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Here I am writing a blog for a shopping site, and the thing is I don’t think I have the “shopping gene.” There are 25 shopping days left until you-know-what and all I can think about is how to make it as easy as fun as possible.
Some people like the experience of shopping… walking around for hours, going through rack after rack, listening to bad music in the malls. Me? I just want to find the closest Starbucks.
My mom is the best at Christmas planning: she begins in January, sticks to a budget, and year after year she delights her dozen children and dozens of grandchildren with the absolutely perfect gift for each. I don’t know how she does it.
This year the younger set in my family (happily, I’m still included in that group) drew names. Each of us will purchase one gift and receive one gift. I like this idea. I would like it better if there were a spending cap (I proposed $25, not because I’m cheap but because it’s more fun to get creative than to drop a couple of Franklins on a trendy gift).
Has your family taken the drawing names approach? I’d love to hear about it.
I have a few suggestions for the gift givers. For the “smarty-pants” types in the family, how about DVDs from PBS? For the fancy-pants guys and gals, there’s Brooks Brothers. For the “no pants” – that’s our new dog, an adorable little Westie – I will most definitely be taking a trip (online) to Target.
The name I drew is that of my youngest brother. I’ve got 25 days to come up with something wonderful and creative. If all else fails, there’s always a gift card!
It’s one of those things that makes you slap your knee and exclaim, “Why didn’t I think of that?!”
The book title Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus is pure genius – selling millions of books not only by author John Gray but also by others who jumped on the bandwagon of a very engaging title.
It seems like everyone has heard of the book, because the title is so darned catchy.
Every time I go through a breakup, somebody asks, “Have you ever read that book… Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus?” People, please! That’s like asking someone who is broken down on the side of the road (in the rain), “Have you read Car Care for Dummies?”
I have nothing against relationship books (well, not that much, anyway), and if you’ve read the book I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.
Meanwhile, I’ve got my eyes on the real Mars today, because it’s Red Planet Day, commemorating the launch of the Spacecraft Mariner 4 in on November 28, 1964. I’m thrilled to tell you that I am too young to remember the day myself. I have, however, always loved learning about our planetary cousin. I found all sorts of information about Mars on this site.
You can even check solar views here. For me, the solar system has always been a little easier to understand than relationships.
“Black Friday” is just around the corner. Before you can enjoy a third helping of turkey, folks across the country will be plotting their shopping strategy for what has traditionally been the busiest shopping day of the year.
Some say it’s called “Black Friday” because sales on the day after Thanksgiving put retailers in the black – positive cash flow, maybe for the first time all year. Others refer to “Black Friday” in a more pejorative sense: it’s just not that fun.
This year, while millions of consumers are fighting over parking spots and making their way through noisy malls, I’ll be enjoying a nice glass of vino and doing some online shopping from the comfort of my own laptop. Man, I love technology!
I’ll start with making my list. You, too, can stay organized this holiday season with free downloadable to-do lists.
OrganizedChristmas.com is an awesome site that includes holiday planner forms, easy craft ideas (I love those!), and even fun tips for enjoying a stress-free holiday season.
Once I’ve got my list, I will check it twice with some cyber-touring of one of my favorite sites: eBay! You really can find anything on eBay, and typically for a great price. This is the time of year when people are just trying to make some extra dough for the holidays, and that makes eBay your friend: low starting prices and a massive selection. If you’re not into waiting for an auction to end, check out this free “last minute” site that lists eBay items that are under $1 (yes, you read that correctly) with less than an hour of bidding before each auction closes. There is another auction site that is always fun, with great buys on new, gorgeous jewelry (hey, you could check half the people off your list in one hour of online shopping!). Auctions start at $1 every five seconds. Of course, online shopping is not limited to auctions! If you are a Best Buy fan, we’ve got deals for you. And, there’s always my favorite store: Target. Love the store, don’t love the crowds. Enjoy the day, skip the crowds, and happy shopping!
Turkey has more than doubled during the past three decades. During the 1970s, about half of our yearly consumption of turkey occurred during the holidays, but today turkey is enjoyed year-round. Almost half of the turkey we eat is raised in Minnesota (who knew?).
In an earlier column I wrote about my first foray into making turkey. It wasn’t pretty, but the result was phenomenal, if I do say so myself. If, like me, you’re a relative newbie in the world of cooking turkey, I recommend that you take a little time to learn everything you need to know about preparing the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving meal at the Global Gourmet website. Don’t be put off by the term “gourmet” – there’s also a “No Brainer” section that begins with the shopping list and takes you right through to a simple four-hour version of meal preparation.
With all the extra time that you’ll have on your hands, you might want to check out this site for some side dish recipes. While you’re there, sign up for the “Daily dish” email of weeknight dinner ideas for busy families. While you're cooking, keep the kids busy with this easy Thanksgiving tree craft project. When all is said and done, and the meal has been enjoyed by you and yours, have a plan for the leftovers with special deals from Foodsaver. Whether you spend the day in the kitchen cooking your turkey to gourmet perfection or whether (like me) you’ll be enjoying a lovely meal in a restaurant, I hope that you and yours have much to be thankful for this year.
Have you ever wondered where all of the things we recycle go, and what they become? Glass beverage bottles become tiles, roads, marbles, even surfboards. Plastic bottles are used to make everything from park benches to ski jackets! Here’s a fascinating look at some of the end products of recycling.
And all this time I thought the recylcing gods were just rinsing out the bottles and reusing them!
Every week I sort my recycling: bottles in one container, paper in another, tin cans in yet another. It seems like a lot of work but the results are good for the planet. According to the American Forest and Paper Association: In 2005, a record 51.5 percent of the paper consumed in the U.S. (51.3 million tons) was recovered for recycling.
If you’re not sure recycling works in your town, I’m happy to point you in the right direction. Simply visit Earth911.org to find out what, where and how to recycle in your neighborhood.
You may get so excited about saving the planet that you are ready to make the recycling pledge here.
Whether you are a novice or seasoned recycler, Home Depot has a great selection of recyclable trash bags and recycling containers to make the sorting and setting out easy.
One man's soda bottle is another's surfboard... but the planet is for everyone.
It seems like just yesterday I was writing about candy canes in October… then the time changed (oh, it’s awful for a late-bird like me), and now there are only a few days before Thanksgiving.
Don’t get me wrong: I love the holiday. In fact, it’s my favorite. Thanksgiving is a family holiday, and I’m all about that. It’s not that I’m a big eater – in fact, until a few years ago I only ate “vegan” holiday foods (that means a fake “turkey” make of squash). Nowadays, I love every bit of it: cranberry sauce, real turkey with stuffing, and all of the trimmings.
But to get to the good stuff, most of us will have to travel. The day before Thanksgiving has, for many years, been considered the busiest travel day of the year in the U.S. Today it’s rivaled by the Sunday after the holiday… either way, get ready for some busy times at airports and train stations.
If, like me, you have waited until the last minute to book your Thanksgiving plans, it’s o.k. You are not a loser, you’re just very busy. Check out Priceline’s deals, where last-minute shopping can mean great bargains. Don’t forget to check out the rules of what you can carry on (no turkeys!).
A few years ago, I actually hosted a Thanksgiving dinner. I was shocked to learn the “ins and outs” of cooking a turkey (there’s this thing you have to pull out of the turkey…) but I was saved by elementary recipes. If you happen to be hosting Thanksgiving this year, and you are more sophisticated than I, then you could easily dress up your home with these accoutrements. There is still time to order!
I’ll be writing more about Thanksgiving in the days to come. In the meantime, stay cool and calm… it’s a time to be grateful, after all. Give thanks for everything, and prepare to enjoy a lovely holiday!
It has been nearly a century since the end of the “The Great War.” On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, an armistice went into effect between the Allied nations and Germany.
Beginning the following year, Armistice Day was celebrated. From the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ report on the history of Veterans Day --
In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words:
"To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"
In 1953 the townsfolk of Emporia Kansas called the day “Veterans’ Day” to honor the veterans of their town. Eventually the federal government followed suit, and that is why today Americans call the 11th of November “Veterans Day.” In Great Britain and France, the day is still called Armistice Day; in Canada, Remembrance Day.
While Memorial Day remembers the veterans who have died, Veterans Day honors living veterans. At the Library of Congress, the Veterans History Project collects stories of wartime service – correspondence, photography personal narratives and written memoirs.
As I remember my own father, who fought in two wars, and the many men and women who have literally put their lives on the line for freedom, I think that one special way to honor them is by planting a tree. Trees take root and grow, the way that someday peace will do.
World World I was called “the war to end all wars.” If only it had…
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