California Raisins - Remember them?

These commercials started in 1986...wow, where does the time go! Halloween that year, the California Raisin was one of the most popular Halloween costumes. Love the commerical with Michael Jackson - I had completely forgotten it! I found one commerical, that was all I was going to post, then I found another and another...they're just so much fun!

Michael Jackson


Ray Charles






And then there is the video that shows you "How did they do that?"

Seriously Funny Print Ad - Radio Station

Having stumbled upon this ad surfing the net one day, I just had to pass it on. Makes you wonder what will be invented next and how far we've come!

Veterans Day - A Thank You to all who've Served

Veterans Day does not include an apostrophe but does include an "s" at the end of "veterans" because it is not a day that "belongs" to veterans, it is a day for honoring all veterans and is usually celebrated on November 11th.

Many people confuse Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Memorial Day is a day for remembering and honoring military personnel who died in the service of their country, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle. While those who died are also remembered, Veterans Day is the day set aside to thank and honor ALL those who served honorably in the military - in wartime or peacetime.

In fact, Veterans Day is largely intended to thank LIVING veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to our national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served - not only those who died - have sacrificed and done their duty.

A number of countries honor their veterans each year on November 11th, although the name and types of commemorations differ somewhat from Veterans Day celebrations in the United States. For example, Canada and Australia observe "Remembrance Day" on November 11th, and Great Britain observes "Remembrance Day" on the Sunday nearest to November 11th. There are similarities and differences between these countries' Remembrance Day and America's Veterans Day.

Canada's observance is actually quite similar to the U.S. celebration, in that the day is intended to honor all who served in Canada's Armed Forces. However, unlike in the U.S., many Canadians wear red poppy flowers on November 11th in honor of their war dead. In Australia, Remembrance Day is very much like America's Memorial Day, a day to honor that nation's war dead.

In Great Britain, the day is commemorated by church services and parades of ex-service members in Whitehall, a wide ceremonial avenue leading from London's Parliament Square to Trafalgar Square. Wreaths of poppies are left at the Cenotaph, a war memorial in Whitehall, which was built after the First World War. At the Cenotaph and elsewhere in the country, a two-minute silence is observed at 11 a.m., to honor those who lost their lives in wars.

Information provided by United States Department of Veterans Affairs

Donate to your local Food Bank

Donating to your local food bank is fast and easy when you use an on-line grocery delivery website.

A suggestion for a Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday basket for a family of four is the list I just ordered on Vons.com for delivery to our local food bank South County Outreach tomorrow in memory of my dad, our fabulous Thanksgiving turkey carver:

Holiday Meal Order Summary:

• $11.00 Butterball Turkey 16-20 Lb Frozen
• $ 4.00 Stove Top Turkey Stuffing Mix - 6 Oz (2 @ $2.00)
• $ 4.00 Sara Lee Classic Dinner Rolls - 17 Oz (2 @2.00)
• $ 1.50 Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce - 14 Oz
• $ 1.58 Safeway Cut Green Beans - 14.5 Oz (2 @ $0.79)
• $ 3.98 Princella Cut Sweet Potatoes And Yams - 29 Oz (2 @ $1.99)
• $ 1.58 Safeway/Genuardis Corn Whole Golden - 15.25 Oz (2 @ $0.79)
• $ 2.99 Reddi Wip Whipped Cream Topping- 7 Fl. Oz.
• $ 6.99 Sara Lee Signature Selections Traditional Pumpkin Pie - 46 Oz.
• $ 1.25 Safeway Wide Egg Noddles Pasta - 12 Oz
• $ 1.60 Campbells Cream Of Mushroom Condensed Soup - 10.75 Oz (2 @ $0.80)
• $ 2.00 Safeway/Vons Fruit Cocktail - 15.25 Oz (2 @ $1.00)


• $42.47 ORDER TOTAL

Optional items families need:

• $ 1.79 Safeway/Vons Grape Jam - 18 Oz
• $ 2.00 Safeway/Vons Peanut Butter Creamy - 18 Oz
• $ 3.15 Mahatma Long Grain White Rice - 2 Lb
• $ 1.89 Safeway/Vons Pasta Spaghetti - 32 Oz
• $ 5.00 Hunts Classic Italian Garlic and Herb Spaghetti Sauce - 26 Oz 4 @$1.25)
• $ 4.00 Campbells Chicken Noodle Condensed Soup - 10.75 Oz (4 @ $1.00)
• $ 2.00 Safeway/Vons Light Sugar Yellow Cling Peach Halfs - 15 Oz (2 @ $1.00)


• $19.74 OPTIONAL ITEMS TOTAL

It's easy to give, just google local food banks/pantries in your area and a local grocery delivery service or choose to deliver food yourself. Fifteen minutes of on-line ordering time and around $42.47 will put a smile on your face and the faces of another family this holiday season. Donating to your local food bank will feel so good it might become a new habit.

Table Topics Conversation Starters

When looking for hostess gifts, we found these interesting little cubes called "Table Topics" filled with questions guaranteed to get the party conversation started. Our favorite was the "Not your Mom's Dinner Party" collection. It promises provocative questions as spicy as the food you are serving and questions your mother told you never to ask such as "What habit would you like to break?", and "What alcohol can you never drink again?"

Other sets of Table Topics we selected above include: Family Edition, Right or Wrong Edition, Girl's Night Out Edition, Family Gathering, Kids Topics to Go, College Life Conversation Starters, Wine Topics, Dinner Party and Wedding Shower Table Topics.

Click on any product above to order or see details. Ordered and shipped from Amazon. What could be easier?

Eat This, Not That - Test your food choice skills

Diet? Now? With the holiday season around the corner, how many of you have started to think about holiday weight gain and how to prevent it?

My son asked me to get him the "Eat This, Not That" book when he learned about it in his health class. Once he was no longer playing football and basketball and burning a zillion calories a day, he needed to change his eating habits. It was fun to discover new habits together and how little changes can add up to a big change without dieting.

Now, you can test your food knowledge with the "Eat This, Not That Game". The game tests your knowledge of foods for every meal as well as desserts and snacks. Try it, what have you got to loose, except maybe a few hundred unnecessary calories.

Click to order any of the books shipped directly to you from Amazon.

Thanksgiving & Fall Party Invitations

Fall and Thanksgiving Party Invitations featuring the stunning colors of autumn.

Rich golds, reds and vibrant oranges, of the Harlequin Roses Party Invitation make it a spectacular choice for a fall event invitation:

Ivory Pumpkins and Apricot Flowers Party Invitation makes an elegant statement of the season:

The Rink Neck Pheasant Party Invitation is a great choice for the sportsman:

The Fall Foliage Party Invitation is perfect for a dinner party invitation, a fall bridal shower and more:

Shop all our Autumn and Fall Invitations Thanksgiving Invitations, Octoberfest Invitations.

Traditional Christmas Greeting Photo Cards

We love the folded traditional Photo Christmas Cards, mainly because you print and attach your own photos to this style card and it opens to your own custom printed greeting and family personalization. You can send one photo to your family, another photo to your friends and another to your business associates.

One of my friends actually prints out and keeps pictures of her family interacting with the people on her Christmas card list. When it's time to send out her cards, she puts those pictures on the card she sends to them. How clever!

20% OFF the Christmas Photo Cards

from this page link only
Good until 11/30/09
Must type in Promo Code PEACE08 at checkout
Code must be in shopping cart & on order for discount

Progress is Overrated by Frank Druffel

I found this while surfing for something else. I loved it!

Frank Druffel writes:

"When I started in management, solitaire was the big employee time-waster. Today we have YouTube.

Now that's what I call Progress.

I'm no fan of Progress, mind you, but having the ability to push this YouTube content straight to people's desks means I don't have to remind my employees to play solitaire every hour. Not only does that free up my schedule, but it's a more interesting way for them to waste their time, which means there's less chance of actual Progress occurring.

If only we had this YouTube 30 years ago! Who knows where this country would be? But why look back, when infinite hours of streaming video are ahead of us.

Warm regards,

Frank Druffel"

Vinturi? It's all the Buzz...

What is a Vinturi? According to my friends, it's the hottest new must have gadget. My neighbor, Bill, opened a new bottle of red wine and he had me do a comparison test. Amazing, but true, the glass of wine aerated with the Vinturi did taste better than the non-Vinturi-aerated glass. There's also a Vinturi for white wine. Who knew white wine could taste better after being aerated? After my taste testing, I have to agree, the Vinturi is on my Christmas Wish List.

In discussing the Vinturi, the main comment I have heard is, "Who has time to let wine breath? Just pour it and drink it." That's the secret of the Vinturi, that's exactly what you do with it. You open the bottle of wine, you hold the Vinturi over your glass, and you pour the wine through the Vinturi and into your glass and immediately start enjoying a wonderfully aerated glass of wine! No waiting necessary!

Click on any of the selections above to order directly from Amazon.

For the technical details--as wine breathes, it releases its intended aromas and flavors. Unlike time-consuming decanters, Vinturi's simple gadget makes the aerating process easy and convenient. Simply hold it over a glass and pour the wine through, mixing the proper amount of air in the right amount of time. The result is a better bouquet, richer flavor, and smoother finish. Vinturi's acrylic aerator stands six inches tall and two inches wide, is dishwasher-safe, and comes with a no-drip stand and travel pouch. During manufacturing, the material folds around rods and wraps back resulting in two slightly visible fold lines. These lines extend up from each air hole and are normal. Vinturi draws in and mixes the proper amount of air for the right amount of time, allowing your wine to breathe instantly. You'll notice a better bouquet, enhanced flavors and smoother finish. It's that fast. It's that easy.

Who do you know that would love a Vinturi in their Christmas stocking?