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toys [2008-12-02]
Slinkies
Lincoln Logs
Yo-Yos
Tinker Toys
Silly Putty
I love them all......
Toys, also [2008-12-02]
Hoola-Hoops
Last vent on obnoxious toys. LOL. [2008-11-25]
The LeapFrog Tag thingy. I saw them at Wal-Mart and it looks like certain books work with it. I saw the advertisement andthought it wasneat until that crazy man in the lizard costume or whatever it is insinuated that books are boring unless they can be used by that talking pen. I cannot figure out how that thing helps kids learn to read as it says it does. It looks to me like that pen reads for them. My 6-year-old is in first grade and they are trying to teach her to read by phonics. So when she and I read together whenever she stumbles across a word I have her try to look at it and sound it out before I will give her an answer and most of the time she can. I think I am just frustrated by that whole industry now anyway because I have had salespeople come to my door basically telling me that my kid is going to be a dumbazz if I don I guess I am not giving those electronics a chance. I cannot see what they can do for my child that I cannot.
how about some hot chocolate or big bowl of chili [2008-10-28]
I am going to make chicken with stuffing for dinner tonight and tomorrow meatloaf cause it is only going to be in the 40s for high temps.
I used to LOVE soap with toys in it. [2008-10-13]
I think I had one when I was little called Fuzzy Wuzzy--or maybe I don (I But what a great thing to recreate.
I do remember hearing just a tiny bit about [2008-09-19]
Amelia Island. What makes it an old pirate town? Would LOVE to hear all about it. Ilocal things to do/places to eat are always high on my list!
This is the unknown in me coming out but is it a true island - do you have to take a ferry out or do you fly??
Severe warning about dangerous dog-toys!! [2008-08-29]
I came across this blog today on Craigslist: http://www.thechaistory.blogspot.com/
And if you have a dog, it It details what happened to a dog that was severely injured by a dog toy called a Pimple Ball made by Four Paws, Inc. The dog ended up losing his tongue, and the pain he had to endure was excruciating.
The dog After watchinghis video linksof his poor dog's suffering, even though I have cats, I plan to be sure I don't purchase ANYTHING from this company, andhopefully you won't either.
You could put a plastic or aluminum "collar" around the - [2008-05-30]
trunk of the tree, maybe at about your chest-height. (So the cat can't jump over it.) He'd have to climb up to it, but if it's fairly wide, maybe 1-1/2 to 2 feet, he won't be able to get a grip on it and won't be able to climb any further. It won't hurt the tree, and you can then remove and store it once the babies have left the nest.
Toys for Tots [2008-05-06]
I believe it is the one run by troops collecting toys for underpriviledged kids at xmas.
Have you seen this tiny little girl? [2008-04-15]
For More pics, see the link below:
Agree. 1 of the masses. A tiny cog in a machine. I [2008-04-11]
x
I did think of Tiny Tim, but I thought it [2008-04-09]
was adorable too. I got to hear Jason's performance on the radio this morning, and I loved hearing him in my car. It was a great song for him. Just loved it.
I didn't particularly like David Cook's song, but I thought he performed it well.
I agree that Kristy gave her best performance, but why don't I care to hear her? I switched over to The Biggest Loser and have yet to watch the David A. I thought Syesha was good. I can't remember what Brooke did, but I wasn't overly impressed. Didn't hate it either. I was surprised that the tattoed girl from Ireland fell apart for a second when she caught the look on Simon's face. I didn't love the song, but I still think she's great.
You can use them in turkey chili for one [2008-03-30]
thing. DH is the cook, but he does that. After adding chili powder it will still taste like chili, which he puts basil in anyway.
Ground turkey (brown first)
tomato sauce
canned tomatoes
onion
canned red beans
canned black beans
frozen lima beans
Picsweet frozen corn added near end of cooking time.
Add browned ground turkey and all ingredients in a crock pot and cook together, except hold the corn out until near the end for sweetest, freshest zing in your chili. The frozen limas and corn are colorful and fresh-tasting additions, we find.
Beatles. Paper or plastic? [2008-03-26]
x
Plastic. Shrek or the Three Stooges LOL. [2008-03-26]
x
this kitty has a plastic bag and Q-tip [2008-02-19]
obsession. He eats plastic bags (I know it's not good for him). No matter how hard I try to keep them away from him, he finds them. It's like he has radar. Luckily we haven't had any clogs in his system from it. As for the Q-tips. He digs those out of the bathroom trash and carries them around (gross I know) and them ultimately drowns them in his water bowl. He's somewhat of a freak too.
Oh man, I haven't had stuffed peppers in YEARS! [2008-02-06]
My mother was the only one in the family who made them. My husband HATES peppers in any shape or form...can
She also used to make this funky meal called porcupine balls. No joke either! They were meatballs with instant rice in them or something. I dunno, man that was WAY back like in the early1970s.
ADDENDUM: Holy crap I actually found that recipe googling the term Porcupine balls! I I tried to put a direct link in the box below, but of course it If anyone wants to check it out, you just have to copy and paste it into your browser.
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1726,151173-228195,00.html
another recipe..stuffed peppers and impossible pie are staple foods..sm [2008-02-06]
that I They probably wouldn Cat
Big-Batch Cheeseburger Bake
Satisfy cheeseburger lovers with an easy-bake version you can whip up in minutes with Bisquick® mix.
Prep Time:20 min
Start to Finish:
Makes:16 to 20 servings
9 Ratings5 ReviewsRead ReviewsRate/Review Recipe
1 1/2
lb (at least 80%) ground beef
1 1/4
cups chopped onions (about 2 large)
1
can (10 3/4 oz) condensed Cheddar cheese soup
1 1/4
cups Green Giant® frozen mixed vegetables, if desired
1/2
cup milk
2 1/3
cups Original Bisquick® mix
2/3
cup water
1 1/3
cups shredded Cheddar cheese (about 5 oz)
1.
Heat oven to 375°F. Generously spray bottom and sides of 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking spray. In 12-inch skillet, cook beef and onions over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in soup, vegetables and milk.
2.
In large bowl, stir Bisquick mix and water until moistened. Spread evenly in pan. Spread beef mixture over batter. Sprinkle with cheese.
3.
Bake uncovered 35 minutes.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft):Do not add cheese before baking. Bake 35 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; bake about 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
check out this recipe/link for chili [2008-02-06]
It It calls for FIVE POUNDS LOLOL!! I just use 3...I can Three is pretty much;-)
Buy one of those bathtubs and fill them up with bath toys sm [2008-02-04]
and baby towels, washcloths, Johnson & Johnson stuff, etc.
Or buy one of those dishwashwer tubs that fit into the dishwasher that holds nipples, pacifiers, etc and wrap that up in a baby bath towel with a big bow on it.
Get a basket and fill it up with onesies, socks, kits that include medicines, etc.
I love going to baby showers and creating unique gifts!
Be sure to open a coupla windows....chili is a fart-fest...sm [2008-02-01]
TheyYa may as well consider making that classic Knorr Swiss spinach dip with lots of shallots/onions as well.... Cat
The guys in my family have a chili/soup cookoff [2008-01-31]
so the women don't have to do much except enjoy. I like the below poster mainly enjoy the commercials. This year is a little more special becuase one of the Giants graduated just a few years ago from the high school my children now attend. I can still remember constantly hearing his name at all the high school football games.
I used V8 on stuffed peppers too - good flavor. [2008-01-22]
nm
LOL, sounds like my house. DH is making his chili, YUM [2008-01-22]
He got off work early because of the icy rain.
Also good with frozen meatballs, jelly and chili sauce [2008-01-18]
yummy, just put in a crockpot.
I'm in the bedroom... [2008-12-02]
Unfortunately, the unfolded laundry gets shuffled from my chair to the bed and back and forth. Folded laundry ends up on the corner of my desk and the other corner of my desk has little toys and a gameboy on it from my 7 yo because he likes to watch TV in my room and it's right beside my desk. Top of my desk has hubby's wallet, loose change, etc. (sigh)
Things you never thought would still exist [2008-12-02]
1) Pirates.
2) The threat of nuclear war.
3) Polio. (Yup, it's still out there....)
4) Cars that guzzle gas, (and they keep on building 'em!)
5) Gas.
6) Racial discrimination and homophobia.
7) Still no cure for the common cold.
8) The dinosaur also known as - the Post Office.
9) Liquid Paper. (But I'm sure glad it's still here!)
10) Telephone poles (and the land lines that go with them).
11) Spam. (The so-called
12) Use-once-and-throw-away rocket boosters for Space Shuttle launches. (Why can't those things just take off from a runway and fly up to space by themselves?)
13) California condors in the wild. Also wolves, bears and mountain lions. I'm glad they're still here, too.
14) Dog-fighting, cock-fighting, bullfights, etc. Barbaric.
15) Terrorism. That's all getting pretty old.
16) Bank tellers.
17) The corporateglass ceiling for women, and gender-based pay discrepancy.Yup, stillthere.
18) Destruction of the Earth's natural environment, pollution, etc.
19) Runaway, uncontrolled human population growth. I wonder when someone's finally going to figure out that #18 will never be solved unless we do something about #19.
20) Plastic bags, styrofoam food packaging and coffee-cups, throw-away diapers, etc. Why are they still here?
....... and so the list goes on and on, but I have to get back to work.
So, add YOUR list of things you though would've disappeared by now!
toys [2008-12-02]
Slinkies
Lincoln Logs
Yo-Yos
Tinker Toys
Silly Putty
I love them all......
These 10 things definitely ain't right: [2008-12-01]
1) MTSOs who want people with top-notch skills and experience, but don't want to pay them what that skill is worth.
2) HMO's: So-called *health-maintenance-organizations* --yet they spend every minute and every dime of their far-too-large profits on denying healthcare, meds and procedures to their patients. These organizations have ruined American healthcare, and many American lives. HMO's have been a con-game since their inception.
3) The Bailouts: Giving money to companies who can too bad for the rest of you.* Then the Big Three show up in DC to beg for a handout, and fly there in private Lear jets. My answer to them would be, *I too bad for the rest of you.*
4) Apartment managers that won't allow even a single quiet, well-behaved pet, but will rent to people with continually screaming small children, and out-of-control older children and teens. Give me the pets for neighbors, ANY day.
5) Businesses that give an age-discount to absolutely everything that walks, runs or flies, but not to the middle-aged middle-class, who need it the most. Take the ski-industry: Young children ski for next-to-nothing, and sometimes nothing. There is a Teen Discount. There is a Student Discount for college kids. There I'll probably never be old enough - it's a carrot-on-a-stick, always just out of reach.) There are even corporate (UGH) discounts. But for those in my age group, who barely make ends meet but like to go up once a year for a couple days of bliss, there is NOTHING.
6) Travel-lodging deals that are always based on double or quadruple occupancy. What about singles? NOTHING.
7) TV commercials that are about a million decibels louder than the regular shows. Why can't it all be the same volume? Same with online newscasts. THEIR commercials will blow your eardrums out if you aren't quick enough turning down the volume before they start.
8) Surround-sound: Everything is too loud, already! Why do we need it coming at us from 4 directions? Why do people living in tiny apartments feel they need it? I've lost count of how many fights I've had with neighbors over this issue. Same with movies and music concerts. Why do they feel we need to feel the music in our SPLEENS? I went to Universal Amphitheater last week. (Now named something else). There is actually a sign outside warning that the decibel level inside might damage your hearing! (?!?!?!) Why do they need this? (To avoid lawsuits, obviously). If it's so loud you have to post a warning sign outside the entrance, then DUH.... it's TOO LOUD!
9) Banks that charge you a fee to use their ATM. They (I haven't actually been INSIDE a bank in YEARS).... and they want to charge US for using the machines instead of the tellers? Forget it. I won't give those banks my business.
10) The Post Office: Talk about rewarding slow, inept performance! The worse their employees are, the longer they seem to stay there. I'd rather have a root canal than go to a P.O. during the holiday season.
Men [2008-11-30]
I think his quality of life would go up if he'd be willing to see an audiologist and have his hearing evaluated. There are a lot of new technologies on the market these days. They will usually allow a person to take a device home for a trial before purchase.
But it sounds like he doesn't want to admit his body is aging. He still wants to act like a kid and spend money on toys instead of health. My hubby is 50, and is just now realizing sometimes expensive electronics just aren't in a real-world budget. I haven't cared about gifts since I was a kid. I found gifts very disappointing and giving them a lot of work, so thank goodness we only buy for nieces and nephews now and all the adults go without. It had just become a silly exchange of gift cards anyway.
Times gone by......... sm [2008-11-30]
I remember when I was a child the dime store in our town. It had everything from pencils to yard goods to toys to old medicinal remedies. They had a wonderful candy counter where you bought your candy by weight. You made your selection from the glass-fronted counter that was juuuuust above eye level for a small child. The clerk would scoop out the desired amount of candy with an old brass candy scoop and weigh it on an old balance scale. Then she would put the candy in a little white paper sack. There were all kinds, jelly beans, butterscotch that melted in your mouth, peppermint that really cleared the sinuses, and wonderful little maple goodies to name but a few. It tasted so much better than candy tastes these days. And yes, they had Evening in Paris and Old Spice and hankies for both mom and dad. I even held my very first job there in high school where I helped take inventory every year right after Christmas. We had to count each and every item (well, probably not the jelly beans) by hand. I remember counting boxes and boxes of pens and pencils and rulers. I miss that store as it closed down many years ago when the big discount houses started opening up in the nearby big town.
cool infomercial today [2008-11-29]
One of those plastic ovens that cooked turkeys and steaks. It looked really cool, but the plastic dome looked like it would crack or melt.
Don't give up! [2008-11-26]
Iso easy, even a child can do it! I learned to sew before I even went to school! He even had some antique machines with foot pedals that we kids used to play with. I have all sorts of machines, from antique hand-crank Singers to cheap Wal-Mart plastic machines, and high-end Pfaff and Viking sewing machines and sergers.
Check out local sewing and fabric stores for classes. You can also try visiting Meetup.com, which is a really cool place to find all sorts of people who get together to pursue their interests. I don't know where you live, but I checked in my area, and there are several groups for beginning sewing listed. Maybe there are in yours, too.
With that said, I really have to tell you that Singer machines are not the best. Since the company was sold many, many years ago the quality has gone downhill. They are not built to last and have many parts that break very easily. In my experience, a simple mistake in threading some Singers will place a lot of tension on a weak part in the thread line. Something will snap or break, and once it's broken, you can't get the machine to feed thread properly as you sew.
Unfortunately, a really good machine can cost hundreds of dollars, and it's hard for a beginning sewer to make that sort of investment not knowing if it's something they'll be doing for a long while. I always recommend going to a store that deals in higher end machines. (Pfaff happens to be my favorite.) Then ask to try machines or take classes with their display machines. You learn basic sewing techniques and you learn what makes one machine better than another.
I suggest that if your machine is brand new, you return it for a refund. Take some sewing classes first, and try different machines. Then you can make a better, more informed purchase, which in turn, should result in successful and fun sewing!
I'm sorry. You probably didn't want to hear that, but I can't say that I'm a fan of Singer machines. Even if you get it to work, it's likely to fail not long down the road, which will only frustrate you. I'm willing to bet it's the machine and not you.
Found my Scrabble game sm [2008-11-26]
Went online to Walmart at 4:30 AM, they had thenew jubilee edition for $10 less than Hasbro direct, ithas a carrying case, curved letter holders, lazy Susan turning board. The only thing I didn I donseedy and I would not enjoy going there in the dark AM, so I did well. I have gotten my two grandsons interested in Scrabble as this is the only part of my brain that works well and itBeat Grammie - better than being glued to the Wii. LL Bean has a great wooden set but it's $99 and would be hard for them to carry around.
Here's mine for bugeyes... our version of buckeyes... sm [2008-11-25]
I hear that I am a good candy maker and my secret is I don I eyeball everything! Lazy! So the measurements I give are kind of guesses... but you can look up recipe for buckeye candy too. We changed the name of ours to bug eyes because they kind of looked like bulging out bug eyes
Peanut Butter - approx 2-3 cups. I use Skippy Honey Nut. In a household taste test with another regular brand this got higher review. Definitely go for a creamy kind and don't use all natural.
3-4 cups powdered sugar (I specifically remember the recipe called for 3, but when I looked in the box there was not that much sugar left in there, so I dumped it in. So basically one whole box of powdered sugar)
2 sticks butter
1 package of chocolate chips. I I think the recipe was actually for those melting choc chips, but I think those don
Beat BP and 1 stick softened butter in very large bowl until PB is really creamy then slowly add in sugar until it seems to hold together well enough to form balls. I say slowly on adding in the sugar so you can stop whenyou can make good balls that are moist and not crumbly. Probably about 1-inch size balls or so. Use waxed paper on a baking sheet and stick in the freezer for about an hour.
When hour is up, melt chocolate and about half of the other stick of butter together in pot on stove. You can microwave but I think slowly stirring over the stove is easier to monitor. When all of the chips have melted together, you are done.
Don I put tiny slivers of unmelted chocolate in the middle of the uncovered part to look like pupils. Keep in fridge until set.
I hope someone enjoys. This is probably a very common recipe, and like I said you can probably find it somewhere with real measurements!. But it is so easy, one of those ones I can make without looking at the instructions over and over and everyone loves. I cannot wait to make them, after typing about it!
Does anyone play board games or card games anymore? [2008-11-25]
My 7-year-old child was invited to a B-day party for a little boy that was also turning 7. Anyway, when it came to opening gifts, he got Wii game toys, the different controlers and games. I did not even know the kid had a Wii game, but it seemed like everyone else did. I bought him a race track and a game of Go Fish. The race track got an I already have that comment and the Go Fish was what the heck. He did not say that but he kinid of looked at it like that and put it back in the bag. I wondered if he even knows what Go Fish is. The only gamesmy child has are board games, card games, those free games you can play on the computer and 1 game that plugs into the TV. It looks like a joystick and it has 3 games in it. These games have helped her in her reading because she has to read directions. She can identify a lot of the ocean fish.
I was treated like an outcast at the party anyway. Itried to join in conversations with the other mothers, I would get ignored or very short answers, some would actually walk away. Then one mother actually turned her back to me to talk to another so I would just listen. They were talking about building houses, they have lots of land blah blah blah. They were giving each other advice on what to do with it all. When the conversation turned to how their kids are struggling in this subject or that that is when I got up and left because they toned their conversation down and then shut it off completely when then thought I was listening, so I thought that was my cue just leave so they can vent to one another about it. Itwas moreabout the teachers expecting too much blah blah blah.I have known some of these mothers or their spouses since we were little kids. They really treated me like trash back then. I thought that now that we were in our 30s, have not had much contact with each other since HS until now that our kids are going to school together, it would be like water under the bridge. Guess not. The families were wealthier than we were (just about every family was wealthier than we were back thenlol)but I know theycan Well, actually I don The only thing I did have over them is my kid is not struggling in school. She is making straight As on all her subjects.
The only reason I went was because my 7-year-old and the7-year-old boy are really good friends and Ithought thatmaybe me and the other mothercould find something in common.At school, they are in separable so I really wanted dd to go to help him celebrate his special day. I could not help but notice that dd played with him more and the others were playing among themselves. I do worry if that tee I worry that they are going to discriminate against DD because I was a poorlittle nobody back in school and they were popular.I worry that they are going to start refusing to let the little boy play with dd and it will break her heart and hate me. I take baths, I practice clean living, always have, no drugs, alcohol. I don I pay my bills. Everything I own, I got honestly, paid for it myself. Of course, it isn H is not from here, he went to school elsewhere. I used to worry about that too back when we 1st started dating..Him finding out I was an outcast, dork or whatever and hate me. Now I worry that my child is going find out and resent me.
This all comes down to the parents [2008-11-25]
I think those women are making a big mistake. I love my sister and nephew, don But he is like that 7 yo and it drives me crazy. BUT my sister and BIL are to blame, I feel. He gets a toy every time they He gets a new toy if he My sister feels guilty if he likes something and she doesn They buy him major video games just because, instead of reserving these things for birthdays or Christmas. They will go out and buy him a $200 item in the middle of the week and when I ask what the occasion is? Nothing, we just thought he'd like it!
He is well behaved and they don Yes, it Growing up when we would talk, my sister had definite opinions about what she would and would not do when she had children, and this is not how she felt back then.
But he doesn In my opinion, they Just my opinion.
Yes & could you help me find the best Scrabble game ?? sm [2008-11-25]
I have turned my grandsons onto Scrabble. They are very into Wii and computer, etc. When they come here we have a Scrabble challenge and I cannot believe they want a board game so when I go over there we can continue. There is one at LL Bean for $50 that turns and is wood. One at Hasbro.com which is an anniversary addition for about $39 but plastic. I am just so happy we have this connection and this contest going on, I am searching, but perhaps you know the best place. Of course, I am Grammie so it takes me longer. Keep on playing board games as these kids are addicted to technology!
My opinion [2008-11-24]
While on some level I agree with the others about having a giving nature, I understand where you are coming from completely. I am not really a material girl, but some things I would rather not lend, at least not without being able to explain how to care for the item. I mean, if I paid for it, and I am by no means rich or even the slightest bit well off, I do not want to have to save up my money to purchase another of the same thing that I would have kept in good condition for life, and I shouldnI usually use a fork too, but DH just bought these and offered her a large plastic cooking fork. She just explained that she wasn't going to scratch it and kept right on doing what she was doing. People oftentimes do not care when it is not theirs.
Sorry so long, guess it hit a nerve. I have so many of these it wasn' theirs so they didn't care stories I could just go on and on. It is annoying.
Everyone seems [2008-11-22]
pretty happy. It doesn't seem prurient. I've been in favor of other situations in which people are free to develop on an internal time clock rather than one imposed externally & in that regard there's probably something to this, but the siblings following the first probably got the idea to continue for a long time from watching, so there's definitely a bias there.
Would be interesting for someone to design a study comparing long-time thumb-suckers with children weaned at a later age. This woman would probably say that the experience of breastfeeding can't be duplicated or substituted with a bottle or a plastic nipple because the emotional part of it would be lost. I don't know. I guess it depends on the family involved. I remember on Six Feet Under, how Lisa & Nate were letting Maya sleep in their bed until she decided she didn't want to any more. I think there's just a whole movement out there comprised of people with similar ideas, & until someone does a long-term study, I guess I'd have to say any suggestion that it's out-&-out wrong is just conjecture or has a cultural bias.
we usually take it off... [2008-11-22]
I guess it would be important to know what it is made of and how you are cooking your bird. Some are wire and some are plastic--hey, plastic melts you know
How exciting for you -- sm [2008-11-21]
I My mom always drug me out an hour before the stores opened.
The ads usually come out in Thursday In the past, I Get the paper and makea game plan. Some stores open an hour or 2 later than others, so you may be able to get to both in time for the specials you Wal-Mart generally has a lot of specials, especially in the toys dept. Our Wal-Mart gives you a map when you enter to tell you where each BF special is located in the store. They put some stuff in strange places -- like TVs in the meat dept, computers in dairy, etc. It Ask the Wal-Mart greeter when you enter. Our Wal-Mart is also open 24 hours, as are most, which means no waiting outside. We usually arrive an hour before the sales start so we can be in position for the item. Obviously, the most-sought after items are electronics, so be there early if you
Target is 1 of my favorite places because their specials run all weekend, not just until 11 a.m. (I hope it They usually open an hour after Wal-Mart. I usually head there second because even though the specials run all weekend, they do run out of stock.
Kohl The cash can be redeemed usually starting the Sunday after Black Friday.
Don If there
General advise: Wear comfortable shoes. Be polite to others, but don If you got there first, it Make sure you and DH have cell phones so you can communicate if you get separated. Most importantly, HAVE FUN!!!!
Let us know how you make out afterwards.
According to DH, our budget is $1,000 [2008-11-20]
But more likely I We have 3 kids. We usually get them 1 big gift to share and then round it out with smaller gifts. This year, they It
The breakdown of the other $350:
Parents $150, Grandma $25, Gift Exchange $60, Siblings (from my kids $20, Niece/nephew: $40, Teacher Gifts $30, Student Gifts: $15.
The remaining $30 will go to Toys for Tots! Each of my kids like to pick out a $10 gift to put in.
I have 3 siblings and 1 that My brother that Of course, my 2 unmarried siblings also buy small gifts for my children, so we always get them a little something from them -- usually lottery tickets or a gas card for Sheetz. $10 used to fill We do our exchange party on Christmas Eve. It keeps the kids entertained and gives them a little preview of what I have to say I enjoy Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day. It
Teacher gifts kill me. It I usually go for a coffee mug with a Christmas scene or teacher saying on it and fill it with candy.
Of course, DH thinks I do all this for Christmas for $1000, but why tell him and spoil it? We do a Christmas Club for $1000 every year and I just buy the other stuff here and there.
We already got our Christmas gifts for ourselves -- a 46-inch LCD TV for DHand a Dooney Bourke purse with matching wallet for me.
Now you all got me excited again about shopping next week. I I always wait until the day before Thanksgiving to do that so I know I won
For those of you below who posted that you don Let me just say that I don I sometimes snag a deal or 2, but I learned a long time ago not to wait until Black Friday to get the most sought after items. Best to get them in Sept or Oct.
I love Mexican food, but sometimes I [2008-11-19]
make my own or other stuff and make my own TV dinners. Chicken pot pie sounds good with the cooler weather. Could also pick up a presmoked presliced brisket or ribs and heat in the crock pot. Have the recipe for Wendy's chili which I make (TopSecretRecipes.com).
Your welcome! Don't forget to [2008-11-19]
check the theater website for coupons or a frequent visitor card. He probably wouldn't fill one out himself but you could fill it out and include it in with the gift card. Usually you can get free drinks, etc. and it will really stretch the gift card.
We did a movie pack for my brother-in-law and sister-in-law last year. I found a plastic popcorn bucket at the $1 store and wal-mart had candy in the boxes (like at the movies) for a $1. Turned out to be a very cute gift if I do say so myself. We through the giftcard in there instead of buying a $3 card to go along with the giftcard.
tricky gifts [2008-11-19]
Whatever your specialty is in a nice bag or basket.
Coffee mix recipes with chocolate and cinnamon are good. I made chocolate dipped plastic spoons and those came out good too because you can use really nice chocolate.
There are a lot of ideas out there!
I'm embarrassed to say this, but [2008-11-18]
we usually eat out at least 3 if not 4 nights a week. Always eat out on Fridays and Saturdays and then usually Tuesday and Thursday nights.
I generally cook a large family meal on Sunday with enough leftovers to last through Monday. Tuesday night we either order in and Wednesdays we have breakfast for dinner -- my kids love that one. Thursdays we usually order in because it
We usually eat out Friday nights because we go to get groceries (I don Saturday we
We When it was a 15-minute drive to town, I planned our meals ahead of time and usually only ordered once a week or once every 2 weeks and we only ate out on Saturdays. We seemed to have picked up these extra 2 nights of ordering in out of convenience (a nicer word than laziness).
Oh the cost -- I have 3 kids and a hubby. On the nights we order in, we spend about $25 to $30 (saving because of no drinks or appetizers). When we eat out, the bill is usually around $50. So altogether, I guess I spend about $155 a week on eating out -- WOW/YIKES! Thanks for making me realize that. I think it
Mexican Chicken soup [2008-11-18]
Ingredients
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium rib celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
6 cups chicken broth, low-sodium canned
1/4 cup canned green chiles
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can posole, drained or frozen corn kernels
4 canned whole peeled tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup cooked skinless shredded chicken breast (about 4 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Juice of 1 lime
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic, chili powder, and cumin, and cook until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil, reduce the heat slightly, and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add the green chiles, posole, tomatoes, and oregano and cook for another 5 minutes.
Pull the saucepan from the heat and stir in the chicken, cilantro leaves, and lime juice. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
I normally buy 2 of the already roasted chickens at the store (Wal-mart) and eat most of one chicken for dinner and then use the leftovers as well as the next chicken for the soup, I know that is more chicken than what is called for, but it just really makes for a wonderful soup. I don't always have cilantro on hand so I usually leave that out. Also, for the whole tomatoes, I usually use a large can of crushed tomatoes. Sometimes the soup is a little to thin so I might throw in a handful of instant rice. My family can't get enough of it.
What I 'used' to do [2008-11-14]
They had a store in my area where you could buy canned goods without labels by the case. That was nice. The store is no longer there.
If there is astore that have off-brand names, buy there. For example,I bought 16 ounces of extra virgin olive oil from Italy for $4.99. There is also a store in my area that have name brands but they are close to expiration. I haven't been there yet, but you can buy Hamburger Helper at 4 for $5 every day.
Buy store brands instead of national brands. When there is sale, buy more than one and use coupons whenever possible.
Two other stores have sales where you can buy items 10 for $10. Examples of the items are Betty Crocker Specialty Potatoes, canned tomatoes, tuna, pasta, Pregoor Hunts spaghetti sauce, ketchup, etc.I stock up then.
Canned and dehydrated items are good items to stock up on, as are canned meats (good for casseroles). Butter and cheese is a bit tough to store. They say you can freeze butter without much of a problem, and I tested cheese, but it crumbles when it thaws.
If you have a farmer's market in your area, buy tomatoes and freeze them. They're good for casseroles and soups. Peppers and onions freeze okay for the same reason. I don't like frozen green beans, but they freeze well, as does corn.
Root veggies keep well in a cool, dry place for a few months. A book I have said you can keep them for a few months if you put them in a box andcover withsawdust (I haven' t tried this). They supposedly also keep well in the ground itself if you cover with large bales of hay. If you live in a city, that could be a problem.
Explaining a couple of things sm [2008-11-14]
I studied IQ as part of my Masterget you because your sense of humor is probably well off the beaten track. You probably lack social skills from an early age. Your peers would play childhood games while you preferred to try to improve upon the toys they played with. In school, you didn't have to work very hard in most areas. It all came very easily. You didn't learn how to learn, which is a very valuable skill. You probably have a low frustration level and when something doesn't come very easily, you are prone to giving up. Because you see the world in completely different terms than people of more average intelligence, those same average people call you crazy or mentally ill and tell you that you should be locked up. You don't fit in and despite the higher intelligence, you are remiss to know how to accomplish the feat of being more ordinary.
I alluded to this in my previous post. I have the unusual combination of being very artistic, creatively gifted AND being rather intellectually gifted. Yes, I did fall at the 99.6% percentile on the Wechsler. I know what it means and I have a firm understanding that indeed, that score suggests that I possess more intelligence than 99.6% of the people who have taken that test, and only 0.4% are smarter than I am. It has been a life-long struggle to fit in. I am too cerebral for artistic people, and too artistic for intellectuals. I literally have no one I fit in with. I have learned to tone myself down to make it work. I didn't say dumb down, I said tone down. That means I don't intentionally talk over the heads of others and I won't cram what I know down anyone's throat.
I have had those people in my life who have been jealous of me. I learn quickly if it is artistic, musical, creative, the written word, history and philosophy. I struggle with math. I took piano lessons 10 years ago. I had 40 of them and had never played the piano before. In 40, 1-hour lessons I could play the Moonlight Sonata in piano solo (not a dumbed down easy version). Most people cannot do that. There many other things I have done in a similar fashion, but this is an example for you.
You ask why I am an MT if I am so smart. I make very good money as an MT and I enjoy the challenge. My photographic memory comes in very handy too. I often stop and read up on a disease process I am transcribing about, so that I know what it means. Show me a word once and I'll know it forever. It makes my job easier for me to accomplish.
This all sounds like I am blowing my own horn, but I am merely trying to explain. Being highly intelligent wonreally smart is not only not helpful, I think it is the root of the housecleaning issues in my life.
In short, it is just great to have a good ol' high number and in the end it makes absolutely difference...if you don't count the fact that people with IQs over 150 are 3 times more likely to be depressed and commit suicide than the average population. People who are 125 to 140 are the most fortunate. They succeed in greater numbers in school, in a job, in life. They are very bright, and likely have learned how to learn. They are more likely to persevere in the face of frustration and challenge.
It really isn't all you think it is.
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