My daughters and I love picnics! We also love picnic baskets. We love all of them from the old style woven baskets to the more contemporary Picnic Backpacks. I think we love all the little gadgets that come with the baskets as much as we love the food that get packed in them. And although the weather is starting to turn cool and some people may be thinking that picnic season is on it's way out, not us! We still love bringing a basket full of goodies whenever we go exploring. No matter what the weather is. Well, except in a freezing downpour kind of weather, that is. But so long as it's still comfortable out, you'll find us out there, always with a bag full of snacks.

I should have known that nowadays there is a website for practically everything. I didn't assume though that there would be a website dedicated to all things picnic baskets. It turns out there is such a thing! If you want to know everything there is to know about Picnic Baskets and the different types and styles of baskets, you've got to check out the 1001 Picnic Baskets website. We love these type of baskets because they are ready to go. All the accessories you need like forks, plates, napkins and glasses are all packed neatly and ready to go. All you have to do is add your food and drinks. Best of all, they are made for this purpose so you can get them insulated or not; they are made to be carried around whether you're roughing it or having a fancy picnic.

By the way, with the holidays coming up, I think these picnic baskets would make great presents. Don't you? I certainly would love receiving one of these baskets for Christmas.

If you're a regular reader, you've noticed I haven't been cooking much lately. It could be the increased work load at the office or the general malaise of winter or both. Whatever it is, there are just days when I don't feel like cooking so I end up picking up some fast food on the way home or have it delivered. This is fine and well, but I have to admit, it's not very healthy and I am frankly getting bored with the limited selection of deliverable fast food.

Busy moms like me, I just realized, could benefit from a meal delivery service like Healthy Chef Creations. Many of these custom meal services have cropped up lately and this Healthy Chef Creations brand stands out from the rest because it not only provides home cooked type meals, they are also designed to be healthy for you. The menu at Healthy Chef Creations are prepared from wholesome and organic foods that are low in fat and calories but are full of the other things that are good for you like lean proteins, fiber, vitamins and minerals and also anti-oxidants. Their dishes are not full of preservatives and chemicals like most fast foods and best of all, these chef created marvels can be delivered right at your door. You can get a home delivery meal easily by checking out their website and placing your order online or calling it in.

Check out the Healthy Chef Creations and you'll realize that for the restaurant quality dishes and the personal chef delivery service, you are really getting a lot for your money. Some of my favorites are on the dinner menu: Osso Bucco Braised Lamb, Mediterranean Chicken Scallopini, Lemon Basil Shrimp Pasta, and more! They also have an old fashioned pot roast if you're yearning for something homemade and filling. Keep in mind also that their menu is fully customizable if you have any dietary restrictions or just don't like certain ingredients like mushrooms or black pepper. Their portions and packages vary so make sure you read through the website. They deliver nationwide and the shipping fee is already included in the menu price.

A cook's wish list is always evolving and expanding so if you have a cook on your Christmas list, make sure to get them the latest gadget but you've got to get good quality. Most cooks are particular about the utensils they use in the kitchen. They want high quality stuff even if they have to wait for years to get them.

One place to get some of the best quality cooking utensils at discount prices is Cooking.com. They carry some of the best brands like the Calphalon pots and pans pictured above, Forschner Victorinox, Viking, Kitchen Aid, Cuisinart and Swiss Diamond to name a few. They carry everything a kitchen could need from cookware, silverware, china to just about every kitchen gadget imaginable.

When you shop online, you now can find all sorts of deals including Cooking.com coupons. So start shopping early and save even more by avoiding high shipping costs.

My daughters are teenagers now, 16 and 17 years old. They think they're grown and they think they're old enough to drink coffee. For a while, they had a love affair going with the mermaid's coffee shop until I told them they will have to start paying for their own. That's when they decided, "hey! there's other coffee out there that's just as good and doesn't cost my whole week's allowance!"

And since we're big coffee drinkers at home, they've also taken to drinking OUR home brewed coffee. Yeah, they think they're grown...

Now they have a new obsession. Ever since we were sent samples of these POM iced coffees to try out, they have been getting a supply of them every time we go to the grocery store. At first, they thought it was pomegranate juice. When they saw it was iced coffee, their first reaction was, "Ewe, coffee and POMegranate juice?" Luckily, there's no juice in this POM, just coffee and other good-for-you stuff like milk and POMx an extract derived from pomegranates which contains caffeine and polyphenol antioxidants.

They liked these iced coffees so much that they've taken to carrying them for their lunch. The great thing about these is that they don't have to be refrigerated so they can just keep them in their lunch bag along with the usual ice block they take to cool stuff down. No refrigeration required.

POM iced coffees come in three flavors, cafe' au lait, chocolate and vanilla. My girls liked all of them and now get a variety each time we go to the market. They can be found in the same area as the POM juices, btw.




Visit our other blogs:
Amoores.com
Cooked from the Heart - our new food blog
Our New Backyard - garden & photo blog
Found Not Lost - about all the things we 'find' worth talking about

When asked what is the most important feature in a kitchen, them most popular answer will most likely be the stove. Few will mention the kitchen sink. It is the step child of the kitchen, often taken for granted and ignored. But think about how often you use it and how important it is that you have just the right type of sink to accommodate your needs.

Me, I have always been partial to double sinks. I like the divided sink rather than the one wide tub. I also prefer porcelain to stainless steel; but I never thought to even consider a Granite Kitchen Sink. Who knew! It just seemed like such an extravagant idea to even consider.

That is, until I ran across the MR Direct website which sells kitchen sinks at affordable wholesale prices. They recently added granite sinks to their product line and they are serious about their claim of having 'affordable wholesale prices'. I could not believe you could buy a granite sink for under $300 dollars!

According to their website, the granite sinks are made using natural and environmentally friendly materials. They are manufactured so that they repel most bacteria on their surfaces, and as most granite fans know, granite is stain proof and scratch resistant. MR direct also offers a lifetime warranty and they can ship on the same day.

I think a feel a kitchen re-do coming on. Don't you?

My youngest daughter started wearing prescription eye glasses this year. So that makes two of my kids wearing glasses. On top of it, I decided to cancel our vision plan this year. Duh! I thought I'd only be paying for one person's glasses. But now there's two of them and I may have to get them too. I have an appointment with an ophthalmologist in a couple of weeks.

Thank goodness I've known about Zenni Optical for a while. If you've never heard of them before, they are where you can order eyeglasses like the one below for $8.

I know, unbelievable, right? That was my first reaction too but more and more people that I know have tried their service and are very happy with it.

If you're still skeptical, just do a search of Zenni Optical and you will find that they have been investigated by news magazines on Fox and CBS and they've all given positive reviews of the glasses ordered from Zenni.

When we were young, my mom shopped at Kmart. One of the treats I looked forward to every time we went shopping was beef taquitos. I know, weird, right? But strangely, that's where I first tasted the fried sticks with bits of beef inside it and they gave you that fake, canned guacamole sauce to dip it in. I thought it was delicious! I couldn't get enough of it! And as tiring as it was to tail my mom on her shopping sprees, when she said KMart, I was up and ready to go because I knew we would get some taquitos in the bargain. Of course now I won't touch those things with a ten foot pole. lol!

I actually hated going to KMart because they had those Kmart Bluelight specials that made everyone in the store insane. While browsing the store, you'll feel a change in the air. You'll see people start walking fast, some actually trotting, just a few seconds before the intercom announcement comes on about some item or other on the blue light special. For a kid, it was scary and exciting at the same time. One of my aunts used to go to KMart just for the blue light specials. She said she love the festive atmosphere. And I guess, looking back on it now it could have been fun rushing to the blue light and getting a great deal. No matter if you need the item or not, it's on sale! So you buy it. Marketing genius, right?

Sadly, by the time I was old enough to shop on my own, the blue light specials were gone and I realized that I kind of missed it. Well now, I hear they are back again. This Saturday ONLY, August 15, the blue light special returns with over 40 blue light specials all day. They have great deals on back to school items such as kids backpacks (Athletech, Route 66 and Licensed), regular price: $19.99, will sell for less than 50% off at $8! 70 count notebooks will also be on special at buy 2 get 1 free. These are amazing deals for back-to-school shoppers.

If you're not shopping for back-to-school, this is the time to buy summer items like patio furniture which, at the end of summer like now, usually go on sale for up to 70% off. Well during the blue light special weekend, you can get an extra 20% off! What a steal! That's practically free!

Don't miss out on the blue light special this weekend. Mark your calendars! To stay updated on sales and to make sure you're reminded of the blue light special, follow Kmart on Twitter and be first to know of great buys.

I'm sure you've heard of celebrities spending hundreds even thousands of dollars on designer jeans. If you're like me you've probably thought them insane while secretly hoping you'd get to try on some really good jeans that fit you perfectly someday, before you die.

Well, maybe you won't have to wait quite so long. Armani Exchange (I know, it's sounding expensive already isn't it?) carries both men's and women's designer jeans for as low as $98. The Armani Exchange website and browsed through their selection of jeans. Of course you know I stayed on the $98 end of the price range, right?

Anyway, one of the first pages you land on will ask you to choose a category that best fits your figure. Unless you're 16 year old with a svelte figure, you'll know how important it is for jeans to mold your lumps and bumps and sort of move them in the right direction. The page says that I have an 'hour glass' figure. Hour glass is a flattering way to describe my figure; it is a term I would have never used to describe mine but I'll take it! The other choices, 'long and lean' and 'full chested' just did not fit me. The description for the hourglass figure said that the hips a just slightly wider than the shoulder and fullness in the hips and thigh area. Well that sounds closest to my actual built so I'll go with that. :)

The photo on the right, the pencil thin legs and frayed look would be fine on my teenagers but I don't think it would be suitable for me. For my mommy 'hour glass figure', I think the style on the left (it's called Potassium Straight) is more suited. It has straight legs rather than skinny but it is still very fashionable and sexy. Hott! as my daughters would describe it. There is also a classic boot cut and a skinny flare style that I wouldn't mind wearing.

There is also a text A|X contest going on where you can win a pair of denim jeans everyday during July by textig the keyword "DENIM2" to ARMANI (276264). As with most major companies now, Armani Exchange also has the A|X Blog which is full of not only celebrity sightings but other news about Armani style.

For a limited time only, between 7/7/09 – 7/19/09 you will receive a $20 gift card towards your next purchase ($100 or more, valid 7/30/09 through 8/15/09) when you buy a pair of jeans from Armani Exchange, in store or online.

Luckily, we've only been burglarized once. However, once was plenty. The burglar invaded our home and pointed a gun at my husband. Luckily, I was in the other bedroom and locked the door when I heard the commotion. I then quietly slipped out the window to call the police from our neighbor's house. They got there fast enough, and my husband wasn't hurt physically, but the culprit got away. He was later apprehended and we had to go to court as witness to his crime.

Everything turned out OK but my husband and I have never been the same since. We were robbed of our sense of security. The money we lost, the knocks my husband had to endure, those were marks that were soon forgotten. But the peace of mind, that's gone forever, replaced by a sense of vulnerability that will stay with us the rest of our lives.

The thing is, if we had have an alarm system , we could have avoided all that. But we lived in a gated community and didn't feel like an added layer of protection was necessary. Now we wish we could have had some warning that this person had invaded our perimeter. But, that's all in hindsight, right?

We've learned our lesson though and are now more vigilant about the security of our home especially as we now have three daughters.

One provider of interactive wireless security system is Protect America. Visit their website and browse through all the services they offer from home security to business systems. They offer several packages that differ to suite your security system needs. Foremost in their services is the talking command station which monitors your home's security via your land line. When they detect problems in your home security, they will dispatch the appropriate response to your situation.

Most of the packages offer pretty much the same thing, just in different quantities. They range from Copper to Platinum and all that really means is that they cover different number of wireless door and window contacts. The more windows you have, you will probably need a higher ranged package.

Visit their website and chat with a live person regarding your questions or call toll free 877-470-2751. If you call the number and place an order, you will get 2 keychain remotes with your order.

I know most of us want to put winter behind us, we don't even want to think about it anymore. We are all looking forward to the sundresses and espadrilles. We don't want to think of long sleeves, turtle necks or coats, but during these tough economic times, maybe we should. I know I am. I have three girls to clothe and when sales come up like the one Sears is having now, I am all over it.

From now until April 18th, Sears is having a sale on all their fall and winter apparel. You will find discounts of as much as 75-80% off original prices! You can't beat that! For instance, these Bongo Stripe Turtle Necks are only $4.79 each from the original price of $30! My girls and I practically live in shirts like these during the cold weather months so you can be sure I'll be going to stock up on shirts like these even though they can't wear them until the fall. I'll also be looking for coats and outer wear that are on sale. Last year, I got a $60 coat for $19.99! That's the kind of deal I'm talking about!

The deals are so good that they're not going to last long. I'll be at Sears this weekend, how about you?

When I was pregnant, I loved wearing maternity clothes but they were the tent, blousey types that tried to hide your condition. I love the maternity clothes that women are wearing now. They tend to emphasize and accent the pregnancy rather than hide it and I like that! I wish I was pregnant now. Well, not wishing that hard. lol!

Check out http://www.kikisfashions.com/, for instance. When I was pregnant, it would have been unthinkable to bare your belly. But look at the midriff showing outfit on the front. It looks adorable! The selection is saying you don't have to hide your pregnancy, show it off!

Another great plus to being able to shop online (internet shopping was still in its infancy during my pregnant time) is that you can easily compare prices and styles without having to go from store to store. When you compare the trendy styles at Kiki's Fashions to other stores, you'll realize that the prices are usually 75% lower than leading maternity stores. You can look chic and still save money.

Times are hard. You hear that saying bandied about nowadays. You also hear of people being laid off, down sized, fired, how ever you'd like to name it, they are losing their jobs and their means of making a living. It's scary, certainly, but it is not yet time to lose hope. There are other ways to earn money and some that you may not have considered before.

One source of income that people do not even realize is in their own homes. Many of us are natural pack rats. We keep everything and we end up with closets bulging with unrealized treasures. I'm sure you've heard of people who have come to unexpected loot from items that they had lying around and even thought to be junk. You've seen Antiques Roadshow on TV where someone comes in with some insignificant looking item only to realize that it's worth millions, right? Well haven't we all dreamed of that happening to us!

One place that people have raked in big money for innocuous items is the online auction site, eBay. Every time we hear on the news of some outrageous bid on eBay, we start saying, "Heck, I should list my items on eBay!" But we don't because we either don't have the time or the know how to sell an item and follow through with the sale.

Now there is a place called isold it where people can take their hidden treasures and for a percentage commission and fee, isoldit will put your items through the auction process. They will photograph it, list it on eBay, monitor the auction, process the sale, collect the payment, ship your item and send you your share of the proceeds. They will do all the work for you and all you have to do is drop your item off. Sounds like a deal for just a small amount of effort, doesn't it?

I'm not all that big on gifts. Jewelry does not impress me. But make me something to eat or wear and I'd be grateful for life. The perfect gift to me would be something that someone actually put some thought into not just money.

That's why I thought these embroidered custom sweatshirts at www.Threadsmith.com would make perfect gifts. I have three daughters and I know they would love having any of the items on the website with a custom designed embroidery. Whether you already have a logo or design ready or would like to design one from scratch, it's easy to do on their intuitive design foundry. I designed the logo you see here in just a few minutes. Not bad, eh?

It actually got me thinking that I can use the site to promote my husband's business. He's an artist so I'm sure he can easily create his own logo. We can have it embroidered on either hats or t-shirts and give it to his customers so they can become walking billboards for his business. Now I'm thinking this would be perfect to promote my websites too. Especially embroidered on some of those bags and totes they have on their inventory.

I can't live without my sunglasses. I wear them year round so long as the sun is out. Optics Planet offers serengeti sunglasses among their wide selection of stylish and highly functional sunglasses.

Serengeti sunglasses are configured to offer ultimate protection for your eyes. As light changes throughout the day, your eyes too must adjust to those changes and the technology used to craft serengeti sunglasses allow your eyes to adapt without causing fatigue. Serengeti sunglasses have filters that "interact with the full spectrum of light, selectively blocking and filtering each wavelength. Contrast is improved so objects appear more sharply defined. Colors are bright and vibrant. Glare is virtually eliminated, allowing your eyes to relax and see everything remarkably crisp and clear."

You can order these cool sunglasses at Optics Planet, on sale, at the lowest discounted wholesale prices and with FREE UPS Ground shipping. Visit the website now and order yours.

I'm not much of an interior decorator, that is my husband's area of expertise. I don't normally care about accessories or arrangements of objects around the house. However, the one thing that I do like having around the house is candles. I think they look nice, especially the decorative ones or the ones in pretty containers. Many of them also come scented and that's an added bonus for me because I like to cook but don't always like the lingering scent of cooking in the house.

One mother's day, the girls decided to make me a candle. It was one of the sweetest and most thoughtful gifts they've ever given me. Ever since then, they've gotten into candle making and have been giving them out as presents to their friends, aunts and grandmas. Making candles can be a very relaxing hobby and a great outlet for your creativity.

The Jar Store is a great resource for candle makers. You can buy wax, scents, wicks and glass jars at wholesale prices all in one place. They have a wide variety of jar sizes and styles to choose from and the scents collection is just awesome. They have scents for every season and occasion you can think of.

If you are a candle maker, check out their jar samples offer. For $20, they will send you four samples of their jars to try out. All you have to do is visit the website and set up an account. Setting up an account is a great idea because they can keep track of your previous orders so that your next order will be even easier to place especially when you are ordering the same items.

I forgot to mention in the post below about potato/turkey salad that recipes like this are actually beneficial to your health. Eggs especially are good for your nails and hair because they are high in protein which is essential for healthy hair and nails. With the cold weather our nails and cuticles tend to get very dry so it's important to keep a healthy diet but also to make sure we maintain and care for them even when they are hidden under gloves most of the day.

To keep your hands soft and moist, make sure you keep them moisturized after every hand wash. Keep your nails and cuticles well groomed. Trim or file them immediately when you chip or break one so as not to make the problem worse. Keep them out of your mouth! I tell that to my girls all the time who tend to bite off anything that starts to hang from their fingers.

A good source for nail care products and other beauty products is Hello-gorgeous.net. They offer a large selection of quality beauty products at discount prices. They have products from all over the world and can ship items to you within 2-3 business days. Choose from a wide variety of nail care products from nail polish, nail file, buffing block, clippers, lotions, and many more. It's almost sandals time again, so better order your manicure and pedicure supplies now. I think I'll be placing an order. Their prices are really affordable.

My girls could use chopsticks by they time they were old enough to feed themselves which was around 6 or 7 years old. Oh, I know it's nothing to brag about kids all over China are using chopsticks at a much younger age. But considering my kids only used chopsticks when we go to Chinese or Japanese restaurants, I think that was pretty good! That or we were going out to eat way too much. lol!

The girls actually became fascinated with using chopsticks after a kindly waiter made one for them that they can actually use. He made it by slipping a folded piece of paper between the two pieces of wood and creating a spring by tying it all down with a rubber band.

Now, they have these cute chopsticks for kids in varying designs and colors. My girls would have loved these when they were still learning how to use chopsticks.



Visit our new blogs:
Amoores.com
Cooked from the Heart - our new food blog
Our New Backyard - garden & photo blog
Found Not Lost - about all the things we 'find' worth talking about

Happy New Year! How did you ring in the New Year? When I was young, it was always an event to wait for midnight and counting the gongs on the grandfather clock. We don't have a grandfather clock anymore so sadly, that tradition is foreign to my girls who only know of clocks as the silent, unobtrusive objects on the wall good only for telling time.

We didn't have one of the full sized grandfather clocks, my parents had one of those that sat on the mantel. It still had to be wound in order for it to keep ticking and it did gong every hour on the dot, one for every hour of the day. Midnight and noon were special because we had to wait for all 12 beats, counting along with it.

Those were special times and I wish I could repeat it for my children too. I have been wanting one for our den but I was thinking we should get a more contemporary style to go with our decor. Luckily, contemporary style grandfather clocks are available now. You don't have to go with the ornate antique ones unless you're lucky enough to have inherited one. Now there are grandfather clocks with more sleek and modern designs that will go with your decor.

Check out the more contemporary makes of grandfather clocks at 1-800-4clocks.com and see if there is a design that will suit your home. I'm sure you'll find something. They carry brand names such as Howard Miller clocks, Ridgeway clocks, Kieninger clocks and Hermle clocks. If you don't have room for a full sized granfather clock, they also carry mantel clocks, wall clocks and atomic clocks.

I was talking to my sister over the holidays and she was lamenting how hard a time she had looking for 'cute' kids' clothes for her girls (they are 5 and 6). Most of the clothes at the department stores, she said, were miniatures of teenage clothes. Too sexy and inappropriate for little girls.

That's why I was glad to see a shop like the Retro Baby. They sell infant and toddler clothing that are just way too cute for words. When my girls were that age, they lived in onesies and baby rompers but the plain kind. The ones at Retro Baby are chic, hip and just adorable!

I wish my girls had some of those tie died and printed tees. They can be cool like rock 'n rollers or adorable like a smurfette. Whatever the style you want to go for they have them at Retro Baby. And the great thing is, they aren't miniaturized version of adult clothes, they are made appropriate for their age, cute. They even have a Confusius baby section if you're into thinking zen about baby poo and goo. lol!

Do you have a young person in mind? You've got to check these cool clothing for kids. I'm sure you'll find something just perfect for your cutie.

There are beds you sleep on and then there are beds you want to spend all your time in even have meals in. Does your bed make you wish you've never gone to sleep? Do you regret even laying down on it? If you do, then it's probably time to get a new one.

Whether you prefer it soft or firm, a good bed should make you feel good from the time you lay down to the time you get up. It also helps when your bed room is well kept. It doesn't have to be design room worthy, but it should be clean and visually pleasing. Peaceful to the eyes, as they say. Your bed and your room should be a place where you can have breakfast, or dinner, or lunch in bed and not lose your appetite. It's very relaxing to be able to enjoyably linger in bed without feeling like you have to immediately jump out of it as soon as you wake up.

Time4Sleep has a wide selection of beds to choose from. Styles from traditional to contemporary, these beds will make you want to spend as much time in them as you can. They have a sale going on now where you can get up to half off. And if you live in the UK, they will deliver for free if you buy anything over £499. They carry a variety of beds from storage beds, French style, antique style, and children's beds. Check them out and see if they have a bed you can have breakfast in.