Sweet Treat Give-away

The Gumdrop Cookie Shop, in conjunction with Mom Buzz, is offering a "Sweet" give-away. They are offering a product from their Sweet Statements Line which gives you six bars or cookies of a sweet treat per package, plus a cookie that has a Sweet Statement on it! You can visit here to see your options (excluding the Custom Sweet Statement).

Go to the Mom Buzz blog to see the details but you better hurry, this Sweet Treat offer ends December 8th at Midnight!

Wouldn't this be a wonderful item to take to a friend or family's house?

A Mothers' Grieving Heart

As a mother my greatest fear is the loss of one of my children. I've lost my mother and father and other family members but as much as that hurt I can't imagine losing a child.

Unfortunately, there are mothers all over the world today grieving the loss of a child and my heart grieves with them. There is one mother in particular that is grieving today, she is a fellow blogger. Her son Nick passed away on Sunday, November 30 after a long battle with brain cancer.

Nicks' battle is chronicled in his blog and his mothers'. Please take time to visit her site and leave a word of encouragement to her and the family. It is a sad but heartwarming story.

Tammys' blog
Nicks' blog

Cute Give-away at Tailored Tadpole

I found the cutest tee-shirts for babies up to 2T inspired by the mogul mom. You need to hop on over to Tailored Tadpole and check out her great give-away. You better hurry cause it ends December 8, 2008.

Looking for coupons?

Due to the state of "things" I find myself unemployed and the search looks bleek too. So I'm looking for anything to help save money. Coupons are good things to have around especially now. Thought I'd share places I've found just in case anyone else is looking.

http://www.mycoupons.com/
http://www2.kelloggs.com/
http://print.coupons.com/
http://www.couponmom.com/
http://www.coolsavings.com/
http://www.wow-coupons.com/
http://www.couponcabin.com/
http://www.mysavings.com/
http://www.freecoupons.com/
http://www.entirelycoupons.com/
http://www.savings.com/
http://www.freecoupon-savings.com/
http://www-ws32.restaurant.com/
http://www.couponsurfer.com/
http://www.valpak.com/
http://www.momsview.com/

The Bookworm Award

I've been tagged by Mel with the Bookworm award!
This is what I'm supposed to do:
Grab the book closest to you
Turn to page 56
Go to the fifth line
Type it and the following couple of lines

The book closest to me is "Dance, Dance, Dance" by Lynn M. Hayden.
The text I found at the designated spot is:

"EZRA 3:10: And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, after the ordinance of David king of Israel."

I have taged 5 people:
Tammy
Jess
Piera
Felicia
Misty

Wordless Wednesday: Can you come out and play?

How to maintain A Healthy Level Of Insanity

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice!

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, ask If They Want Fries with that.

4. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks . Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.

5. In the Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write ' For Marijuana'

6. Skip down the hall Rather Than Walk and see how many looks you get.

7. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.

8. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is 'To Go'.

9. Sing Along At The Opera.

10. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You have a headache..

11. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream 'I Won! I Won!'

12. When Leaving the Zoo, Start Running towards the Parking lot, Yelling 'Run For Your Lives! They're Loose!'

13. Tell Your Children Over Dinner, 'Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go.'

Mediterranean Crescent Pinwheels

INGREDIENTS
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations™ refrigerated flaky dough sheet
1/2 lb prosciutto or cooked ham, thinly sliced
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
6 tablespoons chopped fresh basil


DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray.
2. If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough; separate dough into 4 rectangles. Firmly press perforations to seal. Press or roll each to form 8x5-inch rectangle. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; cut into 4 rectangles. Press or roll each to form an 8x5-inch rectangle.
3. Arrange 1/4 of prosciutto slices evenly over each rectangle. In small bowl, mix cheese, pepper and oil. Sprinkle mixture evenly over prosciutto on each rectangle. Sprinkle with basil.
4. Starting at short side of each rectangle, roll up; seal long edges. With serrated knife, cut each roll into 5 slices. Place, cut side up, on cookie sheets.
5. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheets. Serve warm.

Angel Food Cake Dessert

This is a great, simple dessert.

Ingredients:
1 Angel Food Cake (broken)
1 can Crushed Pineapple
water
1/2 cup sugar
1 envelope plain gelatin
1 large bowl Cool Whip
Coconut or nuts (optional)

Boil sugar and 1/2 cup water together for about 1 minute.

Dissolve one envelope plain gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Mix with pineapple and let cool. When slightly congealed, mix 1/2 bowl cool whip with pineapple mixture and cake. Blend carefully and spread into a square or rectangle dish. Spread the rest of the cool whip on top and sprinkle with coconut/nuts. Refrigerate.

Top 10 Cold and Flu Myths - Demystified!

With all the old wives tales about cold and flu rattling in our heads, it’s tough to know what works —and what doesn’t. Busting myths may not be the total Rx, but it may help you find the right remedy.

1. MYTH: The flu is just a bad cold.
TRUTH: They’re not even cousins.

Colds and flu are both caused by viruses. But they're different strains. It’s hard to tell which you have, but here are two clues:

- Colds come on gradually. First, it’s a sore throat, then a runny nose followed by a cough. The flu, on the other hand, hits at once.

- Colds don’t generally produce fever. With the flu, you may be burning up. (Exception: Children can run high fevers with colds.)

2. MYTH: A cold affects your nose, throat and chest. The flu strikes your stomach.
TRUTH: Not quite.

The flu can make you nauseous, but in only about a third of cases. Usually, when you're sick to your stomach, it's for a different reason – another virus, a bacterial infection or food poisoning.

3. MYTH: Cold weather makes you catch a cold or flu.
TRUTH: It’s just a coincidence.

You get caught in the rain and return home wet and chilled. Next thing you know, you’re feeling under the weather. It's easy to blame it on Mother Nature. Except for the fact that both colds and flu happen mostly in winter, there’s absolutely no climate connection.

No one knows why winter is cold-and-flu season. But there are theories. People spend more time indoors within sneezing distance of infected friends, relatives and co-workers.

Cold and flu viruses also survive better in winter, when humidity is lower. The longer they survive, the more chances they have to infect you.

Cold air may also be hard on the respiratory system, making you more susceptible to infections, says Ira Leviton, M.D., an infectious disease specialist at Montefiore Hospital and professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. But the virus, not the temperature, is what makes you sick.

Viruses travel, too, says Dr. Norman Edelman, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association. Each year, new strains develop in Asia in the continent’s rainy season and arrive in the U.S. about six to nine months later – usually by winter.

4. MYTH: Getting a flu shot can give you the flu.
TRUTH: Not even close.

The vaccine is made from a dead flu virus. It can't infect you. Any reaction you may have is due to the vaccine’s proteins and chemicals, Edelman says. So, even if your reaction feels like the flu, it's not the flu.

5. MYTH: Breathing the same air as a sick person can make you sick.
TRUTH: True.

Coughing and sneezing can send viruses into the air. And you could get sick inhaling them. But that's not likely. More common: A sick person rubs her eyes or nose, picks up a telephone and deposits germs that can live there for several hours. You pick up the phone, rub your eyes or nose, and – tada! – the germs have claimed a new victim.

To avoid catching a bug – or giving it to someone else – wash your hands or use hand sanitizer often during cold and flu season.

6. MYTH: "Feed a cold, and starve a fever?" Or "starve a cold, and feed a fever?”
TRUTH: Feed, feed, feed.

People are never sure what to feed and what to starve. But it doesn’t matter, because you need to feed both a cold and a fever. Not eating or drinking enough, you make you dehydrated. And that's when you’re most likely to catch a cold or flu.

When you’re fighting a virus, the body needs more fluids than usual because it’s losing water (from watering eyes, runny nose, perspiration). Types of fluids matter too. Drink water, broth, juices and warm water with lemon and honey to rehydrate you and reduce congestion. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which can dehydrate you more.

7. MYTH: Natural remedies like vitamin C, echinacea or zinc can prevent a cold or cure it.
TRUTH: Unlikely.

There’s no scientific proof that vitamins, minerals or supplements can prevent or cure colds. But they may shorten them.

Research has shown that daily doses of at least 1,000-2,000 milligrams of vitamin C can end a cold a day or so earlier, at least 200 mg may lower the chances of catching one at all for people in extreme situations such marathon runners, skiers or soldiers on sub-arctic exercises.

Studies of echinacea and zinc, on the other hand, have had mixed results, but these natural remedies are still used by many believers. (See related article: Natural Remedies for Cold and Flu Prevention)

"If it were really that easy, argues Leviton, we could get rid of colds from the entire world."

8. MYTH: Antibiotics can cure a cold or flu.
TRUTH: Absolutely not!

Antibiotics kill bacteria. Colds and the flu are caused by viruses, which don’t respond to antibiotics. It’s like putting your arm in a cast to get rid of a headache. You won’t feel better (unless you also have an ear infection, sinusitis or other bacterial problem). And you could be making the world a scarier place. The more frequently you take antibiotics, the more resistant they become to drugs in general.

9. MYTH: Once you catch a cold or flu, all you can do is wait for it to pass.
TRUTH: Not so for flu.

Prescription antiviral flu medications, such as Tamiflu and Relenza, can reduce symptoms and heal you faster. But they must be taken within the first two days experiencing symptoms.

"Two and a half days is too late," Leviton says.

No such prescription medicines are available for colds. Over-the-counter medicines, such as decongestants, antihistamines and pain relievers are your best bet for cold and flu symptoms.

10. MYTH: You can treat a cold or flu with chicken soup.
TRUTH: Possibly.

Chicken soup has anti-inflammatory properties that may fight cold and flu symptoms, researchers have found. (A comparison of store-bought versus homemade soups, many canned varieties were as good as mom’s version.) So far, though, scientists have only observed the soup's beneficial effects in rat’s labs – not people.

"It couldn't hurt," Leviton says. "People should be eating and drinking whatever makes them feel better. If they like chicken soup, they should have chicken soup."

Science aside, soup simply feels soothing. It’s also re-hydrating, and steam from the broth can de-stuff your nose.

Want more? Check out the Cold and Flu Health Center.

How Much Do You Know About Home Remedies?
Chicken soup for a cold? Holding your breath to stop hiccups? Friends and family swear by these common cures, but you’re skeptical. Can you decipher fact from fiction? Find out how much you really know in this quiz.

By Karen Ravn, Special to LifeScript

Left Over Turkey

Does anyone have any left overs????? LOL If you don't then you didn't do Thanksgiving like most families did. I found this great recipe to use your left over turkey and wanted to share it with you.

Roasted Garlic-Turkey Crescent Braid


INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup reduced-fat roasted garlic cream cheese (from 8-oz container)
1/4 cup chive-and-onion sour cream potato topper (from 12-oz container)
1 2/3 cups (about 1/2 lb) cooked turkey breast strips (1x1/4x1/8-inch)
2/3 cup shredded Italian cheese blend (2 1/2 oz)
1/3 cup julienne-cut oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and 1 tablespoon oil reserved
1 jar (4.5 oz) Green Giant® sliced mushrooms, well drained
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations™ refrigerated flaky dough sheet
1 to 2 tablespoons beaten egg
2 to 3 tablespoons pine nuts


DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease cookie sheet. In medium bowl, mix cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add turkey, cheese, tomatoes and mushrooms; mix well.
2. If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough into 2 long rectangles. Place on cookie sheet. Overlap long sides to form 14x9-inch rectangle. Firmly press edges and perforations to seal. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough. Place on cookie sheet. Press to form 14x9-inch rectangle.
3. Spread turkey mixture in 3-inch lengthwise strip down center of dough. With scissors or sharp knife, make cuts 1 inch apart on long sides of dough to within 1/2 inch of filling. Alternately cross strips over filling.
4. In small bowl, stir egg and reserved 1 tablespoon tomato oil until well mixed. Brush over dough; sprinkle with pine nuts.
5. Bake 28 to 35 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Cut into crosswise slices.

Prep Time: 15 Min
Total Time: 55 Min
Makes: 6 servings

YUM! I'm hungry again...like I need it....Enjoy!

O...BTW... this recipe calls for Pillsbury® Crescent Rolls so go to their site and get other great recipes and coupons too.

Lighter Side of Thanksgiving

When you think about Thanksgiving Day what comes to your mind? Family, Food and Football! Am I right?

From the invention of TV Thanksgiving Day took on new meaning, especially for the men in the house. And this new ritual was passed down and ingrained into all the male offspring as a passage of life. Every Thanksgiving Day all the male species of the tribe would go into the "man cave" and gather around this electronic wonder we call TV. There they would have thought-provoking conversations and watch this educational program called "Football". LOL Not even the youngest male in the house was immune to this ritual.

My fondest memories are of being at my grandmothers house with the WHOLE family there. All the aunts, uncles and cousins with a few others thrown in just for good measure. All of the women were in the kitchen cooking and fixing while all the men were in the living room gathered around the TV watching a football game. The children were scattered throughout the house and the yard playing and giving no thought to the issues of the day except to run into the kitchen from time to time asking "when do we eat". Those were the days!

(Let me give you a little history right here - I am 16 years older than my baby brother {mother had a built-in babysitter} and the oldest grandchild. The picture is of my family about that time.)

One particular Thanksgiving day we were all at grandmothers house going through the usual "ritual". My brother was about 2 years old and was being a "PAIN" (as baby brothers usually are), so mother told me to amuse him, so we went outside.

Now grandmother had chickens and it was amusing, especially to a 2 year old, to throw things in the fence and see the chickens run to see what it was. So needless to say I was letting him amuse himself. LOL

One of the hens had a brood of chicks that couldn't have been more than a few days old. Just cute little yellow puff balls and of course she was trying to teach them how to find food. So here I am out in the yard trying to keep my little brother out of trouble. Grandfather comes along and pulls up this big clump of weeds with a bunch of dirt still attached to the bottom of this clump. He gives it a toss into the chicken lot and, boy howdy, chickens everywhere!!!!!

My brother is just amazed with this frenzy of chickens trying to get at this clump of dirt and is all excited about it when, all at once, this one little chick comes running out from under all this mess of chickens with a bug he had found. Right behind him came all his brothers and sisters, and a few others, all trying to get his new found prize. Well the race in on! The one chick trying to keep away from the others, and the others trying to chase him down to share in the prize.

By this time my brother is so excited he can hardly contain himself. He's jumping up and down and flapping his arms when suddenly he screams...."He's gonna get a touch down, he's gonna get a touch down"!!!!!!!!! OMG ROFL

Hey dad...don't think they aren't watching and listening!

*Dedicated to my baby brother TO (he's the one in dads' lap)*

The History of the Apron

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, because she only had a few, it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven. It was wonderful for drying children's tears and hands, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for shooing them out of the way, carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids. And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms. Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove. Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls. In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees. When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner. It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that ' old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool and now we put them on the counter (or leave them in the refrigerator) to thaw.

Now be honest...how many of you, while you were reading this, were trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron? LOL I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron...except love, warmth and memories!

And consider this...wouldn't the apron be the first eco-friendly product? Wonder how many plastic bags would have been used to do all the stuff my grandmother did with her apron????? Just a thought!

Thankful Thursday

Happy Thanksgiving everybody! This is a special day that we observe once a year in November. But why once a year? Shouldn't we have Thanksgiving everyday?! With our busy lives we sometimes fail to stop and count our blessings and thank God for his abundant mercy and grace...every day.

From my house to your house, have a wonderful day and may God bless you richly!

Coupon Codes

Get a head start to your holiday shopping with these great offers good from now through Cyber Monday! Have a safe and happy holiday :)

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Happy Shopping,

Wordless Wednesday

Thanksgiving Goodies

I found this great recipe and wanted to share it. We sometimes get tired of the same ole fixings for Thanksgiving so here is a new idea to try. Hope you enjoy!

Pumpkin Trifle

Serves 8

Ingredients
1/2 pint heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 loaf pumpkin bread, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 (10-ounce) jar pumpkin butter
1 cup caramel sauce
2 cups prepared vanilla pudding
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans

Preparation
1. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, whip the cream with the sugar until stiff.

2. Arrange the remaining ingredients (except nuts) in layers in a serving dish or small individual cups: Start with whipped cream, add some pumpkin bread (cut into even smaller pieces if too large for individual dishes), spoon on some pumpkin butter, drizzle with caramel sauce, and spoon on some vanilla pudding.

3. Repeat until all ingredients are used.

4. Top with a dollop of whipped cream for flourish.

5. Sprinkle serving dish or individual dishes with the nuts.

6. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes.

Simplify: If you can’t find pumpkin bread, substitute cranberry-nut bread, pound cake or gingerbread.

"A Moment On The Lips....Forever On The Hips" LOL

Make Something Monday!

Finally...Here is my "Make Something Monday" picture.

Scrubbing Bubbles!?

As you already know…I don’t like cleaning…but I do it. Another apparatus I’ve found that helps me not have to clean as hard or as often is the Scrubbing Bubbles® Automatic Shower Cleaner by SC Johnson. This is a breakthrough cleaning system that automatically sprays cleaner to eliminate the build up of tough soap scum and mold & mildew stains. The cleaning formula combines with the water on your shower walls to begin working immediately. With daily use, your shower will be visibly cleaner and stay that way! It also makes the bathroom smell clean and fresh. Just hang it in the shower, push the button and it does its magic.

It doesn’t eliminate having to clean the tub and shower occasionally but it sure cuts down on doing a complete cleaning to about once a month and when you do clean you don’t have to break your back and arm scrubbing!

I often have people stop me when I’m getting refills for mine and ask me about them. I could have some serious spending money if I got commission for selling these things in the store. O well, guess I’ll just have to stick to getting rich from my blog!!!! LOL

Seriously…try it…you’ll like it. It really does work. I gave my old one to my daughter just so I could buy the new one with the 2 spray nozzles.

Dawn Special Offers

Enter the Dawn Hand Renewal “Transform Your Hands” Sweepstakes for a chance to win $3,000 that may be used toward a ring or a bracelet of your choice.
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You can get coupons here too!