Christmas Tree Decorating
What exactly is the perfect Christmas ornament. There will certainly be as many different answers as there are people who decorate Christmas trees.
For some it may be a gold trimmed and jewel studded crystal, for others a delicate hand painted glass ornament. Perhaps it’s simply a small handmade fabric Santa that’s been passed down through the generations. Honestly, the perfect ornament, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder (or in this case – the owner of the Christmas tree).
At some point in our lives we move out to live on our own, or with a significant other, and start having to decorate our own apartment/home for the Holidays. The first time this happens it’s usually a bit of a shock, since we’re so used to just unpacking all the same decorations we used last year. But once you’re out on your own, the decorating is all up to you (in addition to the fact that you’ll probably also need to buy your own tree, but that’s another discussion). So what ornaments should you get?
Typically, we’ll start with ornaments that are familiar to us, similar to those that we’ve seen on Christmas trees of years gone by. To me, these are simply filler ornaments as they just take up space and provide some background color. The decorations that make the tree yours, are the ones that have special meaning for you. You’re first perfect ornament might be from a gift shop at a National Park where you and your significant other first vacationed together. Or maybe it’s from the tropical island (or European city) where you got engaged to be married.
So as you can see, the perfect ornament not only depends on who you are (and what you like) but also what stage of life you’re in. I’m fairly sure that most parents have a perfect decoration that has a picture and/or name of the first child (and everyone thereafter). As your life takes you on your unique journey, you’ll soon find that if you’ve taken a moment to pick up a small keepsake at special moments, that your Christmas tree is no longer decorated with filler ornaments, it is completely perfect. As a matter of fact, it’s very possible that once your children get a little older and they start collecting ornaments from their favorite places, you may end up needing more than one tree.
So as you can see, it doesn’t really matter what the ornament is actually made of, it’s the memories it brings that make it perfect.
Empire Strikes Back - Darth Vader Poster
Star Wars gifts are a lot more than just action figures and Christmas ornaments.
With the success of the three prequel movies and the animated Clone Wars television series, there are plenty of characters and themes to choose from.
Are you a fan of the Jedi Knights? How about a Yoda, Obi Wan, Luke Skywalker, Annakin Skywalker, Qui Gon or Mace Windu poster.
A bit of a rebel? Then Han Solo, Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian items are what you’re looking for.
Like the ladies? Then check out Princess Leia and Padme (Queen Amidala).
Prefer villians, you’ve got plenty to choose from. Darth Vader, Darth Maul (my personal favorite) Count Dooku, and of course Emperor Palpatine (or if you prefer – Darth Sidious).
Darth Vader - Who's Your Daddy t-shirt
So what’s the best type of Star Wars gift? Check out these sites for a few ideas:
Star Wars Hoodies
Star Wars Shirts
Star Wars Movie Posters
Star Wars hoodies and Star Wars shirts are simple fashion statements that let everyone know the Force is with you. If you, or someone you know, is headed off for college, or just needs some new apparel for the fall season, why not make it something they like.
A great gift, especially for college students, or someone moving into their first apartment, are Star Wars posters. Cover those bare walls with great artwork, and a fanciful diversion into a galazy far, far away.
No matter what the reason, or who the recipient, Star Wars gifts are always appropriate, so get yours today.
Tags: Star Wars Gifts, star wars hoodies, star wars posters, star wars shirts
Switzerland defeats Spain
Having previewed Group H, it shouldn’t have been much of a surprise since Switzeralnd had gone unscored upon in their 3 games of the 2006 World Cup (being eliminated by Ukraine in a shoot out). The best most anyone expected would have been a draw, except of course Otmar Hitzfeld, the new Swiss head coach. Having led teams to more international titles than any other 2010 World Cup coach, he certainly knows how to win. Whatever preparations the Swiss made for their match with Spain, they were in the right place when it counted, putting in the only goal of the game, and the biggest of the World Cup so far. Spain is now in the position of having to win their 2 remaining Group matches in order to advance to the elimination round.
Reguardless of who you’re cheering for in the World Cup, you can show your support by purchasing their official World Cup Jersey.
Kettle Corn
Good nutrition is critical for children who play sports, especially since they will need the extra energy (to be active) and the vitamins and minerals to keep them alert and focused. The simplest way to illustrate this is with a simple example.
We just returned from our daughter’s first out of state soccer tournament (U9 division), during which we made sure she got plenty of sleep, and ate healthy meals to keep up her energy. Our son (her twin brother) naturally came with us, and although he didn’t play soccer, he spent enough time in the hotel pool to burn off as much energy as my daughter. On the last day of the tournament, we all ate a light breakfast since game time was 8 am, and we had to checkout of the hotel right after the game ended (we unfortunately lost). During the 3 1/2 hr drive home, we snacked on some of the goodies we picked up in Lancaster PA, particularly the donuts and kettle corn (obviously not the healthiest snacks but these donuts put Dunkin Donuts & Krispy Kreme to shame). Anyway, after sitting in a little traffic, we finally arrived home on Long Island and started to unpack. About an hour later, with everything sorted no one was particulary hungry so we decided to simply relax a little. Although my daughter napped for most of the car ride, she almost immediately fell asleep – no surprise since she played three soccer games. My son, wanted to have a catch outside but after 5 minutes complained that he was tired and wanted to go back inside (typically I’m the one who has to tell him when its time to stop) Once inside, he leaned against my wife and immediately fell asleep also for ~ 90 minutes. Since we’ve gone to Lancaster several times in the last few years we know this doesn’t usually happen so my wife & I started to wonder why.
The answer was pretty obvious. Except for a light breakfast at 7 am, we’d had nothing of any nutritional value all day, and now at 3 pm the kids had no energy to do anything. An hour later, after an early dinner of pasta with meatballs, they were fueled up and ready to head outside for some more soccer.
The lesson here is simple, good nutrition needs to be an every day habit, and although it’s ok to indulge in the occassional treat (like donuts from the Bird in Hand Bakery), you can’t abandon you’re healthy eating habits altogether. For more tips on how to prepare healthy meals and snacks for your kids, visit Home Chef Cooking Tips.
Tags: good nutrition fuels body, healthy eating, lancaster PA
Bat Day 2010
Today, May 16, 2010, was Championship Bat Day at Yankee Stadium. The first 10,000 fans under the age of 14 received a comemorative NYY 2009 World Series Bat – a black, full length Louisville Slugger.
It’s always great going to Yankee Stadium, and today’s Championship Bat promo made it even better. Unfortunately, my son’s 3 game win streak for winning while in attendance came to an end when Mariano Rivera gave up a Grand Slam in the top of the 8th inning (guess you can’t win them all). But reguardless of the outcome of the game, visiting Monument Park and being among all the Pinstripe history is one of the best ways to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon.
We arrived about 45 minutes before the gates opened, to insure we were among the first 10,000 and would get a bat, then headed straight for Monument Park (directly behind the center field wall). Once among the Monuments we had plenty of time to read the plaques, take some photos and enjoy the view of batting practice from center field. As big a Yankee fan as my son is, he made sure that I took a picture of the #42 Plaque for Jackie Robinson (appropriately in Dodger Blue. I also managed to get him to stand still long enough for photos with Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio. After a leisurely stroll around the stadium trying to decide what to have for lunch (Andrew had pizza, I chose the hot italian sausage, and our friend Justin tried the BBQ pulled pork – all were very tasty).
Yankee's Bat Day
Finally settled in our seats, we watched and waited for a foul ball to come our way. Nine innings later, nothing was even close. However, with souvineer bat in hand, we headed back to the B train for the trip downtown with fresh memories of another Yankee game.
I remember going to Bat Day as a child and getting a bat with Bobby Mercer’s name on it. It didn’t take long for it to become an unrecognisable piece of lumber in my parent’s garage. I’ll make sure we take much better care of this one. Who knows, maybe in the off season we’ll get the chance at a Sports Memorabilia Show to get one of the Yankees to autograph it (Andrew naturally wants A-Rod or Jeter). Time will tell.
Keen Oregon PCT
If you’re looking to buy a pair of Gore-Tex hiking boots, click on any of the manufacturer links below for more detailed feature and pricing information.
Hiking boot manufacturers from Asolo to Wolverinewere quick to realize the benefits of Gore-Tex, and made it a key component of their boots. One of the first hiking boots to take advantage of the unique properties of goretex was Danner. The fact that Gore-Tex is both waterproof and breathable, make it such an important component of quality hiking boots. Specifically, goretex is used to create the boots liner, that keeps liquid water out while letting water vapor (perspiration) escape. Today, manufacturers from Merrell and Patagonia, to Lowa and Scarpa,all incorporate Gore-Tex into their footware.
Hiking and backpacking are such great outdoor activities, that it’s a shame to have your day ruined by sweaty, blistered feet. So whether your hiking the Appalachian Trail in your Timberlands, or winding through Wall Street (Bryce Canyon) in your Scarpas, be thankful that you had the foresight to purchase a quality pair of Goretex hiking boots.
Your feet will thank you for it.
Tags: goretex hiking boots
The Bulldog
The Butler Bulldogs, the #5 seed in the West Region held off #1 seeded Syracuse to advance into the Elite Eight.
Fired up and not the least bit intimidated, Butler charged out to a 10 point halftime lead, aided in part by a poor half of shooting by the Orangemen. In the second half, Syracuse showed that they deserved the #1 seed by coming back and taking a 4 point lead with under 4 minutes left in the game. Butler kept their cool, and after a time out, went on an 11 – 2 run to pull ahead for good. A last second steal sealed a 63 – 59 victory.
Celebrate Butler’s best NCAA Tournament and first visit to the Elite 8 with your very own Butler Basketball Crewneck Sweatshirt.
University of Northern Iowa Panthers
March Madness is definitely living up to its name this year.
The first round of the NCAA tournament certainly had its share of upsets from the minor (#9 Wake Forest defeating #8 Texas 81 – 80) to the shocking (#3 Georgetown being dominated by #14 Ohio 97 – 83).
Not to be outdone, the first games of the second round have added an absolutely stunning upset of their own. The Tournament’s #1 overall seed the Kansas Jayhawks have fallen to the #9 Northern Iowa Panthers 69 – 67.
Except for a first basket 2 – 0 lead, Kansas trailed the remainder of the game getting as close as 1 point down with only 42.8 seconds left. Moments later, a key 3 pointer with 36 seconds on the clock was the final dagger in the Jayhawk’s season.
With the #1 & #3 seeds out of the Midwest, it is now Ohio State’s region to win, or lose. But first they need to get past #10 Georgia Tech.
Go Jackets!
Patagonia Nomad Goretex Hiking Boots
Goretex boots are the perfect marriage between form and function.
One of the biggest problems that hikers and backpackers face, is keeping their feet dry from both external (rain, snow, rivers, etc) and internal (perspiration) moisture. The unique properties of Goretex fabric make it both waterproof (keeps liquid water out) and breathable (allows water vapor to escape). But how?
The secret is in the pore size of the fabric. When goretex is processed into its final form (technically it’s called expanded polytetrafluourethylene), it contains thousands of microscopic pores (similar to your skin) that are perfectly sized. How perfect? The pores are 20,000 times smaller than a single droplet of water, which is why goretex is waterproof, the liquid water is too big to penetrate through the fabric. You also don’t have to worry about any moisture absorbing into goretex since it is based on the same polymer used to generate Teflon (Registered Trademark of DuPont). Additionally, the pores happen to be 700 times larger than a molecule of water vapor, allowing perspiration to pass through, keeping your feet cool and dry.
Although other materials have been used to keep moisture out (suede leather for example), they don’t allow for perspiration to excape from your feet, so in the end, your feet are still wet.
Fortunately, today most (if not all) suppliers of hiking boots are using goretex as their waterproof liner.
Are you looking to buy Danner, Asolo, Patagonia, Merrell, Wolverine, Lowa, Vasque or Scarpa hiking boots (just to name a few), visit Goretex Boots, and find the one that’s right for you.
Hummingbird Fishfinders
Hummingbird fishfindersare available in a varidualbeam plus, 3d plus sonar, ety of models, each with different capabilities. In order to purchase the fishfinder that is right for you, you first need to understand the different types of sonar that are available with the different models, and then select the one that best suits your needs.
The most basic Humminbird sonar is the single beam. The
PiranhaMax Series of fish finders utilize the simple single beam which provides detailed information about what is directly below your boat. Due to its narrow beam (necessary for enhanced detail), its scanning area is only 1/3 of the water depth.
The DualBeam Plus sonar technology combines a wide and narrow beam fro greater coverage, while maintaining detail. The DualBeam Plus can operate as either a wide beam only (when quickly searching for promising spots), a narrow beam only (when you’re trying to focus in on a specific area), or with both beams in combination (for the most detailed images). The DualBeam is available on the Matrix, 300, 500, 700, 900, and 1100 Series Fish Finders.
The QuadraBeam Plus adds two fan shaped sonar beams to the DualPlus for increased coverage to the sides of your boat. Your underwater vision is now increased to 2x the waters depth. Highly useful for shallow water lake fishing the QuadraPlus is available on the 575 & 737 models.
Looking for even more bottom detail, look no further than Humminbird’s 3D Plus Sonar. Available on the 737, 575 and 947c Fish Finders, the six beam sonar array provides incredibly detailed images of all underwater objects (fish) and structures (bottom detail). Capable of displaying either 2D or 3D views, or both side by side. Bottom coverage equals depth.
For the ultimate underwater viewing experience, nothing beats the Side Imaging sonar system which generates a complete 180 degree view to both sides of your craft, over a total distance of 480 ft. That’s the ability to see over 1 1/2 football fields of underwater objects from a single location. Available only on select models in the 700 Series , 900 series and 1100 series fish finders.
Now that you know what types of sonar systems Humminbird offers, pick the one that’s right for you at Hummingbird Fishfinders.
Tags: 947c fishfinder, Hummingbird Fishfinders, Matrix fishfinder, PiranhaMax
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