Thirteen Inexpensive-ish Gifts That Would Make Me Smile on My Birthday or Mother's Day

(Not that I need gifts to make me happy, but some people NEED to wrap things up with a bow.  You know who you are, sister.  Plus, my family is notorious for their pre-birthday wish list requests.)

(P.S. I stole this idea from Katkat, who had a birthday recently.  Katkat, did you get your Rottweiler?)

1.  Ipod speakers.  White.  Any kind that don't sound terrible. (I'm picky!) This model is about $45 shipped on eBay. 

2.  A hydrangea for my front yard. (about $20-25)

3.  Karen Kingsbury's Book "Forever" $11

4.  Willow Tree Tenderness Figurine (For my Willow Tree Figurine collection.) $21

5.  Willow Tree New Life Figurine (You know, for the collection.) $23

6.  Willow Tree Sisters by Heart Figurine (What?  I have a collection!) $19

7.  Stones of Remembrance book by Lois Evans $11

8.  Kitchen Aid Toaster in Empire Red (What?  We eat a lot of toast around here!) $60

9.  Bare Minerals Eye Shadow $13 (color: Faux Fox or Cashmere) and Shadow Brush $14

10.  Pedicure Gift Certificate (about $25)

11.   Sephora Gift Card

12.  Amazon Gift Card

13.  The King of All Gift Cards - THE TARGET GIFT CARD

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Thirteen of My Kid's Favorite Snacks

1. Goldfish Crackers
2. Teddy Grahams
3. Animal Crackers
4. Yogurt Smoothies
5. String Cheese
6. Raisins
7. Apples (or applesauce)
8. Bananas
9. Fruit Juice
10. Mini Bagels with Cream Cheese
11. Carrot Sticks
12. Mini Marshmallows
13. Gummy Bears

What are your kids favorite snacks?  I could use some fresh ideas!  Please leave me a comment! 

**I know the linky isn't working… I'm trying to figure out what the problem is and will fix it ASAP** 

Update: The linky is now working!  A big thank you to Mr. Linky!

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Thirteen Reasons Why "Bad Day Barbie" is Having A Worse Day Than You ("Bad Day Barbie" is a doll that we passed around at my last workplace. Something bad happen to you today?  Then Bad Day Barbie would grace your desk, keep you company, and hopefully cheer you up.  Bad Day Barbie was designed by my friend/co-worker Sarah and me.  But mostly by Sarah.)  She lost a shoe. She is having a bad hair day. (Duh!) She has black roots. She fell and skinned her knee. She has a hole in her stockings. She has dirt on her leg from the fall. Her hem is coming undone. The coffee cup in her hand tipped over and spilled coffee on her dress. Her eye glasses (other hand) are broken and had to be taped back together. She lost an earring. She has gum in her hair. Her eye make-up is running. Her lipstick is smudged.   Now that I'm a stay-at-home mom, I need to come up with a mommy version.  You know, she would have spit up on her shoulder, and cheerios in her hair… Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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(Banner courtesy of Kelly at Diary of the Nello.  Thanks!)

13 Things You Should Take With You to the Emergency Room

1. Blankets.  Lots and lots of blankets.  You can use them to make a bed on the floor of the waiting room if you are desperate and have to wait a long time.  Also, the waiting room can be either cold or hot according to how sick or well you are.  They all seem to have those automatic doors that open and shut every 2.2 seconds and let freezing air in. 
2. Stroller.  If you have kids you can use a stroller for a variety of things, such as a clean place to nap (especially if your stroller reclines) or just for something to carry all those blankets, and if your stroller has a cup holder you can keep the Emergency Room cooties off your drink.  **To see a picture of the Clampett-like way I used my stroller as a place for my 4 year old daughter to nap and the way i used blankets to block out the light scroll to the bottom of this post.**
3. Bottled water.  You might be waiting a long time and it would be good to have something to drink.  You can buy bottled water at the E.R., but our E.R. charges $1.30 per bottle.
4. Snacks for the people who are waiting (not for the sick person, obviously). 
5. A camera in case you need to record anything untoward (or anything good I suppose).
6. Anti-bacterial hand wipes or gel.  Seriously, there is such a wide variety of ailments all in one tiny place.  Best to be safe even if you aren't a germophobe.
7. A hat or sleep mask for the sick person.  The lights are always so bright in the waiting room, and the poor sick person just wants it to be dark and quiet.  A hat with a brim (for shade) or a sleep mask could help.
8. Ear plugs for the sicky person.  Might help them get some much needed rest.  As long as you are there to watch over them, it should be safe for the sick person to wear ear plugs.
9. A magazine or book to read for you.  Again, the wait can be long.
10. If you have one, a laptop computer, a portable DVD player or GameBoyAdvance would be a good idea to help pass the time.
11. Your cell phone (preferably with a full charge) so you can keep in touch with your loved ones who are waiting for news about the sicky person.
12. Your insurance card and identification for you and the sicky person.
13. Your copay or any money you think the hospital will try to collect from you.

BONUS EXTRA ITEM

  14.  Your best patient, calm, accepting attitude.  Believe me, you will need it. 

Can you tell I spent some time (SEVEN HOURS) in our hospital's Emergency Room this week (with my little daughter who it turns out has pneumonia).

(Thank you to Kelly at Diary of the Nello for the Pretty Header!) 

Thirteen Phrases People Have Googled to End Up at My Blog

(either this blog or my old one Stacitee)

1. my sister's hot friend jordan - I do have a nephew named Jordan who is a handsome young man… is that who you are looking for?
2. cows in the corn - Really?  Because MY cows are in the corn too!
3. felicity huffman and nursing pillow - Do these two things go together? 
4. sounded like a piece of sticky tape movie quote - What?
5. sour smelling disposal - Glad to hear I'm not the only one!
6. grant hodges sausage strata recipe - Well, you won't find that recipe here.  Move along.
7. victoria's secret ripe red currant - No, no no.  Ripe Red Currant Lip Balm is from Bath & Body Works, not Victoria's Secret!
8. barry manilow - Now, how did they end up at my blog?  There have to be a million "barry manilow" searches and I've only ever mentioned him one time… because my sister and I have a tradition to listen to his "It's Just Another New Year's Eve" song.
9. wizards in winter video on church - I'm not sure what to say about this one…
10. theoren baby name - Yes, I do like that name.
11. grandma nut - Yes, she was.  But that is none of your business!
12. gerber stage 3 blueberry buckle dessert - You're actually looking for this stuff?  I bought mine by accident.
13. (This is my all time favorite search term)… where to buy cheerios oatmeal in mumbai? - I have no idea.  Good luck finding it!

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