* * * Update: Stephanie’s store is now Family Traditions! * * *

Like it or not, Thanksgiving is right around the corner!

My dear friend, Stephanie, owner of Dream Dinners in Lexington (Kentucky) is offering a great deal on a fabulous Thanksgiving spread—enough turkey and side dishes to feed 12 to 15 people! So, if you’re anything like me and prefer not to spend hours toiling away in the kitchen, you should definitely give Stephanie a call… she’ll “hook you up”!

If, on the other hand, you actually enjoy spending time in the kitchen preparing a traditional Thanksgiving feast for extended family and friends, you’ll find these tools helpful—Martha Stewart’s Thanksgiving Planner (3696 downloads) and Real Simple’s Thanksgiving Dinner Invitation (4287 downloads) .

Recycle old crayons that are too short to draw with to make new crayons in fun shapes.

Heat makes a crayon a little loopy; it may melt into a swirl or pool into a whirl. With this in mind, we chopped up crayons and baked them in shaped mini cake tins, making large blocks that are easy for toddlers to hold and will surely inspire older artists.

Encourage kids to come up with their own combinations—a blue-and-white blend for drawing the sky, or a mix of reds and oranges for sunsets.

Tools and Materials : old crayons, kitchen knife, mini cake tins

Crayon How-To Parents can use the knife to chop crayons into pea-size pieces, taking care to keep colors separate so kids can combine them as they like. Preheat the oven to 150°F while children fill the tin with crayon pieces, arranging them in interesting designs. Bake just until the waxes have melted, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the shapes after they have cooled. If they stick, place the tray in the freezer for an hour, and the crayons will pop right out.

— courtesy of Martha Stewart Kids

Yep. Definitely loving the chimp!

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And be sure to subscribe if you haven’t already!

I have fallen in love with a monkey!

Well, not really, but I am very excited that MailChimp has changed their free account option to include a larger mailing list size! Woohoo! So, fellow small business owners, you absolutely must give MailChimp a try—check out the e-mail campaign that I just sent out on behalf of www.EquestrianHomeLeasing.com!

Now, let me count the ways…

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Hands-down, MailChimp is the ideal way to manage any and all of your e-mail campaigns (i.e., special offers, monthly newsletters, birthday wishes, holiday greetings, etc.)!

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