and more also. However, I know that many of you just aren't comfortable with changes so at least protect yourself to the best of your ability and get those updates in.

I'm Pickled Tink!

Recently Chrissy of Pickled Tink sent me an email asking if I would be interested in reviewing one of her items. I was honored and agreed. While I thought the images on her website were lovely, I was truly more pleased when the necklace arrived yesterday afternoon. Even T and Hubby both thought that the necklace and pendant were great, high praise from my guys on such a “girl” thing.

In the picture you can see that the necklace arrived in an adorable tin with the Pickled Tink logo. This is one of the cutest packages for a necklace that I have seen and it just fit wonderfully with the style of the item even. Inside was my necklace with the three pendants. Also was a small silver polishing cloth and a note telling me the item was sterling silver and to use the cloth to help it remain shiny. Very nice touch to include the cloth and a note letting you know what it’s for. The chain was a tiny bit tangled, but nothing major and was easily untangled in just a minute or so.

The necklace itself is enchanting. While it’s very cute, it’s not too cutesy I think. Based on the questions asked for my review item, I told Chrissy that I would like each of my families initials, B – R – T. I included that R (me) is the only female and the B and T were both male initials. I also told her that I liked jewel tones. My pendants were wonderful with the pink R, blue T, and green B. All of the pendants are small circles with a background of a pattern and the primary color, and then the initial is on top of that in lower case black. Each is in small clear domed circles. The backs are flat and all silver. All three pendants hand been placed onto a delicate bead-type sterling silver chain. Again, I just can’t state how lovely I think this piece is. I will be wearing it regularly and I’m sure enjoying compliments on it just as often.

Along with necklaces there are bracelets available. My necklace I opted for all initials, but they have several different words to select from as well. Necklaces can have up to 4 charms each and bracelets can have anywhere from 6 to 20 charms. Prices are reasonable starting at just $36.

Any of the Pickled Tink items would make a wonderful gift item on a birthday or holiday, even a just because. This would also be a great thank-you. Maybe a gift for you even, we all need to treat ourselves occasionally. Please visit Pickled Tink and view their gallery of photos to see more of your options.

Thanks again to Chrissy for giving me the opportunity to review one of these pieces!

Pledge Furniture Polish Review & Giveaway

Dust - ugh - it is not something I like, but judging by things in my house you would think I was a major collector and treasured it like fine art! Cleaning has never been high on my list of things I want to do, but it's just something you have to force yourself to do. Luckily, Hubby doesn't seem to have a problem with cleaning and helps out a lot.

The thing about the dust is that Hubby has always had allergies and I know I have to try better to keep that dust at bay. When asked to review Pledge's Anti-Dust Formula I had to give it a try. I mean it says Anti-Dust right in the name and if anyone is Anti-Dust it is me because I certainly not Pro-Dust!

Most of us grew up with Pledge, but when my sample arrived I took some time to actually read the can. I learned a few things that I thought I would share with you.

• The Anti-Dust formula has Allergen Trappers - these will help keep those things that make Hubby sneeze at bay
• This is a no wax formula which means no residue build-up on your furniture
• Pledge will remove dust, dirt, smudges, and common allergens from pet dander and pollen (great for open window season and for our 2 cats)
• In addition to being great on finished, sealed wood items it also is great for a clean shine on stainless steel, leather, marble and granite! Who knew?

THE GIVEAWAY:

Prize: Pledge (1 can)

End date: Entries must be received by 11:50 pm on December 22.

How to enter: Visit the Pledge website (link will open a new window/tab) and then come back here and tell me something new you learned about Pledge.

Extra Entries: You can extra entries for each of the following. Leave an EXTRA comment for each thing you do:

• Blog about this giveaway on your own blog. Please include a direct link to your post in your comment.
• Follow me on Twitter (@RobynsWorld) and then send a tweet about the giveaway. Include your Twitter name in your comment below to receive credit
• Give this page a Thumbs up in Stumble Upon
• Digg It
  

Requirements: This giveaway is only open to residents of the USA, age 18+. You may NOT enter on behalf of others or use multiple names/emails/identities. Anyone caught cheating will be banned from this and all future giveaways on my blog.

This post was written for Family Review Network as part of a program by SC Johnson, who also supplied the product for review and giveaway.

This giveaway has ended
Visit the main giveaway page for the winners
and all of the open giveaways still available!

Cauliflower-Cheddar Soup

Tonight I made a Rachael Ray recipe from her show a few weeks ago. Her recipes we tend to either love or hate, no in between for some reason.

Anyway, tonight I made Cauliflower-Cheddar Soup and it was wonderful! Very thick, full of flavor, and perfect for the super cold day we have had. I did not make the sandwiches she has mixed in with her recipe, just the soup for us. Although Hubby did make a sandwich for himself, but that was on him. Hubby, T, and I all thought the soup was a winner and they requested I make it again.

The only changes I made were that I added one small chopped carrot in with the onions and garlic. I like the color those little bits of carrot add in any soup. The milk I used was just 1%, not whole or half-and-half as the recipe calls for. We use 1% everyday and it's what I had on hand. Didn't seem to be a problem to use this variety. Finally, I opted to not include the mustard. It's not a flavor I like personally and it tends to stand out too much in many things. I was planning on having to add something else to make up for the flavor, but upon tasting the soup I didn't feel it needed anything extra.

Here is where to find her recipe, remember she has the sandwich ingredients & instructions mixed in.

Baby Alive Doll Under $20!

Need a baby doll gift for someone on your list? I had a Baby Alive when she first came out in the '70s and LOVED it! It poops and pees and I thought that was the funniest and coolest thing ever at the time. I remember my Uncle Gary holding her and it going on him. Too funny!

I have a little cousin that is just the right age for Baby Alive I think and have been looking at them, but they were more than what I generally spend. Last night I was thrilled to find them on sale at Amazon for under $20! If you have someone who is baby doll age head on over and buy Baby Alive Learns to Potty while they last at this price!

Amazon.com Review
The Baby Alive Learns to Potty doll from Hasbro really eats, drinks, and uses the potty. With its blinking eyes, talking mouth, and ability to "eat" and "digest" its food, this doll provides interactive and imaginative fun for children ages 3 and up.

Doll Really Talks and Eats!
This version of Baby Alive is a toddler, just the right age for potty training. She has cartoonish, oversized eyes and a head of curly hair, and comes dressed in a bib and a removable dress. Press the button on her bracelet to turn her on; she'll "wake up" and say "I Love You Mommy." When she talks, her eyes blink and her mouth moves in sync with her words. When she says "I'm hungry," that's the cue to feed her.

The doll comes with a bowl and two baby food mixes. Mix one baby food packet with water and feed it to her with the included spoon. She'll "chew," ask for more, and say the food is yummy. She needs water, too: she can drink real water from the included baby bottle.

Potty Training Time
After she's done eating, the doll will say she has to go potty. Sit her on the included toilet, and she will really go. But watch out: if you wait too long, the doll will say, "Uh, oh, I had an accident," and she'll go in her diaper -- or all over you, if you're not careful! She comes with an extra diaper and wipes for cleaning and changing.

Baby Alive's most unique feature is that she gets better at using the potty after every feeding session: after the second session, she will ask to use the potty twice before going in her diaper, and after the third feeding, she'll ask to go three times before having an accident, and so on until the fifth feeding. (The doll's potty training feature can be reset, so your child can "teach" her to use the potty over and over again.)

Interactive Role-Playing Fun
While some talking toys simply recite phrases at children, Baby Alive takes it a step further by offering the opportunity for interaction. As well as asking for food and using the potty, she also will ask your child to sing songs, play, or give her a hug -- each of which invites a response. We particularly like that her interactive features allow for role-playing fun, which is a vital part of a young child's development.

However, because of the potential for mess, this is not a toy for independent play, especially for younger children, and especially if you'd like your house to stay tidy. So parents and caregivers need to be on hand -- and they need to be prepared to clean up some messes! The doll also requires cleaning between feedings and potty sessions to keep it working properly.

My Coke Rewards - Double Points This Wednesday

Heads up members of My Coke Rewards - this Wednesday December 17 is a double point day on 12-pack codes! Instead of 10 points they will be worth 20 points each. Gather yours up and have them ready on Wednesday.

Windows Mobile Smartphones

It’s time I start to consider upgrading my phone to something that will do a bit more for me, particularly on the go. Mom Central has sent me a tour for Windows Mobile at just the right time. I’ve headed over to the Windows Mobile website to read up and found some helpful information.

I think the Windows Mobile platform on a smartphone would be a perfect fit for my needs. It runs on the same Windows system as my PC. I like Windows and find it easy to use, so having it on my cell phone would just make synchronizing between the two so much simpler. Using the phone itself would be easier since it's a more comfortable platform that I've been using for years and years. On top of that synchronizing between my computer and the phone would be so much simpler since they are the same platform - it is apples and apples instead of apples and oranges. The software that came with my current cell phone works, but it's a bit clunky and I'm just not a fan of it. Transferring the photos I take with my camera is a bit of a pain as well.

Some features of Windows Mobile that would be beneficial to me:

• Easy synching - just connect the phone with a USB cable or cradle; use the wizard to tell it what to synch and then hit next to begin the transfer of info.

• I can see my emails on the cell phone with Microsoft Office Outlook Mobile. I have used Outlook for years and love it and to keep things the same means easier in this instance

• If a phone number is included in a message, web page, or contact card, the Click-to-Call feature lets you just click on the number to place a phone call.

• I am not a constant text message user, but hubby and I especially send them back and forth daily. Little love notes and reminders to stop and pick something up, that sort of thing. My so now has a cell phone also and we are beginning to use text messaging more with him also to keep in touch. The Windows Mobile platform threads your text messages to keep them easy to follow – so much easier than my current phones setup!

• I can keep my calendar synched with my computer. Perfect for when you are at say a doctor's appointment and they want to make another for a few weeks later. This way I have my schedule in my hands and won't have to reschedule something later when I realize I've overlapped.

• Windows Mobile makes it easy to transfer photos between the phone and the computer. You just need a USB cable or Bluetooth. I use a USB myself and find it the simplest method.

• Games, games, games - over 500 titles! I do like playing games on my cell phone while I am waiting in lines or wherever. Windows Mobile Total Access offers many free games and adds new titles often. Of course, Bejeweled, my favorite, is available.

One of the coolest phones I found on Windows Mobile was the Samsung Omnia. It’s for the Verizon network so I would have to make a switch from AT&T but I’m not under a contract right now so not too big of a deal I suppose. The Omnia is a very cool touch screen Windows phone and combines features of a smartphone and digital camera into one. I have a regular digital camera, but why carry it around when I can just use the one of my cell phone. The Windows Mobile even lets you crop photos, post to my blog, and send to friends and family. It's a 5.0 megapixel camera which is really all I need for the types of pictures I use.

There are plenty of phones that use the Windows Mobile platform to pick from, and with all the different carriers. Plenty of options for me, although I still haven’t quite figured out why I just can’t use the phone I want with the carrier I want, that’s a different story though for another day.

So for me, the easy synchronization between a Windows Mobile smartphone and my computer would be the thing I would most be looking forward to in a new phone. How about you? What would feature or benefit would you most like to have the next time you upgrade your cell phone?

Thanks again to Mom Central for the chance to participate in this blog tour!

FUMI Review & Giveaway

You may recall my previous mentions of purse hooks. They are truly practical and I think everyone who carries a purse should own one. Well now I have come across the best looking purse hooks I have seen to date!

The FUMI was created by two sisters, Nichole Shamlian and Natascha Shamlian. These are beautiful hangers for your purse to keep them up off the filthy floors in restaurants, bars, and other places. By the way FUMI stands for Fashionable, Unique, Multipurpose, Innovation.

The basic principle is the same. You use the hook by placing it over the edge of a table and then hang your purse by the straps on the other end of the hanger. This keeps your bag up off the floor where food has been dropped and ground in by shoes and there are all sorts of bacteria and other things that I don’t even want to think of down there. Really if you take a moment to consider some of the places you have set your purse down and then other places after that like your own tables and counters at home… Well, you get the idea. On top of keeping it off the floor for cleanliness, it’s also handy to have it up there closer to you. It seems I am always digging into my purse when we go out to eat whether it’s for a pen and paper for my son to doodle on, an after dinner mint, a coupon, and my wallet to pay for the meal. Using a purse hook keeps my bag right next to me and much easier access. If you are hanging your purse on the back of your chair you need to consider thieves. Even in nice places people still steal women’s bags off the backs of their chairs and we are so busy visiting, talking, and eating we never even notice.

I’ve seen a variety of purse hooks over the past couple of years, but nothing like the FUMI! These are, by far, the best looking ones ever! I was lucky enough to be on Twitter one night and saw them asking if anyone would be interested in reviewing them. I took a quick look at their website and then jumped on the chance to be selected to review the FUMI here on my blog. I was delighted when the FUMI package arrived and found they are just as gorgeous as how they website depicts them. Plus they each come in a pretty little drawstring bag. These would be such a perfect gift for anyone, including you!

You can use the FUMI obviously as a PurseHook, but they are so attractive they can clip onto your purse as an accessory also. It makes them a wonderful addition to your purse and very convenient when you are ready to use them. Just slide it up and clip it onto the table. On top of this you can easily wear the FUMI as a bracelet also. That’s a lot of function for only $24.95! They have several styles to choose from and you could get several to coordinate with your different purses and looks! Again, these would make great gifts for any girl or woman of any age. All orders are shipped within 24 hours also. Visit the store to order FUMI today.

The Giveaway:

Prize: One lucky winner will receive a FUMI in the Vibrant pattern.

How to enter: Visit TheFUMI.com (a new window/tab will open) to find your favorite pattern then come back here and include your favorite in a comment. Make sure your email is visible in your profile or leave it in your email so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries: You can extra entries for each of the following. Leave an EXTRA comment for each thing you do:

• Blog about this giveaway on your own blog. Please include a direct link to your post in your comment.
• Follow me on Twitter (@RobynsWorld) and then send a tweet about the giveaway. Include your Twitter name in your comment below to receive credit.A tweet you can use is:
  

  Win a gorgeous FUMI PurseHook @RobynsWorld. Enter now http://snurl.com/7w0pa
  

• Give this page a Thumbs up in Stumble Upon
• Digg It

End Date: All entries must be received by Tuesday December 23 at 11:59 pm CT

Eligibility: This giveaway is only open to residents of the USA age 13+. You can only enter for yourself – don’t enter on behalf of others or use multiple identities. If I catch anyone cheating they will be banned from all my giveaways.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask. Thanks again to FUMI by Je’Marie for the chance to review and for the giveaway prize!

This giveaway has ended
Visit the main giveaway page for the winners
and all of the open giveaways still available!

Buzzillions.com Cash Giveaway

The folks over at Buzzillions.com are sponsoring a giveaway here at Robyn’s Online World. They want you to come over and visit their site and see all of the fantastic product reviews they have to offer on electronics, toys, sporting goods, home & Garden, clothing, pet products, green products, and much more.

Since they don’t sell any items directly, the reviews you find on Buzzillions aren’t there to help them get rid of stock in their warehouse. They do make money from affiliate sales, but they aren’t forced to move a specific item or even work with one specific retailer. You get the good and the bad in the reviews from others, plus they want your thoughts too!

I love that you are able to sort the reviews in so many different ways to find what works best for you. You can pick an item, and then sort by things like brand and price or course, but also by things like the positive aspects of the product from reviews, type of reviewer, and plenty of other methods. The items have nice clear pictures, easy to view rating system, and easy comparison.

There is a nice rollover function on each item also that brings up more details for a quick glance. This allows you to get more information and determine if you want to possibly include it in a comparison also.

Again, there are tons of categories and millions of reviews up and waiting for you. Buzzillions is a great resource for online shoppers!

The Giveaway

Prize: Two winners will each receive $25 cash (via PayPal) from Buzzillions.com

How to Enter: Visit Buzzillions (this link opens a new window/tab) and take some time to explore and take some notes on what you like and don’t like about their site. Come back here to Robyn’s Online World and leave a comment with your feedback about Buzzillions. Be sure to also have your email profile in your profile or leave your email in your comment in order to be entered.

Extra Entry: Link back to this giveaway on your own blog for an extra entry. Leave another comment below with a direct link to the post on your blog where the giveaway is mentioned for your extra entry.

End Date: Entries must be received by Thursday December 18 at 11:59 pm CT.

Restrictions: This giveaway is only open to residents on the US, age 18+. You must have (or be willing to get) a PayPal account to receive the prize. You may not enter multiple times using different names and/or identities. As always, if I catch you cheating you will be banned from all my giveaways.

Notification: I will notify the winners via email and they will have 48 hours to reply and claim their prize. If I don't' hear back from them I will pick a new winner.

Good luck and thanks to Buzzillions for providing us a great resource and great prizes!

This giveaway has ended
Visit the main giveaway page for the winners
and all of the open giveaways still available!

Hubby Reviews the Duck Bill Money Clip

It's Hubby's turn now for a review (it's been a busy week of reviews). Tony over at Duck Bill Money Clip sent Hubby one of these great looking clips to review. Here is what Hubby thought. Enjoy!

Money clips are a nice thing to have if you are like me and do not carry money in your wallet. I've been a money clip user for years, but only for my cash. Now with the Duck Bill Money Clip I think I may give up the wallet entirely since it's great to use not only for money, but it also holds credit cards, drivers license, business cards, and the like. The Duck Bill Money Clip is designed to hold up to 60 folded bills, or any combination of cash and plastic, i.e., 6 credit cards, 1 drivers license, and 20 folded bills, or an equal thickness of "stuff". I have used other money clips that are too "stiff", meaning that the money is very hard to insert, and remove from the clip. I have actually had money rip trying to get it out of other clips in the past. The Duck Bill is made from steel and holds its shape well, but is also flexible enough to spread apart enough to allow easy insertion/removal of money from the clip.

The appearance and craftsmanship is excellent and the finish looks sharp, although shows fingerprints rather easily. Not unexpected and cleans up easily. Duck Bill’s come plain or engraved. The engraving done on my clip was nice looking, centered, and well done.

Packing of the Duck Bill was a nice surprise. It was packed in a metal box, with a hinged lid and the Duck Bill logo embossed into the lid. Inside, the clip was nestled in a foam insert to keep it from getting scratched, etc. The packaging was very nicely done and particularly nice if you are going to be giving this as a gift.

All in all, this item gets an A+ in my opinion for ease of use, packaging, and workmanship. If you are in the market for a money clip, be sure to check this one out! As of this writing they even have free shipping on their website. Head on over to the Duck Bill store and get one for a gift or yourself today.

T's Flip Video Review

As many of you know, I won a Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder from ConsumerQueen.com recently. (Thanks again so much Melissa and everyone go find some great bargains on her site!) I had been trying to win one for a while to give to my son, T as a gift. When I found out I won I originally had planned on including it as a Xmas gift for T, but it arrived the morning of his birthday party last week so Hubby and I decided to go ahead and give it to him that day with his other gifts. Below is T's review of his new Flip. Enjoy!
--
T's Review

I recently received a Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder for my birthday from my mom and dad. I thought I would do a review for anybody looking into buying one, PLUS I’m getting school credit for this…lol! This Video Camera is SUPER easy to use. The first time I used it, I didn’t even need the manual. You just aim, press the big red button to start filming, and press the same button when you are done. It is that easy!

It came with the following:

• Ultra Series FLiP Video camera
• A/V cables to hook camera up to your TV set.
• Manual
• Soft Pouch
• Batteries
• Wrist strap

Pros:

• Extremely compact
• Camera wrist strap looks cool, not really dorky like some others are.
• Battery life seems good I am still on the regular batteries it came with and I have been using it daily for about a week.
• Software allows you to send Video Greeting E-Cards and is SUPER easy to use.
• Super easy to transfer videos to your computer by simply hooking it up to a USB port.

Cons:

• Screen smudges easily.
• Editing program does not offer many features, but it is simple to use. (I use Ulead VideoStudio 11 Plus for video editing anyway)
• The Flip software is supposed to install when you connect to the computer for the first time, this didn’t work for me. I was able to download the latest software directly from Flip’s website and install it easily.

I would recommend this product to anybody with a basic knowledge of computes age 12 and up. It would be nice to have the ability to buy some different color plates that clip in so you could make it “yours” a little more. It is also a good idea to pick up a USB extension cable if your ports aren’t convenient. While the Flip is great for lots of short videos like hanging out with your friends, parents taking short videos of kids, etc., it does only hold 60 minutes of video. So this isn’t something to totally replace a regular camcorder. Overall I am extremely pleased with the Flip think it would be a great gift. Below is a sample video of my cat Lottie. You can buy a Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder at Amazon or lots of other retailers.

Prizey for Prizes & Promoting

If you have giveaways on your own blog, make sure you sign up at Prizey. When you become a member (free) you get 3 free premium listings to promote your giveaways. They have a lot of other things in the work as well I believe. They do help a lot in getting traffic to your blog. If you want to use my blog as a referral, feel free (I get some bonus points for that).

For those who don't do their own giveaways but like to enter and win them, Prizey is still a great resource for you. They have tons of blog giveaways listed and you can sort through them in various ways.

Oh - and they are on Twitter - follow @Prizey for ongoing giveaway listings throughout the day.

My Thursday

T and I got up a bit late today. We normally do school, but changed our schedule this week to accommodate the mall trip for today. School tomorrow instead (normally Friday is our day off unless there is catch up to be done). Headed up to the mall. Qdoba was opening a new store and had some giveaways. We were too late for the 50 freebies though. The girl said that people lined up starting at 8:30 am, crazy! Both of us did get to spin the prize wheel, just little prizes, a cactus-shaped stress reliever thing for T and a Frisbee type thing for me. I'm guessing we didn't win the drawings either because no one has called. Had a nice lunch though, a naked chi ken adobe burrito with salsa verde and chips on the side. Delicious!

Next stop in the mall was Bath & Body Works. Had a coupon (they sure do put out a lot of coupons) for any item free up to $13 with any purchase. No gift sets though with the coupon. Picked up a few stocking stuffers and some cucumber-melon scented items also.

T wanted to stop in the skateboard shop. He found a shirt on the clearance rack (he's such a good bargain shopper) that I bought to tuck away for Xmas.

Next stop Helzberg for some free pearl earrings via a coupon mailed to me. Gotta love free! Do you know they still have those I Am Loved pins at their stores? Now instead of just the red and white ones, they also had some light blue ones in the wedding area, some holiday ones, and even Spanish ones. Who knew? When I was a teen those were very coveted and you had to have someone else give you one and wear it on your jean jacket (am I dating myself?).

Spencers Gifts is another store I have been going to since I was a teen. So much is still the same there, but then some things seem even more, ummm, out there than what I remembered even. They had some band t-shirts on clearance so picked up another couple of those as Xmas gifts for T also.

We wandered around a bit, in and out of a few stores, then headed to Hot Topic for our last stop at the mall. Contrary to a recent South Park episode, Hot Topic has not burned to the ground. This has been one of T's favorite stores for a while now, and I have to say that the folks in that store have been some of the best retail clerks I have ever deal with. They are always incredibly friendly and helpful to both T and me. Today the district manager was in the store and I made sure to let him know that as well.

Our final stop of the day was just outside the mall, Best Buy. The clerks were helpful, but that store is still odd I think. They have the same types of items in 5 different places around the store. Would be nice if all of the like items would be together. Regardless, I did still find some more gifts for friends and family. It seemed as though there weren't very many sales, at least on what we were looking at. Don't these places know I will buy more if it's on sale? I know I shouldn't, but in all honestly, I do.

At home I did a few chores. Checked my email. T got mad and accidentally pushed the door hard and put a hole in the wall, uh-oh. He did feel really bad about it and he will be paying for the materials to fix it and actually do the repair himself with supervision from Hubby.

Talked to Grandma C. Wish I was better about getting up to see her and Grandpa in the country more often. We will see them for the holidays soon at least. She wasn't feeling so great today, hopefully it was nothing serious.

Made dinner - comfort food tonight. Meatloaf, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and creamed corn (I still can't get that corn to taste like Grandma used to make it). Now I'm on Twitter, blogging, reading emails, opening packages, thinking about some reviews I need to do for the blog.

That's it so far. I hope your day was what you wanted it to be.

A Visit to SteamPotVille

You learn about some interesting, unique, fun, and sometimes odd things on Twitter which is why I enjoy it so much. Yesterday I had the privilege of learning about SteamPotVille by Steve Ouch via Twitter (you can follow him here)

This is a great book for preschoolers thru about age 8. It's fun and fantastical in the story alone, but for me what makes it great are the illustrations. Everything is very surreal and colorful and you can spot so many different and unusual things on each page. While the words in the book can tell one story, and the illustrations support it, it's just as easy for your or a child to make an entirely different story on your own from each page of the book and it's spectacular images! My son loved books like these when he was younger and hubby and I enjoyed reading them to him just as much.

Steve has a great blog where you can even watch a video of him reading the book. Plus there is also the SteamPotVille website where you can see more images like the one above and order the book for only $12.99. They won't be shipping until January 7th, but books are good anytime for the kids! Think about getting an extra copy for a daycare, classroom, library, or anywhere there are kids.

If you have younger kids and homeschool (like we do) the illustrations would be great story starters for writing projects for your kids. It could also be used to inspire an art project. Younger kids might want to do a simple drawing, older kids something more advanced. How about having them draw and color a traditional picture, then cutting apart the elements and putting them back together in an unusual way and adding a different backgrounds and swirls and colors? If your kids are into computers (like mine) this might give them some fun ideas for using some graphics programs. Their are endless ways that SteamPotVille can inspire homeschool projects for your kids.

Thanks again to Steve for sponsoring #GNO on Twitter. It was a pleasure to learn about SteamPotVille! I hope all of you will drop in on Steve in SteamPotVille and take a look around.

Champagne Living Giveaways

Champagne Living is a great blog, and there are 2 giveaways going on right now. Head on over and enter one or both and see what other great posts you can find! Good luck!

• Week #2 of the Awakening Skin Care Mega-Giveaway (ends 12/12)
  Prizes: 2 winners will each receive the product of their choice from the Awakening Mineral Therapies for Healthy Skin catalog ARV: $120 (total)
  

• Il Divo CD's (ends 12/15)
  Prizes: 1 winner will get - 1 copy of "The Promise, LUXURY EDITION" (with DVD) and 1 copy of "The Christmas Collection". ARV: $30
  

Save Money - Waste Ink?

Everyone likes to save money here and there. We all have found plenty of places to print coupons online to use offline. Just print and go. Nice and handy, BUT is it worth the ink?

It seems many of the folks who come up with what is actually printed out on these coupons have no idea of the amount of ink we have to waste to print it out. Ink can be very pricey, even using refilled cartridges. When I can’t even see the value of a coupon or terms ahead of time I’m much more unlikely to print to start with. There are also the coupons that print in color with lots of red in particular and on top of the coupon they include a giant advertisement for the product, also in full color, on the same sheet. Many of these coupon printing services don’t allow you to see any of this ahead of time so you have no idea what you are getting yourself into. Then there are other coupons that are huge when they really don’t need to be. Even using my lowest quality settings on my printer to conserve ink, it still can be very wasteful for some of these coupons.

Sometimes I can save the coupons as images and adjust a bit on my computer, but honestly I don’t want to work that hard at it. Occasionally I can use PDF995 as the printer and save it as an adobe file first to actually view the coupon before printing it out, at least this way I don’t have to waste the ink just to find out it’s not a coupon I will end up using.

Now I do understand that there are coupon scammers out there who have caused a lot of problems. They have made things much more difficult for us and for the manufacturers and retailers. I am used to my coupons being scrutinized a bit more and try to be patient at the store and am always open to explain where it came from.

Anyway, back to the subject at hand, ink. You folks, who are designing the actual printable coupons for us, please stop and think about the ink! How about black ink only? Do they need to be SO big? As for the extra advertisement, please stop doing that it is just a total waste of my ink and paper in that case even since it always gets pitched when I (or the clerk at the store) cut out the actual coupon part. Let us know the value and requirements of the coupon also before we print. Is it $1 off? $2 off? Do we have to buy 37 items to get to use the coupon to start? Whatever the basic terms are just give us a heads up.

On top of just being able to help us save more money by saving ink and paper, it’s also a more green approach for all of us. Save money, save ink, save paper, save the earth!

Farewell Red Lobster

Sorry Red Lobster, your food just doesn't make the grade and your prices have gotten out of control! I can get the same quality of food you serve, and I'm not kidding, at places like Captain D's now. When I was a little girl Red Lobster was my favorite place to eat, I always picked it for my birthday dinner. Even as an adult it used to be a favorite. After our last few visits though I just can't take your super high prices with your middle-of-the-road food quality and portions. I've even unsubscribed from your emails.

Christmas Pretzels

These pretzels have become a tradition to make in our home. I warn you ahead of time they are addicting. Making them will take some time, but they aren’t difficult at all. The little ones can even help by placing the M&M’s on each pretzel. T has been our M&M placer every year we have made them. Over the years he has gotten much quicker so the whole process is a little faster for us. This is best done as a group effort rather than by yourself. The more hands the better! You can see our assembly line in process in the photo.

The white candy part is just the bars of melting candy you can find everywhere this time of year. It’s referred to as Almond Bark also. I would think most grocery stores would have it and I know that Walmart carries it. Craft stores that have a cake & candy making section would be a good place to look also.

Ingredients & Supplies

• Pretzels – tiny twist shape (do NOT use a buttery style pretzels, we prefer Rold Gold brand)
• White melting candy (aka Almond Bark)
• M&M’s candy – regular variety in holiday colors
• Waxed paper
• Zip-Loc bags
  

Clear off your kitchen table or another large work area. The more room you have the better for this project. Cover your work service with sheets of waxed paper. Divide the M&M’s by color (red/green – a great job for the kids). Lay out your pretzels in a single layer on the waxed paper.

Melt the candy on the stovetop or in the microwave according to the package directions. It needs to be warm enough so that it flows easily. We do it in batches and just heat up more as we need it. Once warmed, place in a Zip-loc bag and snip off a tiny corner of the bag to dispense. Now go along and fill in the top 2 rounded portions of the pretzels with the melted candy. It’s important to have the melted candy reach all sides of each opening so that it holds together. Have someone follow behind you and drop a red M&M in one side and a green M&M on the other side.

Let the candy cool completely. Then they will easily come off the wax paper. Store in sealed containers. These make great gifts for anyone you want to give just a little something to. Get some small bags and fill with a handful of the finished pretzels and tie with a ribbon and add a tag for a cute gift.

P.S. Frugal Upstate is gathering up bloggers holiday traditions. Head on over and see what everyone else is up to this holiday season!

P.P.S. Foodie Mama is having a Last Minute Food Gifts Contest - head over and enter ASAP (ends 12/23) for your chance to win great foodie prizes!

No one said anything

Just had to get this off my chest because it's bothering me. After venting I will let it go.

The other day I had almost 6" cut off the length of my hair. It's very noticeable. Hubby noticed as soon as he got home that day and T was with me so he obviously noticed also. They are both pretty good about that kind of thing.

I had just seen most my other family members (parents/aunts/uncles/cousins) on the previous Sunday, and then I saw them a couple of days after the hair cut. You would have think at least one of them would have noticed that big of a difference in my hair. I guess not, not one single person mentioned it.

Asked T and Hubby to please be honest and let me know if it looked really bad or something and they said honestly it didn't. I believe them, they would have said maybe go get it shaped differently or try curling it different, etc.

Ok - letting it all go now.....

Holiday Movie Giveaway

Many of us seem to have favorite holiday movies that we must watch each year. Some of the movies make us appreciate family more, some just make us laugh, some keep the kids busy while we are busy with elf duties, and some we just watch together as part of family traditions.

Right up in the top of my list is National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Chevy Chase is so goofy as Clark Griswold that you just have to love him. This movie lets us laugh at all the things we want to be perfect for the holidays but that never seem to go the right way. I believe this is Hubby's most favorite - I think because Hubby is a bit of a grinch and takes a tiny bit of joy out of seeing others a little miserable this time of year.

The other movie right at the top of my list is A Christmas Story. Hubby, T, and I watch this every year on Christmas Eve and usually Christmas Day also. There are so many parts to this movie that I just adore. The fact that the dad enters all those contests is near and dear to me and I adore the leg lamp, his "major award". Last year I found a Hallmark ornament of Ralphy with his BB gun which now has a permanent spot on our tree. In a nod to this movie, we now have Japanese food every Christmas Eve (I know they had Chinese on Christmas Day - but I said it was a nod).

A classic musical holiday movie is White Christmas with Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye, and Vera-Ellen. If you like old movies this is a great one. Lots of wonderful singing, some laughter and fun, and a teary (in a good way) story wraps together this classic.


One of my newer favorites is Elf with Will Ferrel. I just love how enthusiastic he is about Christmas. On top of the silliness I love that Bob Newhart is Buddy's adoptive elf dad. Then there is Buddy's new girlfriend played by Zooey Deschanel who has a beautiful singing voice that she shares in the movie.

Now the giveaway:

What can you win? All 4 of these great movies on DVD for your family to enjoy!
(and if you already have one/some of these titles we can find different movies for you)

How to enter? Leave a comment telling me about your favorite holiday movie and what makes it your favorite. Make sure your email is either visible in your profile OR include it in your comment (you don't need to do both)

Extra entries? Of course you can earn extra entries! Leave a separate comment for each.

• Blog about this giveaway on your own blog
  - include a direct link in your comment to receive credit
  
• Follow me on Twitter
  - include your Twitter name in your comment to receive credit
  
• Send a tweet on Twitter about this giveaway
  - include a direct link to your tweet your comment to receive credit
  (just click the time reference under your tweet and it will take you to the direct link)
  
• Subscribe to Robyn's Online World via email
  
• Place my button on your blog sidebar
  - include your blog link in your comment to receive credit
• Give a ThumbsUp in StumbleUpon

Make sure you have your entries in (one entry per method listed) by Monday December 15th at 11:59 pm CT. I will pick the winner and email them and they have 48 hours to reply and claim their prize or I will move onto another winner. This giveaway is open only to USA residents age 13+. I will do my best to get these to you before Christmas, but I can't guarantee it.

This giveaway has ended
Visit the main giveaway page for the winners
and all of the open giveaways still available!

Il Divo Christmas Giveaway

I have to admit I haven't listened to this CD, but everyone seems to be talking about it on Twitter so there must be something to it. Then I saw Tara from Feels Like Home is having a giveaway of the CD so I thought I would pass it along to all of you. Head on over to the Feels Like Home blog and get your entry in before December 12 for your chance to win.

The Birthday Party

Today we had T's birthday party (his actually birthday is still a couple of days away) and all went well. He told me he wanted simple, simple, simple so that is what we did. Just close family, nothing fancy. A few pizzas and a birthday "cake". I say "cake" because we actually ended up with a Krispy Kreme tower of donuts cake. We had done this before a few years ago and everyone liked it. Originally, he asked for a photo cake from the local grocery store bakery that had his WoW character on it. I called, they said sure, fine no problem. I printed out the image, went in and ordered, then got a call the next day saying the main office said no. What a pain!

T got cash from everyone since that is what he asked for. He is saving up for a laptop computer. I don't give cash (drives him crazy), so hubby and I gave him a Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder (I actually won this from ConsumerQueen.com WooHoo - remember I posted this giveaway on 11/13) and the Collector's Edition World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King. He must have liked both because he opened the Flip and filmed himself opening the game and going thru everything in the package. The Flip I was going to save 'til Xmas, but it arrived today right before his party so I just decided to give that to him today also.

Oh, and Hubby cleaned the house before company came! He is such a good man. He told me to go out this morning and do the shopping to pick up some things, get the donut "cake", etc. and he would take care of the house. Gotta love him!

Oh My Darling Clementines

Well what do you know; I just found a new fruit that I like. Clementines! For some reason I thought they were a bit on the sour side before even though I had never tasted them. Must have been some other small citrus fruit I tried in the past.

At the grocery store yesterday I picked up a small crate of Clementines for my family to snack on. We all like oranges to start with so I figured at least Hubby and T would like them. Then I noticed the box said “sweet”. Hmmm, maybe I will even like them.

Earlier this afternoon I decided I needed a snack. That crate of Clementines was staring at me so I thought I would give one a try. Hey, these things are good! Now I see why so many folks like them so much. They are a perfect size for a snack, much smaller than a medium sized orange which is usually too big (for how much orange I want). It was very easy to peel. T had one also and noticed the same thing which is great because his big thing against oranges is usually the peeling process. Taking my first bite I was pleasantly surprised at the light but sweet flavor. The scent is more intense than the actual flavor which is a nice combination.

From the Clementines From Spain website I learned that they are about 50 calories each and almost fat free. They are a good source of vitamin C, folate, fiber, and potassium.

I think I will have to keep these on hand at the house this winter. Give them a try if you haven’t already. Oh, and one more perk, the kitchen smells really nice from the peels!

Mom Central's Holiday Gift Guide & Daily Giveaway

Mom Central has launched it's first annual Holiday Gift Guide! The guide is a collection of more than one hundred great gifts for every recipient on your list. Mom Central has done the work for you by evaluating products in all types of categories. They have assessed the quality, availability, details, and if it will put a twinkle in the eye of the receiver! Each category is divided into price sections of Under $50, Under $100, and over $100.

Mom Central has even gotten the exclusive to new and innovative gifts before anyone else. There are plenty of affordable gift ideas from Sony, Philps, Nautilus, Casio, Playskool, Baby Einstein, Netflix, Hasbro, Razor, A&E, and more.

On top of all the great gift information, you can win some great prizes too. Thousands of dollars worth of prizes in all! There is a new package each weekday until December 18. Return each day to see what's new to win.

To be eligible to win the daily prizes, you will need to register (click here for a new registration window) at Mom Central and then log-in. Next leave a comment on the review post. You can even earn bonus entries by sending tweets via Twitter or sending email to friends.

Good luck and happy shopping!

Giveaways from the Blogosphere

Here are a few giveaways from some friends around the blogosphere for you all. Sorry I haven't had a big list up recently, just very swamped this time of year.

Don't forget to enter my own giveaways also. You can find the entire list on the main giveaway page always now.

Good luck!

• Unexpected Bliss (ends 12/10)
  Win an 8x10 archival print
  

• Unexpected Bliss (ends 12/8)
  Win an Adagio Teas Starter Set
  

• Unexpected Bliss (ends 12/5)
  Win a Tiny Squares necklace

• Unexpected Bliss (ends 12/10)
  Win a Gourmet Cupcake Maker
  

• silly mommy of 2 silly girls (ends 12/12)
  Noreen is having a series of contests thru 12/12 to help with votes in a contest her girls are in - by helping them you have a chance to win too

• Bookish Ruth (ends 12/18)
  Win The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
  

• Brain Foggles
  Win a gift pack of assorted items worth over $130
  

• Everything Up Close (ends 12/9)
  Win a Slanket
  

• Everything Up Close (ends 12/10)
  Win a Slappa laptop sleeve
  

• Everything Up Close (ends 12/11)
  Win a set of Grill Charms
  

• Riding With No Hands (ends 12/7)
  Win one of 3 ChicoBag reusable bags
  

• Riding With No Hands (ends 12/7)
  Win one of 3 ReJAVAnate bags
  

• Riding With No Hands (ends 12/11)
  Win an I-DOG clip
  

• Frugal Upstate (ends 12/15)
  Win a $500 Walmart gift card
  

• Frugal Upstate (ends 12/6)
  Win a $100 Walmart gift card
  

• fractured toy (ends 12/14)
  Win a pair of Shower earrings from Twisted Silver
  

• fractured toy (ends 12/10)
  Win one of 2 chopping bowls with Mezzaluna knife
  

• fractured toy (ends 12/6)
  Win an Essential Spray
  

• fractured toy (ends 12/5)
  Win a Mimobot
  

• All About Kimberly (ends 12/9)
  Win a Radius Toothbrush Gift Package
  

• All About Kimberly (ends 12/10)
  Win a CartStopper
  

Book Review: ridiculous/hilarious/terrible/cool

We are off on another book blog tour today. This time via Mom Central's MotherTalk. A few weeks ago they invited me on my son on the tour and we gladly accepted.

For those who don't know, I homeschool my son, T. We've been doing this for a few years now and there are pros and cons to it. While T does socialize with lots of people on a regular basis, the everyday ups and downs of a middle or high school life is something he isn't experiencing right now. Once again, there are plenty of pros and cons to this single aspect. Regardless, I thought that this book would be an interesting look for him into that world.

The author, Elisha Cooper, spent some time throughout a school year at Walter Payton College Prep High School in Chicago for research on this book. She followed around 8 students and writes about their journey through the year in ridiculous/hilarious/terrible/cool a year in an american high school.

This isn't a typical book about someone wanting to date the captain of the football squad or be in with the popular kids. This book is more about real lives of real students in a real school. It's in a documentary type style more than anything else I think. Reading it makes you feel as if you are a fly on the wall in the school.

T was surprised at how much work these students put in between school, college applications, clubs & groups, jobs, and more. The stress that some of the students in the book are under is not something he wants to have to deal with, but he did understand that they are working towards goals and he will have to face similar issues in the next couple of years as well.

If you have an enthusiastic reader (high school reading level) this would be a nice stocking stuffer or gift for the holiday season. T did feel it might appeal a tad bit more to girls than it would to boys though. He does usually read a different style of book than this though so that just might be the difference he is feeling with it.If you have already read the book or if you are planning on giving the book as a gift. Here are some additional pages you, or the gift recipient, might find interesting.

Buy on Amazon: ridiculous/hilarious/terrible/cool: a year in an american high school

Facebook - The books fan page

Facebook - The books group page

Read an excerpt from the book

Elisha Cooper - Author website

Feel like sharing? What was your favorite memory of high school that you are willing to share on a public blog?

Share Our Strength

Along with Ferrero being sweet to eat, they are being sweet in joining up to help in hunger-relief. Send a free ecard to help or join their Facebook page to help.

Share Something Sweet is a partnership between chocolate company Ferrero and Share Our Strength, a leading hunger-relief organization.

This partnership is in its second year, and this year Ferrero has donated $150,000 to Share Our Strength and is giving others a chance to add to that donation. Right now, if you log on to Share Something Sweet and use it to "send something sweet" (that is, a customizable e-card), Ferrero will donate another $1 per e-card sent, up to $10,000. And for every person that joins the Ferrero Facebook page, "Ferrero Lovers Unite," Ferrero will donate another $1 to Share Our Strength (up to $1,000):

There's also a chocolate personality quiz, product offers and event news.

This blog post was written as part of a blog tour through Family Review Network with Ferrero Chocolates.

Win a Holiday Wreath

Don't you just love fresh holiday wreaths? You just can't compare the fake wreaths to them at all. The smell is awesome and they look so festive on the front door!

Head on over to Shopping Gems and enter to win a wreath just like this. Hurry, the giveaway ends on Friday 12/5.

Good luck!

Subscribe & Win - $20 Dale & Thomas GC

This is a short and sweet giveaway. To enter you need to subscribe via email to my blog feed. That's it! If you are already subscribed via email you are automatically entered.

TO ENTER:
Subscribe by Email

The prize is a $20 Dale & Thomas Gift Card. It does expire on 12/31/08 though, so this is a short and sweet giveaway. You have only until this Friday 12/5 at 11:59 pm to get your entry in.

After subscribing, you will receive an email with a confirmation link. You must click on that link for your entry to count.

No cheating please - only subscribe yourself and only use one email address! The winner will be notified and have 48 hours to reply or I will pick another winner.

Good luck!

This giveaway has ended Visit the main giveaway page for the winners and all of the open giveaways still available!

Under $1.60 a Gallon!

Back in October I posted when I was excited to pay under $3.00 a gallon for gasoline. I had known that gasoline had dropped considerably, but much of the time hubby fills up my Durango (he is such a nice guy). Today my son and I were out running errands and the tank was on empty so we had to fill up. I couldn't believe it was less than $30.00 to fill up my entire tank!

Beware of Sob Story Scammers

This time of year there is always an outcry for help from all sorts of charities, churches, groups, and individuals. Many are truly helping others and worthy of your kindness. It seems the holiday season invokes a giving spirit in many of us. That's not a bad thing at all. What is bad though are the sob story scammers that are all around.

I've already seen the emails and messages on various email groups and boards I frequent in the last few days. Stories about how this person's friend lost their job a couple of months ago and they are struggling to just even make ends meet let alone by gifts for the family. Lots of stories of someone with 3 or 4 kids and they just want one toy each or maybe a coat or clothing and they list their sizes, ages, color choice, etc. Some may even just ask for Christmas cards to be sent and give an address knowing that some kind hearts will include cash, gift cards, and other gifts. I've seen a few lately about how someone is going to lose their home because they are behind on their mortgage and only need $982.23 (or whatever amount). I'm not saying that some of these stories aren't true. We all personally know people who really are struggling and could benefit with help from others. The problem is that the "sob story scammers" are out there and they know exactly what to say, when to say it, and where to say it.

They are out there making a small (or sometimes large) fortunes throughout the year, but this time of year is their biggest season. The posts usually appear to be from women and they are very concerned and just want to help this family a little and "anything you can send" would be "such a blessing". A search of news archives and you will come up with hundreds of stories where the people were found out, although rarely caught or punished. Even though there are lots of stories to be told, there are thousands more that are never found out about.

I'm not saying to not donate to a cause or help others out. What I am saying is really be sure you do it through a charity that is registered or to someone you personally know in real life. Some of you all are incredible kind, caring, and giving individuals and I want you to be cautious and make sure that your acts of kindness are being used in the manner intended.

Win $100 Home Depot Gift Card

MommyDaddyBlog.com is giving away a $100 Home Depot gift card as part of their Three Gs For The Holidays event! Click on over right now to get in on fun giveaways, get shopping ideas from their Gift Guide, and learn how you can help children in need this holiday season!

SeatSnug Coupon Code

I recently did a review and giveaway of the SeatSnug on a Mom Central blog tour:

So what SeatSnug does is enhance the safety and comfort for kids riding in booster seats. Take a minute to look around their website and watch the video to see how it works. The seatbelt slack causes a lot of issues and the SeatSnug addresses just that issue. It prevents the child from bouncing , rocking, tipping, sliding, and even falling while in the booster seat during normal operation of your car. If it helps that much during the normal operation, just imagine how much safer your child or grandchild would be in an emergency type situation! Click here to see the entire review I did

The SeatSnug is a fantastic product to help secure kids car booster seats. We only had one winner, but SeatSnug wants even more folks to have the chance to get their own to keep kids safer. They are offering a $5 off code. Just enter the code: MomCentral at checkout to receive $5.00 off your purchase. Click here to order now!

Comment & Win #4 - $100 Amazon Gift Card

Another Comment & Win Giveaway! This one goes until December 31 so you have an entire month to get in entries.

What can you win? A $100 Amazon.com Gift Card

You earn entries just be making comments on any of my OTHER posts here on my blog from November or December 2008. That means you go to the other posts (start on the main page if you like) and read and at the bottom of that post click the comment link and tell me what you think about that post. No need to tell me you are entering the giveaway - you are automatically entered just by making the comment (I get an email every time a comment is made). The requirements of getting an entry for your comment are:

• Your comment must either have a profile linked to it with a visible email on the profile or you must include your email in your comment If you aren't sure about the profile thing look at this for help.
• You can earn one entry for EACH comment you make on my different posts from Nov & Dec
  
• The comment has to be more than thanks, cute, wow, etc. just to get a quick entry
• Only the first comment per post will count
• Only comments made from 11/1/08 to 12/31/08 will count.
  
• You may not enter on behalf of others or use multiple identities (if I catch you cheating you will be banned for life from all of my giveaways)
• You must be 13+ and able to receive/use Amazon.com gift cards
• You must reply within 48 hours to your win notice or I will move on and pick a new winner
• The giveaway ends on December 31, 2008 at 11:59 pm (CT)

Again, don't comment here on this post. Just go to any of my other posts (look at the archives over on the right side to find all of them for November and December) to make your comments. Want to know when I add new posts so you can get more entries? You can subscribe to my feed via email or a reader.

Earn 1 extra entry for each of these things you do:

a) Subscribing to my feed (tell me via email or reader)
b) Following me on Twitter (must tell me your Twitter name)
c) Send a tweet on Twitter about the giveaway (must send me a direct link to tweet)
d) Blogging about this giveaway on your own blog (must send me a direct link)
e) Adding my button to your sidebar (must send me a link)
f) Give a Thumbs Up on StumbleUpon to this page
g) Digg It
h) Post on a message board (must send me a direct link)

If you have done anything to earn an extra entry just send me an email letting me know and I will credit you the extra entries.

I really enjoy reading every one's comments and appreciate you taking the time to stop by. Good luck everyone!

If you don't understand how to enter or have a question - just ask.

This giveaway has ended
Visit the main giveaway page for the winners
and all of the open giveaways still available!