Let the Shopping Begin

A friend clued me in about the collection of good finds at Cool Mom Picks, so I thought I would share them with you too. There really are some cool things in their Holiday Gift Guide. This is not anything I receive any sort of recompense for, just some neat places to shop I thought you might enjoy. You can cruise through my favorite picks from the list below or go to the Cool Mom Picks Holiday Gift Guide by clicking on their button in the sidebar to the right. Happy holidays.

My picks:

Our Green House -- eco-friendly and something for everyone, my personal favorite.

Duck Duck Goose -- just the cutest children's boutique.

Uncommon Goods -- something for everyone, a little pricey, but just so hip. Their "Recycled" section is extra fun.

Chocolate Cake Club -- fun things for families. With a name so good, how could it be bad?

Mayhar Drygoods -- artisan crafted goodies for the kiddies.

Snapdragon Baby Socks -- socks that don't get lost. What a great idea!

Potato Ears -- very much about baby, not much to see for others on your list, but they get bonus points for the chic carseat covers.

The Big Reveal -- New Year's Day -- A Whole New Me

Look out folks. I'm going Kirstie Alley on you. Recently, Kirstie appeared on Oprah strutting her stuff in a bikini to show off her slender new bod after losing 75 pounds on the Jenny Craig weight loss program. She said it was very motivating knowing she would be sharing her results with the world. I can imagine it was.

For the past three months I've been on the Weight Watchers flex plan and have lost 25 pounds. I have 10-15 more to go. They say the last 10 pounds are the hardest. So, here goes. To make sure I stay on track, I'm giving myself a little extra incentive. No, I won't be posting a picture of myself in a bikini, (You can all breathe a sigh of relief.) but I will be posting before and after pictures on New Year's Day. I might even don an evening gown for the after photo.

Easy Cranberry Sauce Recipe

We eat cranberries once or twice a year and every time I think, "We should do this more often." I was a little intimidated by them as a cook until last year when I made my first cranberry sauce. This morning I whipped up a new recipe. It's actually very simple. So I am sharing it for anyone who, like me, has ever been intimidated by cranberries.

Easy Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

-1 cup fresh cranberries, washed and drained
-1 medium green apple, cored and chopped into half-inch pieces
-1/3 medium orange chopped into half-inch pieces, leave rind on
-1 cup carbonated limeade beverage (12 ounces of 7Up or Sprite may be substituted)
-ground cinnamon to taste
-ground nutmeg to taste




Directions:

Place all ingredients in sauce pan over medium heat. Cook with lid on until sauce begins to simmer. Remove lid and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cranberries pop open. Remove from heat. Serve hot over toasted English muffins or your favorite breakfast pastry, or serve cold along with turkey or ham.

Announcing ZoKai's Country Colloquialism Contest

ZoKai's new Country Colloquialism Contest begins today. Leading into Family Memory Month in December, we are requesting that you send in your favorite country saying, new or old, original or not, for consideration.

First prize: $25 Visa Gift Card
Second prize: Mary Kay Satin Hands Gift Set
Third prize: Mary Kay Mint Bliss Energizing Lotion for Feet & Legs

Click Here to Submit Your Entry to ZoKai.blogspot.com. Please type "Country Colloquialism Contest" in the subject line. Be sure to include your name and contact information along with your entry. ZoKai will not share your information and will not use it for marketing purposes. All entries become the property of ZoKai.blogspot.com and its owners. Contest open to residents of the continental United States only. One first, one second, and one third prize will be awarded. Chances of winning dependent upon number of entries.

Contest ends December 21, 2006. Winners will be announced by posting on ZoKai.blogspot.com on December 22, 2006.

Good luck to all!

Iraq -- Something to Agree On

Now this seems like something we could all agree on:

"These are serious times for our country, and with their votes two weeks ago, Americans demanded a feasible strategy with defined goals in Iraq – a strategy no longer driven by ideology and politics, but one that is based on a realistic assessment of the sobering facts on the ground and our interests in the region." an excerpt from Senator Barack Obama's remarks Monday to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

This seems pretty straightforward and simple -- ". . . a strategy no longer driven by ideology and politics, but one that is based on a realistic assessment of the sobering facts on the ground and our interests in the region." Fact-based decision making seems like a good idea. Why can't so many of our leaders come to a point where they are willing to work on it honestly and put the good of our nation and the men and women in our military ahead of the good of their party?

Christmas Shopping

I hate the crowds of Christmas shopping. Last year, someone almost ran into me for a parking spot. So this year I will be trying a new way of shopping. I am going to try shopping in the mom blog community online. I have noticed advertisements from big brand names, such as JCPenney and Baby Zone as well as really cute boutique lines like Javis Davis. It will be a fun way to shop. Plus I like doing business with the people in my community. I will be sure to clue you in on the best of what I find.

Will Obama Run?

As a mom of toddler twins, I rarely set aside time to watch any specific television programs, but today I will carve out a precious few minutes of toddler time to watch "The Situation Room" on CNN which will feature speculation on potential '08 presidential candidates.

My hope is that the discussion will reveal new information about the intentions of Barack Obama, perhaps the most exciting political candidate to hit the scene since JFK. He has hinted he is seriously considering running. I can't wait to hear his decision.

Why? His political views so far seem moderate, his rhetoric is reasonable, and his debating skills are exceptional. He exudes a warmth and genuineness that make his undoubtedly high IQ unintimidating. He has real potential to win a presidential race, but more importantly he has real potential to be a great President.

Under the Heading "Duh"

In sorting through the mountains of toddler paraphernalia that now fill our home, I ran across this little tidbit.

Back:




Front:




Sometimes you just have to wonder.

Isn't It Wonderful?

Isn't it wonderful when they learn how to feed themselves? Though I know I'll miss the cuddly bottle times.