Friday Funnies

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving yesterday, and a Hanukkah as well if you celebrate.  :)

Here are today's funnies for you.  Enjoy!

Oh this is true, I am horrible at parallel parking and my gosh, people watching me makes it worse!  Once, in New York, I was driving a rental car and parallel parking on a street that I'd never been on.  And my parking spot was right in front of an eatery with outdoor seating.  There were people 3 feet away from me, watching. And laughing.

Baby's first flight:

Have a great weekend--we are wrapping Christmas gifts, making decorations, and I've got a surprise gift for the kids on December 1st to celebrate the season. (They each get a new book. Shhh! Don't tell.)

Giving on Black Friday & Cyber Monday (with Samaritan's Purse)

Looking for a good deal on a holiday gift for someone?  Samaritan's Purse offers you the chance to change lives, give a gift, and all without leaving your cozy home to fight the crowds!

This nondenominational Christian organization has been serving since the 70's.  You can shop their "gift catalog" to find unique gifts for people.  

For example, one year for my son's preschool teachers, instead of giving them yet another body lotion or candle...I contributed to the Samaritan's Purse campaign to help a child in another country have access to school.  

There are lots of gifts $15 or under that you can choose from and you'll have the chance at checkout to get a card announcing the gift that you can wrap up and give to your recipient or you could create your own card.

Some of my favorite gift options from Samaritan's Purse:

Supply a family with baby chicks---that will grow up to be hens and produce eggs for the family's own nutrition and that they can sell and create a source of income.  #17 in the gift catalog.  $14.

Who could you "give" this to?  Friends, teachers, grandparents.


Sports gear---soccer balls or other playground recreational equipment.  #22 in the gift catalog.  $8.

Who could you "give" this to?  Coaches, PE Teacher, in-laws, adult men, brothers, pastors

Clean water---Share the cost of a filtration system that will serve over 3,000 people.  #4 in the gift catalog.  $15.  So many people die DAILY from diseases caused by dirty water.  It is heartbreaking.

Who could you give this to as a gift?  Doctor, friends, neighbors, caterers, teachers, pastors, parents, cousins, grandparents.

To see all gifts available through Samaritan's Purse, and learn more about how they help the lives of our fellow man, click here.

Photos provided by Samaritan's Purse. I was not compensated in any way for this post.

Black Friday Shopping--6 Things YOU Need To Do

I hate crowds.  And yet, I love me some Black Friday shopping.

Here are the secrets to successful shopping on Black Friday:

1. Make a plan, write it down, stick to it.
This is NOT the day to browse randomly at stores. Save that for sometime next week.  Black Friday requires precision planning.  Get your ads, figure out what you want, and write it down along with the store name.  Piece together your plan ("StoreName, Item, Price") and then stick to that on shopping day.

2. Avoid pricey, big ticket items.
I know, people stand in line and try to get cheapo televisions or game systems.  But often stores only care one or two, not to mention that stuff like this is where the fights break out.

source: inthepinkandgreen.com

A cheap tv isn't worth a black-eye.  Steer clear.

3. Do not wait in line outside the store.

source here

Each year I get great deals and I never, ever, ever wait outside in line before the store opens.  I may BE THERE before the store opens.  I sit in my cozy car with a cup of coffee, listen to the radio, and wait for the doors to open.  When the line starts to dwindle down, I casually get out and walk right on in the doors.  No waiting, no pushing, no freezing cold!  Again: lines outside stores are often where people get trampled.  Black Friday is fun, but not if you get stepped on by 200 people.  Stay in the car.

4. Go alone or with ONE partner.
Sure it seems like a fun idea to gather 5 of your closest friends and go together, but truth be told, that slows you down on Black Friday shopping.  If you take a partner: one of you can go ahead and stand in the check out line while the other takes both lists and goes to grab everything.  It can be like your own episode of Supermarket Sweep.  (Haven't you always wanted to be on that game show???)

source: WhoDeyFans.com

Going alone means you get in and get out fastest.  I typically go alone and, maybe it is the introvert in me, but I loooove it!  I do my own thing and have an amazing time.

5. Be festive.
Some years I wear a Santa hat while I shop.
People sometimes have those reindeer things on their cars.

source: LaMettry's

Wear a ridiculous sweater or Rudolph antlers.
The workers and shoppers always seem to appreciate the festive spirit and get a smile.

6. Be nice.
Does anyone actually need told that?  Black Friday can be a nightmare, but my personal experience is that people are NICE.  We're all excited for the coming holiday season, some of us wear silly hats (see #5 above), we're all carrying around cups of coffee.

choosetobenice.com

Last year I was wanting a gift for a friend's little girl and could not find it.  Someone walked by me with one in their cart, so I said "ooh where did you find that??" and they kindly pointed me in the right direction.  People are wishing each other good luck, chatting in line, admiring each other's finds, and just very pleasant.
-------

Good luck, be safe, and have fun!

16 Snacks for the Letters Q / U

Have you ever tried to come up with a food or snack that starts with the letters Q or U?  It's tough. Let me tell ya.  I did my best and came up with a total of 11 ideas that you could use for your home/preschool/snack time.  Let me know if you think of any we can add to the list!

Update from 2017: I've added more to the list and there are now 16 Q/U foods!  

Q Snacks:

1. Quinoa
2. Queso
3. Quaker oatmeal
4. Quick bread
5. Quesedilla
6. Quiche
7. Quiznos subs (cut into smaller parts for snacks)
8. Quarter Pounder with cheese (cut into fourths if serving snacks and not a meal)

U Snacks:

1. Ugli fruit
2. Unleavened bread
3. Udi's brand bread/bagels/muffins
4. Upside down cake
5. Udon noodles
6. Unsweetened applesauce
7. Uncle Sam cereal 
8. Unsalted pretzels or crackers
   
   
    

Friday Funnies

Since next week is Thanksgiving (in the USA), I compiled a few related funnies for you for today's installment of Friday Funnies.  Enjoy!

Disguise yourself!

A Wizard of Oz Thanksgiving.

Better watch your back!

22 Snacks for the Letter "L"

This week's letter for our snack list is "L." If you're teaching preschool, homeschooling, or just looking to add some variety and fun to your children's routine, here are some L foods to help you out!

1. Lollipop
2. Laughing cow cheese
3. Lemonheads candy
4. Larabar
5. Lemon
6. Lime
7. Lettuce
8. Lentils
9. Linzer cookies
10. Lemon yogurt
11. Lacey Swiss cheese
12. Lettuce wraps
13. Lemonade
14. Life cereal
15. Lucky Charms cereal
16. Linguini
17. Lemon bars
18. Little Lemon Muffins (baked in a mini pan)
19. Lemon Lime Soda (the off brands of Sprite are often just called "lemon lime")
20. Lime fruit bars
21. Leeks
22. Lo mein

*Don't forget to pin one of these letter-of-the-week snack posts so you can find them later!*

Friday Funnies

Happy Friday, readers!  Here are your funnies, enjoy!

You know how much I love Grumpy Cat.  Hadn't seen this one before!

Riddle: What do you get when you cross... (#Operation Christmas Child)

Uncle Si from Duck Dynasty


with

a shoebox?

You get this:

Uncle Si joined up with one of my favorite charitable causes: Operation Christmas Child.  OCC is part of Samaritan's Purse (started by Billy Graham).




They deliver boxes to children in countries all over the world (even some in the U.S.A) who live in unimaginable conditions and otherwise wouldn't get anything for Christmas.


What goes in a box?  It's largely up to each person who packs a box as to what they put in.  I try to always include some FUN items (stickers, a small stuffed animal, book, activity book, etc) along with hygiene items (toothbrush, comb, bars of soap---double bagged in Ziplocks so the smell doesn't get all over!).  So many children that get shoeboxes also don't have access or money to purchase school supplies, so I always include pencils and erasers, a small pencil sharpener and crayons. 

Other things you can include:
Hard candy: Mints, smarties. Double bag this because it could melt.
Kits: Sewing, fishing, construction (measuring tape, small hammer, screwdrivers, small nails)
Clothing items: socks, underwear, tshirt, flip flops/sneakers, hat
Hygiene items: soap, washcloths, wet wipes, tissues, fork/spoon/cup, toothbrush
School items: Pencils, pens, highlighters, crayons, notepad, calculator, ruler, erasers
Toys: Dolls, race cars, bouncy balls, yoyo, harmonica, jacks, jump rope, soccer ball (deflate and send with small air pump), magnetic dress up dolls, tic tac toe game, checkers set
Misc: flashlight, compass, bandaids, sunglasses, hair bows


I save stuff all year long as I find good deals, it makes the cost of packing a box feel like less since I spread it out over the course of the entire year.

National Collection Week is NEXT WEEK.  So you have this week to gather the rest of your stuff and get your box ready and then next week is when you drop it off.  You can even track your Operation Christmas Child box to see where it ends up going!  Our boxes last year went to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  To find a drop off location near you, look here. 
----

------------------------------------------
Related post: What I packed in our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes for BOYS
Related post: What I packed in our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes for GIRLS

5 Things I am NOT Thankful For

There's much to be said for maintaining a positive outlook and counting your blessings. 

This is not one of those posts.
To be honest those facebook updates of "I'll post something I'm thankful for every single day during November!" drive me nuts.  "Today I'm thankful for my lovebug, husband, lover, best friend, kissy kissy kissy face xoxoxo. He is truly my rock. My everything. My heart. My soul."
GAG.

And this crap goes on for the. entire. month. Day after day of old friends and new buddies posting this gooey mush about their husband and kids. 

Then you get the days where they are really reaching to come up with something so it's a "Day 25. I'm thankful for shoelaces!" 
Wow. Deep stuff there. /sarcasm

This post is for you, fellow cynics of the world, struggling to get through this month of Thankfulness without throttling someone.

5 Things I am Not Thankful For

5. Kids handing me bugs.  I have awesome boys. But no, it is not "the thought that counts." I do not want to hold your bug/worm/spider/cicada/ant. It isn't a gift I want. Do not hand it to me.  No thank you.

4. Public Bathroom Toilet Paper.  Better than nothing, I guess?  But it should not take me half a roll to get enough for one use.  Side note: In college I found an out of the way one-seater bathroom that had CHARMIN toilet paper.  I always went to that one. Didn't tell a soul about it (I'm no fool).

3. Junk in my water.  True story: Went to eat dinner at Cracker Barrel, ordered a water.  Waitress brings water and there's something floating around in it.  No thank you. Not thankful for debris in my water.

2. Zits.  Weren't we supposed to have outgrown this by now?  NOT THANKFUL.

1. People deleting my dvr recordings.  Unnamed persons in this household have been caught hitting 'stop' when something comes on that I was going to record.  This leaves me with the first 26 minutes of a 2 hour movie.  Cut that out.  Not thankful.


What are you NOT thankful for today?  Leave your answers in the comments. This can be our own little safe haven away from the insanity that is facebook in November!

34 Snacks for the letters I, J, or K

Continuing in the series of letter themed snacks for your preschool or homeschool snack time, today we have snacks beginning with the letters I, J, or K.

Enjoy!

I snacks
Ice cream
Italian sausage
Ice cream sandwiches
Irish soda bread
Ice Pops
Icees (you can get a box of a 4 pack in the frozen food section)
Ice Breakers
Iced Tea
Iceberg lettuce
Idaho Potatoes
Italian salad dressing
Italian Ice


J snacks
Jello pudding cups
Jello jigglers
Jam
Jelly beans
Jalapeno poppers


K snacks
Kale chips
Kiwi
Kabobs
Kidney beans
Keebler cookies
Kielbasa
Koolaid
Kalamata olives
Kettle corn
Kix cereal
Kumquats
Kelp
Kashi cereal
Kit Kat candy bars
Kaiser roll
Key lime pie
Kisses (Hershey)

This post was shared at the Bloggers Brag Linky.

Friday Funnies

I'm back today with three Maury Povich funnies for you.  Which is your favorite?

I like all of these, but have to say the paycheck one is my favorite!

41 Snacks that start with "M."

*Links may be affiliate links.  See full disclosure here.

Time for another snack list!  If you teach preschool or homeschool, you'll find these weekly snack lists helpful for planning snacks to go along with your lesson or letter of the week.

This week: M snacks

• Mandarins oranges
• Monkey bread
• Muffins
• Marshmallow
• Macaroni Salad
• Mexican Rice
• Marmalade (serve on toast)
• Marble cake
• Milk shake
• Mint
• Milk
• Macaroni
• Maraschino Cheeries
• Manwhich (serve on slider buns)
• Mahi Mahi
• M and Ms
• Melon
• Mashed potatoes
• Mrs. Vickie's chips
• Moo Goo Gui Pan
• Marinara sauce
• Moon Pie

• Macadamia Nut cookies
• Moroccan stew
• Matzo
• Multi Grain Cheerios
• Mince meat pie
• Muesli
• Mulberries
• Mushrooms
• Monterey Jack Cheese
• Melba toast
• Macadamia nut cookies
• Mozzarella cheese (string cheese!)
• Mini- ANYTHING
• Maple syrup (serve as dip with French toast sticks)
• Meatballs
• Mike and Ikes

• Meatloaf
• Mixed fruit
• Mango