holiday – Page 4 – Todd Bennetar

August 16, 2013

Green Ways To Wrap Gifts

One of the most wasteful things around any of the holidays is using gift wrapping paper and then just throwing it all away afterwards. But lately I’ve been trying to get around that and eliminate some of my holiday waste.

I went online to try and get some more ideas on how I could wrap things in a green way, when I came across some clear wireless internet specials that I wanted to take advantage of, so I signed up for them.

I ordered some green holiday gift wrapping that was made out of recycled paper that’s pretty cute and have sworn that that’s all that I’m going to use of wrapping paper this year. I’m also going to try and come up with other ways to package up most of my gifts. I think that I’m going to put together a few gift baskets for some people so that they can reuse the actual basket for something else afterwards. I may also wrap them in tulle, which is something that you can see through, but that they can use for something else afterward instead of throwing it away.

February 27, 2013

Bulletproof Microphones

Since both of our parents were killed over five years ago now, my oldest sister is always stuck playing hostess for most of the major family holiday dinners and get-togethers. Since I am on my own and live the closest to her and her family it only makes sense for me to pitch in where the others really can’t manage to do for a variety of reasons, I try and help out in any way that I can.

Over Christmas it was mentioned that we should try doing some karaoke at the next family dinner, which just so happens to be Easter and that believe it or not, is only a few short weeks away. My sister does have a karaoke machine but it’s been around the block a few times from the look of it and it doesn’t have the microphone that used to go with that particular karaoke machine. I have been looking at various microphones online in my spare time and have been totally surprised at how many microphones are really out there.

I think I finally decided on the right one, the sm57, but what freaked me out was in the description part of the add it boasts that it is bulletproof and how it stands up to road travel and abuse. Guess these are just an added bonus to the whole deal, I really don’t think anyone in my family would get that crazy during karaoke at my sisters on Easter, but in case they do I will know that the microphone will make it through all right! I can’t wait to share this story on Easter day with the family members that manage to find their way there this year.

January 10, 2013March 31, 2018

Wrapping My Brain Around Half Chaps

The first time I heard someone talk about half chaps, I just couldn’t wrap my brain around the concept of just half of a chap. Now chaps aren’t something that are discussed much, so I hadn’t really thought about the half chaps that they are now selling of which so many of the equestrians of the world are wearing these days.

So when my oldest niece asked for a pair of half chaps for this Christmas I had to look a bit online and see what they are all about. Theequestriancorner.com is a great website for all kinds of equestrian gear and equipment which has a good amount of half chaps of which I took some time and checked out. They were actually cheaper and better looking than I had thought they were going to be, so I ordered her a pair for Christmas. The look on her face when she opened up the package was just fantastic! Her mom actually got a video of her shaking the box, trying to guess what was in it and then just ripping it open and the look of surprise and happiness when she got it open and realized what they were.

December 6, 2012

A New Drill Press Vise On The Top Of My Wish List

Well it looks like I know what I am going to ask Santa Claus to bring me this year. I don’t have the money in my budget for a new drill press vise, so for all the folks that keep asking me what I want for Christmas I can honestly give them a good idea for something that I want and need and will use and will really appreciate this year.

So instead of the same old gift basket(s) crap that usually finds its way to me (people just don’t use their imagine or brains much anymore when it comes to buying gifts for guys) just maybe I’ll get a real man’s gift a tool, or at least the money or a gift card that can be used to buy one, the right one. This is a tool that I depend upon quite a bit these days with all the work that this place demands of me. It’s a good thing that I don’t need it right away for anything right this moment and I can only hope that nothing comes up in the mean time that warrants the urgent need for one, but one never knows now do they?

November 20, 2012

Lazy Susans

This year I am hoping that my sister will really love the 24 inch kidney lazy susan that I found out she was eyeballing back a few months ago. Last month I managed to find and order the one that she was all excited about online at a really decent price, so that is one gift that I was able to place a check mark beside on my long list of presents that need to be bought, wrapped and ready for the family Christmas get-to-together that has been at my sisters house ever since our parents passed away.

It is a bitter sweet day for all of us, but as long as we are together we seem to get through it. It’s a lot of work for my sister each year, but I think she really enjoys it all after all is said and done and hopefully this lazy susan will be put to good use for all of the holidays from here on out.

November 19, 2012

Dreaming about Mardi Gras Fun

One day I would love to go to New Orleans and attend the Mardi Gras festivities that I have always heard so much about. I have been lucky enough to have done some traveling in the past, but never made it to New Orleans, unfortunately. But one day I hope to find my way there and see what all the hoopla is about!

Costumes are not only limited to Halloween costumes any more, there are many other usages for dressing up these days. I have seen some pretty nice Mr & Mrs Santa Claus suites, along with many elf costumes as well, for the Christmas Holiday Season, and Mardi Cras costumes are becoming much more readily available with the Internet and all.

I’ve seen some pretty Halloween Costumes in my day, and the variety of Kids Halloween Costumes has become extremely specialized through out the years, what with all of the cartoon characters that have come out through out the years. I used to always want to dress up as Superman for Halloween and did for several years in a row. I remember dressing up in that costume through out the year, while my friends dressed in their super hero costumes as well, man did we have a blast with those inexpensive costumes that were sold back in the day.

November 7, 2012

A Ford Man

There is something about a New Ford that just excites me, my father was always a Ford man, he was proud to announce to anyone who would care to listen that he had only bought Ford vehicles all his life and I have followed in his footsteps as far as I’m concerned. The Ford Dealership and Maintenance Shop in town knows the family very well, we have been receiving Christmas Cards from them for as long as I can remember and am on a first name basis with the majority of employees that have worked there through out the years.

You can keep your Chevy thank you very much. I’ll just keep on buying and driving Fords and make my father proud of me while he watches me from up above, along side of my dear mother who didn’t care kind of vehicle it was as long as it got her to the grocery store and back as well as to church every Wednesday evening and Sunday morning.

October 14, 2012

Burn Baby Burn

The one thing that I would really enjoy and appreciate getting for Christmas this year is a carhartt jacket. I spend so much time outside during the freezing cold winter months and my old trusty jacket really needs to be trashed, better yet burned. Besides it doesn’t have a hood, which is pretty darned important since having to wear a hat around here is just a pain in the rear especially since hats seem to not to want to stay on my head where as a hood generally stays in place. Could never figure out why though……

September 25, 2012

Not Christmas All Ready!

Last night I had to go into town to pick up some groceries and other minor supplies that I don’t find good deals for online. Honestly if they had a grocery store that would deliver my groceries (I know they do that type of delivery service in the larger cities) they wouldn’t see me anyway near any of the surrounding towns but a few times a year.

I was dismayed to see that they are all ready putting up holiday decorations around town and in several of the stores that I went into. It really turned me sour on the whole trip that I wasn’t all that thrilled about going in the first place.

September 8, 2012

The Labor Day Rains

It looks like I’ll be cooking dinner for 3 tonight since my sister and her son will be stopping by on their way home from work to pick up the two airpots that were left here last weekend from our Labor Day family picnic. The rains came so quickly that we really scrambled to get everything covered up and back inside as fast as we could and the kitchen just turned into a nightmare of wet, cold food and people.

At least the rains waited until the end of the day. For the most part it was a good time. The next time we will all be getting together will be in November for Thanksgiving which is coming quicker than any of us really want it to get here, because after Thanksgiving comes Christmas and I don’t know anyone looking forward to all that goes along with Christmas.