I'm Getting the Itchies...

To write...blog...again.

Every where else is itch free.  Don't worry I'm not going to dump TMI on you like that after how many months of no contact.

"It's Me..." thank you for your comment :)

It's Mupp-tastic!

In case you've been living under a rock...or in a swamp...you know what totally awesome movie is in theaters everywhere starting tomorrow?!

Okay, well, if you don't know here's a hint...




And because I can't decide which hint I like better, here's another one...



That's right! The Muppets are back!!

And I got to see it already :)  Don't hate though.  You'll get your chance starting tomorrow.

The movie is truly mupp-tastic.  The whole gang is back, Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzy, Beaker, Animal and on and on.  Plus, there's a new muppet, Walter, who is super cute..  Throw in Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, and a whole slew of other famous faces, plus the classic Muppet humor and songs and you've got a Muppet experience that can't be beat.

Don't you hate when you see a movie and it turns out all the funny parts were in the trailer?  Me too.  This isn't like that.  The Muppets are smart like that.  They saved the funnier parts for the movie.  My favorite part was the song, "Man or Muppet."  If you go for no other reason, go to see Jason Segel as a muppet.  That song is totally worth the $9.00 movie ticket.  But if you need a bit more enticement, go to see the robot...or the toilet factory...or the Moopets...or the maniacal laugh...or the rap scene...or mahna mahna...or, hell, just go see it.   

It was like a two hour muppet sundae drizzled with hot fudge and tears-running-down-my-face laughter, topped with rainbow sprinkles, whipped cream, and a Miss Piggy on top. And only one spoon so you don't have to share. Oh yeah, the Muppets were that good.

So tell me, are you going to see The Muppets in theater?

Thank you, Veterans & A Giveaway

On this very unique Veterans Day, 11.11.11, I want to send out a very big THANK YOU to all our veterans for your service, your sacrifice, and your courage.

I have a few things to share with you all today.  There's a guest post, a book review, and a giveaway.  So hunker down and start reading.

Oh...and the giveaway is super easy to win.  And there are 5 winners.  No bajillion different ways to enter, I promise.


***A Guest Post***

For those of you looking to celebrate Veteran's Day this weekend, Kevin Pearia the Content Director for VA Mortgage Center.com, has a few tips on how to keep things budget friendly.
 

Enjoying Veteran's Day on an Everyday Budget

Veteran's Day is just days away, and for us military families, it is a great time to come together to enjoy each other’s company while also honoring the service of our loved ones. However, piecing together a celebration isn't always easy or inexpensive. Most military families are on a fixed income so every penny matters. But being on a budget doesn't mean you have to forgo this important holiday; it simply means that you have to be creative with how you spend. A few great ways to throw a budget-friendly Veterans Day celebration include:

Barbeque

While November isn't always the warmest of months, if you are lucky enough to get an Indian summer day, be sure to enjoy the nice weather by barbequing. Barbequing is one of the great American pastimes, and it is rather inexpensive when considering how much you will actually spend per person. So don't be afraid to light up the grill, and throw a couple of hamburgers and hotdogs on there.

Let Others Help
If you are hosting a lunch or dinner oriented Veterans Day party, don't be afraid to ask others to help. Delegate certain parties items, such as drink, side dishes, and desserts, to other attending guests and leave yourself in charge of the main dish. Not only will it save you money, but it will also help bring a stronger feeling of togetherness as others will feel like they help you piece together a great celebration.

Make Your Own Decorations
Got kids? Put them to work! Kids love creating and a great way to decorate your home for Veterans Day is by letting them piece together red, white, and blue decorations for the party. While they are at it, you can even let them create Thank You cards to send to your love one and other service members overseas.

Many cities and towns also host Veterans Day celebrations that you can be a part of. Whether it is a town parade or citywide festival, check your city's website to see if any celebratory activities will be offered in your area. These celebrations will allow you to celebrate all day with members of your community, and will help you gain any additional support you need. We are all proud to be military families, and what better way to honor our loved ones who have served and are currently serving than by celebrating them during Veterans Day.

Kevin Pearia is the Content Director for VA Mortgage Center.com, providing military families with personal finance advice on topics from household savings to VA home loans.


***A Book Review***

Several months ago, pretty much right before I took my extended break, I was sent a copy of a fabulous cookbook that I think you all need to check out.  Not only are there some quick and tasty recipes in the book, but the sales of the cookbook benefit some amazing military related charities.

The cookbook is called Dinner With Warriors. Each recipe is the favorite of a serviceman or woman who has either died or was severely injured during the recent war. They or their family sent in a few pictures of them, their bio or story and their favorite recipe.  The idea behind this cookbook was to find a way to introduce America to a few of her heroes.

Brig Arnold, the creator of Dinner with Warriors writes, "I was frustrated with hearing the news just mention that soldiers have died often not even mentioning their names.  One of my close friends was severely injured and the lack of coverage was sad to me.  Of course I also wanted to raise some money for some of the great charities out there that help these men and women and their families."

So far this year, Dinner with Warriors has raised over $20,000 this year and donated it to:

• The Wounded Warrior Project
• Homes For Our Troops
• Children of Fallen Patriots fund
• TAPS(Tragedy Assistance Programs for Survivors)
• Soldiers Angels

Brig is hoping to raise another $10,000 before the end of the year. 

With the holiday season coming up Dinner with Warriors would be a great gift to share with your friends and family.  Not only do they get a delicious dinner out of it, but their gift is also going to help the thousands of military members and families in our country.

To purchase visit their website, www.DinnerWithWarriors.com.  You can also visit them on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dinner-With-Warriors-Cookbook/125569464146690.

***A Giveaway***

Which brings us to our yummy giveaway!  (Everythings about food today, huh?)

We have 6 Papa John's Pizza gift cards worth $15 each!  Yummy yummy pizza in your tummy!

This year Papa John's is teaming up with the USO.  Papa John's will donate $1 to the USO for every online order they receive today between 11 AM PT and 11 PM PT.  They will also donate $1 to the USO for every online order of its USO  Meal Deal at www.papajohns.com. The USO Meal Deal consists of two large one-topping pizzas for $20.

“Supporting the men and women who serve and protect our country – and their families – is a great way to say thanks, which is what November is all about,” said John Schnatter, Papa John’s International, Inc. Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, who was born on Thanksgiving Day. “Partnering with the USO will allow our Papa John’s family and customers to give back and join the USO mission to lift the spirits of the U.S. military and their families.”

So how do you get in on this?  Remember that facebook page for Dinner with Warriors I told you to visit?  Here's a reminder:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dinner-With-Warriors-Cookbook/125569464146690

Well, visit them, Like them, and let me know about it.  You can also Twitter about Dinner with Warriors as well.  The first six folks to facebook and/or Twitter and leave a comment here to let me know about it....WIN!

Pretty easy, huh? 

Since I haven't been around for a while and don't expect an onslaught of entries, I'll give until Sunday for 6 folks to show up and enter.

Have a good one, folks!

Joe Pa: The End of an Era

Last night it was announced that the most winningest coach in college football history, Penn State's Joe Paterno, is fired.

As a Penn State graduate I am saddened by this news. I realize this decision comes in the midst of a sex scandal involving young boys, but I don't believe Joe Pa is to blame or should be held accountable in this manner.  Mistakes were made, yes, but not by the man who is taking the fall.

This decision puts a smear on the legacy that is Joe Pa and I'm deeply disappointed by the university's quick decision to fire Joe Pa at this point in time even after admitting they don't have all the facts to this case.

Joe Paterno may no longer be the coach of Penn State football, but he leaves behind generations of Penn Staters that will hopefully carry on the lessons and ideas he practiced that span beyond the football field.

Regardless of opinions of what should have been done in 2002 (and they are opinions until a court of law makes a ruling), this is a sad day for Penn State fans. This is the end of an era. This is the end of an era of college football that no longer exists. Penn State football was not just about winning and about destroying the other team. Penn State football was about the game and the students that played.

When you were watching a Penn State football game you knew that those players were going to get a chance to play. They were a team and a team is not one person. If a team wins, then it's because the team worked for that win. If the team loses, they lose as a team. A team only needs 1 extra point to win. A team doesn't need to drive the other side into the ground and then keep kicking them while they're down.

Through his coaching Joe Pa taught his players and thousands of students and fans that, like football, life doesn't have to be just about winning.  It can and should be about teamwork and giving everyone the chance to excel.  That even when you are on top of the game, you should still give consideration to those who aren't doing as well as you.  And that when you lose, it's not the end.  It's merely an excuse to work harder to achieve your goals.

Even now, Joe Pa is handling this situation with a dignity and grace than only a legend and man of his character could portray.  Could things have been handled differently in 2002?  Perhaps.  However, I think the answer to that question is being stated with such certainty today because of hindsight.  And we've all been in situations where hindsight would have given us better answers and courses of action. 
 
Growing up watching Penn State football, being a Penn State student and watching the games from the student section and now getting to share Penn State with my son gives me a sense of pride. Even now, among all that is going on, I am Penn State and damn proud of it. I'm proud of my school, I'm proud of my football team, and I'm proud of my Joe Pa.

We're Mad As Hell & We're Not Going to Take It Anymore!

Well said random you tube samll business American dude. Well said.

Gotta Let It Burn

I used to be...I'm not going to say anti-marriage because I was never anti-marriage, but I used to think it wasn't for me.  I figured I would never meet a guy who would be able to satisfy me in all ways that I think my husband should satisfy me.  I like what I like and I am who I am and I've never believed that I should have to change anything for anyone. 

I made a joke one time, in college, that if I did get married we would need two houses: one for me and one for my husband because that's the only way we would get along.

Sometimes, it sucks being right...

Join in What's Your Song? with Amber at Goodnight Moon.

Pip Events: Open for Business

I am super super excited to announce Pip Events is officially open for business!

Up until now I haven't really gone in to much detail about what it is that we do.  We custom design parties in a box.  We give you everything you need to throw a party, except the food.  We save you time and money while at the same time providing you with a party sure to impress.



All of our parties are completely personalized for you. We also offer custom parties, whether that's creating a whole new theme for you or just making changes to a current theme. One of my favorite things about our parties is that "custom" does not mean "more expensive."  We really want to encourage people to embrace throwing a unique and custom party, so we don't want to charge you extra for wanting to be different.

So in honor of our Pip Events opening, today's song choice for Amber's What's Your Song?, Let's Have a Party!

Everything's Going To Be Fine

I still consider myself on leave, but Hand In My Pocket by Alanis Morissette has been stuck in my head for the past couple of days, so I wanted to add it to Amber's What's Your Song?

It's kind of where I am right now...

To Be Continued...

So here it is...

This isn't a permanent leave, but it is a leave. There's been some good and there's been some bad lately. It is what it is.  I'll probably be back sooner rather than later, but until then...

Busy Busy Weekend

This weekend was incredibly productive.  I painted, I decorated, I partied...

Remember the in-law room I was repainting?  We finally finished it!  It's amazing what a coat (or two) of paint and a chair rail can do for a room.

Lil Mootz even pitched in and helped with the painting...

Sunday was Mason's first birthday party.  Last weekend I did a trial run on the birthday monkey cake.   I think my final monkey cake I made yesterday was pretty impressive.

Lil Mootz also met Vivi for the first time at Mason's birthday party.  He was so sweet with her!  He loves his new cousin so much already and Miss Vivi even had a smile for him.

I hope you all had a great weekend and have a happy Monday!