JUST SOME STUFF

Don't get me wrong, I adore the holiday decorations, goodwill and Christmas movies but there are 3 things I'm not a fan of, and that would be gingerbread cookies, fruitcake and fake snow. (lol)  How about you?  Do you have a Christmas or holiday turnoff?

CHEESY TWISTS (Sandra Lee)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (17.3 ounce box), thawed but chilled
• 1 tablespoon large egg lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated  

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Unfold puff pastry onto a cutting board. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush half the egg mixture over puff pastry. Sprinkle with ¼ cup Parmesan and gently pat down so the cheese sticks to pastry. Carefully turn pastry over and repeat with remaining egg mixture and Parmesan.
3. Using a pizza cutter, cut pastry into 1-inch-wide strips. Twist each strip by turning the ends in opposite directions. Arrange evenly on prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until twists are golden brown. Transfer twists to a wire rack. Serve warm..

If you're looking for a place in the states next year that has lots of vendors, plenty of tasty goodies and boasts over a million Christmas lights, check out Leavenworth Washington.  This place looks so amazing!

Do you still send out handwritten notes to thank friends or family, or is that a lost art?  Ironically, December 26 is National Thank You Note Day, so if you have some Thank You cards sitting around the house, that's the day to use them.

Have you ever watched the very wonderful Carol Burnett in her variety show on tv?  It's hard to imagine that it was on from 1967 to 1978, then came back on for the final time in 1991.  This program was laugh out loud funny, and won a staggering 25 Emmys!

She's still around, still churning out some amazing reads, and with over 400 million books in print, and a net worth of a little over 390 million, Eleanor Marie Robertson  never ceases to reinvent herself.  Oh, did I mention this great author is also called Nora Roberts?  Be sure to check out her latest fantasy series called Chronicles of the One.

Do you have a favorite color when it comes to your vehicle?  Mine would be purple or pink, but neither one of those is in the ranking.(lol)  According to the Axalta Coating Systems for 2017, the top color that people prefer for any type of vehicle (trucks, sedans, sports cars, etc.) is white/pearl white with black as a close second.  Also, the top selling car in 2017 was the Toyota Camry.

This seems hard to believe, but according to researchers at the Virginia Commonwealth University, eating a cookie or a small piece of pie with breakfast can rev up your metabolism by 25%, possibly getting rid of about 37 pounds a year.

Did you know that you can donate litter and much needed food to cats and dogs for FREE by visiting www.freekibble.com?  Answer fun trivia questions for FREE and you'll be helping pets in need.

Grover Cleveland is considered the 22nd AND 24th president because he served 2 terms that were not consecutive.

I'm sure not one of them, but two billion people actually enjoy eating bugs (ugh), and the official word for it is entomophagy.

I think most of us get caught up in the holiday hustle and bustle, but I can't forget about the families who are struggling because they've lost a loved one due to domestic violence, or many who are hungry and homeless.  

Someone you know is cringing in fear of being physically harmed,  or struggling with low self esteem because they were degraded or humiliated at a holiday party because of weight, clothing or a conversation.  That friend you work with has no place to go for a Christmas meal, and is forced to sleep in a car and to wash up in the local Walmart.  The child you see with bruises almost every day in your neighborhood cries at night praying to be saved from the horrific abuse he or she is suffering from at home.

Statistically, domestic violence is even worse during the holidays, and every year my Christmas wish is that homelessness and abuse will one day be eradicated.  

This note below is from a blogger who has fallen on hard times.

"In desperate need of help"   Our situation seems to get worse by the day. We are.asking for.help to be able to stay in our home and take care of our 2 children. Please help our family.   View Updates

JUST SOME USELESS STUFF YOU DON'T REALLY NEED

Years ago I decorated with a traditional green Christmas tree inside, and outside I'd display a colorful one.  Sometimes my ornaments were Barbie dolls from Happy Meals or Hot Wheels that I've collected over the years.  Once I did all ribbons.  Now I just admire everyone else's trees, and don't use any of my own.

So the other morning while watching the news, I found out that black Christmas trees are trending.  Some people love it, and others say that's a big fat NO.  What are your thoughts? Is it too gothic or something fun to try?

DO YOU FEEL LUCKY?
If you do or you don't, be sure to get your name in the hat for a prize package of Oprah's Favorite Things that's worth over $16,000!  And yes, I enter every year. (lol) That's right, 12 people can win all these prizes by visiting https://oprah.com/12days up through 12/9/2018.  Some of the prizes include a Phillips Indoor Grill, jewelry, a mixer, slippers, sparkling water maker and lots more.  However, if you're looking for a special or unusual gift, everything may also be purchased at Amazon.

According to Gina Bria, author of Quench: Beat Fatigue, Drop Weight & Heal Your Body, eating an apple and drinking a glass of water is more effective than 2 glasses of water.  Fresh veggies and fruit have gel water(H3O2) and hydrates better than water.

SATURDAY
Deck the Halls on December 1 and celebrate National Christmas Lights Day!  Get lights on the cheap from the Dollar Tree, or go over the top with lights from high end stores.  Be careful to not get on your neighbors nerves though with too much glitter, which is the case in New Jersey. 

Appruzi Property

For the past 15 years the Apruzzi family has been lighting it up with over 10,000 lights, but his neighbors do not approve siting safety reasons and chaos in the neighborhood.  City officials are fining them $3,000 for each day they show off their display to visitors, and Mr. Appruzi refuses to pay.  That may force the show to shut down.  Let's hope it all works out for everyone involved. 

Okay, who wants to admit that they've used the original Polaroid camera, which was sold for the first time in 1948 for about $90.00? 

I remember getting yelled at by my mom in the 70's-80's because I wanted to take pictures all the time, and that color film was so dang expensive.  Also, everyone hated that there was no way to get the same picture twice without having to waste even more film.(lol)

Throughout the years, Polaroid upgraded to smaller digital styles, but in 2017, they offered up the new 2-step analog version, which ironically costs about $99, causing the company to pretty much come full circle.

Want a clean pan without all the fuss? Once it cools off, spread the surface of the pan with 2 Tbs. baking soda, 1 cup hot water and 1/4  cup vinegar.  Let it sit for 5 minutes before easily washing it out  because the chemical mix does all the work.  These ingredients will also clear a clogged grain, but the measurements are different.

CRANBERRY CHIP COOKIES (Taste of Home)

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1-1/2 cups dried cranberries

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup English toffee bits or almond brickle chips, optional

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips, cranberries, pecans and toffee bits if desired (dough will be stiff).
• Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly. Bake at 350° for 11-14 minutes or until set and edges are lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks.

THANKFUL STUFF

Everyone knows that I pretty much binge on Christmas programs around this time of year, and here is a picture of Happy the Cat and Happy the Dog from The Hallmark Channel as they celebrate the holiday.

Twelve of this year's movies were actually filmed in Vancouver, and there are a total of 37 new movies premiering.

Do you like Christmas trees?  Can you imagine decorating 4640 of them since the movies started in 2009?

You can pretty much guarantee that someone will take advantage mistletoe on a Hallmark movie.  If you've been watching over the years, you probably counted all 1392 of them.(lol) Country Living

I wish all my blog buds a very Happy Thanksgiving.  I'm truly thankful that you've supported me and this blog throughout the year with tidbits, laughter, valuable input and kindness.  Your visits mean so much.

Every disheveled person isn't necessarily walking the streets seeking handouts.  Officially, the definition of homelessness is someone who is living in an unstable environment, such as a shelter, abandoned building, a vehicle, a friend or even a relative's couch.  Then there are those that we see under bridges, living in the woods or on benches.  Either way, they have no place to call their own.

Many may need socks and warm coats or food to get through the night, but others appreciate hugs of encouragement, or a smile letting them know things will get better.

We're also sending shouts out to our veterans who are away from home and family, protecting us and our country.  Be safe.

CAN WE TALK ABOUT STUFF?

I don't know what happened to the other UPS guy who used to leave packages that I never found out about until I was leaving the house for an errand,  but he's been replaced. 

There's nothing better than having the hot new UPS guy drop off your packages, and to actually bring them all inside your home. 

Every time he greets me with that romantic Italian accent and smiles, my heart melts just a little bit more. Then I just keep waving as he runs back to his truck and drives off into the sunset. (lol)  By the way, they're hiring, and too bad he's only doing the seasonal help thing.  Meanwhile, please feel free to send me lots of packages.(lol)

Don't forget to show some love to a vet on Sunday November 11 or Monday November 12.  Veterans can also reach out to lots of places to get free haircuts, free dinners, oil changes and other amazing discounts. For more info visit:

https://militarybenefits.info/veterans-day-discounts-sales-deals-free-meals/

It's ironic that World Kindness Day falls in the month to remember thankfulness, but don't forget to honor this special day too on November 13.

If you need another reason to eat cake, let's celebrate National Bundt Cake Day together on November 15!

This time of year there's plenty of dough being used for tasty treats  and it brought back memories of the Pillsbury Doughboy, who's been around to make us smile since 1965.  Do you remember any of the commercials?

Have you ever watched the classic Gone With the Wind in its entirety?  That movie clocked in at almost 4 hours, and is the perfect date movie.  The author Margaret Mitchell decided to write the 1000 page story when she broke her ankle and had plenty of time on her hands.  It was published years later and its popularity earned her a Pulitzer prize.  

Did you want Scarlett and Rhett to get back together?  According to the 883 page sequel published in 1991 by Alexandra Ripley called Scarlett - they did.

IT'S A MYTH
We may think that we reinfect our significant others, kids or friends with our colds, but according to infectious disease experts and other doctors, you can't get the same cold twice.  Once we fight off one cold, we become immune.  However, it is possible to catch an entirely different cold virus immediately after being healed from the first, so it seems like it's the same cold.

SAVE MONEY
If you really want to save money while ordering gifts online, add  www.invisiblehand.com as a browser extension to just about any web browser.  Once you visit a site to shop, this plug in works behind the scenes to find the best prices and deals around the web.  It's pretty cool how this works.

I DON'T GET IT
Jennifer Haley lives in Ellisville MO, but apparently she's been flying back and forth to Colorado to purchase drugs to ship back to her home.

Once she gets back home, she bakes brownies and other candy laced with drugs, then packages it up for high school kids to sell to other children in the area.

Her condo is near a school and a park and was recently raided. Police officers found marijuana, LSD and Xanax and a warrant has been issued for her arrest.  She's described as having purple hair, which means she should be pretty easy to notice.

Some things just don't make sense to me.

Don't forget to take a moment to relax when you can