Planning Ahead

It is getting closer and closer to the holidays.  I know that Halloween just finished but I have to plan and get ready.  It is something that takes tons of looking ahead to make sure I get all done.  You know how it is.  Mom's have to do 90% of all of the holidays preparation for all to happen.  From planning out meals, gifts, decorations, cards....oh my...the list goes on and on.

We have a new grandbabe this year and it will be his very first Christmas.  Of course he is just a wee one and will not know what all is going on.  So most of his items are really to help make things easier for his mommy and daddy.  I love making sure that what I share with them is not only the best for my grandbabe (The Turtle) but also good knowledge too.  So I am including a completely natural baby lotion and bath that will not hurt him in anyway.  Gosh, you have to look at all the ingredients that is going into everything these days.  It is hard to know what one will be allergic too lil on what is it, where did it come from and what side effects can it cause.  That is why I was thrilled to find Dolphin Organics.  I can look at the label and see that the ingredients area all natural and what is organic easy peasy.  Even shows what is artificial....but it is always an empty column on the label!  I also like that the very first item on the ingredients is always certified organic aloe not water.  So now I know that my lil Turtle will not only we clean and soft but also safe too.

I also found him his first teddy bear.  Now of course it could not be just any ol bear!  And no it is not the adorable lovable bestest bear, Pooh, either.  I have ruled out Paddington as well.  I want him to have a bear that has character, knows his way around the block so to speak.  A bear that will be there in thick and thin no matter what.  One that does not worry about looking good but about making sure his lil man always has the best friend ever by his side.  And I have him right here!  Ugly Ted is his name and being accepted is his game.  Now Ugly Ted has had to put up with a lot of criticism in his life.  And he knows how hard it is to deal with bullies.  But his has a heart that is pure as can be.  You can share his stories with your lil ones online for free.  I adopted Ugly Ted for my lil Turtle and I bet he will love him to pieces.  I really think it will be his favorite toy through out the years.  And a great way to learn that we love people for who they are not for what they look like.

Oh and I found another cool gift for my oldest Grandbabe, TK.  She is such an avid reader and always so curious that I just knew this was the way to go.  Curious Critters by David FitzSimmons is the best book for her.  Bright photographs of the coolest animals you have ever seen.  Then poetry to tell you all about that critter is there too.  And at the end of the book there is their information on each critter of their natural history.  Along with their actually size in silhouette form.  You will love the bright beautiful crisp clear photographs.  It is what got me right off the bat!  Here is what the double page looks like for Goldfish.

I love sharing with the Grandbabes.  Especially when I am able to help them grow to love all that is around them.  Weather it be from building toad house and bird houses here at home.  Or to share a good book with them that tells them of the world far away from us.  To see their eyes open wide and here the exclaim the surprise of what they learn....now that is the fun of being a Nonnie.

Diva Moments

Whew!  What a busy few days.  But oh so great to have experienced.  I have days of things to tell you.  It has been one Diva moment to the next.  So in a nut shell here it all is.

The first Diva up is Our Gentleman who is in the hospital from dehydration and not eating.  He is doing much better and should be home in a day or two.  He is already looking 100% better but he would have to if you had seen him two days ago.  And once things are up and going again he only has 5 to 8 radiation treatments left.  That is the light at the end of the tunnel.  I know we will be throwing a party for him then.

The Other Mother and I popped up to Dallas yesterday for a party at T-Hee.  That was a great way to feel like Divas ourself.  After having my glass of wine (what a way to shop) we were then going from nook to cranny looking at all the fun items.  We are planning Dear Hubby's birthday party in November.  And what we want to do, we could never find around here.  Now I have to be on the hush hush here for now because Dear Hubby may be lurking around.  I do not want to give away the fun we have planned.  But can I show you some of the really cool items we did see?

 I fell in love with the Vera Bradley collection.  This is new for me but I know y'all have seen these bright patterns.  I could decorated my whole house with the flowers and paisleys.  The Other Mother was just drooling over this one!  I know that I would be the Diva with the MOST if I had just one of these bags.

 Aren't these too cool?  I wanted to get one for College Girl.  They are bottle openers.  And doesn't every College Girl need one for the party starter?  Okay she is not big on parties but dang what fun is this?

 Halloween is just around the corner.  Why let all the lil kiddos have all the fun?  These are toilet seat clings.  And look at what may be waiting for your guest when they just have to go.  IKES!  One of these did end up with us...but that is all I am saying right now.

The Other Mother picked up this pink Melissa & Doug stampers set for Princess (Diva) Emma.  And she already had it out this morning playing before school.  These are great since the ink is washable so she can also use these as washable tattoos too!

College Girl is a fan of Johnathan Adler and they had some of his collection there.  The travel coffee mug is perfect.  Even the right Tarleton Purple color for her.  Any of this would help her feel like a Diva.  Thanks so to T-Hee for letting us browse.  And of course to Dallas B2B and Texas Holly for keying us into this event.

Now I mentioned Divas.....well I felt like one too.  First the T-Hee party then off to the Anatole Hotel in Dallas.  I just had to stop by to say a hello to Roger Barnett.  He is the CEO of Shaklee.  And at the beginning of the summer when I was invited to California it was from Shaklee.  Roger made me feel amazing.  From the spa to the wine tour to dining out, I was all Diva.  So you just have to understand that since he had made it all the way to Texas, I just had to go say hello.  After a few minutes of visiting and a hug and kiss goodbye......well the trip home was next.  All my Diva moment floating behind me.

Well this all makes me wanna share one more Diva. Ding Dong The Diva's Dead by Cat Melodia has been on my bedside table this week.  I was first drawn to it for the theater aspect and College Girl having taught me so much of the behind the scenes of .....well the scenes. The main character Deborah de Lille is an opera singer who has been doing low budget shows.  Finally she has her foot in the door for that move up with a small town company.  Now this I can relate too.  From there the fun starts.  You know how it goes when there is great competition, you just step over the one in front of you.  Well that is especially true when they start dying off.  I laughed out loud time and time again.  A winner of a murder mystery and a great comedy, something that is not often found in the same sentence lil on same book. The artists assembled Tales of Hoffmann know that opera on not the only thing on their minds. A rapid role call of who is to love who are not for the faint of heart. But the atmosphere may have become literally cutthroat. The singer who died under suspicious circumstances will be replaced by Debbie.  Then a minor player suddenly decides to leave so Debbie assumes that  role. With two small roles it seems that they become something to kill for. The cast and crew are rollicking fun while showing the dysFUNctional side of life too.  It has all been great fun of guessing who done it.  I cant wait to find out if Debbie continues in other shows aka books.  Cat may think about how Debbie would do traveling with a show doing Le Miz?

Thanks so to Tribute books for sharing in the fun with me.  I have to say, that I never knew how much I could enjoy a blog tour before teaming up with them.  You will also enjoy reading more at Cat's blog.

SSS Reveal

I was lucky enough to join in the SSS hosted by Georgie at Decisionally Challenged.  And instead of posting what I receive we get to post what we are sending to our Secret Partner.  They get to look at all the goodies and then match up their packages to see who was their Secret Santa.  So here is my package that is going out in the mail tomorrow morning.

First, my partner is a mom of a young one.  So I felt she (the mom) needed some time to relax and unwind.  I love a cup of hot tea and hope she will too.  Here is her personal tea for one set.

With a tin of Eat, Pray, Love....Blood Orange Cinnamon Black Tea by The Republic of Tea.  I love this flavor and felt it was perfect for a warm fall tea.  Also the tin sorta makes me think of her blog.

Of course she needs a tin of Royal Dansk Luxury Wafers in Chocolate Hazelnut Cream.  So light, crisp and still rich in flavor. 

Of course she needs to have some time to unwind in the tub.  So I am sending her one of my favorite soaps from Serenity Soapworks out of Texas (my home sweet home).  This one is in Spicy Orange in keeping with a great fall scent.

And when this mom bats her beautiful eyes she can have them made up with L. A. Colors mineral eyeshadow duo in Secret.  A lovely mix of chocolate brown and a tawny gold shades.    There is also (not pictured) baby sitter checklist memo pad.  She can insert a photo (oh how she loves photos) of her lil one in the top.  Below she can list where she is at and how she can be reached.  Along with special instructions and emergency information for the sitter when she gets a chance to get out and about. 

Of course since my partner is a reader I have to send a book mark and a couple of books.  The first book is Mothers Need Time-Outs, Too.  This is a great one to remind moms that you have to be a lil selfish to actually be a better mother.  I hope she enjoys this one and heeds some of the ideas in there too. 

Another book is a signed (by Hank Wasiak) copy of Change the Way You See Everything: Through Asset-Based Thinking.  This was a wonderful book that helped open my eyes to seeing life on the positive.  I was also happy to have met Hank Wasiak in person too.  So I hope my partner enjoys her signed copy. 

I have also enclosed a few extras.  A lil pink hibiscus flower keychain.  A month by month coupon keeper with a few coupons already clipped and inserted.  Maybe they can come in handy for her.  Since I am from the great state of Texas where Bar-B-Que's are almost a religion, I had to include a true living red, white and blue full apron.  I think it would be good for her or her own Dear Hubby to use.  Of course if we have an apron then we need something to cook.  So last but not least I am sending her a years subscription to my favorite cooking magazine, Cooking Light. 

When I was packing the box, it was a lil loose.  Now what can I do to stuff the box and not look yucky?  Hey!  I know....it is a lovely winter day.  A bit of a chill in the air.  Just added in a box of Swiss Miss hot cocoa and a couple bags of marshmallows (big and small ones).  I love marshmallows as my treat, especially since they are fat free!

I hope that all of this brings a smile to my SSS partner.  I know I enjoyed thinking of things she might enjoy.  Now I just need to get her card signed and off to the post office I go tomorrow morning.  Merry Christmas!

Top of the Morning To Ya'

Well I am feeling special as can be today.  I have had goodies in the mail thanks to Nessa and Bush's Grilling Beans.  And a great lil award from Boarding the MOTHERship too!  Thought I would say thanks to them and tell you a lil about my great start of the day.

Nessa, who host Ramblings of a Texas Housewife, had a visit from Chef Tim Love over at her place.  In honor of that they passed on some goodies.  I won!  I have a great grill set from Weber, $25 American Express gift card and four free coupons for Bush's Grilling Beans.  So it seems we have the start up for a great weekend cookout going on here.  Plan on using that gift card to go toward some vittles and get the smoker going.  Sweet.  Thanks Nessa and Bush's.
Lua at Boarding the MOTHERship gave me a great lil award.  It has been awhile since I have had one of these pop up on here.  As part of my acceptance, I must reveal 5 secrets about myself/blog.  And gosh, I am not sure it I have any secrets from y'all?  Do I?

Well I will give it the ol college try.
1  Did you know I am addicted to Face Book games?  Silly me!  But I have my zoos, cafes, pets, fish, farm, and island.  Did you notice the plural use of some of those words?  Yeah, like more than one!  Have you gotten caught up in the apps?  Which do you like the most?  Hey, wanna be my friend?  LOL
2.  Oh, I have started my Christmas list.  Meaning I am gathering the gifts I am giving out this year.  Have you started?  I plan on it being much smaller this year.  Dear Hubby will be off work for 8 weeks with his second foot surgery during that time.  Love having him home but it will be quite tight around here.  Do you want me to do another Gift Guide this year?  I was thinking it over. 
3.  Dear Hubby and I are looking at a trip to Mexico.  Wow, think of it.   Margaritas and good spicy food.  Music and the atmosphere.  Dental work and pain................What?  Yeah, actually we are seeing about going and getting DH's teeth pulled and dentures made.  He does not have too many left and they are all in bad bad bad shape.  I also need a partial done.  So we can go there and with passports, travel and dental work...still come out under $1,000.  We could not even get started on his dental work here for that.  And we are only 5 hours away.  Would you do this?  Have you done this?
4.  I am sucking BIG TIME on any diet.  Not doing anything right there.  Eating when I want and what I want.  So of course not losing any weight.  I so need to get back on track there.  Been reading about how thin people eat and think.  Wonder if there is anything to that?  I think some of us are thin, some of us are fat and some of us are LUCKY.  Guess where I fit in there.

Image via Wikipedia

5.  Last one!  Hummmmm?  Thinking about food now.  So do you know my go to sweet treat?  You know, your wanting candy or ice cream or cookies....dang it, just wanting something sweet.  I go to marshmallows.  Yeppers.  Seem to always have a bag around here.  One or two and I am happy again.  4 large ones equal to 100 calories and are fat free.  That is better than those lil crisp cookies that seem to vanish in thin air when I pop them in my mouth.  And I get that sweet taste I am craving.  What is your favorite go to sweet?
 Well of course I am to pass the award on.   Consider it passed.  It is here.  If you love awards then it is for you.  If you do not do them, then ok, your not saddled with it.  If you wanna just print it out and hang it on your wall.....well I can make a certificate suitable for framing for you.  Otherwise, think of what is a good thing that happened to you today.  And share it with us!

Post Card Winners

Today is the day to announce my (2) LUCKY PRIZE WINNERS THAT WILL RECEIVE 250 CUSTOM GREETING CARDS.

The winners are:

Mary's B & B said...

Image via Wikipedia

1

I'd love to make cards of the great places around town!

DH's Boss said... 3

I bet I could do a fantasy one of my family....Heck we are all from some fantasy anyway!

I know that Mary plans on using them for the B & B guest. I can not wait to see what DH's Boss comes up with. She does the neatest fantasy photos and the coolest tattoos. I am sure hers will be quite inventive.

Last Day to Enter for FREE Cards

Tonight I do the drawing for your FREE 250 CUSTOM GREETING CARDS.

Image via Wikipedia

Make sure you go and enter so you can win. Yes, you will pay the shipping (low cost around $5.00). But you can pick what picture you want on your cards. I know Mary at Mary's Bed and Bath is hoping to make some postcards to leave in the B & B. This way visitors can send a note from their travels back home.
I bet that many of you would like to do the "family photo" on Christmas cards. I have seen some that are really cute with matching clothes or all the family pets in there. Of course you would never forget some of the REDNECK photos I have seen too! EWWW!
But you pick...just have to enter first!

Win Your Personal Greeting Cards

Well here is your Christmas card give away. At least you can use it that way. Or is it your wedding announcements, baby shower, anniversary or just that plain ol' We wish you was here card? How about letting the kids design your new cards with their artwork? Of course you can always have the family picture for all to see.

Now you can create the cards you would like to share with your family and friends. Design it with the picture you want on it . And get them all for FREE!

Yeah, I like that word too. UPrint is hosting a give away here at Crazed Mind. And

(2) LUCKY PRIZE WINNERS WILL RECEIVE 250 CUSTOM GREETING CARDS

250 7 x 5" Greeting Cards (Half-Fold); 10 pt Cover with matte or gloss coating

Full Color Outside and Blank Inside (4/0)

Shipping Must be Paid by Winner. Offer Valid for UNITED STATES SHIPPING ONLY.

I plan on having Custom Postcards made for me. I think that my photo of the bluebonnets in the snow would make a beautiful postcard for my lil town. What do you think?

Or, should I make up this classic winter church for my Christmas Cards?

Of course I could make up some postcards for Mary's Bed and Bath to be used for the guest when they visit?

Well you can enter by leaving a comment and tell me how you would use 250 CUSTOM GREETING CARDS.
To get extra entries Tweet @CrazedMind and leave a comment here letting me know.

You also get extra entries when you have my button on your blog, subscribe to me with RSS, follow my blog and had someone else enter to this give away too. Of course you need to let me know here that you have done this in my comments.

I will select a winner on SEPTEMBER 1, 2009. Make sure I have your E-mail so I can let you know you have won. UPrint will be emailing the winner with their own coupon code.

Time for Dad's Day

I have been thinking of a gift for Daddy's Day.
And I found this beautiful watch today.
It is a Pulsar by Seiko PXN109 Men's Stainless Steel Sport Watch Silver Dial Strap
Your Price: $65.00
Retail: $125.00
That is a $60.00 savings.

I thought this was a great deal.
What is your favorite brand of watch?
Is it Timex that takes a Licking but keeps on Ticking?
Or is it Casio watches?
Of course there is Rolex too, the Cadillac of watches.
I think that men may prefer a Swiss Army watch.

I always have a hard time trying to figure out a good gift for Father's day.
I hope to eventually get my Dear Hubby a Pocket watch with the Navy seal on it.
He has looked at those for a long long time.
College Girl use to always get her Poppa a new neck tie.
I know that sounds silly but he had to wear them to work and she purchased him fun ones.
I am wanting to help her make a Tie Cake this year to give her Poppa.

I plan on going to spend the day with my dad.
He lives alone and misses having someone to talk to.
So I thought giving him a day to just visit and let him talk all he wants would make him happy.
This is the father who raised me not my birth father.

So what are your plans for Daddy's Day?
Do you already have your gifts and cards?
What has been your most creative gift so far?

Surprises in the Mail

Well today is much slower for me. No wonder when I feel like I have ran and ran all week. College Girl's baby sister spent the night with us last night. She would just yell and scream when her sissy would try and leave her at home. So we were happy to accommodate her and have her as a guest a little longer. So this morning she joined us on our breakfast outing. Afterwards CG and I took some food out to Dear Hubby since his eating has dropped off. I then needed to get to Mary's Bed and Bath to open up for her. And we also picked up some food too. When I returned home at lunch time then it was put up food and flop down to do my post.

So like I said a lot slower today. No I did not get to Curves yet but will try this afternoon. I did have a wonderful surprise from my best and oldest, dearest friend. She sent us a gift from Omaha Steak Company. WOW! We have Ahi Tuna, stir fry veggies, rice and Apricot Mango Wasabi Sauce. There was also some sirloin burgers in it too! I was amazed. I can not wait to call her this evening and tell her thank you. Isn't it wonderful to get surprises in the mail!!!!!

Found a bit of My Grandmother

Thanks to thewatchery.com for this photo.

I remember this watch from when I was a child. It was the style my grandmother use to wear. I loved the simple elegance of the time piece. I still love it. As a matter of fact I did not know that you could still purchase this watch. It had been put in my head as a piece from a by gone era. When a watch was a tool to keep time with.

But now there are so many different things people look for. Most of all seems to be the name. Weather it be Movado, Tag-Heuer or Cartier it seems to be the name people recognize first. And second seems to be luxury. So we are looking for luxury watches too.

Well it is nice that some can find these items and still get a relatively good deal. I was happy to see this Lady Hamilton Watch for a great savings of 74% off at $84.00. That is a savings of $241.00. Not bad! I wonder if my CG would love this as much as I do? She has simple taste too. And knowing that it was the style my grandmother wore would mean something to her. It is an idea for an end of year gift for her. A finals are finally over gift. What do you think??

Wonderous Gifts

In the last week I have been so blessed as to have received many different kinds of gifts from my friends. Many where from a trip to south Texas with one girlfriend to see another of our girlfriends. Don't you love it when you can get together with your "sisters"?

Well the first one mentioned here was a Muscat wine from . Now the town of Sister Creek only has 25 residents. The wine is only sold in Texas. The Muscat wine is referred to as "Summer in a Bottle". To that I do agree. It is a crisp sweet dessert wine that I fell in love with.

We also was able to take a tour of the San Antonio Botanical Gardens. There was an amazing garden just for the blind. It was where all the plants could be touched. Many wonderfully scented herbs here. And the "Garden of Eden" (as I called it) was there too. Yes! There was plants that all made my favorite indulgences. Coffee, Chocolate, Tapioca, Vanilla, Banana, Pomegranate and many more. I could eat my way through there. But what I adored the most was the Wisteria. This plant smells so wonderful and holds so many memories for me.

We also visited The Cave Without a Name. (True) There we heard Native American Flute played with Tibetan Bowls (brass bowls filled with water played by rubbing your finger around the rim to make a chime). This music (you can hear it here) was so haunting reverberating off the cave walls. The Cave Without a Name is a live cave, so you can not touch any of it or that part will die. I have never seen water so crystal clear. Like looking through a sheet of glass. The cave's name came from a student who said it was too pretty to have a name.


I also received a wonderful art book from my girlfriend. The paintings reproduced in here are so full of golds, silvers and mosaics that just take your breath away. Gvstav Klimt is the famous artist who did "The Kiss".

And then never least or last, Juls from Crazee Scotts mailed me my prize. I won the Twilight DVD. Her and the girls were so nice to include popcorn and candy too. Thank you so much. You have helped me provide a birthday present for CG's 22nd celebration.