Bloggy Carnival Winner!

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Timestamp: 2008-10-30 19:06:57 UTC



Congratulations to Mrs. Sprinkles! You have won the Target gift card. I will be sending you an email, please reply to me and let me know where to send the prize. Thanks to everyone who came by to visit and comment. I am just amazed at the huge turnout for this Bloggy Carnival. Thanks to all the fabulous participants who are hosting giveaways.

~Kari

"Bloggy Giveaway Carnival" is here again!

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to enter - I hope you'll come back and visit again.

It's time once again for the "Bloggy Giveaway Carniaval". If you're not sure what this is, here's the scoop -- go HERE to get all the details and to find the Mr. Linky post with all the participating bloggers. Then, visit any or all of the participants that you want, and sign up for a chance to win their giveaways. There's always a huge turnout and many, many, fabulous prizes offered.

Now, for my giveaway....I thought and thought and really wanted to come up with something unique and clever. But, alas, I have decided to take the easy (i.e. lazy) way out and offer as my prize a $15 Target gift card. Everyone loves Target and everyone loves gift cards, right? And, with Christmas coming up, every little bit helps.

If you would like a chance to win, here's what you need to do: leave a comment on this post and, just for fun, tell me one thing on your Christmas list this year. You must reside in the U.S. and, please be sure to leave a way for me to contact you if you are the winner. I will choose a winning name at random on Thursday afternoon.

Remember to click on the link above to see all the other bloggy giveaways. Good luck!

~Kari

This giveaway is now closed! Thanks to all who stopped by!

Talk turkey to me

Confession time. I've never cooked a turkey before. You know, the big, pretty Thanksgiving kind. In my family, my grandma was the one who prepared the entire Thanksgiving meal. She was a southern farmer's wife and also a school lunchroom cook (back when the schools actually still made all the food from scratch). I can vaguely remember going to work with her when I was little. Sitting on a stool in the school kitchen while she made homemade rolls. YUM! It amazes me, now that I'm old enough to appreciate it, the spread she put on at any of her dinners - whether it was a Thanksgiving dinner, or just Sunday dinner. She passed away a few years ago, and it's one of my biggest regrets that I never took the opportunity to spend time with her in her kitchen, learning to cook. Her specialties were many, but, it was all good old southern comfort foods - dumplings, macaroni and cheese, homemade yeast rolls, etc. And, her homemade pies. Oh my goodness. There were always so many pies. Chocolate cream, lemon cream, coconut cream, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, cherry pie.... Nowadays, my mother and my sister have taken over the job of preparing our Thanksgiving dinner. Sure, I'll help out and bring a side dish or two, but, most of the work is theirs. It's really got me thinking....what happens when it's my turn to take over, when my own kids are grown and come home for Thanksgiving with their families? My husband is a wonderful cook; he's learned a lot in the kitchen at the firehouse. But, I want to be able to pull off the big spread. I'm thinking I need to start practicing a little bit. I may do a little "mock" Thanksgiving dinner of my own, just for my family of six here at home. So, here's where you come in. Talk turkey to me! Tell me your tips, recipes, hints; anything to help me roast a beautiful Thanksgiving turkey. I don't want to do a stuffed turkey, I'm going to attempt to make my grandmother's baked dressing as a seperate dish. I need, clear, precise, and easy instructions, people! Remember, I'm a novice here. Thanks!

~Kari

YouTube fun

How fun is this? What would you think if you were just sitting in the airport, or some other similar public place, and suddenly, random people started to break into song?.....

It's almost that time again....

It's almost that time again - time for the hugely popular "Bloggy Giveaway Carnival". Make sure to come back starting October 27th for all the details. Don't miss it!

~Kari

Meme time

I haven't done a meme in awhile, so, when I saw this one over at Jillian, Inc, I thought I would play along.

Instructions:
Copy/paste
Type in your answers and
Tag four people

Here goes....

A) Four places I go over and over
-WalMart
-My kid's elementary school
-My parent's house
-My laundry room!

B) Four people who e-mail me regularly
-My sister, Kathy
-My friend, Becky
-Rush Limbaugh (not him personally, LOL, just his newsletter)
-PediPaws people (seriously, no matter how I try, I cannot get unsubscribed from this advertiser)

C) Four of my favorite places to eat
-QDoba's
-Cracker Barrel
-Cheesecake Factory
-Quiznos

D) Four places you'd rather be
-On the beach in Destin, Florida
-Walt Disney World
-visiting New York City for the first time
-some place with snow

E) Four TV shows I could watch over and over
-Jeopardy
-Grey's Anatomy
-The Tudors
-Brotherhood

F)Four people I'm tagging
-Anyone
-that would
-like to
-play along

~Kari

Photos, photos, and more photos

Here are some various photos I've been meaning to share....


Me, Bruce, and our three youngest, dressed in Kentucky Wildcat blue on the day of the big UK vs. UL football game (I'm totally NOT into football, just go along to the party for the friends and food, LOL!)




My good friend and I, along with our daughters, recently spent the day in Louisville - we went to a local art fair, toured a historic home, walked around looking at all the gorgeous homes, and even went on a ghost walking tour in downtown Louisville. These are just a couple of the beautiful old houses that are so prevalent in old Louisville.






This is part of the staircase in the historic home that we toured, Conrad-Caldwell House. The woodwork throughout the house is all original and so stunning.

















With my son's 5th grade class, we went to Shaker Hill in Kentucky. It's so pretty and peaceful and it was very interesting learning about the Shakers.






Also on the field trip, we went to Fort Harrod, which was the first permanent settlement of what would eventually become Kentucky. This tree is located on the grounds - it's huge and wildly shaped. The kids had a blast climbing all over it.








We visited the gravesite of Daniel Boone and his wife, Rebecca









This is the Kentucky Supreme Court


And, the capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky


Thanks for looking!

~Kari

Funny SNL

Is it just me, or is this totally flippin' hilarious?

http://video.aol.com/partner/hulu/saturday-night-live-snl-digital-short-grandkids-in-the-movies/kDmgLFZDiyjTjG6nku0hXDgJ6Qhg_mN0

"Women through the Ages"

This is really cool and so beautiful! I came across it while "stumbling" around the internet. Go take a look....

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/blogon/mtvideobox.php?video_id=78

The post where I'm whining

My trip to Baltimore with my husband was postponed. However, I did go on the overnight field trip with my son. Here's a few things I learned from said field trip:

1. Chaperoning three 5th grade boys was a lot of work. Seriously, they were constantly on the go, they wanted to touch EVERYTHING, they were loud, and every other conversation involved either "girls" or "farting".

2. Sitting in the back of a school bus during a 50 minute drive on a narrow, winding, two-lane road was not good for back or my motion sickness. I was so carsick!

3. Even though it's fun to travel, see new places, and learn about history, I'm really a homebody. I prefer to be at home with my family, using my own bathroom, sleeping in my own bed....

4. I totally have a new appreciation for teachers. There is no way I could have the patience to do their job every day.

It was a neat trip, though. I always enjoy visiting our state capitol and I love to learn about history. I will try to share pictures soon. Also, my cold is still lurking around - stuffy head, cough. And, now I'm also having back problems. My left leg has been bothering me off and on for a couple months now. I hated to go to the doctor, it just seemed like such a sporadic, non-specific kind of complaint. But, last week, my mid back on my left side started hurting as well. It's bad enough that I can't ignore it, so, I have a doctor appointment on Wednesday. Sorry to be whiny, but, I'm just feeling tired and yucky.

Good news

Whoo hoo! Just rode up to town for a few errands. Gas is now $2.97. Finally, some good news.

I'll be out of town for a few days. I'm going with my husband on a work-related trip, where we'll be making stops at most of the Walgreen's stores in the Baltimore area. Have a great week!

~K

Trying to ward off a cold

I woke up around 4 a.m. on Sunday morning with that yucky feeling of a cold coming on -- scratchy, raw throat, headache, congestion, my chest hurt. Usually, when I start coming down with a cold, I'm a wimp. I give in and wallow in my misery. But, this time, I really need to be done with it already. This week, I have an overnight field trip with my son and his 5th grade class. We're going to our state capitol and then Shaker Village and Old Fort Harrod State Park. As soon as we return, I'm then taking a 2-day trip with my husband to Baltimore (he's working, I'm going along with him for company and to provide free labor as his assistant). So, I cannot be sick right now. Sunday morning, I immediately started using these Zicam nasal gel swabs. They are supposed to shorten the duration and lessen the severity of a cold, if used at the first sign of symptoms. I can't decide if they are working or not. I think maybe they are. I'm still feeling cruddy, but, not as bad as I usually feel with this kind of cold. What about you? Do you have any tried and true cold remedies?

On another note, over the weekend, my daughter and I went with some friends to downtown Louisville for a walking ghost tour. It wasn't scary at all, but, it was interesting to hear the local "ghost stories" about some of our famous Louisville landmarks. We made a day of it, visiting a popular local arts fair, touring a beautiful historic home, and having an early dinner at a fun downtown hotspot. I have photos, but, I'm too tired to post them right now. I will try to share them later.

~K

Blog Contest

My blogging friend, Sarah, is hosting a fun giveaway on her site, Welcome to Girl Land. She has such a great sense of style and design - kinda vintage-kitschy-whimsy - I'm always inspired by her creativity. Head over to say hello and check out her blog contest. She also has an etsy shop, be sure and visit it, too.

~Kari

I should've learned my lesson

I posted here about the huge wind storm that wreaked havoc on our city. Many were left without power for days. We were lucky, our electricity was only out for about 3 or 4 hours. However, I was totally unprepared. I had no working flashlights or batteries on hand at our house. I told myself that I was going to put together a little emergency kit - flashlights, batteries, a radio, bottled water, etc. Well, I didn't do it, and now, once again, I find myself unprepared. We awoke this morning to find that we had no water. There was a major water main break not far from us, and our entire neighborhood (and other surrounding neighborhoods as well) are without water. I didn't even have one single bottle of water. Luckily, my neighbor had a little extra, and sent over a half gallon. At least we were able to brush our teeth and rinse our faces. The elementary school is right next to our neighborhood, and they are also without water. Schools are open, but, I have a feeling they will be dismissing early, if the problem is not resolved soon. My neighbor drove past the water main break on her way to work, and saw gushing water, flooded yards, and workmen in a hole with water up to their chests. I feel for those guys and hope they stay safe. Meanwhile, I'm in serious need of my morning coffee. Looks like I'm either going to have to head to McDonald's or swing by my parents house and grab a cup. I should've learned my lesson and I would have been prepared.

I'm a highly accomplished female business executive...sort of

Twice this week, I have received letters from fancy-schmancy sounding establishments, informing me (little old me!) that I was chosen to represent my town in a "Who's Who Registry Among Executive and Professional Women". In today's letter, the director himself, thinks I may be an interesting biographical subject. HA! I knew my work as a stay-at-home-mom was extremely important. But, wow! Now I really feel validated, LOL!

Obviously, I realize these letters are just sent out to random names on a mailing list. But, it is funny to me, since I have NEVER worked in the business field. However, I think I do possess some of the same abilities and skills that "real" business executives have. Such as:

1. I'm a multi-tasker - I can prepare a meal, while simultaneously assisting multiple children with multiple homework assignments, feeding the dog, folding laundry, and loading a dishwasher.

2. I know when to delegate - I have no problem asking one of my kids to take the dog for a walk, vacuum the carpet, or clean dog-poop out of the back yard.

3. I manage a hectic, multi-person schedule - Four kids who attend three different schools, piano lessons, guitar lessons, sewing class, field trips, sports, orthodontist appointments, plus a husband who works two jobs, one of which requires occasional out of town travel...not to mention my own personal calendar (you know, hair appointments, volunteer work, lunch with the girls, and the very important task of setting my DVR to record all my favorite tv shows)

4. Strong in the area of communication - I am a frequent participant of long phone conversations, not to mention blog-reading and writing, text-messaging, and emails.

5. I maintain a balanced budget - Household budget, pay bills, clip coupons, etc.

6. I'm a mediator - With four kids, things can get pretty heated at times. I'm proud to say I've resolved some tough contract negotiations around this work place.

7. I'm a team player - I try to do what's best for our "team" (family), even though that sometimes (often) means putting myself last.

So, I guess I really AM a highly accomplished female business executive, sort of. At least in our little neck of the woods, anyway.