Modeling the Magic

So the stockings aren't hung by the chimney with care.

In fact, they're hung just about everywhere.

The tree is bottom heavy and leans to the right. 
The ornaments clumped together are always a sight.

Those treasured collection of Nutcrackers you adore,

are haphazardly "marching" across the kitchen floor.

No more Pinterest perfect cookies set out on a plate.

They’re buried in sprinkles that challenge their weight.

Christmas card pictures where everyone smiles,

they’re way at the bottom of one of these piles.

Gift wrapping doesn’t involve pretty ribbons, straight edges and bows.

Now it's more tape than paper and the ribbon has tangled your toes.

Thoughtful Christmas shopping has now become a mad dash

As you gather what you can in the cart for your secret stash.

The serene sight of the crèche is not what it was in the past.

It’s now littered with Barbies and one of the kings needs a cast.

Christmas morning now begins at 5AM on the dot.

The coffee is strong with an extra espresso shot.

To compare these moments is something we all do.

Stepping back to take a breath is important for us, too.

Their twinkling eyes tell the story committed to our memory’s vault.

It’s up to us to fuel the magic and watch their imaginations exalt.

A Little Christmas Chat with Mags

Me: "How was your last day before break, Mags?"
Mags: "Good! We drank hot chocolate and Ms. B read The Polar Express."
Me: "That sounds like a perfect day to me!"
Mags: "It was...except for what Tommy said."
Me: (deep breath) "Oh no! What did he say?"
Mags: "At the end of the story, he said something about Santa. Well, I'll just tell you. He said that Santa wasn't real."
Me:  "Oh, man. What did you say when he said that?"
Mags: "I looked him right in the eye and said, 'THAT IS JUST CRAZY TALK, TOMMY!'"
Me : (exhale)

The moral of the story: 

You better get your Santa on...or else. 

The Nightmare Before Christmas Decorations

Me: "Please. Can we not this year?"
Chris: "Sorry. You know the rule. My grandma made them. They go up no matter what."
Me: "But they freak me out."
Chris: "Sorry. Rules are rules."
Me: "Who makes up these rules?"
Chris: "Santa."

You know you have some. Don't lie...or try to hide them.  That's right, I'm talking to you. Yes, YOU! The one with the "I'm the Grinch Who Stole Christmas" shirt and both hands behind your back. I can tell you're hiding them. It's 'The Nightmare Before Christmas decoration'. Are you familiar with this Halloween AND Christmas movie classic? If you aren't, no worries. It is just like it sounds. 

So, I'm asking you to share, because I know I'm not alone. We all have one, two or (shudder) three of them. They are the decorations that have served their time in Christmases past and induce nostalgia on sight. They are the ones that look like they were made by goopy, grotesque goblins rather than effervescent, elated elves. 

Feel free to post them on my Facebook page or do a post of your own. These poor, decrepit decorations deserve one more hurrah. I'll start.

On the count of three. Ready?  

One...two...two and a half...two and three quarters....

THREE! 

The Story of a Wishbone

Mags: "That wishbone is a liar. It's not very wish-y."

Like most families, we dried out our turkey's wishbone and then let the kids snap it. It began with ... well, here ... let me show you...

The end

Bringing Out Your Inner Minion

Me: "Hey, guys, guess who started following me on Twitter?"

Mags: "Daddy?"

Me: "No, he follows me already."

Mags: "He does? That's thoughtful of him."

Me: "Think cute, yellow and ... bottom."

Mags: "The Minions! The Minions!"

Me: "Yep, Dave the Minion!"

Mags: "YOU ARE SO COOL! I gotta tell Tuck." (hightails it down the hall) 

"TUCK, TUCK, MAMA IS FAMOUS! DAVE THE MINION FOLLOWED HER!"

Our family LOVES the minions. So much so that Mags' 6th 

birthday party was all about them. 

In fact, Mags often announces her arrival into a room by hollering, 

"Bee-doo, bee-doo, bee-doo!"  

So when Michele and I were asked to help promote a contest involving 

minions ... and Twinkies ... we were all in! Check it out below!

To celebrate the DVD and Blu-ray release of Despicable Me 2, Universal Studios and Hostess are running a fun campaign right now called “Dress Up A Twinkie Like A Minion.” It's fun to make and simple to enter! 

1. Download accessories to Minion-ize your Twinkie:

• https://www.facebook.com/Hostess
• https://www.Facebook.com/Hostess/app_17062156313417

2. Create your Minion masterpieces.  

3. Upload a picture of your adorable, edible treat and  you could win a daily prize (Despicable Me 2 Blu-ray or a special offer from Hostess) or even the Grand Prize (a home theater system, a collection of 30 Blu-rays and a year’s supply of Hostess treats). 

 The contest ends 1/5/14. 

Honestly, my kids were so excited to get behind this. 
And since we're anticipating our first big snowfall of the 
season, this scene-tastic idea was forefront on our kids' minds!

It's beginning to look a lot like ... minions ... everywhere you go. 

You think I'm kidding? 

Look, Michele! We're minions! 

And I gave you a few inches over me. 

You're welcome. :) 

Good luck, everyone, and HAVE FUN!!

Plates of Memories

Tuck: "Can I help you set the table, Mama?"

Me: "Sure. I'd love your help. Let's start with the dishes."

Tuck: "Are we using your Nana's plates?"

Me: "Yep. And remember, we need to be careful with them. They're delicate."

Tuck: "I promise I'll be very gentle."

Me: "It's over 50 years old. My nana got it when she got married to my pa."

Tuck: "You get plates for presents when you get married?"

Me: "Not everybody asks for them, but most people do. It's a tradition of sorts."

Tuck: "Well, you know, if you think about it that does make sense. I mean, when you get married and you have to live together, you're gonna need new plates. And since people eat everyday, these will come in handy."

Me: "True. Wanna hear something cool?"

Tuck: "Sure."

Me: "I ate off of these when I was a little girl. Every holiday we'd set up a huge table at my nana and pa's house and all of my aunts and uncles would come over to sit around and eat dinner together. Those are some of my favorite memories."

Tuck: "That's so cool."

Me: "These make me so happy. There are so many memories are in these plates."

Tuck: "Memories and people's spit."

Me: <sigh> 

SING ALONG

Mags: "Christmas Carols are the greatest songs ever made. Even when I don't know all the words, I just sing 'jingle jingle jingle' and you can't even tell I'm makin' it up."

A FISHY SITUATION

Mags: "This dinner is...ummm...what's that word? Oh, yeah. SCRUMPTIOUS! This dinner is scrumptious!"

So, hey. Guess what? It's November. How in the name of jellybeans did that happen? And, it's not just November, but a week away from Thanksgiving. Who has a turkey I could borrow? Kidding. We're excited to celebrate by eating ourselves into a coma with some of our funny extended family. Honestly, I can't wait to get cooking and fill the house with a multitude of delicious aromas. 

In fact, I haven't cooked in a while. This new schedule of ours leaves me coming home after Chris and the kids. So, the cooking torch was passed to him. (All the fire alarms in the house just breathed sighs of relief.) Enter Chris. This man o' mine is a resourceful fellow. He completes all tasks effectively and efficiently. No muss, no fuss. He didn't bat an eye at having this new chore of soothing our savage beasts with tasty nourishment. It can be a tough task. The kids don't let you get away with too much fancy food (like rice pilaf or quinoa). 

Needless to say he took on that battle of food wills head on. He's been making some easy and flavorful dishes over the past few months. 

I have to note one company in particular that has made it past the kid test time and time again; Gorton's. No matter what type or flavor we serve up from Gorton's...the kids gobble it down. And let's be honest, who doesn't trust the Gorton's Fisherman? 

Here are five WICKED GOOD reasons for you to dive in and try their product: 

1. He looks JUST like my Uncle Tim. In fact, I think we have the kids convinced it IS Uncle Tim on the box. Okay, fine, maybe not Mags, but DEFINITELY Tucker. He fell for it hook, line and sinker. <---See what I did there?

2. Their campaign speaks my language. Literally. I'm from Bahston and so are they! See? 

3. Their abundant variety of tasty seafood products are always a crowd pleaser in this house. And, also, their products for dinner always result in our kids making it into the "Clean Plate Club." Check it out!

4. Over the past three months of crazy schedule changes and big adjustments in our house, they provided us with some no stress, little mess, great tasting food to eat.

5. You can find them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and of course on their site, Gorton's, where they offer coupons. What are you waiting for? Print some off and try them yourself! You won't be disappointed.

Thanks, Gorton's. And thanks, Chris, for all you do!

What's the Plan?

Me: "How does it feel to be six?"

Mags: "Pretty good. So far it's all going according to plan."

This Post Brought to you by the Number 6

Mags to me: WAIT. A. SECOND. You like baby orange slices TOO? It's like I don't even KNOW you!


There's a meme going around Facebook where you are given a number and then, you tell that many unknown facts about yourself.  Since it's Mags' sixth birthday today, I'm going to tell you SIX lesser known things about her. 


1. Mags slept the first six weeks of her life away. In fact, she slept so much, that I called the doctor on multiple occasions to make sure it was normal. 

2. She can sing the words to a song after hearing it only a few times.

3. Her favorite vegetable is spinach.

4. She can reenact, in great detail,  every single moment of her day from start to finish.

5. Before she was her verbose self, Mags used baby sign a lot. This lead her gymnastics teacher to think that she was deaf for the first two sessions of classes.

6. When she gets really excited, she'll do a little shimmy and shake with her bottom. It pretty much is THE cutest thing I've ever seen. 

See for yourself.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABY (BIG) GIRL! 

BRING ON NUMBER 6! 

If you haven't already read it, check out Mags' three part birth story. 

The Contraction that Started it All: Part 1

The Contraction that Started it All: Part 2

The Contraction that Started it All: Part 3

An Early Morning Conversation with Mags

Me: "I'm going to vacuum under the table real quick. Could you please help me by pulling the chairs out?"
Mags: "Sure."
Me: "Thanks." (vacuum starts up with a roar)
Mags: "WAIT! WAIT! MAMA!"
Me: (shuts off vacuum) "What? What's the matter?"
Mags: "If you vacuum under here, how will I remember what I ate all week? See? There's my Honey Nut Cheerios. There's my taco. Right there is my toaster strudel and there's Daddy's stir fry he made." 
Me: "You could take a picture with the iPad of the smorgasbord under here."
Mags: "Great idea. Hold on one moment, my dearest Mama."
Me: (waits)
Mags: (returns with iPad, aims it under the table) "OH! What's that? RIGHT THERE!" (pointing) 
Me: "I don't know, it's all looks disgusting to me."
Mags: "Well, I don't know what THAT piece is, but I'm pretty sure I didn't like that one." (snaps picture) 
Me: "All set?"
Mags: "Yep. Done capturing some memories."
Me: "That picture is definitely not going to show and tell."

Anybody else have a four day pile up of food under their table? It looks like a few unassuming crumbs at first, and then...dun dun dun!  They coagulate to form the dreaded "FOOD BUNNIES." Much like their cousins, the "DUST BUNNIES," they can take over the floor under a dinner table in a matter of days. 

I've even heard of a dangerous new hybrid of "HOUSE BUNNIES." I think it may be an urban legend...much like spiders nesting in a person's hair. Supposedly, these bottom floor dwellers join forces to form a dust/food bunny hybrid under your fridge and stove. Keep your eyes out, people. And approach with caution. 

HAPPY FRIDAY! 

The Urban Dictionary: Furbish Edition

Tuck: "You know what I'm putting on my Christmas list?"
Me: "Legos?"
Tuck: "Yep...AND a Furby BOOM!"

Me: *mumbles* "What did I ever do to you except spend 6 weeks on bedrest and 3 days in labor and 3 hours of pushing and..."

Tuck: "What?"

Me: "Huh? Oh...I was just saying that's furbtastic, honey!"

FURBISH DICTIONARY
What Furby is really saying

FURBISH   PHRASES	ENGLISH   PHRASES
a-loh/doo?	Play with me. Play with me! PLAY! WITH! ME!
Dah/doo-ay	It's 3AM. Who wants an adrenaline rush?
Dah/lee-koo/koo-/wah!	My batteries never say die.
Hey/boo/loo-loo	The joke is on YOU!
Kah/may-may/u-nye	I love to wake your sleeping child.
Doo-moh/may-lah/kah	Shaking me will just make me angry!
May-tah/kah	You won't like me when I'm angry!
Kay/mee-mee/a-tah	Potty mouth.
Dah/a-loh/nah/bah	Sunset or sunrise...I'm flexible.
nee-tye/kah	Gizmo is cu-kah!
Dah/noh-lah	I will not be ignored!
Kah/mee-mee/noo-loo/wah	I'm very happy to annoy you.
Kah/toh-loo/may-tah	I see you with that screw driver.
Wee-tee/kah/way-loh	It's a Phillips head screw. SUCKAH!

These Monkeys are too Hip to be Square

Me: "Mags, may I take your monkey with me to New Orleans?"
Mags: "No way, Mama!"
Me: "I promise I'll bring her back in one piece."
Mags: "I trust you. But no."
Me: "I was going to take some..."
Mags: "Mama. No means no."
Me: "Okay, okay. No monkey."
Mags: "You know what we could do instead? Maybe we could FaceTime with her!"

It didn't take long for her to become a loved member of the "Nighty Night" society. She had all the makings of a star.  Her heart of gold and glitzy nature fit her new community perfectly. She had been waiting  for this moment where she found somewhere to settle in and feel at home. Finally, that time had come. With her guitar by her side, Star Harmonkey finally felt complete.

Who would want to leave that kind of community behind? 

Not Star, that's for sure.

But, Ima Bananerd, who came along for the ride from Planet Sock Monkey was another story. She had a thirst for knowledge with a streak of independence that couldn't be ignored. She was smart, sassy...and just a little bit clumsy. True to her nerdy form, she was matched perfectly with none other...than a Physics teacher. 

Like Ima, the physics teacher (we'll call her Mel) had a very spunky friend who lived far away and, as luck would have it, she was going to vist her the very weekend Ima arrived. And, even though Ima had just traveled all the way from Planet Sock Monkey, she snapped her suspenders, grabbed her backpack and her Phyics book and jumped into the open suitcase She never said no to learning something new. 

Ima passed the time traveling by listening to her Sock Monkey friend, M.O.N.K's, newest rap CD. She promised him she'd write a review of each of his songs. 

Before she knew it, the suitcase unzipped and Ima was greeted by not one, but TWO Patch Product friends. Magenta Beetsch and ANOTHER Star Harmonkey, also sent from Planet Sock Monkey , were ready to go when she arrived. The connection to these two was immediate. Star, being characteristically sweet, and Magenta, having a heart of gold and a funky style to boot, made her feel right at home. Being in a new city, Ima was anxious to write down her observations and collect some data for her research on city life. 

Throughout the next four days she traveled by car, bus, airplane and 

Street Car.

She ate native cheeses and developed a love for a delicious fried 

dough treat called Beignets. 

Ima also went on a spooky ghost tour. And perhaps a little more scary than ghosts, she tried a Lucky hot dog from a cart on the street. That was more her zombie Sock Monkey friend, Eaton Dedd's style, but when in Rome...

The whirlwind trip left her head spinning. Even though she was sad to leave her friends behind, she knew she would be able to FaceTime and text.  That, and she had a lot of fun memories to look back on and share. As her Sock Monkey friend, Long Sock Silver says, "We'll be seein' yaaaarrrr again real soon." 

Want to win one of these trendsetting little friends for the little monkey in your life? Michele and I are each giving one away right here. Our two lucky winners will get to choose from the six limited edition friends listed above. (More monkeys are coming soon to Planet Sock Monkey.) 

Entries will be accepted until the end of Monday, November 11, 2013. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

THE REAL LIFECYCLE OF A JACK-O-LANTERN

Mags: "Our pumpkins are a sad, sad sight. But, look! They're still delicious to squirrels."

FREE HALLOWEEN TREATS FROM US TO YOU

Me: "The kids are quiet and engaged in building Legos. I'm going to record the intro for the story real quick."

Chris: "Okay. Have fun!"

Me: "It'll just take me a...."

Mags: "Mama! Mama! Where are you? I NEEEEEEEEEEED you."

Me: "Seriously, Chris? She has a sixth sense for these things. It's like when I try to use the bathroom by myself."

Chris: "Or shove an entire candy bar in your mouth. She always knows."

Me: "It's creeptastic."

Halloween is drawing closer. It's a time of year when our creative sides come out in full force. As many of you know, I also co-host another blog site called Night Light Stories with my husband, Chris. We write original children's stories together. I record them and we put the audio out on iTunes for free. Since the Fall is my favorite season and Halloween is Chris' favorite holiday, we really enjoy writing our seasonal stories and episodes. Chris also hosts his own podcast called A.T.TIPSCAST where he shares free or commonly found technology based strategies that can be used by anyone. 

Seeing how we've been producing both these podcasts for 5+ years, I thought I'd share our Fall-ish and Halloween-ish episodes with you. Enjoy! 

NIGHT LIGHT STORIES

Click here to listen to: An Interview with a Zombie (8:32)

A talk show host interviews a popular guest 

about his latest viral video.

Free audio download: An Interview with a Zombie

Blog with activities: An Interview with a Zombie

The Patchwork Pumpkin: Part 1 (17:12) and Part 2 (12:14)


A little girl living on a farm longs to carve the Halloween pumpkin 

with her father but his chores seem to keep them apart. 

Can she find a different way to spent time with her father?


Free audio download: The Patchwork Pumpkin (Part 1)
Blog with activities: The Patchwork Pumpkin (Part 1)
Free audio download: The Patchwork Pumpkin (Part 2)
Blog with activities: The Patchwork Pumpkin (Part 2)

The Heebie Jeebies: (6:57)

What goes bump in the night? How do you keep the Heebie Jeebies 
away, especially on Halloween?

Free audio download: The Heebie Jeebies

Blog with activities: The Heebie Jeebies

A Glummy, Gloomy Halloween (11:17)
A goblin named Glum wants to have a surprise birthday party for his brother Gloom, but every monster he invites already has plans for the evening.


Free audio download: A Glummy, Gloomy Halloween
Blog with activities: A Glummy, Gloomy Halloween

Auntie Kerry and the Paskamansett Pumpkin Regatta (17:29)

Auntie Kerry recruits her family to fulfill her dream of competing in aunique river race but when she gets sick they are forced to come together as a team without their fearless leader.

Free audio download: Auntie Kerry and the Paskamansett Pumpkin Regatta 

Blog with activities: Auntie Kerry and the Paskamansett Pumpkin Regatta

The Turns of the Seasons (13:58)

One by one, the seasons take turns impacting people's lives. 

Free audio download: The Turns of the Seasons

Blog with activities: The Turns of the Seasons

Migration (6:23)

A boy and his mother discover the wonder of watching a letter fly 

through the sky.  

Free audio download: Migration
Blog with activities: Migration

A.T.TIPSCAST 

Click here to listen to: Saber Saw's Game

When Chris and Melissa wake up in a strange room after a Halloween party they meet the notorious Saber Saw who asks them if they want to play a game.  Will they win?

Click here to listen to: It's Alive

This episode of the A.T.TIPSCAST features a recording of the events that transpired in the attic of the Bugaj household on a stormy night in October 2012 which involves electricity, a tablet computer, some spare parts, and (of course) some strategies that can help students.

Click here to listen to: Count Edula's Game

This episode features a visit to Count Edula’s mansion where he asks about some tools he can use to help organize his  “hypothetical” zombie army.  Chris’s suggestions just so happen to be useful tools to help students as well. 

Click here to listen to: Paranormal Apptipity

Chris and his wife Melissa describe a variety of educational tools

as they conduct a paranormal investigation.

The Abduction

This post is in response to the Trifextra Weekend Challenge. They asked us to write a 33-word explanation of what scares us. So many choices, so little time.

The Abduction

Footsteps from behind matched hers, followed by a loud crack. Darkness. Her eyes shot open. A strong smell of pine wood and dirt. Tightly fit. 

Her pleas absorbed by six feet of earth.

Ode to a Hairdryer

Mags: "Can we blow dry my hair tonight after bath?"
Me: "Sure we can."
Mags: "Can I hold the hair dryer myself? You know the one with the spinnie thing on the end."
Me: "The Tornado?"
Mags: "Yeah. The air goes all over the place. It's like the hair dryer is having a party."

It's true. I can't lie. There's a party in my bathroom whenever we dry our hair. And I have Kiss products to thank for their Tornado 360 Air Booster hair dryer.

Drying Mags' baby fine hair isn't the easiest of tasks. It takes great concentration not to linger in one spot too long. Otherwise Mags will give me the "TOO HOT! TOO HOT!" alarm. In order to avoid that, I tend to shake the hair dryer all around like I 'm doing the Hokey Pokey. Shake your hair dryer in, shake your hair dryer out, shake your hair dryer in, then I shake it all about. I can't imagine that is good for the dryer. Add to that the fact that Mags, even being the beauty queen she is, does not like standing there waiting while I dry her hair. After about 45 seconds she's yelling over the blowing air,

"ARE WE ALMOST DONE YET?"

So, when Michele and I were asked to review this new hair dryer while we were at BlogHer this summer, we couldn't just blow past this opportunity. I was excited to try it out on myself, but moreso on Mags. Four big things caught my attention:

1. The Tornado 360 blow dryer dries an area up to FOUR times larger than a conventional dryer. This helps to distribute the heat more evenly...which would elimate the "TOO HOT" Mags alarm.

2. The Tornado 360 dries up to THREE times faster than a conventional hair dryer. You know what this means?  I can get Mags' hair dry in no time flat! I just love time saving products.

3. The Tornado 360 has a rotating air booster that does the work for you...or as Mags calls it, "The party part." It spins all around, distributing heat and air so  that I don't have to shake it...at all. It's nice to have a product work FOR you.

4. The Tornado 360 has a ceramic tourmaline ionic effect which reduces the frizz and creates shiny, healthy hair. They had me at FRIZZ. Mags and I both have unruly waves to our hair. I was so happy to find that this feature is not an exaggeration. It really does what it says. And for that, Mags and I thank you, Kiss!

Being back to work full-time, the mornings are hectic. Trying to get the kids fed, lunches packed, bodies dressed, teeth brushed and hair combed is a feat in and of itself. Never mind the fact that I have to get MYSELF ready in a presentable, professional fashion. I was so pleased to find a blow dryer that does the job in half the time.

I was so thrilled, in fact, that I wrote a little poem about it. I was just going to post it, but Michele upped the ante (overachiever) and recorded herself singing a song about the Tornado 360. I'm serious. You can see her sing it here while plucking out the tune on her guitar. It's not like she set the bar high or anything. But, since I record myself reading stories a lot, I figured I could do the same. Minus the guitar and beautiful singing voice.

Here goes nothing! 
(Please keep your laughing to a low roar.)

But, WAIT! There's one more thing.

Thanks to Kiss, Michele and I are each giving away a Tornado 360. That's two hair dryers to two lucky winners. All you have to do is enter the Rafflecopter below. Good luck! 

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Please note that, by simply clicking the 'tweet the giveaway' option, you can earn TEN entries a day for this promotion. The contest ends on Thursday, October 24, 2013.

Carving Her Way

Mags: "Why do we call them jack-o-lanterns?"
Me: "We only call them jack-o-lanterns once they're carved."
Mags: "No. I mean...why is there only JACK-o-lantern for boys? Why can't there be a JACKIE-o-lantern for girls?"
Me: "I never thought about it that way, but good point, Mags."
Mags: "That's what my noggin is for, Mama. Thinkin'."

Saving the World One Perishable Item at a Time

Me: "Where is your Super Girl outfit?"
Mags: "In my drawer. Why? Do you want me to rescue something?"
Me: "Yes. I need you to help me save some food."
Mags: "I'm on it."

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's...it's...Super FoodSaver Girl! 

Seriously, Mags was all about the FoodSaver system when it came in the mail. Since Michele and I were asked to review it, I wanted my Super FoodSaver Girl side-kick (who am I kidding, I'm HER side-kick) to help me save some produce begging for mercy in our "Crisper" drawer.  

Mags was quick to pull out a red bell pepper (because it matched her outfit...I kid you not).  We cut it up and the fun began. We took the FoodSaver 2244 out of its box, unwrapped it and plugged it into the wall. We were ready to go! I read the directions to Mags <ahem> Super FoodSaver Girl and she followed them without any difficulty. It was so simple, no wonder these guys are the "market leader in the vacuuming package category."  

Check out how easy this machine is to use...

I KNOW! It's so cool, right? Mags sealed five different things in about four minutes. That included the time it took to cut the bags to size. We sealed one open side of the bag with the "Seal" button.  Then, when we were ready, we placed the food product into the bag and inserted the other open end into the machine. Mags tucked the bag in, pushed down the lock on the side and pressed the "Vac/Seal" button. She particularly loved watching the bag mold to the shape of the food as all the air was sucked out of the bag. 

For the record, that first Red Pepper we sealed was opened four days later and sent in lunchboxes to school. It was still as crisp (I had to try a piece to be sure) as when we first cut it. 

My only true concern was going through all the bags they sent within our first "sealing" session. But, to my surprise, the roll of plastic material that was sent to us was able to be custom cut for the food you are FoodSave...ing.  

One helpful tip I would give would be to follow the directions in adding THREE additional inches to the amount of bag material you think you would need. This allows a little bit of forgiveness so you aren't sealing the bags too close to the edge. 

When I continued to read about FoodSaver, it only got better. Did you know...

• You can buy their products on FoodSaver.com and also on Amazon or Target. 
• Their bags and containers have been proven to save food five times longer than plastic wrap or regular plastic containers. 
• It's sleek design makes it easy to store in between uses. 
• FoodSaver brags (as it should) that it can save a family up to $2700 A YEAR on wasted food and produce. I can't wait! 

Don't take our word for it. Go ahead and try it! You and your family can save that kind of money a year, too. 

Want to win a little something personal from Michele and me? We love you guys for reading. Which is why Michele and I are each going to make a little something special in our kitchens and send it to you ... FoodSaver'd, of course. We'll be taking entries through Thursday, October 17, 2013.

Good luck! And remember...

you too can save the world, one perishable item at a time. 

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