Coffee Break Whatever!

Cupcakes and Kitchen Towels - Do you have them?

2011-11-23T06:58:00.000-08:00

What do Dish Towels and Cupcakes have in common? The fun fact that i write about them! You gotta have dish towels, so why not use them to decorate your kitchen! Whether vintage or cartoon or country style... make your dish towels pull double duty and decorate your kitchen while you use them!

The Amazing Dish Towel

And cupcakes? When you make cupcakes you have to use dish towels to wipe up the mess! Teach your kids how to bake and decorate cupcakes the easy way - this great Top 10 Christmas List for kids has the unique thing you need to let your kids learn as they have fun - as long as you get the first cupcake!

Ideas for Decorating Cupcakes

Check them out and stay tuned - more is on the way! Cupcakes are my favorite dessert to have with kids - no mess, no forks, no plates, just eat and enjoy the kids. And since you have to have kitchen towels, why not make them be what you want them to be!

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Should you Plastic?

2011-11-20T18:35:00.000-08:00

Well, should you? Do you know? Should you choose different? Humm...I think I'll choose different!

From Ideal Bite

Switch to better food storage. Disposable containers are piling up in landfills faster than you can say "ziplock," and toxins in plastic are no party. Reduce your daily polymer intake by storing lunches and leftovers in safer materials.

The Benefits

1. Happy hormones. Some plastics, such as PVC (look for #3 inside the recycle symbol on the container) and polystyrene (#6), contain hormone disruptors and other nasty chems that can leach into food.

2. Longer lasting alternatives. Ceramic and glass containers are the last to leave the party, since they don't warp or stain like plastic.

3. Less trash. Disposable plastic baggies can take 1,000 years to decompose.

4. Safe zapping. Doctors recommend that you don't microwave plastic; ceramic and glass go from fridge to microwave and back again without leaching toxins.

For more tips on how to protect and the environment, join Ideal Bite - It's FREE!

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How Parenting is Different After 3 Generations of Parenting Experience

2011-11-20T17:07:00.000-08:00

Parenting Doesn't Change as Much as You Might Think it Does!

I am one of four kids a family that had a SAHM and a working dad. I am a mother of 2 and had to be a working mom, and now a SAHGM (stay at home grand mother) of 2 with one on the way! I have lived 3 phases of the parenting life and I have found that while times do change making parenting skills and requirements have to change and be different, it doesn't always mean things have to change and be different.
It is all in how you look at a parenting issue that determines how you, as a parent, handle it with your children. Read More....

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If You Give a Person a Cup of Coffee...they are going to want to read!

2011-11-20T15:44:00.000-08:00

Have you heard about the Amazon Kindle?

Amazon Kindle is a revolutionary portable reader that wirelessly downloads books, newspapers, magazines and blogs to a crisp, high-resolution electronic paper display that looks and reads like real paper, even in bright sunlight.

Kindle customers, no matter where they are in the U.S., can wirelessly shop the Kindle Store and download new content — all without a PC or a WiFi hot spot. Amazon pays for Kindle’s wireless connectivity so there are no monthly wireless bills and no service commitments for customers. The Kindle Store contains over 90,000 books that can be purchased and delivered wirelessly to Kindle, each in less than a minute. Customers can choose from hundreds of top newspapers, magazines and blogs and have their subscriptions auto-delivered wirelessly. All New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases are $9.99, unless marked otherwise.

Grab a cup of coffee or tea and read more about the Kindle here:

If You Give a Person a Cup of Coffee, They're Going to want to read...

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Football Season is here! Use it to your advantaage!!

2011-11-20T11:02:00.000-08:00

It's FOOTBALL Time!!! Yes, football season is here, let the games begin... and the food and the wonderful things you can incorporate with your love of football.

Check out my articles about jazzing up your love of football and enjoying it while it's here!

HOW TO MAKE FOOTBALL CUPCAKES

FOOTBALL DISH TOWELS - BRING YOUR TEAM INTO THE KITCHEN!

COFFEE MUGS vs. FOOTBALL

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Do You Like I Love Lucy?

2011-06-10T21:41:00.000-07:00

My all time favorite sitcom is I Love Lucy. Classic comedy, laughs by the minute and just a great way to spend a half hour or so with friends and family! Okay, I admit, I watch it for hours on weekends - it is usually on for 2 hours in a row often. But hey, I have the complete box sets of all the seasons so I'm not complaining!

But if Lucy and Ricky Ricardo and Fred and Ethel Mertz are your best friends too, come take a look at some fun ways to enjoy the gang! Did you know there is an I Love Lucy version of Monopoly? And again, I admit, I have it! I have been using it lately to teach my 7 year old grand daughter how to make change and count up from purchase price to cash tendered. (I have not seen that they teach that in school anymore!) After 3 games, she knows how to count change!

So fun and education and a fun way to get an education - yep, leave it to Lucy to make it all happen with laughs all the way

Here's what I have to say about Lucy!

I Love Lucy, You Love Lucy, We All Love Lucy!

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Andy Rooney's Solutions for Junk Mail

2011-06-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

I found this somewhere - can't remember which site, but boy does it say it all! Take it seriously, or just for a laugh, but generally speaking, you gotta give credit where credit is due! And Andy Rooney can say it like it is and you just can't ignore it!

Rooney's CBS Newsman - Tips for Handling Telemarketers

(1) Three Little Words That Work !! The three little words are: "Hold On, Please..."
Saying this, while putting down your phone and walking off (instead of hanging-up immediately) would make each telemarketing call so much more time-consuming that boiler room sales would grind to a halt. Then when you eventually hear the phone company's "beep-beep-beep" tone, you know it's time to go back and hang up your handset, which has efficiently completed its task. These three little words will help eliminate telephone soliciting.

(2) Do you ever get those annoying phone calls with no one on the other end?
This is a telemarketing technique where a machine makes phone calls and records the time of day when a person answers the phone. This technique is used to determine the best time of day for a "real" sales person to call back and get someone at home. What you can do after answering, if you notice there is no one there, is to immediately start hitting your # button on the phone, 6 or 7 times, as quickly as possible This confuses the machine that dialed the call and it kicks your number out of their system. Gosh, what a shame not to have your name in their system any longer !!!

(3) Junk Mail Help: When you get "ads" enclosed with your phone or utility bill, return these "ads" with your payment. Let the sending companies throw their own junk mail away.
When you get those "pre-approved" letters in the mail for everything from credit cards to 2nd mortgages and similar type junk, do not throw away the return envelope. Most of these come with postage-paid return envelopes, right? It costs them more than the regular 37 cents postage "IF" and when they receive them back. It costs them nothing if you throw them away! The postage was around 50 cents before the last increase and it is according to the weight. In that case, why not get rid of some of your other junk mail and put it in these cool little, postage-paid return envelopes.

One of Andy Rooney's (60 minutes) ideas to combat junk mail

Send an ad for your local chimney cleaner to American Express. Send a pizza coupon to Citibank. If you didn't get anything else that day, then just send them their blank application back!If you want to remain anonymous, just make sure your name isn't on anything you send them. You can even send the envelope back empty if you want to just to keep them guessing! It still costs them 39 cents. The banks and credit card companies are currently getting a lot of their own junk back in the mail, but folks, we need to OVERWHELM them. Let's let them know what it's like to get lots of junk mail, and best of all they're paying for it...Twice! Let's help keep our postal service busy since they are saying that e-mail is cutting into their business profits, and that's why they need to increase postage costs again You get the idea !

If enough people follow these tips, it will work ---- I have been doing this for years, and I get very little junk mail anymore.

Coffee Mugs - Just gotta love 'um!

2011-06-10T19:01:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to collect is coffee mugs. Granted I started rather late in life collecting - wish I had thought to collect them all these years as I traveled around, but alias, I didn't! But I have stated collecting them now for different reasons. I have collect the set of coffee mugs for best and funniest TV show of all time - I Love Lucy. Nice to have a cup of coffee with Lucy every morning! I have one of Elvis, and some others! Just a nice way to start the day.

Here is a site that talks about coffee mugs and has some interesting places to find ones you want or that fit your favorites. Take a look! Pretty fun place to look around at - get some ideas!

Coffee Mugs - they do more than just hold your morning coffee!

Start your collection or collect for someone else - ceramic coffee mugs make great gifts for all ages!

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If You Don't Laugh....What Will You Do?

2011-06-10T15:44:00.000-07:00

Fortune cookie says: "If you don't laugh, you're gonna cry". So why not just laugh and see what happens!

A Dose of Laughter

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Make Homework Fun for Your Children

2011-06-01T19:16:00.000-07:00

After doing work in school all day, the last thing kids want to do when they get home is to tackle that ever cumbersome task of homework! They will do their school homework because they know they have to but sometimes homework just gets old and annoying! So... it is up to us parents to make sure our children get the education they deserve. Here are some ways to give homework help to the kids.

Read more....Make Homework Fun for Your Children

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How To Be Organized with the Amazing Shoe Box

2011-06-01T17:05:00.000-07:00

These days, TV is filled with wonderful do-it-yourself shows, home redecoration shows and "how-to organize your home" shows... they are fun to watch and show you create ways to make your living space workable, clean and so amazingly cool!

But what they don't tell you, (or when they do you are shocked!)at how much the items cost! Well, us-on-a-budget people can't afford to buy all those cool little containers and holders. So, we create our own!

Here is what I have created and it is absolutely perfect - so many ways to use a shoe box to organize your home and it won't cost you a cent!

How To Be Organized with the Amazing Shoe Box

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Unique Tote Bags - an absolute MUST HAVE!

2011-06-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

When we need an extra hand, what do we do? Well, we can't grow additional hands so we use our intelligence and grab the nearest tote bag! Yes, tote bags are a wonderful thing that seldom get their deserved credit.

And where would be be without them! I know for myself,that I rely on them daily. I carry lots of things from house to car and back again. I carry lots of things for my grand children back and forth, car to house to their house and back again.

And of course, now that the kids are bigger, I use a tote bag instead of a diaper bag - no more diapers, but lots of toys and things they want to carry with them.

So, come on over and find some really interesting, fun, practical and decorative tote bags to accompany your daily activities! New totes are added weekly so check

"Tote Bags - A Unique Fashion Accessory"

often to find the tote bag that you need to make it through your day!

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What's In Your Coffee/Tea Mug?

2011-06-01T09:38:00.000-07:00

Is it coffee, tea or candy? Or pencils, crayons or coins? Ceramic coffee and tea mugs aren't just for coffee and tea anymore! Store it, say it, proclaim it.. and do it with your coffee mug! Come read all about it!

What's In Your Coffee Mug?

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My Lot - Social Network where YOU make the MONEY!

2011-06-01T09:18:00.000-07:00

I have found this fantastic place on the internet - make friends, chat, discuss, find help, get tips, and just have a fun time...all the while YOU GET PAID TO DO IT!

I am serious - you get paid to chat! Paid to make cyber friends. Paid to make your own personal comments, post your opinions and participate in the same by others.

My Lot - it is a great social network, and so down to earth and fun!

I clear about $20 a month here, and literally for doing nothing more than chatting with others - chatting with friends I CHOOSE and about things I want to talk about! It is great! You can make as much as you put time and effort to do so! The more you "work/chat" the more you make, I make more money here chatting a bit a day than I do on other places where I spend hours and hours working hard to make it happen.

It is also free to join, no big deal - just join and start chatting. Yes there are times that I could spend all day at My Lot , just chating, asking for help and offering help to others. I have learned alot of things from the help of other on My Lot. This week - I finally figured out - with help from my My Lot Friends, how to copy my digital pictures from camera to PC to Disk - and it actually really plays on the TV!!! It worked out so well, and I couldn't have done it without my cyber friends on My Lot - not to mention I got PAID TO LEARN!!! Can't say enough for MY Lot - come on over and join and start chatting, making friends, helping others and get paid while you do it! Good grief....why are you waiting!!!

My Lot

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How to Find Useful and Memorable Souvenirs

2011-04-23T03:31:00.000-07:00

One of the fun parts of any vacation is the hunt for souvenirs. But what do we usually buy? Key chains, refrigerator magnets and other quickly forgotten-about, useless nick-knacks! Many times we will look around and pick up something that looks cute or interesting and make that our souvenir... but after you get home and show it off, it gets set somewhere and forgotten...as does the memory

So this summer, why not take control of the souvenir excursions and buy things that hold the memory of your favorite escapes in life? A souvenir that will not only be around to remind you of your wonderful holiday on a daily basis, but have a purpose, a use...a reason to be brought home!

Read more... How To Find Useful and Memorable Souvenirs

It the above link doesn't click...copy and paste this link to your browser...
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1905038/how_to_find_useful_and_memorable_souvenirs.html?cat=7

Educational Growth for Children: Crayons & Coloring Books

2011-02-08T15:05:00.000-08:00

Crayons and coloring books have been around for years. Any mother will tell you they are the best things since sliced bread! However, you say "you color in the lines and you are done. What's the big deal?" How can something so simple, inexpensive and ordinary be so important? Because of those exact reasons.

Simple means the crayons can be used for so many different activities or uses and they have no limitations other than being used up! You don't have to worry about them not fitting, working or missing parts. They are easily replaced or replenished. They don't make a mess, don't require batteries and no cost for up-keep. They have one use - to color. That's it! Now you take it and turn it into something amazing!

Inexpensive - a large box of crayons for less than $3.00. You can probably find them for a buck at any dollar store, watch for sales or use coupons. Crayons are a common item at yard sales. They are a quick and easy gift to give and get. A whole lot or just a few - you can still create with what you have! Have you ever seen the amazing smile and twinkling eyes of a child that opens a box of beautiful, 64 different color crayons, all in their own space and sparkling up at them? That is a smile you will remember and even worth whatever you spent to buy them!

Ordinary - come on....they are nothing but wax. How much more ordinary can you get! No moving parts, nothing to add, nothing to attach, nothing to loose or break off! No batteries required!

Click her to see how they make crayons!

It is pretty interesting and amazing! Every one can use crayons no matter the age or skill level. No instructions required! Your hands know what to do!

Crayons and Coloring Books are a Necessity!

Crayons are the basis for so many crafts - many that if you DON'T have crayons, you can't do the craft! They are the perfect "babysitter" for kids of all ages. Keep a set in a "secret" place to use only for those times when you need "extra" time for yourself or for something you need to do without kids. Take out these "special" books and crayons and the kids will be in total amazement for the new stuff and love working with it. The size of coloring book, the subject and even the type is a major fact in keeping the children's interest. Coloring books these days have puzzles, word games, seek-and-find, and other "projects" for childhood mental occupation in addition to just coloring pictures.

Make games and projects with coloring books and crayons. After coloring the pictures, cut it out or cut parts out and make a collage on a blank piece of paper. Cut out the objects to use as characters in a story and create their own story with the colored pictures. Cut out lots of smaller items, glue them to a blank piece of paper and make an "I Spy With My Little Eye" project. Once the paper is filled with objects, write 10 objects to look for then switch pages and everyone gets to spy a whole lot of things! Make gift tags, cards, note papers or just fun wall decorations!

All grand parents love receiving colored pictures from their grand kids -but why not add a little extra...using a blank piece of paper, have your child glue some colored pictures on the top half and write a note to the grand parents on the bottom half! Talk about a great addition to the refridgerator collection!

Crayons and coloring books are educational

Kids can make their own ABC book - find an item in the coloring book that starts with each letter of the alphabet and glue it to a blank piece of paper. Fill the page with coloring book pictures starting with each letter. Once all 26 letters have been found, put it together and your child has his/her first book of learning! They'll know their ABC's before you know it! Make a book about color, shapes, sizes. Make a Color and Shapes book - Choose the shapes, have your child color them and then cut them out and you write "green square", "red circle" underneath and put together as a learning book. How about a counting book? One red square, two balls, three ducks, four sunshines etc.

What's your child's favorite "thing"? Do they love horses, cars, Bugs ... get a coloring book specifically about their favorite thing and they'll love coloring and won't even realize they are learning as they play!

Check out the "King of Crayons" Crayola Crayons web site at Crayola Crayons and see an abundance of projects, games and many fun ways to use crayons. And versitle? You bet! If you don't have a coloring book - use plain old blank paper! How about coloring on paper bags? Tablets, composition books - the options are limitless only to your own imagination!

Crayons and coloring books are a valuable commodity. No car with children in it should be without CCB's - crayons and coloring books. No house with children in it should be missing CCB's. Every grandparents house, every day care, every place where there are children should be properly equiped with these most essential child care items.

Crayons and coloring books - something so simple, something that's been around for so long - who ever thought they were so important and such a necessary commodity for the educational and whimsical growth of our children!

Kids and Bean Dip - I Love Them Both!

2011-02-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

I write articles about different things in life that I have learned and share with others so they can enjoy these things too! So I invite you to check out these two topics of interest!

How to Encourage Your Child to Read

How to Make the Perfect Food Snack to Satisfy Everyone!

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Time Traveler's Wife... new book I am reading

2009-10-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

I heard alot about this book when the movie came out this past summer.... so I got the book as most of the time, the book is better than the movie.

I am really anxious so see how it all turns out. Each chapter is a differnet age and time for the two lovers, and I don't switch that fast, but each chapter is good in its own way.

If interested... give it a try and read it with me... tell me how you liked it!

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7 Halloween NON Candy Trick or Treaters Gifts

2009-10-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

In my day, the fear of infected or tampered candy was so big, Halloween wasn't much fun. Oh, for the days when you could eat that carmel apple the neighbor made or those cupcakes or home made fudge! Well, some things you can change, some things you can't. So, why not make a fun "no candy" trick or treat for your neighborhood! Pass the word around to the rest of the families and give a shot to a safe Halloween Trick or Treat night!

You ask, "I am giving to a large number of trick or treaters and one bag of candy handles alot of kids, so how do I have as much of something non-candy?" Here's some suggestions.

1. Party Favors. Look in the party section of the local discount store or dollar store. Those plastic jewlery items, chalks, little hand held games, crayon sets, bubble blower things and so much more! Buy a few of those, and you have a lot!

2. Grain style snack bars or Fruit snacks! No chocolate, candy and less sugar! These are healthy and low sugar and most kids love them as much as candy anyway!

3. School and craft supplies: So many stores now have a $1 Isle - pick up a package of pencil erasers, pens/pencils, tablets, stickers, magnets and other school or craft supplies. Every kid can use a pencil and a Halloween print pencil is so much fun!

4. Accessories - well. these might be more for the little girls, but hair accessories - barretts, pony tail bands, head bands and such are a great treat!

5. Hot cereals - Oatmeal, Cream of Wheat - each box holds 8-10 individual packets of this healthy cereal - and they are sealed closed. These days, they come in fun packages with characters on the front, little games on the back and perfect for breakfast the next morning!

5. Packets of hot chocolate: Again, one box hold 8-10 packets. Some even come with mini marshmallows in them! Perfect for a bed time snack as they sort their Halloween treasures!

6. Juice box drinks. Buy a large, economy size case of box juice drinks- the kind with the attached straw. Great treat and will be loved by all that gets them!

7. Mini bottle of water! You can buy little 6-8oz size of bottled water in a case - something like $4.00 for 24 bottles. The perfect treat for the "melt-down" after that long walk!

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READY Are You A Halloween Fan....

2009-10-11T18:31:00.000-07:00

I have never liked Halloween...well, since I have been older anyway. But at the same time, it is a time for fun and games. I normally wouldn't even be thinking of Halloween at this time, but since all the local stores have their Halloween displays up, I guess I have to go along with the crowd on this one!

Printable Games A to Z has some really great game packs you can get that will help you make that Halloween party so much easier. Everything you need for a variety of games is in the pack. One stop shopping! You buy and you print! Right there at home! So take a look and see what you can use! And check out the rest of the party themes - Games A to Z has game game packs for every holiday or party theme! Including invitations!

Who Stole the Halloween Pumpkin Patch!

2009-10-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

I am not a Halloween fan, but I do like the harvest-y, fall, autumn-y, country feeling that comes with this time of year. The typical pumpkin patch is here only because of Halloween , but I always enjoyed visiting the pumpkin patch for the above mentioned ambiance and the final notice of "Autumn is here". Last night I went to the local pumpkin patch with my daughter and 7 year old granddaughter, looking forward to an enjoyable family outing.

Used to be that there was a pumpkin patch on every third corner and a few parking lots in between. They were "constructed" out of bales of hay, tons of pumpkins, and yes, with the Halloween theme of spooks, goblins and scary noises. The pumpkins and gourds were so much fun to look at and choose from. A fun, family function and the kids just loved it - their favorite was walking (or I should say running!) the hay bale mazes and seeing what was behind the corners and the finale of each one choosing their favorite pumpkin. Fun, affordable and festive.

Well as usual, all good things come to an end. These days the pumpkin patches are few and far between and what is there is so commercialized and expensive that they just aren't any fun anymore.

We went to this local pumpkin patch last night. This pumpkin patch is the only one in the area. It is on the corner of one of the busiest, most major intersections in town - which means massive traffic and lots of noise! But, oh well, we'll forget about that once in the patch! It was huge with lots and lots of pumpkins....I was full of anticipation for the fun with my girls.

I wish I could say something to it's glory, but unfortunately it turned out to be overly commercialized, over priced and "halloween" ambiance of any kind never entered its surroundings! Wait.. I did get scared when I saw the prices of the pumpkins and the rides! We didn't have an ounce of fun. The only good thing I can say about this pumpkin patch was that at least there was no admission fee and I feel sorry for alot of kids and parents that will miss out on a wonderful family memories.

As we walked in to the patch, we were immediately and massively slapped smack-dab in the face with extremely loud, deafening, screaming, loud, yelling, blaring, non-stop loud music from a local radio station. And not just the screaming from the loud music - we also were subjected without release, to the nagging commercials! I am sorry, but being at the pumpkin patch with the kids for a fun, festive outing is just not the place to have to listen to ads about medications, health and hygeine problems and other "adult" themed commercials. Having to listen to the screaming ads by the local stores and their "percent off" sales, ads for buying/selling this and that and hearing about how to treat restless leg syndrome, depression and other body disfunctions is just not something I want to listen to while at the pumpkin patch with my kids, nor do I want the little ones to hear it. The bit of music was 60's and 70's era, which I grew up in and like, but at mega decibals pounding in my ears, enjoyment never made it past the sound speaker.

The music and constant chatter was so loud you couldn't even hear the person next to you talking so the family outing turned into a personally silent one - if you can't hear the other speak to you, you know they don't hear you speak to them. So everyone just walked around in their own silence. There goes the fun and enjoyment of hearing the squeals of excitment from my grand daughter when she saw a huge pumpkin or one of a different color or shape and the "WOW! Look how HUUGGGHHHH this pumpkin is!" and I missed that fantastic smile and twinkle in her eyes!

Trying to make the best of it, we walked around in this huge area, in our own silence, hands over our ears, in search of the perfect jack-o-lantern, pumpkin carving pumpkin - a round, orange, clean, no spots pumpkin with a nice stem for the handle... a round, orange pumpkin with a nice stem? A round, orange pumpkin with a stem? A round, orange, pumpkin...an orange pumpkin?

Although I enjoyed seeing the ornamental gourds and pumpkins and the most amazing shapes that the pumpkins had grown in, the reason for a pumpkin patch was sadly lost. Tall, thin, short, fat, narrow in the middle, fat on the ends, various colors on the same pumpkin, pumpkins literally of all variety of shapes, sizes, colors and styles - except a good, round one for carving. They were fun to look at but since the music was so loud, I really had to struggle to hear my grand daughter proclaim in excitement - "wow, Nanny! Look at that pumpkin! It is tall instead of round!" and "Oh my gosh - look at that one! It is red, orange, black, green and brown!" and I almost missed her trying to tell me "These are the funniest pumpkins!!". And of course, I missed the "choosing" conversation. You know, which one should we choose and why? But the hardest part was finding a round, orange pumpkin with a stem.

Throw in of course, that there are no prices - anywhere. There was one section of small pumpkins that said "$4,$2,$1: you had to use your best judgement as to which price went to which pumpkin and then pay for the size the owner's determined it was. The facility also had several rides, a ballon slide and stuff... I never pay any attention to them as I haven't a clue as to their safety followed by the fact that they are so expensive, pay for a ride for 4 kids and you almost have a day's fare to Disneyland!

Well, we finally found the pumpkin we wanted and walked back to where the sales counter was and got to where we think the line started. This big huge, burly guy grabs the big pumpkin and compares it to what turned out to be the price table - for them, not the customers. He yelled out to the lady at the register, in short-order cook terms (like they used to say in diners sometimes, "give me a covered dog and make it cry!" - which means a chili dog with oninon) and said it at the speed of an auctioner - something about the description of the pumpkin, and mentioned the price as $10 and how many or something; made no sense to us! But good grief! I could have got it for about $6 at the grocery and not been so beat up from the horendous music and had more fun!

We had chosen 2 small ones that we were sure were the $2 size and a $2 carving knife. This huge guy cries out to the register, something about 2 and 4 and another one and some kind of brand of knife. This guy is on one side, we in the middle and the cashier on the other side and that loud, blarring music all encompassing. The register lady called out twice, "Say again?" and "What was that?" The music was so obnoxiously loud we didn't even hear the total and had to ask twice. My daughter paid and I'm standing there thinking "Hum..that sounds rather expensive for a couple little pumpkins" and started adding in my head as we walked away. I also noticed that once they had her money, they distracted my daughter, handing her coupons for the christmas trees they will be having and a coupon for this and another one for that. Does "kick-back" ring a bell? Yeah, it did to me. Anyway, I then asked my daughter - "did they charge you $2 or $4 for those little ones?" She looks at her recipt and sure enough, not only did they charge $4 each for the $2 pumpkins, but they charged $6.99 for the $1.99 knife! She went back to get her money back, they argued with her about it until she presented the pumpkins again then walked the burly guy over to where the knives were to point out the price on the box. Was she apologized to? No, just picked up the refund they dropped on the counter to her and then directed their attention to the next customer.

I decided not to dwell on how horrible the experience was and try to salvage a memory and once at the car, talked with my grand daughter about the pumpkins we had chosen and what plans she had for hers and told her a story about her mommy's first pumpkin and that she called it pumpkin "pouch" instead of pumpkin "patch."

Sorry Great Pumpkin...you're going to have to by-pass this town this year - the pumpkin patches are not suitable for you here! Try again next year!

- -

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A Wonderful Gift for Baby!

2009-08-01T18:00:00.000-07:00

As a grand mother, I've been there, done that! I've heard it all and quite frankly I think that these days, they make "taking care of children" a huge, cumbersome chore, when it is really the biggest blessing you can ever imagine. People want to make new mothers think that they don't know a thing about being a mom and that they must listen to them and also because of that all mightly dollar. If they can convince you to buy something because it "is best for your child", their profits go up!

Well, I say pacifiers are okay for kids, as long as you - the mommy - use the same intelligence you use for the rest of your life. Common sense. A pacifier is a form of security. It is also something for teethers to gnaw on instead of their fingers or something "else". Your job as mommy, is to "teach" your child when and where to use the pacifier, not just sit back and let them do what they want or worse, tell you what they are going to do with it!

Anyway, off my mommy soap box! I found this site and thought these are the cutest things and I wish I'd seen them long time ago! My little 18 month old grand daughter is already off pacifier's or I'd be ordering!

What what a great gift - baby shower, first stocking stuffer - or just that special item from grandma! They are so cute and quite the eye-catcher and sure to bring smiles to all!

Check it out.... Personalized Pacifiers

Bank of America and FREE Admission!

2009-06-07T08:16:00.000-07:00

Need help this summer with some family outings? If you have an acount at Bank of America bank... check this out...

"If you have a Bank of America ATM Debit or Credit cared.. use it for free access to more than 100 museums, zoos and science centers on the first full weekend of each month. The bank's popular "Museums on Us" program now in its 12th years, was expanded in April to 26 states. Includes over 40 new attractions than in 2008. To find a participating facility near you... go to museums.bankofamerica.com. Each cardholder who shows a vaild photo ID is entitled to free general admission..."

So.. check it out and see what is near you or what is where you will be going on your vacation and save money by getting FREE admission!

And for more museums.. click here... Inexpensive or Free Museums In Your Area

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Inexpensive or Free Museums in Your Area!

2009-05-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

Need inexpensive to free things to do with the kids? Why not a museum? They sure have changed over the years from the stodgy relics they used to be to a fun, interactive, educational adventure for the whole familiy!

Here's a list of museums - by state, then by city! Just find where you are or where you are going and see what is waiting for you!

Free Museums By State - Click here

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What a Toddler Thinks About Poop and Potty Training

2009-01-28T17:23:00.000-08:00

Laugh Your Way Through Diapers and Poop Training!

Parenting is only as hard as you make it, but as a proud Grandmother I can honestly contest to the fact that it only gets better! I have been helping my grand daughter with her "potty training" and taking that life changing step from diapers to panties. To say the least, she keeps me in stitches, laughing at her "view' of potty training!

Whether motherhood, parenthood or grand-motherhood, the "Terrific Two's" are a very enjoyable time in life! Read More and Laugh!

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Have You Met "Time Management" Yet?

2009-01-21T17:13:00.000-08:00

Time Management. What does that really mean? Usually we relate this term to a business or company trying to get their work done within the confines of a budget. However, look it up in the dictionary and here's what you get:

This day and age, we all have tons of things to do and still, only that same 24 hours to do it in. And everything has deadlines, expiration dates/times and of course, we still have to feed the kids! That is not to say that if you do not have children, you have plenty of time. It is only stipulating that the more you have to do the more you have to get done!

So how do you handle "time management" and get the most done in the hours you have available?
Click here to find out!

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Manage Your Time the Easy Way!

2009-01-13T07:35:00.000-08:00

This day and age, we all have tons of things to do and still, only that same 24 hours to do it in. And everything has deadlines, expiration dates/times and of course, we still have to feed the kids! That is not to say that if you do not have children, you have plenty of time. It is only stipulating that the more you have to do the more you have to get done!

Quite frankly, the easier you keep things, the faster you will be able to get them done and you will finally be able to have some of that luxury they call "FREE TIME". So forget the complicated life of "time management"...just pull out your trusty To Do List and get your work done!

Read about how to make your To Do List work for you:

Forget Time Management...Just make a To Do List!

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Got Kids? Feed them for free!

2008-10-15T21:46:00.000-07:00

Feed your kids for free - check out resturants in your town and find the ones where kids eat free...

Coffee Break Whatever Freebies

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Survivor is Back!! Season #17- Gabon, Earth's Last Eden

2008-09-26T09:38:00.001-07:00

Are you a Survivor fan? Do you get the giggles watching the catty, arguing, verbally volital survivors beat each other around the camp? How about just watching that hunky Jeff Probst! He was visually amazed last night at that the first Tribal Council when the Tribe did nothing but bicker amongest themselves about every question he asked! That was the first "funny" of the show! And last nights premier episode shows us.. this season is no different from the others!

SURVIVOR GABON: EARTH'S LAST EDEN

Gabon, Africe is apparently a beautiful place. I have never seen so much green in on spot! And the shots they did of the wildlife animals...I have seen elephants and apes and hippos in the zoo, but here in their own habitate, they just were so amazing and it was like seeing them for the first time ever. The close-up shots were breath-taking! It is worth it to watch just to see the scenery, landscape and wildlife. I commend the photographers and filmers of the show. This one is the best of the bunch!

Here is a brief encounter of what happened, but check out my article at

SURVIVOR GABON: EARTH'S LAST EDEN for all the juciy details.

Michelle, the first to be voted off, boy howdy, did she have a huge chip on her shoulder! She was not picked by a team, but was the last one to the "assigned" to the Fang tribe. She was the first female up the steep, dirty hill, (even Jeff Probst ran up that hill!) but her repeatedly calling her tribe members "loosers", "dorks", "Retarded"... throw that in with her cleavage constantly being "blurred out" in editing due to her itzey-bitzey, tinnie-weenie black bra - it was just time for Michelle to go home and put on some clothes and take a "be nice" chill pill!

Gillian, on the other hand, the #2 to be voted off from FANG tribe, was one of those that praises "the grass is greener on the other side", but does nothing to get herself there but instead, complains that others don't go there. And she was a nurse that did nothing to help an injured team mate....

Come read all about it and watch some videos about things you might have not seen on last nights episode and see the Final Words of those voted off and a short bio from each survivor.

SURVIVOR GABON: EARTH'S LAST EDEN

Want to revisit last season's Fans vs. Favs? Come on over!

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2008 To Be Warmest Year This Century

2008-09-23T07:07:00.000-07:00

It has been predicted that global warming is supposed to make 2008 To Be Warmest Year This Century! Whether you believe in global warming or not, common sense prevails on this, maybe not to the extent they predict, but for sure - to some point of warming.

Here is some information - rather interesting:

2008 To Be Warmest Year This Century

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How To Start Your Freebie Earnings

2008-09-22T17:07:00.000-07:00

How to Start Your Freebie Earnings

What are "freebie earnings"? Basically, it is where you join (for free!) online web sites to earn "points" to redeem for merchant gift cards and cash. You can earn points by reading emails, participate in surveys, do online shopping (of items you'd buy anyway!) and collect freebies and samples just to mention a few options.

In the world of freebies, surveys and such, you get "points" for doing whatever the web site offers you and you redeem points for "rewards". Rewards differ from site to site. Free gift cards are the most common. The higher the number of points you collect, the higher the value of the gift card you can redeem for. Don't expect huge earnings or points in the first couple months. Remember: You have to learn HOW to play the game before you can make the game WORK! Give it time! You also have to find the ones that are "profitable" and not a waste of time and effort! As in anything you do, the more you put into it, the more you will get out of it. Patience! You have to play the game before you can win!

There are four main things you have to do first in order to start your freebie rewards and earnings. Master each one and then step on the gas! Your earnings will add up before you know it!

Get Organized

It is a VERY good idea to create a new email address just for your freebie site programs. Give it a name relating to freebies, surveys, something that denotes that this is your freebie account and not your personal or business account. That way you are not "mixing" things up. When you log onto that email address, you know it is ONLY your free earning emails and nothing else. With every site you join, use this same new email address. Next, get a notebook. Any kind will do as long as you can write down information about each site. This way you can keep track of the email address, the site's URL address, what the site offers, reward details, and anything else you need to remember about the site. You can even keep a monthly "total" for each site you are on so you can see your earnings accumulate.

Make a Schedule

It's pretty cut and dry. Anything you want to do in life, you have to schedule it in some way. For your freebies and paid surveys, you have to schedule some hours to spend "working". You also have to make a DAILY schedule. This won't work if you just do it every now and then or just on weekends. You have to hit it daily. You can choose your own work hours. Spend 2 hours each morning, 2 hours before bed, an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening - whatever fits in with your life's schedule. Obviously the more hours you work, the faster your earnings will accumulate.

Research

This is the time consuming part of your start up time. But it is so worth it in the end. You never know what sites are on the level, or more work than they are worth, or even offer you what you want or need. And even worse, you have to make sure the site is FREE and that promotions are free! Why spend money to get a freebie? Sadly, some sites are like this. How do you find a freebie site? Do a search for words like freebies, paid surveys, free samples, online shopping and other related phrases. Then just go down the list and pick a site - any site. Go to that site and read all about it, what they offer, payment terms and conditions, etc. If it sounds good and intelligent and "on the level", join up! Watch those that require a payment to join and do so at your own risk. You have to do this research as sometimes the site sounds like nothing, but turns out to be the best. Other times, the site sounds great, but turns out to be more trouble (and expense!) than it is worth.
Pick a few sites and work with just them for a couple months. After 2 months, you'll probably knew if a site is where you want to be or not. If it isn't working out, cancel and find another one. Does the site have rewards that you want to spend your points on? If not, choose another site! If it is, make sure you put that site into your daily work schedule.

Committment

You have to be committed to this process from start to finish or it won't work. You won't see much earnings in just a few days or weeks. It does take time and you have to commit the time. Things change and web sites have different offers coming and going. If you don't "know" your site, you will miss out on earning opportunities. Often sites will have daily trivia games or other little games you can play and win a point if you answer correct. Yes, it is only 1 point, but since you are at the site anyway, play and get the point! Points add up!! Earnings from freebies and paid surveys or reading emails, is not something that you can suceed at by just checking a site on the weekend or just surfing on an evening you have nothing else to do. You have to commit to the schedule you created and work with the sites DAILY. Whether it be freebies and samples or
paid surveys, things change. You have to know about the changes. In addition, just like anything else you want to suceed at, it is a daily effort. You aren't going to get a full pay check if you don't show up for work day. Miss a day or two, and your pay check amount drops. Same with freebie pointss. If you miss a day of dealing with your reading emails and surveys, your points won't "drop" but they won't accumulate as quickly.

"So Where's My Earnings?"

Let's say you collect enough points to redeem for a $50 gift card to a store, resturant or other site merchant. "Where is my earnings in that?" you ask? Well, if you get a $50 gift card to use at a local discount store or resturant, that's $50 you don't have to take out of your pocket, put on your credit card or debit your checking account for and still get to buy what you need or want! Gift cards also make fantastic gifts! If you give a gift card as a gift, the expense doesn't come out of your pocket! Give it a try! What do you have to loose? How much you earn depends on how much you work. If it isn't your "thing", you can always stop, cancel and move on elsewhere.

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Back in the Coupon/Freebie Saddle Again!

2008-06-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

I am back in the Coupon/Freebie saddle again! I have amazingly enough, found by accident, several sites/blogs for saving money buy using coupons and freebies and samples. Why pay for something you can get free? So I am working on sharing these blogs/sites with you and other ways to save money....come on over and take a look

Coffee Break Whatever Freebies

Bookmark the page and keep checking back. I'll be adding as I find!

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My March for a FREE CHRISTMAS has begun!

2008-05-31T09:36:00.001-07:00

I have begun my march for a FREE Christmas - this is my 2nd year at doing this and it has been a sucess each year! Happy me as the gift giver and happy gift receivers and TOTALLY FREE!

Here's how I do it!

My March for a Free Christmas Has Begun!

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The Greatest Laughter in TV History!

2008-05-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

It's just the longest running TV show in the history of television.
It is the only show to have NEVER gone "off air" (no longer televised) in TV history.
It has the longest recorded segment of laughter in TV history.
And funny, hilarious, "laugh till your side hurts" just doesn't give enough credit!

What am I talking about? I Love Lucy - of course! That show has quite a amazing history, but as a sitcom as well as real life of the characters. TV wouldn't be what it is today if Desi Arnaz hadn't "invented" multiple camera techniques!

So, let Lucy and Ricky Ricardo and Ethel and Fred Mertz add a little laughter to your daily life!

Check out this site - lots of fun thing - screen saver for your PC, hear some of the funny lines from the show, get some facts you didn't know and see the history of the show.

Check out I Love Lucy, You Love Lucy, We ALL Love Lucy! and have some fun! The Laughs are under "What's Your Favorite Lucy Laugh" post

P.S. The episode that had the longest recorded segment of laughter (by a live audience) was the espisode in the country when Lucy reherses a dance with Ricky while hiding a couple dozen eggs in her shirt, unbeknownst to Ricky. Of course, that last twirl in the Tango - and the eggs get scrambled!

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Earth Day - April 22 - Free ideas to help you save the earth and money!

2008-04-12T11:15:00.000-07:00

April 22 - Earth Day - do what you can to save the earth! Click on the banner above and get lots of eco-living tips delievered daily to your email. Read them and learn lots of ways to save the environment, save money and make your life a little bit better. No spam, just an email giving you tips for a better world! Come on over and join - totally free - and start learning tomorrow!

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Are You A Survivor Fan?

2008-03-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

Are you a "Survivor" fan? I am, well to a point. It has gotten a bit boring as they show enormous amounts of bickering and aruging all the time, but there are some good times there to! last week and this week both had some really great twists and shake ups that were fun to see revealed!

I write my thoughts about each episode - if you'd like to read what I think of the show, Click the logo!

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How to Journal Your Daily Thoughts and Memories

2008-01-29T10:09:00.000-08:00

I know! "Diary" and you instantly think teenage teenie bopper and "Dear Diary: Johnny said hello to me today!". Well, although it can be that if you choose, that is the point. YOU CHOOSE. You choose what you want your journal or diary to be for you! Whether to keep track of you dreams, your thoughts, your happy times, your hopes and dreams for your future or just "what happened today", the choice is yours.

Here you can find out how to start, who should start, how to keep it going and much more!

How To Journal Your Diary Daily Thoughts and Memories

This is a topic article I have started and if you join the "Fan Club" on this article, you get notified when new steps, ways and other helps, hints and suggestions get posted so you can get you and your children started with your journals.

I have been keeping one for each of my 2 grand daughters since I was informed they were on the way! I write all about them, what they do (or don't do!), things we did together, and just anything and everything about their lives. I will give the journls to them some time in the future but for now, it is my life with them. I enjoy writing and remembering their lives and how blessed I am that they are in mine.

I have been teaching my 7 year old grand daughter to keep a journal since she started first grade. Every morning when I take her to school, I have her a journal with the first grade lines on the lower half of the page and blank at the top. She just loves writing in her journal and drawing pictures at the top of what she just wrote! Some times she writes about things that happend in life, other times she makes up a story about someone or something that went through something she did and other times she just creates her own "short story". She loves it, I love when she reads it to me and guess what else?

.......while she is having fun and writing about things, keeping track of her life in her "diary", know what else she is doing? And she doesn't even know it but it shows up in her school work all the time! She is practicing her handwriting skills, letter structure, grammar, spelling and punctuation AND creativity and imagination! Yes, an education in the most funnest way! And all for about 15 minutes in the morning in the car on the way to school when she'd normally be doing nothing! How can you top that!

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Survivor TV reality Show - The fun in it all!

2008-01-29T09:51:00.000-08:00

I enjoy watching Survivor TV Reality show. It was what started the new generation of TV shows. Gone is Steve Erkle, DJ,Stephanie and Michelle, Corey and Topanga and the Foster/Lambert kids. Now it is Jeff Probst and "survivors ready?".

Take a look and see what else I see going on Survivor: Outwit, Outplay, Outlast

My first reason for liking to watch this reality show is for the landscape, scenery and where it is located. I have never heard of most of the places and know I will never see any of them, so it is just a nice "micro mini vacation" - okay, maybe more of a few photos in a travel log - but whatever, I still enjoy watching the clips of the land and scenery.

The second reason I enjoy watching it is to see the challenges. I am amazed at how perfectly they create the challenges -first so that they fit in with the landscape and the "theme" of the island or area in which they are. Second, it is amazing how perfectly they create a challenge that literally accomodates all shapes, sizes, man/woman, short/tall, large/small - you name it the challenge has to be able to accomodate them all because they creators don't know the specific people that will be doing the challenges.

I also enjoy the Tribal Councils. Interesting to see the lies and truths finally come out!

But I don't much enjoy watching the day to day camp/survivor days. I so don't like watching/hearing all the gripping, complaining, whining and arguments. I'm sorry, but if you put a bunch of near naked women with a bunch of macho minded men - you are going to get it from all sides! Granted that is part of playing the game, but I'll just fast forward through all that.

But, since you take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have.... Survivor: Outwit, Outplay, Outlast

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Survivor #16 is on the way!

2008-01-13T18:53:00.000-08:00

Survivor! Outplay, Outwit, Outlast! Do you like this reality show? I do...well most of the time. I get so tired of the near naked women and the tribal gripe and complain scessions, but those challenges are amazing and it is also fun to watch to see who is really playing the game or just riding along on coat tails.

Did you know the next season premiers on February 7! And this one, is a Fans vs. Favorites. Fans of the show against favorites from the shows - already played but were voted off at some point in time on a previous show. And of course, what is Survivor without Jeff Probst!

Here's an article about the new season coming up - you can read about who is going to be players and where and some story basics.

Also - you can read about Jeff Probst - and play a UTube video about "a day with Jeff on Survivor" - from laundry to tribal council - pretty fun to see!

Come take a look! Survivor: Season 16 - Fans vs. Favorites

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'ginormous' is in the dictionary - Do You Know What It Means?

2007-10-06T06:26:00.000-07:00

Did you know that the New dictionary now includes 'ginormous' ? Do you know what it means? Do YOU use it?

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - It was a "ginormous" year for the wordsmiths at Merriam-Webster. Along with embracing the adjective that combines "gigantic" and "enormous," the dictionary publishers also got into Bollywood, sudoku and speed dating.

New dictionary includes 'ginormous'

I know things change and I know the English language changes, but come on! Is it just "anything goes" these days? My opinion... just cause people say it alot and use it alot, doesn't mean it should be in the dictionary! Is " ain't " in there yet? Bet more people use "ain't" than 'ginormous'! What do you think?

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2008 To Be Warmest Year of Century and America's Coast Lines are in Danger

2007-10-01T11:57:00.000-07:00

Well, as if 2008 being predicted as the warmest year in the century wasn't bad enough, now we can look forward to major flooding in places you'd never thought of. And it isn't from rain storms or hurricanes.

It is from rising sea levels. Now you are saying, "rising sea levels? How can that be when they say that we are in danger of water shortages from dry seasons?"

Well, sea water is not where we get our drinking water. One thing has nothing to do with the other. What they say is happening is this..

" Global warming - through a combination of melting glaciers, disappearing ice sheets and warmer waters expanding - is expected to cause oceans to rise by one meter, or about 39 inches. It will happen regardless of any future actions to curb greenhouse gases, several leading scientists say. And it will reshape the nation."

Okay are we shocked! Well I am, as they also predict...

"Ultimately, rising seas will likely swamp the first American settlement in Jamestown, Va., as well as the Florida launch pad that sent the first American into orbit, many climate scientists are predicting. In about a century, some of the places that make America what it is, may be slowly erased." reports the San Fransico Examiner.com.

Good grief! Who'd a thunk it? Well, what can we do about it? How can we stop ir or at least help drag it out as long as possible?

"We're going to get a meter and there's nothing we can do about it," said University of Victoria climatologist Andrew Weaver, a lead author of the February report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in Paris. "It's going to happen no matter what - the question is when."

What areas will be "hit" the hardest?

The EPA, which studied only the Eastern and Gulf coasts, found that Louisiana, Florida, North Carolina, Texas and South Carolina would lose the most land.

S. Jeffress Williams, a U.S. Geological Survey coastal geologist in Woods Hole, Mass., says it's "not unreasonable at all" to expect that much in 100 years. "We've had a third of a meter in the last century."

It's not just "on the way"...it is here ... now. We just don't know it. The change will be a gradual process, one that is so slow it will be easy to ignore for a while. But we have to start now to do whatever we can. We can't stop the ocean's waters. We can't stop the melting glaciers, disappearing ice sheets and warmer waters. But maybe we can help global warming from warming to fast.

There are so many things everyone can do to help slow down global warming. We now don't just have the heat from global warming to deal with, but we now have the rising ocean waters. We are destroying our earth. Granted, some of it can't be stopped - maybe none of it can be actually stopped, but at least some of it can be stalled, slowed down and not contributed to as much.

Do what you can to stop global warming. If everyone does just a few little things, multiply that by the millions of people in the country, and there's a good chance that we could at least slow it all down a little.

Laugh and Save!

2007-09-24T17:20:00.000-07:00

All I really need to know I learned from Noah's ark - A Dose of Laughter

Coupons are a great money saver! - How To Save Money At Home

Fun Things with I Love Lucy and Paris Gown's - Whois I Love Lucy

Come take a look, have a laugh and get a great money saving tip today!

Cheri's Squidoo Lense

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Outwit, Outplay, Outlast Your Appetite

2007-09-21T06:15:00.000-07:00

10 Ways to Outwit Your Appetite
Posted Mon, Jun 04, 2007, 8:28 pm PDT By: Real Age

10 Ways To Outwit Your Appetite

You don't have to be smarter than a quiz show fifth-grader to learn how to control the urge to eat. Just follow these common sense tips:

1. Feed it protein for breakfast. You'll be less hungry later on and end up eating 267 fewer calories during the day. At least that's what happened on days when St. Louis University researchers gave overweight women two scrambled eggs and two slices of jelly-topped toast for breakfast rather than about half that protein. ( You DO get to eat breakfast!)

2. Make it climb a flight of stairs. At home, store the foods that tempt you most way out of reach. For instance, Cornell University food psychologist Brian Wansink, PhD, keeps his favorite soda in a basement fridge. "Half the time I'm too lazy to run down there to get it, so I drink the water in the kitchen." (Yeah, we can all attest to that!)

3. Sleep on it. People who don't get their eight hours of zzz's experience hormonal fluctuations that increase appetite, report researchers. (You get to sleep!)

4. Give it something else to think about. When scientists scanned the brains of people eating different foods, they found that the brain reacts to fat in the mouth in much the same way that the nose responds to a pleasant aroma. So if you feel a craving coming on, apply your favorite scent. (okay, so we can really distract ourselves.. hum.. should be interesting)

5. Never let it see a heaping plate. The more food that's in front of you, the more you'll eat. So at a restaurant, ask your waiter to pack up half of your meal before serving it to you, then eat the extras for lunch the next day. (well, he might not like doing that, but just ask for a box when he comes back to the table!)

6. Put it under the lights. You consume fewer calories at a well-lit restaurant table than you do dining in a dark corner. "In the light, you're more self-conscious and worry that other patrons are watching what you eat," explains Wansink. (Talk about shedding some light on a problem!)

7. Talk it down. Entertaining friends with a great story doesn't give you much time to eat up, so you'll probably still have food on your plate when they're done. Once they're finished, call it quits too. ( We now have a great reason to talk up a storm!)

8. Offer it a seat. If you sit down to snack -- and use utensils and a plate -- you'll eat fewer calories at subsequent meals. ( yeah, cause you wont want to do those extra dishes!)

9. Satisfy it with soup. Start lunch with about 130 calories worth of vegetable soup and you'll eat 20 percent fewer calories during lunch overall, say Penn State experts. (I love Campbell's Chicken Noodle!!)

10. Give it little choice. Packages that contain assorted varieties of cookies, candy, dips, cheese, etc., make you want to try all the flavors. The effect is so powerful, says Wansink, that when people are given 10 colors of M&Ms to munch on, not seven, they eat 30 percent more! (Does that mean we can eat with our eyes closed?)

Oh, and one more thing: Feeding your appetite a diverse diet that is low in calories and high in nutrients can make your Real Age as much as four years younger. ( Who doesn't like a variety!)

Give it a try! What have you got to loose but some AGE!!!! Think about it - it realy isn't as hard as the media and everyone makes it seem. Common sense - remember that?

Did You Know the English Language Was So Funny?

2007-09-21T04:36:00.000-07:00

Well, "tongue twisters" come to mind as I read this....

Who Knew The English Language Was So Funny?

Got a question, comment or note to share? Leave a comment!

Do You Know what Your First Grader Knows? Part 1

2007-09-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

A first grade teach had 25 student in her class. She presented each child in her classroom the first half of a well-known proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb.
It's hard to believe these were actually done by first graders. Their insight may surprise you. While reading, keep in mind that these are first graders, 6-7 year olds. Check back for the next 15 and the last ones a doozie!

1. Don't change horses............... until they stop running
2. Strike while the.................. bug is close.
3. It's always darkest before........Daylight Saving Time
4. Never underestimate the powe of..............termites
5. You can lead a horse to water but..................How?
6. Don't bite the hand that...................looks dirty.
7. No news is...................impossible
8. A miss is as good as a.........................Mr.
9. You can't teach an old dog new....................Math
10.If you lie down with dogs, you'll..............stink in the morming!

Got a question, comment or note to share? Leave a comment!

Do You Know what Your First Grader Knows? Part 2

2007-09-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

Part 2 - laughing, crying, concerned, inquisitive? Well, here's Part 2...

A first grade school teacher had 25 students in her class. She presented each child in her classroom the first half of a well-known proverb and ashed them to come up with the remainder of the proverb.

It's hard to believe these were actually done by first graders. Their insight might surprise you. While reading, keep in mind that there are first graders, 6-7 year old, because the last one is a doozie! Hummm.....

11. Love all, trust.......................me.
12. The pen is mightier than the ...................pigs.
13. An idle mind is ..........................the best way to relax.
14. Where there's smoke, there's.......................pollution.
15. Happy the bride who .............................. gets all the presents.
16. A penny saved is ..................................not much.
17. Two's company, three's ......................... the Musketeers.
18. Don't put off till tomorrow what ..................You put on to go to bed.
19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and ...you have to blow your nose.
20. There are none so blind as .................Stevie Wonder.
21. Children should be seen and not. ..............spanked or grounded.
22. If at first you don't succeed ................ Get new batteries.
23. You get out of something only what you .............see in the picture on the box
24. When the blind lead the blind.....get out of the way.
and the winner is....
25. Better late than.............pregnant.

Answer to that Age-old Question.....

2007-09-04T06:23:00.000-07:00

That age-old question - no, not which came first, the chicken or the egg. The one that really matters!!!

Aluminum Foil, Plastic Wrap or Waxed Paper?
from Ideal Bite

Unlike Destiny's Child, we once loved the trio of aluminum foil, plastic wrap and waxed paper equally. That is, until we weighed the options from health and ecological perspectives. So let's just call recycled aluminum foil the Beyonce of food wrappers.

The Benefits
1. Unlike waxed paper and plastic wrap, aluminum foil is available in 100% recycled form and is recyclable in most areas (when it's clean).
2. It withstands heat and cold and works better than plastic and waxed paper at keeping moisture in.
3. Oil-free. Foil's not made from petroleum, the way that wax and plastic are.

For more tips on how to protect and the environment, join Ideal Bite - It's FREE!

Got a question, comment or note to share? Leave a comment!

The Magical Secret Harry Potter Doesn't Tell You....

2007-07-27T09:27:00.000-07:00

Now that the last of the Hary Potter books is out....

Click here to read the magical secret you were never told about the.....

Harry Potter books

Chocolate Loves Your Blood Pressure!

2007-07-20T03:12:00.000-07:00

I saw this on Yahoo! News and thought what a great way to start a diet! Or just watch your blood pressure or just be healthy and content! Then again, I like chocolate so I'll take what I can get as long as it is good! Here's the start of it, just click on the title for the rest of the story at Yahoo! News.

A Bite of Chocolate a Day May Keep Blood Pressure at Bay
July 3, 2007 08:40:42 PM PST
By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- Chocolate lovers can rejoice again: More research has found that the antioxidants in dark chocolate can help slightly lower blood pressure.

But the good news comes with a caveat -- the chocolate portions have to be limited to 30 calories a day, which works out to slightly more than one Hershey's Kiss.

Read more at A Bite of Chocolate a Day May Keep Blood Pressure at Bay

Hey, a nice chocolate kiss - works for me! Just think, you don't have to deprive yourself! Just a little sure makes the day better!

Got a question, comment or note to share? Leave a comment!

Ideal Bite - win a Lily purse, help your pet and save the environment!

2007-07-05T11:26:00.000-07:00

I found this site and I joined it and am so happy with it! It is even alot of fun! It sends me a one-page email every other day or so. The email is about a specific topic of life and gives interesting and helpful tips and suggestions. There are emails about things that make you say "Oh, I didn't know that" or "How interesting, I'll have to try that". Everything is based on ecology and helping the environment! It is really amazing, fun and so helpful.

You just subscribe with your email only, for free. No fees of any kind, unsubscribe at any time. Just alot of interesting tidbits and information that you most likely don't know and especially it is all ECO-FRIENDLY!!! That is great! You get the good information while keeping ecology in the fore front of life. Just click on a link here!

Ideal Bite is currently running a sweepstakes and everyone who signs up for Ideal Bite's Daily Tip by July 31, 2007 will be entered to win a designer eco-handbag. Can't beat that! Fantastic tips for living with the ecology and environment and making it all work for you and a chance to win a gorgous, organic cotton, Lily purse from HER Design - retails for $129!

If you have a pet, sign up by July 20, 2007 and get a weeks worth of free tips to help your beloved pet have a happy life! Click on this link!

Hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do! Lot of information with Ideal Bite! Don't miss out!

Coffee Break Whatever Has a New "Child" and she's pretty crafty!

2007-07-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

I have been into crafts of most kinds since the day I ate paste in kindergarten! I did paper crafts all the time, loved that folding the paper over and over in different places, unfolding and coloring each space different colors to make a "stained glass" effect paper! And using ABC noodles and other noodles to create something - boy that was the best!

So with my 7 year old grand daughter Kellie wanting to do crafts constantly and I am always looking for a new craft for her, I thought I'd share what I find and what I know with you!

Come on over and take a look!

Coffee Break Whatever Craft Time

Dial A Human - Really!!!!

2007-06-17T12:34:00.000-07:00

Dial A Human - Really! You Can!

Sometimes progress is so annoying!!! Often to the point of just laziness or customer service being low priority these days. Don't you just hate getting those automated answer machines! Press a dozen number options and then sit on hold for so long you forgot who you called! Or my personal favorite, the automated system asks you for all your information to be pressed in on the phone keypad buttons, and then when you finally do get a human, they ask you for all that same information again!!!!

Well, apparently, here's the answer to the "please hold"....your call will be answered in the order it was received"....."Thank you for waiting. The next customer service representative will be with you shortly"...oh my gosh, I want to hand up right now!!

BUT... Dial A Human is a LONG, LONG list of companies and the "special" number you need to press to get around all that malarky! Dial your number, press the "secret code number" on the keypad and you get to talk to one of those long lost customer service representatives that have been waiting to take your call!!!! You know, the one that will be with you shortly! Well, you set the time as short as you like - just press a number!!!!

Got a question, comment or note to share? Leave a comment!

Is Your Child's Growth Covered? Do You Find What You Need?

2007-06-11T11:09:00.000-07:00

I found this site and want to share it with you. Boy, how things have changed since I had my 2 kids! I am surprised that I was able to keep them safe and myself my sanity with "what we had back then"! Funny, I see these amazing strollers and car seats now and think, "Good Grief - how'd I do it back then?" But then I remember, how hard it was to get the strollers in the proper positions...it was no easy feat!! And those car seats!! Man, they were more like a time capsule I put my babies in!

Now with my grand daughters, I look at these new things and think "boy, do Moms have it easy today!" And you do! These items of necessity have the child's best interests and safety first but also, accomodate moms and dads with the ease of use!

Happy Mothers has a large selection from which you can choose from and also offer the products to you all year long and when you need it. Literally one-stop shopping!

Car seats, booster seats, strollers, high chairs, everything you could imagen for that perfect nursery of your dreams, bath time, feeding time and of course, pregnancy time ...everything....right down to pacifiers and thermometers!

The site also offers Gift certificates, Baby Registry, Pregnancy Informaion, Help for New Mothers, Tools and Resources and even a Tip of the Week! Even Hassel Free Returns! How cool is that! Usually you have to jump through hoop after hoop just to be told no! Happy Mom's covers you all the way! And more than that, Happy Mothers grows with your child! Isn't it annoying to not be able to find that item you need for your child at a certain age or growth level? Happy Mothers can help you throughout your child's growth stages.

has it all!

Did you miss last night's episode?

2007-06-04T04:30:00.000-07:00

Did you miss last night's episode?

Okay, so you really try to plan your day so you can watch your favorite TV show! We all do it, it's just something we do for ourselves. But sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you miss your favorite show on TV! How maddening is that!! Especially if it's the first episode of the new season, or the final episode of the season and ESPECIALLY for the series finale episode!

So...... I solve the problem for you.

Television Without Pity

Here you can find all the seasons "spoilers" so you know what is going to happen NEXT week or if you missed one this week, you can log on and see what you missed so it all makes sense next week! You don't have to join anything, just go to the site and choose your show! Have fun!!!!

Got a question, comment or note to share? Leave a comment!

So You Ate a Burger and Fries. Now What?

2007-05-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

I came across this article in the Yahoo! News and thought it was interesting. Thing is, there are so many things that proper health necessitate and require, its hard to know what's what. Then you have to read it in medical lingo and it all goes right over our heads. So when I find an article that tells me what to do and why and in words I can understand, it not only makes sense, but tells me what I need to know to take care of myself. So this article is one of those...thought I'd pass it along!
So You Ate a Burger and Fries. Now What?

Posted by Lucy Danziger, SELF Editor-in-Chief on Thu, May 10, 2007, 8:43 am PDT On Yahoo!
We all have those moments...and the last thing you might want to do after a filling grease bomb is to go walk it off, but science says it's the smart thing to do - and not just for the sake of fitting into your skinny jeans.

Greasy foods can cause your arteries to lose elasticity for six hours, but exercise can come to the rescue. In one recent study, people who walked for 45 minutes within two hours after munching on fast food maintained the same healthy heart function as those who ate fat-free and lounged afterward.

Did someone say do it for your heart? Well, yes! Speaking of which, we may be more compelled by the number on the scale than the measure of our ticker, but there are other digits that you should know for your health, and one of those is your resting heart rate.

It's how fast your heart beats per minute when you're sitting totally still or just woke up in the morning, which is a measure of how trained your heart is. To find yours, take your pulse - ideally, first thing before you get out of bed.

Count the number of heartbeats for 10 seconds, then multiply that number by six to determine your heartbeats per minute (bpm). The normal range for an adult is between 60 and 80 bpm, although it can be lower in more physically fit people.

When I was a college rower, mine got really low. Now it's about 47. How did you do?

Follow the SELF Challenge exercise and healthy eating plan at Self.com for a month and test your heart rate again to see if it's improved.

So You Ate A Burger and Fries...Now What?

All About Me and my Coffee Break

2007-05-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hello and thanks for stopping by Coffee Break Whatever! I hope you'll like what you see and come back for a "coffee break" as often as you can! Join the newsletter and you'll be informed of new things going on!

I'd like to take a moment and tell you a bit about myself. My name is Cheri and I a mom (to 2), grand mom (to 2 and they call me Nanny!), a household technician, domestic engineer, veteran scrapbooker, craft addict and internet novice who would love to be a internet geek! I have a VERY LONG way to go on that, but I work at it when I can! Learning is the best thing that we can do for ourselves. I believe in learning as much as you can, as often as you can and never stop! I love crafts, sewing, scrapbooking, gardening, baking and my children.

I currently have 7 blogs up and running. It was fun learning about all the ins and outs of the construction of a blog and it was so amazing, once I learned what blogging was and how it worked, I realized I was blogging before blogging was "created". I was with a site that offered free "blogging", it just wasn't called that. It was by invitation only with a site administrator. Plus, do you remember the TV series in the 90's called "Dougie Howser M.D."? What did Dougie do at the end of each show? He "blogged" his day! Only thing different was then is wasn't "online" like it is today! Same thing with cell phones - the creator of the first cell phone got the idea from TV show "Star Trek" in the late 60's. He thought Captain Kirk's communicator was a thing to create, and he did!

But enough about the history of technology. Coffee Break Whatever is about alot of things. Coffee Break Whatever is the "mother" to 3 "children".

Here's a brief note about what each of the Coffee Break Whatever "children" offers.

Coffee Break Whatever Freebies is just that - free freebies. I haven't bought things like shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, lotions and the list goes as, as I have participated in the freebie offers! All you do is request the freebie and watch your mail box and save money!

Coffee Break Whatever Get Paid To again, just that. I get paid for taking minor surveys. Cash Outs are in either cash to a PayPal account or by check or gift cards to probably any place you like. At the moment I am working for a Free Christmas. I am saving for Disney Dollars for my grand daughter and Gift Cards to favorite places for the rest of the family! How cool is that! When was the last time you gave gifts to everyone and it was what they liked and it didn't cost you a DIME!!!

Coffee Break Whatever Save Money- easy ways to save money - anyone can do it! I started this blog as this is how I had to live my life - on a limited budget. I had no choice. So to me it wasn't saving money, it was making ends meet. But anyway you need to look at it - I pinched the nickels till the buffalo pooped and stretched the dollars till George Washington grinned! I learned that you have money you didn't realize you had. You just didn't know where to look for it! This blog has lots of tips, suggestions and ideas to help you "save a little to save alot" and make your pay checks stretch just a little bit farther.

So grab your cup of coffee, pot of tea or a can of soda and read around the blogs and see what you can find. Enjoy your coffee....tea....soda....milk - just relax and read!

Lose a Pound a Week - How Hard Can It Be?

2007-05-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

In my local Sunday newspaper, there was this article by a Michael O'Shea about "How to Jump Start a Diet. "

We all know about the healthy foods and all, but getting past that is the hardest part! He gave this chart of substutitions:

Make these switches/Substutitions:

White Bread for Rye or pumpernickel
Sugary Cereals for Oatmeal
Rice for Chick peas
Pasta for Lentils or butter beans
White potatoes for Sweet potatoes
Watermelon for Apples
Dates for Strawberries
Ice Cream for Yogurt

Okay, the thought is there but come on - Butter Bean lasagna? Chicken and chick peas (instead of rice)? Oatmeal instead of Fruity Pebbles? Why not just tell us to sit in an empty room and not eat for a few days!!

But..... the theory is definately something to consider. To benefit in most anything you do , you sometimes have to compromise. BUT.... I am NOT giving up my watermelon in the summertime! Cool, watermelon....can't beat that! Apples are fine, but they are all year round! And I have had frozen yogurt and it isn't so bad, might be an easy change, but then again, I don't eat much ice cream either. But I think what he is trying to say is "don't compromise (don't you hate that word in a diet?), just substitute!"

But at the end of the article he mentions this, which is interesting and to me, and more "usable" and better able to help structure to your life diet instead of just being told what you can't have.

He says:
To lose an extra pound a week, you need to create a deficit of 3,500 calories. (meaning delete 3.500 calories each week). The ideal way to do this is a combination of diet and exercise. (yeah, yeah, tell us something we don't know!)

If you eat just 250 calories LESS PER DAY (doesn't sound so hard) and burn an EXTRA 250 calories through exercise each day (gotta get up and move sometime!) , you will drop ONE POUND in a weeks time. (okay, you got my attention!)

Mr O'Shea's suggestions:
1. Switch one sugary soda a day to one diet soda - or better yet - water, and walk an extra 30-40 minutes.
2. Trade one bowl of ice cream for a sugar-free Jell-O and ride a bike for 30 minutes.
These trade-offs add up to big results.

Okay, that's not hard to do. Granted, ice cream for jello - bit of a stretch but if I can switch the yogurt for the ice cream I'll do that. (cookie dough jello - do they make that?) Soda - easy switch. The diet might take abit of getting used to but the reason I drink diet soda is not because of the calories (I hardly drink soda anyway) but because the regular is so sweet, I just can't stand it! I can't think of a piece of candy that is that sweet! So to switch regular to diet, diet to water - (or maybe sugarless iced tea- no calories there!) how hard is that! Not to hard! You'd probably see some results if you just stopped soda all together! Point being - you don't have to totally give it up! Just make a little change!

All you have to do is figure out what you eat that equals 250 calories and find a substute for it. If you have to make a progressive switch - so what? Just do it! Better than doing nothing and you will evenutally start to like the substutition and there goes your 1 pound a week!! Granted, switching chick peas for the rice in Arroze con pollo or a lentil Lasagna - to me a far stretch, BUT - make your own choice about what you eat that is 250 calories and find an accomodating switch for it.

Give it a shot - what have you got to lose but a pound a week! And if it works for you, write your story to your local newpaper!

Got a question, comment or note to share? Leave a comment!

You have to choose - Coffee or Tea!!

2007-05-13T16:19:00.000-07:00

I came across this article, and since I am a HUGE tea tottler, it brewed me in! I'm for anything that helps our health. Now granted, I drink about a gallon of Liption (only Lipton!) iced tea every day - year round, so does that mean I won't get these types of skin cancer? No, but if every little bit helps, and since no one is saying to much is to much, I'll stick with my tea!!

Here is the link if you'd like to read the web page, Tea drinkers may have lower skin cancer risk But I have copied it here for you to read also. Rather interesting and we can learn something new every day!

Tea drinkers may have lower skin cancer risk
May 4, 2007 11:07:37 AM PST

People who unwind with a cup of tea every night may have a lower risk of two common forms of skin cancer, new research suggests.

In a study of nearly 2,200 adults, researchers found that tea drinkers had a lower risk of developing squamous cell or basal cell carcinoma, the two most common forms of skin cancer.

Men and women who had ever been regular tea drinkers -- having one or more cups a day -- were 20 percent to 30 percent less likely to develop the cancers than those who didn't drink tea.

The effect was even stronger among study participants who'd been tea fans for decades, as well as those who regularly had at least two cups a day, according to findings published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

However, the findings do not mean it's okay to bake in the sun as long as you have a cup of tea afterward. The researchers found no evidence that tea drinking lowered skin cancer risk in people who'd accumulated painful sunburns in the past.

Nor did the study look at the relationship between tea drinking and malignant melanoma, the least common but most deadly form of skin cancer.

Still, the findings support the theory that tea antioxidants may limit the damage UV radiation inflicts on the skin, according to the study authors, led by Dr. Judy R. Rees of Dartmouth Medical School in Lebanon, New Hampshire.

In particular, a tea antioxidant known as EGCG has been shown to reduce burning on UV-exposed skin.

The current findings are based on interviews with 770 New Hampshire residents with basal cell carcinoma, 696 with squamous cell carcinoma, and 715 cancer-free men and women the same age.

Tea consumption was linked to a lower skin cancer risk, even with factors such as age, skin type and history of severe burns considered. However, tea drinkers who'd suffered multiple painful burns in the past did not have a lower risk of skin cancer.

It's possible, the researchers explain, that the antioxidants in tea are enough to limit skin damage caused by moderate sun exposure, but not the "more extreme" effects of sun exposure, such as cancer-promoting damage to the DNA in skin cells.

SOURCE: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, May 2007.

Forget Coffee this morning - Grab Some Wheaties!

2007-04-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

Forget the Coffee today - grab the milk and a bowl of Wheaties!!

Wheaties has never been one of my favorite cereals, however, it has a wonderful human interest history. I was just watching the Food Network and on the serious Food Unwrapped, they talked about the history of Wheaties. I remember some of them, others, I don't. How many do you remember?

1. Who was the only person to appear on a box of Wheaties to later become President of the United States?

2. Who was the first athlete to appear on a Wheaties box?

3. Who was the first woman athlete to appear on the front of a Wheaties Box?

4. Which sports team was the first team to appear on the front of a Wheaties box?

5. Who was the first Race Car drive to appear on the front of a Wheaties box?

6. Who was the first Golfer to appear on the front of a Wheaties Box?

7. Who hold the record for the most "appearanes" on the front of a box of Wheaties?

Answers:
1. In 1937, Ronald "Dutch" Reagan was pronounced the most popular sports announcer!
2.Lou Gehrig in 1934
3.Gold Medalist gymnast Mary Lou Retton in 1984
4. 1987 World Champion Minnesota Twins
5. Dale Earnhardt in 1997
6. Lee Trevino in 1969
7. Michael Jordan - 18 times

How many did you get! Fun and interesting - makes learning so much easier!

All information found on: http://www.wheaties.com/history/wheaties_fun_facts.aspx

Got a question, comment or note to share? Leave a comment!

ANY BASEBALL FANS OUT THERE?

2007-04-21T16:13:00.000-07:00

With the season just starting, here's a question for you.....

Question: Which team is the richest team in baseball?

Years ago out here in southern California, there was a team called the Palm Springs Angels. I found out about them because I worked for one of the three owners. In chatting one day, (yeah, I actually got to chat with the boss who signs my pay check about something other than work! Can you belive it!) He mentioned the team and that my son would love it. My son, at the time was 3rd grade. Then he said that he was part owner and said he'd get my son on the list for bat-boy for a game! I knew nothing about baseball, but knew my son did and knew he'd love that!! He explained that the PSA's were the 1st farm team for the Los Angeles Angels Major league team! And of course living right here near the Angels, of course, that made it even more amazing!

And from that conversation, a fantastic, famliy-function time and a very dear memories were born! We'd drive out every other Saturday to Palm Springs (75 miles away) to the home game and watched the Palm Springs Angels play ball!

We made it a twice monthly excursion. We'd go out early, walk the street shops, get pizza or burgers or whatever to eat. Then take it to the park, eat and the kids would play on the playground or bring their skates/skateboard and play and when 5:30 rolled around, we'd be in line to purchase our tickets for $5 a piece for adults, $3 for kids! The price sure was right! And boy what a time! Right behind 3rd base! It was fun to watch and learn the players names. Tommy Dodge! Orlando Munoz! Jose Delajandro! They'd call out - geez, 15 years later and I still remember those names! I don't know with was more fun, watching the ball game or watching the people walk back and forth - over and over again - to the consession stand! I can remember thinking "

Answer:
1st: New York Yankees!
2nd: New Tork Mets,
3rd: Boston Red Sox
4th: Los Angeles Dodgers
5th: Chicago Cubs

Easter Traditions Meet New Activities

2007-04-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

The Easter holiday has been around for a long time and is very popular. From the Easter Bunny, to Christ's ressurection, to vacation and of course, no school for a whole week; it means different things to different people. It seems to have really changed alot since I was a kid at Easter time. Back then it was called Easter Break to its now Spring Break. These days, holidays are so mechanical and automated there is no "fun" about them. The point of the holiday is lost in the hoop-la. Whether the point is religious or family tradition, by the time you deal with the expense part, the gift part, the travel part and the scheduling part, you're asking yourself,"Where'd the holiday go?"

Read my publised article at: Easter Traditions Meet New Activities

Interesting Tidbit of Knowledge!

2007-03-29T07:30:00.000-07:00

Do you know which direction everyone is buried? The answer is: facing
the East. According to the Bible, when the second coming happens
everyone buried will rise from the East. Check out some cemeteries and see if it is true!

WHAT DOES A BUNNY HAVE TO DO WITH EASTER?

2007-03-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

Easter is right around the corner and with Easter comes the sunny days of spring, children dressed in their best seersucker suits and bonnets with baskets full of chocolate bunnies and colorful eggs. But what in the world does a bunny have to do with Easter?

The symbol of the Easter Bunny originally came from the pagan festival of Eastre or Eostre â€“ the goddess of fertility. This festival celebrated replenishment, rebirth, the renewal of life, and spring. The consort of Eastre was the symbol of fertility, an hare. According to some stories, Eastre gave the hare the ability to lay colorful eggs (an ancient symbol of fertility) once a year.
In Germany it was believed that the Hare would lay colorful eggs to all the well behaved children who had left a nest for the animal. The children would build their nests in secluded places out of their bonnets or caps and excitedly await the arrival of the â€œOschter Hawsâ€.

It is believed that the Germans brought this tradition with them as they migrated to North America during the 18th century. However the celebration of the Easter and the rabbit were not widely celebrated in America until after the Civil War.

As time passed, the traditiona took on some new forms and by 19th century America the Easter Hare morphed into the Easter Bunny and children's nests of caps and bonnets became baskets which are now filled with more than just colorful eggs. Baskets now include chocolate candies, jelly beans, marshmallow peeps and other assorted goodies.

The holiday is celebrated by Christians and Non-Christians alike as a celebration of life and spring.

To help you celebrate and have fun, check out printable Easter Games at:

Make sure your day is fun, happy and a wonderful family function!

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GOT BRIDAL SHOWER? A to Z Can Help!

2007-03-17T19:18:00.000-07:00

With Spring and Summer upon us, bridal showers are in the makings! And bridal showers can be expensive and hard to plan. I've been to a few and they all the same old structure with the same old, stale, redundant games. Boring!!!! You want something different, fun and exciting, don't you? Of course you do!!

At ALL SEASONS PRINTABLES you can get all you need for the planning and games you will want to use to make your bridal shower a sucess!

My last kid got married 5 years ago, so I'm not looking for this but they also have other planners and games for baby showers and other holiday events, All Seasons Printables can take care of your planning issues. If you have a family function and everyone likes games, this is the place for you! If you are a teacher or girl scout leader or other group "participator", these games can be a great help to you in creating a fun party.

So click on over to All Seasons Printables and take a look and find games and planners for the next sucessful Bridal Shower you host!

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Follow The Freebies!

2007-03-16T09:07:00.000-07:00

I want to put more into the freebies and samples option I offer here, so to better accomodate that, I have opened a new blog, just for freebies and samples. Coffee Break Whatever Freebies!
Come on over and start collecting your freebies and samples! A few minutes, and you mail box will be full! Find the products you like, and know which ones not to buy! If they are offering, why not accept! All these freebies are FREE and they are family oriented and general items and products. Something for everyone and always usable!

I have them on a monthly schedule - I update the month's post instead of a new post every time! That way you can stay and get all you want instead of going back and forth between posts. Plus, you dont have to worry about clicking on one you already got. Just do them monthly!

Follow the freebies and samples to:

Coffee Break Whatever Freebies!

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Welcome to Coffee Break Whatever

2007-02-18T16:33:00.002-08:00

Welcome to Coffee Break Whatever. I am glad you came for a visit. I am still working on getting the site together, still under construction, but have lots of things I want to get posted and offer to you or tell you about.

Just a little about me....I am a mom of 2 (24 and 28). My kids are my life. Can't imagen life without them. I am a SAHGM - stay at home grand mom. I keep the two grand babies while my kids work.

My site will offer lots of things - crafts, recipes, online sites, freebies, paid surveys and so much more. I have been working with online sites offering free cash, free gift cards and paid surveys. Generally speaking, those things sound like scams and often they are. That is why I started with just a few and have been working on them so that I can learn if they are worth the time and effort and even if they just do what they say - is the cash free, or do you have to spend as much as the free cash you get? I will be telling you about my findings and you can pick and choose if you'd like to start give them a try!

I love to cook. One of my favorite TV channels is The Food Channel . I love to scrapbook and have a site that offers layout ideas - Scrapbook Layout Ideas and I am helping my 6 year old grand daughter with her fund raiser for her school at Scrapbook For Box Tops where we swap Box Tops for Education for free Scrapbook supplies - you send the boxtops, we swap for free scrapbook supplies back to you. And there is so much more. Erma Bombeck is my favorite author so I'll be sharing her with you and Lucille Ball/I Love Lucy is my favorite actress/show. Nothing like classic comedy! I am a frugal shopper and am skilled at "making ends meet". Saving money is not so hard. My motto is "save a little to save alot". It works and you aren't "out" anything - just rearranged!

So, grab your beverage of choice, sit back and just read along, participate in what you choose and save money, earn money, have fun, learn something new and just have a good 'ol time.

Join my mailing list to get an email when new things are added so you don't miss anything. Glad to have you 'round the coffee table - hope you'll take a coffee break often.

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What is Coffee Break Whatever All About..

2007-02-01T10:47:00.000-08:00

Coffee Break...Whatever is my personal blog of a variety of topics. I am a mother, grand mother, day care provider to my grand children and a very family oriented person. I believe in helping kids get the best education they can get. And not just in school, at home and in life too. This blog will have lots of family related things. Crafts, recipes, home helps and tips, kid stuff, etc.

After alot of research, I participate in online paid surveys, paid emails, free gift cards and other endeavors as my part time job. Specific ads here are for sites or places that I personally participate in and can recommend to you to check out for yourself. Other categories in the blog are for things that I have done, have experience with or just want to share a laugh or interesting tidbit. I hope you'll visit often. Just pass around the coffee pot and stay awhile! Bookmark me as I will be adding things regularly or join the mailing list to hear of new additions

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