Saturday, November 6, 2010

Saturday Funnies!

Gotta Love it!

epic fail photos - CLASSIC: Hiding FAIL
see more funny videos

Who do they think they are fooling??
epic fail photos - Idea WIN
see more funny videos

Just read and laugh!

epic fail photos - Inconvenience FAIL
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Don't miss our Spotlight Saturday Blop Hop.  Just link up on the post below!  Have a great weekend!

Spotlight Saturday Blog Hop

It's Spotlight Saturday Hosted By



Between the Lines



Welcome to our new blog hop with a twist!  Every week swing by to link up your blog and one you want to spotlight!  Did you find a new blog you liked this week?  Is there one you visit on a daily basis?  Well, simply link up your Spotlighted blog right under yours.  We will Spotlight our favorite blogs of the week in spots 4, 5, and 6.  

This week is Spotlight your favorite blog!.  I'm Spotlighting Sno White from Finding Joy in My Kitchen!

How it Works

1) Link up your own blog.
2)Link up a blog you want to spotlight for the week.(ex. Spotlight: Roslyn's Closet)
3) Follow your three hosts.
4) Grab our button and post it on your sidebar or in a Spotlight Saturday Post.
5) Follow as many blogs from the list as you like and leave a comment so they know you stopped by.
6) Return the favor by following blogs that followed you.
(Be aware that URL's cannot be duplicated so please have a second spotlight choice in mind. If your blog's URL has already been spotlighted, just add one you'd like to spotlight. And don't forget to leave a comment with the blog you spotlighted so they can come and join the blog hopping fun! )

Friday, November 5, 2010

Don't Miss Spotlight Saturday!

Between the Lines

Don't Miss our Spotlight Saturday Blog Hop tomorrow!!!  Link up your own blog and another that you would love to share with the rest of us!  Linky opens at midnight!

Holiday Open House: Hot Chocolate

I love the Holiday season.  I love it so much that each year it seems that we start getting into the festivities just a little bit earlier.  My girls and I love decorating, baking, and doing Holiday themed crafts.  I love the fact that I get to have them home to myself for a week!  There just aren't enough days during the year where you can stay home in your PJ's and enjoy a nice cup of hot chocolate.  The week after Christmas, we love playing games by the fireplace while indulging in some very yummy cocoa!  Although, I will admit that we typically go for the instant cocoa, it is nice to have homemade creamy Hot Chocolate once in awhile.   Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
1/3 cup boiling water
3 1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
    Directions
    Combine the cocoa, sugar and pinch of salt in a saucepan. Stir in the boiling water. Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes. Watch that it doesn't burn. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of milk and heat until very hot, but do not boil! Remove from heat and add vanilla. Divide between 4 mugs. Add the cream to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature.

      Don't this sound delicious?  If you get a chance to try it out, I'd love to hear your feedback. What is your favorite thing to add to your Hot Chocolate?  For me it is a toss up between marshmallows and mint.  Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!

      Two Winners!


      Congrats to barbara.montyj, commenter #214 out of 451, for winning the Fantasy Jewelry Box Giveaway!  Barbara.montyj won with the comment, " Your Text link is on my blog roll #5".  The winner has been emailed and has 48 hours to claim her prize before a new winner will be randomly selected.    Thanks to all that entered and a HUGE Thank-you to Fantasy Jewelry Box for sponsoring this great giveaway!


       Congrats to Linda Henderson, commenter #213 out of 224, for winning the I SPOT YOU giveaway!  Linda won with the comment, "I follow you on Twitter as BookOwner. #1".  The winner has been emailed and has 48 hours to claim her prize before a new winner is randomly selected.    Thanks to all that entered and a special Thanks to my sister-in-law, Jodi, who makes these darling tees!

      Two Giveaways Ending Tonight!

       Don't miss your last chance to enter the Pedicare and ROHTO giveaways.  Entries are low, so your chance are good!  Simply click on the links on the right sidebar to go directly to the giveaway post.  Both end tonight at 10 pm!

      Yoyo Lip Gloss Review and Giveaway

                                           
      Lip Gloss is one of my must have beauty products. I have one in my purse, my diaper bag, my car, my bedside table drawer, and my makeup drawer. You may be thinking that this is a bit overkill, but since I’m always losing them, I need back-up. How excited was I when I discovered YOYO Lip Gloss? Not only did I discover a great lip gloss, but now I no longer have worry about it disappearing on me! YOYO Lip Gloss minis are not only small and fun, but they come attached to a mini clip with retractable string. Now I can clip it to the inside of my purse or to my diaper bag and never worry about is getting lost again! What an innovative design!




      YOYO Minis come in a variety of flavors including Kissable Kiwi, Girly Green Apple, Cha-Cha Chocolate and Big Bounce Bubblegum. These yummy flavors have helped keep my lips soft and smooth. My lips never feel sticky like they do with some lip glosses. My girls love them too (especially the bubblegum, which I had to stop them from eating), so I know we will be getting more. And it gets even better! At only $3.49 per retractable mini gloss, you can afford to try them all (and even share)!  With YOYO Lip Gloss I'm "Never at a loss for my gloss"!



      The generous folks at YOYO Lip Gloss have offered one of my lucky readers a chance to win a YOYO Lip Gloss Mini: Girly Green Apple & YOYO Lip Gloss Folder. Can’t wait to win it? Hop on over to YOYO Lip Gloss and purchase your own minis today!

      Mandatory Entry: Take a moment to visit YOYO’s website. They have more than just lip gloss! Come back here and leave a comment on which product you would like to try.

      Extras: (Remember each entry must have a separate comment and an email address is needed to contact winner.)
      ~ Follow YOYO Lip Gloss on Facebook (5).
      ~ Follow YOYO Lip Gloss on Twitter (2)
      ~Follow Between the Lines (2)         
      ~ Subscribe to my email (5)
      ~ Grab my button and leave a link of where it’s displayed (5)
      ~Add me to your Blogroll and leave a link (5)
      ~ Follow me on Facebook (5)
      ~Follow me on Twitter (2)
      ~ Add my Spotlight Saturday button and leave a link (5)
      ~Tweet this giveaway leaving me your link. (3x a day not back to back) (1 entry each)
      ~ Enter another one of my giveaways (1 each)
      ~Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link (10)

      This giveaway will end on November 22th @10p.m Eastern
      Giveaway open to US only.  Winner will be chosen randomly. An email notification will be sent to the email address provided by the winner. The winner must respond within 48 hours. Failure to do so will result in being disqualified and a new winner will be chosen.
      Disclaimer: I received 4 yoyo minis in exchange for my honest review. The opinions & thoughts expressed are my own. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review. Prizes are mailed out by the distributor and Between the Lines cannot be held accountable for prizes not sent.

      Vacation Countdown

      We are off to Disney World in just one week!!!   This is probably our favorite time of year because not only do we get to spend a week at Disney, but we also get an entire week with DADDY!  YEAH!!!!!  My hard working husband has such a horrible commute, that the kids rarely get to see him during the week.  And  he usually ends up working 3 of the 4 weekend each month too.   So Disney week is a special time for our family where we leave everything else behind and just focus on us.  The week before vacation though, is a very hectic time for me.  Since we won't have access to a car in Florida, I want to make sure that we've have every thing we could possibly need (including toiletries, meds, and snacks).   I am also a big stickler for leaving the house in perfect condition before leaving on vacation.   In my experience, we are usually pretty exhausted after returning home from vacation and the last thing I want to worry about it cleaning the house.  So this next week, I will be running around like crazy, packing suitcases, and cleaning house.  But in the end, it will be all worth it to spend an entire week relaxing with my family.   And while I'm gone, I have prepared Disney posts for each day.  I hope you swing by and read them and let me know what you think!   Where is your family's favorite vacation spot?  Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!

      Tricky Trivia

      October 1st is the official Coffee Day in ______________.

      Take a guess in the comments below.

      Thursday, November 4, 2010

      Del Monte Teacher Monday: Cash For Classrooms and Giveaway


       Do you love Del Monte fruit?  Do you want to support your classroom as a parent or teacher?  Please read this press release from Del Monte to find out what they are doing support public school teachers across North and Central America.

      DEL MONTE FRESH SUPPORTS TEACHERS WITH CASH & FRESH FRUIT IN
      "TEACHER MONDAY: CASH FOR CLASSROOMS"
      Del Monte Fresh Produce, North America, Inc. announced today that it is launching a program to help support kindergarten thru 12th grade public school teachers across North and Central America with cash to purchase school supplies and fresh fruit in the “Teacher Monday: Cash for Classrooms” campaign. One hundred prizes totaling $1,000 each will be awarded to teachers who get the most votes in the “Teacher Monday: Cash for Classrooms” online contest at www.fruits.com.
      “Monday’s can be difficult for all of us, but public school teachers face even bigger challenges these days with the largest budget cuts in 30 years expected this academic year,” said Dennis Christou, Vice President, Marketing, North America for Del Monte Fresh Produce. “Larger classrooms and far less supplies are putting enormous pressure on our teachers. The “Teacher Monday” program was designed to take some of the burden off teachers, many who pay for school supplies out of their own pockets. It will also provide teachers with tools and incentives to incorporate healthy eating messages into their curriculums, giving us an opportunity to help school children eat and live healthier,” Christou added.
      To be eligible to win, teachers must register for the “Teacher Monday: Cash for Classrooms” online contest at www.fruits.com. After teachers register their name and school, they can get all their fans -- from parents to students, to friends and family -- to vote for them. Ten winners will be selected each Monday for five consecutive weeks [ending November 15], 2010, for a total of 50 winning teachers North American teachers. Winners are based solely on the number of votes they receive. Winning teachers will receive $750 in cash to purchase school supplies and $250 in Del Monte fresh fruit coupons for classroom snacks and to use in fruit educational activities.
      In an effort to support schools in less developed countries where many Del Monte products are grown, and where classrooms are also experiencing economic disadvantages, the “Teacher Monday: Cash for Classrooms” program will link winning U.S. classrooms with a school in Guatemala or Costa Rica. The 50 selected Central American schools will also receive $1,000 each for school supplies.
      “By linking U.S. and Central American schools, we want to help further the education of students by introducing them to another culture. Our hope is that sister schools will communicate with each other about fun physical activities and their favorite fruit dishes,” said Christou.
      Beginning early Fall, consumers can expect to see “Teacher Monday: Cash for Classrooms” stickers on Del Monte Fresh Produce such as pineapples, bananas, melons, grapes, tomatoes and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, as well as colorful posters and other materials in produce departments.
      Finally, each week of promotion, Del Monte will distribute $25 gift certificate booklets for Del Monte Fresh Produce to consumers in major markets across the U.S. and Canada. Consumers will be notified about the giveaways via Twitter, Facebook, and radio promotions.
       Doesn't that sound like a great promotion to support?   As a teacher and a parent, I encourage you to share this information with your local schools!  Any school would be lucky to win!!!  And to thank you for your support in spreading the word, Del Monte is offering one lucky reader the opportunity to win a $25 Gift Certificate Booklet good towards fresh fruit.
      Mandatory Entry:  "Like" Del Monte on Facebook and let them know Between the Lines sent you to support Teacher Monday.  Come back here and let me know you did so and include your email so I can contact you if you win.

      Extras: (Remember each entry must have a separate comment and an email address is needed to contact winner.)
      ~ Suggest Del Monte on Facebook to your friends (5)
      ~ Follow Del Monte on Twitter (3) 
      ~Follow Between the Lines (2)         
      ~ Subscribe to my email (5)
      ~ Grab my button and leave a link of where it’s displayed (5)
      ~Add me to your Blogroll and leave a link (5)
      ~ Follow me on Facebook (5)
      ~Follow me on Twitter (2)
      ~ Add my Spotlight Saturday button and leave a link (5)
      ~Tweet this giveaway leaving me your link. (3x a day not back to back) (1 entry each)
      ~ Enter another one of my giveaways (1 each)
      ~Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link (10)

      This giveaway will end on November 16th @10p.m Eastern
      Giveaway open to US only.  Winner will be chosen randomly. An email notification will be sent to the email address provided by the winner. The winner must respond within 48 hours. Failure to do so will result in being disqualified and a new winner will be chosen.
      Disclaimer:  The opinions & thoughts expressed are my own. I received a coupon booklet in exchange for by review. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review. Prizes are mailed out by the distributor and Between the Lines cannot be held accountable for prizes not sent.

      I'm Visiting Over At The Magical Mouse Schoolhouse!

      Click hereHave you heard about The Magical Mouse Schoolhouse?  It is where all things Disney are transformed into learning activities for you and your children (mostly your children, but I always get a lot from her posts).   Swing on over to The Magical Mouse Schoolhouse to read my guest post about the Disney Vacation Club.  If you have any questions when you are done, feel free to ask them here or email me at betweenthelines-kam@hotmail.com.  If you love Disney and decide to follow her blog, email me and I'll give you the code word to snag 5 bonus entries for any of the November giveaways (10 planned so far).

      Holiday Open House: Festive Molasses Cookies

      I love the Holiday season.  I love it so much that each year it seems that we start getting into the festivities just a little bit earlier.  My girls and I love decorating, baking, and doing Holiday themed crafts.  My girls and I  look forward to baking Christmas cookies each year.  We always have our standard sugar cookie decorating party, but we love to try new recipes too.  Last year, we decided to add a little Christmas spirit to our favorite Molasses cookie.  They looked great when they were done and they were a huge hit with everyone who tried them.

      Ingredients

      • 3/4 cup shortening
      • 1 cup white sugar
      • 1/4 cup molasses
      • 1 egg
      • 2 cups all-purpose flour
      • 2 teaspoons baking soda
      • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
      • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
      • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
      • 1/2 teaspoon salt
      • Colored sugar
      Directions
      1. Melt the shortening in a large pan on the stove, and cool.
      2. Add sugar, egg, and molasses, beat well.
      3. In a separate bowl, sift dry ingredients together and add to the pan. Mix well and chill 3 hours or overnight.
      4. Form into walnut-size balls. Roll in colored granulated sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
      5. Bake at 375 degrees  for 8-10 minutes.
      6. Store in an airtight container to keep from getting overly crisp. If they do lose their softness, an easy way to restore it is to place one slice of fresh bread in the container with the cookies for a couple of hours or overnight and they will be soft again!

      Don't these sound delicious?  If you get a chance to try them out, I'd love to hear your feedback. What is your favorite type of cookie during the Holiday season?  Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!

      Blisters Are My Nemesis

      For those lovely blogging buddies of mine who have been supporting me in my marathon training, I just wanted to give you a quick update.   My training is still on schedule and I am starting to feel more confident that I will actually be able to complete this thing.  My biggest hardship so far has been all the blisters that are so easily formed on my poor little feet. I have completely flat feet, not even a hint of arch.  Therefore, when I run, the arch in the shoe is constantly rubbing against the bottom of my foot.  Not a pleasant feeling, but one I'm learning to ignore.  My best time so far is 10 miles in 95 minutes.  Speedy Gonzales I am not, but I need to learn a good pace for me to run the entire 26.  I still have 4 and half month, so I think I will be ok. 

      Tricky Trivia

      Who invented stilts?

      Take a guess in the comments below.

      Wednesday, November 3, 2010

      Holiday Open House: Gingerbread Houses

      I love the Holiday season.  I love it so much that each year it seems that we start getting into the festivities just a little bit earlier.  My girls and I love decorating, baking, and doing Holiday themed crafts.  My girls look forward to decorating their gingerbread houses each year.  Their goal is not yet design, but who has the most icing and candy.   I must say that last year they had quite a lot of candy spread over their house and also around the front yard of their house.  Now I'm not sure if they'll be able to top last year's, but I can guarantee that they will try their best.


      Last year when we visited Disney World we stayed at the Beach Club Villas and saw the most awesome gingerbread creation.   They created an entire carousel out of gingerbread and icing. They also created Snow White's Castle and Chip and Dale's Tree house out of gingerbread. Check it out below:



      Amazing huh!?!

      What type of gingerbread creations do you make?  Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!

      I SPOT YOU Giveaway!

      Don't miss a great opportunity to enter the I SPOT YOU tee shirt giveaway!  To enter, simply click on the link on the right sidebar to be taken directly to the giveaway post.  Giveaway ends tonight at 10 pm.  Good Luck!!

      Cowgirl Chocolates Review

       If you are like me, chocolate is just something that you cannot live without.  Whether it is plain chocolate or flavored chocolate, I love it.  I thought I had tried every variety of chocolate possible until I received some sample truffles in the mail from Cowgirl Chocolates.   Cowgirl Chocolates combines fine European chocolates with spice to create what they call, "The Cowgirl Kick". 
      I love my food spicy, spicier than most, but I must admit that even I was a tad nervous about eating spicy chocolate.  However, I figured with all the rave reviews and awards they've received, it couldn't be bad.  Lucky for me, I was brave enough to try them.  They were absolutely delicious.   It was amazing how the added spices brought out a new enhanced flavor to the chocolate.  Although they were indeed spicy, the smoothness of the chocolate kept the heat from being overbearing.  My favorite piece out of the sampler box was the Spicy Raspberry Dark Chocolate truffle. 
      My sampler box also had mild truffles.  These chocolates were sweet, smooth, and gone almost as soon as the box was opened.  My girls and I sampled little bits of each and we all agreed that we'd  love some more of their Raspberry Lemon and Ivory Orange truffles.  The truffles were delicious and the sampler box would make the perfect stocking stuffer for someone special on your Holiday list. Visit Cowgirl Chocolates today and see how much they have to offer.  Happy Shopping!

      Tricky Trivia

      What does the word Himalayas means_____________.

      Take a guess in the comments below.

      Tuesday, November 2, 2010

      Holiday Open House: Christmas Tree

      I love the Holiday season.  I love it so much that each year it seems that we start getting into the festivities just a little bit earlier.  My girls in I love decorating, baking, and doing Holiday themed crafts.  The tradition in our house (and has been since I was little) is to decorate the tree after Thanksgiving dinner.  Now that our kids are a little bit older, we let them decorate it while we watch.  They have hanging up their favorite ornaments and then showing us how they found the perfect spot for it.  Of course, the top half of the tree is left a bit bare since my tallest is only 42 inches tall. Luckily I have a few fragile ornaments that I place up there, just out of their reach.

      Christmas 2009

      When do you decorate your tree?  Do you decorate your house too?  Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!

      Certain Dri Winner!

       Congratulations to ape2016 for winning the Certain Dri giveaway.  Ape201 won with comment number 14.  " email 4".  The winner has been emailed and has 48 hours to claim her prize before a new winner is drawn randomly.  Thanks to all who entered and thanks to everyone who continues to read Between the Lines!

      Halloween

      We had a lot of fun with Halloween this year because we had family over for a get-together.  My brother's family came down from Maryland, my Favorite Uncle Brad flew in from Hawaii, and my parents and sister came from other parts in Virginia.   We decorated pumpkins, ate good food, played some games, and of course dressed up and went trick-or-treating.   Here are some pictures from our Halloween adventures:



      Made completely out of Veggies!

      Made with the help of Mr. Potato Head










      Did you all enjoy your Halloween?  Do you have some cute pics up (leave a link, I'd love to see)?  Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!

      Enjoying Tea Review and Giveaway!

      There is nothing better for me than a hot mug of tea early in the morning. In the summer, I usually limit my tea intake to one mug. But from Fall through Spring, you can usually find a half full mug nearby. Before last year, I hadn’t been very adventurous in my tea sampling. I drank green tea and I was happy with it. I occasionally had some lemon soother tea when I was sick, but that was about it. However, last year my dad began introducing me to all different kinds of tea. I instantly fell in love and he even bought me a tea maker for tea bags. With the tea maker, we have even been known to mix different flavors together to make a new flavor.


      Just a few months ago, my tea taste buds expanded even further. Thanks to a wonderful company, Enjoying Tea, I was introduced to loose tea. How did I not know that you can make tea without tea bags? The wonderful people from Enjoying Tea, sent me their Smart Tea Maker and eight tins of samples tea. Among the eight, my favorites were Strawberry Black Tea and Provence Rooibos. I don’t even know how to pronounce the second one, but I love it!




      The Smart Tea Maker is easy to use. You simply pour some dry tea into the maker and pour hot water in. Close the lid and let it steep to your desired taste. When your tea is ready, place it over your cup or mug and place it gently on top. The tea then seeps through the stainless steel filter, leaving the tea leaves behind. When you are ready to wash your Smart Tea Maker you can do it by hand or stick it in the dishwasher!


      Enjoying Tea sells more than just loose tea leaves. They also sell tea bags, instant tea, tea sets, teapots, tea cups, and tea accessories. You should definitely go check out all their great products. If you like what you see, they are offering free promotional tea. Just go HERE  or HERE to order. Supplies are limited, so head over sooner than later.  Make note, that you will have to cover your own shipping costs.  They also have a few special offers going on right now.  Check them out HERE.

      The wonderful people from Enjoying Tea are offering one lucky reader the chance to win their very own Smart Tea Maker!  You will love this Tea Maker so much that you'll probably want to buy a few more as Holiday gifts.  Before you head over to their site to make a purchase, make sure to copy down the word "dragon" to use as a promotional code.  This code word will save you 15% off your purchase if you are a first time customer.  


      Mandatory Entry:
      Visit Enjoying Tea's site and leave me a comment telling me somehthing that you would like to try. Please include your email so that I can contact you if you are the winner.

      Extras: (Remember each entry must have a separate comment and an email address is needed to contact winner.)
      ~ Sign up for their Newsletter (5)
      ~Follow Between the Lines (2)         
      ~ Subscribe to my email (5)
      ~ Grab my button and leave a link of where it’s displayed (5)
      ~Add me to your Blogroll and leave a link (5)
      ~ Follow me on Facebook (5)
      ~Follow me on Twitter (2)
      ~ Add my Spotlight Saturday button and leave a link (5)
      ~Tweet this giveaway leaving me your link. (3x a day not back to back) (1 entry each)
      ~ Enter another one of my giveaways (1 each)
      ~Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link (10)

      This giveaway will end on November 23th @10p.m Eastern
      Giveaway open to US only.  Winner will be chosen randomly. An email notification will be sent to the email address provided by the winner. The winner must respond within 48 hours. Failure to do so will result in being disqualified and a new winner will be chosen.
      Disclaimer: I received a bottle of Kinoko AHCC in exchange for my honest review. The opinions & thoughts expressed are my own. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review. Prizes are mailed out by the distributor and Between the Lines cannot be held accountable for prizes not sent.
      Disclosure: I received free samples to write the review. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are my own.