Scrapbook Storage

I was featured in this article about scrapbook storage.
http://www.sj-r.com/features/x1966819452/A-place-for-your-scrapbook-stuff

Disney Cruise Fish Extender Gifts for our Cruisemates

As every scrapbooker knows, scraplifting is a common practice!  And that's what I did.  For our Disney Cruise gift exchange, I made these paper bag scrapbooks.  I made 20 so far.  Every one is very different because for the most part I used items that I had on hand. What a great way to get rid of extra crafting materials!  

Things I still have to do:

1.  Make more.  So far 22 families have signed up but the sign-up deadline is midnight October 15, so I'm going to wait until then to make however many more we need.

2.  Make a cute little poem or explanation about what this is, so they know that it's a scrapbook, and that all that is left is to plop in photos and journal a bit if they wish.

Elle's Studio Blog - Journaling!

  I'm so excited!  A 3-week class about journaling - and it starts right when I'm on vacation (staycation).  Perfect timing!  It's not too late to join in on the fun!

Disney Cruise Fish Extender

My mom made us this Fish Extender for our Disney Cruise in November. So adorable!  She just whipped it up using sample photos I'd found on the DIS Discussion Forum.  Cute!!

Free time? Exercise!

Working Moms - Here's a book for you.

Just Let Me Lie Down: Necessary Terms for the Half-Insane Working Mom by Kristin van Ogtrop

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book!  Kristin van Ogtrop captures the lives of working mothers perfectly.  It's funny but not just a joke book at all.  Great perspective.

View all my reviews >>

Come back, Dillon.

Oh yes...

Come back, Dillon!

http://www.soaps.com/generalhospital/news/id/7291/General_Hospital_Poll_Scott_Clifton_Back_as_Dillon/

My husband and I have fond memories of Dillon's humor and antics.  Let's find out how he did in his career as a movie director!

Disclaimer: I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other General Hospital branded items to facilitate my review. Sponsor will be handling prize fulfillment.

Win a General Hospital Poster!

Heads up, General Hospital Fans! Angie at 5 Vinez Monkeys is hosting a giveaway to celebrate her time as a General Hospital Mom Ambassador. One lucky winner will receive a digitally reproduced poster featuring autographs from 17 of the leading stars of the show! To learn more about the contest, and to enter to win, be sure to stop by before March 13th.

Disclaimer: I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other General Hospital branded items to facilitate my review. Sponsor will be handling prize fulfillment.

Where's that Mother of the Year Award?

8 year old son: "Mom, you've been watching General Hospital since you were my age, right?"
Me: "Yes."
Son: "Well, move over. I'm going to watch too."

(I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other General Hospital branded items to facilitate my review.)

I know what happened in 1985. This is NOT it.

Model Home: A Novel by Eric Puchner


I'm still reading this but I'm PISSED.  Where was Mr Puchner's editor? Part 1 takes place in 1985 and there are tons of errors - I must assume that his editor was just a child (if that) in 1985 because so many things did NOT happen in 1985.  A few examples: we did not say "mosh" in 1985. It was called slam dancing.  How could the father take money from the son's 529 plan when 529s were established in 1996? In the 1980s we said handicapped, not disabled.  It's so sloppy.  I like the book and will continue on, but this is bothersome to me, and I expect better from this publishing house.

View all my reviews >>

Johnny Zacchara speaks!

As a General Hospital Brand Ambassador, I got access to this never-before-seen interview with Brandon Barash of General Hospital, the actor who plays Johnny Zacchara.

Q: What would you do if you could turn back time?
A: I would meet Benjamin Franklin.


Q: What do you do in your down time?
A: I like playing music, standing on my head, walking around in nature -- and if I’m really feeling ambitious, I’ll do all three at the same time.


Q: What is the best way to prepare for a love scene?
A: The best way to prepare for a love scene is by spending lots of hours at the gym.


Q: What is your favorite sport?
A: Basketball – college or NBA.

Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t an actor?
A: If I could not act I would NOT be one of those people who give you tickets for expired parking meter. I would be a surgeon or a police office in Alaska. Only in Alaska.


Q: Describe your perfect date.
A: My perfect date is being with a girl I can talk to.


Q: What is one of your favorite things to do?
A: When it is just me and my dad my favorite thing is to sit outside, drink a scotch and talk about nothing.


Q: What do you do for Thanksgiving?
A: I spend Thanksgiving with both sides of my large extended family.


Q: describe your most memorable moment on GH.
A: When Jonny was shot 5 times and survived it, recovered and went to a wedding the next day.


Q: What was the most memorable moment of pop culture in 2009?
A: Clearly it was when we lost the late and great MJ.


(I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other General Hospital branded items to facilitate my review.)

Remembering Stone

This week on GH, Robin talked about Stone and their romance and how he died from AIDS.  I loved that story line and was so happy to hear about it again.  In fact, I still own my copy of Robin's Diary.  My husband's twin brother has had AIDS for 11 years and is pretty healthy, although he has tons of meds to take.  AIDS is still out there, and if GH can help raise awareness about how to prevent AIDS, that's great.


Note:  I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other General Hospital branded items to facilitate my review.

I love GH!

I'm now an official General Hospital Brand Ambassador.  I'm passionate about General Hospital and have been watching since the mid- to late-1970s when I would watch with my Grandma Schroeder whenever I'd stay with her.  My family had a VCR early in the days of VCRs and I'd tape the show every day. Now, of course, we DVR the show.  My husband has followed the story lines with me for the 20 years we've been together and he really adds to my enjoyment of GH.

Note:  I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other General Hospital branded items to facilitate my review.

This is a salad?!

This lovely recipe is just an example of Grandma's recipes that I'm typing for her cookbook.  What makes this salad?  The fact that an actual lime is a fruit (although no actual limes are used in the making of this salad).  Or maybe it's the pineapple.  Still, if it were me, I'd call this "Lime Dessert."


Lime Salad

To prepare:   Serve chilled.

Ingredients	Directions
1 pkg lime jello 2 c. hot water 1 dozen marshmallows ½ c. whipped cream ½ c. salad dressing 1 can crushed pineapple 1 pkg. cream cheese	Disolve jello in water. Add marshmallows. When set, add remaining ingredients.

Typing of recipes has commenced!

I've begun in earnest typing the recipes for my grandma's cookbook. Some are so crazy.

Just a couple examples:

• In a recipe for "Baked Dish": "brown hamburger bales." What does that mean?
• What is corn canning powder?

There are many recipes that I do not need to ever try!  But, once it's a finished cookbook, I truly believe this is going to be a project that our family will cherish.

February Resolution!

Well, I didn't make any new year's resolutions, so I've made a February resolution. Instead of playing Spider Solitaire while watching tv, I'm going to start to actually type up the recipes that I've been trying over the last several months. My goal is a cookbook by December 2010 and I need to set aside time for actual production of the book. So, to type, to type...time to type!

Simple Mom Book Group

I'm going to be reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families, a guidebook to the welfare of families everywhere. Join me!

December 29 Digiscrap: Christmas Correspondence

Kind of mundane, but part of this project is to capture the everyday moments.

December 28 Digiscrap

Photos of Ethan's week with my parents.

December 27 Digiscrap

December 26 Digiscrap

On the day after Christmas we went to Boone for snow tubing. I stayed in the lodge and read since I had not packed a coat or pants for snow. But we all had fun.

December 25 Digiscrap: Christmas Day

I decided not to journal. Christmas is Christmas, right?

December 23 Digiscrap: Stockings

What a great idea to actually document the Christmas stockings that my mom and I have made everyone. Thanks, again, to Jessica Sprague for the Holidays at Hand class!

December 24: Digiscrap

Christmas Eve: it's pretty typical that we provide a craft for everyone to do. Some years it's cookies. This year Ethan picked the craft: everyone got to paint a ceramic ornament. I had to include this page because it's so funny how my mom and sister-in-law seem to be doing their projects without any cares that Rodd was topless next to him, and Ethan topless across from them. I'd told Ethan to take his shirt off so he didn't get paint on it, and Rodd followed the command, too.

December 22 Digiscrap

Today's assignment was to think about our holiday rituals--things we do every year.

December 21 Digiscrap: 2nd Grade Party

2nd Grade Holiday Party!