HOME COOKED NEW YEAR'S EVE DINNER

Guest post written by Joe Huntington

Last year we decided to spend New Year's Eve in and just enjoy each other's company. As part of that, we ordered pizza and sat around in our pajamas watching different New Year's TV specials. But it took forever for the pizza to get there and when it finally did, it was kind of cold. Well, I talked my wife into staying home again this year and letting me cook her a nice dinner instead.

She was a little surprised and skeptical about me cooking dinner for her, but I've done my research and am only taking on things that according to difficulty ratings, should be within my cooking skills range. I found all of the recipes online and just have to go to the grocery store to get some of the last ingredients for the dinner. While I was online finding those recipes, I came across Kennewick 4g INTERNET deals, read up on them and decided to sign up for one of them for our home service.

I can't wait for our New Year's Eve dinner. My wife told me that she would help some, but I'm not going to let her help and just enjoy the nice (hopefully not burning) smells wafting from the kitchen.

AND IT SNOWED

Snow has finally come again and it was enough that the kids had a snow day, that means no school!!. We didn't get that much snow, probably around 3-4 inches as the weather reports said. I had to keep on checking the schools website before I went to sleep to see if there was any info. At around 5 a.m I woke up, thank goodness for Iphone I didn't have to go down to check the computer online. I was so glad to turn off the alarm on my phone when I saw that school was closed for Wednesday. I got to sleep for 2 more hours before the kids woke up. We woke up again to a blanket of white everywhere. Winter with snow is just so beautiful, clean and just so peaceful. If it was not dangerous to drive in snow and the condition I would wish for snow everyday in winter as it looks calmer. The kids had a wonderful time playing outside in the snow and stayed out as long as they could. Will be ever get as much snow as we did last year? Who knows, mother nature will just surprise us.

ALL GROWN UP...SORT OF

Guest post written by Peter Crawford

While doing some independent research for HearingAidsReviews online several weeks ago, I decided to search for baseball gear for my twin grandsons, Justin and Matthew. They are growing up so fast and theyÕre already playing in the little leagues! Their parents have really given them the means to privately train with the best, and at this rate thy may one day be great enough to play baseball at a big university. I used to throw a baseball in the yard with the boys as soon as they were old enough to really throw, and for Christmas I couldnÕt think of any better gifts than ones that could help them with their sport.

They know their granddad spoils them by now. I got them fielding mitts, batters gloves, Nike cleats, etc. They got two Christmas packages that really excited them. I want them do great, if baseball is what they want to do. While I do love the support, I would support my grandsons in any of their life endeavors. They knew that their granddad is always in their corner, no matter what!

WHAT I MISS

I am excited beyond reason this month. Why? I hope to be pregnant by the end of this month or at least within the next 3 months. On my last appointment to my OB-GYN we talked about our desire to have another baby and the difficulty why we have not been able to conceive. What can I say, I miss being pregnant. I miss having a huge belly, feeling the baby move inside of me, taking prenatal vitamins everyday, the never ending hunger and trips to the bathroom. The one thing I don't miss about being pregnant is the nausea and the throwing up. The first trimester was just horrible, it was like hell. The nausea was so bad that anything could trigger the constant trip to the bathroom to throw up. Lucky for me that around 4 months I got over it and I didn't look back after that. I was a happy camper without the nausea. Would my second pregnancy be the same,would my labor be faster, and will I have the twins I have been longing for? Keep checking back for updates.....

SAYONARA SUNBEAM

I love recieving gifts from my husband. Last Christmas was no exception, I could not wait to see what he got for me. Even though I kinda knew what he got for me I was still excited about it. My list only consisted of one thing, a KitchenAid. We have been a little tight on money and I understood that. When my husband started talking to me about what if he got me a stand mixer but not the KitchenAid I wanted. I admit, I was dissapointed but the practical part of me accepted it like a trooper. Christmas day came and sure enough I got my stand mixer but it was a Sunbeam instead of a KitchenAid. I was still happy about it for the simple reason that my husband got it for me. I wanted to try it out right away but to my dismay the box didn't come with a beater attachment. I had to call Sunbeam and ask them to mail me one. And after about 5-7 business day it came. My impression when I first used it is not at all good. It didn't mix my cookie batter well enough. When my husband came home that day I had to tell him that I want it returned so we can get a KitchenAid. He was gracious enough and didn't get upset, I also explained my reason for returning it. So hopefully within the next couple of days I will have returned it and bring home a new Kitchen Aid stand mixer.

PLAYROOM

One of our projects for 2011 is to buy some affordable and elegant light fixtures. The home lighting in our house is not bad but it needs an upgrade so it will look more modern. And not only that, the living room/playroom has no light fixtures at all. We are currently using a lamp that serves as a light in the playroom. I feel like our house needs more lights and fixtures. I don't know how Ralph could have missed not telling the Realtor about it before he got the house. Not only does the living room/playroom need light fixtures it also needs a fresh coat of paint. We painted the house last spring but we didn't not include it seeing that the playroom will only be temporary. I would really love to paint the playroom bright colors for the kids. We will have to see come Spring and see what we can afford to do in the house.

NO CRASH AND BURN

Our computer has reached past its one year marker, lol.. I hope I din't jinx it by celebrating early. For the past 2 years we have been struck my the dilemma of having to replace our computer every year due unforeseen circumstances ( computer virus ). If within 3 months our computer doesn't choke and die on us, we will still be needing a new lcd monitor as the one we have is kinda old. If we can afford it I'd like to get one that has a bigger screen with a built in speaker. Something like the new lcd monitor that my MIL got about 6-8 months ago.Cross my fingers that our computer won't crash on us, if it does let it happen after tax return, lol.

A GRANDDAUGHTERS GIFT

One of the person that left a great impact in my life is my grandma. Growing up we fought like cats and dogs, I hated her with a passion. Everything I did was all wrong or I would do things wrong just to annoy her. My mom was torn between me and my grandma, me as her daughter and my grandma as her mother. I don't know when I started understanding my grandma. I think it was when I was in college and would spent summer in our hometown. We got so close and I really understand and love her now more than ever. That is why when I saw the news about an Omaha couple who chose to have their wedding at a nursing home so her grandmother could see her walk down the aisle really touched me. It was indeed a granddaughters gift to grandma, one that she really values. I would do the same thing for my grandma in a heartbeat. She is the glue that holds our whole family together. She is strong but compassionate, her words may sting but with reason behind it, she is one of a kind. I miss her so much and I was so glad to see her when I went home last July, 2010. It will be another 3 years before I can go home again but she will be in my heart forever.


pietrantoni

NEW YEAR'S EVE TELEVISION SHOWS

Thanks to Olga Quinn

Every year at this time, there is much debate over which New Year's Eve show to watch. People can't decide between the classic Dick Clark show or the newer but just as good New Year's Eve with Carson Daly. Carson Daly has been hosting this show for the four years it has been on the air. He has celebrity entertainment on at different locations throughout New York. His correspondants interview celebrities all over the city and they also interview many of the people who go to Times Square for the big celebration.

The show is a great mix of reporting, interviews and music and my family and I love watching it on our satellite television from http://www.bestchoicetv.com/movies.html. This show is mostly for the younger crowds and have musical guests mostly geared toward that. Dick Clark's show also features new artists but also has many of the older artists making his show a great mix of old and new.

No matter what you decide to watch, just having a great evening at home to watch the New Year ring in is a good way to start the New Year right. You don't have to fight the crowds at the celebrations in the city and many times your vantage point at home for watching these performers is better than you could ever have live in person, especially at New Year's.

COOKIE MESSAGE

After taking Kaitlyn sledding on the small hill near our development, we head on to our favorite Chinese buffet. Ralph has been hankering to eat Chinese food and so do I. The trouble is, I just ate a chicken sandwich a couple of hours before we left. Still, I am not one to refuse food and will eat until I pass out. The place was bustling with people coming in for lunch. I just had a slice of meat, shrimp, rice, beans. I was going to go get some salad but I bee lined for the dessert bar. Kaitlyn was having a good time and behaved pretty good. She ate most of her food and had fun feeding her daddy some vanilla and chocolate pudding. A few minutes into the dessert we got our fortune cookie.And mine said

" IF YOU TELL THE TRUTH YOU DON'T HAVE TO REMEMBER ANYTHING".

It is exactly what it is. If one lies one has to remember what lie was being told so that one will keep on with that lie and not be caught. Am I making sense?

A WARM AND SAFE NEW YEARS

Guest post of the week by Moises Henderson

It's New Years Eve and when we were younger we could go and party all night long, but we are much older now and even a littler wiser, so it's home we stay. We invite a few friends in and have a little get together of our very own. The food is all made, for the snacks that we must have, the beverages are chilled and the house is decorated for the coming of the new year. It just wouldn't be right if we didn't have our direc 4 u TV tuned to Times Square for the big ball drop. Having all that excitement in New York is just adding to the joy we feel in our family room. The music that is being played the biggest part of the night always adds to the party atmosphere. As the midnight hour approaches, we all settle in to see the magic that happens, when that beautiful ball finally reaches the bottom. A little hugging and a few friendly kisses is a way our friends spend the welcoming of the New Year. Safe and warm with the ones we care about is the best way to start a new month and a new year.

THEY ARE BACK!

Oh yes my favorite CBS shows are finally back with new episodes. I think CBS has a lot of great shows. While on Christmas break I was so looking forward to seeing my favorite shows, imagine my dissapointment to find out that it was a rebroadcast/repeat of an episode that I have previously seen. I hated the fact that I had nothing to really watch at night when the kids are snug in bed sleeping. But this week, my shows are back with a vengeance. So are you a CBS fan? What are your favorite shows to watch and why?

My favorites are CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION, CSI :NY, CSI:MIAMI, NCIS, NCIS : LA, and CRIMINAL MINDS. I just love the whole CSI but my favorite is probably Las Vegas and NY. Las Vegas for Nick Stokes and Rey Langston.. And NY for no other than Det. Mac Taylor. And NCIS for Abby and Leroy Jethro Gibbs. I will be looking forward to next week and new episodes of my favorite shows.

STOCKING STUFFERS TO FIT MY BUDGET

Guest post written by Kate Teague

I like to get really creative when I'm giving gifts, but sometimes when you're giving gifts to little kids they want something specific that they've seen on commercials, like a holiday Barbie, and just won't be happy unless they get it for Christmas. But one area that I've learned you can trick them in at Christmas is stocking stuffers. You can make little, inexpensive things look really nice if you put them in a stocking and stick to a few little tricks.

I started thinking about that a few weeks ago and when I was doing that I went online with our CLEAR TV BUNDLE to see if I could find some easy and cheap stocking stuffers to put in my kids' stockings.

One of the cheap stocking stuffers that I came up with was to buy a little pink notebook and take some Barbie stickers and put it on the cover. Then I got some hot pink pencils to match the notebook that my daughter will think are Barbie things too. I also got her some cheap little hair clips that I know she'll like too

A SECOND CHANCE

About a couple of days ago a saw a news clip about this man with a Golden voice. A homeless man name Ted Williams was just given a second chance of a lifetime. I could not believe his voice, I mean my goodness it was just so magical. When you hear him talk he just sucks you into the story he tells. He truly has a God given voice and is tailor made for Radio or sport broadcasting. I was so glad to see and read in the news that he was been offered jobs and that he is getting his life back in order. It matters not what you were in the past, what matters is what you do with the opportunity you have in the present so you have something to look forward in the future. To Ted Williams I wish you all the best and may you succeed this time around and prove that you are worth the second chance. To read more about his story click here.

GETTING USED TO EACH OTHER

Guest post written by Ken Barley

My wife and I are newlyweds, and itÕs been a whole new experience since we started living together. Having to share the same space everyday has its pleasant momentsÉ but it also has its challenges, ha! We get along really well, but weÕre definitely still fine-tuning a few things. I am a pretty messy guy, and she is a pretty neat girl, so we bang heads there a lot. I feel like sheÕs often frustrated because I donÕt clean in a very timely fashion, and when I get home from work, cleaning is the last thing I usually think about. IÕm trying to work on my habits so that we can both live easily.

One thing we both agree on is that our new home needs a little work in general. We are going to have to make it a team project to get our new little home in pristine condition. I think that I am going to look at sites like http://www.HomeProImprovement.com because I honestly have no idea what IÕm doing when it comes to repairs. We have a lot to work on together, but, the operative keyword there is TOGETHER!