#Gift package ideas in Wisconsin

[wiscoboxes]

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[watermelonlipstick]

Dreams, Chapter 3

If you haven’t read this series before, you might want to start on Chapter 1, or check out the Dreams Masterlist! Here’s the series description:

When Dean dies for good leaving Sam and his girlfriend (the reader) behind, they must figure out how to carry on without him. Alone, reeling, and unsure what to do next, trying to honor Dean’s memory and follow their hearts gets even more complicated when their nightmares become dreams that feel a little too real.

Title: Dreams, Chapter 3

Pairing: (past) Dean Winchester x Reader, (eventual) Sam Winchester x Reader

Word Count: 2344

Summary: It’s Christmas in Wisconsin for Sam and the reader.

Warnings: angst (sensing a theme here), alcohol, slow burn

           Christmas Eve was a Thursday, which meant you were working. You’d predicted it would be slow, but there were big chunks of time where no one was in the bar at all. Christmas carols on the radio helped pass the time, and you drank a little more of the almost-coquito you’d thrown together in the back at the beginning of the shift than you needed to. It reminded you of your aunt and the way she’d smell of coconut through Boxing Day every year when you were growing up; welcome nostalgia you could tolerate like pressing a thumb into a bruise and distracted you from the evisceration of thinking of Dean. The day shift had left the bar understocked, so Sam spent a good amount of time going up and down the stairs refilling refrigerators and cutting fruit for drinks. Around 10 or 11 the people who didn’t want to wrap up the night when their in-laws went home straggled in, a handful of regulars that you generally liked but had a tendency to get a little rowdy when left alone together. It didn’t help that they showed up a few drinks in.

           The merriment was infectious, and it was sweet to hear grown men proud of the gifts they’d gotten their loved ones. One even brought a few bottles of homemade maple syrup to give to the others, sliding one sheepishly across the bar to you. You were pouring out a round of coquito when Sam came up from the basement with a towel tossed over his shoulder.

           “Everything should be good,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair. He hadn’t cut it in months and the ends fell gracefully around his shoulders. A piece fell oddly across his forehead and you reflexively fixed it for him.

           “What did you two get each other?” a regular, Steve, asked with a relaxed finger pointing between you and Sam. His cheeks were ruddy with whiskey and winter air.

           “Oh. I—uh, we don’t really do gifts,” Sam offered placatingly.

           “Man, where did you find this girl? Listens to classic rock, drives a stick shift, and doesn’t ‘do gifts’?” another, Joe, added.

           “You better be buying her some presents or someone else will.” Jake, a customer you’d always felt safe around since he tossed out a rude guy for you a month back, chimed in.

           You and Sam had never explicitly said that you were together. People just assumed, and it was easier to go along with it than explain the truth, especially because you didn’t look similar enough to be siblings and you still couldn’t shake your need to cling to him from time to time. It was almost never an issue aside from periodic mild teasing. This Christmas talk was a departure from the non-explanations you and Sam usually gave and you found yourself waiting for a cue on where to go. Sam seemed to be having the same thought, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

           You spoke before the moment had a chance to become too pregnant. “You know how hard it is to buy presents for a guy who doesn’t like having stuff? If he buys me something, I’ll have to get him something too!” You hoped it sounded smooth, your lying out of practice in the months since you’d had a cover on a hunt. Sam smirked gratefully at you.  

           Joe shook his head wistfully. “Seriously, where did you find her?”

           “She’s pretty great, isn’t she?” Sam’s voice sounded sort of soft around the edges, almost like he was tired but not quite. When you looked up at him, that pebble of self-consciousness you’d felt at the hardware flipped in your stomach again and you glanced away in favor of a one-armed hug you intended to look affectionate. Sam did the same, encompassing your entire shoulder with his hand.

           When you drove home that night, warm and full of coquito, Sam played Christmas carols.

           “I think we should do gifts.”

           It was the first thing you thought when you woke up, and you said it into Sam’s chest as you laid there before you opened your eyes. You could tell from the rhythm of his breathing that he wasn’t all the way asleep.

           “Hmm?”

           “I think we should do gifts. We should really do Christmas if we’re going to do it, and that means presents. What do you think?”

           You felt as much as you saw out of the corner of your drowsy eyes that Sam raised his unpinned arm to rub the sleep out of his. “Mmm, okay? I mean if that’s what you want.”

           “Thank you,” you said as you nestled deeper into him.

           “‘S already Christmas though.” Sleep pulled Sam’s words together like taffy.

           “It can be goofy stuff; I just think we should open presents under a tree and everything. Seems like the kind of thing we should do, you know? Like trying to be normal.” You couldn’t bear saying out loud what you meant, that Dean would’ve wanted presents and stockings and eggnog and Santa hats and a big roast if he could’ve, to fall asleep after watching the stars glitter off of falling snow.

           Sam heard anyway.

           “You’re right,” Sam murmured. He rubbed your upper arm absentmindedly.

           “I’ll wake you back up when the bathroom’s free,” you offered, carefully rolling over him to get out of the bed. He nodded with closed eyes and flopped over onto his stomach.

           About an hour later, a wet haired Sam slid into the Impala’s driver side and rubbed his hands together to warm them up. You could tell from the puffiness around his eyes and his overcompensating casual tone that he’d been crying. He set his phone to pipe Your Inner Fish through the stereo and backed down the driveway over snow tamped down over the last week.

           It had been years since you’d gone Christmas shopping, as much as this could be considered Christmas shopping. The town you’d settled in had exactly 7 businesses on a tiny main street, including 1 small inn, a grocery store, the hardware store, a coffee shop (the most reliable internet in town, much faster than your place) and 3 different places to get a burger. You met Sam in the grocery store after grabbing what you wanted from next door in hardware, catching him just as he came out carrying a bag with a long pipe of wrapping paper stretching far past the top. When you left, there were only two other cars in the parking lot grabbing their own last-minute things.

           You wrapped your presents on the bed. It wasn’t like riding a bike as you’d hoped it would be, and your sloppy corners started you down a mental spiral. What a completely asinine thing, wrapping hardware store presents to put under a stolen tree. This wasn’t the Rockwell painting you wanted to present as sacrifice to Dean’s memory. It was cheap and stupid, a sloppy high school production when Dean deserved Broadway. He always had. As much as the three of you had never really done Christmas, Dean knew how to make something special while maintaining the air of not caring. You remembered waking up on his made-up anniversaries: six months from the first time you kissed, three years since he realized he loved you (three years minus 53 days before he said anything), 14 months since you’d figured out how to put a gun back together in the dark. Even in the most podunk little towns he’d find gorgeous bouquets and put together great meals in tiny kitchenettes; drive miles away to pick up a cake for Sam’s birthday or pepper motel rooms with festive streamers and silly string. Two quick, hard breaths through your nose to collect yourself and you finished the wrapping. That would have to be good enough.

           Sam was crouched in front of the fireplace with a bellows, a plucky little fire kicking into gear with his help. “All yours,” you called out, grateful your voice didn’t crack.

           “Thanks. It’ll only be a second.”

           He was right, and came back to you on the couch in only a few minutes with two wrapped bundles. You shyly handed him what you’d wrapped and took his.

           “Uh, Merry Christmas I guess,” Sam said. You noticed the edge of discomfort in his voice and were sickly grateful not to be alone in your tentativeness as you popped open the scotch tape holding the paper on the rectangular package. Before you’d uncovered it, Sam had his first gift unwrapped.

           “Nice! They had these at the hardware store?” he asked, snapping open the clamshell package on the cheap purple noise-cancelling earbuds you’d picked up.

           “I’m sure they’ll sound like they were made underwater, but I figured you could hide them pretty easily if you wanted to wear them at work, listen to your podcasts while you restock or whatever.”

           “That’s a really good idea.” He looked down at the headphones considerately for a beat.

           You pulled the paper off your present to reveal a notebook and two ballpoint pens. It had a leatherette flexible plastic cover that felt smooth under your fingertips and was about the size of a standard hardcover novel. You opened it to see inside, and a few photos dropped out.

           “I just—you didn’t have any—I can take them back if you want,” Sam stammered, but you heard him as if through those checkout-aisle headphones while your eyes blurred. These were pictures you hadn’t seen for years. The one on top of the loose stack in your lap was outside Bobby’s house. It felt like a lifetime ago, leaning over the railing of the small porch to kiss Dean as he stood on the ground in a sweaty t-shirt covered in engine grease. Under that was one you remembered used to be the background of an old phone, where you, Sam, and Dean huddled together in a booth at some bar you’d forgotten the name of in Montana that had girls dressed up as mermaids swim around in big tanks, part of the same theme that explained the blue fishbowl drink partly out of frame in Dean’s hands. There was one you didn’t recall with you and Dean stretched out on a nondescript motel couch, his arm protectively covering you as you coiled up into his side, both clearly asleep from the closed eyes and slightly parted lips. The last was a picture you hadn’t seen since the last time you went to Jody’s house; it had touched you then to see it hanging up on the wall, you carrying Dean piggyback while Sam clutched his knees laughing. It was the same day Claire had turned 16 and you had no idea why you’d needed to convince Dean you could carry him, but the whole thing had ended up with everyone rolling on the ground, grabbing at laugh-opened rib pains for what felt like blissful hours.

           You weren’t surprised at the silent tears that were pouring gently down your face, but wiped at them harshly with your sleeve so they wouldn’t drip. “Sam—” you croaked. “I don’t…I didn’t—thank you. How did you find these?”

           “They had an instant photo printer at the grocery store. I’ve had a flash drive with some stuff on it for a while.”

           You passed through each picture again, studying them like the gospel. It was almost hard to match the photos to the memories, memories having been replayed and multiplied and color-saturated in your mind over and over again, too big to fit into these little pieces of cardstock. But Dean was so beautiful, and you all looked so happy.

           “It’s supposed to help to write about how you’re feeling, so I thought…” Sam trailed off.

           “It’s perfect. I—thank you, Sam.” You met his eyes, stormy blue-green and taking on an amber reflection off of the fire. He looked nervous and almost guilty, like he had miscalculated and hurt you. Carefully slipping the photos back into the notebook, you set it on the table like it was made of crystal and threw your arms around Sam to tuck into him, knowing you were crying through his shirt but unable to stop. You realized you were murmuring thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou into the crook of his neck at the same time you felt the wetness of his tears onto your shoulder. Pulling him in tighter, you slunk back into the arm of the couch behind you. Sam slotted into the curve of your body, wrapping around your torso with powerful, gentle arms. His hair was silken when you began to stroke it, feeling his wracking sobs against your chest. It was impossible to gauge the amount of time it took for both of you to stop crying, skin slick and hot against each other on the old couch as your bodies hardened together like a mold. You felt dried out and sore and wouldn’t have pulled away from Sam if you’d had a gun to your head.

           “Man, and we were doing so well,” you hummed into Sam’s hair.

           “Were we?” Sam asked, and it was all you could do to laugh. Sam laughed too, the emotional and physical fatigue of it blending between you in the air. He adjusted his arm and you could feel the span of his hand across your lower back. The two of you sat there for a few more moments before you gathered up enough courage to let go of him.

           “Want to open the other one?”

           Sam nodded against your chest and slowly extricated himself, running a hand through his messed-up hair and rubbing his neck as he reached for the other present you’d gotten him. He tore through the paper unceremoniously and smiled down at the shoe repair glue and new boot laces. “You saw they split, didn’t you?”

           You smiled back at him. “Would’ve just gotten you a new pair of boots but, you know, late notice. Maybe this’ll buy you some time.”

           He handed you his second gift from the coffee table. Inside the foil-adorned wrapping paper were three bags of gummy worms.

-

Continue to Dreams, Chapter 4

Thanks again for reading! If you liked it, check out my Masterlist or send me a request!

Tags: @sams-sass , @anxiousbarnes , @deanwinchesterswitch , @akshi8278 , @itsjensenanddean , @flannellover67 , @weepingwillowphoenix , @tj-drinks-tea​ , @whatareyousearchingfordean , @winchestergirl2 , @winchest09​ , @samwisethegr8​ , @fawnxng​ , @nurse-sarahrn​ , @lovers-in-japan-reign-of-love​ , @deanwanddamons​ , @stressedoutkitten​ , @winchestershiresauce​ , @tatted-trina6​ , @percico-heronstairs​ , @downanddirtydean​ , @mamitoqueens , @queenoftheunderdark​ , @lyarr24​ , @waywardwifey​ , @thinkinghardhardlythinking​ , @wonder-cole​ , @sergeantsea​

And as always, if you want to be on my taglist, were on the taglist and changed your handle, or I lost track of it, please let me know!

[sanchoyo]

danny phantom 8-13 thoughts! again, under the cut bc I blew through 6 episodes in one go...

-LOVE THE WAY THE GHOST ZONE LOOKS. but theres fucking ghost cops??? ghost jail??? that SUCKS imagine dying and going to jail in your AFTERLIFE. danny going to JAIL WAS NOT something I expected. but seeing all the enemies together and work with danny to bust out. SO ICONIC I love that actually. and the thing about real world stuff acting as ghosts in the ghost zone is very cool.

-'there are some things more important that hunting ghosts!' mrs fenton says, about her husband forgetting their anaversary (FOR THE 18TH YEAR IN A ROW?? CHRIST) and not about, idk, their son clearly freaked out. she didnt even notice he was gone into the ghost zone!!! he might be a bad husband BUT shes not the best mom. they suck and I don't care about their relationship problems I care about these kids. danny doing his best to clean the house to keep his mom from getting mad at his dad?? hes such a good boy I want to cry, this is not his place, his dad should be cleaning his own shit up!!!

-maddie's butch lesbian sister is living my best life in her lil cabin. also being a snarky bitch to jack. queen. and her getting a 10th anniversary of her divorce. LOVE IT.

-mr. lancer being a cheerleader in his younger years makes perfect sense to me. king shit.

-dr. spectra's cat ears/mullet hairstyle?? sooo cute. I also just love the concept of a ghost just. sucking out people's positivity and feeding on emotions. a great villain. she put danny in a fucking diaper what the FUCK. and keeping it cold so no one would suspect shes a ghost??? INCREDIBLE. and her gay little blob sidekick. wlw mlm evil solidarity.

-JAZZ FOCUSED EP. YEAAAH!!! her first thought when she saw the ghosts was like 'omg i gotta tell danny :)' and her going to the teacher and also councilor trying to get help for him...shes just 16 but shes trying so hard to help him out :( watching this when youre younger I can imagine ppl are like omg annoying!! but watching this when im older im just like :( jazz baby im SO sorry </3 SHE BODIED THAT GHOST THOUGH. and the fact she didnt tell danny she knew surprised me. like, shes patient and waiting on him to tell her when hes ready!! thats so so sweet.

-christ the parents talking about 'PEELING IT LIKE AN ONION. AND EXAMINING REMAINS' of ghosts RIGHT INFRONT OF DANNY.

-'why am i so depressed and angry all the time!!' DANNY YOURE 14. i mean it IS a ghost this time, but...

-579$ top?? VALERIE NO ITS NOT EVEN CUTE IT DOESNT EVEN GO WITH THAT OUTFIT AAAA. tho this ep is called shades of gray..VALERIE FOCUSED EP FINALLY????! *THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE* I already knew about red huntress from my redesigns, but I didn't exactly know what that entails or how/why, so, it's fun to see the Origins.

-ghost pubby! ghost pubby!!!!! why is the dog a ghost?? the implication that the company had guard dogs and got rid of them...what did they DO. is it just the unfinished business?? of not having that toy it was looking for?? god I hope so.

I feel SOOO bad for valerie tho, my god. her friends are shunning her for what, because her dad lost her job and she had to move??? horrible. (and the fact the dog wrecked the moving van too...) I also love how 'from wisconsin' on the package was an IMMEDIATE RED FLAG FOR ME. WISCONSIN=EVIL NOW. vlads so petty.

-it took valerie like 5 mins to get the hang of hunting ghosts and shes already a much bigger threat than his parents tbh. who've been trying and studying this for years. and a more valid reason <3 love her shes so cute and cool. new daughter alert.

-'i should do SOMETHING to help valerie' no shit danny???

-'who is that, awesome outfit!' -top gay sam moments. i was going to say. before it immediately cuts to sam kissing danny LMFAOOO. don't think I like that, it puts tucker in a weird third wheel position... the next ep involves them holding hands and blushing when danny's cold...URGH No. not a fan ngl. the trope of 'if theres a girl in a trio she has to end up with one of the two guys!!'

-right as I say that they take it to extremes!! and ember shoots him with a love ray gun that makes him OBSESSIVE OVER SAM. AND SHE TAKES HIS HANDS AND SAYS 'YOU DONT FEEL THAT WAY ABOUT ME, I DONT FEEL THAT WAY ABOUT YOU' and her saying she doesnt want to be together like this. and tucker saying 'i always knew you two would get together!!' dont manifest it tucker please. the show pushing for it so hard makes me not want it KSHKJKJD I KNOW its probably canon. it sucks though. im a hater.

-vlad just LURKING AROUND THE SCHOOL GIVING VALERIE GIFTS ASJKDHKJ YOU WEIRD PETTY OLD MAN GO HOME!!!

-EMBERRRRR YOU WILL REMEMBERRRRRR . this is the one thing I kinda remember from when I was a kid EMBERRRRR ilu. top 10 cartoon bops. sams being a hater. popular things are popular for a reason. mr. lancer also being a hater. also everyone wearing her color scheme ..its a really good look, the purple, black, and minty color...

-penguins exist in the ghost zone. confirmed.

-EMBER JUST SHOWING UP AT A RANDOM HIGHSCHOOL TO PLAY?? UNANNOUNCED, MID DAY??? girl get a tour schedule. make some money or smth damn. I know shes probably doing it for the power boost but. lord. anyway if your show doesnt have a concert scene/ep, is it even valid.

-fellas is this gay. (she uses a GRAPPLING HOOK TO SHOOT OUT THE WINDOW AFTER SEEING AN EMBER VAN GO BY RIGHT AFTER THIS SHOT)

-hey, she had an undercut at some point!! my redesign!!! was accurate!! in..a way

-I feel like danny has a lot of pent up aggression ngl, him being heartbroken about sam and immediately going IM GONNA GO TAKE IT OUT ON EMBER. I mean she needs to be stopped I guess But. jazz has the right idea he needs therapy and a HEALTHY outlet.

-tucker singing > my singing

-girls cant be gamers -tucker and danny sexist moments. her being chaos in the game OWNED.

-TUCKERS HAT IS A BERET??? I THOUGHT IT WAS A BEANIE. SAM CALLED IT A BERET. WH.

-it was actually nice of lancer to let danny retake the test, and he go to play games again. smh. epic cringe gamer moments compilation. and driving him home!!! I actually like him as a character. anyway teachers like lancer are SO appreciated. I was failing middle school because of mental problems, and felt so dumb and got embarrassed by teachers who would just get onto me instead of bothering to ask what the real problem was, but when I was taking my ged classes I had a wonderful teacher who kept reassuring me that I was smart, and I got honors!! danny is SUCH a little shit to him (understandable, 14, but) but seeing them getting along better and danny putting in effort. SO CUTE. THATS MY SON, STUDYING HARD!!!! and being so PROUD OF HIMSELF!!! 91!!! BITCH!!! A- is STILL AN A!!!

-'why dont they ever realize thats me in a dress' mr lancer i am CRYING. i realized.

-technus being my ghost grandpa who cant game asking tucker for help. bless his heart. his out of date old ppl lingo circles back to being endearing <3 tucker not recognizing him despite the like, lack of any kind of serious disguise...I do love their lil in-game outfits....sam being the tank rules. I like technus' spider design also. more characters need to be giant freaky spiders, imo.

-finding your gf a new host because she cant maintain her ghost body outside the zone? amazing. using jazz as the host? ILL KILL YOU. jazz immediately accepting a ride home from a guy she just met and letting him know where she lives. letting him IN THE HOUSE??? nooo girl no lets use common sense </3

-sooo cringe the parents were like 'good job for spying on your sister' tho wtffff. doesnt matter if hes a bad guy, thats fucked. everytime these parents BREATHE im like. these are MY kids now <3

-BAD LUCK BEING A THEME OF THE 13TH EPISODE. thats super fun. johnny 13 being his name is so. iconic. your last name is a NUMBER? also goth tucker. I actually love the look. everyone looks good goth. 'the ladies love the eyeliner and onyx nail polish' sam you are sooo right every man needs to at least try those two things. im a lesbian and I agree. same, danny, your bff is gnc af

-LOVE kitty's design. and just, the concept of a ghost with a bike. couple goals, except yes stay away from jazz.

[theyearoftheking]

Book Forty-Nine: Black House

“Here is a true American loner, an internal vagrant, a creature of shabby rooms and cheap diners, of aimless journeys resentfully taken, a collector of wounds and injuries lovingly fingered and refingered. Here is a spy with no cause higher than himself.” 

After almost fifty books, The Talisman still stands at the top of the leader board as my favorite Steve book. It’s richly layered, full of memorable characters and horrible villains, with a satisfying conclusion. It’s the type of book fantasy and horror lovers alike are eager to escape into. 

It’s sometimes hard to embrace the sequel to a book you love so much... I mean, I can be bought, but my criteria are stringent:

Consider setting the book in Wisconsin... perhaps the beautiful, sad, remote, desolate western part of the state right along the Mississippi river.

Maybe a Dahmer reference? 

Scratch that. Instead, go with an old-school serial killer no one really talks about anymore. How about... Albert Fish? He’s pretty gross. 

On second thought, reconsider a Dahmer reference. Maybe an evil spirit that links Dahmer and Fish together? 

TONS of Dark Tower references. 

If Steve and Pete were to consider writing a follow up to The Talisman with all these elements, I might consider reading it. 

Spoiler! 

Dark House contains all this goodness, and more. 

It’s so fucking dark, y’all. I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to drive past a long-term care facility and NOT think about an old man inside wanting to eat the buttocks of small children.

Oh hey, trigger warnings for cannibalism, and violence against children. 

So, Dark House is set in fictional Coulee County, Wisconsin (not a place). But Steve and Pete (I need to start giving Peter Straub some shout outs as well) describe the western part of the state magnificently. Not too long ago I had a sales job that required me to travel the entire state, and I always loved my jaunts west. I’d park right along the Mississippi, eat my lunch and just soak up the isolation. I’d much rather make the drive to Pierce county than the Quad Cities, which my current employer is asking of me. *Silent scream for help*

Despite Coulee being fictional, the actual Wisconsin references are thick:

De Pere (where we recently found out Steve spent a few formative years)

The Brewers 

Miller Park 

Kingsland Ale- while fictional, it’s a nod to Wisconsin’s rich brewing history, and favorable climate for microbreweries

Dahmer (several times, actually)

Racine. Y’all. I have no idea what Steve’s obsession is with Racine... it comes up in multiple books. It’s really not that great. Take that from someone who spent a brief period of time working there. Honestly, my favorite thing about Racine is the authentic Thai restaurant right in downtown, Sticky Rice. If you find yourself in Racine, please go check them out... their red devil curry is amaze-balls. 

So, yes... lots of Wisconsin. Also, lots of Dark Tower:

Eye of the King

Crimson King

The Tower

Red roses

Breakers

Little Sisters 

Gunslingers and their weapons

Roland and the ka-tet

Monos! Blaine and Patricia

Chief Breaker Brautigan- who allegedly tells hilarious stories about his escapes. I miss him already. 

I have questions about how Steve convinced Pete to include so many Dark Tower elements into this book...

Steve:  “Pete, bud... I know you might have a different vision for how this book plays out. Buuut what about if we make it part of the Dark Tower universe?”

Pete: Stares for a long minute. “Um, I thought that series was dead in the water. Do we really need to use Dark House to resuscitate it?” 

Steve: “Remember the car accident? You know, the one that almost took my leg?” 

Pete *Oh fuck, he’s bringing up the car accident as a bid for sympathy, and to convince me to make this a Dark Tower book...* “Of course I remember!”

Steve: “Well, it shook some things loose. I’m about ready to finish the series. I just thought it might be fun if we make this book a lead-up to the finale” 

Pete: “It’s intriguing, but I’m not really sure it’s the direction I want to go in. I was thinking more-”

Steve: “I ALMOST DIED IN THAT ACCIDENT!” 

Pete: “Cool, Dark Tower book it is!” 

I should write fan fiction. I’ve obviously got a gift. 

Black House is told from a birds-eye narration view. Literally... there’s this fat, evil crow named Gorg flying all over town, giving us the lay of Coulee County. Bad stuff has been going on: little children have gone missing, and only a few of their bodies have turned back up mutilated and broken. 

The chief of police, Dale Gilbertson, knows he’s in over his head, and keeps trying to convince his pal, retired police detective, Jack “Hollywood” Sawyer to come consult on the case.

Jack isn’t having it. He retired young and moved to Coulee County from Los Angeles after tracking down and arresting serial killer Thorny Kinderling. The majestic beauty of western Wisconsin caught him by surprise, and he happily invested in reasonably priced (read: cheap) real estate with a view. 

Upon moving to Wisconsin, Jack befriended Dale’s blind uncle Henry Leydon; who voices several radio programs, including The Wisconsin Rat, which plays indy screamo bands and has plenty of shock-jock antics. The two hang out together, listen to jazz music, and sometimes Jack reads to Henry. Henry was able to use his elevated senses to study Jack’s speech pattern and figure out Jack’s mom was THE Lily Cavanaugh; the Queen of the B’s. 

While Jack and Henry are reading Bleak House, Charles “Burny” Burnside is wandering around the Maxton Elder Care Facility, pretending to have dementia, and dragging children into The Territories for Lord Malshun to either use as Breakers, or for Burny to snack on if they have no Breaking skills. So, Burny’s a bad dude who did some suspicious things in Chicago; but an evil spirit (the same one who invaded Albert Fish and Jeffrey Dahmer’s bodies) is what’s causing his kidnapping and cannibalistic urges. I know I say this every ten books or so, but Burny might be the worst King villain ever. I was not upset later on when his intestines were violently ripped from his body.

A sweet little boy (with strong Breaker powers) named Tyler Marshall goes missing outside the Maxton Elder Care Facility. While he was being pulled into the bushes by Gorg who kept repeating his name; his mother, Judy receives a taunting package and letter from The Fisherman, which sends her over the brink, and she’s institutionalized. 

Tyler’s disappearance really amps up the town outrage, and Jack agrees to help the police department out. He’s starting to suspect there’s some Territories nonsense going down, and he can help. 

From here, the book goes at break-neck pace and includes everything from micro-brewing bikers, a dog bite that causes one to dissolve into a foamy puddle on the couch, our old friend Speedy Parker showing up as a gunslinger, the world’s most annoying newspaper reporter, plenty of flipping between worlds via the creepy old black house hidden in the woods, and a happy(ish) ending. Honestly, there’s a warning at the end of the book, which allows you to choose your own ending. You can stop reading five pages before the end, and enjoy a happy ending where the good guys win; or you can get the real world ending. Both are satisfying... I recommend reading all the way to the end. 

So, just a few quotes for you... 

“Wolf died of a disease called America.” 

This line gutted me. I didn’t realize how much I loved Wolf as a character, until I had to read a follow-up that didn’t include him. His soul was too clean and beautiful for a fucked-up world like the one we currently live in. 

“He doesn’t like the cell phone to begin with- twenty-first-century slave bracelets, he thinks them...”

No explanation needed. 

“Why must life always demand so much and give so little? Parkus answers her question with a single word: ka.” 

Again, no explanation needed. 

Was this book as good as The Talisman? 

No. 

Did I want more? 

Absolutely.

But was I satisfied with the end?

You bet your (un-chomped on) ass.

Total Wisconsin Mentions: 33

Total Dark Tower References: 50

Book Grade: A-

Rebecca’s Definitive Ranking of Stephen King Books

The Talisman: A+

Wizard and Glass: A+

Needful Things: A+

On Writing: A+

The Green Mile: A+

Hearts in Atlantis: A+

Rose Madder: A+

Misery: A+

Different Seasons: A+

It: A+

Four Past Midnight: A+

The Shining: A-

The Stand: A-

Bag of Bones: A-

Black House: A-

The Wastelands: A-

The Drawing of the Three: A-

Dolores Claiborne: A-

Nightmares in the Sky: B+

The Dark Half: B+

Skeleton Crew: B+

The Dead Zone: B+

Nightmares & Dreamscapes: B+

‘Salem’s Lot: B+

Carrie: B+

Creepshow: B+

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon: B

Storm of the Century: B-

Cycle of the Werewolf: B-

Danse Macabre: B-

The Running Man: C+

Thinner: C+

Dark Visions: C+

The Eyes of the Dragon: C+

The Long Walk: C+

The Gunslinger: C+

Pet Sematary: C+

Firestarter: C+

Rage: C

Desperation: C-

Insomnia: C-

Cujo: C-

Nightshift: C-

Gerald’s Game: D

Roadwork: D

Christine: D

Dreamcatcher: D

The Regulators: D

The Tommyknockers: D-

Now I move onto From a Buick Eight. I’ve had an advanced reading copy since the book came out, but never had the urge to actually read it. That should tell you everything you need to know about my level of enthusiasm right now. I’m hoping it’s not a Christine 2.0. 

Until next time, Long Days & Pleasant Nights, Rebecca 

[wiscoboxes]

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These boxes are perfect for holidays, birthdays, or corporate gifts, showcasing the unique flavors of Wisconsin. Each box is carefully prepared to make every gift thoughtful and special.

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[sohannabarberaesque]

We now return you to Catalina Island for more of the Hanna-Barbera Character Convocation coincident with the Avalon Harbour Underwater Cleanup ...

Saturday morning: What more of a brilliant and blessed sunrise could you ask for, especially considering that The Magic Isle doesn't have the hazy smog of the mainland ... but let's begin this day before sunrise, just before sunrise even, which Avalonians and visitors alike can actually watch over the Pacific. Beginning with quite the buffet-style breakfast for all involved (and believe you me, the Cahuenga Pass Funtastic Divers could use plenty of nourishment heading into the dive this morning), featuring omlettes to order, malted waffle station, scrambled eggs, bacon, SPAM, hash browns--and, for good measure, the Cattanooga Cats' Famous Grits Bar, with plenty of stir-ins and toppers galore such as ham bits, red eye gravy, shredded cheese, butter, salt-free seasoning even ... and for many, the novelty of grits in classic Southern style is attraction enough. Not to mention straight coffee, coffee with chicory, breakfast blend tea (from the Gatlinburg coffee roastery of said Cattanooga Cats, mind you)....

At any rate, Oh So Chuckleberry "himself" issued some final reminders to the diver participants to get in a last-minute air tank refill and/or equipment check at the dive shop on the Green Pleasure Pier, and that the 9 o'clock safety briefing for divers IS MANDATORY AND BINDING.

One highlight of the buffet was doubtless when Yogi Bear put in a call to Snagglepuss on the latter's mobile from Jellystone, adding that the hibernation was getting wound down for the most part and extending the best wishes and salutations of the occasion ("I can't believe that some of my friends are in such a magic isle as Catalina is, and for a good cause, to boot!"--Yogi Bear) ... and Loopy DeLoop was calling from a remote part of his hobby sugarbush in Quebec's Estrie region, checking the hosing feeding the sugaring house from the bush itself and adding another couple of sugar maples to the network (as it were) and adding that the maple sap run was a bit on the slow side at the moment, but with milder weather expected, things were bound to improve in time for the annual production of his artisanal soft maple sugar loaves.

Saturday morning again, just before 9: With registrations checked out, the Cahuenga Pass Funtastic Divers head out to the beach for the safety briefing. Even the likes of Captain Caveman, who, as luck would have it, would be something of an unlikely mascot to the divers by virtue of his freediving approach (and his handlers, the Teen Angels, producing some GoPro footage of the whole). At any rate, the area being covered is the area of Avalon Bay between Casino Point and the Green Pleasure Pier and out 50 feet from shore, with a maximum depth for all divers of 50 feet.

9:30 ... the air horn sounds as signals all participants into the water. Mouthpieces fitted in ... regulators checked ... air lines working ... and just breaking free of the shallows, the diving begins in serious earnest for good. As in combing through the sand bottom of Avalon Harbour, making certain they don't get caught in the wrong sort of places (e.g., anchorage points or even the underwater telephone cable from the mainland) in their search for the garbage left in the past year by boaters as dropped anchor in Avalon Bay. Garbage--and then some: Mobile phones, tablet PC's, wallets, bottles of liquor with stuff still in them (instructions being not to open the bottles underwater, just put them in the garbage bag), clothing haplessly thrown overboard--I assume you get the idea of what to expect. Admittedly, the pickings the divers can expect tend to vary from year to year, depending on the storms, tides and weather generally.

Meanwhile, on shore, the Non-Diving Participants (Snagglepuss and Huck among them) engage in much conversation over coffee and rolls, particularly among spectators and fellow Funtastics. As well as imagining what sort of debris booty will be reclaimed from Avalon Bay's bottom by 11 o'clock, when divers will be asked to exit the water and dump their hauls on the Wrigley Plaza Stage to reveal all. Not to mention Mildew Wolf and Snagglepuss using the occasion to recall the "good old days" back hosting Laff-a-Lympics and imagining some of the potential therefrom creeping into the Convocations' spirit, especially at Steamboat Springs' Winter Carnival.

11 o'clock: The last of the divers are leaving Avalon Bay ... and of all the finds to be had from Avalon Bay's depths nearshore, Peter Potamus and Lippy the Lion are hauling to shore the denuded remains of a bedframe's springs, with slight signs of sea water corrosion. (Which had even fellow divers wondering how exactly the bedframe got tossed into Avalon Bay, to begin with. Or, for that matter, who tossed same into the water.) At any rate, other finds of the Cahuenga Pass Funtastic Divers during the cleanup were:

Bottles of whisky (notably Tennessee and Canadian such), slibovitz (a Slovenian plum brandy), sloe gin, sake and brandy, still in their bottles

Alligator-skin handbag of the tackiest sort, and with much in the way of papers still inside

Gold coins, notably several Kruggerands tossed overboard in the salad days of apartheid's depravities as a show of protest; two half-ounce Mexican Centenarios and an American Eagle were also uncovered

Gift cards as probably had much of their value used up, to begin with

RFID-blocker wallets (still having credit and debit cards intact, and a few with cash)

Transistor shortwave radios, one a Zenith Trans-Oceanic of Jonny Quest vintage

An unopened package of AA batteries as looked rather cheap

But it was the bedframe that took the proverbial laurels for Largest Haul, prompting Peter Potamus to remark that it was just crazy to picture an old bed frame in the harbour, and wonder how best to haul same up, signalling for the closest diver (Lippy the Lion, it turned out) to help surface the same. And during the presentation, Square Bear could be overheard remarking what it would have been like to have found a treasure chest of the Yogi's Treasure Hunt sort during the cleanup.

But at any rate, the Cahuenga Pass Funtastic Divers were especially recognised for not so much their attendance as for "adding some colour and variety to the proceedings", with the organisers, Snagglepuss and Huckleberry Hound, receiving Citations of Recognition. Asked for remarks, Huckleberry Hound saith--

I have to admit that, for the last couple of years, we've been finding a few interesting events around the country by which we could have, you know, these little ol' gatherings of fellow characters ... hoping as much for sharing old friendships and stoking renewed interest in our kind from newer generations who probably may not otherwise be acquainted with our sort. And the response we've seen--in Truth or Consequences, Minneapolis, Steamboat Springs, Wisconsin Dells and now here on Catalina--just makes this little ol' hound dog feel somewhat warm inside.

Which was enough to seriously bring out the applause from locals and visitors gathered. And plenty of interesting variety for the early-evening TV news bulletins from back on “the mainland.”

[baggettsathome]

Activated. Let’s do this (for the third -- and final -- time)!

Monday was the follow-up CT scan to check how the fungal infection in Nate’s lung was doing after a month of anti-fungal medications. This scan showed thing are looking “much better,” so today the University of Wisconsin Transplant Program activated him on the liver transplant waiting list! This means that the program will now start considering him when livers become available.

Nothing like a little oral CT contrast to start your Monday morning!

Nate’s doctors have requested what’s called an “exception,” which would bump his MELD score up and move him closer to the top of the waiting list. Exceptions are used when doctors feel someone’s MELD score doesn’t accurately reflect how sick they are or how urgent a transplant is. For Nate, the concern is that a transplant has to happen within this window where his infections are under control or he might get too sick for the surgery. We’re still waiting to hear if that exception has been approved by the regional review board. For now, Nate is not at the top of the list, and we’ll likely be waiting at least a few weeks or months. 

Celebrating our friends’ engagement at Balsam Lake, Wisconsin!

Nate is bright yellow, losing weight, and getting more and more tired and sore. But all things considered, he feels pretty good for now and for that we are thankful. We are so glad to have enjoyed almost three weeks out of the hospital! We’ve loved our time with friends and family and we had a wonderful weekend getaway to celebrate our friends' engagement. Nate did have a fever last week but it resolved with some at-home antibiotics, so he was able to avoid getting readmitted. Even better, yesterday he went to Interventional Radiology and after looking at his bile drain, the doctors (with some urging from Nate) decided to remove it! This is great news. The drain was painful and made it extremely uncomfortable for Nate to walk and difficult to sleep. He's already feeling better and more mobile with the drain gone. 

The view from the Interventional Radiology table. Nate has been lucky to have such great doctors and nurses in IR over the last year!

Nate (and Ann) will not miss the routine of flushing the bile drain and changing drain bandages!

Finally, we wanted to thank everyone who has sent emails, cards, gift cards, messages, and other care packages. We cannot thank you enough. Your generosity is overwhelming. We so appreciate the extra help as we prepare for transplant #3 (plus Nate has really enjoyed the distraction of building some Legos!).

Nate was particularly impressed by this card that had a pop-up 747 inside!

The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Gold Humanism Society brought Nate and Ann dinner earlier this month!

We have no idea when we will get the call for the next transplant. We could be waiting days, weeks, or months. In the meantime, we plan to enjoy as much of our summer as we can living as normally as we can. We’ll let you know when we have more (hopefully good!) news to report. 

Until we get the call about an available liver, Nate will be busy working on this gigantic Lego set (and cheering on the Cubs)!

[maryanntorreson]

Do you know the 5 love languages? Here’s what they are — and how to use them

Maria Medem

Have you ever been asked “What’s your love language?”

Chances are, you have. Because the concept — first created by counselor and pastor Gary Chapman, unpacked in a series of books, and picked up by many others — has spread far and wide. The five love languages refer to the five simple ways that we want love to be shown to us and the ways that we show others love.

I’m a relationship researcher, and while I haven’t empirically studied the love languages concept, other academics have. Some of the published studies confirm the validity of love languages, revealing they can increase people’s relationship satisfaction and longevity.

What I find so helpful about love languages is that they express a basic truth. Implicit to the concept is a common-sense idea: We don’t feel or experience love in the same way. Some of us will only be content when we hear the words “I love you,” some prize quality time together, while some will feel most cared for when our partner scrubs the toilet.

In this way, love is a bit like a country’s currency: One coin or bill has great value in a particular country, less value in the countries that border it, and zero value in many other countries. In relationships, it’s essential to learn the emotional currency of the humans we hold dear and identifying their love language is part of it.

No matter your situation — whether you’re living alone, spending 24/7 with a partner or roommates, living with adult kids or steering younger kids through virtual school —  the five love languages are a highly effective set of tools to have in your relational toolkit. When we know what another person’s love language is, we can choose the gestures that will most resonate with our partner, friend, parent or child. And when we know which actions speak to us and make us feel loved, we can ask other people for exactly what we need.

While there are plenty of online quizzes to tell you what your love language is, it’s easy to figure out yours and what your loved ones’ are by looking at what lights them up, what presents they give you (since many of us bestow on others what we would most like), and what their perfect day would look and feel like.

Here’s a look at the five languages and how they can be applied and optimized — even during a pandemic:

Love language #1: Words of affirmation

Those of us whose love language is words of affirmation prize verbal connection. They want to hear you say precisely what you appreciate or admire about them. For example: “I really loved it when you made dinner last night”; “Wow, it was so nice of you to organize that neighborhood bonfire”; or just “I love you.”

For the people in your life that you’re not seeing in person because of the pandemic, you could film a short video to send them. My kindergarten-aged goddaughter and I haven’t been together  in 7+ months, but we text each other silly videos of us saying — or even singing — what we miss most about each other.

And for the people you are seeing all of the time these days, remember that even making tiny gestures matters. This is my primary love language, and my husband of 29 years knows it. I’ll often wake up and go into the kitchen to find a sweet post-it note next to a glass of ice water on the counter (which is another love language — an act of service).

Love language #2: Acts of service

Some of us feel most loved when others lend a helping hand or do something kind for us. A friend of mine is currently going through chemotherapy and radiation, putting her at high risk for COVID-19 and other infections. Knowing that her love language is acts of service, a group of neighbor friends snuck over under the cover of darkness in December and filled her flower pots in front of her house with holiday flowers and sprigs. Others have committed to shoveling her driveway all winter. (It’s Minnesota, so that’s big love.)

In your home, you could be proactive and do something that eases your person’s daily grind. Why not take on the chore that everyone avoids doing, whether that’s cleaning the oven, changing the litter box, scraping ice off the car, or filling and running the dishwasher? For anyone whose love tank is filled up by people pitching in, seeing someone intentionally scanning the environment to figure out what they can do to make their environment better sends a clear and loving message to them.

Love language #3: Gifts

Those of us whose love language is gifts aren’t necessarily materialistic. Instead, their tanks are filled when someone presents them with a specific thing, tangible or intangible, that helps them feel special. Yes, truly, it’s the thought that counts.

When you’re out grabbing groceries for your family, pick up your roommate’s favorite kombucha or seltzer and drop it by their door. Our daughter — whose love language is gifts — is a junior in college and we know she’ll adore what’s in the box soon to arrive in the mail: a small package covered in valentine stickers and containing her favorite chocolates, gift cards for coffee and a framed picture of our family dogs, Fred and George. It’s an act of love that will fill her mailbox and her emotional bank account.

Love language #4: Quality time

Having another person’s undivided, dedicated attention is precious currency for the people whose love language is quality time. In a time of COVID-19 and quarantining, spending quality time together can seem challenging. But thanks to technology, it’s actually one of the easiest to engage in.

Make an intentional effort to have Zoom coffee dates with the colleagues you’ve been missing, or go on distanced walks with your in-laws. Put a good old fashioned phone call each week on the calendar with your best friend, or schedule an in-house date night with your partner or spouse — no phones or “I’m just going to turn on the TV for a second” distractions allowed. Nothing says “I love you” in quality time language better than them being the only thing on your agenda.

Love language #5: Physical touch

Expressing the language of physical touch can be as platonic as giving a friend an enthusiastic fist-bump when she tells you about landing an interview for a dream job or as intimate as a kiss with your partner to mark the end of the workday.

I know that for some parents with young children, spending too much time in the same small space has created a rub — literally. They’d do anything to have fewer people touching them fewer hours of the day. At the same time, for those living alone or those self-isolating because of their exposure or health risks, they’re experiencing the painful opposite: a lack of touch.

While there are no easy solutions for either case, we can get creative. If you know someone who’s overwhelmed by the small hands reaching for them, you might offer to take the kids to a park so they can run off some of their energy. For loved ones who are touch-deprived, try emailing them an outline of your hand and instruct them to lay their hand on the image while imagining your hand on theirs. Even thinking about a warm embrace — something you can do by texting friends and family members with the hug or hugging face emoji and telling you wish you could be doing this in person — can cause their brain to produce some of the same endorphins as an actual hug would.

Love languages are a worthwhile concept to become fluent in during this pandemic time — and at this time in the world. Long before COVID arrived on the scene, we were already living through an epidemic of loneliness. Loneliness is not just about being alone; it’s about experiencing a lack of satisfying emotional connections. By taking the time to learn each other’s love languages and then using them, we can strengthen our relationships and our bonds to others.

Watch Carol Bruess’s TEDxMinneapolisSalon Talk here: 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carol Bruess PhD Carol Bruess (rhymes with ���peace”) is professor emeritus at the University of St. Thomas, Minnesota; resident scholar at St. Norbert College, Wisconsin; and forever passionate about studying and improving relationships. She is fluent in emoji, loves parentheticals (it’s what all the cool kids are doing), and is happy-dancing her way through empty-nesting (although don’t tell her kids; they think she’s all weepy). Check out her five books and sewing/design shenanigans over at www.carolbruess.com

Do you know the 5 love languages? Here’s what they are — and how to use them published first on https://premiumedusite.tumblr.com/rss

[dominionproperties]

6 eco-friendly holiday gift ideas your friends will freak over

Tis’ the season for gift-giving! Exciting presents, warm fuzzy memories and a generous spirit make the holidays the most wonderful time of the year. While you’re shopping for your friends and family, look for eco-friendly holiday gifts that are fun and useful. As you’re creating a gift list and brainstorming different sustainable holiday ideas, read on for more.

For the plastic hater

Know somebody passionate about keeping our water sources clean? Help them replace any single-use plastic bags with reusable bags, like these freezer-safe ones from Stasher Bag. Reusable baggies keep our land and oceans safe from plastic—and all the wildlife in them too. Maybe even make a batch of homemade vegan cookies to go with the bags. Try a chocolate chip recipe like this one from Chocolate Covered Katie.

For the good lookin’ Earth hero

It can seem so convenient to take off makeup and clean your face with cotton pads—but it’s not at all “convenient” for our planet. It takes an insane amount of water to make cotton balls or pads: 101 gallons to produce one pound of cotton. But good news! You don’t have to try to convince your friends to use a less convenient washcloth—you can just give them reusable facial rounds. They’re just as small and easy as cotton pads. And there’s enough that they won’t have to wash them every use either, saving even more water.

Bonus eco-friendly holiday gift idea: Stock up a gift basket with bath and body products packed in sustainable materials. Fill the basket with everything from lip balm to makeup. Green Life Trading Co. makes these lip balms on a solar-powered, off-grid property surrounded by California redwoods. Grab blush, highlighter and eyeshadow that’s free of parabens, sulfates and artificial fragrances. Look at companies who share your values and ethics. For example, Antonym Cosmetics was founded to create cruelty-free brushes and gentle-on-your-skin makeup.

For the ones who keep it fresh

Make your friends’ hands smell like Christmas trees with holiday-scented soaps, like from Blue Land.® Put together the perfect cleaning package for them too, with one glass cleaning bottle (no throwaways) and soap and detergent tablets. Round it off with a sustainable sponge and scrub brush. They’ll be able to keep their home fresh and clean without air-polluting chemicals.

For the ones who support local businesses

After all those soaps and cleaning supplies, it’s time to find environmentally friendly décor. Leave the national—or global—chains behind and find a small business nearby instead. Etsy® is a great place to discover local artists and crafters who care about the environment, like Kayla Johnson’s Fox and Felicity shop. With posters printed locally in Madison and shipped in compostable poster sleeves, everything is as zero-waste as possible. With beautiful artwork and posters, like this Wisconsin map showcasing all the state park locations, you’ll give a meaningful a gift your friends will long remember.

For the pet lovers

Do you have a dog mama or cat dad in your circle? Find healthy, antibiotic-free food and treats to gift them this holiday. Even better, find one with a store close to home to eliminate shipping, like Stella & Chewy’s® near Milwaukee. Look for non-GMO ingredients and food ethically sourced when choosing pet products. Another option is Open Farm Pet, who only uses grass-fed meat in their food.

Make the holidays sustainable—for everyone

This year, give your friends and family eco-friendly holiday gifts that help keep our water, land and air clean and pure. With these sustainable holiday ideas, you can start to help your friends and family make more sustainable decisions in everyday life.

[wiscoboxes]

Wine and cheese gifts in Wisconsin - WiscoBoxes

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[allenmendezsr]

Best Baby Shower Games On The Internet - High Conversion Rate

New Post has been published on https://autotraffixpro.app/allenmendezsr/best-baby-shower-games-on-the-internet-high-conversion-rate/

Best Baby Shower Games On The Internet - High Conversion Rate

 Buy Now

    For the Busy Hostess!

(and EVERYONE’S going to be asking for your “Secret” to having such fun and successful showers!)

Choose from 75 UNIQUE, EXCITING and BEAUTIFULLY-DESIGNED baby shower games for your next shower — some you won’t find ANYWHERE else on the web! All games are available for Immediate Download — no “expertise” required. And your Satisfaction is Guaranteed.

I’m convinced that these games are the best on the internet, and if you could just see them, print them, and use them, I know you’d feel the same way.

From: Dana Brigola Thursday, 8:45 a.m.

Dear Fellow Baby Shower Hostess,

You’ve got a baby shower coming up. There’s a pressing question on your mind – “What games will you choose?”

You want baby shower games that will

keep the guests happy

involve everyone

not take hours to create

not cost a bundle

Let’s face it. You’re busy with kids, work, or school – and now you have a baby shower to host. You have too many things to plan and not enough time to get it all done.

These games are a big hit for the hostess who values her time and wants it all! Time is too precious to get caught up for hours on the internet searching for the best games. Your internet research has paid off – you’ve found the best games right here.

This all started when I created a couple of baby shower games for a friend’s baby shower. They were a huge hit with the guests and I was asked by more than one person where I had gotten them. That’s when a light bulb went off – I decided to create these 75 memorable and fun-filled baby shower games for the busy hostess.

I spent over 500 hours personally researching the internet, probing friends for the fun ideas, and creating the best games on the internet.

I even drove my husband nuts: “Honey, can you tell me which font looks best?” His reply: “How am I supposed to know – just pick one.”

Thank You for creating such a useful tool at a low cost. I’ve spent so much money already on everything else and I just wanted to tell you, good job and I’m sure I’ll enjoy everything! 🙂

Michelle Cisneros

My baby shower went great..We played Bingo, baby food tasting , word search and the right/left story. Everyone had a great time and loved the games. Thank you for all the great ideas. This was well worth the investment.

Brenda Nolind

Shower was for my step-sister Kasey. It was on Sunday Aug. 27. We played Baby Work Unscramble, Celebrity Baby Names, Unique Celebrity Baby Names. There were soooooooo many games to choose from! Everyone there really enjoyed the games so of course I told them about your web page & how you can purchase the games & down load them right then & there. Thanks so much! Very cool!

Tiffany Brown, Waynesboro, PA

The baby shower turned out fine and the games was a big hit especially the rice and safety pin game. Thank you for all your help the package was a life saver.

Jo Anne Anderson

Quality, Not Quantity

Have you noticed that some websites offer over 200 games for baby showers? Goodness, that’s a LOT. I checked out some of them and found that the quality of their games was not quite what it should be.

If you’re just interested in purchasing the package with the most games, then this one is not for you. I can’t compete with quantity alone — and I don’t want to.

And think about it, do you really want to preview 200 games? How would you have enough time to do anything else?

I guarantee that you’ll have enough on your plate selecting from the wide range of great games I’m offering. And these are quality games, with quality fonts, and quality images.

I’ve personally selected the best ones for you and created them with lots of TLC (tender loving care). These games are the ones that you’ll go to over and over again.

Games for Multiples Are Here

Is the Mommy-to-Be expecting twins or triplets? If so, you’ll get to pick from several games designed especially for her.

Games like Twins Trivia, Famous Pairs, Famous Trios, and Triple the Fun are sure to make your baby shower a huge hit.

African American Images Are Here

One thing I noticed from other baby shower games websites was the lack of African American graphics on the games. That’s why I created a second version of some of the games, featuring African American images.

There are ten games exclusively with African American images on them. Plus there are several more with images of African American babies appearing with babies of other races.

The rest of the games have generic baby symbols, such as rattles or pacifiers.

Games with African American graphics give you an option to choose the game and image that’s right for your baby shower.

Couples Games Are Here

Throwing a couples shower? No problem. There are several games that specifically have a “Daddy” vibe. Not to mention, men can play just about any of the other games too.

Some couples games are Animal Families, Mothers and Fathers in Genesis, Mommy and Daddy Animals, Celebrity Parents and Kids, Baby Shower Outburst, Baby Shower Scattegories, and Whose Genes Should Baby Get.

Great Mix Between Traditional and One-of-a-Kind Games

When I first started creating these games, I focused on unique, one-of-a-kind games. One girlfriend said, “I love these games, but where is BINGO and Word Unscramble?”

I then realized that a lot of women want these “classics“, so I included the best ones. So if you’re one of the traditionalists, you’ve got your games here.

Examples of some classic games included are Baby Shower Bingo, Baby Word Find, Baby Word Unscramble, What is Mom Wearing, Mystery Baby Food Tasting, Nursery Rhyme Titles, Memory Game, and Draw the Mommy.

For you hostesses that are more intested in one-of-a-kind games, I promise that you’ll find what you’re looking for here. That’s because I created a lot of them myself – from scratch. They’re guaranteed to be original. You won’t find them anywhere else on the web or in a store.

A few of my exclusive games include Baby Shower Sudoku, Lessons of Schoolhouse Rock, Baby on the Big Screen, Baby Names in Geography, Grown in the Wild, Whose Gene’s Should Baby Get, Comic Strip Trivia, and What’s in Common.

Believe me, there’s no shortage of great games for you to choose from.

MY ONLY CONCERN is that you’re going to be overwhelmed and spend too much time trying to decide which of the 75 games you want to play.

Your games made the baby shower more fun and organized. Everone enjoyed the baby bingo and the word scramble. The actual games are printed up in such a colorful way and everyone admired them. We have another baby shower coming up soon, so we plan to use some of the other games. Thankyou for making this part of our shower planning easy and fun.

Peggy Gallery, Wisconsin

Dana: Thank you so much for offering this great product. I was so worried about this shower – you know, same old same old games. What a great time we had! We played probably six different games, but the two that stood out the most were the “Whose Genes” and the “Mr and Mrs Wright” passing game. I had so many compliments and everyone asked where I had gotten the ideas for the games. I gave them your website and I’ll bet they will contact you too! Thanks again.

sLori Boes, Fremont, MI

The baby shower games were great.I used disney songs and a raffle and the best was baby bingo. your site is great thank you so much.

Michelle Sheffler

The games were very easy to look at and print. We really enjoyed the games and the ice breaker ideas. Thanks so much!

Kelly Jett, Scott City, KS

Fun Extras That Make This Package Complete

There are times when you want to create your own games, but need paper to do so. I’ve included several blank, do-it-yourself pages for that purpose.

You’ll find blank pages, lined pages, and half pages with different graphics and designs for you to choose from — including pages for twins, boys, girls, Caucasians and African Americans.

So go ahead, make up your own games with these gorgeous pages!

Also, since many baby showers have children present, you’ll also find several coloring pages to keep the kids busy. They can have a coloring contest or just present the finished picture to the mother-to-be as a memorable gift.

Here’s a Complete List of the 75 Games You’ll Receive:

Animal Families

Animal Mommies

Baby Animal Names

Baby Gift Bingo (2 versions)

Baby Jesus

Baby Letter Race (2 versions)

Baby Moses

Baby Names A to Z

Baby Names in Geography

Baby on the Big Screen

Baby Safety Trivia (2 versions)

Baby Shower Draw

Baby Shower Outburst

Baby Shower Scattegories (2 versions)

Baby Shower Sudoku

Baby Shower Sodoku – Shower Fun

Baby Shower Word Mix

Baby Word Fill in the Blanks (2 versions)

Baby Word Find

Baby Word Unscramble

Baby’s Birthday Predictions (3 versions)

Best Baby Advice

Birth Records

Blank Game Cards (13 versions)

Boy’s Name Word Find

Celebrity Baby Names

Celebrity Parents and Kids

Charlotte’s Web

Children’s Characters

Children’s Stories Crossword Puzzle

Coloring Pages (20 versions)

Comic Strip Trivia

Complete the Nursery Rhyme

Disney Movie Crossword Puzzle

Disney Songs

Disney Who Am I?

Dr. Seuss Trivia

Draw the Baby

Draw the Mommy

Famous Pairs

Famous Trios

Girl’s Name Word Find

Grown in the Wild

Lessons of Schoolhouse Rock

Looney Tunes

Memory Game

Mommy and Daddy Animals

Mothers and Fathers in Genesis

Mystery Baby Food Tasting (2 versions)

Name Meanings

Name Origins

Name That Price

Name the State

Name the TV Kids

New Baby Crossword Puzzle

Newborn Trivia (2 versions)

Numerical Trivia

Nursery Rhyme Titles

Old Testament Brothers

Peanuts Trivia

Right and Left Story

Sesame Street Characters

Signature Scramble

Silly Old Bear

Super Hero Trivia

The Muppet Characters

Toddler TV

Triple the Fun

Twins Trivia

Unique Celebrity Baby Names

What is Mom Wearing?

What’s In a Name?

What’s In Common?

What’s In Your Purse?

Whose Genes Should Baby Get? (2 versions)

Most of these games come with instructions written on a separate page for you to print out (the others are self-explanatory and don’t need instructions). Also, the answers to the games are also available on a separate page, if applicable.

Fast & Easy Electronic Download

There is No Shipping — these games are electronic and are available for immediate download onto your computer. I’ll show you how with step-by-step instructions — it’s fast (less than 1 minute for users with high-speed internet access) and VERY easy.

There is No Expiration on these games — BUYER BEWARE: some websites give you a password to access the games you buy, and after a certain time period, BAM! You can’t access your games anymore! Now, if I paid good money for some games, I would want to have them permanently, wouldn’t you?

Once you buy these baby shower games, the entire set will be downloaded onto your own computer. That way, you can access and print them whenever you want, as many times as you want. There’s no expiration date, so if you need them for another baby shower 5 years from now, they are right at your fingertips!

The shower was great. We played celebrity baby names, bingo, Mr. and Mrs. Wright, Animal baby goups, and identify the baby food. Eveyone wanted to continue to play bingo so we played twice. The big hit was the Mr. and Mrs. Wright game. The games really made the party flow.

Angela Sherick, Los Angeles, CA

Dana- The shower was great and everyone had a fun time! The baby bingo was a hit…my only suggestion is to modify it for a smaller number of people say up to 25 and/or 25 to 50. There were about 15 in attendance and there were many that I called that no one had due to the number of cards handed out vs. number of words in word bank…but it was still fun:) Contact me anytime for feedback or help:) Thanks-

Kristy, Indianapolis, Indiana

The baby shower was great- we did Baby Shower Bingo and the word scramble thanks for the great website!

Lisa Barbosa

HI DANA! I love all your games, I’m giving a baby shower for my daughterinlaw.She already have a little girl ,So this time around she will be haveing a son. But I did not give her a shower and had no idea about games and other ideas so you are a big help. Again great purchase for me thank you. Aloha Jackie!!!!!

Jackie Cadiirao

Super Bonuses, Valued at $59 – Yours FREE – Just for Trying These Baby Shower Games

I’m going to “Sweeten the Deal” for you. Everybody loves FREE things – I know I sure do. I want to entice you to try out these Baby Shower Games because I know you’ll be 100% Satisfied – and so will your guests.

Free Bonus #1 — $17

Baby Shower Raffle Tickets

Raffle tickets are very popular at baby showers these days for door prizes. They can be passed out to each guest, or used to raise money for the Mom-to-Be and the new baby (simply ask guests to purchase the raffle tickets, usually for $1 to $5 each.)

Each ticket has its own unique raffle number. You decide whether you want to call out a number or a name for the prize.

There are 5 sets of raffle tickets that I’ve created — that way, you can pick the design and color that fits your baby shower:

Baby Items with Colored Backgrounds

48 tickets with 24 different designs

Baby Items with White Backgrounds (saves printer ink – you can also print these on colored paper for variety)

48 tickets with 24 different designs

Baby Animals with White Background

64 tickets with 8 different designs

Baby Animals with Blue Background

48 tickets with 8 different designs

Baby Animals with Pink Background

48 tickets with 8 different designs

All 5 designs are yours FREE!

Free Bonus #2 — $12

Baby Shower Ice Breakers

Ice Breakers are games or activities used to loosen up the guests or to get them to meet each other.

Nobody likes a boring baby shower. If your guests don’t know each other, you should definitely have at least one ice breaker to get the party rolling.

I’ve included 11 exciting ice breakers in this free download, some classic ones and some completely unique. All of them are sure to make everyone LAUGH and get your Baby Shower off to a great start.

Everybody’s a Star for 10 Seconds

Sing to Me

Commonality

Fun Baby Shower?

Whose Line Is It? Baby Shower Style

Around the Room Introductions

Circle of Love

Problems and Solutions

Lullabys and Nursery Rhymes

Let’s Hum

Magic Trick Mom

Free Bonus #3 – $17

50 Baby Shower BINGO Cards

Baby Shower BINGO continues to be a favorite baby shower game. And these lovely cards are sure to be a winner at your shower!

You’ll receive 50 unique game cards with baby-related words, such as “booties,” “Mickey Mouse” and “Mommy” randomly filled in the boxes. Simply cut out the word cards and put them in a hat, print out the number of Bingo cards you need, and enjoy!

Click here to see a larger picture of Baby Shower Bingo

NOTE: THIS GAME IS BRAND NEW AND I WILL START CHARGING FOR IT SOON.

For a limited time, you’ll receive it FREE as a Bonus. But Hurry and Buy Today to take advantage of this offer!

Free Bonus #4 — $13

Baby Shower Ultimate Planner’s Lists

Every baby shower hostess has a lot on her plate when it comes to planning. Lists make her job a lot easier.

That’s why I created the Ultimate Planner’s Lists for the busy hostess. Now you can be organized and relaxed when planning your next baby shower.

Six lists and worksheets that are a MUST-HAVE for easy shower planning are:

Baby Shower Planning Calendar – Starting with 6 Weeks Before the shower and counting down to 15 Minutes Before, this ultimate checklist is vital for staying organized and making sure everything is completed in a timely manner.

Responsibility List for Co-Hosts – Keeping up with the To-Do List for your Co-Hosts will be a snap with this list where you’ll assign responsiblity for the decorations, guest list, games, inviations, etc.

The Budget – It’s important to budget so you don’t spend more than you intend to. With this form, you will estimate your costs and be able to compare them with what you actually spent.

Hostess Must-Have List – This is a checklist of “extras” that you may not think about, but should have at the shower (aspirin, scotch tape, trash bags, etc.)

Guest and RSVP List – Having an organized guest list makes your job of sending invitations and keeping track of RSVPs a whole lot easier.

Shower Gifts – The Mother-to-Be will appreciate this list that keeps track of who brought each shower gift.

What Do These Games Cost? What Should They Cost?

To determine the price for the Baby Shower Games, I looked at several factors. If you were to hire a professional to create your baby shower games, it would cost you at least $40 for just two games. That’s at $10 per hour (a very reasonable price) times 4 hours. And that’s being conservative. Here you have 75 games.

I also looked at the price for purchasing games at a party store. The prices ranged from $5.95 to $24.99 — just for one game!

Based on this information, I arrived at a reasonable and afforadable price of $29.99. I want you to have the “best deal on the web”, so I’ve lowered it to an incredible $24.99!

IMPORTANT UPDATE: The price has been lowered yet again! I’m in the process of performing market testing on the price of my games, so for a limited time, the price is $19 – an unbelievable bargin.

However, please be warned…

I cannot keep the price this low for too long. I want you to know that I WILL raise it after a couple of months of testing.

AND THINK ABOUT THIS: $19 is the price of a pizza and drinks. We’re not talking about a lot of money here. Plus, the best part is you can share the cost of these games with the other hostesses and you get to keep them all for yourself to use at all of your other baby showers! Spread across just five showers, you’re paying under $4 per shower. That’s a BARGAIN!

My Guarantee to You

I insist that you try these baby shower games. Print and use them as many times as you’d like. Because once you’ve tried them, I’m convinced that you’ll NEVER want to send them back!

But, if you are not satisfied with your purchase, you have eight full weeks to let us know. You will receive a full refund – we want you to be happy with your purchase.

Like I said earlier, I’m convinced that these games are the best on the internet, and if you could just see them, print them, and use them, I know you’d feel the same way.

Finally, because you’re entrusting me with your time and confidence, I want you to keep the FOUR BONUSES – Free of Charge – even if you decide to return the Baby Shower Games. That’s a guaranteed gain no matter what you decide!

Common Questions

“I’m at work, how will I be able to download the games onto my computer at home?” You have two options: 1) After payment is made, you will be directed to a web page where you can download the games. Write down the URL of that page (http://www.best-baby….), and go back to it once you get home. 2) Download the games to your work computer, copy them to a CD, then delete the games off your work computer.

“What if I don’t have a color printer or no printer at all?” You’ll need to print them at a friend’s house, your office, or at a printer. You have two options: 1) You can copy the games from your computer onto a CD and bring the CD to a friend’s house. 2) View and print the games online (there is a link where you can do this).

“I don’t know anything about computers. Will downloading the games be easy?” I wrote all of the instructions for the download with you in mind. They are detailed and have pictures of each pop-up involved during the download. If you have problems, you can visit my FAQ page, or contact me by email or telephone for assistance.

“My baby shower is in a few hours. Will I have my games in time?” Yes. As soon as payment is made, you will be directed to a download page – you don’t even have to wait for an email. For high-speed internet users, downloading will take less than a minute. For dial-up internet users, it will take longer, depending on your computer, connection, etc. You can also view and print the games from online, instead of downloading them. This is an especially nice feature if you have dial-up access and need the games immediately. Of course you can still download the games onto your computer in addition to viewing them online.

Again, Here’s What You’ll Receive

75 beautifully-designed Baby Shower Games (189 pages)

FREE – 5 sets of Baby Shower Raffle Tickets (32 pages)

FREE – 11 Baby Shower Ice Breakers (22 pages)

FREE – 50 Unique Baby Shower BINGO Cards (58 pages)

FREE – 6 Baby Shower Ultimate Planner’s Lists (23 pages)

Money-Back Guarantee

The Choice is Simple

Imagine how you’ll feel when your guests rave at how much fun they had. Imagine being the “hit” of all of your baby showers.

Remember — for a limited time, the price is an incredibly low $19 — it will go up soon, so you must act quickly.

To start downloading your baby shower games and bonuses in the next five minutes, click the Blue Order Button Now. IT’S SECURE!

As a reminder, The Best Baby Shower Games package is only available as an electronic download. It’s an executable file (.exe.) that will download and unzip the PDFs to your computer. Available for both Windows and Mac users (Mac users will download pdf files.) The games are from a U.S. perspective, so the games reflect that (for example, U.S. television shows and $ currency.)

Happy Hosting!

Sincerely,

Dana Brigola

P.S. Remember that this Low Price of $19 WILL NOT LAST LONG. I’m in the process of figuring the best price for my product, which means that I will continue to raise my price periodically while performing market evaluations. What this means to you is that you need to hurry and click the blue order button to take advantage of the lower price before it rises again.

P.S.S. Also remember that along with these 75 super-fun baby shower games, you’ll get 4 Awesome Bonuses, valued at $59, ABSOLUTELY FREE, even if you decide to return the games! Some of these bonuses will only be available for a short time — then I’ll start charging for them.

P.P.P.S. Remember that my Guarantee to you is that if you’re not ABSOLUTELY THRILLED with these Baby Shower Games, you have 8 Full Weeks to let me know and I’ll gladly refund your money. I want you to be happy!

[gordonwilliamsweb]

Feeling Stressed? Try These Essential Oils for Anxiety

"Stop and smell the roses" is one of the most famous sayings of all time, yet did you know that there’s medicine in those words? Delightful floral aromas bring joy, peace, happy memories — and even good health. Whether rose, lavender, or ylang-ylang, essential oils can bring you relief for daily stress and anxiety.

Jennifer B., a writer from Wisconsin, discovered how beneficial essential oils could be firsthand. In 2007, as a newlywed, she learned her husband was in the path of a tornado — and she wasn’t home to help. She had a panic attack, bursting into tears. Knowing that this strong reaction wasn’t unusual for her, she became determined to find a natural way to help her relieve anxiety. It took several years to find something that helped.

"After surgery years later, the nurses gave me an essential oil scented packet to smell when I felt nauseous or anxious," Jen says. It was a blend of peppermint, lavender, ginger, and spearmint oils. When she inhaled, it instantly made her feel calm, clear, and centered. "It helped, so I adopted the idea into my own natural medicine toolkit."

Today, she has a collection of oils to use whenever she wants some relief from daily stress and anxiety.

What Are Essential Oils?

Essential oils concentrate the scent and flavor of a plant.[1] Oils can concentrate the floral essences, or aromatic compounds in the leaves or roots, depending on the plant. The plant material gets either mechanically pressed or distilled, concentrating the aromatic chemicals into a powerful liquid package.

Essential oils have various health benefits. These range from strengthening the immune system to reducing inflammation to helping you relax.[2]

People commonly use essential oils in cosmetics, food, and natural medicine.[2] They’re best known for aromatherapy — using scent to improve the health of the body, mind, and spirit.[3]

You can disperse the oils through a diffuser, inhale right out of the tiny bottles, or apply the oil to your skin, usually with an unscented carrier oil. If they’re food-grade, you can take them internally.

Top Essential Oils for Anxiety

Essential oils have an amazing ability to promote your mental health and wellness — specifically, calming down an anxious mind. We’ve compiled the best serenity-boosting oils out there. Grab a deep breath and enjoy anxiety relief!

Bergamot

A citrus fruit about the size of an orange, bergamot is the key ingredient in Earl Grey tea. Bergamot helps you calm down when there’s just too much going on. Bergamot not only protects the brain and helps your brain cell "synapses" or connections work better, but it also has remarkable anxiolytic or anxiety-calming properties.[4]

Lavender

Lavender essential oil comes from tiny purple flowers you can find across the Old World, like the English countryside. The oil has a wealth of benefits, including antibacterial to antifungal properties. But lavender oil shines as a way to calm you down — it even eases the blues and relaxes muscles.[5]

Rose

Many people associate the floral scent of a rose with love and joy — and it’s no different with rose essential oil. Rose oil contains terpenes, flavonoids, and anthocyanins — plant compounds that have numerous health benefits.[6] Rose oil can not only lift mood, but also relax your mind, reduce anxiety, and even improve sexual function![6]

German (Blue) Chamomile

The oil from German chamomile (Chamomilla recutita) contains a higher concentration of chamazulene, an aromatic compound with a distinctive blue color and strong calming effect.[7, 8] For people who generally feel a little scattered or on-edge, German chamomile can provide peace of mind.

Neroli or Bitter Orange

As another citrus-derived oil, neroli is extracted from bitter orange tree blossoms. "Neroli" is named after a 16th-century princess, Anna-Marie de Nerola.[9] Neroli oil contains limonene and linalool, which act as sedatives.[9]

When you inhale neroli oil, it can ease a grumpy mood, and even help you fall asleep with less trouble. It’s especially helpful for postmenopausal women dealing with stress and anxiety.[10]

Frankincense

You may know frankincense as one of the gifts from the three wise men. This pine-scented oil comes from the sap of the Boswellia tree. Frankincense oil promotes normal levels of stress hormones. It may also help you rest better, especially if you haven’t gotten enough sleep lately.[11]

Clary Sage

Clary sage is not the herb you’re used to cooking with. It’s a greenish-purple large-leafed plant that, when distilled into oil, works wonders for tension — especially in women. It eases cramps — a source of stress for any woman — and regulates cortisol (or "stress hormone") levels.[12]

Sweet Orange

Aromatherapists love sweet orange essential oil. They use it before and during a massage to help calm patients down. And science backs it up. When inhaled, sweet orange oil increases feelings of tranquility. It makes you feel more relaxed when dealing with a situation that brings about stress.[13]

Holy Basil

Also known as tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), holy basil has been used from ancient times as an Ayurvedic herb. Tulsi may protect cells from stress caused by chemical pollutants and heavy metals. It also physiologically relaxes your body and mind.[14] Whether as an essential oil or a liquid extract, tulsi lifts mood, promoting relaxation and happier thoughts. It may even give you an extra memory boost.[14]

Ylang-Ylang

This oil originates from the flowers of the Indonesian Cananga odorata, a tropical tree with curling yellow flowers. When taken topically, ylang-ylang oil promotes normal blood pressure, which relaxes you and makes you feel calmer.[15]

Anxiety Relief Oil-Blend Recipes

Whether used topically or diffused into the room, essential oils provide a steady, relaxing aroma that can bring calm and peacefulness. For the best results, use a diffuser. Diffusers mix the oils with water, slowly filling a room with mist. This results in the oils permeating the air, and the effects can last for several hours.

Topical Recipes

For these topical recipes, mix one or two drops of each essential oil with almond, jojoba, or coconut oil for a carrier oil. Massage the mixture directly on your wrist, neck, or temple with a cotton ball so that they absorb readily into the bloodstream. Carrier oils are unscented oils that, when blended with more volatile essential oils, make it safe to put the essential oils right on the skin.

Stay Focused Blend: Bergamot & Lavender

This blend is a one-stop-solution for anyone who feels like they have too much going on. Bergamot and lavender both help you relax enough to get in the mindset of getting things done.

Muscle Tension Blend: Clary Sage, Lavender & Bergamot

This blend will have you feeling relaxed longer thanks to both the calming properties of bergamot, lavender, and clary sage’s abilities to ease muscle tension in your body.

Diffuser Recipes

Put three drops of each oil into your diffuser. Adjust the amount used based on your diffuser’s capacity. Typically, diffusers hold 100 to 150 milliliters of water.

Relaxation Blend: Lavender, Blue Chamomile & Ylang Ylang

The chamomile in this blend will help you feel more put together and less scattered. The lavender will ease you into a relaxed state. And the ylang-ylang will calm a hectic heart rate and promote normal blood pressure.

Tranquility Blend: Orange & Cedarwood

Both orange and cedarwood soothe your mood, leaving you feeling more tranquil, relaxed, and at peace with the world no matter what is going on around you.

Precautions & Side Effects

Always use essential oils from a reputable company. Make sure you do your research for company reviews and check the ingredients list. When you do get a good, high-quality oil, be careful how you use it. Some, like bergamot, can be toxic to pets, so keep them out of the room when you have it in a diffuser.

Many essential oils should be diluted with a carrier like almond or jojoba oil before putting it on your skin. Do a test patch on your skin to make sure you won’t have an allergic reaction to the oil. Only ingest an oil if it is food-grade.

Points to Remember

Essential oils are concentrated versions of plants and all the powerful healing benefits that come with them. You can diffuse them, use them topically, or if food-grade, ingest them.

The best oils to calm your stress and anxiety are lavender, rose, neroli, bergamot, blue chamomile, ylang-ylang, frankincense, sweet orange, holy basil, and clary sage.

Lavender relaxes your muscles and calms you down. Rose lifts your mood. Neroli banishes grumpiness. Bergamot and blue chamomile help focus a scattered mind. Ylang-ylang promotes normal blood pressure, which is relaxing enough all its own.

Frankincense and clary sage both support normal levels of the stress hormone cortisol. As for sweet orange and holy basil, they’re great at bringing a sense of tranquility.

Though these are the top essential oils, others experience peaceful emotions from lime, patchouli, geranium, rosemary, peppermint, and vetiver oil.

In addition to using these oils as aromatherapy by inhaling them or using them in a diffuser, you can apply to the skin for anxiety relief. Many essential oils are found in natural cosmetics. Parfait Visage® luxury skin cream promotes fresh, radiant skin with the use of neroli, rose, and lavender essential oils, among other natural ingredients.

Have you tried essential oils for anxiety? Let us know in the comments.

The post Feeling Stressed? Try These Essential Oils for Anxiety appeared first on Dr. Group's Healthy Living Articles.

Feeling Stressed? Try These Essential Oils for Anxiety published first on https://nootropicspowdersupplier.tumblr.com/

[michellelinkous]

Feeling Stressed? Try These Essential Oils for Anxiety

"Stop and smell the roses" is one of the most famous sayings of all time, yet did you know that there’s medicine in those words? Delightful floral aromas bring joy, peace, happy memories — and even good health. Whether rose, lavender, or ylang-ylang, essential oils can bring you relief for daily stress and anxiety.

Jennifer B., a writer from Wisconsin, discovered how beneficial essential oils could be firsthand. In 2007, as a newlywed, she learned her husband was in the path of a tornado — and she wasn’t home to help. She had a panic attack, bursting into tears. Knowing that this strong reaction wasn’t unusual for her, she became determined to find a natural way to help her relieve anxiety. It took several years to find something that helped.

"After surgery years later, the nurses gave me an essential oil scented packet to smell when I felt nauseous or anxious," Jen says. It was a blend of peppermint, lavender, ginger, and spearmint oils. When she inhaled, it instantly made her feel calm, clear, and centered. "It helped, so I adopted the idea into my own natural medicine toolkit."

Today, she has a collection of oils to use whenever she wants some relief from daily stress and anxiety.

What Are Essential Oils?

Essential oils concentrate the scent and flavor of a plant.[1] Oils can concentrate the floral essences, or aromatic compounds in the leaves or roots, depending on the plant. The plant material gets either mechanically pressed or distilled, concentrating the aromatic chemicals into a powerful liquid package.

Essential oils have various health benefits. These range from strengthening the immune system to reducing inflammation to helping you relax.[2]

People commonly use essential oils in cosmetics, food, and natural medicine.[2] They’re best known for aromatherapy — using scent to improve the health of the body, mind, and spirit.[3]

You can disperse the oils through a diffuser, inhale right out of the tiny bottles, or apply the oil to your skin, usually with an unscented carrier oil. If they’re food-grade, you can take them internally.

Top Essential Oils for Anxiety

Essential oils have an amazing ability to promote your mental health and wellness — specifically, calming down an anxious mind. We’ve compiled the best serenity-boosting oils out there. Grab a deep breath and enjoy anxiety relief!

Bergamot

A citrus fruit about the size of an orange, bergamot is the key ingredient in Earl Grey tea. Bergamot helps you calm down when there’s just too much going on. Bergamot not only protects the brain and helps your brain cell "synapses" or connections work better, but it also has remarkable anxiolytic or anxiety-calming properties.[4]

Lavender

Lavender essential oil comes from tiny purple flowers you can find across the Old World, like the English countryside. The oil has a wealth of benefits, including antibacterial to antifungal properties. But lavender oil shines as a way to calm you down — it even eases the blues and relaxes muscles.[5]

Rose

Many people associate the floral scent of a rose with love and joy — and it’s no different with rose essential oil. Rose oil contains terpenes, flavonoids, and anthocyanins — plant compounds that have numerous health benefits.[6] Rose oil can not only lift mood, but also relax your mind, reduce anxiety, and even improve sexual function![6]

German (Blue) Chamomile

The oil from German chamomile (Chamomilla recutita) contains a higher concentration of chamazulene, an aromatic compound with a distinctive blue color and strong calming effect.[7, 8] For people who generally feel a little scattered or on-edge, German chamomile can provide peace of mind.

Neroli or Bitter Orange

As another citrus-derived oil, neroli is extracted from bitter orange tree blossoms. "Neroli" is named after a 16th-century princess, Anna-Marie de Nerola.[9] Neroli oil contains limonene and linalool, which act as sedatives.[9]

When you inhale neroli oil, it can ease a grumpy mood, and even help you fall asleep with less trouble. It’s especially helpful for postmenopausal women dealing with stress and anxiety.[10]

Frankincense

You may know frankincense as one of the gifts from the three wise men. This pine-scented oil comes from the sap of the Boswellia tree. Frankincense oil promotes normal levels of stress hormones. It may also help you rest better, especially if you haven’t gotten enough sleep lately.[11]

Clary Sage

Clary sage is not the herb you’re used to cooking with. It’s a greenish-purple large-leafed plant that, when distilled into oil, works wonders for tension — especially in women. It eases cramps — a source of stress for any woman — and regulates cortisol (or "stress hormone") levels.[12]

Sweet Orange

Aromatherapists love sweet orange essential oil. They use it before and during a massage to help calm patients down. And science backs it up. When inhaled, sweet orange oil increases feelings of tranquility. It makes you feel more relaxed when dealing with a situation that brings about stress.[13]

Holy Basil

Also known as tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), holy basil has been used from ancient times as an Ayurvedic herb. Tulsi may protect cells from stress caused by chemical pollutants and heavy metals. It also physiologically relaxes your body and mind.[14] Whether as an essential oil or a liquid extract, tulsi lifts mood, promoting relaxation and happier thoughts. It may even give you an extra memory boost.[14]

Ylang-Ylang

This oil originates from the flowers of the Indonesian Cananga odorata, a tropical tree with curling yellow flowers. When taken topically, ylang-ylang oil promotes normal blood pressure, which relaxes you and makes you feel calmer.[15]

Anxiety Relief Oil-Blend Recipes

Whether used topically or diffused into the room, essential oils provide a steady, relaxing aroma that can bring calm and peacefulness. For the best results, use a diffuser. Diffusers mix the oils with water, slowly filling a room with mist. This results in the oils permeating the air, and the effects can last for several hours.

Topical Recipes

For these topical recipes, mix one or two drops of each essential oil with almond, jojoba, or coconut oil for a carrier oil. Massage the mixture directly on your wrist, neck, or temple with a cotton ball so that they absorb readily into the bloodstream. Carrier oils are unscented oils that, when blended with more volatile essential oils, make it safe to put the essential oils right on the skin.

Stay Focused Blend: Bergamot & Lavender

This blend is a one-stop-solution for anyone who feels like they have too much going on. Bergamot and lavender both help you relax enough to get in the mindset of getting things done.

Muscle Tension Blend: Clary Sage, Lavender & Bergamot

This blend will have you feeling relaxed longer thanks to both the calming properties of bergamot, lavender, and clary sage’s abilities to ease muscle tension in your body.

Diffuser Recipes

Put three drops of each oil into your diffuser. Adjust the amount used based on your diffuser’s capacity. Typically, diffusers hold 100 to 150 milliliters of water.

Relaxation Blend: Lavender, Blue Chamomile & Ylang Ylang

The chamomile in this blend will help you feel more put together and less scattered. The lavender will ease you into a relaxed state. And the ylang-ylang will calm a hectic heart rate and promote normal blood pressure.

Tranquility Blend: Orange & Cedarwood

Both orange and cedarwood soothe your mood, leaving you feeling more tranquil, relaxed, and at peace with the world no matter what is going on around you.

Precautions & Side Effects

Always use essential oils from a reputable company. Make sure you do your research for company reviews and check the ingredients list. When you do get a good, high-quality oil, be careful how you use it. Some, like bergamot, can be toxic to pets, so keep them out of the room when you have it in a diffuser.

Many essential oils should be diluted with a carrier like almond or jojoba oil before putting it on your skin. Do a test patch on your skin to make sure you won’t have an allergic reaction to the oil. Only ingest an oil if it is food-grade.

Points to Remember

Essential oils are concentrated versions of plants and all the powerful healing benefits that come with them. You can diffuse them, use them topically, or if food-grade, ingest them.

The best oils to calm your stress and anxiety are lavender, rose, neroli, bergamot, blue chamomile, ylang-ylang, frankincense, sweet orange, holy basil, and clary sage.

Lavender relaxes your muscles and calms you down. Rose lifts your mood. Neroli banishes grumpiness. Bergamot and blue chamomile help focus a scattered mind. Ylang-ylang promotes normal blood pressure, which is relaxing enough all its own.

Frankincense and clary sage both support normal levels of the stress hormone cortisol. As for sweet orange and holy basil, they’re great at bringing a sense of tranquility.

Though these are the top essential oils, others experience peaceful emotions from lime, patchouli, geranium, rosemary, peppermint, and vetiver oil.

In addition to using these oils as aromatherapy by inhaling them or using them in a diffuser, you can apply to the skin for anxiety relief. Many essential oils are found in natural cosmetics. Parfait Visage® luxury skin cream promotes fresh, radiant skin with the use of neroli, rose, and lavender essential oils, among other natural ingredients.

Have you tried essential oils for anxiety? Let us know in the comments.

The post Feeling Stressed? Try These Essential Oils for Anxiety appeared first on Dr. Group's Healthy Living Articles.

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[gyrlversion]

Charmin Made A Giant “Forever Roll” For Millennial Poops. Its Incredible.

Kate Bubacz / BuzzFeed News; prop styling: Shawn O’Connor

Archimedes, the ancient Greek scientist, was taking a bath when he had his eureka! moment, discovering a physics principle using water displacement to measure density. Rob Reinerman, lead of the innovation team at Procter & Gamble, was taking a dump when genius struck, leading to the creation of Charmin’s Forever Roll, a massive roll of toilet paper for millennial asses.

Reinerman, a 14-year veteran of P&G, had been pulled off his job as brand manager of Bounty paper towels and assigned to lead a newly formed innovation team within the toilet paper division. Along with his partner Kevin Mitchell, the bigwigs had tasked them with a singular purpose. “Never run out of toilet paper is the mission,” Reinerman said.

“I was at home, I think on a weekend. I was finishing up my business and faced the age-old question of whether to replace the roll or leave that last square for the next person,” Reinerman told BuzzFeed News. Ultimately, he knew the next person to use the bathroom would be his wife, who would be annoyed to find a nearly kicked roll.

But the germ of an idea was planted: What if they made a toilet paper roll that was…UNIMAGINABLY HUGE.

Kate Bubacz / BuzzFeed News

The Forever Roll is 12 inches in diameter and is equivalent to 24 rolls of regular-size Charmin Ultra Soft.

Charmin pinched off its Forever Roll to consumers in April. It’s basically one of those industrial-size rolls you’d find at a rest stop, but so very soft. A few weeks ago, the Forever Roll caught a second wave of internet buzz when it was mentioned in a Wall Street Journal article about new household products designed for adults who live alone. Reinerman crowed at the time about how it alleviates the storage problem for urban apartment dwellers (a bigger roll means less TP to store under the sink) and how the huge rolls can last a single person up to two months.

The response online was divided. Some thought this was a sad indicator of the state of the millennials: delaying marriage and children, unable to buy homes with ample bathroom storage like their parents, stuck in tiny apartments with nowhere to stuff extra rolls of toilet paper, and suffering from such burnout that the simple task of remembering to buy toilet paper once a week was too hard. Also, it’s a giant roll of paper for going doody, which is inherently funny.

sorry im late to this but imagine being single and having a date over to your house for the first time and then they walk into your bathroom and see a rock of Gibraltar-sized roll of toilet paper next to the shitter

08:23 PM – 04 Jun 2019

Dear @Charmin please consider sponsoring me because the “forever” roll is the only thing I will be talking about with friends, family and strangers for the next forever (About 1 month) I accept merchandise, Venmo and Cash app or hell I’d take a check.

09:01 PM – 21 Jun 2019

Webster’s dictionary defines “forever” as “a limitless time.” Charmin defines it as about one month, possibly two if you’re single, which is how long a single Forever Roll — 12 inches in diameter and equivalent to 24 rolls — will last you. Due to the girth and heft of the roll, it won’t fit standard toilet paper roll holders, so they created special freestanding and adhesive wall holders (for millennials who will never own a home and can’t drill into their landlord’s walls). A starter kit of three rolls and a stand costs $30, and a single roll is $10.

The (tiny) TP-in-a-roll format that we know now was popularized around 1890 by the Scott Paper Company — lots of people were wiping with the Sears Roebuck catalog before that. The Hoberg Paper Company of Green Bay, Wisconsin, launched the Charmin brand in 1928 and soon offered the classic four-pack.

For the next few decades, the physical form of the roll didn’t change much. It took until 1994 for Charmin to make the double roll. They then created a “Mega Roll,” equivalent to four rolls.

Yet aside from tweaks to texture, prints, or even scents (Angel Soft has two new scented core options), the general shape and concept of toilet paper for home use hasn’t changed in our lifetime. The biggest development of late has been wet wipes — including varieties targeted at men: Dude Wipes, Dollar Shave Club’s One Wipe Charlies, or Mangroomer’s Biz Wipes in “Executive scent” — and that’s not going well. Because wipes don’t break down as well as regular TP, they create massive, clogging “fatbergs” in sewer systems.

What happened to the American spirit of ingenuity? We put a man on the moon, and we still use basically the same dinky TP rolls as president Taft. Sure, we brought giant-size rolls to public restrooms, but that industrial stuff is thin, rough, hole-ripping. An ass war crime. Only a stone-cold psychopath would consider bringing home that giant wheel of rough paper, encased in a rugged dispenser to protect it from thieves. Why had no one, in over 100 years, thought, Hey, what if we made a GIGUNDOUS roll of soft toilet paper?

No wonder the feedback on the Forever Roll on Charmin’s site so far has been disproportionately positive: 4.7 stars out of 5 from more than 2,800 reviewers. They compared the magnitude of the invention to sliced bread (!), touted the roll as successful Father’s Day and birthday gifts (?), and remarked on how smoothly it glides on the Forever Roll stand. Of the complaints that were filed, a large share revolved around the roll not lasting long enough: “This thing just screams ‘use more!! MORE!!’ and my kids comply,” one user griped. But bottom line, folks: “Huge and soft.”

Could this signal a future in which all consumer goods are enormous? In which our houses are just Willy Wonka wonderlands of monstrously oversize paper products and fountains of soap? Is this a sign of the excesses of peak capitalism, or a sad sign of the state of the millennial condition?

“You could produce the biggest roll in history and it still wouldn’t clean an anus properly.”

Of course, toilet paper is not without its controversies. If you, a millennial who poops a lot (and who isn’t? avocado toast is chock-full of fiber) and are also concerned about the environmental impact of the Big Ass Roll, you’re not alone. And it’s not just that it encourages people to use more paper per wipe.

Shelley Vinyard, of the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council, said Charmin is made from 100% virgin paper, no recycled fibers, just pure trees. “It’s an easy place to make a difference and vote with your dollars for a more sustainable option,” said Vinyard. NRDC notes that competitors like Marcal use recycled materials.

Loren Fanroy, a representative for Charmin, told BuzzFeed News, “100% of our wood fiber supply is third-party certified with responsible forestry certification systems, like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and come from sustainably-managed forests. We do not participate in any deforestation practices, and for every tree we use, at least one is re-grown.” And Reinerman points out that since each Forever Roll equals 24 regular rolls, you use fewer cardboard tubes, and there’s no plastic wrap packaging.

Still, destroying forests to wipe our butts can keep you up at night, and it calls into question the merits of toilet paper altogether. If you take it one step further, perhaps it’s time for Americans to embrace the bidet and end this cycle of deforestation and waste once and for all.

“[Toilet paper] is totally unhygienic and you could produce the biggest roll in history and it still wouldn’t clean an anus properly,” said Rose George, the author of The Big Necessity: The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters. “We use water to wash everything from our bodies to our cars, and yet for the dirtiest part of our body, we choose to use a dry substance that really only moves, and doesn’t remove dirt. It’s crazy. It’s like choosing to have a shower with a dry towel. Half the world uses water to cleanse their butts, and they think those of us who have paper cultures are dirty, and they’re right.”

“I can’t believe nobody thought of this before.”

After Reinerman and Mitchell recruited a few other people to work on their experimental team, prototyped the giant roll, pitched it to the big bosses (who were receptive), and started testing it and running a small ad campaign on Facebook, they were ready to go public in April 2019.

“We were consistently hearing the comment, ‘I can’t believe nobody thought of this before.’ And that’s when you realize that you have something that’s improving somebody’s experience,” said Reinerman.

So they hired more people to run an e-commerce site (the Forever Roll is only sold on the Charmin website, for now), and unlike other P&G brands, they do the marketing and social media themselves. “We have a small, mighty team that is running the whole operation,” said Reinerman.

Even Charmin’s competitor had to hand it to them for coming up with the Big Roll. “If you talk to folks in the bath tissue category, the one thing we never want to happen is to run out of toilet paper in a critical moment,” said Kim Sackey, consumer knowledge lead for retail at Georgia-Pacific, the Koch Industries–owned company that makes Angel Soft and Quilted Northern. Still, she isn’t too jealous. “The Forever Roll is one potential solution; in my mind, there’s other potential ones,” she told BuzzFeed News. Subscriptions, like the kind Amazon offers, are one option, and she’s interested in optimizing the timing and quantities of subscriptions so you don’t end up with too much or too little.

Other manufacturers, including Marcal, Scott, and Cottonelle, did not return requests for comment.

To me, Rob Reinerman’s invention was a stroke of genius, a gift to the human race and all our diverse and tender holes. But as a journalist, I needed to dig deeper. Trust, but verify; wipe till it feels clean, but still look at the paper afterward. So I tested out a Forever Roll here in BuzzFeed’s office.

The stand came with a screw and its own set of mini Allen wrenches to install (pretty easy). It had a heavy base to prevent it from toppling over and felt solid.

Katie Notopoulos

The Forever Roll inside the BuzzFeed offices.

I set up a Forever Roll in a single-use bathroom in our office, and after lunch, gave it a full test myself. It was…fine? The strangest part was that it was hard to tell how far to turn the roll to get the right amount of paper — I ended up with a little more than I needed.

Then I set up a notepad and pen in the bathroom explaining what the Forever Roll was, that I was writing an article about it, and wanted my colleagues’ feedback.

It turns out asking my coworkers to describe their toilet paper–wiping experience was perhaps a bad idea. Not a single person wrote anything down on my public notepad (I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to my coworkers and also let HR know I’ve definitely learned my lesson here). But I did get two personal notes.

“Way too big. If you drop it on the floor and it gets wet you are losing SO MUCH toilet paper,” said one coworker. “My bathroom is small, and it would 100% get wet somehow. Too much surface area.”

My editor said while she was impressed with how smoothly the Forever Roll glided on the stand, she would be mortified for guests to see a massive roll of toilet paper in her small apartment bathroom.

To that I say, what is the price of dignity? Is it $30 for the Forever Roll starter kit? Is it never having to waddle across the bathroom, pants around ankles, to get a replacement roll from under the sink? Is it not having guests see an aggressively large toilet paper roll in your bathroom? Don’t ask me, I’m the person who just wrote a long article (which is not sponsored by Charmin, btw, BuzzFeed is literally losing money paying me a salary to do this) about toilet paper. I have no dignity, but boy am I clean. ●

Kate Bubacz / BuzzFeed News

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Treat Basket Ideas in Wisconsin - WiscoBoxes

WiscoBoxes provides a range of treat baskets filled with Wisconsin-made delights, including artisan cheese, chocolates, sausage, and gourmet snacks. Ideal for holidays, birthdays, or simply as a special treat, these baskets highlight the finest flavors Wisconsin has to offer. With options to customize, WiscoBoxes helps you create a meaningful and delicious gift for any occasion.

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