Winner of my Cafe Holiday Expo is....

LauraLee Shaw!!

LauraLee, please contact me with an email address so I can get your shipping information.

Congrats!!

As a side note, I am leaving tomorrow on a business trip that will last through Thursday night. A friend/coworker will be accompanying me on our flights to and from New Jersey, limo rides (SQUEE!) and training sessions. I ask for your prayers for safe travel and good times!! (Especially for fun when we get to visit New York City for the first time on Wednesday!)

Don't hate me because I get an all expenses paid business trip. Sometimes I have to work Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas Day to make up for it!

Anyway, I have scheduled a few posts to bore you entertain you in my absence. See you in a few days!!

Dear Irritated Travelers in Target Yesterday:

I am the lady who was in line behind you. I can understand your frustration when you encounter an employee of an establishment who is unable to properly perform their job. I am trying not to be judgmental. Apparently you were travelers, and perhaps had endured a long, trying trip. Maybe you were tired. OBVIOUSLY you were grouchy.

Keep in mind: that cashier was probably hired as seasonal help and may never have processed a traveler's check before. Cut her some slack.

When she recognizes her limitations and calls the manager for assistance, don't stand there impatiently and proceed to tell her to treat it as cash. You do not work there, and probably don't know how she should process it through her register. Please wait quietly for the manager to arrive.

Don't instantly start screaming at the check-out manager when she appears, either. That simply puts her on the offensive and results in each of you becoming even more ugly and hateful. Use your inside voice.

Asking for the name of the store manager ONCE should be sufficient. You would have heard the cashier tell it to you if you had stopped yelling for a moment.

Demanding something to write on the from the very people you are screaming at was a bit comical, and I'm a little surprised that the poor girl complied with your demand.

Also, asking for the name of the corporate manager repeatedly, when you still haven't even spoken to the STORE manager is a bit much.

Please tell your girlfriend to be quiet and stop yelling at everyone as well. It isn't her transaction to be upset about.

And by all means, don't suddenly develop a conscience and try to be caring when all your hatefulness finally makes the poor cashier burst into tears. She doesn't want you to pet her shoulder and tell her it's not her fault. She knows that's not what you think, because you've been yelling at her for a solid ten minutes. You acted like it was all her fault. Just take your hypocrisy and go see the manager.

Shame on you. Shame on you both.

Oh, and for the record, I had to stifle a giggle when another cashier came over to soothe her comrade-in-arms and said, "Don't worry about them. God will take care of them because he's COMING BACK!"

Amen.

And Merry Christmas.

Friday Fill-Ins: NY Trip Preview Edition

Get yours here!

1. Snow in New York City next Wednesday would be wonderful.

2. I'm looking forward to my trip to New Jersey/New York next week - and the limo rides!

3. This trip is the best free training trip for work ever!

4. One of my favorite old tv shows is The Dukes of Hazzard (I thought Bo was, uh, cute.)

5. I'm done with people who are ugly to others :-(.

6. The most enjoyable thing around the holidays is looking at Christmas lights (well, one of many enjoyable things!).

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to checking out some new purchases, tomorrow my plans include being at home alone and scheduling blog posts for next week and Sunday, I want to pack for my trip!

I just have to say...

my boy pinned his first opponent last night at the wrestling tournament!!!

Way to go, Michael!!!

The Cafe Holiday Expo is here!!

Man, I love a good giveaway. I am a total sucker for contests! And I know of a good one for you to check out:



Internet Cafe Devotions is celebrating the holidays, and this week's way to celebrate Christmas is with a giveaway carnival! Yay! Head on over to their site to see what kind of goodies are up for grabs.

So, what am I giving away? Well, look no further:






I made this snowflake purse with my own two little hands. Seriously! It's made out of a beautiful red wool, which I then embellished with a few snowflakes.

Oh, and then there's the verse of the back. (That's the best part!) There you'll see Isaiah 1:18: "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."

Pretty cool, huh?

Well, I think so, and I hope you do, too! One of you lucky blog-hoppers will win this little bag. (And it is petite - maybe six inches wide? Just right for keys, cell phone, a smallish wallet and lip gloss!)

All you have to do to enter the contest is leave me a comment telling me the best Christmas gift you ever received. That's it! (Not just a random comment. I want participation, people! :-))

Make sure you leave a way for me to contact you if you win, though. I'd hate to have to give your prize to someone else! (Sorry, international visitors: this is open to United States residents only.)

Deadline to leave a comment is this Sunday, December 7th at 8pm EST. The Random Number Generator will pick a winner, which I will then announce. I believe that Internet Cafe Devotions will also post a list of all the winners.

So, be sure to enter while you're here, then head over to Internet Cafe Devotions and see what other goodies you can win!

Good luck!

Works for Me - Flavoring Green Beans

I seem to be on a food kick with my Works for Me Wednesdays. You'd think I actually COOK or something!

Not all of us are blessed with canned-in-mama's-kitchen green beans. (YUM!) Canned-in-a-factory green beans just don't taste the same. At all.

Well, here's a little tip that my friend Melba shared with me a few years ago:




Use chicken broth or bouillon when you cook them. I was almost ashamed that I didn't know this already. It's so easy! And tasty? Yes, ma'am!

So try it out. Those picky little eaters in your house just might eat their beans!

That's what Works for Me today!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

These are the reindeer mugs I mentioned in my holiday traditions post. I dug throught my as yet unpacked Christmas decorations and fished these out so we can start using them. Aren't they the cutest?



Just look at Dancer with her hoop earrings!



Is it just me, or does Vixen look a little matronly?



Don't let me feel silly here - do you have a favorite coffee mug? (By the way, I usually try to get the mug with Cupid on it. Because I'm a hopeless romantic and all.)

Anyway, Happy (almost) Wordless Wednesday!