Halloween was always a fun event growing up in my family. We lived in a sort of rural area and this meant that Trick or Treating was not a walking affair. We would put on our Halloween costumes, load into the car, and then drive around to each house to collect candy, homemade popcorn balls, and other goodies (we only went to the houses of friends and family).
After we were done making all our stops we would head to my grandparents house for homemade donuts, brownies and cider and wait for my 1st cousins to arrive. Then we’d dump out our candy and trade each other for favorites. Over the years more and more people would make my grandparents’ house their last stop – or in some cases, their only stop – so they could enjoy the homemade donuts and other goodies and to visit with friends and family they didn’t often see. On some Halloweens the crowd grew to nearly 100 – not bad considering the population of the town was only 1500.Continue reading »
“The Help” debuted at number two this past week. Did you see it yet? If you have please share your thoughts! If you haven’t, check out the character profiles below.
My brother’s fiance’s bridal shower is coming up here in a couple of weeks. I won’t be able to make it up for the shower but I’ve been in contact with my Mom discussing gift and game ideas and other details and doing what I can from a distance.
It reminded me that a few weeks ago I wrapped up the “Goin’ to the Chapel” event with a final giveaway. As one of the entry options I asked you all to share your best tips for a successful marriage. While I’m thinking about it I wanted to share them with you so you can all benefit from each others’ wisdom.
Marital Wisdom
Be nice to each other.
Make him keep his clothes picked up from the beginning. It’s too hard to train them later…
TRUST IS EVERYTHING.
Never, ever go to bed angry. You toss and turn all night and wake up even more angry!
Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Keep it simple.
My best piece of advice is to be open, honest, and communicate with your partner – try to see their point of view when you disagree and be considerate of each other.
Never let your relationship get to the stage where respect and manners are lost.
Always make time to just focus on each other.
Love is a VERB. Love your husband and strive to make him happy.
Be honest to each other.
Enjoy every minute.
Choose your battles carefully.. Let the small stuff go. If your spouse is doing something that is irritating, but not a bid deal, work it out yourself and get over it. It’s not worth a fight over socks on the floor. There will be bigger issues than socks (etc), and those are the issues you need to talk out
Go on as many vacations as possible before you have kids.
DreamWorks Pictures’ “The Help” opens next week on August 10th. This is definitely a movie that I would love to take A1 and see (she’s a book-lover like me). We’ll have to see if Baby C is willing to let us go without her, though.
DreamWorks Pictures’ “The Help”
For those that have not read the #1 New York Times best-selling book of the same name (which I admit includes me. I plan to download it to my Nook over the weekend, though.), “The Help” stars Emma Stone as Skeeter, Viola Davis as Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as Minny. These three characters are all very different women in Mississippi during the 1960s. Together they form a friendship around a secret writing project that puts them all at risk. At it’s core, “The Help” is a story about the ability to create change.
Whether you have or have or have not yet read the book you might want to consider a “The Help” book group with your friends. I’ve never actually joined or started a book group and probably wouldn’t have the first idea where to start. Fortunately DreamWorks Pictures have put together a great free book club kit with recipes and a guide to get you started. You can download it here.
I also have an awesome prize pack to give away to you all! One winner will receive all these:
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I love receiving them, I love giving them, I even enjoy putting together that perfect basket on occasion. I very vividly recall what is probably the best gift basket I ever had. It was during my senior year of high school, when I went to Walt Disney World with my math class. My family is all well aware of what a “Disney freak” I am and so my Mom wanted to do something special for us. She also knew that one of the people sharing my room was a friend who had never been to Disney (hadn’t even been out of state, if I remember correctly), so she wanted to start us off right.
So when we got checked into our room we discovered this huge refrigerated bag (printed with Mickey & friends) filled with all kinds of snacks and drinks and other goodies. It couldn’t have been a more perfect way to sprinkle our trip with pixie dust. Funny how a basket of food can get four girls all excited.
Gift Basket & Delivery Box
Putting a gift basket together can be just as fun. But there are times when you want to do something special for someone but need something faster and easier while still looking great and showing some thought. GourmetGiftBasket.com can help you with that.
GourmetGiftBaskets.com just sent us this Classic Snack Gift Basket to check out. I have to say, it was awesome. My husband loved it because there were so many items that contained nuts and he loves every kind of nut there is. Just seeing the box it was delivered in was enough to get everyone excited. The box was printed with their logo and colors.
Once we opened it we were even more excited. The basket was tied up in a festive raffia bow and came with a personalized gift card. And while I appreciate a nice bow and packaging I didn’t get to appreciate them for long; everyone wanted to hurry and try all the yumminess it contained! There were:
Dipping pretzels: These were great; even my husband who says he’s not a big “pretzel person” liked them.
Raspberry Honey Mustard Pretzel Dip: I loved this stuff. It definitely has a little kick to it, which I enjoyed.
Key Lime White Chocolate Chip Cookies: These were by far my favorite product. Kind of a shortbread/butter cookie with a touch of key lime taste and white chocolate chip chunks mixed in. SO good (and addictive!).
Petite Cheese Biscuits: Nice cheesy little bites of goodness.
Metropolitan Trail Mix: Everyone in the family loved sampling this. I loved the dried pineapple, especially.
Buttered Peanut Crunch: I didn’t get to try these because hubby commandeered them and they disappeared. Guess that should tell you that they were good!
Peanut roll: Another thing that hubby snatched and disappeared with. He said it was pretty good.
Snack mix: This appears to have been replaced by peanuts in he current basket. They’re by the same company so I would guess they are also tasty.
You know how sometimes you get a gift basket or sampler and there are a few things that you’re, like, “eh”? Definitely not the case with these. There honestly wasn’t one thing that at least one of us loved. Everything from the delivery time (a couple of days) to the packaging (everything arrived intact) to the product itself was above expectations. And the basket the goodies came in is now being used to corral all the things that used to get tossed on the end of our counter (keys, etc.).
Snack Gift Basket from GourmetGiftBaskets.com
My brother has been asking for suggestions on what to get his groomsmen as thank-you gifts for participating in the wedding. I could definitely see suggesting this basket to him as their gift. Or even this golf-themed “Hitting the Range” basket (love the cute ball-bucket they use as the basket!) as they’re all avid golfers.
Then I started thinking that these would make great care packages for A1 while she’s at college this year. I was pleased to find they have an entire section on their site just for college care packages! The Exam Cram Care Package (the included ramen is a nice “college-y” touch) and the Junk Food Care Package (she loves Easy Mac) are my two faves.
I was surprised to learn that GourmetGiftBaskets.com started back in 1940! That’s a testament to their great products and service. But if for some reason you’re not 100% happy, they do have a 100% satisfaction guarantee. They’ll make it right or refund your money.
Where to Buy
The Snack Gift Basket sells for $59.99. You can purchase it (or any other product) online from GourmetGiftBaskets.com or you can place your order over the phone by calling 1-866-842-1050.
Want to Win?
Snack Gift Basket from GourmetGiftBaskets.com
GourmetGiftBaskets.com is giving away a Snack Gift Basket (like the one pictured above) to one lucky Shopping for Savings reader! Simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter. (Please note: Rafflecopter sometimes takes an extra moment to load. If you don’t see it right away, please give it just a moment.)
