Penelope Pitstop

You read that right. Those two words should not go together and yet strangely they did today. I was in my office working this morning when my husband called me into the other room. He knew I was busy getting ready to go give a presentation so I thought to myself “This had REALLY better be important.” Turns out that it wasn’t important but it was hilarious and worth breaking for.

My daughter was watching cartoons before school. It was Wacky Races, a cartoon on the Boomerang network that I watched as a kid. It originally aired from 1968-1969, so it was old even when I watched it. The car my daughter was most interested was driven by Penelope Pitstop and was called the “Compact Pussycat.” If that in itself wasn’t crazy enough, check out her gear shift below of  beauty supplies and gadgets that every girl should have at her disposal:

Just in case you can’t read it properly, her options are “Hairspray,” “Vibrator,” “Hair Dryer,” and “Make Up.” And just for fun, she has shifted into “Vibrator” gear to turn her car into one big vibrator.  I was shocked! Why in the world would they put that in a cartoon? And in the 1960s?

As it turns out, a “Vibrator” in the 1960s was actually that exercise device that women used to shake their bodies into losing weight. The only reason I even know what they are is because I love the Carousel of Progress at Walt Disney World. If I had just turned off the cartoon after seeing the gear shift and not watched the rest of it, I probably would have never let my kids watch Boomerang again!

You can watch the whole cartoon below. It’s actually pretty funny. Just don’t share it with your kids.

Getting ready for the season and want to add a little bit of authentic Pittsburgh to it? Living in Indiana, this is a challenge for me–but one that I readily accept! Here are my ‘burgh tips for a Pittsburgh Steelers party:

1) Terrible Towels: You can’t celebrate the Steelers without Terrible Towels. Preferably everyone at the party will have their own. You can get them online for less than $10 each.

2) Black and Gold Decorations: You can get Super Bowl decorations at almost any party store, but if you want actual Steelers plates, cups, and napkins, you will probably have to get them online. My favorite place for that is CelebrateExpress.com. Get the Steelers logo items online and then buy your black and gold balloons, tablecovers, etc. locally.

3) Iron City Beer: Although I am not a beer drinker, Iron City is pretty much the official beer of Pittsburgh. If you don’t like Iron City, you can  go with Rolling Rock or Yuengling.

4) Chipped Ham Barbecue: You won’t be able to order “chipped ham” from the deli if you aren’t in Pittsburgh, but just ask them to shave it really thin for you and then kind of break it up into smaller pieces with your fingers. AllRecipes.com has a Pittsburgh Chipped Ham Barbecue recipe, but I make mine even easier than that because I cheat and start with a little pre-made BBQ sauce. Set it out in the crockpot with buns on the side for serving.

5) Heinz Ketchup: I think this one is pretty self-explanatory.

6) Clark Bars: Born in Pittsburgh, they are the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth during the game.

7) Primanti Brother Sandwiches: Obviously you won’t be able to buy them if you aren’t near Pittsburgh, but you can make a pretty good imitation. The basics that you will need are sandwich meat, italian bread, french fries, coleslaw, and cheese. All of that goes on the sandwich–all of it! Need more information? Get the cole slaw recipe and meat ideas.
Watch the Man v. Food of Primanti’s below.

Kielbasa, sauerkraut, and pierogies: I like my pierogies with cheese and potato on the inside and sour cream on top. You should be able to find them in your freezer section (Schwan sells good ones as well).

9) Pittsburgh Steelers Polka: It’s been redone many times over the years and they update it every time the Steelers go to the playoffs. The video below just gives me chills. Love the Myron Cope “Yoi” and “Double Yoi”!

10) Smiley Cookies: Love those cookies from Eat ‘n Park? Get them online and in Steelers Black and Gold!! (Get $10 off your purchase of $50 or more with code 10OFF5) Just saw that they are also offering free shipping on all Steelers packs right now and you can schedule them to ship just in time for the game!

11) Pittsburghese: Make sure that yinz throw in a few “Stillers” and “‘burghs” when you are cheering and yinz will all have a terrific time at any Steelers Super Bowl Party!

My reading goal this year was 52 books, and I completed my 52nd book the other night (leaving me about 10 days to spare!). I actually didn’t even realize it was my 52nd book until I went in to update the list that I have been keeping. I’m not sure that I didn’t leave anything off accidentally, but it’s pretty close. I’m all set to start on a new stack of books for 2011, but could use more recommendations. Please leave a comment if you have any! You can see the books I have read in the last couple of years on my What I Am Reading page.

Here’s my completed list for this year if you are interested:

The Shack (William P. Young)
Grave Secret (Harper Connelly Mysteries 4) (Charlaine Harris)
The Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy #6) (Richelle Mead)
Ice Cold Grave (Harper Connelly Mysteries 3) (Charlaine Harris)
Grave Surprise (Harper Connelly Mysteries 2) (Charlaine Harris)
House Rules (Jodi Picoult)
Grave Sight (Harper Connelly Mysteries 1) (Charlaine Harris)
Beautiful Darkness (Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl)*
Go Ask Alice (Anonymous)
Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer (John Grisham)
Little Bee (Chris Cleave)
The Five People You Meet in Heaven (Mitch Albom)
Size 14 Isn’t Fat Either (Meg Cabot)
Size 12 Isn’t Fat (Meg Cabot)
Mockingjay (Suzanne Collins)*
Linger (Maggie Stiefvater)
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (Stieg Larsson)*
The Girl Who Played with Fire (Stieg Larsson) *
Charlie St. Cloud (Ben Sherwood)
The Reader (Bernhard Schlink) (ironically, the audiobook)
Book of the Dead (Patricia Cornwell)
Undead and Unpopular (MaryJanice Davidson)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Stieg Larsson and Reg Keeland) *
Kingdom Keepers II: Disney at Dawn (Ridley Pearson and Tristan Elwell)
The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World: Over 600 Secrets of the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom (Susan Veness)
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: A Eclipse Novella (Stephenie Meyer)
The Lost Symbol (Robert Langdon)
Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy #5) (Richelle Mead)
Gone (Lisa McMann)
The Help (Kathryn Stockett)
Dead in the Family (Charlaine Harris)
Burned (House of Night Novel) (Kristin Cast and P.C. Cast)
Undead and Underappreciated (Mary Janice Davidson)
The Last Song (Nicholas Sparks)
Shiver (Maggie Stiefvater)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows)
Undead and Unemployed (Mary Janice Davidson)
Fade (Lisa McMann)*
Undead and Unwed (Mary Janice Davidson)
Tainted (Brooke Morgan)
Bare Necessity (Carole Matthews)
Wake (Lisa McMann) *
Twenties Girl (Sophie Kinsella)
Blood Promise (Richelle Mead) *
Shadow Kiss (Richelle Mead) *
Frostbite (Richelle Mead) *
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Last Olympian (Rick Riordan)
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth (Rick Riordan)
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Titan’s Curse (Rick Riordan)
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters (Rick Riordan)
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (Rick Riordan) (read this series with 9-yr-old daughter)
Vampire Academy (Richelle Mead) *

(* are books that I couldn’t put down)

I love a good book series. There’s something about being able to connect with characters from book to book that just takes me in and holds me. I have quite a few series that I have read regularly or completely and would recommend to friends. A few are pretty obvious, but some of the others may interest you as well!

Harry Potter (J.K. Rowling) My favorite of all favorites. It took me a long time to read these because I kept saying I didn’t like “kid” books. I ended up loving them so much that I cried when I was done and couldn’t think about reading anything else for weeks. For a year, I compared every book I read to Harry Potter. The early books seem to be written a little more for kids and young adults. The later books are, at times, very dark with heavy themes. (7 books–series complete)

Twilight (Stephenie Meyer) Not much I can say about this one. You probably know more than you want to about it. (4 books plus a novella coming out–series complete?)

Vampire Academy (Richelle Mead) This series has blown me away. I picked it up on a lark at the grocery story and ended up reading all of them that were out in a matter of weeks. They are vampire books but like none other that I have read. By the 4th book, I was loving them as much as Twilight. (5 books–more to come)

Sookie Stackhouse Novels (Charlaine Harris) I also picked these up at the grocery just because I was looking for something new and saw that the “True Blood” series on HBO was based on them. I had not seen the series but figured I would read the books first. They are a quick read and kind of fun. More vampires but a lot of other creatures as well. (10 books–more to come)

House of Night (Kristin Cast and P.C. Cast) Eight books in this series so far. They are a quick read about (guess what??) vampires. The vampires are “fledglings” in a vampire school. A little romance but the teen crush variety rather than a lot of the “true love” variety. (8 books–more to come)

Hunger Games Trilogy (Suzanne Collins) This series was recommended by a friend who actually got it from her daughter. It’s geared toward young adults but also has some very adult themes. In particular, I think it has a lot to say about reality television and to what extent we get wrapped up in it regardless of the impact it has on the people involved. (2 books–last one coming in August)

Wake Trilogy (Lisa McMann) This is a short series of quickly read books about a teen girl who gets sucked into people’s dreams when they fall asleep. I’m actually reading the last of them right now and anxious to see how it ends! (3 books–series complete)

Shiver (Maggie Stiefvater) Supernatural but with no vampires. A lot story about teenagers with some big problems. I liked the book but am not sure about series potential. The sequel, “Linger,” comes out July 2010. (unknown series length)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Rick Riordan) A fun kid/young adult series based on mythology. This one was fun to read with my 9-year-old daughter. A number of my friends also read them alongside their school-aged kids. (5 books–series complete but a follow-up series starting in the fall)

Beautiful Creatures (Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl) Only the first of this series has come out yet, but it is a great read. Unlike most of the others, this book is written from the teen boy perspective. He falls in love with a girl with supernatural powers. It’s supernatural and romantic at the same time. The second book will be available October 12. (one book so far)

Undead Series (Mary Janice Davidson) More vampires and an interesting take on it all. These are very light-hearted. They are sometimes known as “Betsy the Vampire Queen.” I’ve read half of them and will likely read the rest when I have time but am not itching to read them all like the other series listed. (8 books out, 9th book being released July 201)

Kingdom Keepers (Ridley Pearson) These books take place in Disney World, so Disney fans will enjoy them. I know as many adults who loved them as kids who did! The stories are about kids who are trying to save the parks from evil that comes out at night. (3 books so far)

Those are my favorites! Click here to see what else I am reading.

Selena Gomez is apparently coming to Indianapolis this summer. Maybe even twice. Why do I care? Because my daughter Jillian is obsessed with her and Wizards of Waverly Place. I thought that it was actually a little bit too obsessed until my mom reminded me that I was just as obsessed at her age with Olivia Newton-John as what Jillian is with Selena Gomez. Point taken.

Which brings me to my problem. First I heard that Selena Gomez was going to be joining Lilith Fair, and it is going to be happening at Verizon in Noblesville in July. I resigned myself to the fact that I would be taking my 7 and 9 year old to Lilith Fair just to see Selena Gomez. Hours and hours of performances in the grass in the heat with two little girls for about 15 minutes of Selena Gomez magic.

Then I happened to be playing around on the Ticketmaster website today and discovered that Selena Gomez and the Scene (her band) are actually performing themselves in Indianapolis in August. They will be at the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand, which tells me it is part of the Indiana State Fair. Unfortunately, it’s the day that I will be in New York for Affiliate Summit.

Now both Jillian and I are going to have to appeal to my husband (who would probably rather have his teeth pulled out than attend a Selena Gomez concert) to not only take my daughters to it but to do it without me! Selena Gomez tickets are not expensive (that’s the plus side) and go on sale this week. If you happen to be in Springfield, IL, or Columbus, OH, you are also in luck. (Or maybe not?) I have to say that I am a little sad about missing my daughters’ first real concert, especially when I know how big this one is going to be for them.

There are not many areas in which I consider myself an expert, but chocolate is one of them! This year I am fortunate enough to be teaching for the second time “Chocolate University” at our elementary school. It’s basically an hour long course where the kids get to learn things they might not already know about chocolate and then figure out which kinds that they like. Here’s how I put it together:

Advance Preparation

First, I found a couple of pictures of cocoa beans on the Internet and some basic history. I combined this into a PowerPoint to teach them about the origins of chocolate and how we use it. Next, I purchased various different kinds of chocolate individually wrapped for tasting. Then, my I made a form for each person with the name of each chocolate and a rating scale. Lastly, I gathered up all different kids of chocolate items in my house (philosophy Dark Chocolate shower gel, chocolate scented candles, hot cocoa, etc.) to use for smelling and examples.

Chocolates Used

Plain cocoa powder, white chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, peanut butter chocolate, mint chocolate, and fondue. Keep in mind that it took very little of each of these–essentially one bite. I cut everything up into small squares or use individually wrapped candies. For the fondue we are testing salty versus sweet combinations with a graham cracker stick versus a pretzel stick. (When doing this at my own house, I included things like hot chocolate and chocolate truffles as well).

Class Time

I started off by asking them about chocolate and they told me it was sweet. I had them taste the cocoa and explained to them why it was bitter. I then showed them the pictures of the cocoa beans and explained the origins of chocolate. From there, we started with white chocolate and then worked our way from milk to dark. We ended with the flavored chocolates. For each one, we talked about how it tasted and they “rated” it on their sheet. At the end, we went back through and compared the darkest to the lightest chocolate and a few other things.

After cleanup time, I have also added a Chocolate Word Find to keep the kids busy while waiting for pickup. I made it online and used words like cacao, brownies, pudding, melt, and fudge.

The kids always have a great time. Most do not like the dark chocolate and the fondue is usually the biggest hit. But you do get some surprises.

If you love chocolate as much as I do and are looking for something different to do with your friends or family, give a homemade Chocolate University a try. It’s great to do for a Girl Scout troupe, a school activity, or even a boring Saturday afternoon at home. If you would like the PowerPoint that I use, just contact me and let me know.

Looking back on 2009, it appears that it was the “year of indulgent reading” for me. After spending years giving up most of my reading time to kids books and books about affiliate marketing and SEO, I spent almost all of this year reading what made me happy. Here’s a list of what I read this year, as close as I can remember. I know I read a few others that I gave away in our book night swap and a few that I checked out from the library and don’t  remember anymore. But this should be most of them.

Obviously my tendencies this year were toward chick lit, young adult, and supernatural. Prior to this year, I read mainly legal thrillers and chick lit. I can’t believe that the only business book that I read this year was Trust Agents! And more than business, Trust Agents was about life and connections. So I don’t think it even counts as totally a business book.

46 books total. That’s about a book a week! I think 4 of them were actually over Spring Break alone. And the Harry Potter books took more than a week each. There was only 1 book that I didn’t finish completely (I really, really tried but just couldn’t get more than halfway). I’m in the middle of 2 right now but won’t finish either by tomorrow. I guess they will be the start of my 2010 list!

Walt Disney: An American Original (Bob Thomas)
*Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (J.K. Rowling)
*Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (J.K. Rowling)
*Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (J.K. Rowling)
*Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (J.K. Rowling)
*Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (J.K. Rowling)
*Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (J.K. Rowling)
*Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (J.K. Rowling)
The Tales of Beetle the Bard (J.K. Rowling)
A Walk to Remember (Nicholas Sparks)
Message in a Bottle (Nicholas Sparks)
-Losing It (Valerie Bertinelli)
Change of Heart (Jodi Picoult)
There’s No Place Like Here (Cecelia Ahern)
Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination (Helen Fielding)
Julie & Julie (Julie Powell)
-Tale of Edward Sawtelle (until I gave up)
*Dead Until Dark (Charlaine Harris)
*Living Dead in Dallas (Charlaine Harris)
*Club Dead (Charlaine Harris)
*Dead to the World (Charlaine Harris)
*Dead as a Doornail (Charlaine Harris)
*Definitely Dead (Charlaine Harris)
*All Together Dead (Charlaine Harris)
*From Dead to Worse (Charlaine Harris)
*Dead and Gone (Charlaine Harris)
The Undomestic Goddess (Sophie Kinsella)
Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married (Marian Keyes)
-A Minor Indiscretion (Carole Matthews)
A Touch of Dead (Charlaine Harris)
Trust Agents (Chris Brogan and Julien Smith)
Remember Me? (Sophie Kinsella)
The Kingdom Keepers (Ridley Pearson)
*Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)
*Catching Fire (Suzanne Collins)
*Marked (P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast)
*Betrayed (P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast)
*Chosen (P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast)
*Untamed (P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast)
*Hunted (P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast)
*Tempted (P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast)
*Burned (P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast)
Vampire Diaries I (L.J. Smith)
Vampire Diaries II (L.J. Smith)
The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
*Beautiful Creatures (Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl)

Stars denote the books that you couldn’t pry out of my hands while I was reading them. I would recommend pretty much everything else that I read this year as well except for the ones with minus signs. If you are a fan of  books similar to the ones I read this year, I would be anxious to hear what else you recommend for me.

If you asked me what relaxes me more than anything else, I would have to say a good book. An enticing book will take my mind away to another world and allow me to focus on something besides working, the kids, the house, or my other responsibilities. The only down side to really good books is that if I get taken away too far, I don’t want to do anything else!

I’m not against reading business books, biographies, or even self-help books. I like learning in general. I’ve read everything from books about how not to be co-dependent to a history of the Conner Family in Indiana. They do say that variety is the spice of life (or at least I think I read that somewhere).

Despite all of that, I still find myself wanting to get lost in fiction. In the last year, I’ve even gravitated toward what they call “young adult” books, something that I would have never imagined. But after 4 Twilight books, 7 Harry Potter, 10 Sookie Stackhouse, 2 Hunger Games, 2 Vampire Diaries, and 6 House of Night books, I’m beginning to gravitate more and more toward the fantasy genre. After years of “chick lit” and legal thrillers, I have found my true escape.

This weekend I read a brand new YA fantasy called “Beautiful Creatures” by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. While I was first getting into it, I read it off and on when I didn’t have anything better to do. By the halfway point, I was reading on every commercial of the Steelers game because I literally didn’t want to put the book down. Although the book is about high school students (and witches!), I was captivated by that feeling of danger mixed with the purity of first love that you only find in YA books.

Something else that I have discovered is that I am particularly drawn to the series books. I think it’s because I never want a good book to end. When you find a good series and can keep reading week after week after week, it’s like you really become a part of the world the author has created. Now I anxiously await not only the next Sookie Stackhouse novel, House of Night novel, and the final book of the Hunger Games trilogy (all coming this year) but also the remaining 5 books of the Beautiful Creatures series.

If you have any interest at all, I recommend checking out some of the books listed above. Even if you think to yourself “I don’t read kid books,” you might be surprised at how entertained and relaxed you will be when you enter the world of wizards, witches, vampires, or werewolves. If you are already a fan, let me know what I might be missing!

(**Note that the Sookie Stackhouse novels are NOT Young Adult like the others. They are similar to Twilight but with a lot more sizzle!)

I wouldn’t dare put this post on BuyTwilightStuff.com for fear of losing all of my readers, but I just had to blog about it somewhere!

The Harvard Lampoon released today a new book parodying the hit “Twilight.” The book is called “Nightlight: A Parody” and the fun begins with a picture of an apple core on the cover. (aff link)

The story is a true parody of Twilight (albeit much shorter at only 160 pages). Belle Goose falls in love with Edwart Mullen, a hot computer nerd. Here’s a quote from the description:

“About three things I was absolutely certain. First, Edwart was most likely my soul mate, maybe. Second, there was a vampire part of him–which I assumed was wildly out of his control–that wanted me dead. And third, I unconditionally, irrevocably, impenetrably, heterogeneously, gynecologically, and disreputably wished he had kissed me.”

Although I am a self-professed Twilight fan, I still think that this book would be quite funny. What do you think? Does it ruin the love story for you? Or does it add to the Twilight legacy?

Why haven’t I been blogging as much lately? Quite simply, I have had my nose stuck in books! After finishing the Twilight Series and the Harry Potter series, I was having a hard time getting into anything again. But knowing that I had a little bit of time to relax over the long Labor Day weekend, I was desperate to find a book to read. In the aisle at Kroger, I found a book that said “Now on HBO, True Blood, the original series based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels.” All of the similarly marked books said that they were written by Charlaine Harris and have “dead” somewhere in the title. I had heard people raving about True Blood, so I figured that I would buy the first book and see what I thought.

By the end of the Labor Day weekend, I think that I was on the 2nd or 3rd book. Fast forward another week and I am now on book 6! They are quick reads (about 300-ish pages each). The first book had an alarming number of similarities to Twilight. But then it diverged and took a different direction.

Similarities to the Twilight series: Main character is a woman who falls in love with a vampire. She has some “other” types of love interests as well who are not completely human. The authors set an interesting atmosphere of a world that is both similar to normal and different. There are enough books that you can keep reading and reading and reading to truly feel invested in the stories.

Differences from Twilight: Sex! While Twilight is in large part about abstinence, the Sookie Stackhouse books each have at least one sex scene that is pretty graphic and a couple of pages long. It’s not like the whole book is about sex, but there is definitely enough to make your cheeks flush.

From what I can tell, there are 9 books in the series. 8 are now in paperback, and you can get a set of the first 7 from Amazon for $32, including free shipping. That’s terrific considering that I paid $48 for the first 6 that I bought at Kroger. I have read that a boxed set of the first 8 is coming out soon as well if you want to wait for it. It’s $34.50 at Amazon with free shipping and ships at the end of September (if you can wait that long!). Book 9 is only available in hard cover right now, and book 10 will be released in May 2010.

I’m making myself take a break before I buy 7-9 so that I can have something to look forward to in the coming weeks if I get all of my work done. I’m anxious to hear what you think of the books if you are reading as well!