Lisa Leonard Jewelry Giveaway

I've always preferred silver to gold and I love what Lisa Leonard Designs is doing with beautiful pieces of stamped silver.

If you're a little sentimental like me then you'll love her monogrammed necklaces--keep a look out for the itty bitty hearts stamped with itty bitty initials which caught my eye.

I think my favorite piece she has is the family tree pendant with a beautifully stamped stylized tree surrounded by family names, what a beautiful token to wear and remember by!

Of course besides her monogrammed pieces you'll find plenty of unique designs, many inspired by nature, that are individually hand crafted.

You'll need to pay a visit to the store and decide which of her pieces you love the most because if you're this weekend's winner you'll get to go shopping with a $50 gift certificate to Lisa Leonard Designs all for yourself.

Enjoy!

Here's how to win:

Before 12 am Monday morning click here to reach the giveaway entry form then enter your name and email. I will pick one of the names at random, contact the winner via their email and publish the winner's first name and home town in next Tuesday's post. See the bottom of the entry form for more details.

This giveaway is open to all readers so good luck!

Technorati tags: product reviews, giveaways, jewelry, silver

Someone I'd Like You to Meet: Jessica DeVoe Riley from All Rileyed Up

This month's Write-Away Contest guest judge was Jessica DeVoe Riley from All Rileyed Up who is so fun and personable it made me wish we could have sat down and talked face to face.

I love the answers she gave to my questions, she obviously has talent as a writer and compassion as a mother. It also impressed me that when I asked her what her favorite posts were (meaning ones that she had written) she gave me her favorites from her favorite bloggers. It seems she is as humble and down-to-earth as they come.

***

You have my admiration for being a writer. When did you first know you wanted to write?

Hard to pinpoint the moment I first knew, but the moment I actually started doing it instead of thinking about it was in 2004, right after I had my daughter. I was going through a patch of PPD and I found writing to be an incredible catharsis.

When do you find time to write?

Whenever. I. Can. I wish I could say I have a set schedule wherein I get two peaceful hours of steady writing per day, but I couldn’t even type that sentence without interruption and waking up early is one of those fantasies of mine destroyed every morning by the all-too-powerful snooze button. I usually write in spurts throughout the day and end with a longer session after the kids are in bed. I also like to take the kids to the beach and write in my notebook while they play in the sand.

If you could pick any book that you wish you’d written what would it be?

I’ll go with my favorite book, A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. A wonderful setting that features the intersecting lives of riotous characters. Laughs abound.

You’ve lived in several places around the U.S.—-with quite some variety—-have any of these places inspired your writings?

Definitely. I think of my first novel as a tribute to my years spent in New Orleans. At face value, it’s a love story between a guy and girl, but really, it’s a story about how much people love that city. I also spend a lot of time at the beach, another setting that works its way into my writing, and the Philippines is a source of inspiration too (though I’ve never actually lived there).

At some point, I think I’d like to write something set in St. Augustine, Florida, which is a quirky old city just south of Jacksonville where I grew up, and the Lantern District in Dana Point (near where I live now), because I love the street names. “Street of the Violet Lantern.” Doesn’t that just sound like a story waiting to happen?

Do you have any advice for writers wanting to be published? Special tips for honing their skills? That kind of thing?

I think that advice on getting published varies on why you want to be published. If you simply want to be read by someone besides yourself, start an email newsletter or a blog. If you want to publish a political rant, try the editorial section of the local newspaper. If you want to publish a short story, check out the listings at duotrope.com. If you want to be the next John Grisham, well, uh, remember me when . . .

As for tips to hone one’s writing skills, I’ll yield to every great writer and editor who has ever answered that question: keep writing, and keep reading good writing.

How do you define success?

I’m going to cheat out of actually answering this by offering this quote:
“To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

I always thought this was by Emerson but when I Googled it just now to find the exact wording, I found a page that said it was inaccurately attributed to Emerson and is in fact a paraphrased version of a poem by Bessie Stanley – who knew? Yay, Bessie Stanley!

Anything you’re anticipating or looking forward to for 2009?

Yes! I just got a literary agent and I hope we find a publisher for my book! It’s not my aforementioned New Orleans novel, but a parenting/food memoir. It’s a collection of stories and recipes about the family dinner as it exists in my house. My husband is vegan and my son can’t eat gluten, soy, or rice. Add to that mix my randomly picky-eater daughter and my yo-yo-dieting self and you’ve got a handful of people for whom cooking a healthy, single family meal requires a bit of creativity. I think of it as Deceptively Delicious meets Naptime is the New Happy Hour.

I’ve seen your Harry Potter the Musical video. Is the theater in your future?

Dare to dream, my friend . . .

You closed your blog briefly a year or so ago. What would cause you to stop blogging? What drives you to keep it up?

I was experiencing some real life frustrations and time management issues. I wound up completing the first draft of my novel while the blog was closed, so I guess it worked out to my advantage, but now that I’ve started blogging again, I hope to always post. I maintain a better balance now between my blog and non-blog writing, and during that break time, I realized that what I liked (and missed) about blogging was the immediate response factor. I can write something, post it on my blog, and get a response in a matter of five minutes. No other form of publishing can offer me that. Plus, I just don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t respond to a meme tag.

What’s your biggest grammatical pet peeve?

I cannot stand the your/you’re mistake. I used to work with this girl and in EVERY SINGLE EMAIL she wrote “your the best!” It drove me insane. Not that I overreact to insignificant things or anything.

What’s your favorite book on writing and improving your writing skills?

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg

What are your favorite posts?

Here are three oldies but goodies:
"One Year Old" from Frog and Toad Are Still Friends
"No Turning Back" from Three and Holding
“Our Couch” from Toddled Dredge

Since you specified posts, I don’t know if I can include columns from Literary Mama, but I love everything from Special Needs Mama:

You have a son with autism which brings new challenges to motherhood. What has helped you the most to cope/survive/enjoy those challenges? What would you say to other mothers of special-needs children?

Oh boy, the answers to this question could run the length of a book, so I’ll try to give you the highlights--

My initial coping strategy involved a good long cry followed by a glass (or few) of wine.

My survival strategy is not the same as other mothers of children with autism because the challenge of addressing my son’s autism took second stage to addressing his severe eczema. It’s hard to work on someone’s development and language delays when he’s itchy 24/7, no? Between the eczema and autism, I’ve run the gamut of support groups, Western medicine specialists, alternative medicine practitioners, and ultimately, diet overhaul. Nowadays, his skin is much healthier and since that change took place, we’ve seen an improvement in his language and comprehension as well as his ability to concentrate and pay attention.

We enrolled him in Y-Guides this year to have him spend more time with typical kids his age and he loves it. I hope to eventually take him out of the special needs class and put him in general education.

As for enjoyable aspects, what’s not love about raising your child? Everyone is different somehow or another, his difference just happens to be something doctors have a word for. Sometimes I feel I might experience a more-earned thrill than other parents over typical milestones (like speaking in full sentences) because his milestones came later than other children his age; but really, I bet it’s the same thrill and I just waited longer for it.

What I would say to mothers of special needs children is that they should remember that they know their child better than any doctor or professional ever will. Really, I think every mother should heed those words, but since mothers of children with special needs probably spend more time in and out of doctor and therapist offices being told what is and isn’t “normal” about their child, they might need the reminder more often.

What do you think the most challenging thing about being a woman today is?

I think the challenge facing a woman today depends on where she lives. I can’t even begin to imagine the life of a woman in the Swat Valley of Pakistan right now, facing the prospect of Taliban rule, or a forced prostitute in the Philippines. American women are entitled to so many rights and privileges, I think it is a challenge for us to care about underprivileged women, because we may be the only ones who can give them a voice, and not enough of us are doing it (myself often included).

Sponsored by Beau-Coup for unique baby shower favors and by Greeting of Grace where you can find beautiful pressed flowers.

Technorati tags: contests, blogging

Fast Food Favorites

I've been trying to eat more healthily lately. Well, lately means since Christmas when I was joined by a few extra pounds that seem to be amazingly needy and clingy. So you might think it's odd that I'm listing some of my favorite fast food indulgences but it's mostly out of an extreme longing for the things I'm trying to avoid right now. Maybe once the jeans aren't feeling quite so tight I can go back to enjoying my transfats and cholesterol cravings guilt-free but for now all I can do is dream . . .

1. Blackberry Milkshakes. While I'll admit that I don't think I've ever had a bad milkshake the ones I crave the most are at our local burger den, Arctic Roadrunner. They've been in business since . . . like, forever and because of those blackberry shakes I've written the restaurant into my will.

Have you ever heard how many calories are in a regularly-sized milkshake? It's something like 6500--give or take--but I love them with a passion that will never die.

2. Peach Cobbler Milkshakes. Which is why I'm going to mention one other of my favorites before moving on. When I lived in Provo, Utah during my days at school there was this local burger place called Stevenettes--or at least that's what we called it. I'm actually not certain that that's what the name was, rumor was that Steve Young owned the place but that's probably just one of those urban legends (or rather a rural legend, I wouldn't exactly call Provo a metropolis or anything).

But at any rate they had, among other wonders, these milkshakes in any flavor you could dream up and my favorite was peach cobbler which had little bits of shortbread cookies mixed in with the chunks of peach suspended in all that fattening glorious ice cream. The day I gave birth to Grace Andrew brought me one in the hospital to celebrate. If you're in the area go get one and enjoy it for me.

3. Burger King onion rings. French fries are fine--don't think I've got anything against them--but onion rings are the food of the gods. Burger King's are my favorite. You know when you bite into an onion ring but you don't quite get all the way through the onion inside so you end up having to slurp the soft little onion guy out of the deep-fried batter tube? Well that completely grosses Andrew out--it makes him cower in terror and I kind of do it just to watch him twitch.

4. Turkey bacon guacamole sandwiches at Quiznos. I've always loved Subway sandwiches but I must admit Quiznos' toasty goodness is even better. When I'm trying to be good, either with money or calories, I go to Subway but when I want pure pleasure? It's Quiznos. Every time it's the same thing: turkey bacon guacamole on wheat. I don't really know why I throw the "wheat" part in there, with all that fat it's not as if the wheat magically transforms it into a healthy meal but somehow it kind of makes me feel better and justifies the whole experience.

I've tried other sandwiches there and while they're fine and all I keep coming back to the good stuff and about a year ago I just completely gave up even thinking about ordering something new. Stick with the best, that's the way to live.

5. Broccoli Cheese Soup at Quiznos. So if I'm feeling really wild the only thing I'll do differently is to replace half the sandwich with a cup of their Broccoli Cheese soup which is seriously the best broccoli cheese soup on the planet. I don't know how they got it so cheesy and good and I don't really want to know but boy it's good. Andrew won't touch the stuff--he figures he doesn't have to eat any vegetables when he's eating out--but I've got Grace turned onto it.

6. Soft Tacos and Bean Burritos at Taco Bell. I'd never eaten at Taco Bell until I met Andrew then he changed my world. In fact on one of our first dates we were sitting in Taco Bell, probably staring deeply into each other eyes all mushy-like when it dawned on me that I had promised to take my sister and her friend into Salt Lake to see the Nutcracker. They had tickets and the show was starting in 15 minutes (it's a good hour's drive). I still feel guilty for making us late by being so flaky and it's been 16 years but I still also love Taco Bell and always get the same thing: a bean burrito and a soft taco. If I'm really hungry I might go wild and get two bean burritos and a soft taco or the other way around but it's always the same. Boy do I live on the edge, I'm like Thelma and Louise rolled into one package.

7. Taco Bell Sauce. Whatever I'm eating at Taco Bell I've gotta have their taco sauce--mild please. I love that stuff like crazy and need approximately two and a half packets for each tortilla-ed tasty I eat. I don't take hotel towels or ashtrays but I have been known to take a couple extra Taco Bell sauce packets home with me though I sorta stopped doing that because it felt kind of wrong. Something about cleaning the place out of mild sauce kind of made me feel like I needed to go to confession.

8. Quarter Pounders at McDonald's. Have you seen these commercials running right now on American Idol where it shows this guy biting into a Quarter Pounder and slowly reaching nirvana? Well they're working. I love Quarter Pounders though I can't really remember the last time I had one and something about those commercials where they zoom in on the burger and you can see the patty all shiny after its recent frying and the fake yellow processed cheese drooping seductively over the edge of the patty is getting to me. I can taste one every time they come on and it's been hard. So very hard.

9. Arby Q Sauce. Man I could drink this stuff it's so good. I never go to Arby's but if they sold this sauce in the supermarket you can be sure I'd be buying it. This site claims to have the recipe for it--I really ought to give it a try though if their claims are true who knows where my cravings would end? Pouring it on cold cereal? Over ice cream? It could be very bad. I don't know that I'm ready for it.

10. Schlotzsky's Sourdough. Why is it called sourdough? It doesn't really taste like I've come to remember sourdough tasting but that doesn't necessarily translate into a complaint. I looked the recipe up for this one as well and all the sites claiming to have the recipe say the same thing.

Ingredients:
1 package sourdough bun mix
water
yeast

Okaaaaay . . . sounds like it's easier to find weapons of mass destruction than it is to find a legitimate recipe for making these buns but that doesn't mean I will be stopped. I will experiment until I find a way. With or without the cooperation of the United Nations.

11. Apple Pies at McDonald's. The baked apple pies at McDonald's are really really good--and especially for only $.50--but if you want to really get me happy, if you want to take things to the next level then you need to order an apple pie but ask them to put it in a cup with some vanilla ice cream on top.

You heard me. Yes, it is legal and yes it can be done though you might get some little newbie working the drive through that balks a bit at first. Just be calm, be patient but be persistent. Tell them that they do it all the time for Michelle in Alaska--maybe that'll work.

12. Dipped Cones at Tastee Freeze. And to finish with the whole ice cream theme I'm going to put you wise to the greatest fast food menu item ever. Ready? Chocolate soft-serve cones at Tastee Freeze are fine but if you're really really lucky your local branch will have toasted coconut dip. You know--just like the chocolate shell that they dip the cone in and it hardens up so that it makes a mess when your toddlers try to eat it?

Well it's the same thing only here they have a bunch of dip flavors and one of them is toasted coconut. When you dip the chocolate into the sauce and it hardens it gives the cone this glorious golden glow and there are real pieces of coconut clinging to the cone, suspended in time and when you bite into it it is like eating a frozen ice cream-German chocolate cake on a cone. I've done a bit of experimenting and I have to say that using vanilla and strawberry soft serve for the base also has highly pleasing results as well but chocolate is the best. The very best.

Oh my I'm drooling. I need to go run some laps.

Sponsored by Pak Naks--decorate your stuff with these adorable rubber charms and by Best Dressed Tables for custom table cloths and linens.

Technorati tags: fast food, lists

Growing Peanuts for Peanuts

You may or may not be aware that March is National Peanut Month.

Yes, I too was surprised to learn that I live in a nation who felt such a month was required. But regardless of the logic, there it is. A month for celebrating the legume that has infiltrated nearly every home in America and caused allergy riots in elementary school cafeterias across the land.

I figure I will fix approximately 183,456 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches over the course of my four children's lives so I suppose a little celebration may not be out of the question though I have to say: forget the housing industry and Wall Street. If you really wanted to take down the American economy merely take peanut butter off the shelves and I suspect we'd all be lost.

So on a whim we decided to plant peanuts. It's cold outside but we're having fun inside watching our little peanuts grow. If you want to play along you'll need raw peanuts, not roasted. These can usually be found in health food stores and we really got crazy and bought Spanish peanuts. Just to spice things up a bit.

And now that I'm on the subject, the peanut plant is really quite interesting. As I understand it, the plant grows and flowers until the petals drop to the ground. At that point the inside of what was once the flower develops and grows into these funny alien-like shoots called "pegs" which spring from the plant and extend themselves down, pushing the tips still containing the seed into the ground where they form the actual peanuts--which aren't nuts at all but legumes. The 40 or so peanuts are harvested by uprooting them from the ground in the same way as potatoes and the whole process takes about 4 or 5 months. Interesting isn't it?

Well if we can ever get our little peanut plant to grow that big I think we'll have to repot it before we get to the alien-shoots-springing-from-the-side-phase or there could be trouble.

Sponsored by Dimples and Dandelions for the Serena and Lily Bedding Collection and by Pink and Blue: for unique baby gifts to make them "ooh" and "ahh."

Technorati tags: gardening

I Still Love Mary Lou Retton and the Wizard of Oz

Stick with me here because I have some great stuff to give away further on but first I need your help.

Tomorrow morning Mary Lou Retton will be calling my house for an interview. Did you know she's 41 years old now? And married? With four kids? We're practically twins leading parallel lives I tell you!

Except for that gold medal part.

Anyway, I'd love to hear what questions you'd ask if you could be there and I really wish you could be there, first because it would be lovely to have you and also because I wouldn't be nearly as nervous that way.

And on another note . . . thanks to the kindness of Madison Square Garden in New York City I have a family pack of tickets for the Wizard of Oz--live and on stage at the WaMu theater from March 26th-April 5th. Four tickets with a value of $140 to give away to see Dorothy and Toto, tornadoes and, of course, flying monkeys.

If there was any way on earth I could be there in New York City to see this I'd be there--oh how the kids would love seeing a live show like this--but if you will be in the area and would like your chance at the tickets simply follow the directions below to enter.

I will randomly choose a winner on Saturday morning February 27th and make the announcement this weekend but if you miss these tickets you can get a 15% discount off your ticket purchase at their promotional site.

There may be no place like home but I bet there's nothing like the Wizard of Oz live in New York.

Here's how to win:

Before 12 am Saturday morning February 27th click here to reach the giveaway entry form then enter your name and email. I will pick one of the names at random, contact the winner via their email and publish the winner's first name and home town in Sunday's post. See the bottom of the entry form for more details.

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Technorati tags: Mary Lou Retton, Wizard of Oz, New York

Silver Dollar City: For Thrills in the Ozarks

Today's guest travel blogger is taking us to the Ozark Mountains (where my grandfather was born) to introduce us to the fun waiting at Silver Dollar City. If you've heard of Branson, Missouri Silver Dollar City is a theme park in the area with rides, attractions, festivals and shopping that sound like a week's worth of fun. She's sold me!

When Jen's not working at her real job as an Ecommerce Techie, then you can find her either writing at 867-5309 or Twittering. She and her family love to find adventures in the beautiful hills of Missouri.

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I can't hear banjo's playing without automatically thinking about Silver Dollar City. From the moment you get off the trolleys that bring you up from your car, you can hear the music playing.

The smells are those of home cooking: grilled chicken, ribs, and corn on the cob; homemade rolls, cinnamon buns, and funnel cakes the size of your face. You name it--they probably make it from scratch just for you to stuff yourself.

Everywhere you look, you're greeted by someone who looks like they've been time-warped from the days of Little House on the Prairie. My favorite people are the older folks that take your tickets, they're a hoot and make your wait in line go so fast.

Just about the time your teenager starts to moan over their lack of hillbilly-thrill, they'll start to hear the screams and before they know it they're surrounded by some of the most insane roller coaster rides. The Wildfire and Powder Keg are a couple of my family's favorites (okay, so my boys refuse to get back on the Powder Keg because they swear their hearts stopped!)

If you start to get too hot (even though there's tons of shade from the trees), head on over to the water rides. We love all of them, but don't forget . . . you do get wet. Go figure! If you've got little ones, you'll never get them to leave Geyser Gulch. I was pouting when I had to leave!

Mom's, want some peace and quiet while Dad joins the fun with the kids? Silver Dollar City has 60 craft shops that are so quaint. Best of all is their Culinary and Craft School, it's fairly new and a favorite of mine!

You'll want to plan 2 days just for SDC . . . there's just so much to see. I haven't even told you about all the different shows that are going on while you're there or about Marvel Cave!

A few local tips before you plan your trip:

* Check out their website to see which festival is going on. My kids' favorite festivals are the World-Fest (American's Largest Int'l Festival! April 4 - May 3) and the National Kid's Fest (June 6 - August 9).

* Unless you absolutely have to, avoid driving to SDC by way of Hwy 76. It's a great street to cruise (I definitely recommend that at night!), but not to get to an activity. Check out Silver Dollar City's map and use the Hwy 65 to 465 to 76, then go west to SDC. It looks like it's out of the way, but I can guarantee that it will cut your time in half (at a minimum). Besides, the drive is beautiful! Also, you'll be turning left to get into SDC's parking area, so be sure to get ready to get into a long left turning lane.

* Bring good walking shoes. They're not called the Ozark Mountains for nothin'!

* Buy their souvenir mugs. It only costs 50 cents for refills (for life!) See? They care about your budget too.

* Lastly, SDC has a Mom blog that is ran by Moms that also know the in's and out's of what to do at Silver Dollar City. I highly recommend checking them out!

I hope this helps if you're planning on vacationing this way. Of course there are so many more attractions in Branson to fill the rest of your vacation. If you have questions, please feel free to ask!

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Congratulations to Jill of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania for winning the gift certificate from 77Kids and Little Alouette this past weekend. Talk about your hip kids.

Sponsored by Enzie Shamiri for beautiful portraits and by Wedding Paper Divas for wedding invitations.

How to Be a More Efficient Blogger

One of the things people will often ask me about blogging is how I find the time to do it at all. And while it's true that my children are old enough to be in school, giving me four or five hours of uninterrupted blogging each day, I've learned over the last four years that there are certain tricks for stretching the time I spend to make it more productive.

So what's my secret? My biggest trick is to have a blogging schedule--both for my day and my week. That's it. Having a schedule helps me know where I should be then gives me the time to get there and ever since I've started following it I've not only found myself to be more productive but less moody about the ups and downs of blogging.

Here's my schedule, take it for what it's worth and maybe it might be worth something to you.

Daily Duties
Every day I spend an hour from 6-7 am looking through emails and again when I get back from taking my children to school (about 8:15 am) I check my emails to see if there's anything that needs to be dealt with immediately. Sometimes I'll answer a few comments that need a word right then or I'll jump into the comments on the day's post myself but I try not to get too involved at that time--just a peak and a glance.

After that I jump into my Google Feed Reader to check my RSS feeds. I keep up with over 300 blogs and news sites broken down into "News," "Blogging," "Craft Blogs," "Food Blogs," and "Mom Blogs" and I crank through them, reading to see what's going on. If I come across something that I just HAVE to comment on or that I really like I'll right-click on it and open it in a new tab (Firefox is great that way) but I won't look at it until I've gone through all my feeds.

Once I get through all the feeds I then look at the tabs I opened. If a comment is warranted I'll say something but if it's just a post that I really like it gets some special treatment. First, I give it the "thumbs up" in Stumbleupon. Often in the morning I'm the first to give it a stumble in which case I get to submit it but whatever the case is I make sure I give it a thumbs up.

After that if it's really good then I'll tag it in Del.icio.us to save for later--which might be a link in a future post at Scribbit or maybe just for future reference for myself. But then after that, if it's really really really good then I'll take it to the next step and give it a Tweet.

At this point in the day I open up Twitter and I look in to see what people are saying. I might join in a conversation or two if it's interesting but then when I find that I've run out of things to say (and usually I'm not too chatty on Twitter) I'll mention two or three--four tops--of the good links I found in my feeds, making sure to mention what the link is about or where it came from if space permits.

I do this each weekday morning and not only does it keep me up to date with my enormous feed pile but it keeps me active in social media. However, after an hour of this reading, sorting and tweeting I cut it off and leave. Twitter is one of those things that can suck your soul dry if you allow it to so I'm solid on my limits--one hour and one hour only. Anything beyond that and I'm grounded for the weekend so I'm careful not to go past my time limit. There are times when I'll jump back in for a moment or two later in the day but I try to keep that to no more than a couple minutes and to have a specific purpose in mind when I do it.

Each evening I go back through my emails, check them a final time and prepare the last details for the next day's post. But between the consistency of my mornings and evenings my schedule changes according to the day of the week.

Monday Is Blog Housekeeping Day
This means I do everything required for keeping my blog organized and up-to-date. I spend an hour or two backing up my previous week's posts in Word docs, saving my blog's xml file as a backup, updating my blog indexes, updating my "Site of the Week" feature, finding and notifying the weekend's giveaway winner, weeding out the expired contests listed at the Scribbit Message Board and sending out renewal notices for any ads that might be expiring.

Monday morning is also the day I meet with my business partner via Skype for one hour about our latest project we're working on. The great thing about this day's schedule is that it keeps me on track with my housekeeping issues so that it never becomes an insurmountable task.

Tuesday and Wednesday Are Writing Days
While my mornings for these days are the same as Monday, once I've turned off Twitter I immediately turn my efforts to writing 3-4 posts. Sometimes I write posts of the same kind--say four recipes for the coming month or 4 of my Wednesday crafts--and sometimes I write three consecutive days' posts for variety but I don't labor over each post, I try to write as quickly and effortlessly as possible and I refrain from worrying about sticking in photos or links.

If I'm not in the mood to write I'll start by re-reading some of my favorite posts to get me in the mood but I don't usually have to struggle with what to write because I keep a schedule of the month's posts. I've already got the topics assigned so all I have to do is get the words out of me.

Thursday Is R&D Day
After my regular morning routine on Thursdays I go shopping for our week's groceries (life can't be all blogging now can it?) which takes up most of my morning and the afternoon is taken up with children, homework, piano lessons, fixing dinner and other normal stuff but in the evening I spend my time learning new stuff.

This might be figuring out Twitter (that was my assignment last fall) or it might be figuring out Wordpress (another assignment for my new project) or it might be researching any number of things I don't know how to do. It's basically my time to increase my understanding of the latest and greatest out there--and with one evening a week for reading up on it I no longer have an excuse for not knowing what something is.

Occasionally I'll spend a Thursday writing a guest post or planning my next month's posts. It used to be a day where I'd work on finding sponsors (when I was first starting out in this area) but now it's generally an evening to do the things I need to to promote Scribbit and keep it going forward.

Friday? Time to Play
Friday mornings finds me cleaning my house, doing laundry, watering plants and changing sheets but after I've got my morning blog list finished and my chores done I use any extra time to go back through my posts from the past seven days and pay visits to those who were so kind as to comment or visit my site.

Now I have to admit that sometimes I don't find time to do this--Andrew and I often go out Friday nights so I'm not around to pay those visits but if I don't have time on Fridays then I'll do it on Saturday but so far this little schedule has allowed me to go through all the comments I've received for several months now and it feels good. Before I followed my schedule visiting my favorite blogs was always the thing that fell to the bottom of my "to do" list and it left me feeling not only unconnected but guilty. Now not only do I have time every day to read my favorite blogs through RSS feeds but I have time to pay the return visit and connect more deeply with the bloggers I enjoy.

Saturdays are a catch up day for anything that didn't get quite finished during the week for whatever reason but Sundays I take off. You've got to have some rest in life right?

So there it is, it may sound a bit strict or even obsessive but it's amazing how just knowing what I should be doing to stay on track helps me keep on track. A little structure is an amazing thing.

Sponsored by Dimples and Dandelions for the Serena and Lily Bedding Collection and Beauty Products Compared for finding the best wrinkle creams.

Technorati tags: blogging, efficiency

Fresh Goat Cheese Mixed Salad

I love fresh goat cheese and this simple salad goes so well with all kinds of meats, pastas, soups and sandwiches. Really it's an all-purpose favorite-fixed it just last night in fact!

1 cup pecans
3/4 cup sugar
6 cups mixed greens
1 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/2 cup sliced green onions
3/4 cup Craisins

For dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh, chopped thyme
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

First heat the sugar in a saucepan until it begins to melt and turn golden. Once melted toss the pecans until they're covered with the sugar and set them to cool on a greased cookie sheet.

Combine the rest of the salad ingredients and break apart the pecans (or chop them) and add to the mix. Combine all the salad dressing ingredients and you're ready to go.

Sponsored by Tiny Prints for the perfect holiday invitations and by Beau-Coup for unique baby shower favors.

Technorati tags: recipes, food, salads

77Kids and Little Alouette Giveaway

I have a double giveaway for you today! First from 77Kids, the kids' store from American Eagle, has great spring arrivals like this sweet yellow sunny day dress (yellow is my favorite color) and fun, cheerful polos in modern styles and designs.

Their prices aren't bad and I particularly love their line of spring dresses which at $29.50 are quite affordable. If you're like me, your kids are just starting to outgrow their fall clothes and those that they're not outgrowing they're wearing out--they could go for a couple new things in the wardrobe.

And secondly, Little Alouette is an Etsy store that has beautiful hand-crafted wooden teethers that are destined to last through the years and be passed down to your babies' babies. These are definite heirlooms.

My favorites of the styles are: first, these sweet, sweet little set of wooden keys that are not only stylish and beautifully designed but perfect for little mouths. I wish I'd had a set for my children when they were babies. And second these gorgeous oval maple teethers in a sleek modern design that is perfect for little hands to grasp. Lovely aren't they?

Well today's winner will not only receive a $50 gift certificate to 77Kids but they'll also be the proud owners of one of Little Alouette's wooden teethers. The organic "Harper the Hippo" maple teether--this is cause for celebration! So follow the directions below and it just might be you that walks away with these prizes.

Here's how to win:

Before 12 am Monday morning click here to reach the giveaway entry form then enter your name and email. I will pick one of the names at random, contact the winner via their email and publish the winner's first name and home town in next Tuesday's post. See the bottom of the entry form for more details.

This giveaway is open to all readers so good luck!

Sponsored by Manfred Mantis Play Sets for play equipment for the 21st century and by Best Dressed Tables for custom table cloths and linens.

Technorati tags: product reviews, giveaways, clothing, children

Anchorage Area Blogger Meet Up

Are you in the Anchorage area and would like to meet some of the bloggers sharing this hearty Alaskan winter?

Plan to meet at Modern Dwellers Chocolate Lounge on Thursday February 26th from 10-11 am for some decadent hot chocolate and fun conversation--come as a blogger or come out of curiosity, either way I'd love to see you there! Pass the word . . .

Sponsored by Pink and Blue: for unique baby gifts to make them "ooh" and "ahh" and by Greeting of Grace where you can find beautiful pressed flowers.

Technorati tags: Anchorage, Alaska, blogging

February's Lovely Write-Away Winner

Thank you to Riley at All Rileyed Up for judging the 32 entries on "First Bike" and my biggest thank you goes to our sponsor, Just Bicycles.com, for the best Write-Away Contest prize yet, a beach cruiser bicycle suitable for enjoying the wind in your hair.

If you haven't yet visited their site to see the gorgeous bikes they have then you're really behind the times. Go check them out! Quick! This is the first time I've wanted to wrestle the prize away from the winner and keep it for myself.

And last of all, thank you to our entrants without whom there would be no Write-Away Contest--you're all wonderful.

. . . And the winner is:

Mozi Esmé with Riding Tandem

A blog by a mother of a beautiful little girl who lives and blogs in Mozambique. If her African adventures are new to you then you're in for a real treat.

Honorable Mentions:

Such the Spot with In Due Time
She Lives with The Easter Bunny, My Big Bike and Dad
Just a Few Thoughts with It Went REALLY Fast

***

Here are a list of the entries in the order they were received:

1. What Mimi Read with My First Bike
Before I got my first big-girl bike I had a Superman Powerwheel. Remember those things? I used to ride it around my Spider-Man kiddie pool (see a theme here?) on my dirt driveway. We lived in the woods of rural Maine, so I didn’t have anyone else to play with except my uncle Jeffy, who was 8 years older than me and very into super heros – hence my genre of choice when it came to the plastic things I surrounded myself with.

2. I Blog About Nothing with Lessons I Learned from My First Bike
Did you have a bike as a kid? I did. It was a beautiful thing. It was blue and white with streamers coming from the handlebars. That bike was probably my favorite childhood possession. I received it as a gift for my 6th Birthday and I still remember learning how to ride with my older sister running alongside of me with her hand on the back of the seat to help me balance.

3. Such the Spot with In Due Time
When Cass was first born I used to believe that she would break all the records for people with Down syndrome. I believed if I worked with her hard enough, if I just pushed her the right amount, if only I had enough faith in her, I could will her “normal.”

4. The Merry Meyers with My First Bike
So here is my memory of my first bike. It was my sister Mandy's birthday and my dad pulled up in his truck. He pulls out of the back of it a cool dirt bike, she was a bit of a tom boy back then. (I know for those of you that know her now that is hard to believe huh?) Mandy's eyes about came unglued she was so happy.

5. Past Continuous with Freedom Dashed
"Cycling and swimming are things that, once learnt, can never be forgotten." - or so they said. My parents were keen bikers, and they gifted me my first BI-cycle (as opposed to TRI-cycle - that safe, sturdy, secure, sweet little mode of childhood transport), when I was about eight or nine.

6. She Lives with The Easter Bunny, My Big Bike and Dad
I don't remember when I got it, but I had a little, red, hand-me-down bicycle with training wheels when I was small. I do remember the cloudy day that smelled like rain when the training wheels were taken off, my dad holding onto the back of the seat and running alongside me the way dads do.

7. Summer's Nook with A Rocky Reminder
I don’t remember how it happened, because in my mind it only mattered that it happened. I remember the wind tousling my hair as I gained speed, the hard black handles leaving indents in my fingers as I gripped them tightly and a sense of new found freedom. I could ride just like the big girls in our neighborhood.

8. Tiaras and Tantrums with My First . . .
. . . bicycle, that is. Well, I guess I got some attention with that title, right? This is actually a pretty funny story I am going to tell about my first bicycle. When I was a couple of months shy of age five I wanted a bicycle desperately. My neighbor had one, a beautiful pink bike with a white plastic basket in the front and a wonderful flowery banana seat. I LOVED her bike.

9. Semantically Driven with Biking
I was riding towards the fence and powerless to change the direction I was going in. There was only one way this was going to end and it wasn’t going to be pretty.

10. Tales of the Kids with My First Bike

My first bike...was a girlie bike as opposed to the bikes my older brothers, Tom and Mike, rode. Mike had a bike with a huge maroon banana seat and wire baskets on the back for carrying newspapers. He made me ride in the baskets on the way to the swimming pool. I hated it.

11. Blog o'Beth with Cycling toward Adulthood
I was almost too old to be riding a bike but at fourteen I had no other means of transportation. I had a green ten-speed that had been a hand me down from my older sister. It wasn't fancy but I didn't mind.

12. Shabby in the City with First Bike
The bike we are talking about here is my SECOND first bike I think. Surely all four of us kids rode that enormous handed-down bicycle that I learned to ride when I was five. My brother, who is eight years older than I, started me on that large one by giving me a push down a steep hill. We were both some long-legged kids, thankfully.

13. A Writer's Dream with Unfulfilled Dreams
It was a Christmas present my parents--painstakingly I'm sure--picked out at the local department store. I can still vividly recall it propped against the wall behind the tree. My six year old legs itched to try it out, even if there was two feet of snow on the ground.

14. Mozi Esmé with Riding Tandem
My Dearest Not-So-Little Esmé: You’re on your first bike. No training wheels, of course. You’ve got your Papa to keep you upright. At 22 months, you barely reach the downstroke pedal with your tippy toes. And you hit the back pedal brake as much as you pedal forward.

15. Sandier Pastures with First Bike Memories Never Die
I loved my first bike so much. I slept with it every night. One summer, a long time ago, my father brought home a sturdy BMX kid bike with training wheels and my life was never the same again. I was gleaming, I was in love. I had reason to get up every morning, every day.

16. This Eclectic Life with I Can Do This
I sat on the front porch step with my chin in my hands and an enormous scowl on my face, as I watched the other children gleefully riding their bicycles down the street. My heart was positively green with envy.

17. Baby Makin(g) Machine with The First . . .
Six-year-olds don't talk about what they do for a living, how long they've been married or when their going to have kids. They just wanted to know if that beautiful pink beauty with purple trim and sparkly streamers was mine... And oh yea, it was.

18. Gaining Equilibrium with Letting Go

"Don't let go! Whatever you do! Don't let go!" My voice hinges on hysteria as the white streamered handle bars swerve wildly. "Are you holding on?" The gap between our lawn and the sidewalk seems monstrous and a tractor beam emanates from it, pulling my skinny wheel towards it and ultimate doom.

19. Cruisin' with Cricket with My First Bike
Sixteen years ago, due to retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease, I had just given up my driver's license. With two young children, ages 7 and 5, I felt grounded as a mom. I yearned to take my children to swimming lessons, to the park on a picnic, to the grocery store without asking for a ride.

20. Glacier Racing with Model #1
There are children, raised well by the village, that are expected to return the favor as adults, elevating by action or reputation the quality of life in the place that formed them. "Peanuts" Mendosa was not one of those children. That he lived to adulthood at all was viewed as a miracle by those that knew him, and in Model, Colorado, pop. 32 in 1931, everybody knew him.

21. The Art of Panic with My First Bicycle

It was Christmas time in the rural Nebraska town where we lived. Snow covered the ground and it was our first Christmas there. We had moved, following Dad's job on the railroad, just in time for me to start kindergarten in a new and strange place in the middle of the term. Amidst the loneliness of making new friends and the terror and joy of the new experiences I was undergoing, one thing was clear and bright: I wanted a bicycle for Christmas.

22. Thinking About . . . with My First Bike
I remember the exact day that I received my first bicycle, a hand me down from my older brother. The training wheels were long since lost, which didn’t stop me from wanting to learn to ride it. I would practice every day in the courtyard of the church next door to our house.

23. My Neurotic Spot with The Bike of Freedom
It was a force to be reckoned with. All chrome and wheels mixed in with a delicious blend of cherry red and creamy custard yellow. A banana seat and high streamer capped handle bars designed to work with me and the pedals to take me to the moon and back. Whenever I would step on and begin the pedal sequence, to my 7 year old imagination the wind in my hair was the feel of sweet freedom pushing me down the block.

24. Stories for Us with Childhood Biking
Watching Little Miss Sunshine wobble down the street on her new pink bike with white training wheels has brought back so many memories of riding bikes as a kid. I will never forget my very first bike. My Grandparents bought me a shiny red Schwinn bike. That bike survived not only me learning to ride, but also my brother and two younger cousins.

25. Hold That Thought! with My First Bike
I received an awful phone call in 1977 that told me my Daddy had been killed instantly in a terrible automobile accident which left my mother severely injured. As I stood, paralyzed in unbelief, strangely enough one of my initial thoughts was of my first bicycle. I was taken back to that day when that beautiful silvery blue bike became mine on my seventh birthday.

26. My Round File with My First Bike
There's a Facebook post making the rounds about being a girl in the 70's. It's Donny and Marie and Shrinky-Dinks and Shaun Cassidy. It's bell bottoms and Dorothy Hamill haircuts and Little House on the Prairie. And, it's bikes - bikes with a banana seat and a plastic basket with flowers on it hanging off the handlebars.

27. Joy in the Little Things with A Thousand Miles
Who knew that a beautiful turquoise blue bike, complete with banana seat, white plastic weave basket with magenta, yellow and turquoise flowers, streamers and training wheels could provide such a profound life lesson?

28. The Hermit of the Southern March with Pink Is for Girls
My first bike was pink. Neon pink. I'm not crazy about pink, but you take what you can get when you're one of five, and your dad is an unemployed teacher in Montana. And when the other four kids in the family are boys, you come to realize that a pink bike is actually an advantage.

29. Our Little Tongginator with At Some Point You Gotta Let Go
In an instant, with a single glance over my shoulder, my daddy's hero status lay in tatters on the cold, hard pavement, just next to my skinned knee. I still remember the sense of exhilaration I felt just seconds before my fall: the wind blew through my hair; my hands clutched the shiny handlebars oh, so tightly; my legs pumped madly at the pedals.

30. Circles and Dots and Other Distractions with Pink Lightning
Pink Lightning. That was the name of the bike. And it was just as its name implied--with pink handles, a pink and white seat, and pink decor to be found along the frame (including a pink bolt of lightning), that bike was amazing. And to me, it seemed like no bike could go faster, look cooler, or fit me better.

31. Just a Few Thoughts with It Went REALLY Fast
IT was a maroon color with a white background and a custom paint job. A small bell hung near the front tire, just for luck. The Indian painted on the front inspired countless questions, and the Eagle on the back was lifelike. It was truly a case of love at almost first sight.

32. G's Cottage with The Big Bike
My first two-wheeler bike was a J. C. Higgins purchased through Sears and Roebuck. It had a stunning deep blue metallic frame with a two-tone seat of blue and white. Like typical bicycles of that era it came with standard coaster brakes, tire fenders, a battery-operated headlight, and the luggage rack over the rear tire.

Sponsored by Just Bicycles for beach cruiser bikes and by Tiny Totties for crib bedding sets.

Technorati tags: Write-Away Contest, contests, blogging, writing

Worst Sports Team Names

You'd think the Super Bowl and the end of the football season would have put the talk of sports to rest around here--or at least turned it to basketball--but no, my boys are as fanatical as ever in wanting to discuss every statistic and passing yard.

However, the other day we got into my favorite sports discussion yet--worst team names. We had a great time compiling our favorites and feel free to add to the pot. I'm listing them by category.

I know I missed some obvious ones--the Lakers and Jazz for example--which seem odd and out of place but back when the teams were formed their names made more sense so I left them alone. I would like to know how the Celtics came to have a corner on the market for pronouncing "Celtic" with a /s/ rather than a /k/ sound. How did they happen to leverage that one I ask? It sounds better with a /k/ that's for sure.

1. Outdated Team Names. If you went to Southern Arkansas University wouldn't you be a little embarrassed to tell people you were the mighty Muleriders? Purdue may be cool and hip down south in Louisiana but calling themselves the Boilermakers really nullifies their edge you know? Though I'll give them credit for making the most of the situation with their logo. It's kind of like naming a team "The Montgomery Milliners" or "The Columbia Coopers."

Pardon my ignorance but it would seem that if you really wanted to strike fear in the opposition you would shy away from things that aren't exactly an economic force anymore or things that got down-sized. If you're looking for a professional mascot that scares people into submission what about the Wall Street Raiders? Or the Lawyers? Now THOSE are scary.

2. Extinct Team Names. Speaking of outdated mascots you can't get anymore outdated than the Toronto Raptors--which is of course short for Velociraptors--apparently they're trying to look hip and "with it" by shortening things.

While I can appreciate that a mascot that can rip you open with its saber-like claws and eat you up while you're still wriggling is truly terrifying they're kind of missing the fact that these guys are extinct. As in gone. No longer living or thriving. Pushing up daisies. Deceased. Kind of hard to be a threat on the court when you've been taken out of the game by something as small as natural selection.

3. Overly Patriotic Team Names. There are a slew of these guys and none of them make much sense. The Washington Senators? Besides the fact that senators really aren't that threatening (unless we're talking Ted Kennedy who is quite horrific) they're not exactly known for being team players now are they? Could you possibly find a mascot less likely to encourage teammates to work well together?

Or what about the Franklin and Marshall College Diplomats? Hmmm . . . diplomats . . . known for peace and negotiation? Not exactly fearsome.

The plain ol' Patriots are okay, just because patriotism brings in images of fighting and strength and intense pride but the Washington Capitals?? Washington Nationals?? What is it with poor, sad little Washington D.C.? It's supposed to be where the greatest minds of the country gather to forge alliances, write policy and find solutions to our problems but apparently they're not quite creative enough to come up with mascots better than these.

4. Uninspired Team Names. Speaking of a lack of creativity, the Houston Texans have become the running joke around here. Good logo, bad team name. Don't you kind of wish you could have seen the list of possible mascots that they had going around before they figured that it didn't matter anyway that they might as well just stick with the "Texans" and play it safe?

Wouldn't want to get too crazy and call themselves the Houston Tornadoes or anything. Or maybe it was just that the Rangers, Astros and Cowboys took all the good names so they gave up hope. Too bad the Oilers moved because that was a sweet name. But whatever the reason, the general implication is that if the team is too lazy to even come up with a good team name then how much of an opposition could they possibly provide on the field?

The same goes for the Montreal Canadiens. Just in case we forget where Montreal is (though now that I think of it maybe it reflects the Quebeçois' opinion of our American geographic skills).

I guess it's all about the spelling--if they spell it the French way then it gets in a little dig for all those Francophones in the province. Kind of a little "Ha ha! We may have to submit to living in a country that speaks mostly English but we're going to thumb our nearly-French noses at you by naming our team a French name." It's all politics.

5. "Huh?" Team Names. Can anyone enlighten me as to what exactly a Nittany Lion is (Penn State)? It appears to me to be suspiciously like the gourmet version of a plain old cougar or panther or something. Or how about a Hoya (Georgetown)? Or even a Sooner (Oklahoma University) or a Hoosier (Indiana University)? I mean I know it's supposed to be a person from Indiana but that really doesn't answer my question.

I guess it sounds slightly cool to have a mascot that nobody comprehends--as if you had this secret lingo that no one in the rest of the country understands--but let's be honest, if the rest of the country doesn't really get what you're trying to say they're just going to snicker. Unless of course you beat them soundly. Then they probably won't snicker. Not likely.

6. Impossible Team Names. And taking this a step further are the mascots that came straight from Harry Potter. The University of Vermont Catamounts . . . the Lubbock Christian University Chaparrals . . . the Sarah Lawrence College Gryphons . . . the Williams College Ephs. Anyone know how to pronounce these guys let alone define them? Maybe that's the point. "We're the team that is beyond definition, man. Beyond the boundaries of mere language. You'll never master us."

7. Overly Religious Team Names. While I love the suggestion that if you have a religious mascot you have Divine powers backing you it does make one smile. What if the Oklahoma Baptist College Prophets met the Johnson Bible College Evangels on the court? Who would get the stamp of godly approval? Who would triumph? I'm not sure American Protestantism is prepared to deal with such conundrums.

And then I have to wonder. Why is it that the San Diego Padres can get my "Yea!" while the Eugene Bible College Deacons or the Center College Praying Colonels crack me up? Makes me wonder about when exactly it is that the colonels are praying and if it gets in the way of scoring goals.

8. Team Names That Are Just Plain Wrong. I'm sorry but the University of Idaho Vandals crossed that fine line between acceptable and the foul side of the law. I'm okay with Bears, Cougars, Hurricanes and threats of violence from random mammals or natural disasters but last time I checked vandalism really wasn't something to be encouraged. What next? The Tarrytown Terrorists? The Sacramento Suicide Bombers? The Carlsbad Carjackers? Or how about the Pasadena Pedophiles? That's got to have the scare market totally dominated.

Really people isn't there a line there somewhere? Nothing says "team spirit" like some good old-fashioned wanton destruction of property.

9."It's All about Me" Team Names . I love it that the Yale Elis decided to name themselves . . . after themselves. Was it Mr. Eli Yale that decided that the mascot should be himself? Or was it one of his progeny? Come on, there HAD to be something better. If nothing else isn't it a little uncomfortable when their stuffed mascot comes out and it's an old guy with glasses? It would be like the United States' bald eagle being replaced by a "Georgie" after George Washington. Feels . . . I dunno . . . rather diva-ish. And silly.

10. Fashionistas. I'm not sure how it happened that colors became mascots. Where along the line did someone say, "Sure a hawk is full of majesty and respect and power but let's stick to the pretty stuff and call ourselves the Cincinnati Reds." Ditto for the Cleveland Browns only it's not so pretty. Maybe it's an Ohio thing--I'm not sure.

11. Sweet Team Names. Oh my lands, there are so many in this category it's hard to name them all. We'll start with the biggies: The Oregon Ducks (or Beavers, take your pick) or the Pittsburg Penguins then move along to the Mary Baldwin Squirrels, the Hampshire College Frogs, the Goucher College Gophers, then finish with the cutest mascot ever which would be the Columbia College Koalas. They receive points not only for the cuddle factor but for alliteration (I don't think inserting the word "fighting" in there really helps the image much. We're still talking cute little fuzzy koala bears here right?)

Maybe these institutions just assume that the adorable factor will help their teams skip along to victory, maybe they think that it's more important to be loved than feared. Who knows? But I have to hand it to them, all they need is a princess or two and maybe if money gets tight they can sell the rights and become a Disney franchise. Oops! Sorry--I guess Oregon already has, judging from their logo.

12. Funniest Team Name. What is it about using Australian animals for U.S. schools? What is it about Ohio? At any rate, as a finale the award for this one goes to the University of Akron Zips. Just because anyone brave enough to name themselves the Zips is so open-minded, so culturally bold, so enlightened that they deserve something out of it all. Or maybe it's just a case of product placement--remember those shoes from the 70s? Zips? Maybe they're really a Nike subsidiary in disguise.

Updated to add: (giggle) OOPS! It's silly but I always get Tulane and Purdue mixed up. I have no idea why, they're completely unrelated but there it is--my twisted mind for all the world to see!

Sponsored by Little Window Shoppe--One of my favorite places for products and style and by Pak Naks--Decorate your stuff with these adorable rubber charms.

Technorati tags: sports, lists