Musings and What-not

Yes, I'm going to talk about Ning again!  Gotta problem wit' dat? Oh, yeah?!?!? Well, I know people who know some people who know other people who can help you out wit dat lil' problem. Capiche?  {wink} Sorry about.  My cinematic tastes, which includes movies like Scarface , GoodFellas , and The Godfather series, are as diverse as they come, and it's obvious I've seen these flicks one too many times. {teehee} Anyhoo, I'm here tonight to tell you about another wonderful holiday giveaway besides my own (which ends tomorrow @ 11:59 PM CDT, in case you forgot to enter! {wink}). Model Me Kids announced on their Ning network that they were having a little soiree of the giveaway sort, and being a good neighbor, I just couldn't resist jumping in and spreading the good cheer to all of you! So, here's the deal. Win a 3-set of Model Me Kids videos for your favorite teacher for your child with Autism. We will ship a 3-set of your choice of Model Me Kids social...

**This post is not meant to be offensive.  If you're offended, please accept my apologies.  I am merely sharing an experience.** My family's theme this holiday season is trains, trains, trains!  They are my son's absolute favorite thing. Do you know how Cookie Monster loses his mind whenever he's given a cookie?  Well, that's pretty my prince's reaction whenever he hears or sees a train. Last night, we surprised him by taking him to Dry Gulch, USA . The property was purchased in 1985 and originally constructed to be an Old West movie set for feature family films. In 1996, Dry Gulch added a narrow-gauge steam locomotive to its list of attractions. The Christmas Train was launched later that year, and the attraction now welcomes an average attendance of 50,000 guests over the course of select nights of operation in November and December. As part of an evening at The Christmas Train, you will experience the true meaning of Christmas amidst the sights and sounds o...

So, what's a parent to do?  Christmas is creeping up on us... What can we do to ensure our children remain healthy this holiday season? Besides eating healthy, what are our other options? Do we even have any? Earlier this year, I donated about 98% of my son's toys.  Anything toxic has been banned from his room... and this house. Our home is as healthy as I can make it without going completely apey ! I already told you about HealthyCar.org in a previous post , and during a conversation with a friend today, I learned about another groovy organization. Allow me to introduce you to Healthy Toys .org ! It's another project of the Ecology Center, and it's goal is to educate consumers of the toxins harboring in children's toys and other products. Why Do We Need Healthy Toys? HealthyToys.org includes test results for more than 1,500 toys and children’s products. This site is a first step in providing parents, grandparents, and others who care about children with the info...

I am thankful for a little piece of spam email that I received back in 2005.  It was from Santa Mail.org ! I am thankful for the wonderful memory this company gave me. That year, I got to see the most wonderful expression cross my son's face when I told him he had a letter from Santa.  It was priceless!  He was beyond excited! Here's a screenshot from this company's website. The letters are personalized and are postmarked from the North Pole.  You can choose from a Traditional or a Christian letter. There are even letters for Baby's First Christmas ! And for $9.95, it's worth it! Since 2005, I've been addding the Good List Certificate to my order because lil' man is the best kid ever ! One of the items I would LOVE to order, but will have to wait until we move to a climate where it frequently snows, is their exclusive "Santa Was Here" kit. Very original these folks are, and they're definitely worth checking out! I don't know about you,...

Black Friday is also known as Over-Consumption Friday. We have become a world where the Christmas lists are endless, and no one is ever satisfied. What happened? Where did we go wrong? How can we stop this vicious cycle before it's too late? Wall-E is an excellent example of what will happen to us if we keep over-consuming the way we are. Here's an excerpt from the Rolling Stones review: First image: the Earth as a garbage dump, a future reduced to ruins. For the past 700 years, what's left of humanity has been cruising the skies in a spaceship. Only a tiny robot, WALL-E (for Waste Allocation Load Lifter: Earth class), scoots around on urban terra firma compacting trash into piles that grow into skyscrapers. BNL which stands for BUY n LARGE reminded me of Wal-Mart aka Wallie World 'cause it's reminiscent of an amusement park where practically everything you want is at your disposal. BNL is a conglomerate that sells everything at low prices...

Dinner? An organic Celebration Field Roast (wheat flour & barley loaf stuffed with mushrooms) with organic Rosemary Roasted Potatoes, organic Green Beans & Carrots, and organic Wild Rice, Pearl Onion and Cranberry Pilaf.  Price? $49.99 Dessert? Organic Pumpkin Pie (organic wheat flour, pumpkin, soy milk, tofu, and organic spices) Price? $9.99 Letting Whole Foods prepare it, so all I had to do was come home & heat it up? Priceless !

Thanksgiving is that time of year when folks, miraculously, take time out of their busy schedules to gather 'round and be thankful. Blaring car horns... Phones ringing off the hook... Folks rushing by to get nowhere fast... All seem to slow down if only for one day. This day. For some, parenting a child with autism can seem daunting, even down right frustrating. For others, parenting a child with autism brings wonder to each day because you never know what's going to happen. I, for one, am thankful for autism. I am a more patient, tolerant, and compassionate person... all thanks to autism. I am a more caring, kind, and empathetic person... all thanks to autism. This year, I am not faced with the hustle and bustle of making a grand meal for all to enjoy.  (Last year's headache of not having an oven remains a bitter moment for me.) This year, I am not faced with having to dash to one family home to another. My holiday season will seem relatively calm compared to most, and thi...