Annie's Savvy Cafe

Don't miss these "boo-tastic" specials!

Just in time for the holidays!! Cheryl's cookies are awesome so click on one of these deals for a special treat for your family's Halloween fun. 

Online Exclusive! Halloween Cookie Sampler with Free Shipping only $9.99 at Cheryls.com

SAVE 50% off on 48 Delicious Halloween Cookies only $29.99 (Reg. $59.99) at Cheryls.com

You Have Been Boo-ed from Cheryls.com

Make sure you keep checking back for new specials for Thanksgiving and Christmas!! Enjoy!

 

The Boo! Cookie Card - Sweeter than a Card and only $5 Delivered! Only from Cheryls.com (Offer valid while supplies last)

 

You'll put somebody's eye out

I came across this and had to share with my readers. This is a case of funny but true and it doesn't even discuss the Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle .

 

 

By Scott Paulsen, FOR THE PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, December 10, 2010

We didn't have much, yet I cannot remember a Christmas when the tree wasn't surrounded with presents for us five kids. Mom and Dad found a way, each year, to play Santa.

That still doesn't explain why they tried so hard to kill us.

I am reminded of their murderous efforts each year at this time as safety organizations publish their annual lists of toys deemed "too dangerous for children," an inventory Mom and Dad would have considered "research."

The idea of parents willfully buying dangerous toys for their children may seem irresponsible to the people of today, those who place helmets on every bare head. I, however, am an ancient throwback from the time before airbags, a survivor of the days when people drank unfiltered water straight from neighbors' garden hoses.

We played outside, all day, without supervision, helmets, watch lists, knee pads, life coaches or schedules, among hard rocks, sharp tree branches and germ-filled dirt -- and survived such dangerous and foolish times.

After 11 months of dealing with five muddy kids, my parents were only too happy to shake Santa's hand in December. The three had a deal. They'd feed him milk and cookies. In return, he would leave all sorts of deathtraps under the Paulsen tree.

Santa brought me a Wood Burning Kit when I was 6 (6!). It consisted of a sharply pointed metal spear that, once plugged into a wall socket, rose to a temperature hot enough to burn wood (thus the name).

Each year, one of the five of us would get roller skates (stitches), a sled (fracture), or skateboards (concussion). The best gift Santa brings -- a BB gun -- was perpetual as well. Three boys in a family will ensure that happens.

Now, in our modern, scheduled play date, constant visual contact, haz-mat suit, OSHA-approved padded foam play areas with a lifeguard-on-duty world, we know the Daisy air rifle was responsible for eliminating the eyes of 93 percent of American men between the ages of 45 and 60. No wonder eyepatches became so fashionable in the '80s.

It wasn't only the boys. My parents wished to maim and disfigure my sisters as well. They live to this day with the scarred reminders from leaning too close to the Easy-Bake Oven. Pink bicycles flew as far as black ones when jumping from the back porch.

I applaud the efforts of groups like W.A.T.C.H. (World Against Toys Causing Harm) for publishing lists of dangerous toys. They mean well. Shortly after applauding, however, I laugh, knowing that kids have not changed one iota from when I was a short person. No matter how safe a toy is deemed, a 10-year-old will find a way to make it dangerous.

Mom and Dad made it easy. They gave us lawn darts, pogo sticks, mini-bikes, bow-and-arrow sets and that granddaddy of irresponsible parenting, the Gilbert Chemistry Set.

Wonder what happens when I mix these two together?

Oops.

That's going to leave a scar.

 

Private Quarters

Private Quarters is the nation's premier direct selling company focused on high quality linens for the bed and bath. I was introduced to Private Quarters by a dear friend of mine who has become an Independent Comfort Consultant for them. She highly recommends the products and stands by the quality and customer service that the company provides.  I myself have browsed through the PQ catalog and could easily buy something from every page.  But....this is the season for giving to others, so I am trying to limit my purchases to gifts for my friends and family. 

My friend and personal PQCC (Private Quarters Comfort Consultant) was very generous (and sneaky) and sent me one of the Satin Reversible Robes as a gift. It is unbelievably soft and luxurious and makes me feel like I am in my own little spa getaway. As a matter of fact, I plan to redecorate my master bathroom to reflect the spa feeling that only PQ can deliver.

In today's busy and stressful world, we all search for new ways to experience relaxation and sleep better. After a long day, we all long to slip into our bed at night and feel the touch of butter-soft sheets and have our stress melt away as we sink into our featherbed and feel the pure white goose down comforter surround us.

There are several ways to partake in the Private Quarters experience. You can buy directly through a consultant's website, you can host a party in your home, you can host a catalog party, or you can become a PQCC yourself. These are all great ways to jump start the holiday season. You can get hostess gifts for parties or discounts for being a PQCC.

Believe me when I say this is something you will want to share with friends and family. For more information please click on any of the links above...and tell her Annie sent ya!!!

Christmas Cards

I am keeping this post on top through the holidays so everyone will have easy access to the FREE CARD link.

There is no denying it, Christmas is coming whether you are ready or not. I for one am not ready except in the Christmas Card department. This is usually where I fall down in my holiday duties, but not this year. I have discovered the best way to send out cards efficiently, cost effectively and without skimping on quality. Actually, the quality is better than store bought cards!

Here are a few bullet points about this tool that might get your attention:

• Over 15,000 cards to choose from in the card catalog
• You can send a printed greeting card in less than 60 seconds
• You can personalize with your own message
• You can upload your own handwriting font
• Online Contact Manager that you can access from any computer
• Cards are printed, stuffed, stamped and mailed for you
• You can include gifts and gift cards with your cards
• Choose from postcards, 2-sided or 3-sided cards
• Glossy or Matte finish
• Schedule cards to be sent for a certain time
• Calendar and upcoming events reminder
• You can upload your own photos to your cards
• You can upload your own designs from other programs
• You can send a card for less than a $1

Phew....that's a lot of great points on the subject, huh? I even forgot a few like you can make money at home with this card program if you choose. WOW!!!

Well, I won't keep you waiting any longer, click on this link and you can check out this awesome program by sending a FREE Card.

Here are a few examples of some nice holiday cards...

   

Turkey Day Countdown

Who knew there would be a quiz?

My family seems to enjoy an occasional game when the time allows. As an only child, I had only my parents to torture when I wanted to play a game like Monopoly or Battleship. My Dad made sure I didn't want to play Battleship very often by keeping all of his ships in dry dock, making it impossible for anyone else to win. Some may say he cheated, but he thought he was being clever. 
 Risk became a family favorite as I grew a little older, and we eventually graduated to Trivial Pursuit which I know you are aware can be quite difficult at times.  As an adult I have a new obsession with the Scene It games. We got the original Movie Edition years ago when it first came out, and we now have about 6 or 7 different versions including Disney, Harry Potter and TV Edition. I like to think that I am the official Disney queen, but I am quickly realizing that I don't remember things the way I used to. I was pretty good at Harry Potter while I was actually reading the books, but not so good as of late.
This year, Santa brought us the Seinfeld Edition. I was so excited since I have seen every episode at least two, maybe three times. I know I am a Seinfeld guru and immediately upon seeing my elation, my family was in fear of me, ha ha ha!! A few days after Christmas I couldn't wait to actually play the game, but as far as I could tell, everyone was avoiding me. So, I did what any other person in their right mind would do...I started reading some of the questions right out of the box. Trivia (and other useless information) is something my family is full of so I was very surprised when I realized I didn't know hardly any of the answers to the questions they were asking. Now either I am getting dumber or these games are getting harder. I thought games were supposed to be fun. It appears the only way to know some of the answers to the Seinfeld questions is to be a Seinfeld addict. I guess if I had known there would be a quiz later, I would have paid better attention years ago, then again, maybe not.

Does anyone know what fabric George claims to love so much that he would drape himself in it "if it were socially acceptable"? Or what kind of car Jerry was trying to buy at "the Dealership"?  In the episode "The Checks", what Eagles song put Brett into a trance? Oh, and I've got one of my own...who the hell is Brett?

No matter how hard some of the questions are, the game is much more than just questions so it is still a blast for the whole family. I really can't wait to play it and if my family reads my post they will know there is nothing to fear.

I guess the only thing left to do is program the Tivo to record Seinfeld every day until I know all the answers!!

Merry Christmas to All!!

Christmas is coming...Holy Crap!

 As much as I love this time of year, it tends to sneak up on me. Since Thanksgiving was so late in the month, I was already behind schedule before I even got started making a schedule. First I want to decorate the house which means I have to actually clean the house. Decorating is more of a chore each year, but it is my own fault. By the end of the season each year, I am so sick of Christmas decorations that I do not take the time to organize and put things away so that the next year will be an easy task. I rip everything down and stuff it back in it's box and put it in the garage knowing that I will take the time to get organized next year!! Yeah right!
I want to pick out a live Christmas tree, but I can't do that too early. I want to wait for the kids to get home from their respective far away lands of learning. I mentioned this year that I might get an artificial  tree and have everything done by the time they actually get home. We took a family vote on that and I lost!!
Today I am tackling some outside Christmas lighting which basically means untangling the strings of lights and throwing them over a few bushes. I would love to put some candles, electric of course, in the front windows with a spray of greenery and a red ribbon. Well, that means I have to wash the windows so that my candles don't look like fog lights. I also have a lighted reindeer that I am very proud of because he was an after Christmas bargain one year. He is something I would never have paid the $150.00 asking price for, but after Christmas, in a damaged box, only one left, not sure if he worked, I got him for $20.00. I even checked to make sure he worked before I actually left the store and sure enough he did. He is very heavy and comes in two pieces and as long as I use the EZ-Up stakes on his feet he doesn't fall over on his antlers...very often.

Then there will be the holiday baking. My son is always ready to help bake cookies, right up until the first tray of hot gooey cookies is out of the oven. Then, the thrill is over, the tummy is full and the craving for cookies has been satisfied, so he's basically done. I will be finishing the final 500 cookies that we agreed to bake this year. I made Baklava one year (ambitious aren't I?) and swore I would never do it again.  I try to forget that crazy delicacy even exists, but someone always asks for it and I cave, and then I swear I am never going to do it again.

This year we have started a new tradition. One gift per person. Usually it looks like the Rockefellers live at my house and there is barely enough room in the living area for all the presents. We thought we would keep it simple this year and try to get back to basics and the true meaning of Christmas. Since the kids are away at school, it really is going to be the best time of year when we can all be together so we thought we would capitalize on that. I, for one, love nothing more than sipping hot cocoa in front of a fire while watching sappy Christmas movies. We also tend to eat a lot and we like to play games and go for walks and look at all the pretty Christmas lights in the neighborhood. That is what I love about Christmas time.

Back to this one gift thing...I thought I was making it simple but I have actually made it more difficult. There are lots of things that I could think of to get my loved ones, but not particularly for that one special gift. Of course hubby and the kids all need socks, but not as their one special gift. I found a little lighthouse thingy for Mom, but not as her one special gift. So, I must put my thinking cap on real tight this year and figure out what that one special gift is for everyone.

In the meantime, I placed the little Christmas tree countdown widget in my right sidebar in hopes of keeping me focused. Instead of helping me stay focused, it is causing much anxiety. There are only 19 days until Christmas. Do you think I could file for an extension?

I hope Santa leaves some Prozac in my stocking because I think I am going to need it.

A Very Merry MonaVie Christmas!

As a MonaVie distributor, you are eligible to purchase the MonaVie Gift Packs for a one time phenomenal price of $49.95. This holiday gift pack includes 2 bottles of MonaVie, gift wrapped and shipped for free. It also includes a holiday shot glass for tasting and sharing!! By enrolling to be a distributor, then purchasing at least one gift pack, you have already saved the entire enrollement fee. That is how much of a savings this holiday gift pack is. I find it very hard to believe that I work with a company that is that generous, especially when the world needs it the most. To find other ways in which MonaVie rewards it's distributors, check out my site.

Yum Yum!! Order NOW!

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Happy Mother's Day!!