Tag Archives: Friends

Planning Your Thanksgiving Day Dinner

For many families, Thanksgiving is a time when everyone comes together to enjoy delicious food, drinks and each other’s company. If you are the one hosting this year’s holiday dinner, it is imperative that you plan ahead when creating your Thanksgiving Day menu. Deciding what foods and drinks to serve for the holiday can be a challenge. However, with some good planning you can make it as stress-free as possible.

From Thanksgiving cocktails to delicious food all served in a great atmosphere, there is much to decide for your event. This is why doing some advanced planning is so crucial. Whether your guest list is for an intimate few, or includes numerous family members and friends, ironing out the details ahead of time, will ensure your dinner runs smoothly.

Key Things You Need To Decide

Once you know that you will be hosting Thanksgiving dinner, it is time to start planning. The first thing you need to do, is plan the menu. If your gathering is small, you can serve everything at the table family style. However, if you have a large guest list, a buffet style dinner is a better choice. Buffet style meals make it easy for you as the host, because everyone can help themselves, and you can keep all the food in one place.

Find out ahead of time if any of your guests have special dietary needs or restrictions. If you have guests that are vegan or vegetarians, you will want to make sure you have dishes prepared that they can eat.

When it comes to the drinks, you should make sure you have a good selection for everyone. In terms of cocktails for your dinner, spend some time online researching a variety of cocktail recipes. This will let you know what type of  alcohol and drink mixes you need to purchase.

Also, remember not everyone drinks alcohol,  so purchase a selection of fruit juice, seltzer and soda, This will allow you to whip up some virgin cocktails for those guests who are underage or don’t drink alcohol.  In addition, make sure you have a good supply of wine and beer on hand, so you can cater to all tastes.

If you decide to have a sit down dinner for Thanksgiving, make sure your table is decked out for the occasion.. Having any kind of dinner party requires an eye for detail when it comes to the table décor. Use a good, high-quality table-cloth to protect your table and add a colorful backdrop.

Coordinating napkins and little touches of the season help to make the table look inviting and warm. Set the table ahead of time with your best dishes, crystal and cutlery. Crown your table with a fall themed centerpiece and candles.

If you follow this advice, you will see that planning ahead will let you host a Thanksgiving dinner that will be enjoyed by all, including the stress-free host.

This is a collaborative guest post, the views and ideals expressed do not necessarily represent those of Mommy Ramblings.


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Filed under Entertaining, Holiday, Home & Garden

Remind Girls They are Adored by God #AdoredByGod #FlyBy

The world can be a tough place.  The tween and teen years are especially hard. While it was no picnic when we were growing up, this generation has challenges and issues we could not even imagine, thanks to technology. Don’t get me wrong, I love technology, but it has brought about some darker things along with all the good.

Girls today have to deal with bullying, social media friendships as well as the awful social media “unfriending”, dating, changing bodies, awkward growth phases, mean girls and much more. Proper guidance and support is paramount to a healthy attitude and self-image as they navigate this stage of life.

Adored is a 365-day devotional that features an easy-to-read, relevant devotion paired with a scripture verse and journaling space to help readers reflect on that day’s special message. This book tackles those tough topics mentioned above, and shows readers how infinitely precious they are in God’s sight. This hardcover devotional is published by Zondervan, written for girls ages 13 and up and has a retail price of $14.99. You can purchase it HERE. Right now, you can get it on sale for just $8.49.

Having a book like this reminds girls they are not the only ones facing challenges, it helps them on the tough days and lifts them up every day. The journaling space is a wonderful way for girls to track their own growth and mindset through the year. This devotional makes a very meaningful gift this Christmas season. We have added it to Mommy Ramblings’ 2017 Holiday Gift Guide.  You can visit the publisher’s site to access a Free 7-Day Download.

 


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LEGO FRIENDS: Girlz 4 Life Blu-ray Giveaway! #Girlz4Life

**Warner Bros. Home Video provided me with some of the materials I used in this Blog Post/Giveaway. The opinions I share are my own.**lego girls for life

There are few things as important in life as your friends. No matter how old you are, your friends are there to help you when you’re down, support you when you make mistakes, and be your rock when the going gets tough.

The new movie, LEGO® FRIENDS: GIRLZ 4 LIFE, is all about friendship, trusting yourself and standing up for what’s right no matter what the cost. All set to an awesome rock soundtrack you’re going to love! Join Olivia, Stephanie, Emma, Mia and Andrea as they learn that fame isn’t important, it’s your friends that count!

LEGO® FRIENDS: GIRLZ 4 LIFE brings to life (in animated form) the LEGO construction based toy LEGO® Friends. LEGO ® Friends invites girls into a universe, Heartlake city, and inspires them to use their imagination to build and role play their own stories with fun-loving relatable characters.

True Friendship in the Glamorous World of Pop!

Join Olivia, Stephanie, Emma, Mia and Andrea, as they learn about friendship, fame and pop star fun in Heartlake City.

The girls’ friendships are tested when mega pop star Livi comes to Heartlake City. When our friends’ hit song “Girlz” is stolen by Livi’s manager, it’s time for a cunning plan.

As the girls try to tell Livi the truth about her latest hit single, they all learn that fame isn’t everything and sometimes friendship is the most precious thing in the world.

Own LEGO® FRIENDS: GIRLZ 4 LIFE on digital HD 1/19 and on Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD 2/2

Also be sure to visit the official L2M website to stay updated with all things L2M!

Lego Blu ray

Giveaway

LEGO® FRIENDS: GIRLZ 4 LIFE Blu-ray Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings:

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“The Wonder Years” Season One on DVD Review & Giveaway!!! #TheWonderYears

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THIS FALL, FALL IN LOVE ALL OVER AGAIN WITH ONE OF THE MOST EAGERLY-ANTICIPATED TV DVD RELEASES OF THE YEAR AND ITS VERY FIRST RETAIL RELEASE FROM STARVISTA ENTERTAINMENT/TIME LIFE!

Season One 3D Cover
THE WONDER YEARS: SEASON ONE

 

The Wonder Years captured the angst of growing up in suburban middle-class America in the late ‘60s as seen through the life and times of Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage).

In Season 1, Kevin experiences the ups and downs of young love, his school’s well-intentioned, though comedic, attempts at classroom sex education, and the incredible social pressures behind an innocent junior high dance. The peace-love movement hits close to home when Kevin’s sister Karen (Olivia d’Abo) falls for a college-aged, VW bus-driving hippie (future star John Corbett), as does the dark reality of the Vietnam War when his cool neighbor Brian Cooper is killed in action. Kevin gets by with a little help from his friends Winnie (Danica McKellar) and the hyper-allergic Paul (Josh Saviano). Two hours of bonus material, including highlights from the 2014 cast reunion, make Season 1 even more wonderful.

I think the Wonder Years was one of the best shows on TV!  The accurate portrayal of life in the late 60’s and 70’s is so real and tugged at our heartstrings.  After 6 seasons, we felt that we had grown right up along side Kevin, Winnie, Paul and even pain in the butt brother Wayne.  We laughed with them, we cried with them and we felt good watching them as we could relate to the coming of age experiences they faced every episode.  From the great music to the unforgettable fashion The Wonder Years is a timeless classic.  Season 1 is on DVD along with the other seasons of this fantastic show.
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Wonder Years Family BBQ
Named by TV Guide as one of the “Top 20 Shows of the ‘80s,” the 2-Disc Set ($19.95SRP),delivers the Emmy® Award-Winning Television Landmark to DVD for the Very First Time, featuring Six Complete Episodes from the Breakthrough First Season and Over Two Hours of Exclusive Bonus Features Including 2014 Reunion Highlights, Interviews
with Fred Savage (Kevin Arnold) and Danica McKellar (Winnie Cooper) and Much More!
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The Season 1 Set Contains:
  • Pilot

    Kevin Arnold and best friend Paul Pfeiffer are saying goodbye to their last summer as boys and preparing to enter Robert F. Kennedy Junior High School. Kevin and Winnie share their first kiss as Winnie mourns the loss of her brother, Brian, a soldier just killed in the Vietnam War.

  • Swingers

    At Brian’s funeral, all Kevin can think about is Winnie and their first kiss; meanwhile, sex education begins at school, but Kevin and Paul get the feeling that their teacher isn’t telling them everything they need to know.

  • My Father’s Office

    After Kevin asks his dad about what he does at work, Jack brings his son to his office at NORCOM and shows him around. Kevin gets a glimpse into his father’s life after spending the day with him, and in the end, he realizes that his father is a great man.

  • Angel

    Kevin’s older sister, Karen, doesn’t communicate with her parents anymore, and it’s all because of her new boyfriend, Louis. Kevin takes an immediate dislike to Louis, and finds out that he is cheating on Karen. Things are only made worse when Louis comes to dinner.

  • The Phone Call

    Kevin tries to get up the courage to call Lisa Berlini, while Paul consults the junior high grapevine to find out if Lisa likes Kevin.

  • Dance With Me

    Kevin is madly infatuated with Lisa Berlini and asks her to the school dance, but things change quickly after Lisa accepts a date with another guy.

  • Bonus Features

    • A Wonderful Day: Highlights from the Cast Reunion, May 28, 2014, in Los Angeles, California
    • Featurette: With a Little Help from My Friends: The Early Days of The Wonder Years
    • Interviews:
      • Neal Marlens and Carol Black, Creators
      • Fred Savage (Kevin Arnold)
      • Danica McKellar (Winnie Cooper)
      • Josh Saviano (Paul Pfeiffer)
    • Wonder Years Image 2

THE WONDER YEARS is the newest DVD release from StarVista Entertainment/Time Life, following in the critically acclaimed footsteps of other top-selling, award-winning boxed sets of CHINA BEACH, THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW and THE DEAN MARTIN CELEBRITY ROASTS, among many others. And much like Kevin Arnold says in the final episode, perhaps, after all these years, you’ll “still look back with wonder” at one of the landmark television
programs of our time.

Win The Wonder Years Complete First Season on DVD:

 

StarVista Entertainment/ Time Life are sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!  One lucky blog winner will win Season 1 of The Wonder Years on DVD.  Thank you to the Star Vista and Time Life for sponsoring this awesome giveaway and for the review set.  Open to US residents.

The Wonder Years, Season One on DVD Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

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Cherish Life!!!

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I am sitting here on my porch swing, doing a little work and resting from just doing a photo shoot for some bathing suits, sunglasses and sunscreen we are reviewing.  My photo shoot went something like this, “Come on kids, the sun keeps going in and out and I am afraid it might rain.  Hurry, get these trunks on.  Luke, let me help you.  Oh my, how could these 4Ts be so big on you? They are never going to stay on.”

After trying safety pins and a multitude of other things it was just not going to work so we decided to just wing it and get this done in case it does rain.  Then the other part when we got down to the dock went something like this, “Okay, we have to make this quick, I still need to review the chainsaw.  Yes, you can put your feet in but you can’t go swimming.  Don’t throw the rocks, did you hear me?  Stop with the rocks, look over here, okay you can put your feet in and splash, don’t lean over that far! Okay take the sunglasses off, okay put them back on. Luke stop with the rocks!  Okay, I think I have enough, let’s go.  No, we have to go back to the house now, right now!”

So I am sitting here taking a stress break because frankly I have so much on my plate.  I mean I have articles to write for my editor, people to train,  customer service issues, plus all the reviews I need to finish and get up for this blog and of course being a mom and a wife and trying not to have a nervous breakdown and did I mention we are doing a dual birthday party for both little ones and we invited his entire pre-school and my other son’s kindergarten class.  No idea what we will do if the weather turns bad and due to what happened last year when I planned and planned for the party and had everything arranged and we had to change locations at the last-minute because it decided to rain, I am not really planning and that is now stressing me big time.

So back to the present, I am sitting here and on this very warm day, can still feel a cool breeze blowing in from the lake and my little guys are racing around and around the house on a race track (yes, we are the only people who probably have a race track that runs the entire perimeter of their house and garage.  So about every 1.5 minutes because it is pretty large my little guys pass in front of me.  and I smile and then I get sad.  I get sad because I think of all the petty things like I just mentioned above and more. How I could feel there is a lot on my plate when others have the weight of the world on their shoulders? How  could I worry about some rocks being thrown in the lake or a birthday party that should only be about kids having fun and in the end won’t notice if a certain decoration is up or if there was something missing. Then I feel guilt because I think of one of the women I work with who has a grandson fighting for his life and I think how much he would love to be riding around on a race track and I think of those friends that are dealing with kids with real challenges who may never walk or live independently and the struggles they have and well…it just makes all those little things feel incredibly small.

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So if you know anyone going through some tough stuff, let them know you are thinking of them, if you pray say a prayer for them, if you live close offer some help, maybe a meal, a shoulder, a friend.  Also try to look at what is worrying you and put it in perspective so more time can be spent just cherishing the moments as they come.  Not building everything up so it has to be some Pinterest worthy event but relishing even in the small, messy, loud, moments that define our lives.  We never know what the future holds so don’t take one thing for granted ever!!!

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