My kids didn’t get this game for Christmas (we have the original version), but after playing Harry Potter Scene It with them last night, I can appreciate a game that gives everyone a fair chance to win! If I had to hear “no fair” one more time…I was going to scream!

While in Las Vegas this weekend, we decided to make the 4 hour trek to the Grand Canyon in Arizona for an overnight visit. My husband had been to Las Vegas 3 or 4 times before this trip, so the kids all have Las Vegas t-shirts, and even glasses he bought at one of the hotels he stayed at previously. We opted to not buy them anything in Vegas, and waited until our arrival at the Grand Canyon to go souvenir shopping.

While on the shuttle route through Hermits Rest Road, we stopped at a small shop at the end of the line. We found beautiful matted photos of the canyon there, and got a few for family members, as well as for ourselves. We shuttled back down to Grand Canyon Village and hit Verkamp’s, which the original Grand Canyon souvenir shop. The store has been in the same spot, in the same building, for over 100 years, and the building is on the National Register of Historic Places. The store actually started prior to that though, when John George Verkamp began selling trinkets on the south rim of the Grand Canyon in 1898! Talk about a visionary!

Inside, we found t-shirts for the children, as well as an ornament for our Christmas tree. Every single ornament on our tree has some meaning behind it, so I like getting new ornaments on our travels to add to our collection.

If you’re ever at the Grand Canyon, plan to stop at Verkamp’s, even if it’s just to see the building and admire the view!

Remember that show, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous? I guess todays version is Cribs, where we see how rappers and rock stars live. Bath tubs big enough for 10 people and a tour bus full of guitars…right? When the rich and famous want to relax and unwind, do you think they head to a regular, plain Jane, family vacation resort like I do? Do they rent a little cabin at the ski slopes for a week like my family? I think not. The rich and famous, or in some cases, just the right, tend to stick with their own kind by visiting luxury resorts, the likes of which you and I only dream of. A typical luxury vacation can be completely over the top, including expensive spa treatments and gourmet meals, or it can be about seeing a part of the world most people won’t ever get to venture to.

This website also has a section on luxury gifts - you know, when a gift card simply isn’t enough! The blog is a fun read, if only just to see how the other half lives and gives!

An old friend of mine recently announced she was pregnant, for the 3rd time. Her children are 7 and 10, so this baby is quite the welcome surprise, and she’s looking forward to doing all of the baby things all over again, but things have changed a LOT in 7 years. When she and I last had babies, styles were more cutesy and cuddly, and while they still are, for the most part, parents are also buying trendier styles for their infants. Baby bling from Aristabrat.com is one such up and coming brand specializing in high end baby gifts and bling. I absolutely love the onesie that says “Cereal Killer”. They’re not for every parent, but if you’ve got a friend with a sense of humor, it’s certainly a memorable gift!

Leave it to the 3-Day people to bring a store along to a charity walk. If you want flip-flops with pink ribbons, or a 3-Day t-shirt, or something for the kids, you can get it at 3DayGear.com. They have a tent set up at the camp each night, and the “store” is mobbed with walkers getting extra gear. I wasn’t immune, either. I got a shirt for each of my girls that says “Someone I love walked in the 3-Day” and a shirt for myself. Knowing my son wouldn’t want to wear a shirt with a pink logo on it, I bought him a simple silver 3-Day necklace that reads, “What kind of world do you want?”

My 3-Day walk starts on Friday, and due to being tied up in meetings and dinners with coworkers for the past few days, I haven’t been able to devote any time to getting my things together for the weekend. I really need to make sure I get to it tonight so that if I discover any last minute items I need, I have the time to go to the store.

This time last year, you would have found me in Target, frantically trying on pants to wear during the walk in Philadelphia. Temps should be in the upper 80’s here in Tampa this weekend, so it looks like all of the shorts I bought last year will be put to good use this year. Unfortunately, the forecast also calls for rain, so it looks like the ponchos I have will also be put to good use.

One of the newest weight loss products on the market is Lipozene, which contains Propol, a natural fiber from the Konjac root. Lipozene is manufactured in the US and contains NO ephedra. Combined with a healthy diet and moderate exercise, this product can help to get those last few stubborn pounds off your body!

If you’re looking to buy weight loss supplements like Lipozene online, you’ve got plenty of sites to choose from. Why not choose from a site that’s committed to saving your money? TVOverstocks.com has all of the hot As Seen On TV products you want, but at overstock products. Don’t order directly from the informercial or TV commercial and pay big bucks, plus wait 6 to 8 weeks for delivery!

I know there are a lot of amazingly talented young people out there. My own daughter draws cartoons of a character she created…just for fun! She didn’t get that talent from me, since my own drawings resemble something you’d find in a cave…prehistoric style.

The Gallery Collection, which is a major publisher of Christmas cards for business use, as well as other professional cards, is running a great contest for talented young artists. To enter, you must be an artist in high school or college. You can submit your original artwork, photo, or computer graphic online, and if selected, it will be made into a greeting card available for purchase at the site. In return, the artist will win a $10,000 scholarship! Wouldn’t it be amazing to send our professional Christmas cards with artwork that your child created on it? The contest runs until January 15th, 2008, so budding artists have plenty of time to wait to be struck by inspiration.

I’ll have to check back to see when the winner is announced - I order Christmas cards like this to send to my business contacts, and I’d love to support the winner of the contest by sending that card out to my associates.

A long time ago, in a land far, far away…

(Seriously, we were in France!)

A boy took a girl to Paris. The boy and the girl were in love, and this was their first big trip together. They had never been to Europe, and the trip was exciting. They spent quiet nights in cafes, and days trekking through museums, hand in hand. One night, the boy took the girl to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and all of Paris lay before them, lit up brightly. The girl tingled with anxiety and apprehension, because she knew the boy wanted to marry her. She knew the boy planned to propose soon. She knew that the boy had been to a jeweler to see about a ring before they left for their trip to Europe. She hoped with every breath in her body that tonight would be “the night”.

The boy and the girl admired the lights of Paris, and the night sky, and then…

Nothing happened. The boy and the girl went back to their hotel, and then flew back home. It turned out that the ring wasn’t ready before the trip, so the boy couldn’t propose on the top of the Eiffel Tower, in the middle of the most romantic city in the world. Of course, the girl didn’t know this at the time. She wondered if she had body odor, or some other affliction preventing the boy from asking her to marry him.

That’s why I prefer to live vicariously through romance novels. Boys in romance novels never leave the ring at the jewelers, like my husband did. HA! He tried hard, but he just couldn’t get it together in time for our trip. Romance novels typically have the perfect ending to a tale like mine!

When I was a kid, we had a BB gun in the house, which if my father was in a good mood, I’d get to shoot. We’d go out into the wide open area behind our house and aim at beer cans or pieces of wood, and I’d see if my aim had improved from the last time I had picked up the gun. Airsoft guns are fun to use when you live in those wide open spaces, and the air rifles on PyramydAir.com look a lot like the old BB gun we had in the house. From time to time, even my father would pick it up, usually to aim it at some sort of varmit. Those old style air rifles always remind me of the movie, The Christmas Story, where ALL Ralphie wants for Christmas is that Red Ryder gun, and all those adults try to change his mind. Remember when a BB gun was THE gift to give a 10 or 11 year old boy? Those were the days, huh?

Heck, I wouldn’t mind having my own now, to protect me from all the people who ring my doorbell all day trying to sell me stuff. HA! (And I could save 5% on my purchase at the site!)

Have you ever had a great invention or idea you wanted to turn into a product available in stores? Perhaps you want to take your existing small business global? Most people don’t know it, but most of these great ideas, and business expansions will never come to fruition, simply because it’s so costly. For example, when you have a new product idea, there are parents to be filed, prototypes to be created, marketing plans to be developed. When you’re ready to expand your business, you need capital to hire people, lease new offices, and buy inventory. It’s a lot for one person to take on.

The idea behind a new site called http://www.RaiseCapital.com is to make it easier for entrepreneurs to locate investors who can back their ideas and business financially. Having the financial backing to take your dreams to the next level allows business owners and inventors the chance to focus on the job at hand, instead of where the money is going to come from. If you’ve got a great idea, you simply need to register at the site and create your profile, which can include videos and other media about your business. Investors matching your industry are notified when your profile is complete, and they can view that profile to determine if your product or business would be a good fit for their money.

Go ahead - you’ve got nothing to lose!

I went to the grocery store today and decided to grab a few pints of blueberries for one last blueberry cobbler. It was only after I decided that blueberry cobbler would be perfect for tonight, that I had to have it, and reminded myself of how good it was going to taste that I noticed each pint of blueberries was $3. THREE DOLLARS! I had to buy five pints at that price, since frozen blueberries just don’t do…

$15 is an expensive dessert, but it sure was worth it!

You probably know that you can buy Hoodia online, but where? There are literally THOUSANDS of sites selling Hoodia, which is an all natural weight loss product. The plant comes from Africa, and contains an organic chemical that fools your brain into thinking you’re full. You want to be sure that the Hoodia you’re buying is the real deal - certified and independently tested. The Hoodia sold by TVTopTen.com is Optimum Hoodia, and is available in 1000mg extended release capsules. Be sure you’re buying the best!

We recently cleaned out the junk drawer in our kitchen, and I found over $150 in gift cards inside it. Some are a year old, given to me on my birthday last July. Oops! I’ve got gift cards to Kohl’s, several to Linens N’ Things, and one for Bed, Bath, & Beyond. I don’t think I’ll have any trouble spending the Kohl’s gift card on new clothes, but I’m really at a loss as to what to get in the other two stores. We certainly don’t need any bedding, towels, or linens - maybe a new kitchen accessory? I’ll just have to spend a little bit of time looking around.

Note to self: Do not take spouse or children!

I’m off for a short trip this week, and my schedule leaves me no time for shopping. I always promise to bring my kids back something, but it’s looking like “something” this time will be whatever I can buy in the airport. (Pack of gum? Starbucks coffee?)

Thankfully, I can usually find one kid friendly store in the airport, and when I was short on time in the Pittsburgh airport last month, I was still able to get the kids something fun. Catherine got a book on drawing different styles of letters and other designs, Gracie got a little craft kit, and Matthew received a volcano set that came with the tools to make your volcano explode.

Maybe it’ll be t-shirts all around this time!

I’ve done a little bit of mystery shopping, and it’s always neat getting to rate a business and getting a free meal or payment out of the deal! One of the last times I did it, Jim and I got to enjoy burgers and beers for free, in return for simply sharing my comments about the restaurant and staff. Most companies probably aren’t aware of how they can make a mystery shopping service work for them, or how to find competent mystery shoppers. BestMark is a company that provides mystery shopping services to companies large and small, be it with telephone calls, comparison shopping, or even ID checks. Wouldn’t you want to know what your customers really think about your staff, your store, and your services?

Interested in earning money for shopping? They’re looking for shoppers to help them and you can apply online!

Here’s a new product to try if you just can’t get your abs into shape!

The Slendertone Flex is a new item available at TVTopTen that will give you toned, firmed abs in a matter of weeks. In clinical trials, 100% of the people who tested the Slendertone Flex reported more toned abdominal muscles. When combined with a healthy diet and exercise, the Slendertone Flex promises to give your abs the push they need to turned into the midsection you’ve always dreamed of. The product comes in either a male version, or a female version, each designed specifically for the male or female body. You can wear it while walking, at work, sitting at home, almost anywhere in fact, because the unit is portable and discreet. It comes with 4 different program settings from beginner to advanced, and provides you with warm up and cooling down modes as well, and it remembers your personal settings and provides customized recommendations to you as well.

Who can resist a well made purse, crafted from real leather? If that’s your thing, you’ve probably heard of brands like Coach, Dooney & Bourke, and Chanel, who are known for their high end handbags. You may not have heard of Bolzano, a brand of designer handbag that’s been wildly successful in Europe, Asia, Central and South America. It was only a matter of time before they made their products available in the United States, and the time is now! The Bolzano brand offers leather handbags and leather accessories in a variety of colors and styles. You’ll find unique patterns that set the brand apart from other handbags, and each bag offers quality and style in one package. The Gianina mini bag pictured here is a two tone leather with trimming and nickel feet for your purse. Inside you’ll find a cell phone pocket, and the signature Bolzano lining. The bag features reversible handles and a “Bo” zipper pull. Cute!

I’m such a dunce.

When I ordered the new matching Disney outfits last week, I forgot to get a dress for myself! I opened up the order when it arrived this week and pulled out a shirt for my husband, a shirt for my son, a dress for each daughter…and that was it. I was so sure I had ordered my dress and Disney had forgotten to ship it that I logged into their website and double checked my order. Turns out I was the one who forgot it! What kills me is that the discount code I had used the first time wasn’t good anymore, and I couldn’t find one to get the cheap shipping. I paid almost as much to ship the dress as the dress cost!

When the kids saw the outfits, they asked if we were going on another Disney cruise. HA! I wish. They still don’t know about our Disney trip at the end of the month.