Happy Thanksgiving!!

In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.

Brother David Steindl-Rast

TREAT Yourself! Two Day Free Card Campaign

TREAT is a a new brand from Shutterfly that makes it really simple for you to create and print one-of-a-kind greeting cards! Treat cards are just perfect for thank you cards, holidays, birthdays, congratulations...and every occasion in between!! Totally personal! In fact Treat Cards are all kinds of crazy fun and super easy!!

The best part....YOUR holiday checklist just got a bit shorter!! At NO cost to you, you can create and send a totally personalized greeting card from Treat!! Whether you want to say thank you to your gracious host / hostess for Thanksgiving, wish a best friend a special happy birthday, or simply to share the holiday cheer, Treat lets YOU create a unique card that will impress your friend.

So...the deal is you get one free Treat card good ONLY TODAY or TOMORROW. The code for you to order your Treat card is TREATBLOGR.

Here are a couple examples of my favorites!!

Because I think it is SO important to include Chloe and LadyBug (and Beemer) in on this...Here is their holiday card to you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are grateful for you all!

Wishing you love and happiness on Thanksgiving!!

Wordless Wednesday

Happy WW!!

You can find other participants here!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

From My Three Most Favorite Pilgrims!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

My very best wishes to you and yours for a Happy Thanksgiving!!

We are looking forward to a very nice, relaxing dinner at our favorite restaurant on the lake.

The Black Friday Experience!

UNBELIEVABLE! That's my word to describe Black Friday! I mean...it was crazy!

It was kind of a last minute decision for my husband and I to get up REALLY EARLY on Friday and go to Walmart....they had some things in their Black Friday Ad that we had been looking at for the kids and also some things we want for the RV.

We had spent our Thanksgiving dinner at The Canandaigua Inn on the Lake. Our favorite restaurant, Steamboat Landing, was not having their TGiving Buffet this year, so had to settle for the Inn. It was kind of a nice change though as we haven't been there in awhile...I think it was about February when we were there last. It was a terrific buffet! They had stations set up of just about every single kind of food you could imagine. One side was set up for made to order omelets, bacon, eggs, sausage, french toast, pancakes. Another setting had all different kinds of fruits and cheeses. Another table had Roast Beef, Glazed Ham, Fresh Roasted Turkey Sliced to Order, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes & gravy, green beans almondine, glazed carrots, dressing / stuffing. Another table had allllllll different kinds of salads. Another line had fresh seafood. There was bagels too. And the desserts....WOW! I could have just had that! I grabbed a piece of pumpkin pie on my first pass as I was absolutely positive it would be gone. There was also apple crisp, chocolate mousse, every kind of muffin you can think of, petit fours.

We had a very nice, relaxing dinner....just the two of us and were pretty stuffed by the time we got home. We had to settle for the 3pm seating as both the 11am and the 1pm were full.

Didn't do much of anything last night except put together my list for what we were going to get at Walmart. Finally went to sleep about 1. The dogs had to go out at three. By the time I got them all out and back in again, went upstairs and laid down. Then the alarm went off at 4:15am. We jumped up, got dressed and ready to go and were out the door by about 4:40am! My neighbor's lights were all on and we practically followed her all the way to Walmart too. Well, the closer we got....the more traffic we saw! All the drive-throughs were packed with people! It wasn't even FIVE AM yet and my husband had to drop me off at the door and park WAY out by the road....this is a Walmart Superstore and has ALOT of parking spaces. Not today though. It was absolutely mind boggling to see how much activity was going on at that hour of the morning!!

I grabbed one last shopping cart and started to make my way into the store. There was a HUGE LOUD crowd of people. The employees had the store roped off so that we couldn't get in to where all of the major bargains were until PRECISELY FIVE AM. Well....let me tell you, when they let the ropes go, people went berserk! It was really crazy!

Now, I have not done this whole Black Friday thing in years and years, so I guess I'm a little out of practice. I didn't even know where Ben was....I just kept trying to make my way over to the Electronics Department. Which was pretty freakin' impossible. There were some great deals to be had. But I didn't think I had a chance in hell of getting NEAR the counter. You can't even imagine the lines....Thankfully we had our cell phones and could talk to each other to see where each of us was in the store. As it turned out, I got STUCK in gridlock in the back of the store with the cart and was able to pick up a few of the things we were looking for, but Ben had most of the stuff over on the other side of the store and no cart. So, he just stood there with his "PILE" of stuff. We had to be really careful as I did see people STEALING stuff out of other's carts!!

Two customers got into a fight over a large screen tv and one lady sprayed HAIR SPRAY right into the eyes of the other lady!!! They had to call for medical help....and the sheriff's office! Another worker got trampled....it was a mob scene!!

Yes, we got some good deals...some really good deals and saved a pile of cash on some of the things. So, it was worth it....I guess. Hey, it's blog material anyway! I was going to try to take pics inside.....but was afraid someone would steal my camera!

We ended up going through the checkout line three different times as we saw a few other items that we wanted to pick up. They say the economy is going to hell.....but the people in front of us spent way over eight hundred bucks! Every single cart in that store was loaded down with a ton of stuff!!

Finally, at 6:30 we decided we were done and wanted to get coffee at Dunkin' Donuts in the front of the store. By the time we got there, there were only about 6 people in front of us. But they had NO DONUTS!! So, I got a really good Breakfast Sandwich and a H U G E cup of coffee.

Then, all we wanted to do was come home and go to sleep. Which we did. Checked in with my daughter who was also braving the crowds at Target and her boyfriend....he was over at Sears experiencing the same thing!!

Took a nice nap til 3pm. I feel like it was a VERY long day and am getting ready to shut down for tonight as it's going to be a busy weekend!

Let the holiday season begin.

It's CRUNCH time!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Be thankful for what you have and you will end up having more. But if you concentrate on what you don't have, you'll never, ever have enough.

Oprah Winfrey

Really Delicious Sweet Potatoes

Really Delicious Sweet Potatoes

3-4 medium to large sweet potatoes
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup hot water
1/3 cup crushed pineapple with juice
2 T brown sugar

Cook (boil, microwave, bake) 3-4 medium to large sweet potatoes, peel and mash.
Combine the honey and hot water.
Add honey/water to mashed sweet potatoes.
Add crushed pineapple to potatoes.
Add brown sugar to potatoes. I sprinkle a little cinnamon on top!
Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes...mmmmm!!

Just Talkin' Turkey Tips...

Talkin’ Turkey: ASPCA Experts Offer Thanksgiving Safety Tips
Friends, family and feasts—the main ingredients for holiday fun can actually result in distress for pets. Not only can too many table scraps set furry tummies a-rumble, but many animals get anxious at the change in household routine. Says the ASPCA’s Dr. Steven Hansen, Senior Vice President, Animal Health Services, which includes the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center in Urbana, IL, “As you begin to prepare for a festive season, remember to be wary of activities that can be potentially dangerous to pets.”

The following safety tips will help to ensure a safe and fulfilling Thanksgiving for you and your pets:

Talkin’ Turkey: Giving your pets a little nibble of turkey is okay, just be sure that it’s boneless and fully cooked. Raw or undercooked turkey may contain salmonella bacteria, and dogs can choke on bones, which splinter easily.

A Feast Fit for a Kong: While the humans are chowing down, give your cat and dog their own little feast. Stuff their usual dinner—with a few added bits of turkey, dribbles of gravy or vegetables like sweet potato and green beans—inside a Kong toy. They’ll be happily occupied trying to get their meal out, and way too busy to come begging for table scraps.

Sage Advice: This peppery herb makes stuffing taste delish, but sage also contains essential oils and resins that can cause pets to suffer stomach upset and possible depression of the central nervous system.

Battery Power: The holiday season means lots of cameras, radios and other battery-operated electronics. Please don’t leave batteries lying around. If swallowed, they can cause choking or obstruction; if punctured, the chemicals in alkaline batteries can cause burns to the mouth and esophagus.

To learn more, read our complete list of holiday safety tips and special Thanksgiving safety advice straight from our experts.

If you suspect your pet has ingested a harmful substance, on Thanksgiving or at any time, please call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.