Getting Ready for the Chill

Today is shopping day, so I hope you remembered to make your lists yesterday. I'm sorry I wasn't home to post. I had a hair appointment and ended up spending the rest of the afternoon hanging our Christmas lights outside. Believe it or not we've been having temperatures in the 60's...but after tomorrow, it's all 20's and 30's for highs! I really needed to get those outdoor lights hung so I wasn't stuck out there this weekend in my hat and gloves!

Due to the weather getting frosy, I wanted to remind you of a few things you may want to consider adding to your shopping lists.

1. Vaseline Intensive Care hand lotion. Seriously, this stuff is the best!! No joke! I'm talking NO cracks at all if you apply it every night and during the day when you're going in and out from warm to cold temperatures!

2. New furnace filters! This is something that if you don't know if you need them...ask someone who can tell you!! It will save you money on your heating, make your home healthier AND cleaner!!

3. And finally...I wanted to share with you my holiday spice recipe and encourage you to go out, buy the ingredients and make it for yourself. It's just not the Christmas season for me without this. My mom made it when I was a child and when my husband and I first were together I made sure to make it in our home. I made it last night with my 2 1/2 year old's help and as soon as my husband walked in the door, he knew Christmas had came to our Comfortable Home!

Holiday Spice ala Ms. Suzy

1 lemon rind
1 orange rind
1 box of cinnamon sticks
1 box of whole cloves
2 bay leaves

Put all ingredients in an open topped tea kettle (one that does NOT whistle) or an old saucepan.

Fill with water.

Bring to a boil then turn down to a slow simmer.

Enjoy the smell of the holidays!

If you're on a tight budget, these spices can be expensive. So, another idea is to put a 1/4 cup of sugar and a 1/4 cup of ground cinnamon on a pie plate and put on a back burner on low.

Please let me know if you have any other ideas on getting ready for the cold weather, or how you liked the holiday spice!

Holiday Wreath

Well, I'm back! I do apologize for being gone from the blog for so long, but the holiday weekend kept me busy with my eating and shopping! And we also are having some major unseasonably warm weather and it's kept us outside cleaning up for the winter. We have not started our holiday decorating, but that is to begin later this week.

Since Tuesday is supposed to be a day filled with ideas for around your home, I'm going to talk with you about making a holiday wreath. I made one for our home the first year my husband and I were living together, I also made stockings, but those I'll talk about later in the season. I made my wreath for a total of $11 and I used it every year for the past 4 years! But over the summer it got mildewed in the basement and now I get to make a new one! (It needed it anyway!)

Let me share with you how I made mine.

I just went Sunday night to get the materials needed to make my wreath at Dollar General! First I picked up a 24" lighted wreath...it was only $7! I then got a pack of gold jingle bells for $1 and a bouquet of red silk poinsettias for $1 where I cut off the long stems and stuck them into the wreath. I also got two small bundles of plastic frosty pine with a present, pinecone and gold berries 2/$1. And of course a big red bow for $1! I arranged them all around the wreath and it turned out so pretty! You can do this with any variation of decorations and colors! I live in a farmhouse with a big red front porch so the red and gold really pops against my white house..but you could do silver, green, blue and white, whatever!!



Please send me your homemade wreath pictures and information on where you got your supplies and how much it cost! I can feature it later in the month!

Thanksgiving Countdown: Tick Tock

Happy Thanksgiving Eve! I know that there is lots of preparations in store for tomorrow, but still make your menu, grocery and errand lists today! Although you will not be making it out to the stores tomorrow for Shopping Day...that list will be ready for the first chance you get to use it.

As for Thanksgiving preparations today, I am going to get my table set up and all of my serving dishes laid out and labeled with scraps of paper in each one stating what is going in what dish. It saves time at the last minute, and also gives you a great sense of control over the outcome of the holiday. I'll also be "making my list, and checking it twice" of my menu, recipes and times that everything must cook. Today is the day to be prepared...take the time to get there!!

As for tomorrow, I wish you all the Happiest Thanksgiving! Please be careful if you are traveling, and be extra careful if you are staying in and cooking. Dont burn that bird!

Friday, I will be fighting the Black Friday crowds and shopping with my mom and daughter until I can't walk any further! We just started this tradition last year and I never want it to end! Unfortunatly, for my daughter it probably will have to after this year because next year she'll be 2 and will be old enough to give into her daddy's prying about what I bought him!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Thanksgiving Countdown: Crafts!

Preparing for Thanksgiving is such a huge, time-consuming thing if you're the one hosting! But for those of you who are either WAY on top of your game and have some extra time, or for those of you who are going to be a guest instead of a host. Here is a link to some great Thanksgiving crafts you can do with your kids over the next couple of days!

Again, because it is our Thanksgiving Countdown, let me tell you what I'll be doing today. Since I'm hosting I want my bathrooms to be nice and clean for my guests. If you've been following this blog, you'll know that that bathrooms get a quick wipe down on Monday's and a thourough cleaning on Friday's. But, due to company, I really want them shining! So today, I'll take down valances to wash, along with bathrugs and handtowels (even if it's just a guest bathroom and no one ever uses it! Get those linens clean because they'll be used Thursday! All surfaces will be thouroughly cleaned, and the new boxes of Christmas tissues will be set out! After all, Thanksgiving is the real kick off to the Christmas season!

After the bathrooms are cleaned, I am planning on cleaning out my kids' toy room. It needs it, and it's not a bad idea to get some things cleared out before Santa hit's our streets! But for those of you at your homes, this is not an important Thanksgiving chore, so if you are lacking in time, please leave this for now. It does need done before Christmas, but it is not imparative that it gets done today!

As for holiday cooking, my cranberries are nicely chilled in the fridge, and there is nothing that needs done today. I finished my holiday shopping yesterday and am ready (in that aspect) for Turkey Day! Are you?

Thanksgiving Countdown: Weekend Recovery

Today is Monday and that means Weekend Recovery. For the list of additional chores go here, or here!

Because this is Thanksgiving week, I will be adding extra content everyday to help you get prepared for the holiday!

While you're washing your children's bedding, I always add to wash guest bedding if you had weekend visitors. This week, this chore is NOT optional. Even if you are not planning on an overnight visitor. Its the holidays, people drop by, and you never know when and if they may have that one glass of vino too many! Not only do I want you to wash sheets but wash up the comforter. AND, if you have a TV or phone in there, wipe down the remote and/or handset with and antibacterial wipe! You want to make that guest room cleanlier than a hotel room, dont you?

So, here is what Miss Suzy is doing today. I just put my turkey into the fridge to begin to thaw. If you haven't done that yet..than get to it! I am also going to be making my cranberry sauce because it's a recipe that needs to set for a couple of days to really meld together the great flavors. If you haven't thought of making your own cranberry sauce and always buy canned...please, try this recipe. It's super easy and will really WOW your guests!

Orange Cranberry Sauce
Serves 12 (with leftovers)

Ingredients:
4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (1lb. bag)
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup orange juice

Rinse the cranberries in a strainer and remove any stems or blemished cranberries.

In a sauce pan bring the water, sugar and orange juice to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Boil for 5 minutes to ensure that the sugar is completely dissolved. Continue to stir occasionally.

Add the cranberries and bring back to a boil. Cover for 5 minutes, still stirring occasionally. When you hear the cranberries beginning to pop, remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Pour the cranberries into a container and allow to continue to cool completely before refrigerating.

Before storing in fridge, lay a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the cranberries to prevent them from developing a film.

I got the recipe from the Saving Dinner website last year when I was subscribed to their Menu Mailers. I have since not needed the Menu Mailers, but still plan to use the Thanksgiving Planner this year for my cranberries and for my dressing! If you are totally lost as to HOW to put together your Thanksgiving meal...I'd suggest printing this resource!

One last thing before I go. While I'm waiting on my cranberries to cool this afternoon. I am going to rearrange my living room furniture. Why? Because shortly after Thanksgiving we'll be buying our Christmas tree. And already having the furniture rearranged will be a huge timesaver that day, and will make it less stressful so we can concentrate on drinking cocoa, singing carols and putting the decorations on the tree!

Clip Some More!

Any of you who were interested in last Thursday's post about coupon clipping and saving will want to check out this weeks link. Not every Thursday is going to be about *how* to clip coupons and save money using them. I wish I could help you more with that subject, but I'm just teaching myself. I will usually only lead you in the direction of great offers. But this week, I wanted to expand on last week's post so I decided to share with you the resource I'm planning on using to teach myself about coupon saving and organization.

Here it is, Check it out!

I'd love to hear your own ideas and experiences about coupons, so send them my way!

Remember, today is shopping day, so get out there and get those groceries and home staples bought! Just dont get sidetracked off of your list, it's so easy to break budget that way!!

Wednesday's Meal Planning

I didn't get any recipe review's for last weeks recipe, so we'll skip right to it!

You need to make your grocery list today to prepare for shopping tomorrow. Begin by planning out your meals from this Friday-next Thursday! A nice tip is try to make Thursday's meal something that will go in the crockpot or at least something quick since shopping day will keep you out of the house and pretty tired by the end!

Next, you need to remember your snack, breakfast and lunch items. Also, go through your house and see if you're in need of any staples, like toilet paper.

Remember to sort your coupons and look at the flier from you local grocery store to see if any of the items that you use regularly are on sale and you have a coupon for them. Remember, things that are constantly used, even if you're not out yet, should be bought when you can get them at a discounted price! Its so budget friendly!!

We'll use yesterday's guest post as our recipe for this week. So check it out, get it added to your list and SEND ME THOSE REVIEWS!! Anything you make off of this site, even if the week has passed can still be reviewed and sent to me. I'll post it whenever I can!

How did your meal planning go? Did you use Recipe Zaar at all?

Open House Winner!

During the Open House I mentioned the contest that would get one reader of this blog a guest post and a spot in the blogroll. The winner was Valerie and I do hope that you all go check out her blog and try this great recipe she's so sweetly chose to share with us! I'm making it tonight and will right up a review of it next Wednesday. Remember, if you try any of the recipes shared on this blog, please email me a review and it will be included on the following Wednesday's post. And, you'll be added as on of my "Neighbors" in the sidebar!

So without further ado, here is Valerie's Recipe for Chicken In The Pot:

I am so excited that I won this little contest! I am trying so hard to be the happy homemaker. It sure would be easier if I did not have to work full time too. Being as busy as I am on my days off one of my families favorite meals is Chicken in the pot.

I use 4 to 6 pieces of chicken whatever you like.
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can mushrooms or chop up some fresh ones
1 to 2 cloves of garlic to taste
1 med onion chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Throw it all in the crock pot on high for 4 to 5 hours or low for 8 hours
Serve over rice with a veggie for a quick and easy meal

Weekend Recovery

It's Monday and that means Weekend Recovery time! I know my house sure needs it!! So lets get going on it right away!

1. Read the "Chore List" on the sidebar. Write it down so you don't forget anything and get moving on that. Remember that the chore list is an ongoing list for the whole day. As you see things around your house that need attention (a splash of a spilled drink on the table, a dirty snack bowl, lint on the floor...) tend to it right away, that's the key to keeping your home comfortable!

2. If you haven't started laundry yet. DO IT NOW!! That always seems to be my pitfall at the end of the weekend.

3. Take some all-purpose cleaner and spray down all of the surfaces in your bathroom(s) and wipe them down. Just a quick wipe will get things looking great!

4. Vacuum. Again, just a quick sweep with the vacuum will get your house feeling extra comfortable this morning! You should only have to do this quick vacuum once/week. Don't get super stressed about it because on Friday we will do a more thorough run of it. Throughout the week, don't pull your vacuum out every day. If there's a big thread or piece of lint, just pick it up. Save that vacuum in case of a major mess!

5. Take all your small rugs outside and give them a quick shake. Dont vacuum or wash!

6. Sweep up all debris from linoleum or tile floors. Do a thorough sweep. During the remainder of the week just "spot sweep".

7. Wash your children's bedding. Wash any bedding used by guests over the weekend.

8. One final thing and we're done! If you pulled out any games, puzzles or projects over the down time of the weekend. Get all of those things put back in their proper places. That way nothing will be lost or messed up and they'll be waiting for you the next chance you get!

Please, please don't get overwhelmed! I know that this is alot and I dont expect you to do it all just starting out. Please take your time and if you need any encouragment, email me. You'll find my email address listed in the sidebar under "Doorbell".

Cleaning the Nitty Gritty

Lets get our houses glowing so we can enjoy a relaxing weekend with our family. Every day we do our list of chores (listed on the side bar) but today we'll do some more indepth cleaning.

1. Clean all bathrooms throughly. Sweep and mop the floors. Wipe down the shower, sink and toilet with a bathroom cleaner. Wipe down the windows with a glass cleaner. Check light fixtures to see if they need washed.

2. Thorougly vaccuum all rooms. Do not move any furniture unless its absolutely necessary. I'll add those as bonus chores in upcoming days and weeks.

3. Dust all surfaces in your home with a furniture polish. For TV's and other electrical equipment like DVD's and computers I use a glass cleaner.

4. Check all the windows in every room. Wipe off finger prints and smudges.

5. Thoroughly sweep and mop kitchen and any other rooms with hard surfaced floors.

6. Wash your master bedroom sheets. Do not worry about any other sheets in your house. They will be washed on Monday.

7. Check your children's room for items that don't belong. Toys, cups, books, ect. Clear that extra clutter out and put it where it belongs. Have your child(ren) help with this task!

Cleaning Tip: An easy, inexpensive way to get grease buildup off of oven hoods or other kitchen surfaces (this also works on grills):

1/2 cup sudsy ammonia mixed with enough water to fill a one-gallon container (Sudsy ammonia has detergent in it which helps remove tough grime).

Dip a sponge or mop in solution and wipe over surface then rinse area with clear water.

How did your Nitty Gritty Cleaning go today!? Have any homemade cleaner recipes? Email them to me!

Clip, Clip, Clip!

Hey there all you fans of saving money! I learned a great tip recently from watching the Rachael Ray show and wanted to share it with you since it's Shopping Day!

If you cut coupons you can look at your weekly sales flier for the stores you shop (before actually going to the store) and purchase things that are on sale and that you have coupons for, even if you dont need them at this time.

Think about it. If you always use canned tomatoes and you have a coupon for 35 cents off Hunts canned tomatoes, it's double coupon week and the canned tomatoes are already on sale for 80 cents, you'd be payong only 10 cents for that can of tomatoes!!

The key to this is clipping coupons for things you use all the time! Not just the brands you buy. Maybe you're a store brand buyer and figure why clip coupons when you're always paying less anway...well the example above is a perfect reason why!

I really got the fire set under me after watching Rachael Ray's guest go to a supermarket and seeing her total of $180+ be reduced to $70-some dollars after handing over her coupons. No joke!

I shop Kroger for my groceries and I saw on their website that I can type in my area code and pull up the weekly flier right online! I'm SO doing this every week from now on, on top of buying the Sunday paper! I used to only clip coupons if it was a brand I use. From now on..I'll be clipping if its an item I use, not a specific brand! I'm ready to save money and I promise to share my great deals with you!

I want to hear about your great deals too!! Email them to me! Also, if you find your local grocery store's fliers online, email those to me too so I can post them for others!

Wednesday's Meal Planning

First of all, I missed yesterday's post due to illness. I'm still not at 100% today, but I'm here!

Wednesday's are one of the most important days in my house. It's the day that I plan the meals for the following week. I grocery shop on Thursdays, so I plan all of my meals from Friday-Thursday.

There are many recipe websites out there, but I almost always use Recipe Zaar.

Recipe Zaar is a great website that I highly encourage you check out. It's free, but you can upgrade to a premium membership for only $25 for an ENTIRE year! It's such a great deal! I use their "Shopping List" feature, which takes my meals that I've planned from that website and puts them onto a list, then I can add or delete any items I want, print it out, and voila! I'm ready to shop! It's one of the premium features, but HIGHLY recommended.

If you can't find what you're looking for on Recipe Zaar (which would shock me) just do a Google search and try your luck. Also, if you have a ton of cookbooks that you never open...that would be a great starting point too!

So take a few minutes to sit down and think about what you've been feeding your family. If you have a ton of favorites that's great! But don't feed those same dishes to them every single week! Try some new things!! At least one new recipe/week is a great start! At my house, we eat something new almost every night of the week. Only about once/month will we have a repeat recipe.

Also, today while you're making out that grocery list(dont forget lunch and snack items!) make out a list of any other errands you need to run tomorrow. Getting all of this done today, makes errand day run so much smoother!

To get you started, here is a great recipe! I encourage everyone to try it this week and email me your reviews! (You'll find that address listed under "Doorbell" in the sidebar) I will post the reviews next Wednesday so that others who did not try the dish can see what everyone else thought. Also, remember to send in any of your recipe ideas!! They may be featured in upcoming weeks!

Chicken Divan

A great recipe that is quick to make, and is really enjoyed by my husband!

Enjoy!
Ms. Suzy

Weekend Recovery

Good Monday Morning! Well... the Open House did not turn out as expected, but that's okay!! I have selected a "winner" and will contact them through email about writing a guest post!

My weekend was very hectic! Saturday was my husband's birthday, but before I could focus on that, I had to take my son to a friend's birthday party. It was a Dora Adventure for a group of about ten 3 year olds. Very fun, but even more exhausting!! We finally returned home around 4 and I was all set to make my husband's favorite meal for his birthday dinner. Only to find out that 2 of my 3 step kids were coming for the night and that set a whole new set of chaos my way! I did not have enough to feed them! So, although I was upset,I changed the menu , and it ended up turning out alright! My husband had something else that he loves and was able to open his presents and relax.

How was your weekend?

Now let me give you a quick rundown of our weekend recovery so you can get moving on that!! Believe me, once it's done, you will be completely relieved!

1. Read the "Chore List" on the sidebar. Write it down so you don't forget anything and get moving on that. Remember that the chore list is an ongoing list for the whole day. As you see things around your house that need attention (a splash of a spilled drink on the table, a dirty snack bowl, lint on the floor...) tend to it right away, that's the key to keeping your home comfortable!

2. If you haven't started laundry yet. DO IT NOW!! That always seems to be my pitfall at the end of the weekend. I'm way behind on the laundry. It's chore numero uno today!

3. Take some all-purpose cleaner and spray down all of the surfaces in your bathroom(s) and wipe them down. Just a quick wipe will get things looking great!

4. Vacuum. Again, just a quick sweep with the vacuum will get your house feeling extra comfortable this morning! You should only have to do this quick vacuum once/week. Don't get super stressed about it because on Friday we will do a more thorough run of it. Throughout the week, don't pull your vacuum out every day. If there's a big thread or piece of lint, just pick it up. Save that vacuum in case of a major mess!

5. Take all your small rugs outside and give them a quick shake. Dont vacuum or wash!

6. Sweep up all debris from linoleum or tile floors. Do a thorough sweep. During the remainder of the week just "spot sweep".

7. Wash your children's bedding. Wash any bedding used by guests over the weekend.

8. One final thing and we're done! If you pulled out any games, puzzles or projects over the down time of the weekend. Get all of those things put back in their proper places. That way nothing will be lost or messed up and they'll be waiting for you the next chance you get!

Please, please don't get overwhelmed! I know that this is alot and I dont expect you to do it all just starting out. Please take your time and if you need any encouragment, email me. You'll find my email address listed in the sidebar under "Doorbell".

How much did you get accomplished today?

Welcome!

Welcome to the Open House "A Comfortable Home"!! I'm Ms. Suzy and I'll be your most hospitable host!

First, let me tell you about me! I'm a twenty-four year old stay-at-home mom. I have two young children and have been with my husband for almost 5 years. When he and I were first together, I knew very little about taking care of a home. I would clean our bathroom about every 2 months. And our kitchen floor? Well I honestly can say I only mopped it 3 times in our first year together. Gross, I know. But this is a very real problem for many woman. Housekeeping is not something that comes naturally for everyone!

After having our first child(almost 3 years ago!) I set out to find a way to keep our house looking like a comforatable home. I knew that since I was not returning to work, I was becoming a housewife. And in my mind I pictured all of the great housewives from beloved tv shows like "Father Knows Best" and "Leave It To Beaver". I wanted to be those women!! Heck, even "Roseanne's" house was cleaner than mine! Unfortunantly, they were television actors and that form of perfectionism is not totally achievable. But I was determined to try.

So far so good. My home is always clean. As close to spotless as I can get it. Laundry is always caught up and put in the right drawers, dishes stay washed and in their cupboards. There's always food in the fridge and meals planned. Very seldom do we have takeout, and when we do it's as a treat, not because it's the only option there is. And, my husband leaves for work everyday with a homemade lunch in hand. I do all of this on my own. Very seldom do I get any help. Occasionally, my husband will do a load of laundry or will sweep the kitchen floor, but that his a very seldom thing. In fact this past weekend he actually asked me where I kept the broom!

I know some of you are probably thinking that I'm crazy and I should make him help and what kind of woman am I for promoting this way of thinking. But I think the majority of you are going to applaud this website and find it a very informative and fun place to be.

This Open House is going to be set up in 3 posts. This one being the first. This is just my way of saying HELLO and giving you my background and vision. The next post will be the outline of what I'm going to do here. And the final post will be where all of the fun is at! There will be snacks and a contest going on during the Open House.

So, read on and add me to your blogrolls! This is going to be great for us all. I get the satisfaction of helping others who, like me, feel discouraged and helpless when it comes to taking care of their homes. And you get some great tips and lots of fun! Plus, the community this site will hopefully build is going to be good for us all!

Ready to sweep away all of your cobwebs,
Ms. Suzy

Information

Here is our schedule of events every week. Monday through Friday there will be posts and each day is designated to one type of post. All posts will include labels, thanks to the Blogger Beta, and you can easily read archived posts by label if you miss some things and want to catch up. Or if you are interested in certain information and want to easily go back and read it all again. Most weeks I will not post on Saturday or Sunday. But when I do, they will be of random things, so those days will not be listed below.

Alright, onto the Daily Events!

Monday: Weekend Recovery! This is our day to catch up on all the things that fell behind over the weekend. Whether things didn't get done because we were out and about or because husbands and children who are not normally home during the day are around and the house tends to get messier. Monday is our day to take care of these messes! I will give you a list of chores to run through and include a rundown of my own weekend's events.

Tuesday: Fun Ideas! Every Tuesday I will post a craft or organization project for you to try in your own home!

Wednesday: Meal Planning! That's right, this is our day to plan meals for the upcoming weekend and week. I plan my meals from Friday-Thursday. A recipe will be included to get you started on this task. We will also make our grocery lists on this day!

Thursday: Shopping Day! Dont get too excited. I'm not sending you out to buy new shoes! This is your grocery shopping day. Also, your day to run any other errands that you may have. Such as going to Walmart(or your favorite discount store) for all of those staples that costs more money at your regular grocery store. Or for hitting the post office or bank. I also plan to add an offer of some sort to save us money on every Thursday's entry.

Friday: Cleaning the Nitty Gritty! Friday is the day to get our houses glowing! Just in time for the weekend so we can all relax and enjoy a clean home with our families. I will list a run down of chores and include a cleaning tip.

Beyond all of this, on the sidebar this is the list of Daily Chores. These are the things you must do everyday to keep your home comfortable. I know this seems like a lot, but believe me. Once you get going it really becomes so simple. And if you have a lot of things to get rid of. Check out the sidebar for ways to do that. There are sites listed under Knick Knacks.

Getting excited for the party,
Ms. Suzy

It's Party Time!

This is the Open House event I've been building up to! First of all, WELCOME! I have been planning this project for awhile now and I am so excited it is up and running.

A huge thanks to Daisy Mae for making me such a great home! She's such a fun designer and is so sweet you could just eat her up!

So, lets get this party started! Let me show you to the snack table first!

I have made up a delicious Hot Crab and Jalapeno Dip for a spicy treat. If you're more in the mood for something sweet, how about you try some Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip? And to drink...oh honey let me pour you a nice Dirty Vodka Martini! Oh! You prefer something, not so hard? How about some Champagne Punch?

Alright, now that we've gotten the refreshments out of the way let me tell you about the first ever "Comfortable Home Contest!" I am going to be choosing a guest blogger! Your blog entry will be posted on a Tuesday and you can write about whatever you want concerning your home. Whether you have an amazing recipe to try, a great craft idea, a cleaning tip or even a HORROR story!! The floor is yours! (Just wipe it up when you're done!)

I'll be selecting the "winner" of the contest through comments. So make sure every time you visit you leave a comment, and then you MUST go to the person's blog who commented before you and leave them a comment. (Please make sure to tell that person that you came from Ms. Suzy's). How I'll select the winning is not going to be disclosed. I could make it the 25th commenter, it could be the most frequent commenter. It could even be the the most origional commenter. Who knows! So, keep on your toes and keep those comments coming!

ALSO! You DO get brownie points if you tell all of your blogging friends about my new site via a web post during the Open House. If they come here and leave comments telling ME that YOU sent them...well hey, that's sure an easy way to get on my good side!

Needless to say, if you do win this contest you'll get listed under Neighbors on the sidebar.


Speaking of neighbors, if you want listed on this blog. I suggest you start sending me emails. Email me ideas and stories and recipes!! For every one that I choose to include in one of my posts, not only will that person get credit for the idea...but they will also be added to the sidebar. Cool huh? If this site ends up being as popular as I forsee it becoming, could you imagine the traffic you'd get!?

So, I leave you to your partying! I will pop in from time to time to say hello. I truly hope you'll enjoy this site. And keep coming back. The Open House will last through the weekend, Monday, the regular posting will begin. I will email the winner of the contest and their post will be put up on the following Tuesday after it's submitted.

Everyone have a ball!! I am so excited you're here!

Cheers!
Ms. Suzy