There are awesome daily prizes and they are giving away a Chrysler Pacifica!
Also enter to win 41 Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments and a Balsam Hill Christmas Tree.
Hallmark Christmas Movies
On the W Network 2019
November 1 at 8:00 pm on W Network
Nostalgic Christmas
This will probably be Anne Garrison’s last visit to the small town where she grew up – until she is paired with Keith McClain to co-chair the town’s Christmas celebration. Soon, Anne becomes torn between returning to her fast-paced career in New York and taking over her dad’s hand-carved wooden toy business.
See the whole Hallmark Countdown to Christmas movie schedule on W Network here.
Watch the holiday movie trailers and put your favs on the calendar.
There is no better way to watch the Hallmark Christmas movies than with a mug of hot chocolate, so W Network is having a Hallmark Snowman Mug contest. (Enter here.)
This is the perfect curl-up-on-the-couch mug because you can hold it in both hands.
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One of the best ways to be sure your kids have all their nutritional bases covered is to pour a bowl of cereal with milk. If kids don’t have milk in the morning, it’s unlikely they’ll get the three servings they need each day.
We grab a bowl of cereal for a quick meal. Meh. We’re hungry and don’t want to take the time to make something else.
But . . . if you had the time, the ingredients and more energy, would you choose something else instead?
Or are you happy with a bowl of your favorite cereal as a healthy choice?
(In fact, you’re thinking about how much you want it right now, aren’t you?)
Use this flowchart to decide if you want cereal right now.
Please humor me. There’s a method to my madness.
I’m trying to prove an important point about knowing if breakfast is good for us.
Did you notice Kellogg’s logo at the bottom of the infographic?
Do you feel like the flowchart was slanted towards convincing you to have a bowl of cereal? Even when the information is basically true?
Now you know how doctors, nutritionists and dietitians felt for decades.
Lenna F. Cooper, B.S., was the first to declare breakfast the Most Important Meal of the Day in a 1917 issue of Good Health.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, because it is the meal that gets the day started. Above all, it should be made up of easily digested foods, and balanced in such a way that the various food elements are present in the right proportions. It should not be a heavy meal, consisting of over five to seven hundred calories.
Makes sense, right? Who could argue with that? No one argued with her reasoning.
As director of the Battle Creek Sanitarium, Dr Kellogg developed vegetarian foods that were easy for his patients to digest.
In 1877 Kellogg created a cereal made of oat, wheat and corn flakes. It was so popular with his patients that he founded the Sanitas Food Company to make them available to the public.
In 1894 Corn Flakes as a cereal became a thing. John Kellogg, his wife Ella and his brother Will all claim to be the one who invented it. On April 14, 1896 John Kellogg received a patent for his cereal flake process – in his name only.
They used this patented process with other grains too, like rice. And sold Rice Krispies.
You know the rest of the story.
Breakfast became a big deal, and all the Kelloggs became rich.
Not all cereals are created equal, and with grocery aisles dedicated to boxes of flakes, puffs, rings and more, it can be hard to know which cereals to choose.
Here are some basic tips:
Understand nutrition labels. Paying attention to the serving size, calories, protein and vitamin and mineral percentages will make you more informed about just what you can get out of each particular cereal.
Some cereals give nutritional information including the milkyou’re going to pour on it, so read carefully when comparing one to another.
Look for options that are a good source of fiber (at least 3 grams per serving) to help you get a jump start on the fiber you need each day.
Experiment with additions such as fresh or dried fruit and nuts to create even more nutrients.
A healthy breakfast can help kids perform better in the classroom or the playing field.
Research has shown that children who eat a nutritious breakfast in the morning have an easier time focusing on their schoolwork since they are not distracted by hunger.
Dr. O’Connor says a healthy breakfast includes whole grains to make you feel fuller longer, such as oatmeal, whole wheat toast or whole grain cereal. (See our article on the search for a better breakfast.)
“It’s also a good time to eat fruit.”
See? The age-old breakfast of cereal with milk and a glass of orange juice is still considered a healthy breakfast. Choosing whole fruit over juice is even better. “Whole fruit provides dietary fiber, which is a part of a healthy diet and can help prevent heart disease and cancer.”
Make sure your family is eating only ONE breakfast per day.
Dr. O’Connor warns that your kids may be having too many calories in the morning if they are eating breakfast at home AND at school.
If your children’s school has a breakfast program, have a talk with them to see if they would prefer eating at home with their family or at school with their friends.
The Takeaway Today
Is cereal for breakfast good or bad?
When you choose the right boxed cereal, it can be a good choice:
Corn Flakes and other whole-grain cereals were created by a doctor to benefit his patients.
A leading pediatrician gives thumbs up to whole-grain cereal for breakfast combined with fruit and nuts.
Cereal is a quick and easy meal that can give you energy any time of day.
Now you can eat breakfast cereal when you’re in a hurry and give yourself a pat on the back as you go out the door – on time.
Some Corn Flake Fun
No, this has not been sponsored by Kellogg’s or Corn Flakes. Surprise! But I did have fun going down the corn flake trail while writing. You’ve gotta see this!
How to Cook Corn Flakes
Now we know Corn Flakes is a part of a healthy breakfast. Especially when you’re half asleep and in a hurry. Here’s a quick reference so you know how to cook corn flakes properly under those conditions.
360° View from Inside a Corn Flakes Box
You know you’ve thought about it. (Aren’t we always half-asleep when we’re munching on Corn Flakes?) You’re sitting at the table, staring at the box, wondering what it would feel like inside.
the adage breakfast is the most important meal of the daywasn’t taken seriously by science for decades.
(We discuss why here. It’ll knock your socks off.)
But after a 2013 study discovered men who skipped breakfast had a 27% higher risk of coronary heart disease, they started taking a closer look and breakfast reigns supreme once again.
Dr. David Agus, doctor to the stars, one of the world’s leading cancer researchers and author of A Short Guide to a Long Life tells us the reasons why breakfast is so important – in only one minute.
It is recommended that we consume 15-25% of our energy intake in the morning.
Men
625
calories
Women
500
calories
Children
550
calories
A better breakfast begins with taking time to eat breakfast.
The Journal of the American Dietetic Association says breakfast is actually a non-meal for 20 percent of children and 32 percent of adolescents. (And they’re not the only ones who are breakfast skippers.) It’s not a surprise that they encourage growing kids and developing teens to try and eat something nutritious when they begin their day.
When our kids were in high school, our daughter got up early to beautify herself, but the 2 boys showered the night before so they could stay in bed as long as possible. “Got no time for dat,” was their breakfast motto.
I always had fruit available, and they would grab a bottle of chocolate Ensure as they ran out the door to catch the bus. I felt like I was still being a “good mom” because Ensure contains 1/3 of their daily requirement of nutrients.
*This is a statement of fact. We have not been sponsored by Ensure.
Still not convinced? The Atlantic Journal discusses the terrors of skipping breakfast (and manholes).
Need some Better Breakfast ideas?
Choose your favorite breakfast ingredient and we’ll show you recipes your family will love.
Hard work builds character; good times create memories that are the glue for a close-knit family and crew of friends.
We share ideas to inspire more play in your every day to help you create good times – the glue that binds family & friends.
Adding more play to your day doesn’t require a lot of effort or money. It does require forethought and a little organization. It is our goal to offer ideas, themes and inspiration to help you plug in to celebrations that are already going on nationally around the world.
You can go big – or go small. How much you celebrate is up to you. We give you a reason (a theme) with a ton of ideas and you take it from there. Use one or ten of our suggestions, or use the theme as a springboard for your own creativity.
Add Good Times Glue to your relationships these easy ways:
daily holidays & national day of celebrations
national food of the day recipes
playtime themes & tips for all ages – even adults
binge-watch your favorite movie or TV series with your crew
family night ideas
seasonal holiday ideas
party planning tutorials
top party plans for adults and children by party theme
How we make it easy for you:
We know that resources for fun can fluctuate.
when families face limited funds, “fun money” is always the first to go
there are times when our to-do list is longer than hours in the day
we all have days when we’re ill or too exhausted to invest energy into our playtime or party project
but then there are times we have milestone occasions and want to have the ultimate party or family celebration
We show alternatives for limited budgets, limited time investment, limited creativity/cooking skills, and limited energy all the way to making-dreams-come-true – with everything in between.
What kind of M&Ms cake would you like for your party?
We offer options for every playtime or party theme so you can pick and choose what’s right for you.
{cheap} party ideas and freebies for the budget conscious
{fast and easy} party tips for when you’re short on time and energy
over-the-moon ideas for when you’re ready to {GO BIG}
We don’t just share ideas and leave you hanging – we make it easy to follow those ideas.
All the cheap, fast & easy, and GO BIG options include step-by-step tutorials to keep it easy.
We show you how to do it right the first time so you can enjoy your preparation time, too.
We include links to projects and tips from pros who know so you can have confidence when you take on a new idea.
We share products from people and stores that have a good reputation so you can rest assured that you will receive your items when you need them. (You want to celebrate Oscar the Grouch’s birthday on the day, so of course you need that t-shirt with his unsmiling face by June 1st.)
How we know putting more play in your day works:
When my 3 kids were young, I planned hundreds of themed playtime, holiday and party days.
Today they are millenials – all adults.
The Good Times Glue continues to bring us together to celebrate all the seasonal holidays.
And whenever we get together we spend our time reminiscing and laughing about the crazy things we’ve done.
The best part of all? My adult children are choosing to spending time together – just them and their friends – for special events and trips.
They are applying Good Times Glue to new relationships and creating more happy memories that will last their lifetime.
My daughter, 2 sons and a friend visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios – in their robes, of course.
Whether your guests are kids or adults, one way to make your party unique is to create a signature drink.
A signature drink is a beverage that is created to fit your party theme. It can be juice or punch for a kids party or an alcoholic beverage for an adult party.
Now when I say make a special drink for your party, I don’t mean spend a week mixing concoctions in your kitchen like some mad scientist!
You don’t have to create something new . . . you’re just being creative with beverages that your guests already love.
Step #1 to a Signature Drink for Your Party
The first consideration is the color of the beverage.
A princess party needs a pink drink, a racing party needs a red drink, a monster party needs a green drink . . .
The easy answer to color choice: make it the same color as you’ve already decided for party decorations.
This means your signature drink will:
match its surroundings
add to the atmosphere
look fantastic in the photos!
Now – what beverages are that color?
{Easy Signature Drink} Begin with drinks that are readily available:
fruit juices & ades
sodas
teas
sports drinks
dairy beverages & ice cream drinks
energy drinks
{DIY project} Consider mixed beverages:
shakes
smoothies
punch
infused water
cocktails
For example, a pink drink can be:
pink lemonade
cream soda
grapefruit juice
pomegranate juice
watermelon juice
strawberry milkshake
cherry infused water
Hawaiian Punch
shirley temple
Tazo passion herbal tea
pink cloud punch
rhubarb syrup in Sprite
Pink Lady
Pink Martini
Cosmopolitan
Next, consider these factors.
Flavor: what would your guests prefer? Guy drinks are different than gal’s drinks, 2 year olds prefer different drinks than 12 year olds.
Party theme: does your theme suggest a strong drink or a light drink, or is there a beverage that just goes along with your theme like fruit tea at a tea party or Sarsaparilla at a cowboy party?
Season: select a cold drink during the summer or a hot drink during the fall or winter.
Ease: do you want to use a beverage that they can serve themselves, that you can hand out or pour from the bottle – or do you want to {go big} and take the time to serve mixed drinks, milkshakes or smoothies?
Narrow your choices down to one or two favorites and have a taste testing mini-party with your closest friends to get a pre-party vote!
When you’ve made a selection, on to step 2 – you need to name your signature drink.
Step #2: Give Your Signature Drink a Special Name
Now that you have your beverage, you need to give it a name that matches the party theme.
“Dr No’s Electro Potion” makes green Gatorade sound oh so exciting!
When you were researching your party theme, did you come across any interesting names? Maybe Skeleton Canyon Sarsaparilla for a cowboy party?
Need some inspiration? Here are a few words you can use instead of “drink.”
brew
broth
canned heat
cocktail
concoction
cordial
elixir
extract
fluid
goo
goop
gulp
hooch
juice
liquid
mixture
nectar
potion
refreshment
sap
sarsaparilla
secretion
solution
swig
swill
tea
thirst quencher
toddy
wassail
water
Step #3: Serve Your Signature Drink in a Special Way
This is NOT what I mean!
Serve your signature beverage in an unforgettable way
{Easy Way} This can be as simple as putting a sign with the special name beside a pitcher on your buffet table or printing a label to wrap around a juice box, water bottle, soda can or bottled drinks.
Here are a few ways you can {Go Big} and make your drinks unique.
Special glasses
Novelty drink dispenser
Shaped or flavored ice cubes
Special straws
Rimming the glass
Garnishes
Think of ways you can make the presentation of your party drink more exciting and appealing.
Specialty Cups & Glasses
Your princess pink beverage served in cute goblet makes your party a royal event.
And the great thing about special cups is that they look fantastic in the photos and then can be sent home as a party favor.
“Dr No’s Electro Potion” served in a beaker, mason jar, or glass milk bottle with an LED Coaster Sticker (so it glows) takes green Gatorade to the next level.
When buying LED coasters, make sure there is enough LEDs on the coaster to light up what you’re using.
Bottles require more than a glass.
A glass with a carbonated beverage looks awesome because the bubbles light up.
Ice cubes look amazing too!
Specialty Drink Dispensers
How you serve the drinks can add to the party fun.
Novelty drink dispensers – such as this one that looks like an Hospital IV pole – pump up the party spirit as they pump out the drinks.
There are so many different types available – you’ll be surprised by what you can find.
Search the internet for “your-party-theme-name beverage dispenser” and check it out. You may even find cool tutorials like a pumpkin drink dispenser.
Specialty Ice Cubes
Make designer ice cubes.
Do a Google search for ice molds in your party theme. There are specialty shaped ice cubes for everything imaginable!
Create your own by using a regular ice cube tray:
freeze juice in your party theme color
insert fruit slices , lemon curl, a small mint leaf or edible flowers for a sweet drink
insert a grape tomato, 1/4 cucumber slice or basil leaf for a savory drink
insert a small toy like a plastic bug or a plastic ring like a spider ring or princess ring (please ensure that it is age appropriate – no choking hazard)
Specialty Straws
When you’re researching party decorations for your party theme, you’ll probably find some specialty straws that would be perfect. Or quite your party printable package can include a straw decoration or a circle you can use as a decoration.
Garnishes for Beverages
Beverages – alcoholic or non-alcoholic – can be decorated with one or a combination of the following types of garnishes.
Rims
You can rim your glass with sugars, salt, cocoa powder or spices depending on the taste experience you prefer.
You can even add a touch of food coloring to your sugar or use colored sugars to get the look you want, such as red rims for a vampire party or blue rims for a space or under the sea party.
Put the sugar, cocoa, salt or spices on a plate large enough to accommodate the glass.
Moisten the rim of the glass with a little of your drink by dipping it in a saucer of the beverage, or sliding a lemon or fruit slice around the rim, depending on the flavor and/or color you’re looking for.
Turn the glass upside down on your plate of sugar, salt or powder, give it a little shake and then carefully turn it right side up so none of the powder ends up inside the glass.
Remember – you can rim the glass of non-alcoholic punch or fruit juice in sugar too.
Glazes
Glazes are syrups that are poured down the side of the glass before they’re filled with the beverage.
They are a decorative touch to add a little fun to the party experience.
Glazes can be combined with a rim for extra pizzazz.
This glass shows a red syrup used to look like blood dripping on a Vampire’s Kiss drink for Halloween.
Adding a glaze to your glass is a lot of fun, but takes practice. Make sure you give it a few tries before party day to perfect the art!
Dusts and Toppings
A light dusting of cocoa powder, cinnamon or other spices can add to the experience of the first taste and the overall appearance of a beverage.
A dusting of cocoa powder is a must for hot chocolate!
Toppings such as whipped cream, butterscotch sauce, chocolate sauce or chocolate shavings adds to the flavor of the beverage and makes drinking it extra fun.
Hangers & Drops
Hangers are garnishes that are placed on the rim of the glass and drops are garnishes that are – of course – dropped inside the glass.
They can be fruit, vegetables, picks, umbrellas, peppermint sticks, cinnamon sticks, flowers and almost anything one can imagine as a decoration. (Just keep in mind that the glass has to be able to bear the weight of the garnish without tipping over.)
Hangers can be as simple as one slice of fruit with a slit cut so it can hang on the side of a glass to a spear of fruit. You can also add a little kitsch such as an umbrella or a sword – or something to match the theme of your party.
Almost any kind of fresh fruit can be used – banana, kiwi, strawberry, peach, star fruit, cherries, cranberries and pineaple are the most common.
Lemons, limes and oranges can be a wheel (one whole cross-section slice), a slice (half a wheel) or a wedge.
Citrus twists can be cut around the peel, but when making many for a party here is an easier way:
cut both ends off the lemon, lime or orange
slice it down one side lengthwise
remove the peel in one piece
cut the peel lengthwise into quarter inch slices – remove any excess pulp
hold peel slice over the glass and twist into a corkscrew shape so the oils are in the drink
save the fruit part to squeeze as juice to rim the glass
This puff pastry breakfast starts the weekend off right. It looks like you strained over the heat of the oven for hours but is easy, warm and yummy. You’ll get lots of kudos!
{Easy Breezy} If you’ve never made something with a puff pastry, don’t worry. It’s very easy when you use a frozen puff pastry sheet from your local grocer.
Here’s a video overview to give you extra confidence.
Puff Pastry Breakfast Recipe with Bacon, Egg & Cheese
Course: Breakfast
Keyword: bacon, cheese, egg
Servings: 4people
Calories: 438kcal
This breakfast recipe is so divine it melts in your mouth!
Thaw the pastry sheet at room temperature for 40 minutes or until it’s easy to handle. Heat the oven to 400°F. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Cut the pastry sheet into 4 (about 5-inch) squares. Place the pastry squares on a baking sheet. Prick the pastry squares with a fork.
Bake for 10 minutes or until the pastries are golden. Using a metal spatula, press down the centers of the hot pastries to make an indentation.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat, turning, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain, then crumble.
Sprinkle cheese in the center of each pastry.
Carefully crack 1 egg onto the center of each pastry. Season with salt and pepper.
Top with the crumbled bacon, then return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the eggs are softly set.
This puff pastry breakfast starts the weekend off right. It looks like you strained over the oven but is easy, warm and yummy. You’ll get lots of kudos!
Breakfast tapas are a spicy wake up call for adults, perfect for when friends get together. Easy pub food recipe with bacon, egg and crispy homestyle potatoes.
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