Wishing you the best in 2009!

Wishing you and yours all the very best in 2009!

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

Links for Dec 29

• From Neatorama: this website lets you copy and paste special characters like these
  £ ¥ € $ ¢ ¬ ¶ @ § ® © ™ ° (and will even give you the HTML if you desire)
  
  
• From Neatorama: remember the 80's? Here's a site with over 1,000 music videos from that decade.
  
  
• From Neatorama: for middle-aged and older people at least, using the internet helps boost brain power, research suggests.
  

2008 doodles in review

Readers' choice

Brick wall day
[Originally published 2008-9-11]






The plan vs reality - Murphy's Law edition
[Originally published 2008-10-11]




Out of sync
[Originally published 2008-2-4]

My faves

I surrender
[Originally published 2008-2-13]



Updated: Motivation and happiness
[Originally published 2008-8-9]



The 80/20 rule
[Originally published 2008-9-24]

Wishing you an amazing Christmas!

[Download the PDF for this Christmas Tree Maze.]

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

The mom song - Everything a Mom says in a 24 hour period, set to the "William Tell Overature"

Favourite line:

If I've said it once, I've said at least a thousand times before that
You're too old to act this way
It must be your father's DNA

If you haven't yet heard The Mom Song by Anita Renfrow, you have to have a listen to either her version:



Or this Northlands version:

The Mom Song from Northland Video on Vimeo.

The round-ups continue

• From Neatorama, I'm going to have to set aside some time to craft these awesome gift bows! I'll post the pics at Craft Day when I do!
  
  
• I can't believe I didn't doodle of this first! Go and read XKCD's "A guide to understanding flow charts. Presented in flow chart form."
  
  
• From BoingBoing.net, "Flowchart: should you make a flowchart?"
  
  
• From Joey deVilla,

  #1: take a (digital) photo of your contact info so that your (digital) camera can be returned to you if it’s lost. Many cameras have a feature that lets you lock a photo so it’s can’t be deleted; make your “This camera belongs to” photo the first shot on your card and lock it.
  
  

• From MyNameIsKate.ca, The PayPal Security Key is available in Canada!
  

Round-up (or how did I get this far behind?)

• Shout out to Bliss Notes for donating a dollar* to Bloorview Kids Rehab, Canada's largest children's rehabilitation teaching hospital, for every new reader who signs up for Bliss Notes between now and January 7th, 2009. (* To a maximum of $2000.)
  
  
• Shout out to SavvyMom.ca for working to raise $20,000 to buy 50 new crib mattresses for SickKids to help give comfort to children who are in the hospital for extended periods of time. Click here to donate.
  
  
• Congratulations to The Mabelhood for winning this year's Canadian Blog Award for Best Family Blog!

Rosettes (Wagon wheels)

Mmmmmmmm.....

Equipment:

• Rosette iron
• candy thermometer
• wide and shallow dish for holidng batter
  
• paper towel (for cooked rosettes)
  

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb of shortening for frying to 365 degrees F
  (I substitute with 3"-4" of canola oil)
  
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-3 teaspoons sugar
• 1 egg
  
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla (optional) or a drop of almond flavouring (optional)
• optional: icing sugar for dusting finished product
  

Method:

• Beat egg slightly
• Add sugar and salt.
  
• Add milk.
• Add flour slowly, blending until smooth.
  
• Optional: add vanilla or almond flavouring.
  
  
• Heat shortening or about 3"-4" oil to 365 F (keep temperature constant -- measure with candy thermometer)
• Heat Rosette iron in the oil for about 45 seconds.
  
• Take the iron out of the oil and allow to cool for 1-2 seconds.
• Dip the still hot iron into the batter. (No NOT let batter come over the top or the rosette will not come off of the iron easily!)
• Immerse the batter coated iron into the hot oil and fry for 20 - 30 seconds, until light brown.
  (If the batter drops off into the oil, flip it over with tongs, to cook both sides evenly.)
  
• Slip rosette off the iron and onto a paper towel. (You may need to use a wooden spoon to help the rosette off with a gentle push or tap.)
  
• Allow to cool.
• Optional: dust with icing sugar.
  

Makes 5 dozen.

According to this article, they can be frozen and served without thawing.

[Cross-posted at please remember these.]

Links for Dec 11

• Tired of telemarkers? Register yourself on Canada's national Do Not Call List.
• Living in Toronto? The Blue Bin program now accepts plastic shopping bags and foam polystyrene packaging.

($ value of) technology vs time

Is it just me, or is it getting harder to feel like one is getting good value out of one's technology dollar?

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

MLF&H: Double your shoe labels!

Want to stretch your Mabel's Labels dollars?

1. Cut your shoe labels in half vertically
   
   
   
   
   
2. Apply a "half moon" in each shoe. (Don't forget to cut the protective overlay in half too!)
   
   
   

Pros:

• twice as many shoe labels for the same price!
• it helps children know when they've got the right shoe for the right foot! (When the full moon appears, they've got it right!
  
  
  
  

Cons:

• It is time consuming to cut half-sized labels and their protective covers.
• The adorable icon is harder to see.
  
• You buy fewer shoe labels which means I earn less commission! (Booooooo.)

C&C: December 4

Congratulations

• To Dani, for exceding her goal and losing 23 pounds in 15 weeks! (Click through to see a photo of 23 pounds of butter.)
  
• To Andrea, for making her way in the insulin pump program!
• To Moreena, who posted beautiful photos of post-transplant Annika and Frankie.
• To Moxie, for realising her fantasy life post-divorce.
  
• To Mel, for her published book!
  

Commiserations

• Thinking of Nadine, who's struggling with a baby who isn't sleeping well.

Leave a comment to tell us about your congratulations and / or commiserations.

50% off select Mabel's Labels items! (Sale ends Dec 3rd at midnight.)

Items on sale include:

• The Neat Freak Combo Sold Out
• The Backyardigans Stationery Kit (Only available in Canada)
• The "Write On!" Stationery Kit in Cowpoke design
• The "Write On!" Stationery Kit in Bzzz design

Shop Now!
Because the sale ends December 3rd at midnight.

While supplies last. Check out Mabel's sale website for details.

December scheduling

Let the games begin!

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

C&C: November 28

Congratulations

• To Asha of ParentHacks who is 40!
  
• To Julie, who recently announced she's expecting again!
• To Dani for her national media mention!
  
• To Ask Moxie's third birthday!
• To Kristin's recent 14 year anniversary! (What's the secret?)
  
• To Mabel's "My 411 Wristbands" for winning a Parent Tested Parent Approved award!
  

Commiserations

• Thinking of Nancy who's dad just had heart surgery. Thankfully, he's recovering well.

And Happy Thanksgiving to our American friends.

Leave a comment to tell us about your congratulations and / or commiserations.

Show and Tell: Self-portrait

Age 4.

(I find it hard to tell if I've improved or not since then!)



And am I the only one who is a little disappointed it never occured to me to try and pay a bill with a doodle? Or that the same doodle would sell on e-Bay for $10 000?

Clearly, it's time for me to get back to my roots.

Go see what everyone else brought to show and tell this week.

Excitement vs number of snowfalls

It's snowing, it's snowing!

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise....

If the title of this post sounds even vaguely familiar to you, you're going to like the news that Monty Python now has its own official YouTube channel!

From their YouTube channel:

For 3 years you YouTubers have been ripping us off, taking tens of thousands of our videos and putting them on YouTube. Now the tables are turned. It's time for us to take matters into our own hands.

We know who you are, we know where you live and we could come after you in ways too horrible to tell. But being the extraordinarily nice chaps we are, we've figured a better way to get our own back: We've launched our own Monty Python channel on YouTube.

No more of those crap quality videos you've been posting. We're giving you the real thing - HQ videos delivered straight from our vault.

What's more, we're taking our most viewed clips and uploading brand new HQ versions. And what's even more, we're letting you see absolutely everything for free. So there!

But we want something in return.

None of your driveling, mindless comments. Instead, we want you to click on the links, buy our movies & TV shows and soften our pain and disgust at being ripped off all these years.

[h/t: Joey deVilla and Neatorama]

I may already be a winner!

It only took a year and a half, or so, but I finally won myself a Tuesday Teaser over at Skeet's place!

Thanks, Skeet, for running such a fun weekly challenge!

And thanks to Megan Reed who quite possibly jogged something in my unconscious to help me guess the right answer!

The path to regret

According to Martha Beck,

"So the ultimate lesson of regret, the one that will help guide you into a rich and satisfying future, is this: Every time life brings you to a crossroads, from the tiniest to the most immense, go toward love, not away from fear. Think of every choice in terms of "What would thrill and delight me?" rather than "What will keep my fear—or the events, people, and things I fear—at bay?" "

(Within reason, of course. Blowing your grocery money for the thrill and delight of losing it at the track may lead to it's own kind of regret!)

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

Lee's Things's Dewey Decimal Section

As seen over at Dirts and Rocks.

Lee's Things's Dewey Decimal Section:

119 Number & quantity

Lee's Things = 2559089479 = 255+908+947+9 = 2119


Class:
100 Philosophy & Psychology


Contains:
Books on metaphysics, logic, ethics and philosophy.



What it says about you:
You're a careful thinker, but your life can be complicated and hard for others to understand at times. You try to explain things and strive to express yourself.

Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com

Lest we forget

Remembering our Veterans.

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

Analyze this!

The folks over at Gender Analyzer employ artificial intelligence to determine if a website was written by a man or woman. Very cool.

How'd it do for this blog?

Results

We think http://LeesVoice.blogspot.com is written by a man.

[h/t: BoingBoing.net]

It's happening again

Last year, I complained mid-November about the Christmas decorations and merchandise being on display. It's happening again. Christmas stuff everywhere.

Is it too much to ask for time to breathe between marketing seasonal festivities?

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

In four short years

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

Hallowe'en craft round-up

Ghost feet:

Pumpkin book:

Hallowe'en wreath:

Pumpkin carving for easy candle access

Have you ever burned your hand trying to get a candle in or out of a jack-o'-lantern? Try cutting your pumpkin 'lid' a little differently.

Materials:

• pumpkin
• carving knife
  

Instructions:

• Prep the pumpkin for carving.
  
  
  
  
  
• Mark where you're going to cut the 'lid.' The front (shown as top of the photo) will be a semi-circle, while the back will extend all the way down the back of the pumpkin.
  
  
  
  
• Using your favourite method, clean out and carve the pumpkin.
  
  
  
  
  
• Now you're able to put a candle in through the back of the pumpkin, with much less risk of getting burned!
  
  
  

[Remember to keep children away from lit flames and matches!]

[Cross-posted at Craft Day.]

Hallowe'en mobile

This was created at our local Ontario Early Years Centre.

Instructions for creating this Hallowe'en Mobile can be found at Craft Day.

Do you have interesting fundraising ideas?

It's the time if year when schools and children's organizations turn their thoughts to fundraising. (Remember the days when school fundraising efforts only happened once a year?)

There's the old bake sale stand-by along with the ubiquitous magazines and cookie dough.

What I'd like to know is, what types of fundraisers have you found particularly successful?






(It goes without saying that your school or organization would be running a Mabel's Labels fundraiser -- what could be easier than running a fundraiser that doesn't require you to collect money or ship product?)

Is it bad luck?

Is it bad luck to throw lucky bamboo in the garbage?

Patience vs stress

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

It has begun (and Sweetmama's first Mother's Day Off Spa-A-Thon)

It's IComLeavWe time again! Join the Conversation.

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

And from Marla's blog:

Raising money for a good cause is important, but who needs to run 10k, spin for 2 hours, or walk for 24 hours, when you could just spend the day at the spa? Well, with Sweetmama's first Mother's Day Off Spa-A-Thon you can! I'm proud to announce that we have partnered with the SickKids Foundation to host this very special event. It will take place on Saturday, October 25th from 1-5pm at Andrew Richards Designs.

Enjoy an afternoon of manicures, massages, yoga/pilates, boot camp, make up applications, and much more from some of our favourite sponsors like Gee Beauty, Dermalogica, Pilates for Life and Track Fitness! Plus there will be sweet treats provided from Flour Girls, Genuine Health, Track Snacks, and Vitamin Water.

If that's not enough, here are a few more reasons why you should buy a ticket:

1. You don't need to be a Sweetmama, or a mama, for that matter! It is just a day for women to kick back, relax and enjoy some "me" time, all for a good cause. Show your support without wearing a support bra!

2. The value of the gift bags is already over $175, so you'll more than make it back the ticket price in sweet swag!

3. Even if you can't make it that day, you should buy a ticket. Why? Because the money is for a great cause, and I will personally put your gift bag away for you so that you can enjoy it another day.


GET PAMPERED FOR A GOOD CAUSE!
GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!

Get yours in time for the holidays!

Personalized Holiday Gift Tags

Designed to stick to presents, Holiday Gift Tags come in four great designs: Snowy Day, Festive Sparkles, Snowflakes and Celebration.

Available from October 20th – December 31st.

Personalized Holiday Return Address Labels

By popular demand, Holiday Return Address Labels are back in a fun snowflake design. Printed on evergreen, rosy red or winter night with white writing. Colours sold separately or in a mixed pack.

Available from October 20th – December 31st.

Dynamic Fall centrepiece

Materials:

• One or more unopened common milkweed pods.
• One short and wide glass / crystal vase (or rose bowl).
  

Instructions:

• Take the unopened milkweed pod and place in the bottom of the vase.
• As the pod dries out, it will crack open.
• As the long silky hair, attached to the seeds, dries out, they expand, forcing the pod to open more and accelerating the drying of the pod contents.
  
  
  
  
• With time, the pod will completely open and the seeds will be suspended throughout the vase on the fluffy silky hairs. (Little hands may also be happy to assist with the process!)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

CAUTION: Place out of reach of curious little hands and / or paws, unless you wish for a milkweed filled house!

[Cross posted at Craft Day.]

Earn $25 in Mabel Moolah™ right now!

Mabel Moolah™ is back!

Spend $60 or more on your next order and collect $25 in Mabel Moolah to use towards your next purchase!* It’s as easy as that.

* Read all the fine print at Mabel’s Labels – Labels for the stuff kids lose!®!




--
Disclosure: I'm a Mabel's Labels Buzzmama and I receive free products for my involvement in the program. I'm also a Mabel's Labels web affiliate and I earn a commission if you use the following link to purchase your Mabel’s Labels – Labels for the stuff kids lose!®




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