NaBloPoMo

November, 2009

The Queen's Meme

Sometimes silly. Sometimes serious. Always fun!
Step out of the box. Be creative. Use your imagination.
No one's answers are quite like yours.
This meme is called The Shopping Madness Meme (aka The Naked Mannequin Saga),
hosted by Mimi, Queen of Memes, at Bloggingham Palace.

1. My favorite item to shop for is electronics because, quite frankly, I love all things technology: computers, printers, cases, components, software, etc. (Just so you know, my least favorite thing to shop for is groceries!)

2. Quality vs. Price: I will buy off-brand items, depending on what category I am shopping. For example, I don't have to have Sony if Acer is cheaper. I don't have to have Samsung if Vizio is less expensive. Same thing with clothing: I don't have to have name brands. I'll wear tees and sweaters from WalMart or Target to save money. It's all in what your priorities are. One thing I refuse to buy off brand is Meal Kits such as Hamburger Helper. The store brand isn't the same! But on medications and hair care, I can sacrifice the quality for the price.

3. I have never asked a sales person to hold the last item for me because I am not assertive enough to do so. If it's the last one, I will get it right then and there if I want it. The only thing that would cause me to ask the salesperson to save the last item was if it was for a gift, and I couldn't actually purchase it right at that time. I haven't had to do this, though.

4. I'm usually an alone-shopper because I can get more done in a shorter amount of time if I go by myself. The only time I might ask a family member to come with me is to help with groceries, but I usually end up getting things I hadn't planned to get if someone accompanies me. But actual shopping? I like to get it done by myself.

5. The dressing room is for trying on clothes. I don't go into the fitting room for any other purpose.

6. The only salespeople that irritate me by following me around are those at furniture stores. Usually, in any other shopping establishment, there aren't enough employees to help me, much less bother me and follow me around.

7. I would like to establish a store called "Forgetfulone's Fabulous Finds." I would carry a variety of household items, clothing, shoes, electronics, and unique gift items that I would hand-pick myself.

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Game Shows

The topic for this week's Sunday Scribblings is GAMES!


Once I got past the Leave it to Beaver stage of childhood, I liked to watch Game Shows. I think The Price is Right was my favorite back when it first began airing its revised show in 1972 hosted by Bob Barker (who finally retired in 2007). “Forgetfulone, come on down, you’re the next contestant on The Price is Right!” I would usually guess the right price, and some of the games were clever. And I would love to go to the Showcase Showdown!

Anyone else remember Let’s Make a Deal hosted by Monty Hall? That show always cracked me up! People in the audience would dress up and/or carry signs, the crazier the better, in order to get chosen for the next deal. I always used to wonder if I had something in my purse that they would ask for in order to get to play the deal like a red rubberband or a brown bobby pin. Then, the deal… Would you like Curtain #1, Curtain #2, or Curtain #3. You might be lucky enough to win a year’s supply of puppy chow (ZONK)!

Another great game was Name that Tune. The version I remember was hosted by Jim Lange. Bid-a-note was my favorite part. I can name that tune in 3 notes! And the winner got to go to the Golden Medley. I’d have loved that!

Camera Critters

A giraffe at Animal Kingdom in DisneyWorld, Florida. Photo taken March 2008.

Play along at Camera Critters!

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Black Friday Shopping

Did anyone else brave the crowds?

I tried to get some sleep while waiting for the sales to start, but it wasn't happening. There was one major thing I needed to get a deal on! If I'd fallen asleep, it would have passed me by. I went out to Walmart around 2:30 because they were open even though the sale didn't start until 5 AM. By 3AM, the item I wanted was gone, and YES, I got one! It was an incredibly good deal on a laptop computer for a gift, and it cost me about 5 hours of time. But, for my daughter, I would do it again. Oh, and I saved about $190 over what I would have gotten. There's a reason to stand in line all night! Will I do it again? Maybe. I guess it depends on the item and the savings. Thankfully, there was no fighting or conflict like what I saw that happened in California or in New York last year. Everyone was friendly, and helpful, both the employees and the other customers. I am glad it's over for this year, though! How was your Black Friday experience?

My Black Friday post from 2007.

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Say it Forward

Say it Forward is a weekly carnival hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom that gives bloggers an opportunity to recognize loyal commenters.

This week, I want to thank Skittles (aka Barb) for being a loyal commenter here at Forgetfulone. She comments on many of my posts, and she is encouraging and friendly. I love her blog, too, which I think most of my readers have in their readers as well.

Skittles, this is for you! Thanks for stopping by regularly. Your comments make me smile!

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Thursday 13

Welcome to my Thanksgiving Feast edition of Thursday 13!

If I were hosting Thanksgiving this year, or any year, these are the items I would want on my menu.
1. Roasted Turkey
2. Giblet Gravy
3. Rolls
4. Cornbread Dressing (where I live in the south, it is called dressing, not stuffing). I make mine from scratch with cornbread, melted butter, chicken broth, seasonsing - especially sage, chopped giblets from the turkey, onions, and celery. It must be moist, not dry.
5. Mashed Potatoes (whipped with butter, milk, salt, and pepper, also from scratch)
6. Traditional Green Bean Casserole

7. Squash Casserole (with lots of melted cheese)

8. Jellied Cranberry Sauce (none of that berry stuff for me!)
9. Deviled Eggs (hard boiled eggs. Mix the yolk with salt, pepper, mayo, and a little mustard. Fill the whites with this mixture. Sprinkle top with paprika.)
10. Ripe Olives
11.Iced Tea (unsweet, but you can add sugar or sugar substitute if you'd like)
12. Warm Pumpkin Pie (only if there is Cool Whip to put on top)
13. Pecan Pie

No yams or sweet potatoes on my menu, but lots of good stuff, in my opinion. Yummy! It's time for a feast!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
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Don't forget to enter these giveaways!

Sunsweet Prize Pack ends tonight.

Glade Candle Tin ends Dec. 2nd.

It's Just My Opinion

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
May Contain Slight Spoilers

Dan Brown writes a good mystery, and I love suspense! He usually has a “twist,” and The Lost Symbol is no exception.

On the other hand, some of the novel was slow-moving. The novel could be cut by 20% and still tell a suspenseful, if unrealistic, story.

I don’t believe Brown ever explained to my satisfaction how or where Sato got her information. How did she know about the videotape before the hidden camera was discovered? She obviously had knowledge prior to the incident with Peter’s hand, yet what knowledge she had and how she received it was never fully explained. Also not explained to my satisfaction was what happened to Mal’akh in the end. Once the climax of the story was reached, the novel dragged painfully on and veered off into too much philosophy.

Additionally, having Peter blindfold Robert to go to a national monument was far too dramatic than was necessary. And why wasn’t Peter with his son or taking care of his wound at the hospital before trekking off to a national monument? This required a complete suspension of belief as did the helicopter crashing into the skylight on the Temple. Actually, quite a bit of the novel was unrealistic.

Some descriptions were a bit too graphic, and I am not easily disgusted. Peter’s hand? Mal’akh’s rituals? Some of the graphic nature of the novel had to do with the Masons. My father was a dearly loved man and Freemason, and there were just some things I would rather not know about their Fraternity and Traditions. That’s why they are kept secret, for members only.

Which makes me wonder where Dan Brown got his information and just how accurate it is. A true Mason of any character would never reveal some of the things that Brown describes. If he were a Mason himself, with firsthand knowledge, he would be breaking sacred oaths with some of his revelations. As it is, someone had to give him that information if it is, as he claims, true. What kind of FreeMason would do that?

And shame of you, Dan Brown! If the video you describe in the novel is an issue of national security, then shouldn’t your novel also become an issue of national security? And how dare you reveal secrets of the Masons, particularly since you have no way of truly verifying their accuracy, not having been initiated yourself. You have taken things out of context to shed a poor light on the Brotherhood of FreeMasons, which is what you accuse others of doing. Who shall cast the first stone, Mr. Brown?

Brown does a poor job of distinguishing fact from fiction, casting all of his information as fact, which it is not. He tells a good “story,” and I love the suspense, but Mr. Brown, for some of this novel, you simply should be ashamed of yourself.

View all my reviews >>

Glade Candles Holiday Collection Review & Giveaway

And the winner is... C. Pullum! Congratulations! Anyone who knows me well knows that I love candles! I recently tried Glade's scented oil holiday candle tin in the limited edition Bayberry Spice fragrance. The tin is certainly cute! And I loved the smell! The fragrance is released quickly and burns for 2-3 hours. When the oil is gone, the flame goes out. A really nice feature is that the tin is refillable with any Glade scented oil candle fragrance.

Glade will send one of my readers one of their scented oil candle tins. U S residents only, please. There are five ways to enter.
1. Leave a comment on this post.

2. Subscribe to my blog.

3. Tweet this giveaway.

4. Post about this giveaway on your blog and link to this contest.

5. Post about this giveaway on Facebook.

Please leave a separate comment (with links, if necessary) for each entry.
Winner will be chosen randomly. This contest will end on December 2nd. Please make sure I have an email address at which to notify you if you are the winner.

"This post was written as part of a program for Family Review Network and SC Johnson Glade, who provided the product for review and giveaway. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary product."

Don't forget to enter my Sunsweet Giveaway! Ends Nov. 25th.

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Heads or Tails

The theme for this week's Heads or Tails is --- Heads --- Soft.

Soft

smooth kitten’s fur,
silky baby skin,
feather pillows.

a down comforter,
tender kisses,
a fine, cashmere sweater.

Mamaw’s ancient quilt,
the glow of candlelight,
the breeze on a starlit night.

You Know You Want a Kindle!

I don't know about you, but I really want a Kindle! And it's definitely not in Forgetfulone's budget this year, but maybe I could win one! You could, too! Check out this fabulous giveaway over at Bibliofreak. And I'm going to spoil a surprise. She has more than one to give away! How do these bloggers get these great prizes to give away? I don't know the answer to that, but I do know that you need to get over there and check out all the ways she has to win. Good luck!

Monday Movies Meme

Feature Presentation!

This week's Monday Movies Meme, hosted by The Bumbles Blog, is all about VICTORY! Here are some movies focusing on champions, victories, and winners.


The first one that comes to mind is Remember the Titans. "Denzel Washington plays Herman Boone, who is hired as the T.C. Williams High football coach over a white coach in Alexandria, Virginia in the early 1970's during a time when the school has just been integrated to allow blacks into the school. As the season progresses the team's success caused the community to accept the changes." Victory in more ways than one!
Another movie about winners is The Women. "The sweet, happily-wedded Mary Haines finds her marriage in trouble when shop girl Crystal Allen gets her hooks into Mary's man. She works her way through this rough patch with the support of her friends and family by finding out what she really wants out of life, instead of just living out the life she feels was assigned to her." With an all-star, all-female cast, and a well-done movie women can feel good about in the end, I think this one is a winner!

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Sunday Scrappin'

Sunday Scrappin' is a meme for traditional scrapbookers, digital scrappers, or paper crafters of any kind. Won't you join us? I was afraid I wasn't going to finish my holiday planner this weekend. I lost a whole day yesterday due to a stomach virus, but I finished it today. The picture doesn't look that great, but in person, it's pretty cute. The background paper is a winter blue with a white diamond pattern that doesn't show up great in the picture.

It was very easy. I used a spiral notebook and altered the cover with scrapbook paper, letters cut from my Cricut, and a few sparkly jewels on Santa and some of the "gifts.". I made tabs along the top using the same background as the cover along with cardstock to make them sturdier. I have sections for gift ideas, purchases, cards, swaps, parties, miscellaneous, and a pocket for receipts.

I'm going to scrapbook with a friend on Wednesday, so I'm hoping to have lots of pages to share next week. Have a scrappy week!

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Camera Critters

Come play Camera Critters!

Win an HP Touchsmart 600 at 5 Minutes for Mom

5 Minutes for Mom is sponsoring some great Christmas giveaways this season including THIS ONE for an HP Touchsmart 600 computer. Not only are they giving one away to one of their readers, but they are trying to win a second computer to give away to a deserving person nominated by their readers. I have a blog friend that I am nominating to win that computer, but I've got to help 5 Minutes for Mom win it so they can give it away! And wouldn't you like to know who I'm nominating? Well, I'm sorry, but I'm not telling! It would be so awesome if the person I nominate wins, and I'll be sure to announce it here if they do, but in the meantime, I'd love for you to go over to 5 Minutes for Mom, enter their contest, tweet about it, facebook about it, and nominate someone yourself. You might even win one! And go check out this amazing computer (retails for $1599!). What are you waiting for?

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Thursday 13

Welcome to Thursday 13! Why don't you join us?

Thanksgiving is in one week, so here are thirteen things I am thankful for:

1. Mom pulled through another medical emergency. So glad!

2. I have beautiful twins who are healthy and usually happy.

3. There is a roof over my head.

4. We have plenty of food to eat.

5. I have a fairly stable job.

6. My job allows me to purchase benefits for my family such as insurance.

7. So happy to have a week off from work coming up soon.

8. I have a sister with whom I can share things.

9. My step-daughter is finally getting some help for her problems.

10. I'm confident that my dad is waiting for me in Heaven.

11. I have friends who love me and support me.

12. I am able to see, hear, smell, taste, and touch.

13. I live in a FREE country!

Sure, there are many more! But this is Thursday 13, after all. Stay tuned next week when I post my Thanksgiving Feast edition.

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Sunsweet Ones Review and Giveaway

The winners are Queen Sized Funny Bone, B Rankin, Susan, Michelle, and Karen. Thanks!

When someone says "Prunes," what do you think of? Well, it might be time to shift that thinking! Sunsweet prunes are simply sweet and natural dried plums, and they are the most super of the super fruits!

Sunsweet dried plums are rich in anti-oxidants that promote heart heal and digestive function. They have more potassium than bananas, and they may even help with bone loss for people with osteoporosis. These juicy little fruits also help control hunger pangs the natural way.

I recently tried Sunsweet Ones, individually wrapped servings of dried plums. They are tasty, juicy, and sweet. And the individually wrapped packaging makes them handy to toss in my purse or in a lunch box. They also make individual snack size servings.

Did you know that Sunsweet has products besides prunes/dried plums and prune juice (which we all know the benefit of if you ever get irregular)? They have raisins, of course, which I love, but they also package pineapples, mangos, dates, apricots, and several other fruits! So, when you win a coupon for a Sunsweet product, you can use it on your choice of their many fruits and juices.

Coupon? Yes, I mentioned a coupon! FIVE winners will receive a Sunsweet prize pack which includes the reusable shopping bag shown above and a coupon good for ANY Sunsweet product up to $5.50 in value.

1. To enter, visit the Sunsweet products page. Come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me what you would likely use your coupon for. Easy!

Want more entries? Again, easy! Do any or all of the following after you have completed your first entry (leave a separate comment for each entry with links if applicable):

2. Follow my blog.

3. Subscribe to my blog through an RSS reader (click the subscribe button below).

4. Write a post about this contest and put it on your blog.

5. Tweet about this contest on Twitter.

6. Post a link to this contest on Facebook.

7. Stumble this post on Stumbleupon.

This giveaway is open to US residents and will remain open until November 25th at 11:59 PM. FIVE different winners will be randomly selected. Please make sure I have a way to reach you via email. Thanks!

"This post was written as part of a program for Family Review Network and Sunsweet Ones, who provided the product for review and giveaway. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary product."

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Christmas Giveaways at 5 Minutes for Mom

I'm sure many of you already know about the giveaways going on over at 5 Minutes for Mom, but if not, click here to find out more. Giveaways are open until November 30, and winners will be announced December 1.

In addition, the sponsors of the 5M4M giveaways are also donating gifts to families in need as part of the 5M4M Under the Tree program. Nominations for deserving families can be suggested until November 20. Help them spread the word!

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Monday Movie Meme

Feature Presentation
Monday Movie Meme
Hosted at The Bumbles Blog
Last week's topic was to write about a movie that changed or affected your life

This week, we're doing a 180 and talking about memorable death scenes.

For me, the first one that comes to mind is the scene in Kill Bill Volume 2 (2004) in which Beatrix (Uma Thurman) finally kills Bill (David Carradine), with the five-point-palm-exploding-heart technique.

The second one that comes to mind is The Sixth Sense (1999) The particular part I think of is when Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) realizes that he is dead. We see his "death" scene at the beginning, but he has no idea he is dead for most of the movie. When it finally sinks in, that is memorable.
My favorite movie is the Patriot (2000) with Mel Gibson. The most memorable death scene from the movie is when Gabriel's (Heath Ledger) wife Anne, her family, and all of the townspeople are locked in the church and burned to death. It is horrifying!

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Sunday Scrappin'

Well, my ta-da (singular) is one digital page completed this week. It has been so busy around here with my mom, my step-daughter, and my own illness. I had strep for the first time in years!
My to-do's are to get a few more digital pages completed this week since Christmas is fast approaching and to get my Christmas planner ready before November 22 (next Sunday). I loved my Christmas planner last year! It came in so handy. It was an altered spiral notebook in which I kept my gift ideas, gifts lists and costs, card lists, parties, and so on. It was an invaluable tool.

This is my 50th Sunday Scrappin' post! Won't you join us? We'd love to have more people post their accomplishments and photos. And it's a great source of inspiration.

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Wedding Showers

A co-worker of mine got married this summer. In the months preceeding the wedding, many of the people we work with were invited to various showers. My beef is this... I was taught that it was impolite to invite anyone to your showers that wasn't also invited to the wedding. It's like telling them, "Hey, I want a gift from you, but I don't want you to share the joy of our special day!"

In case I was having an "Emily Post" reaction, I decided to look up the "rules" online from someone who is perhaps younger and hipper than I. Tres Sugar, a trendy online community says this: "It is considered poor etiquette to invite guests to your shower that are not invited to the wedding...." The Shower Diva, an ultra-hip wedding and shower planning guide says this: "Diva Rule No. 1 -- Never invite anyone to the bridal shower who hasn't been invited to the wedding! Such a crass invitation could only be construed as trolling for bling."

So, perhaps I'm not just being old-fashioned after all. The bride-to-be was young (23), but you would think that her mother, or some older female relative, would be aware this was a faux pas. Or perhaps they don't care. I don't know. Does anyone agree?

Now, about those thank you notes...

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