All Things Pondered Here

Pondering Many Things....

Holiday

My holiday plan – double dipped nachos while watching sports.

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Yeah I know, holidays are about the family and spending time with the people you love. But, you see, the person I love the most is me (kinda). If there are two days that I really enjoy every year, those would be the 4th of July and the first day of Christmas. The 4th of July is quite an obvious choice, but the first day of Christmas is special for me because of a somewhat odd tradition. We have a nice family meal around 1 pm, and then around 4 pm, my wife takes the kids and visits her parents where they sleep over. For some reason, I cannot even remember what it was, I didn’t go the first year they did it. And now I don’t go at all.

My entire family knows that I stay home alone on this day, and enjoy myself. More importantly, they respect my alone time and no one bothers me. This is great and if I was a girl, I would get a massage, put one of those face masks and simply relax. But, I’m not a girl and my idea of relaxation time involves stuffing my face with spicy dip covered nachos and yelling at the TV when my team fumbles something.

I’m all set up for this year. I bought a new TV back in July, there is an excellent NBA game on the schedule, and I even bought myself these:

https://www.amazon.com/Set-of-4-Double-Dippers/dp/B01GOU61DO/ref=sr_1_5?m=A18HTCFLLBQN51&s=merchant-items&ie=UTF8&qid=1482434826&sr=1-5

They come in a set of 4 which is perfect ’cause I got 4 kinds of dips (1 sweet, 1 sour, and 2 spicy ones). The remaining two I fill with nachos (so that I don’t have to refill often). And the great thing about it is that after the game, I can wash them, gift wrap them and give them to my wife as a New Year’s present. 2 flies with one stone. Even the kids could use them for cereal.
I pride myself on being able to figure stuff like these out, and with the difficult year coming to a close, I really look forward to this Christmas. And while we are at it, Merry Christmas to you all and if you take anything from my story, take this: Always make time to relax and enjoy yourself in life, otherwise, what’s the point? Happy Holidays.

-Marko Lipozencic

 

Gift for colleagues idea: Grippy Mount

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There are so many people in our lives that we consider close, but not quite. Let me explain a bit better what I mean by that. Apart from the group of people you spend most of the time with, there are a number of people that you don’t consider you are not that close with, but they aren’t exactly strangers either. A great example would be a colleague that you share an office with. The reason why I mention this is because with the holidays and everything, I am on the lookout for suitable gifts for my “not so close” friends. There are a couple of criteria that I consider when picking them out, and a top choice for this year is this:

Let’s go through the features and how they match my criteria.

The level of thought

Like I already mentioned, this is a gift for a person that you consider to be a friend, but not a close one. So, it’s not all that necessary to put in a great deal of thought into it. But you don’t want to half-ass it as well as that would send a wrong message and actually be counterproductive. This grippy mount, I feel, strikes a perfect balance in this area. It’s not a meaningless gift and it will certainly be useful. Most of the people don’t have one, and for those who do, having two is not an issue. At the same, it’s not a grandiose gesture that will leave them feeling shy for getting you a tie for Christmas.

Abundance of choice

For those of you who have a lot of friends to exchange holiday gifts with, this criterion is important. You don’t want to get everyone the same gift and with this item, you don’t have to. These grippy mounts come in a variety of sizes, shapes, materials, colors, and you can get a custom one for everybody. I personally like this one ’cause my dashboard is black and it blends with it nicely. And it is also made of high-quality material that gets the job done without fail.

Price

This is probably the most important factor. You don’t want something too cheap as it would send a bad message. And, if you have more than 10 people to exchange these gifts with, you would want to avoid it being a financial burden. So, right around $20-per-gift rate sounds reasonable and that is another reason why I picked grippy mounts as this year’s gifts. I got 6 people at work with whom I exchange gifts with and they are all drivers, none of them has one already, and it won’t stress me out financially.

I actually discovered this particular mount when I was looking for the replacement for my old one. It is good, it looks nice, it never fails, and it’s not expensive. Think about it, and if it makes sense, get one for your friends.

-Marko Lipozencic

 

 

Bratz Styling Head – favorite amongst little girls

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As the Christmas draws near, I really get into the holiday spirit right after Thanksgiving. You can call me old-fashioned, but this is my favorite part of the year. The thing is, I like picking out presents for my family and friends and I always like to be very personal doing it. Generic gifts and all that: really not my style. In there lies a problem. My older daughter is just so picky when it comes to the things she wants. And the thing is, I can’t say no to her. Not because she is spoiled or anything, but because she is the only one that takes Christmas more seriously than me. As it turns out, much more.

I asked my kids to write to Santa this year and here is what I did: we sat down, I explained the rules and made it very clear that Santa likes kids who obey them:

  1. You can only ask for something you really want.
  2. You can ask for one thing, and not like PS4 with all the games (my oldest last year).
  3. Santa will do his best to grant you the wish if you are a good kid.

So check this out:


All three of my kids (I got 2 daughters and a son) asked for this in the letter to Santa. At first, I thought it was a mistake, but it wasn’t. Then I asked my wife should I be worried that my 11-year-old wants a make-up doll? She then told me the most remarkable story I have ever heard.

So we got three kids: David (11), Meg (6), and Brook (3).

Meg is the mastermind behind this entire operation. She really wants this toy and she proposed a deal to the other kids. Meg told Brook that she will practice on the doll and then put make-up on her if they get this gift. So naturally, Brook was on board. And then she promised David all of her next year’s candy from trick-or-treating if he writes to Santa for this toy as well. I mean how the hell did she come up with this idea? Do I have the cunningest kid in the world or what?

The moral of the story is that my kid really wants this toy. And from what I heard from other parents, this is a really popular toy amongst little girls. If you follow the link I posted, you will easily notice a 4.5-star rating that only confirms the fact that kids love this thing.

So I made Meg a deal: She would have to fulfill all the promises she made to Brook and David, and she would have to make her bed every morning until Christmas, and I would write to Santa for this doll as well. She told me: DEAL, and squeezed my hand as hard as she could with the widest smile in the world. Man, kids these days are really something!

–Marko Lipozencic

Kaleidoscope Projector – A Gift Your Kids Will Appreciate

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A couple of my fondest childhood memories date way back to my preschool years. I used to love Christmas (which child didn’t) but for a very different reason you all might think. The memories I cherish have nothing to do with presents and treats, nothing to do with family dinners or eating cakes, and to be completely honest, nothing to do with family. It is the feeling that I remember most accurately, the feeling of Christmas and gratitude.

We didn’t have a lot of money growing up and although my sister and I never lacked any of the essentials, presents were just not that rich and lavish. It was the small things, not toys, but the things we needed, pajamas, socks, stuff like that. But the presents themselves were irrelevant, at least to me. It was the anticipation the night before.

It was always snowing during Christmas and the house we grew up in had one really amazing feature. The living room, where the Christmas tree was, had a great balcony with glass doors overlooking the yard. And there was a street lamp right across the street which was the only working one in the entire neighborhood. When there was snow on the balcony ledge and the three branches above, the light was literally sparkling into the room at night. I used to stay up waiting to see the Santa as he comes to our house. For hours, I would stare at those lights on the walls and ceiling and believe it or not, those are my fondest childhood memories. During those nights, anything was possible and a massive sense of gratitude would overtake me. Sitting and waiting, wrapped up in my blanket and listening to the 8-bit sound of the carols coming from a small thingy under the tree, that was my Christmas, or at least my favorite part of it.

The snow is not at all a probability at my house these days, but there is something I found that can at least, in some sense, replicate the setting from my childhood.

I bought this yesterday and I will have it installed this Christmas. I would like for my kids to know the feeling I felt during the Christmas night. Although the kids these days are much more mature than I was at their age, there is still some magic to it, and that feeling of gratitude is something they need to feel for themselves, just like I did.

The thing is, I do still believe in Christmas magic and if my kids can experience at least a smidgen of that feeling, my heart would be full. Nothing in the entire world would make me happier.

–Marko Lipozencic

Knight Rider USB Car Charger – KITT – For Grown Ups…

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It’s that time of the year where you think about what things you are thankful for. And like every other year, when I get asked about it, I round up all the “usual suspects”: good health for me and the family, being able to provide for them, good friends and their support, etc. But where most of the people actually enjoy Thanksgiving, I always felt somehow strange right around it. This holiday, for me at least, marks the near passing of another year, and this always makes me remember my unfulfilled goals. And as I get older, it somehow gets stranger. Let me paint you a picture and explain what I’m talking about.

As I walked through the shopping mall, I saw this kid with his mom and dad, staring at a new video game. And just to stop you right there, I am not a grumpy old man that thinks kids these days are glued to computers and video games. You know the type: back in my days… No! Let me be completely honest here: I was just the same when I was a kid, except, I was glued to a TV. I watched hours and hours of television daily and seen thousands of different shows and programs. But none of them was quite like this one show: KNIGHT RIDER. For you, younger kids, google it and check it out. It might look silly to you now, but back in my day (OK maybe I am that guy), that was the best show on television. It had everything: A cool car, a lot of action, cool gadgets, and David Hasselhoff. I was fascinated by everything in that show, but most of all by the fact that there was a talking car in it! It was incredible, and for me personally, way better than James Bond or any other superhero in the world. KITT (that was the cars name) was my superhero.

Now comes the question: what is it about this story that makes me sad around Thanksgiving and Christmas? Well, it’s quite simple. Every time after I watched an episode of Knight Rider, I promised myself:

“One day I will have my own KITT.”

And when I got old enough to realize that the show has almost nothing to do with reality, I shifted that desire and rephrased that promise:

“I will own a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.”

Ultimately, I grew up and realized that Trans Am is not a very good car. I stopped making promises to myself altogether and moved on. But every time around Thanksgiving and the holiday season in general, I remember the promises. This year I decided to act on it and did some research. It turns out, the Trans Am is still a bad car and the KITT hasn’t been invented yet. But I found the next best thing!

I fully understand that this is not even close to what KITT really was, at least to me, but then again, I honestly don’t care. I got myself this charger and guess what: I still smile every time I get behind the wheel of my car. And you know what, it is the best feeling in the world. I will guarantee you that if you were the fan of Knight Rider, you will find it amusing as well! It looks and sounds to par and you would think that I would get tired of pressing that button up top and hearing that voice, but you would be wrong. This is probably the best gift I could have got for myself, ever! The thing is, there are only a couple of these bad boys left in the storage and if I were you, I would hurry up before they run out.

This is truly something new to be thankful for this year!

See It Here

–Marko Lipozencic

Inflatable Snowman Yard Art Decoration For Winter Holidays and Christmas

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Christmas is right around the corner. Somehow it feels like we all look forward to this one as 2016 was one of the most eventful years in the past decade. With all the joy and festivity this time of the year brings with it, I can’t help but notice that two key ingredients are making this holiday stand out from others. Snow and decorations.

Now depending on what part of the globe you reside in, you might not associate Christmas with snow, or at least not empirically. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t have a snowman in your yard or perhaps in your living room. For those of us living in the parts of the globe that don’t get much snow (or none at all), this can be a perfect gift.

Let me make a case for it:

  • It is easily deployable and removable.
  • It folds down for easy storage.
  • It comes with all the bells and whistles (well not actual bells and whistles but you know what I mean).
  • It looks really nice.
  • It’s quite affordable and it can be used for at leas a couple of holiday seasons.
  • It’s really fun.
  • Did I mention it’s easy to deploy?
  • It’s not that big and it can easily fit indoors as well.
  • It’s cheap, but it doesn’t look like it is.
  • It lights up!
  • And yeah, it’s really, really fun!

I know I noted a couple of reasons twice, but it’s a holiday season, you guys won’t mind. So picture this: It’s snowing, you get outside with your family and create a nice snowman. But since we didn’t bother to watch the rate of fuel consumption over the last 100 years, it’s probably not gonna last for more than a couple of days. But you still feel good and festive and are reminded of the holidays you spent as a kid. So the last day before it melts, you deploy your Gemmy and you get to keep reminiscing for as long as you want (or until you get so sick of eating enormous amounts of food just because it’s Christmas!).

Or, if you are like me, put up a tree in the living room, cram in your inflatable snowman and Santa Claus, and get started on that eggnog (spike it with extra rum). If you get two of them, you get free shipping. So Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

Read More About The Inflatable Snowman

–Marko Lipozencic

Holiday Celebration Preparation…

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You can see some of the preparations that have been done for the Holiday season in Darmstadt, Germany.
The city has dressed up the Ludwig statue which survived the destruction of Darmstadt during the war.    Interesting, that some guys statue has made it this long, isn’t it?

You will see that  lot of holiday lighting has been added to really ‘dress up the town’.

Finally, you will see the three tiered revolving carousel containing holiday figures.   This is one big Christmas decoration and I am quite sure it uses a LOT of electricty.

 

What are some of the things your town had done to prepare for the Holiday Season?    Have they put up lights and decorations?

Share your comments, videos or thoughts below.

remember to watch Shen Yun – probably visiting a city near you!

About The Author

How to Make a Christmas Wreath

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Making a Christmas Wreath is not only fun – but you really can get creative with them and make them extremely unique.

Here are instructions for making a traditional holly wreath.

With these instructions, you will be able to get the basic idea of how wreaths are actually made, and you can then decide what to do to make your own holly wreath special – or go with an entirely different kind of wreath.

Materials Needed:

• A 20 inch wreath – This can be a plain foam wreath, a wreath that already has the evergreens on it, or a twine wreath. For a traditional holly wreath, the ones with the evergreens already attached are ideal.

• 1.5 yards of ribbon – this can be plain red, plain green, or a red and black or red and green plaid. The ribbon should about 2.5 inches wide, and can be silk or felt. It’s your wreath!

• Pine cones – you will need about ten. Try to find ones that are well shaped and unbroken.

• Pomegranates – six dried pomegranates will do. Don’t get fresh ones!
Or substitute other dried or good-looking plastic fruits.

• Additional Foliage – you need more evergreens (to make the wreath seem fuller) berry sprays and berry clusters.

• Construction Materials – scissors, hot glue gun, glue sticks, wire (if there is no hanger on the back of the wreath), sewing needle, thread (same color as ribbon).

If the wreath has no hanger, you will need to construct one with the wire. This should be done first. Make sure that it is secure, and that it can bear the weight of the wreath.

Fluff the existing evergreens and add more. The wreath should have a full
appearance. You will most likely need to straighten a few branches here and there – but don’t make it too ‘perfect.’ It should have a ‘natural’ appearance to it.

Let’s make and attach the bow. Cut a piece of ribbon about thirty inches long. Cut another piece of ribbon about four inches long. In the center of the long piece of ribbon, you want to form two loops that will make the bow.

The small piece of ribbon is used to secure the bow, in the middle of the loops. Note that the bow is ‘formed’ not ‘tied.’ There are no knots to tie. Secure the small piece of ribbon around the bow, in the back, with the thread. Each end of the bow will be about nine inches long.

You can place the bow wherever you choose to. It could go in the middle of the top, the bottom, or off to one side. The ends should be woven through the foliage on the wreath – or it can hang loose.

It is a good idea to paint the ends of the ribbon with clear fingernail polish to keep them from fraying over time. The bow can be attached to the wreath with glue or with wire. Just make sure that it is secure.

Once you’ve placed the bow on the wreath, you can glue two of the pomegranates in the center of the bow. The remaining four pomegranates should be glued to the wreath equal distances apart, in groups of two.
Next, glue the pinecones to the wreath. These can be spaced evenly apart sporadically, or in groups of pinecones. Do what looks good to you. Again, it is your wreath.

The berry clusters and sprays should also be glued to the front of the wreath. Glue some additional foliage over the top of the bow with a berry cluster for added affect. Remember that there is not specific way that any of this must be done. It is your choice.

It is a good idea to lay the pieces of the wreath on it before gluing anything down. This will allow you to see how the finished product will look before committing to anything. Try different arrangements of the material to see what looks best to you.

Once you’ve constructed the wreath, set it someplace where the glue has time to harden fully. Once this is done, pick the wreath up and gently shake it to make sure that everything is secured well.

Most wreaths hang on the door, and doors areconstantly opened and closed – and even slammed. You want to make sure that your wreath isn’t falling to pieces each time the door opens and closes.

In many cases, you may be able to use wire or a needle and thread to make items on the wreath more secure. Heavier items won’t be very secure with glue in most cases.

Remember that holly wreaths don’t have to be ‘busy’ to be beautiful. A few simple additions to the foliage is all that it takes.

The bow is typically the object that draws the eye, so make sure that the bow is really well done.

Now that you know how wreaths are made – and how easy it is – you may decide that you don’t want a holly wreath at all. You may opt for a themed wreath, a twined wreath, or a truly unique wreath that stands out. The possibilities are endless!

Learn about Making More Christmas Crafts

Fun for the Whole Family

Scott Wells writes for Make Christmas Crafts: https://MakeChristmasCrafts.com where you can learn to make Christmas crafts for entertainment, decoration and gifts.

 

Make Christmas Crafts for Fun, Family and Memories

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Make Christmas Crafts – ‘Tis the Season

I remember when I was a child that we worked on those little craft projects that you would decorate and then place in the oven and they would shrink down to a miniature size. What I recall about that time is that it was both interesting and fun. At that age, I thought it was really strange that they would shrink so much from being placed in the oven. It was a mystery to my young mind.

I remember the sense of family as my older sister, by thirteen years, led us in the craft making process. It is a memory worth hanging on to. Such memories make me glad that I had an older sister who helped to take care of me.

Sentimentality and nostalgia come to call. Life seemed easier and simpler then. Remembering those quieter times brings a bit of peace to a complicated, and sometimes messy, adult life. It’s great to recall those gentler times.

I think making Christmas crafts can be very satisfying. Both adults and children can walk away with a sense of accomplishment. Home made crafts can also become a unique, one-of-a-kind gift to give away, made from love. Crafts can also be hung on walls or Christmas trees to help spruce up and add to the joy of Christmas celebration – or whichever holiday you might celebrate.

Now that I think about it, Christmas or holiday crafts can save money too. I don’t have to feel obligated to buy the latest and greatest decorations if I want to have something new and different to add to the season. I can escape from Christmas commercialization, even if just for the moment and not completely. I can simply make my own decorations and gifts. They would be unique and nobody else would have them. They cannot be bought in stores, because they only come from me. There is something comforting in that.

Homemade Christmas crafts are excellent for promoting interaction and building relationships between the older and younger generations. As Grandma or Grandpa help the children to learn, they make their bonds that much healthier.

Read More on Making Christmas Crafts

David Snape writes for Make Christmas Crafts, a site that can help you learn to make Christmas crafts and decorations like a pro – even if you have had no prior experience