Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday, May 9th 2010.

I’m a Mom and I run a site called “MommyTopics” so I figured… who better than ME to take the guess work out of shopping for Moms! All I have to do is list the kinds of things that I, and my other Mommy friends, would love to receive. So… here they are…

(For the Mom’s who are reading this post, here are some great ideas to pass on to hubby and the kids when they start asking for clues as to what you might like. You can even send the link for this post to your husband in an email or on Facebook and I’m sure he’ll appreciate the road map!)

And of course this post is also full of all kinds of great ideas for Grandma, Sisters, Aunties, and Friends who are great Mothers and Mothering Types that need to be celebrated this coming weekend.

Here are three great lotions with fantastic scents for Spring and Summer from Bath and Body Works. Coconut Vanilla, Lemon Vanilla, and White Citrus. All three scents can be purchased in array of products from perfume sprays, to lotions, to soaps, and more.

Available only at Bath and Body Works - Each lotion retails for $10.50 and is currently part of a special in store and online promotion of “Buy 2, Get 1 FREE” or “Buy 3, Get 2 FREE.”

This is a collapsible Salad Spinner. It removes all the water from washed produce and this one collapses for easier storage. If Mom loves making salads, she’ll love this! I know I would!

Walmart $24.96

MommyTopics online store - $20.99 - eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping

You can see pictures and read my RAVING REVIEW of the prequel to this book titled “Hello Cupcake.” I just received “What’s New Cupcake” last week for my birthday and my whole family has loved sitting together and looking through it. We are all so amazed by their cupcake creations and I can’t wait to tackle some of them.

Kids will be thrilled to give this gift to Mommy and to spend time looking at it with her and making some of the treats in it together.

Barnes and Noble $12.10 in store or online

MommyTopics Store $11.53 – Ships in 24 hours – eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping

Speaking of Cupcakes… Maybe you’d like to whip up a delicious treat for Mom to enjoy on Mother’s Day. You can get my recipe for these AMAZING Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes that are so irresistable and so easy to make.

These three new candles from Bath and Body Works have great spring and summer scents of Summer Melon, Sunflower, and Strawberry Patch. They are so adorable and would look great anywhere in the house as well as outside for warm summer night meals on the patio.

Bath and Body Works online or in store – $12.50 each – and party of a “Buy 1, Get 1 50% OFF” promotion

This is a nifty new tool for Mom from the Martha Stewart Kitchen Collection. It’s a cutting board that is long enough to fit across the kitchen sink with each end resting on the counter, and the colander hanging over the drain. The colander is removable for easy storage or for when cooks want to brush scraps off the board and strait into the disposal. This is such a great gadget for washing, and cutting  fruit, vegetables, and other foods, right over the sink.

Macy’s in store or online $29.99

These are external hard drives and if you have a Mom in your life who loves taking digital photos and videos, this may be just what she needs. An external hard drive can be hooked up to her computer and used to store photos and videos that take up a lot of memory. Having this handy little accessory will free up hard drive space on the computer and create a safe place for photo and video storage that can travel with you and be accessible in the unfortunate event of a main computer hard drive lock-up or crash! We’ve all been there right! Don’t lose photos again!

Price Range is $70 – $150 and can be purchased at Best Buy, Walmart, Target, and pretty much anywhere else computers are sold.

Check out this cute Chalk Board Coffee Cup for Mom. You can write a special “We Love You MOM” message on it, fill it with a bag of her favorite candy, and Viola! A Cute creative gift she’ll love and use again and again.

MommyTopics online Store – $10.00 – Available for FREE Super Saver Shipping

You know what goes perfect with a great cup of coffee? This Lemon DREAM Cream Cake! Grab the simple recipe, make it for Mom, and trust me… this cake will change her life!!!

Here are two very popular and FANTASTIC cookbooks for Mom.

“The Pioneer Woman Cooks” is a book full of good ol’ down home country comfort food like fried chicken and red velvet cake.

“The Steamy Kitchen” takes the mystery and guess work out of creating delicious Asian cuisine at home.

Barnes and Noble – $17.39 PW Cooks and $20.12 The Steamy Kitchen

MommyTopics online store - $16.50 PW Cooks and $18.45 The Steamy Kitchen – both available for FREE Super Saver Shipping

This fantastic Mentha Body Wash by C.O. Bigelow can make leaving the shower almost as enjoyable as being in it. This body wash contains a bit of Peppermint oil, so after you’ve lathered it on, washed it off, and stepped out into the cool air, your skin tingles all over. It’s one of my personal favorites and I always have some on hand.

Bath and Body Works -  $12.00 and this week part of a “Buy 2 Get 1 Free” promotion

Also at Bath and Body Works you can find these fantastic sweet tasting Mentha Lip Shines by C.O. Bigelow. They come in several different tinted shades as well as clear, add great shine, and contain peppermint oil that makes your lips tingle.

The last friend I recommended this to said she put it on for the first time when she got in her car right after buying it and… it changed her life.

I swear.

That’s what she said.

“It changed my life.”

Bath and Body Works – $7.00 – $7.50 ea. and this week part of a “Buy 2 Get 1 FREE” promotion

And last but certainly NOT LEAST, a nice Gift Certificate that can be redeemed at a day spa for a facial, pedicure, or good long scalp massage is one of my personal favorite gifts. What’s great about this choice is you don’t have to decide which treatment to purchase for Mom. Just find a nice day spa and request a gift certificate that fits the price of your budget. Then Mom can view the services available and decide which one to order for herself! Perfect!

I hope this post has helped with some great ideas for Mom this Mother’s Day. For even more ideas and ideas specifically geared toward “expecting” Mommies, click here.

Also, check out my MommyTopics online Store for so many ideas it will make your head explode! Be careful! Have Fun!

And Dads… Maybe you aren’t a confident baker but you really would love to get the kids involved in whipping up a fun treat for Mom on Mother’s Day. Look no further!

This Barrel Cake is so easy to create, can be made with Mom’s favorite candies, and the kids will remember the FUN they had making it, and eating it with Mom, forever!

Or…

Mom, gather up the kiddos and make this cake for Grandma! Click here to get the simple recipe and easy step by step instructions!

Happy Mother’s Day!!!

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Thank you so much to everyone who visited my Amazon Store, and a double thank you to those of you who made purchases.

I need to make 20  more sales to be bumped up into the next commission bracket through the Amazon Associates program.

Take a peek today if you have some time. I’ve added several new items to most of the categories.

I’ve also been so inspired by the warmth of Spring, I can hardly wait for summer, so I’ve created a “Summer Fun” category full of great items for families to use as the days get warmer.

Okay… the part you’ve all been waiting for…

And the winner of the $50 Amazon Gift Card is….

MessyMommy: Submitted on 2010/03/09 at 7:42pm - “I would love the Bringing Up Girls book! I have Bringing Up Boys and love it!”

Congratulations Messy Mommy!!! Send an email to me at giveaways@mommytopics.com.

Happy Easter everyone!

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…

This week I’m launching the opening of my new Online MommyTopics.com Amazon store.

And in honor of this grand opening I’m giving away a $50 Amazon Gift Card… no purchase necessary.

But first… Did you know that when you make a purchase through my Amazon store or the links on my site, I receive a commission? Ads and this new store help me to turn my blogging hobby into a profitable venture for this Stay-At-Home, Home-Schooling-Mom.

So, if you’re going to purchase books and products online anyway, why not do it through me and make a contribution to my little family? It will cost you the same and it will really help us out.

Now onto the Giveaway…

All you have to do to be eligible to win this Amazon gift card is check out my store and leave a comment on this post about an item you liked or found interesting, or an item you didn’t find, but think should be added.

Simple as that!

One entry per person please. All entries must be in by 10pm pacific time, on March 31, 2010. One winner will be randomly selected and announced on Friday, April 2, 2010 by 10am.

Once confirmation emails have been exchanged between MommyTopics.com and the winner, the $50 Amazon gift card will be delivered immediately through email.

And remember… anytime you make a purchase through the MommyTopics Amazon store, you’ll be sending a commission my way. And if you don’t find anything you’re interested in today, come on back another time as I will be adding exciting new items regularly.

I really appreciate your support!

Click here to start shopping. There is also a tab titled “Store” at the top of this website next to, “Home” “About” and “Contact.”

Happy Shopping, and Happy Commenting!!! I can’t wait to see who wins the $50!

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March 3rd was “National Help A Pregnant Lady Day.” Which now has passed I know… but keep reading!

I learned about here.

There’s even a Facebook Fan Page for it.

So… in honor of such a brilliant day I thought I would try to inspire you with some wonderful things YOU can do for the pregnant lady or ladies in your life.

Although…

Once I got to working on this post I realized that most of these suggestions are just all around great ideas for pampering any lady, anytime.

So husbands, boyfriends, and best friends, take note… The following is a great list of ways to make any woman in your life feel FANTASTIC, any time of the year.

And… several of the items mentioned, can now be purchased right here from the Cosmetics section of the MommyTopics.com store… check it out.

Taking a daily shower when you are a MOM or a pregnant woman is about far more than personal hygene.

It’s warmth.

It’s muscle relief.

It’s a light massage.

It’s calm.

It’s quiet.

It’s solitude.

If there were chairs in showers, pregnant women might not ever come out.

This Ginger soap by Origins just makes mornings better.

The citrus smell wakes you up and makes you feel like living. The scent also stays on your skin after you wash and continues to invigorate the senses throughout the morning and remind you… the shower will still be there to return to tonight. (Available online at Origins.com and at Macy’s)

And, after an evening shower at the end of a looooong day, this fantastic Mentha Body Wash by C.O. Bigelow can make leaving the shower almost as enjoyable as being in one. This body wash contains a bit of Peppermint oil, so after you’ve lathered it on, washed it off, and have stepped out into the cool air, your skin tingles all over. And after you’ve dried off, dressed, and settled down with a good book or to watch TV, it’s still tingling. It’s amazing! (Available at Bath and Body Works)

Also at Bath and Body Works you can find these fantastic sweet tasting Mentha Lip Shines by C.O. Bigelow. They come in several different tinted shades as well as clear.

The last friend I recommended this to said she put it on for the first time when she got in her car right after buying it and… it changed her life.

I swear.

That’s what she said.

“It changed my life.”

Speaking of changed lives…

This little item changed mine.

Most the time I have a nice long debate in my head while putting on my makeup if I should even bother putting on any lipstick because after all, my lips will be bare again within the first half hour of wearing any.

Not with these babies!

These are the Pro Longwear Lustre Lip Colors by MAC. It’s a two step application with a brush on color you let dry, and then a shiny gloss to apply on top. The gloss does wear away like any gloss does, but the color hangs on all day and into the evening. I’m always startled by my reflection in the mirror come mid afternoon when I have this on. Hours and hours after having put my makeup on, my lips are still colored. What a novel idea!

I will say that the magic of this lip color staying on your lips does have one draw back and that is how dry it makes your lips feel. Really, really, dry. But, it’s so worth it.

And as long as you keep a gloss in your pocket like one of the Mentha ones I mentioned earlier or this pocket size MAC Longwear Gloss Coat, to reapply here and there when you feel the need… you’re golden.

There’s also this lip primer by MAC that helps condition your lips and make them feel fantastic under any lipstick. (MAC products are available online at maccosmetics.com as well as at Macy’s and Nordstrom)

Once again… something that has changed my life.

This little pot holds within it the answer to tired, baggy, puffy, circles under the eyes. Pregnant women have this little issue called insomnia which contributes to the under-eye problem but the Eye Doctor by Origins will fix it instantly.

You know those magazine ads and commercials that show you a face with a line down the middle dividing the side that looks incredible because it supposedly has had a miraculous cosmetic applied to it and the other side that is all droopy and blotchy because it doesn’t have the miracle creme on it. When are advertisers going realize we all know how Photoshop works and they just aren’t fooling anyone?

Anyway, you can play that divided face game in the mirror if you have this creme. Once you’ve applied the creme under your eye on one side, you can immediately see a huge difference between it and the eye you haven’t applied it to yet. It’s fantastic. (Available at Macy’s or Origins.com)

And while we’re talking about eyes, let us not neglect the brows.

I’m obsessed with eyebrows. I love them. Especially really well shaped ones.

This is the Brow Tech by Smashbox. One half is filled with a tinted brow powder to brush on the brows and highlight them. The other half of the pot is filled with a colorless pomade WAX that you brush on the brows to hold them in place. AWESOME. No more clear mascara on your eyebrows.

The Brow Tech comes in 6 different colors to match your hair and brow color perfectly.

You’ll also want to get her this Angled Brow Brush by Smashbox. It’s stiff bristles and slanted angle make it the perfect tool for applying both the powder and pomade to create the perfect brow. (Both Smashbox items can be found at Macy’s and Sephora or online at smashbox.com)

A gift certificate for an eyebrow waxing at a Day Spa would be a great gift too.

In fact…

While we’re on the subject of Day Spas…

A pedicure is always a welcomed gift by most any woman, but a pregnant woman in particular.

Once that pregnant belly pops out there, painting ones toenails becomes an impossibility.

And while full body massages are a “No – no” for pregnant women unless they are specifically a “Pregnancy Massage”, a nice facial or a good long scalp massage are a welcomed treat.

Now I realize… you may adore the pregnant woman in your life, but you might not have the money to pamper her with gifts and trips to the spa.

No problem.

You can make a pregnant woman’s day, with any of the following thoughtful gestures…

- Arrange a time to come over to fold clothes and put away the laundry and dishes. If she has kids, offer to watch them too while she goes and takes a shower, a nap, or simply watches a movie or reads a book in her bedroom.

- Pick up her kids and watch them for the day or a couple hours so she can have the house to herself.

- Come over and watch her kids so she can go out to the spa or the mall without busy little ones tagging along.

- Drop off a Newly Released rented Chick Flick and her favorite candy and pick up the movie the next day to return it.

- Drop off some yummy baked goods, like cupcakes, or cookies, or the Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls, some hand picked flowers, and a nice card or note, telling her what a great friend or wife she is. You could also include a nice copy of this poem.

Now…

If you do have some money to spend you can always mix and match the gifts above with the thoughtful gestures, but if you really have some money… I mean really, really have some money to spend on a dearly beloved pregnant woman, you can get her everything mentioned above… or…

Send her and her hubby or her best friend away for the weekend for some much needed relaxation-before-the-storm, to a beautiful Inn like this.

To stay in a beautiful room like this.

With a breathtaking view like this.

And Spa Treatments that sound like this…

Pumpkin Enzyme Facial

Get your glow back with this 55 minute facial, ideal for dry or dull skin. This extra strength enzyme treatment is a great choice if you need to restore glow to tired skin. The advanced exfoliation is followed by a custom mask, toner and moisturizer. Your skin will look and feel revitalized. This treatment ends with our signature Peppermint Scalp, Neck and Shoulder massage.

Now that would seriously be Helping Out a Pregnant Lady!

And pregnant ladies… you’re welcome. Make sure to send a link to this post to EVERYONE YOU KNOW! Post it on your Facebook page, your blog, and all your emails. QUICK! …THERE’S NO TIME TO WASTE.

And tell your best friend to send it to everyone you know also. Tell her it’s how she can fulfill her duty to you for “National Help a Pregnant Lady Day,” and she doesn’t have to do anything else. Just as long as she makes sure everyone in your life has this post!!!

Here’s one last idea…

You could find a fantastic Photographer like this and purchase a portrait package for the Mommy-to-be. Many packages include pictures of the pregnancy as well as the baby once he or she is born.

What an extraordinary gift that would be!

Nikki, from Bumps and Giggles Photography is offering a promotion for the month of March to readers of MommyTopics.com. When you reserve your photography appointment and pay for the portrait package of your choice in full, mention MommyTopics.com and she will wave the sitting fee ($150). She serves the areas of San Diego County, Riverside County, and Orange County in Southern California.

That’s a great deal! Visit her website and check out the many portrait packages available.

If you have a great gift idea or thoughtful gesture for a Pregnant Mom please share it with all of us by placing it in the comments section of this post.

And if you are a pregnant lady who receives some extra special lovin’ on March 3rd because word got out that it’s “National Help a Pregnant Lady Day” leave that in the comments too. We’d love to hear your story.

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As promised, the Christmas Cookie Baking Extravaganza in my family did begin today… but we’re not finished. We spent a good half of the day pouring, mixing, flouring, rolling, cutting, baking, cooling, mixing, food coloring, and preparing piping bags. We did manage to get some of the cookies decorated, but rather than show you only some of this year’s designs, I thought I’d save all of them for later this week when they are finished.

So today I’m just teasing you with some glimpses into the Chaos, and preparing you with some helpful tips we’ve learned over the years.

Find a well recommended Sugar Cookie Recipe and Frosting Recipe and test them before the big day. One night when you’re watching TV and you want a little snack, make up a batch and see if it’s a good fit for all your Cookie Baking Goals. I did a Dress Rehearsal for the big day and ended up finding a great recipe for the Cookies and the Frosting.

Find some designs you’d like to try. This book has some FANTASTIC ones and it will help you prepare by providing info on the kinds of decorating ingredients and tools you’ll need to accomplish each particular design.

Set up a separate table where at the end of the day, everyone involved can pack up boxes and bags of cookies as gifts for friends and family. Prepare the table with gift boxes, bags, twisty-ties, ribbon, blank labels, and pens and markers.

Each year buy a couple new cookie cutters and build a collection.

Finding unique and inexpensive cookie cutters throughout the year and stashing them away until Christmas is a great idea. Look at these cute ones I got last May…

They make these cute cookies that fit on the edge of a Coffee Cup. This is a Christmas Cookie Gift that can keep on giving long past Christmas… like every morning when you have a cup of coffee and every time you serve Coffee to guests.

Buy a lot of piping bag tips and lots of different food coloring, so you can use several at once.

Make lots of Piping Bags. This way you can create any design your little heart dreams up. It’s like having a crayon box of colors at your disposal.

Acquire lots and lots of different sprinkles each season, hang on to the leftovers, and watch your collection grow. Unique sprinkles bring about all kinds of design inspiration.

Lay down an inexpensive disposable plastic table cloth… things can get pretty messy and this makes for easy clean-up when you’re done. Just wrap up the mess inside, and toss it.

Put out trays of veggies and dip, crackers, cheeses, and fruit right there on the table where everyone is working. This will allow you to munch whenever you get the urge, but avoid making yourself sick by nibbling on cookies and candy all day.

Enlist the assistance of a good floor cleaner. Someone you can depend on to quickly snatch up whatever falls off the table.

Here’s a final Sneak Peak… More designs to come this week! Stay tuned!

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I got the idea to make these from this book about the life and times of Shakespeare.

The book includes 21 activities, and making Pomander Balls was one of them.

According to the book Pomander Balls were used in Elizabethan times and in generations before them, to ward off plagues and other diseases which were believed to be caused by bad smelling air. It was traditional to carry these aromatic balls in hands, boxes, or pockets, for protection. People also attached them to chains and wore them around their necks or waists.

Happily today we know that diseases aren’t caused by icky smelling air, but making Pomander balls is still a fun thing to do and they smell AMAZING!

If you’re planning to hang your Pomander Balls on a Christmas Tree, or on wrapped gifts, you should go with a smaller citrus fruit like these medium size Clementines. Pomander balls made from larger oranges can be used as decorations on side tables, mantles, or in a centerpiece on your Christmas Breakfast table.

The first  step is to use a marker and make a grid creating four quarters on the fruit. You can use a black permanent marker, because your grid will be covered up by your ribbon later.

The next thing to do is to use a wooden skewer, toothpick, or sharp pencil to poke holes in the orange and make a design. If you skip this step and just try to push the cloves through without making holes first, you’ll end up with a lot broken cloves.

The holes that you poke for the cloves can be done randomly, in stripes, in the shape of letters, or in patterns.

Here is a design for a swirl.

And there’s this one that looks like a snowflake or a star.

Both my three year old and seven year old were entertained… for a little while…. doing this. It was easy for them to do and they both liked poking the holes and filling them with the cloves.

The next step is to cut a piece of ribbon.

I’ve found that wired ribbon is the easiest type of ribbon to work with because it can be easily manipulated and bent into the form you want.

I wanted big, beautiful, wide ribbon for my bows, but I didn’t want the ribbon to cover up my orange so…

I cut the wired edges off the ribbon into strips for wrapping.

Wrap one of the thin ribbons over one of your black grids and tie it with a double knot.

Next tie the second ribbon on over the other grid line, and again tie a double knot.

And then you cut an additional piece of ribbon to form your bow.

Now don’t freak out about this part. Even if you’ve never tied a fancy bow in your life… you can do this. You don’t attach the ribbon and then try to tie a bow. You tie the bow first and then when it looks how you want it, you attach it to the orange.

And this is why we’re using wire ribbon… so we can pretend we are master bow tyers when we really aren’t.

All you have to do is make a small loop at one end of the ribbon and wrap the long piece of ribbon around it tightly to hold it in place.

Then form a second and a third loop, knotting, and tucking, and bending them together however you can to form something similar to the picture above. It’s not an exact science and the wires really help you be able to bend and tuck and knot without things slipping. And don’t worry about things getting crumpled as you try and tie them… you can fluff all of it out at the end.

Next attach your free formed bow to your orange by tying it on with a double knot from one set of the ribbons already sticking up off your orange.

And then twist and curl your loose ends into pretty little Curly Qs.

Viola!

But wait… we’re not done yet.

Just to add a bit more AMAZING SCENT and a bit more SPARKLE you can dust on some spices mixed with very fine glitter.

I used this Baker’s Blend from the Spice Merchants – It’s a mix of cloves, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, anise, coriander and cardamom.

If you don’t have a blend like this you can make your own from any of the spices mentioned… pumpkin pie spice is also a good one to use.

Then, mix in some very fine glitter. The best kind to use is what you find at the craft store for use with stamps and embossing.

Just mix the spices and glitter together in a small dish and then using a dry paintbrush, lightly dust the mixture onto and around the cloves.

Seriously… I can’t express how good these smell.

They make beautiful gifts, centerpieces and decorations.

You can even put some on your tree or hang them by a string on some very specially wrapped Christmas presents.

Here’s what you need…

Oranges or Clementines

Permanent Marker

Wide Decorative Ribbon

Scissors for cutting Ribbon

Whole cloves – one large sized spice jar from your grocer’s aisle should make about 8 Pomander Balls.

Spices – A Baker’s Blend, or your own mix of any of the following: Cinnamon, Cardamom, All-Spice, Nutmeg, Pumpkin Pie Spice, Coriander, Anise, Ginger, and Cardamom

Toothpicks, Wooden Skewers, or Sharp Pencils for poking holes

Fine Glitter – Embossing kind seems to work best and white or clear looks best. A gold, silver, or orange glitter tends to make the orange look dirty.

Happy Pomandering! (So not a word.)

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An hour north of San Diego, California, surrounded by mountain ranges in a quaint little valley, is the pituresque shopping and dining delight of Old Town Temecula.

I first started visiting Old Town Temecula as a very young girl. Twice a month my parents would take my brother and I to visit our grandparents in Ontario, California. One of my favorite things about making the trip from San Diego was stopping in Old Town Temecula on our way and getting an ice cream cone from the Corner Deli. That particular shop closed down years ago, but Old Town Temecula has continued to grow and develop into a popular Southern California destination.

Old Town is a wonderful place to visit for unique shopping, fine dining, and a quaint small town atmosphere reminiscent of the Old West. Some of the fabulous vendors include: The Temecula Olive Oil Company, the Rancho Fruit Market, The Farmer’s Wife Gifts, Cafe Bravo Coffee House, The Gambling Cowboy’s Chophouse and Saloon, the Dog House Hot Dogs, Sweet Lumpy’s Western BBQ, Saturday morning Farmer’s Market made up of locally grown produce and products, several antique stores, the Temecula Cheese Company, Cactus Flower Apparel, Rosa’s Cantina Mexican Food, The Rootbeer shop,  Palumbo’s Italian Bistro, the Swing Inn Cafe, The Edge Fine Dining Restaurant, and among many, many more vendors, one of my personal favorites… the Spice Merchants.

This is one of my favorite places to shop. Every time I visit I always find something new and amazing!

At the Spice Merchant you have a chance to experience a sensory journey through the spices of the world!

Over 350 fresh, high quality spices, herbs, and blends.

A variety of rices from around the world.

Here is a perfect example of the inspiring ingredients you’ll find that you never even knew existed.

At least, I never knew green bamboo rice existed.

Unique gifts including unusual utensils, spice racks, grinders, mortar and pestles.

A variety of honey.

I bet you never thought about Honeys having different flavors based on the different flowers bees who make them, retrieve pollen from.

Orange Blossom Honey, Clover Honey, Mountain Sage Honey, and by golly out here in good ol’ California we even have Avocado Blossom Honey.

Who knew?

Not me… that’s who… er… not knew…. I mean….

Never mind!

A wonderful assortment of loose-leaf teas and accessories.

And beautiful gift boxes for all occasions.

And speaking of gift boxes…

The generous Spice Merchants are offering this great gift box, to one of YOU!

Let’s see what’s inside shall we?

Oooooooh! Aaaaaaaah!

Want to see more?

I knew you would.

Now let’s take an even closer look.

This is a bottle of Tahitian Vanilla extract. I used some (not out of this bottle… I have my own Baker’s Gift Box) in my Christmas sugar cookies, and it was wonderful. You might think Vanilla is Vanilla is Vanilla, but you are mistaken. This Vanilla tastes and smells wonderful. It makes you sit up and take notice.

Yum, yum, yummy!

You also get a bottle of Dutched Cocoa and Allspice. I’ve been experimenting with these two in a recipe for New Year’s. I can’t give you the details now, but it’s gonna be GOOD.

This is Vietnamese Cinnamon. It’s much stronger than most… perhaps all… cinnamons you’ve dealt with before. This bottle will last you quite a while and the taste and smell is wonderful.

And last, but CERTAINLY not least is this magical stuff.

Cinnamon Sugar.

It’s pure cane sugar in a raw crystal form that has been infused with cinnamon flavor. Just imagine this sprinkled on whipped creme in your coffee, gracing the surfaces of Snicker-doodle cookies, or beautifying the top of an apple pie, crumble, or crisp.

Flavored sugars are one of the most inspiring things I’ve seen at the Spice Merchants.

Cinnamon Sugar, Lemon Sugar, Lime Sugar…

Raspberry Sugar – recommended for sprinkling on cookies, cupcakes, and cakes. Also can be used to coat the rim of a glass of lemonade or other beverage. Try mixing some into a green salad with Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar Dressing.

Hello! Are those awesome ideas?

And check out this one…

Sweet Onion Cane Sugar – I knew I had to have this the moment I laid eyes on it. I love savory with sweet dishes and this one opens up a whole new realm of possibilities. Some of it’s suggested uses are to sprinkle it on buttered popcorn, cooked asparagus, or grilled prawns.

Now these last two lovely sugars – raspberry and onion – are not part of the giveaway. But… don’t worry your pretty little head.

Anything mentioned in this post that has caught your attention can still be yours.

Just call the Spice Merchants and place an order – Mon – Sat 10am – 5pm and on Sunday until 4pm: 951 587 2223

Mention that you saw the Spice Merchants on MommyTopics.com and get a 10% discount on your order when you call or stop in!

You can also view available products at www.spicemerchants.biz, then make the call to place your order from the Old Town Temecula, California Store.

They love it when people call and place orders… really… they do. They are waiting for your call.

The Spice Merchants products make fantastic Christmas presents and of course will add flavor and flair to any of your holiday dishes.

Now… back to the GIVEAWAY.

All this can be yours.

All you have to do is place a comment at the bottom of this post telling me how your Christmas shopping and gift wrapping is going. Inquiring minds want to know… Have you been done with all of it for weeks and is it all neatly placed beneath the tree? Are you still in need of some last minute gifts? Are you like me and haven’t even started yet? Are you completely stuck wondering what to buy for that one person who already has everything? Or, are you someone who doesn’t purchase Christmas gifts… if so, tell me what you’ve been doing with yourself lately, instead!

This GIVEAWAY is open to all U.S. residents and runs now through Thursday, December 17 at 9pm Pacific Standard Time.

Only one comment per person please.

One winner will be chosen randomly and announced in the GIVEAWAYS section of this blog on Friday, December 18, 2009 at 10am. Please check back then to see if you won and to exchange information so I can get this lovely Gift Box to you before Christmas.

Happy Commenting! And shopping… and baking…. and wrapping… and shipping…. and…. all the craziness that is your life during this wondrous holiday season!

Happy, happy, happiness to you!

And by the way….

If you can make it to Old Town Temecula this weekend you wont be disappointed!

Outdoor Ice Skating in the New Town Square begins this Friday the 18th and runs through Dec 31. The whole street is decorated in Christmas Cheer and when the sun goes down, Old Town is all aglow with Christmas lights everywhere. Take a horse drawn carriage ride, enjoy the music of strolling Dickens Carolers, Visit Santa’s Cottage and take a family picture, shop till you drop, and enjoy dinner out… in Old Town Temecula!

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These do not go on your Christmas tree.

These DO go in your mouth.

These DO go best in your kids mouths due to the amount of frosting, sprinkles, and candy… with a little bit of cupcake.

These DO make adorable gifts, great centerpieces, and fantastic Christmas Party treats.

I decided to start off with Red Velvet Cake!

I made mine from scratch by following the recipe in “The Pioneer Woman Cooks.”

If you don’t DO “from scratch” you can still DO Red Velvet.

It’s the perfect festive Cupcake for these pretty little Ornaments.

This totally looks like icing.

It’s not.

This is my cake batter…. in a Ziploc.

Snip the corner off…

And pipe your batter into your cupcake papers.

I’ve found this to be the best method for getting equal portions into each cup, and avoiding a mess… well… almost.

Just look at these gorgeous little things!

The next step is to frost each cupcake with an even smooth layer, using a butter knife, and then roll the tops in bowls of colored sprinkling sugar.

If you want to get really fancy you can make different color frostings to match your sprinkles.

I didn’t have any food coloring on hand, so I just used white frosting for all of mine.

Store bought frosting, Homemade frosting, Creme Cheese frosting, Butter-creme Frosting, …. pretty much any thick, white, frosting will do.

What these cupcakes absolutely require, is a great candy supply for decorating.

I bought my sprinkles and dragees (the shiny ball sprinkles) at a JoAnne’s Fabrics and Craft Store.

The other great place to get AWESOME decorating candy for Cookies, Gingerbread Houses, and Cupcakes, is at your mall Candy Store.

You know… the one with all the bins you can scoop from.

It’s so convenient to be able to dish out just the perfect amount for your project.

Staring at all those bins of goodies is sure to spark all kinds of new decorating ideas.

What you absolutely must have for these cupcakes are:

Mini M&M’s

Smooth thin Licorice Rope in black and red (other colors too if you can find it)

Spice drops

Have you seen these before?

These are chocolate and candy coated Sunflower Seeds. Basically Sunflower Seed M&M’s… but not made by the M&M company.

These are also available at some mall candy stores… That’s where I got mine.

I love these for decorating Christmas treats because they are shaped just like Christmas lights. They look adorable on Christmas tree cookies, lining the roofs of Gingerbread houses, and on these Ornament Cupcakes.

Here are your ingredients for making the Cupcake Ornament Toppers.

Spice Drops, Black Licorice Rope, and Pretzels.

Poke a hole in the rounded top of a spice drop using a toothpick.

Insert the pretzel.

Make two more holes; one on each side of the top of the spice drop, with a toothpick.

Cut a small piece of black licorice rope, and insert it into the top holes so that it forms a rounded loop.

See?

Cool huh!

The pretzels allow you to insert the toppers into the cupcake and make them stick in place just where you want them to.

I ended up breaking my pretzel sticks in half so they didn’t poke out the bottom of the cake.

Next you need some good ol’ Fruit by the Foot.

These red ones were already cut in perfect ornament, decorating, shapes.

You can also use Starburst Chews for this and just flatten them out with a rolling pin.

The blue Fruit by the Foot was not already cut into shapes.

This nifty little Fondant Cutter that I found at the craft store came in handy for making elaborate edges.

You can also use fancy edged scrapbooking scissors, or if you’re really talented… a sharp kitchen knife and your own imagination.

There aren’t any rules.

Just cut some fun and frilly shapes to put on your cupcakes.

When you make (or buy) your frosting, set some aside in a Sandwich Bag. This will be the glue that holds all your decorations onto your sugar coated cupcakes.

Using your spice drop tops, bag of gluing frosting, candy, and Fruit Snack strips… start decorating.

They look really cute too if you put some of the spice drop tops on the edge, and others right in the middle of the cupcakes.

It gives a perspective that each one is laying differently.

Once again this idea orginated from my favorite Cupcake Book – “Hello, Cupcake.” (Which by the way would make a FANTASTIC Christmas Gift!)

When you’re done, line them all up and marvel at your masterpieces.

Here’s What You Need…

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Thick white frosting – store bought or homemade (Food Coloring if you want to use Colored Frostings)

Cupcake Papers

Pretzel Sticks

Fruit by the Foot

Fondant Cutter or Scrapbooking scissors

Colored Sprinkling Sugars

Spice Drops

Thin, smooth, licorice rope in red and black (more colors optional)

Mini M&M’s

Candy Coated Sunflower Seeds – optional

Dragees – Shiny ball sprinkles – optional

Whatever else your heart desires.

Fa – la – la – la – la…. la – la…. la…. la!

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Just before Christmas when I was twelve, I found a T-shirt at a Christian bookstore that had a picture of a manger scene on it and a statement on the back of the shirt read, “Put Christ back into Xmas.” I had never thought about the word “Xmas” as being insulting before, but when I saw that T-shirt I immediately got offended at the idea of people mentioning a day that is supposed to celebrate the birth of Christ without actually mentioning Him.  I bought a shirt for myself and a few more for three of my friends.  We proudly wore them to our school Christmas party and I felt like we were waging the war against secularism.

Years later someone mentioned to me that “Xmas” was not an offensive word because X is the Greek symbol for Christ.  When I heard that, I was done being offended.  That made sense to me and I was proud to know a deeper detail about the issue than most other Christians.  From that point on I proudly corrected others who made comments about taking offense to the term “Xmas.”

But one Christmas I realized…

“Wait a minute… do I even know what I’m talking about?  I have been telling people for years that “X” is the Greek symbol for Christ, but I don’t actually even know if that is true.”

It wasn’t until I did some study and investigation that I could speak more truly informed on the matter. I still am no expert of the Greek language, but here is what I have learned.

The term “Christmas” predates the twelfth century and comes from the Old English Cristes Masse, literally, Christ’s mass. There are documented variations of the word “Xmas” having been used as a non-offensive abbreviation for the word “Christmas” that date back as far as 1021 A.D., long before it became a word used merely to save space in electronics ads. In the distant past, “X” was also commonly used as an abbreviation for “Christ” in the word Christian, then written as “Xian.”

One early and common symbol used in the Christian Church, referencing Christ and his followers, is known as the “Chi Rho”.  The New Testament of the Bible which is the portion containing the history and documentation of the life of Christ and his church was originally written in the languages of Greek and Aramaic. In the Greek alphabet, X is the letter “Chi” and is used for the “Ch” in the beginning of Christ’s name.  In Greek, P is the letter “Rho” and is used for the “r” in Christ.

The X and P of Chi Rho were superimposed over one another and placed on jewelry, coffins, coins, armor, shields and other wares as early as the third century. The above photo is of a reproduction of a Roman Fresco found in the Villa at Lullingstone, containing the Chi Rho flanked by the Greek letters Alpha and Omega which God calls Himself in the book of Revelation.

Modern critics of the abbreviation”Xmas” typically feel that the X is replacing Christ, who is the reason for the holiday.  It is felt by many that “Xmas” further secularizes what is supposed to be a sacred celebration.

It is possible that the use of “Xmas” has become offensive to Americans in recent years, partly due a massive decline in knowledge amongst English speaking westerners of the Greek language and alphabet. For this reason, even once Christians understand the origins of “Xmas”, they may still prefer the use of the full word “Christmas” because an X no longer represents the name of Christ, in our modern American culture.

When so many Christmas traditions are being attacked and erased from the public square, and big business is trying to use alternate labels such as “Happy Holidays” and “Season’s Greetings” Christians are doing everything to try and keep the name of Christ on people’s lips and in their hearts.  “Xmas” may have it’s origins in being a holy and acceptable representation of Christ, but today it has lost that meaning and in most cases is used only to aid advertisers in saving letter space in ads which focus on commercialism, materialism, and selfish desires.

What’s your opinion?

Are you still offended?  Were you ever?  How do you feel about it now?

Leave a comment.

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This year make it a one stop shopping trip on Black Friday at

There’s no need to stop anywhere else with the prices and selections offered on the infamous, “Day After Thanksgiving Shop-a-Thon.”

Plus, Wal-Mart offers a price guarantee, so if you should find a better price somewhere else in the weeks to follow, just bring in the proof and Wal-Mart will refund the difference.

You’ll have to be willing to camp over night and fight the crowds to obtain the following items, but if you’re up for it, you’ll get some great savings!

Wal-Mart is closed Thanksgiving Day and doors will open for

Black Friday shopping madness at 5:00 am.

Here’s what you should set your sites on…

Sony Bravia 40″ Class 1080p LCD HDTV, KDL-40S504

$598.00

Regular Price $719.00

Sony makes excellent LCD TVs. This is the one for you!

Acer 17.3″ Aspire AS7535-5020 Laptop PC with AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor QL-65 & Windows 7

Every Day Low Price $498.00

A great deal on a 17” laptop. Don’t miss this one if you’re looking to purchase a laptop this Christmas!

Fisher-Price Power Wheels Barbie Jeep Ride-On

$88.00

Regular Price $200+

The best price I found for this was just over $200, so this is a steal at less than half price!!!

Nintendo DS Lite, Crimson Red

$98.00

Regular Price $129.00

Magnavox Blu-Ray DVD Player, NB500MG1F

$78.00

Regular Price $128

The following three items are NOT at Wal-Mart, and are not Black Friday specials, but they are a few cool clothing selections I couldn’t resist including in my Gift Guide.

As they say, “Dress to impress”!!!

Wi-Fi Detector Shirt

You can display the current wi-fi signal strength to yourself and everyone around you with this stylish Wi-Fi Detector Shirt. The glowing bars on the front of the shirt dynamically change as the surrounding wi-fi signal strength fluctuates.

$19.99

Electronic Rock Guitar Shirt

That is actually a mini amp on the bottom of the shirt, with volume control. The Electronic Guitar Shirt is incredibly easy to play because each button on the guitar neck plays a major chord. You can play dozens of actual songs with very little skill.

$29.99

T-Qualizer Shirt

The T-Qualizer that dynamically changes with any ambient sound or music.

$39.99

Good luck out there, and… watch your toes!

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