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My Grandson's Christmas Gift - A Race Car Bed

Look at what Mama did. I'm redoing my grandson's nursery, we're turning it into a big boy's room. This race car bed is his Christmas present from Mama and Gaga as he calls us. Isn't it adorable. Xavier turned 2 in September, so we thought it would be a good time to transition him from mommy and daddy's bed to his own. We're hoping the new furniture and decor will make him want to stay in his own bed. Wish us luck. If you've overcome this problem, we would love to hear how you accomplished it.

I ordered the Little Tikes Lightning McQueen bed from Amazon. They offered free shipping which I love, and the bed could be shipped directly to my daughter and SIL. I decided to purchase the twin size bed instead of the toddler. Although the twin was more expensive than the toddler, from an economic stand point it was cheaper than buying another bed in a few years because he had outgrown it. We initially painted the walls in Xavier's nursery a light blue, which worked out perfectly. We purchased the comforter set, shown below, and it has the same shade of blue in it as the walls. We're using a red McQueen valance for the window treatments.
Instead of wallpaper border, we're going to use framed posters of Mater and McQueen. We don't want to overdo the room, so we're going to use a plain red lamp and rug to pull the room together.




I found these adorable drawer pulls by Farm Fresh Knobs and Pulls, and couldn't resist them. They carry a variety of characters to choose from, which includes Mater, Doc, Sally, Flo, Sheriff and others for $2.99 each. They really give the chest of drawers a fresh look. He received a flat screen TV from his other grandparents last Christmas, so we decided to install cable in his room. We're hoping that he will want to stay in his room and watch his allocated TV time there.

We're going to pull everything together after the 1st of the year. I'll post pictures when everything is completed. If you've decorated your son's room in a race car theme, please leave us a few tips. We would love to hear from you.

Don't miss what's happening on Mother 2 Mother. Be sure to connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Flickr or Linkedin by clicking one or more of the Social Media buttons in the upper right hand corner and subcribe to Mother 2 Mother for future posts and give aways. 


Hot Dog and Bacon Wraps - Holiday Appetizers -


Hot Dog and Bacon Roll Ups
  • 20 slices of bacon
  • 2 pounds of beef hot dogs, approximately 20
  • brown sugar

Take a piece of hot dog and wrap a piece of bacon around hot dog. Secure with a colorful toothpick. Place a layer of hot dogs in the bottom of a crockpot and sprinkle generously with brown sugar.

Repeat layering until all hot dogs are used ending with brown sugar. Cover and cook on low for 5 - 6 hours. Makes 60 appetizers. Great for a baby shower or holiday party.


Cheesy Potatoes - Easy Recipe

Cheesy Potatoes

  • 1 10.75 Can of Condensed Cream Chicken Soup
  • 1 1/2 cups of Breakstone's Sour Cream
  • 1 32 ounce package of frozen Southern-style hash browns, thawed
  • 1 8 ounce package of Kraft Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
  • 20 Ritz Crackers, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix soup and sour cream in a large bowl. Add thawed potatoes and cheese. Mix until blended well.

Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9 baking dish. Combine crushed crackers and butter; sprinkle over mixture.

Bake 50 - 60 minutes until heated through.










Chicken and Bacon Wraps - Holiday Appetizers

Chicken & Bacon Wraps

  • Boneless chicken tenders
  • Maple Brown Bacon or Plain Bacon
  • Brown Sugar

    Cut chicken tenders in half. Cut and wrap a piece of bacon around each piece and insert a decorative tooth pick to hold it together. If you use plain bacon, sprinke appetizers with brown sugar once you remove them from the oven. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Place on decorative plate.
    Make plenty they will go fast.







Crab Dip Recipe - Great Appetizer

Crab Dip Recipe

  • Stick of butter
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup of parsley
  • 1 pint of 1/2 and 1/2
  • 2 tablespoon of flour
  • Dash of red pepper
  • 1 pound of crab meat
  • 8 ounces of grated Swiss cheese

    Melt butter and add onions. Simmer until tender. Add parsley, cream, and red pepper. Thicken with flour (add slowly). Mix in crab meat. Place ingredients in a baking dish. Cover with Swiss cheese and bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm with Nonni's Panetini.








Happy Holidays


Mother 2 Mother wishes each of you A Merry Christmas and A Safe and Happy New Year. We thank you for patronizing our blog and supporting us through 2009. You've become a big part of my family, and I'm grateful for your friendship.

I hope that you will return to our blog in 2010, we plan a new look and we promise to continue giving you informative and humorous posts as well as great give aways.

May each of you and your families be blessed through the holidays and the New Year.

Lock Up My Thieving 6 Year Old Please



Would you turn your 6 year old in for stealing a pack of stickers? Would you allow the cops to place them into the squad car and haul them off for shoplifting? Check out this video. A mom wanted to teach her 6 year old a lesson for shoplifting, so she turned her daughter into store security. To enforce the lesson, they called the cops and placed her in the squad car.

When I saw the video my response was wow. I asked myself if I would have gone to that extreme. I never had a problem with my daughter stealing, but I certainly would have wanted to teach her a lesson. I'm thinking my solution would have been to make my daughter put the stickers back since we were still in the store and I would have further explained that stealing is wrong we must pay for items that we take from a store.

I've heard of parents using this tactic and the cops playing along. I'm also wondering where a 6 year old learned how to steal. Her sister told on her, so they're obviously being taught right from wrong. I also wonder why she just didn't ask her mother for the stickers.

Whatever the reason, I hope she learned a lesson. Children usually steal to get even, to get more attention, or so they can give themselves or someone else a gift. It seems that this little girl was stealing for herself, so I'm wondering if it was for attention or she's feeling deprived at home in some way. In addition to teaching her child a lesson, maybe mom should take a look at herself and what's going on inside her home. She may get to the root of the problem, and not have to deal with this action again.

Have you had a problem with your child or children stealing? Do you think this mom was wrong in the way she handled this situation? How would you have handled it? Please leave us a comment, we would love to hear your opinion.

The Blizzard of 2009



Last week-end The Weather Channel forecast a blizzard and posted a winter storm warning for my area. Now if that isn't a sign that winter has officially arrived, I don't know what is. I decided to spend the day at the office and later head out to the grocery store. Never go to the grocery store when they're calling for a blizzard unless you're prepared to take a few elbows or become engaged in a fight over a shopping cart, parking space or the last gallon of milk or pack of Charmin. That's just how it goes. I have concluded that I love drama. Why else would I have waited until the eve of the blizzard to enter into the danger zone. I must admit that it was uneventful, I was able to throw the few items that I needed into the cart and slipped out of the parking lot unnoticed by the idiots arguing a few vehicles down. Rather than head home, I decided to fill the car up and head to Michael's. I would occupy my time during the blizzard blog hopping and knitting after preparing a crock pot of potatoes and pork chops. I had made homemade vegetable soup earlier and placed a few containers in the freezer. I pulled a container of soup to defrost. There's nothing better than homemade soup on a cold, snowy day.

Their forecast was correct, snow fall started at approximately 10:00 pm. The local weather station called for approximately 2.5 feet of the white stuff. Part of me dreaded the event, but another part of me was excited. Our last blizzard was in 2003. We had approximately 3 feet dumped on us at that time. I made sure the shovel and rock salt was on the front porch and said let the show begin. I took the picture shown above at mid-night. My reindeer and bushes are now covered.





The storm ended after dumping 2 feet of snow. It was a beautiful sight. This is a picture of my storage buildings and a barn that sits behind them the next day. I wish my grandson was here to enjoy making snow angels and building Frosty. I'm hoping we will have a little left when he arrives December 28 for a week.



This is a picture of one of my decks the next morning. I'm so glad my decks and table are strong.


This is a picture of some of the evergreens along my back yard. They were beautiful. I enjoyed the event, but I've had enough snow to last for the next 10 years. One thing that I have noticed is that children don't enjoy the blizzards the way I used to when I was growing up, at least in my neighborhood. When I was growing up, we spent the day sled riding and making snowmen. I remember going through old cloths trying to find the perfect hat and scarf and looking for branches for our snowman's arms. We also stole mom's carrots for his nose. We had a coal stove in the kitchen, so our snowman truly had coal black eyes. We used a licorice stick for his mouth. I remember my father giving us sandpaper to sharpen the runners on our Lightning Guiders, sleds, so they would move faster. We stayed outside until we were damn near frozen. When our feet could no longer move, we thawed by the stove and sipped hot chocolate. Oh they were the good ole days. Mom spent hours making homemade vegetable soup too, which we devoured in minutes.

I did not see one child build a snow man or go sled riding in the neighborhood this past week-end. I would bet my paycheck they're on the computer or playing some computer game. Listen up children, get off the computer and put your video games away. You're missing out on some great memories.

How did you spend your days during snow storms? How do your children spend their days when it snows? Leave us a comment.



Peanut Butter & Hershey Kisses Cookie Recipe

I've used this recipe for years and it's one of my favorite cookie recipes. They are so yummy with a glass of cold milk. We hope you enjoy it too. Leave us a comment and share your favorite holiday cookie.

Peanut Butter Cookies

  • 1/2 c. butter
  • 1/2 c. peanut butter (creamy)
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/4 c. flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • Hershey Kisses
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together first 5 ingredients. Add remaining flour and mix until you form a sticky dough. Roll dough into small balls and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until just golden brown. Place Hershey Kiss in the center of each cookie, while they are still hot. Should make approximately 48 cookies.

Are We Giving Our Children The Wrong Idea?

Do you think Christmas has become too commercialized? Have we lost the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Savior? Each year I pick an angel from the Angel Tree in either Walmart or Kmart with the intent of sponsoring a child. I usually choose a little girl, since I love buying girl stuff. As a browsed the children's names and ages and what they wanted my response was WTH? They were asking for bicycles, digital cameras, Wii, clothes, shoes, coats and the list goes on. I did a calculation on at least 3 or 4 children's wish list and they totaled hundred of dollars each. I walked away without sponsoring a child this year. I could have selected a few items from the angel card, but I was left wondering what we're doing to the children in this country.

I have sponsored a child for years, and this is the first year that I've witnessed these types of items on their wish list. Normally they have a coat, shoes, boots and a few items such as a games, barbies, paints etc. What are we doing to our children in this country that they are asking for charity that equates to hundreds of dollars?

I feel bad that I walked away, but I was so shocked that I felt it was best for me to leave the store and think about what I witnessed. I've read several posts where many parents are out of work, and they will be unable to meet their children's wish list. They're feeling guilty. Personally, I'm making many of my gifts this year. I'm knitting scarves for all the girls and I've set a budget of $20.00 for a gift to go along with it. The siblings in my family stopped exchanging gifts years ago, we only purchase for the children. I take out a Christmas Club for my grandson and I set a limit of $50 for my daughter and SIL. I host Christmas dinner for my siblings and I'm grateful for their company throughout the day. That is gift enough for me.
I believe this country has fallen off track with the true meaning of Christmas. Children expect way too much from parents these days. I refuse to belong to the debt club. I relinquished my membership years ago.

I may return and purchase a few things from one of the lists tomorrow, but I truly had to regroup when I saw the requests. Do you think Christmas has become too commericalized? Approximately 78% of our readers say yes, and approximately 28% say no. What are you teaching your children about Christmas? Do you go into debt on Christmas gifts? I would love to hear your opinion about the Angel Tree I encountered. Please leave us a comment.



Don't Bully My Child



The topic on Dr. Phil today was bullying. The show was entitled Girl World. I published a post similar to this in 2006, 4 years later it is still a big topic. I posted a survey with the intention of writing a new post on this topic, I though today would be perfect. Especially, since it was a topic on Dr. Phil. Around 60 percent of our readers believe bullying is a result of poor parenting, 40 percent of the readers do not believe poor parenting is the underlying problem of a bully. Guess what people, bullying is a result of a lack of discipline. Who's responsible for discipline, parents.

Do you have a child in school? Are they concerned about school bullies or are they a school bully? School bullies are a national problem in America's school systems. Bullies can be found in elementary, junior, and high schools. A bully is defined as a person with internal anger, resentment, and aggression. A bully also lacks interpersonal skills and chooses to displace their aggression onto another person. It's anti-social behavior. School bullies usually come from families who lack warmth and affection or from abusive homes. They are usually poor students and aggressive, however, this is not always the rule. A new bred of bullies have emerged. They are referred to as "brat bullies or cyber bullies". These bullies are usually seen as spoiled, and they believe the world should revolve around them.

Parents, teachers, and students should take bullying seriously. Also, bullying isn't gender specific. Girls are just as capable as bullying as boys, they just use different tactics. Boys usually resort to physical violence. Girls inflict psychological pain by calling their victim names, starting rumors, gossiping, backbiting, or excluding the victim from groups or parties. Psychological abuse can be just as devastating as physical abuse. Some of the effects of psychological abuse are eating disorders, ulcers, depression, and suicide.

I've experienced bullying first hand with my daughter, which is why this topic is so near and dear to my heart. In high school, she was threaten with violence and had her car keyed because she wouldn't give a girl a ride home. Now the girl who asked for a ride, was not a friend. She wasn't even friendly toward my daughter, but she expected my daughter to drive her around. There were a group of 3 - 4 girls involved in the clique. After involving the school officials and the local police department, the reasons that the bullies gave for disliking my daughter were geared toward material possessions. My daughter's cloths, her car, and her financial means. I should also mention that my daughter is petite; bullies usually choose victims that they perceive as vulnerable in some respect. Three of the girls came from dysfunctional backgrounds; however, 1 came from a stable and financially secure home. In today's world, she would be referred to as the "brat bully".

Nasty emails and text messages are a part of the brat bully's psychological warfare too. So, bullies are not limited to children who come from poverty, low income, broken homes or suffer from low self-esteem. Bullies can be wearing the latest fashions, engage in the lastest technological trends, and be raised in middle class and well to do homes. Beware! They call their victims fat, ugly, poor, make fun of the victim's family or their cloths. They send emails or post pictures of the victim on-line and make fun of them.

Pay attention parents. If your child displays any of the following signs, they may be having problems with a bully:

  • Afraid to walk or ride the bus to school
  • Feeling ill in the morning, and not wanting to go to school
  • Asking for extra money or starts to steal
  • Starts bullying siblings
  • Stops eating or starts eating excessively
  • Poor grades
  • Cloths torn or dirty
  • Starts stammering
  • Crying themselves to sleep at night
  • Crying before going to school
  • Attempts or mentions suicide
  • States that they hate themselves
  • Withdraws from activities that they previously enjoyed
  • Nightmares


  • Let your child know that not everyone will like them, but they don't have to put up with abuse. Notify school officials of your concerns, and ensure that proper action is taken to safeguard your child. It affects a person's self-esteem and leaves life long scars.

    If your child is a bully, you must address the pain that your child is inflicting. Don't think that it's not a big deal, children are killing themselves as a result of the pain they are enduring. Dr. Phil ended his show with this question, how do we stop bullying? Have you set a good example for your child? Are you contributing to your child's mistreatment of another person? This is a serious issue within our society that must be addressed. We would love to hear from you, please leave us a comment.


    Let It Snow

    Mid-night snowfall!

    Oh Christmas Tree


    My 2009 Christmas Tree



    For those who read my post, One Less Holiday Tradition regarding my struggle to give up my real tree here's the result. Yes, it's a real Douglas Fir. I searched high and low for an artificial tree, but the trees that I liked were in the $300 - $400 range. That was close to my Christmas budget, so the real tree won out. I'm hoping to find a bargain on an artificial after Christmas. It looks like I'm going to be one of those early morning after Christmas shoppers this year. Yep, I'll be out there throwing elbows and fighting for a parking space so I can get an artificial tree dirt cheap for next year's festivities. I take a poll and 56% of our participants have a real tree and 44% have an artifical tree. A study has shown that real trees are better for our environment. They can be turned into mulch once the holiday season is over. I may use this argument after Christmas, lol.

    Anyway, I love this lopsided tree. That's one of the things that makes a real tree special. The back is a mess. I lost track of the number of holes in it, but it smells wonderful and the ornaments look great on it. The arguments were minimal with this tree too. Read my One Less Holiday Tradition post to see what usually occurs in my search for a real Christmas tree. I decided to use over sized ornaments this year, and I love the look. My 2 year old grandson is fascinated by them and the lights are "Cool". Normally I have the lights flash, but I've become a much calmer person so I need steady in my life now.



    My Oversized Ornaments - Love them

    I'm missing a few ornaments that I usually put on my tree, white doves and crystal icicles. I have no idea what I did with them. I really need to clean out my attic. I have enough decorations to decorate 5 houses. I don't want to be featured on Hoarders so I'm going to get rid of some. My daughter is into decorating now, so I'll pass a few things to her.

    I love the holidays and I wish each of you a Merry Christmas and A Blessed New Year. Please leave your link and I'll be sure to visit you.

    Holiday Appetizers


    Chipped Beef Ball
    • 8 oz. of cream cheese
    • 1 pkg. chipped beef
    • Tops of scallions finely chopped
    • Horseradish to taste
    Tear chipped beef into tiny pieces. Mix ingredients well; shape into a ball. Chill overnight. Serve with crackers. Fast and easy appetizer.







    Christmas Stocking Ideas for Toddler Boys

    I love the holidays. It's the time of year when I put my creative juices on full throttle. I set a budget for myself, and I strive hard to stay within budget. My grandson is turning 2, so he can appreciate a stocking this year. I came up with a few ideas for stuffers that I thought I would share:

    Hot Wheels Cars
    Plastic Dinosaurs, army men, animals etc.
    Stickers
    Christmas CD that can be played each Christmas Eve
    Play Dough
    Crayola Crayons or Markers (Invisible, lol)
    Lightning McQueen Cars

    Bubbles
    Bath Crayons
    Cool fork & spoon
    Drinking cup & straw
    Crayola Finger Paints
    Bath toys

    I was able to stuff his stocking with several of the items from this list. Work within your budget and shop at your local dollar stores. Wal-mart and Big Lots have a great selection of Hot Wheels, Lighting McQueen cars and plastic figures. Make sure the items you select are age appropriate.

    We would love to hear any ideas you came up with for your stockings. Please leave us a comment.

    It's A Charlie Brown Christmas




    Look, it's A Charlie Brown Christmas. The economy has affected many people and places, I think this is a perfect display of where we are in this country. This tree is displayed in Concord, CA. Because of budget restraints, they were unable to put out $23,000 for a cut tree. Instead, they decided to use a tree that was already standing. This tree was chosen because it was close to electrical outlets. They believed using this tree to show their Christmas spirit was better than nothing.
    When I first looked at it, my reaction was dang what kind of tree is this. The city of Concord said it is getting mixed reactions with the tree. Many residents feel the tree is pathetic, they have always had beautiful trees on display. Some residents look at the tree as being unique. My initial reaction was that it was pathetic too. As I read the story and thought about where we are in this country, I appreciated the tree.
    What would your reaction be if this was the tree your town displayed? Before I read this story I had been thinking about the fact that Christmas has become so commercialized. At times, I believe we've lost the true meaning of Christmas in this country. People spend thousands of dollars purchasing gifts and for the next year they struggle to pay off the debt. I used to be one of them, but I woke up years ago and relinquished my membership in the debt club. I make as many gifts as I can, be it a scarf for the kids, gift basket or a scrapbook. My family seems to appreciate the home made gifts so much more. You can't put a price on a gift where someone has taken time and energy to make something for you.
    For me Christmas is about the birth of Christ and spending time with family and friends not so much the gifts. I love cooking, making cookies and other treats, and just relaxing. I do enjoy watching the children laugh and play, and that's where I spend my money on the children. When I looked at the tree displayed in Concord, CA I wondered why someone didn't donate a tree to the town. Christmas is after all about giving. The state of California has beautiful mountains and evergreens. It simply would have been a matter of cutting it down and hauling it to the specified location. Oh, that's right someone would have to take the time to do that. Everyone is so busy these days, who has time to help someone in need.
    I admire the town in their attempt to show their Christmas spirit on a budget. Most people would have been too embarrassed to admit they were struggling and just couldn't afford it, but wanted to participate in the celebration with what they had. I believe there is a lesson to be learned with this Charlie Brown Christmas tree. It's a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas. Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior would have been pleased.

    I would love to know your thoughts on this Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Please leave us a comment.

    Establishing A Holiday Tradition With Your Child

    I love the holidays. I love decorating, wrapping gifts, sipping eggnog and listening to holiday music. I love pulling out my favorite holiday collections, baking cookies and planning the dinner menu. I love holiday traditions, you know those things that you do year after year like opening a gift on Christmas Eve or watching your favorite holiday movie. Mine is A Christmas Story. Each year TBS has a marathon, and I watch the movie over and over while I'm cooking or making final preparations for Christmas Day.

    I'm establishing holiday traditions with my grandson now. I'm an avid reader and believe there's a benefit to reading to your child, so one of my traditions will be reading the classic, The Night Before Christmas, to my grandson. I loved this book when I was growing up. I wished my mother had kept my copy. It would have been great to be able to pass it on. Anyway, I'll be purchasing a new copy for my grandson. I wanted to share a few of my other favorite holiday children's books. Thought you may be interested in purchasing a book or two from my list so you too can establish a holiday tradition with your little one.

    Here' my list:

    • The Night Before Christmas
    • The Nutcracker
    • The Drummer Boy
    • Frosty The Snowman
    • Ruldolph The Red Nose Reindeer
    • Twelve Days Of Christmas
    • How The Grinch Stole Christmas
    • The Elves & The Shoemaker
    • A Charlie Brown Christmas
    I think it's important to make memories for our children. I want my grandson to remember my nutcracker collection, the oversized ornaments on the tree, this is a new tradition, and the smell of cookies baking in Mama's oven. I want him to remember having The Night Before Christmas read to him on Christmas Eve. I'm sure I will think of many more traditions to start with him over the next few years. Share a few of your holiday traditions or add to my book list, we would love to hear from you.


    Do You Give Your Child A Sugar High?

    Moms you will be glad to know General Mills has agreed to reduce the sugar content in their cereal by 25%. I'm glad Sonny the Cuckoo Bird will remain the same. He's so cute, and he's Coocoo for Cocoa Puffs. Even though I don't give my 2 year old grandson cold cereal at this point, I'm glad to hear that General Mills will be helping to instill healthy eating in our children.

    Our country has a big problem with obesity, that includes childhood obesity. I don't blame our children for being overweight, I blame the large corporations for promoting sweets, fast food and other junk. I also blame the schools and parents for serving it. I didn't give my daughter many sweets when she was growing up. She was a serious dancer from the age of 5 through college. As a result, she became very disciplined with her eating habits and very weight conscious. I, however, did not follow the restrictions that I placed on her and I am now paying a price for it. Getting the excess weight off has become a struggle for me and many other Americans.

    We live in the land of good and plenty. In most countries people are starving. We reward ourselves and our children with food. Pizza Hut, McDonald's, Chucky E Cheese and many others gear their products toward children. They ask for it, we give it to them. Children aren't concerned about their health and they shouldn't be held accountable for the foods they consume. They want what tastes good and they want to have fun. They want immediate gratification. We as parents must make better choices for them and for ourselves. Obesity starts with being 5 pounds overweight and than it increases to 10, 20, 30 and before we know it we're struggling to get 50 plus pounds off.

    Because I'm struggling with my weight, I'm careful of what I serve to my grandson. I also think that many parents feed their children cold cereals because it's quick and easy. Many mothers work outside the home and they don't have time to turn 0n the stove before they head out. When they get home in the evening they prepare the quickest and easiest meals not necessarily the healthiest.

    General Mills is coming under fire for promoting foods that contain too much sugar. A study showed that General Mills made six out of ten of the least healthiest cereals. The study also showed that the least healthiest cereals were the most advertised and were geared toward children. General Mills also makes Trix, Kix, Boo Berry, and Lucky Charms among others. I do love their healthier Honey Nut Cheerios.

    Do we blame our children for being overweight or do we blame our businesses for promoting unhealthy eating? Do we blame our children for being overweight or do we blame the providers of the food? As a mother, I know the struggles of trying to get a child to eat healthy. They don't want veggies or fruit. They want candy, ice cream, McDonald's, and pizza. You know the routine. Our children are less active these days too. Their world revolves around the computer, texting, and video games. Rarely do you see children outside riding bikes, skating, playing hide and seek or hop scotch.

    Personally, I think we need to bond as a country and work together to eliminate obesity. Starting with the companies who are making and promoting sugary and fattening foods is a good start. They next step is working at home to ensure our children understand the consequences of unhealthy eating.

    I applaud General Mills for reducing the amount of sugar in their cereals. Do you instill healthy eating habits in your child? Please share a few healthy foods you promote.




    Frosty Discusses Sex With Children



    When I saw this video I was shocked. When I think of Frosty The Snowman, I think of a jolly little fellow who's laughing and playing with children not promoting porn and bullwhips. I think this video has crossed the line in more ways than one. CBS is behind this video if you can believe that. They believed it was harmless fun. WTH? How can you use a character that is so loved by children and associate him with sex and violence and think it's a joke. What is happening to our country people? We're not talking about about teens who have put this video together, but executives who are paid six digits plus a year who are the masterminds. I use the word mastermind loosely.

    I am appalled, I am offended, I'm feeling frosty. Not only do they have Frosty The Snowman talking about going to a strip club, but he discusses breast size, how many women he's been with, and knocking someone up. They have a child calling someone a whore. To top it off, he states that he hits girls and babies. What kind of person would create this type of ad, and who was the idiot that approved it? The ad/video is running on CBS' website and Youtube. Thank goodness they had enough sense to not air it on TV.

    Apparently, CBS believed this video was an appropriate way to promote Frosty The Snowman, which will air on their network December 18, and the show How I Met Your Mother. I'm still trying to understand the logic and how anyone could believe this was a good idea. I've been unsuccessful. Both the creator and approvers should be fired. Thank goodness my sweetie is too young to google. Can you imagine your child coming across this video? I purchased a Frosty The Snowman DVD last Christmas for my grandson with the intention of making it a holiday tradition. I loved Frosty when I was growing up. Never in my wildest dreams did I see Frosty hanging out at a strip club, drooling over women's breast or telling someone they should have engaged in sex because they couldn't knock someone up. How can you take something so innocent and turn it into trash?

    I'm not a big fan of CBS, but I do watch the network occasionally. I am now questioning this station and its management. Several reporters have tried to contact the station to question them about the video. Phone calls are not being returned. I wonder why? Could it be they are afraid they will put their foot in their mouths when they try to explain the video. While they're trying to pull their foot out of their mouth, someone should put a foot up CBS' ass.

    Feel free to leave your opinion, we would love to hear it.

    Wordless Wednesday

    Do you see anything wrong in this picture? He has his shoes on the wrong foot, lol. He's Mr. Independent, he wants to do everything himself. Most days this is the end result.










    Gourmet Toppings for Popcorn



    Winter has arrived. I'm watching the snow fall out my window. It's a beautiful afternoon. This time of year, I love to watch holiday movies or curl up with a good book. This would be a perfect afternoon or evening for some homemade gourmet popcorn. I thought I share a few of my favorite popcorn toppings for you to enjoy too. Pop a bag of unsalted and unbuttered microwave popcorn. Use one of the following toppings:

    Cinnamon Toast Topping

    • 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
    • 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
    • 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
    • 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg

    Melt 3 - 4 tablespoons of butter. Mix with the Cinnamon Toast Topping. Melt 3 -4 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over popcorn. Sprinkle the Cinnamon Toast Topping over the popcorn.


    Spicy Italian Topping

    • 1/3 grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
    • 1/4 teaspoon of garlic salt

    Place popcorn in a bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over popcorn. Mix with Spicy Italian mixture.


    Cookies & Cream Topping

    • Grind about 10 chocolate sandwich cookies in a zip lock bag.
    • Mix in a pinch of salt.
    • Pour popcorn into a bowl and drizzle with 3 - 4 tablespoons of butter.
    • Mix with cookie crumb mixture

    Leave us a comment with your favorite popcorn topping. I'm always looking for something yummy and new. Check out my list of Holiday Movies, you may enjoy them too.


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    Simply faBOWlous Give Away


    Looking for A Fabulicious Holiday Find? Head over to Simply FaBOWlous. They have adorable hats and headbands that will make a great holiday gift. Your little diva will love them. Their hat and headband sizes range from infant to 6 years, so you won't have a problem finding the right size. They have a great range of colors to choose from too. We were thrilled to have an opportunity to review a hat and headband from Simply faBOWlous. I choose the white hat and headband with the daisy. I'm partial to white, it looks great with a variety of colors and so fresh in the summer and winter. Since I don't have a little girl, the hat and headband were gifts to one of my nieces. She is a Lil Diva. If it relates to fashion, she's into it. I knew she would be the perfect critic.

    I was pleased with the quality of the hat and headband. They are packaged nicely, and the design of the items is superb. There's a bonus, they are washable. I liked the fact that the hat would fit over different textures of hair and stay in place. If your child's hair is thin, it will stay put. If your child's hair is long and thick the hat will stay put, and it looks great. I didn't feel the item would stretch out of shape once it was worn or washed.



    My niece loved the hat and headband. The hat was her favorite. Because of the thickness of her hair and the length, the headband was more difficult to get on. She plans to wear the hat and headband often, so it's a gift that won't sit in a dresser drawer. I would suggest that you buy several, they look great with jeans or a formal dress.



    Simply faBOWlous also sells tutus, ruffled leggings, and cotton hats with flowers if you're not into crocheted hats. You can also design your own cotton hat. You must check out their selection of great gifts for the fashionista on your gift list. You won't be disappointed and neither will your little one. Compliments are guaranteed. While you're there, check out the Christmas Tutu. Isn't it adorable. Your Lil Diva will photograph nicely in this tutu or she can dance til her heart is content in the comfort of home. There's a large selection of Christmas hats in a variety of colors too.








    Simply faBOWlous is giving a hat and headband away to 1 of our readers. You could be a winner, here's how: Visit Simply faBowlous and let us know what hat and headband you would like to win. We will select a winner from the posts, so please leave us a valid email address. This give away will end January 5, 2010 at midnight. Items will be shipped directly from sponsor.

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