New Years Eve Party 101: Celebrate Responsibly

Don’t Drink and Drive

Ringing in the New Year

I’ll be babysitting the grandkids this year since my oldest daughter and my charming son-in-law will be going out for a night on the town.

When I was younger I always looked forward to New Year’s Eve.  My husband’s family enjoyed partying, and there was many a New Year’s Eve that we would travel from Connecticut to New York City and spend the night.

All the in-laws would stay at the same hotel in the Big Apple.  We’d have dinner in the theater district at Sardi’s or Gallagher’s (where you can see the beef hanging in the window!) or sometimes at Jack Dempsey’s Restaurant on Broadway.  Afterwards we’d take in the scene at Times Square to get a glimpse of the ball.  Later we’d go back to the hotel and take in a show at Rockefeller Center the next day, and stop in at Tavern on the Green.

What was nice about going to NYC was that once we were there, the car was parked and we didn’t have to drive.  We’d take a cab or walk wherever we wanted to go.

Many cities and towns now have First Night celebrations, which is really nice because most family events and are alcohol-free.

During the holidays, everybody looks forward to celebrating with family and friends.  Our mailbox fills up with invitations to Christmas and Hanukkah parties, dinners, and other get-togethers.  Through each exciting gathering we learn to control our eating to avoid those holiday and New Year’s pounds.  Another thing to be aware of is how much alcohol we consume.

Everyone wants to get into the spirit of the occasion.  But good natured frivolity can get us into trouble when we drink without thinking at office parties and other holiday gatherings.  Having a truly good time means handling our alcohol responsibly. 

We need a plan before we even reach the party.

Choose a designated driver. You hear it all the time but that’s because it’s important.  This doesn’t give permission to drink until you can’t stand up but at least when you are ready to go home, someone who is in control of their faculties will be in charge of driving.  To appear fair, rotate the role of designated driver among your circle of friends so everyone gets a chance to participate fully in the party happenings.

Mix your alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic beverages. One or two drinks can have less of an effect on us when drank intermittently with soda.  If you drink only one or two drinks it may be best to hail a taxi rather than risk driving home because you’re unsure whether you’re over the limit or not.

Blood alcohol content is how the police test for the amount of alcohol still circulating in your system.  In the United States, the legal blood alcohol limit is 0.08 percent.  Anything above that is considered breaking the law and will result in a DWI or DUI arrest and possible prosecution.

When someone is stopped by the police, they assess the need to administer a breathalyzer test.  The person blows on the instrument and it registers a blood alcohol level.  The number that appears is admissible in court should it come to that.

But, how did they know to stop you?  Believe it or not, someone under the influence of alcohol tries to rationalize that they are alright to drive.  It’s the ones who are just over the limit that rationalize the most.

They reason that if they drive slower, they’ll make it home safely.  Unfortunately, the body has other plans.  Alcohol slows the reaction time.  As a result, people under the influence of alcohol drive slower so they have less trouble braking if needed.  They brake more often because they are trying not to hit anything.  Forgetting to turn on the headlights isn’t uncommon.

On the other end of the spectrum, someone who is blatantly drunk will drive fast, swerving across the center line and showing a disregard for traffic signals and signs.  Wide turns result in accidents either with stationary objects or another moving vehicle.  When people drink and drive, someone can die.

The bottom line is don’t drink and drive.  The odds are against us that we’ll get away with it.  Don’t bet someone else’s life (or your own) on it.

Happy New Year!

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Elephantito: Classic Trendy Children’s Clothing and Shoes

A Modern Approach to Classics

Luxury Boutique Clothing for Kids

When my girls were younger, I always preferred classic, yet trendy fashion styles for them.  Quite often they were dressed in hand-smocked, Polly Flinders dresses.  My husband and I also believed in choosing quality well-made shoes to support their tiny feet.  That probably stemmed from the fact that when I was single I worked in the big city.  My lunch hour was spent trying on my favorite Ferragamo shoes at one of Hartford’s finest department stores at the time.

Recently I was sent the most beautiful pair of classic red leather Mary Jane shoes from Elephantito in size 2. As ‘Lil Moomette is 3 years old now, they were too small for her to try on.

Elephantito is a luxury line of clothes and shoes for babies and children up to 8 years old.  They offer fashions for both girls and boys.

Elephantito appeals to buyers looking for quality and comfort for their children and gorgeous gifts for stylish moms-to-be. Founded by Maria Frallicciardi in 2004, ELEPHANTITO has successfully established itself as a luxury brand with impeccable style, outstanding craftsmanship and unrivalled customer service.

Besides shoes, Elephantito offers a magnificent line of fashionable clothing for toddlers, including smocked dresses much like those I would dress my daughters in!

If you’re looking for classic clothing for your daughters or granddaughters for special occasions or Easter that won’t go out of style, be sure to visit Elephantito.

For More Information: Elephantito

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Santa’s Workshop – Wickham Park Connecticut – Wordless Wednesday

You Better Be Good

We took the grandkids, ‘Lil Moomette (3) and Slugger (16 months)  to see Santa at Wickham Park in Manchester, Connecticut on Sunday.

It’s so magical there, and my most favorite place to visit!  It’s not commercialized, like the shopping malls.  The park, high up on a hill overlooking Hartford,  is beautiful in winter – all decked out with colored lights, and we went when the sun was starting to set!

Santa’s helpers, the elves were there, along with train sets, a roaring fire in the fieldstone fireplace; Mrs. Claus was passing out cookies, and there was a huge Christmas tree that reached the top of the cathedral ceiling in the log cabin house!

Happy Holidays from my family to yours!

For More Information Visit: Wickham Park

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This Holiday Season Experience a Branson-style Family Vacation!

Destination Vacations

Create New Memories For The Whole Family

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.

We all yearn for memories of the Christmas and holidays of long ago, a time when family all lived locally and came together to celebrate.

In today’s mobile, modern society, that often isn’t possible.  Family members are on different coasts, or even in different countries.

With a destination holiday, coming together is easier when one family doesn’t have to be host to many out-of-town guests.

Bring the family together in the warmth and comfort of an Ozark Mountain Christmas this holiday season with the Hiltons of Branson.

There’s several different affordable packages you can choose from, with enjoyment enough to keep members young and old entertained.

If you’re like me, as I’ve never been to Branson, Missouri, it would seem the perfect opportunity for family members to experience the sights and sounds and festivities of a new locale together!

With packages like It’s a Wonderful Life, starting at $329 per night and running from Nov 15 through Dec 23, 2009 you’ll experience the ultimate holiday getaway for shopping, relaxation and entertainment with receipt a Branson Landing passport loaded with discounts at dozens of shops and restaurants along with a treatment at Aspire Medical Spa.

From Friday through Sunday Nov 15 thru Dec 23, 2009 bring family together in the warmth and comfort in the lobby of the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel, where little ones will enjoy Story Time with Mrs. Claus, and Santa himself will deliver presents, cookies and milk to guest’s rooms with the Santa’s Coming to Town Package, starting at $189 per night.

With these exciting holiday packages at the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing and Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel, parents, grandparents and the kids will be in for a true holiday treat!

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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Pumpkin Festival – Keene New Hampshire – Wordless Wednesday

Halloween

Keene, New Hampshire holds a Pumpkin Fest every fall around Halloween.  Keene is a quintessential New England college town, where Keene State University is located.  This is just one of several such displays that are built where they try to break the record number of pumpkins displayed.  It’s even more spectacular when the jackolanterns are all lit at night!

For More Information Visit:
Keene New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival

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Halloween in Connecticut – Scarecrows on Main

Halloween in Connecticut

New England Holiday Traditions

New England lends itself to being particularly inviting in the Fall, and especially during Halloween.

Last weekend was beautiful.  We took a daytrip and  a leisurely stroll along cobblestone sidewalks through a historic town here in Connecticut to view “Scarecrows on Main”.  Each year local civic organizations, schools and arts groups get together and hold a contest for different categories of  “Scarecrows” that are handmade.  Of course, not all are scary – and each year they just seem to get more unique!  Many have themes.

It’s a great idea for tourism, and families come and enjoy the day, patronizing the local shoppes and restaurants, or even bring a picnic lunch – as well as their cameras!

I took so many photos and couldn’t put them all up on Wordless Wednesday, so I thought I’d let you enjoy them here.

Does your town do anything special for Halloween?

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Holiday Entertainment: Gotta Catch Santa Claus DVD

Holiday Classics

Finding Santa Will Be the Adventure of a Lifetime

Like most kids, no matter how old one is, you always start looking forward about this time of year to the Christmas and holiday specials on television.  Many of the classics that my husband and I grew up watching are still around today.  Both our daughters as well as ‘Lil Moomette are able to enjoy them.

I recently received an advance copy of a DVD that is certain to become a modern-day holiday classic favorite with your family!  The kids will want to watch it all during the Christmas Vacation and New Year’s school vacation break!

On October 13th, Lionsgate releases an all-new animated feature, Gotta Catch Santua Claus.  The contemporary DVD features featuring William Shatner as the voice of Santa, and is scheduled to be broadcast nationally on ABC Family during their annual “25 Days of Christmas” programming block.

Complete with funky music, the story line revolves around when a friend starts to doubt the idea of Santa Clause.  Trevor, who’s 12, sets out on a mission to catch old St. Nick in order to prove his existence, attempting to put any skeptics to rest.

Features Include:

• Deleted Scenes

• Santa Behind-theScenes Footage

• 2 Sing-Along Songs

Available on: Amazon

Rating: Not Rated
Genre: Holiday, Family, CGI Animated
Closed Caption: English Closed Captioned
Subtitles: English and Spanish
Format: Widescreen
Running Time: 66 Minutes
DVD Audio Status: 5.1 Dolby Digital

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Stay Within The Family Budget With Startrite Shoes

Holiday Shopping

One reason that family budgets often fail is because they’re just not realistic. It’s great to cut down on expenses, but sometimes we tend to go too far. For example, cutting entertainment out of the budget completely might look good on paper, but we all need a little diversion every now and then.

Instead of cutting such things out of the budget completely, consider finding ways to lower the cost. Going back to the entertainment example, maybe you’ve been going to dinner and a movie as a family twice a month. But eating in and renting a new release would be much cheaper, and you would still get to spend quality time together.

Individual expenses can also be tricky. This can be resolved by allocating a certain amount for each family member to spend each week. If someone spends his entire amount before the week is up, reevaluate his expenses and adjust if necessary

Clothing expenses are a big portion of a family budget. It’s amazing how quickly kids grow.  Keeping your children in shoes that fit can quickly deplete the family budget.  Now that the holidays are coming, the family will be needing some dress shoes to go with the holiday family portraits.

Fortunately, Startrite Shoes offers affordable, quality kids shoes.  Along with a wide selection, Startrite offers some really neat articles about what to look for in first shoes, walking, along with videos on how to measure a child’s foot for a proper fit.

Creating a family budget can help keep spending under control, leaving more money to pay down debts and save for future goals. But in order to succeed, close monitoring is essential. Your efforts will be rewarded, however, with less financial stress and more money in the long run.

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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Tips For Saving Money This Holiday Season

Rainy Day Fund

Create An Emergency Cushion

With the holiday shopping season and New Year quickly approaching, many families are getting concerned that the season won’t be as bright as in previous years past.   Many families may even consider the option of taking out payday loans to cover the cost of presents and entertaining for the Christmas holidays.

We all know about saving for a rainy day, but in today’s economy it seems like every day is a rainy day. Creating an emergency fund can dry up those rainy days and give us peace of mind for the future. Don’t walk around without your financial cushion.

What is an emergency fund?

It is a sum of money that is set aside for the “what ifs” in life – such as an exorbitant heating costs during an extremely harsh winter. Any one of us can have a misfortune befall us.  Natural disasters put people in financial binds all the time. Accidents, job loss, death, divorce, and other situations can set us back quickly. Unless you are independently wealthy, your finances will take a hit.

Be prepared for the worst with an emergency fund.

It does require sacrifice on our part to set up the fund. No one just has money lying around to put in a savings account so we have to create the opportunities.

The basis of the fund is to have at least three to six months of income set aside for those rainy days. If you and a spouse work then both incomes are included. But, for some, that is a large dollar amount. Let’s start with something a bit easier.

It can take a while to save that much money. Set smaller goals so that the larger one doesn’t seem so unreachable. Begin with saving a certain dollar amount from each paycheck.

For convenience, if you have direct deposit, modify it so that amount automatically transfers to your savings account. This keeps the money out of your hands where it may or may not make it to its predetermined destination. We all get a little weak in the knees when it comes to money.

Consider opening a Christmas savings account and having direct deposits made so you won’t have to worry about cheap presents for the holiday season.

Empty your pockets every night.

This is more of a man thing to carry change in their pockets. Place those coins in a Mason jar or a piggy bank. At the end of each month or once the container is filled, go to one of those cash machines in the grocery store and tally it up. Add that money to your emergency fund. This is something everyone, even kids, can do to help out with the financial cushion.

Keep everyone accountable.

Remind your family members of the peace of mind that comes with knowing you can handle financial emergencies when everyone pitches in to save money.

The hardest thing will be not disturbing the emergency fund. The sacrifices that you make will be in the form of incidentals that you don’t need to have. Examples of these things include, going to the movies, going out to dinner, buying new clothes or shoes unnecessarily and more. It also encourages us to find new ways to enjoy family time. Spending less time on the go will allow you to find activities your family can do together at home or that cost little or no money out and about.

What about your emergency fund? Have you started it? If not, throw a few pennies in a jar and begin today.

photo credit: Ken Wilcox.

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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May The Sun Shine On Your 4th Of July Picnic

Happy 4th

Happy 4th of July!

Hello from New England and I’d like to wish everybody a Safe and Happy 4th of July!

Here’s hoping that the sun is shining for any of your backyard picnics, barbecues or trips to the beach!  Enjoy the fireworks, and drive responsibly and safely!

I’ll be returning on Monday with tales of the camping trip!

Hope you’ll enjoy some of my past posts – so look around, and let me know which ones were your favorites!

Sixth Sense ~ Intuition ~ The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

HA ~ You Young’ns have Nothing on Me ~One Step Ahead of the Curve!

Gas Crunch: Bermuda + Boomers + Scooters = A Souvenir Tetanus Shot

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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