Kimco Wine Bottle Covers Review

I love giving gifts. I love the holidays, too! So when Kimco sent me a couple of their wine bottle covers to review, I knew right away who would be getting a nice bottle of wine this Christmas. Last year we gave my brother- and sister-in-law a bottle of wine for Christmas, but it sure was not wrapped in a cool cover like this one! And they can then wrap a bottle and give it to someone else.

Each cover comes with a tall gift bag with a gift tag so you can put the covered wine bottle in it and write a special message. And then you are all set.  I love an easy gift to give, seeing as how finding lots of time to shop is just not possible in my current situation, having so many little ones.

I love these wine bottle covers because they jazz up and class up an otherwise ordinary gift item.

To purchase this terrific product for only $2.99 each for the cover AND gift bag/tag, head to the store here. There are several great options, and all you have to do is buy a bottle of wine, and you are all done with your gift giving!

Kimco is offering one lucky winer FOUR wine bottle covers in my Holiday Gift Guide 2012 gift package, so please come back next week and enter to win the giveaway!

"Weirder Than Marshmallows" Book Review

“Weirder Than Marshmallows” says it’s the “essays and musings of Dan Fogg.” I think it’s just funny. It’s only about 87 pages, so you can grab it and take it anywhere and finish it in no time, then pass it on to a friend. Or grab it for your e-book reader and read it over and over again.

 

Here are some samples from the book:

 

Here he’s talking about writers and why they write: “And that idea won’t let go, won’t let go no matter what, won’t let go until pen hits paper and it’s evicted from the apartment of your mind with a simple combination of movement and ink.” I love the EVICTED FROM THE APARTMENT OF YOUR MIND! Now I see all my writing ideas as little renters in little apartments in my brain and when I get one on paper and out the door to try to sell somewhere, it gets a tiny eviction notice.

 

In the essay Helplessness and the Valor of Others he describes himself a little: “To carry something this large is an inconvenience to anyone. Even more so when a three month old baby can out arm wrestle you and you need one hand to drive your motorized wheelchair.”

 

In the essay on Electile Dysfunction 2000 he explains the Gore/Bush election mess so well that even I understand it, and even takes a paragraph to describe the CHAD! “And the pregnant chad, which can’t help but make you giggle, is one that’s simply dented in the middle.”

 

The book is varied in topics and broken down into tiny chapters, which I love. He tells tales of human stupidity, “warnings that should never have to be warned”, “stories of mass ignorance”, “Twilight Zone like tales”, and comments on the world in general in an amusing way. AND then includes a few pages of his favorite quotes.

 

My only complaint about this book is that I wish the editor’s note at the beginning would explain more about the author, who died at the age of 22. His mom compiled the book, and I would love to see more about this funny kid without having to Google him. What was his “disability”? How did he die? What was he like as a kid (wry, sarcastic, aware of “inhuman stupidity” even then?)?

 

Here’s more about Dan Fogg and this book, and here’s how to buy his book and others by Dan.

 

Bottom line: It breaks my heart that Dan Fogg (1980-2002) has left our world, but his mom hints that there’s more to read, as he also wrote fiction, which he told his mom will blow your head off J

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Kitchen REMODEL 2012/2013

Believe it or not, some readers of this blog actually like to see pictures of my messy house. So here is a shot of our kitchen BEFORE it was painted.

 

And here is a shot AFTER. I did a little spackling and painted the ceiling but otherwise my dear husband does EVERYTHING! Here's a post and pictures of this area when it had wallpaper on it.

 

 

Here's the other side of the kitchen ... woo hoo! You can see a couple of BEFORE shots of this little area here.

 

I thought this was all that needed to be done, but there is lots more to come, people. Me and hubs, we were like Jeff and Jenny on Flipping Out (BRAVO Channel) as I made a list of things to be done and upcoming cost. Stay tuned, remodel lovers.

It Goes Too Fast

One day recently the kids and I went to a place called Trailside Nature Center to get our Passport to Adventure books stamped. We learned a teensy bit about history then did what we do best: hit a nature trail.

I love to play with my kids but much of the time I just like to watch them. On this day they were building a rock bridge over parts of a stream so they could go further down the stream and explore more. I love how they work together and play together and help each other. I love how we were completely alone on this stretch of stream and how it was one of those fall days where it's warmish cool.

I love when I can snap a picture of all 5 of my kids together and think about how fast this journey of motherhood is going. I realize it never ends, but sometimes this little-kid part of it flies by and I wish I could live certain days over again.

Not the days when I'm impatient and yell about getting teeth brushed and clothes on and rushing out the door to something we have to be at. But those lazy days when you don't have to be anywhere and can take your time with life ... those are the days I want to live again and again with my family.

I guess all any of us can do is savor every moment with our loved ones. I was kicking myself for not scrapbooking lately and being years behind. Then I realized I've been too busy LIVING this great life and that I will [fortunately/unfortunately?] have plenty of time to scrapbook and write when my kids are driving and dating and at college and working and planning their weddings and raising their own families.

I will greatly miss these times like in these pictures.

My Favorite Foods for Weight Loss

No, this is not a post about foods that will MAKE you lose weight. I mean, if you eat fruits and veggies all day long and nothing else, you will lose weight. And you will be grumpy because you need some protein, people. And some carbs other than fruit so your tongue is happy. Or is that just me?

So here are my recent go-to foods that I hit when I want a burger or a Twinkie or Dove chocolate or a 500-calorie Starbucks mocha. My list changes, so I may be back in another post to update with more of my favorites as I discover them:

1. Pretzel Crisps and hummus. Yeah, I have to count the Weight Watchers points, and there are plenty in this treat, but the crunch rocks and makes me feel like I'm being somehow Food Naughty.
2. Sugar free chocolate syrup. YUK, I know. It takes a while to get used to. But mixed with a Starbucks VIA, skim milk and ice, you have a 3-point treat to sip all morning instead of a 10-point coffee that goes too fast.
3. Weight Watchers has this SMOKED string cheese that's only 1 point each instead of the usual 2 points for a string cheese. The only catch is that you'll have to sell your kid to buy this stuff because it's like $4.50 for a package of 12. Us people with food issues will do anything to buy that extra daily point, though!
4. Yoplait yogurt has a zillion flavors of their light line and it's only 2 points each. Mix a banana in with that and it's still a 2-point treat!
5. Quaker Weight Control oatmeal comes in at 4 points per package but is pretty filling.
6. Sara Lee makes a bread that is 1 point per slice (45 calorie bread), so I have an egg sandwich every morning for protein that adds up to 4 points total. It's expensive though. I was introduced to it by a friend who had a TRUCKLOAD of it from a grocery store and let me have as much as I wanted. Then I found out it's $4 a loaf so I went with a cheaper version. Just read the nutrition label.

See, you CAN eat whatever you want on Weight Watchers; you just have to count it. I'd love to hear your go-to foods to keep you out of Burger King. I've reinstalled Intense Debate for comments, so I hope to God it's working again because I'm missing hearing from ya'll!