Christmas vacation

Well, Christmas is pretty much over. All that remains is the Visa bill, the wrapping paper, and the calories! We ate way too much, at least I did, no wonder everyone's favorite resolution for New Years is to lose weight. Maybe I'll do Weight Watchers again. I had lost 20 pounds through Weight Watchers, but I put it all back on over the last two years, and then some.
The kids are going stir crazy. I think I need to force them to spend time outside playing in the snow. How sad is that!? Obviously, we have too much stuff. Sometimes I think we just need to disconnect from computers, tv, video games, etc., and re-connect with each other. I wonder if we could go a week without all the electronics...I should try it with my family. (To be truthful, I don't know if I could do it. What with having an online store...www.cafepress.com/creativethought. I mean, I do need to check on it.)
Maybe I'll try it. Maybe we should try the first week of January to go tv, video game free for a week...hmmm. I'll definately think about it and let you know how it goes.
My hope for the holidays is that there would be peace in the world. I know, it sounds corny, but seriously, the world is such a messed up place. I get stressed just thinking about it. I realize how lucky I am to live in the United States of America, and I know I am truly blessed, not with material things, but with freedoms that so many people take for granted. I just wish the world would evolve and we could all just get along. Wasn't that a song?

Sunday Mornings

Sunday mornings are the best! To wake up to a fresh blanket of snow, and look out over the back field behind our house, watching the occasional squirrel run along our white wooden fence, and the little bird house with about 2 inches of snow piled on top...and we are safe inside. Warm, cozy, together with a family I love, makes me realize how lucky I am, how much I have to be thankful for. I don't know if it's the holidays getting closer, or the fresh snow, or my husband making me breakfast, or my son giggling, but somehow things just seem very precious on a Sunday morning. Maybe because we don't get that many of these days together. It is wonderful!

Don't forget to check out my online store, I've got lots of great stocking stuffers!

MySpace

So, I suppose I should put a link to my MySpace page here...
http://www.myspace.com/creativethoughtmom


Can't seem to get the link to show up...not sure why, check it out, though
myspace.com/creativethoughtmom


I'm pretty new at the MySpace thing and it's hard to figure everything out (cause I'm old?), but it seems pretty cool. I wish I had more time to figure everything in the world out. I guess we all probably feel that way about a lot of things. And we all get the same amount of hours in a day..
So I should remember to do my best and be happy with all the time I've been given. None of us is promised a tomorrow.

On a lighter note, here's a new design I've sold a few of...
http://www.cafepress.com/creativethought.173235497

Green Bay Packers...

Well, my beloved Green Bay Packers lost to the Dallas Cowboys last night. Brett Favre hurt his arm/elbow and left the game, you know he had to really be hurting if he left the game! It is sad that they lost, but they are a great team, and you have to love Brett Favre. He and his wife, and daughters, were at the Brett Favre celebrity softball game in the Fox Valley (in Wisconsin) this summer, I took my husband for his birthday, we also took the kids. It was so fun! Very cool to see all those big football players having fun and raising money for charity! Not to mention that Deanna Favre signed my pink Packer hat! She also signed my sons Packer hat, so he was thrilled.
Trying to work on my shop, Click here to visit my store, Creative Thought T-shirts and Gifts!, and haven't gotten much Christmas shopping done yet! Need to figure out some good gifts for the kids, and where to find lots of money.

Okay, off to work so I can pay the bill! Keep passing the open windows!

What Would Jesus Buy?

Okay, I just got an email from one of my favorite groups...
Council for a commercial free childhood, and I read about this new documentary coming out by Morgan Spurlock. I've enclosed some of the text I found on the website, it sounds great! I highly recommend checking out the website, it seems to have a lot of interesting information, and the movie sounds promising.
Here's a quote from them...

"From producer Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) and director Rob VanAlkemade, "What
Would Jesus Buy?" examines the commercialization of Christmas in America while following
Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir on a cross-country mission to
save Christmas from the Shopocalypse (the end of humankind from consumerism, overconsumption
and the fires of eternal debt.) From the humble beginnings of preaching at his
portable pulpit on New York City subways, to having a congregation of thousands - Bill Talen
(aka Rev. Billy) has become the leader of not just a church, but a national movement.
Rev. Billy's epic journey takes us to chilling exorcisms at Wal-Mart headquarters, to retail
interventions at the Mall of America, and all the way to the Promised Land on Christmas Day.
The Stop Shopping mission reminds us that even though we may be "hypnotized and
consumerized," we still have a chance to save ourselves this Christmas.
Coming to theaters starting November 16th. Check the website for local listings.
The Shopocalypse is upon us ... Who will be $aved?
http://wwjbmovie.com
Change-a-lujah!"


See what I mean? Check it out for yourself.

This all comes at an important time. Just before the holidays, and at a time when we are having trouble making ends meet, yet are kid's friends seem to all have plenty. Not that I begrudge them, I wish I were a better parent so that my kids weren't so materialistic. I guess it's true, "the nut doesn't fall far from the tree", I should set a better example. Is it too late? Is it possible for me to do this? In our society of instant gratification, internet, iphones, ipods, movies on demand etc., is it even possible to live in America and not be in debt? Sure, it all sounds good, get back to basics and cut out the excess, but when you see that Target flier every Sunday, they make everything look so good, and needed. These are just excuses I make up because I am spoiled and not disciplined enough to live my life the way I'd really like to. Or the way I know I should...

My Squirrel design...

So,

Here's something funny...in my CafePress store, this is my best selling design.
and it's a t-shirt with a squirrel design!

Check it out and tell me what you think!

Come visit Creative Thought T-Shirts and Gifts!

http://www.cafepress.com/creativethought.161590851

Holiday shopping

Well,

The holiday season is here! Black Friday has come and gone, I have to admit that I did go out early to find a few door buster specials. It wasn't as crowded as last year, except at Kohl's, they have the best sales! Anyway, today is Saturday, and I was hoping that my Cafepress store would have some sales by now...
Click this link to visit my Cafepress store!
I've had one sale today, and none for the previous two days. I figured no one would be shopping on Thanksgiving day, but I was really hoping today I would make some sales. I'm not sure if I don't have enough merchandise, or if my SEO (Search Engine Optimization) isn't very good. It's probably that, since it's only been a few months since I figured out what SEO is, and I still find it confusing. I was hoping to make some sales and use the profits to buy some shirts and stocking stuffers from my store for my nieces and nephews. I don't know if that's going to happen. I wonder if there really is such a thing as "cyber Monday"? It seems to me that the economy isn't great this year, and I think it will definately have an effect on how much people spend during the holidays. I know we don't have any disposable income this year, I fear it may be that way everywhere.
Anyway, back to the drawing board...I'm going to try to make some new tshirt designs for my store and get them uploaded right away. Visit my store at www.creativethoughttees.com and check out my work! I've put a coupon link on my main page, so you will save some money buying from my store. And if you don't find anything you like at my store, there are thousands of other CafePress stores, and the coupon is good for any one of them!
Happy Holiday season to all!

Write a letter

This was originally posted on Dr. Laura's site (www.drlaura.com), under her Activism center - call to action. She has some really good info on there. This kind of touched home with me because everywhere you look these days, the media and big corporations are trying to sexual our children. It's rediculous to go to a major mall and have to walk by the Victoria's Secret window displays with my children. Victoria's Secret sells pajamas and other things, but their window displays are always showing their most provocative underwear sets. Everyone knows they have stuff like that, do they really need to display it all in their front windows? I know they're trying to make it more "mainstream", but it's really annoying. I have nothing against sexy underwear, but my kids don't need to see it. Okay, thanks for letting me rant. Check out this latest call to action. Maybe if we would all take some time to send an email or letter and let companies know how we feel, it could make a difference. Maybe.


"Reduce The Pornification Of Our Children
Let Urban Outfitters Know!


Recently, Patti was shopping in Urban Outfitters and noticed their t-shirts and novelties. Let Urban Outfitters know you are outraged!

October 9, 2007

Dear Urban Outfitters Executives,

I noticed tonight that you sell a t-shirt with the lovely slogan, "Respect Your Mother" so I hope that you will be willing to consider and respect the opinion of a mother who, sadly would like to send all of you Urban Outfitter executives to your room without supper.

As a matter of fact, what I have to say to you Urban Outfitter executives could be summarized in the words of many a mother before me: "Take Out the Trash!"

I was in your store this evening-and I must complement you on your polite and helpful employees, brightly lit displays and comfortable clothing. My son likes your clothing and I want to continue to shop there! But you disappoint me, dear Urban executives.

On the one hand, I see that your company is trying to help kids. You're working in concert with the Art of Elysium to enrich the lives of hospitalized children through art.

On the other hand, I see that you are contributing to the "pornification" of America with t-shirts like these: (A tshirt with a picture of a young girl eating something and her shirt says can't cum)


If you Urban execs were my children, I'd ground you for a month--um, make that a year. The sad thing is that 10 or 15 years ago, you'd have had to go to an X-rated store or sleaze shop to find a shirt like this. Now, you sell it, without apparent shame, out in the open, in a store that caters to young teens and adults.

Let's ignore for now the cute little savings bank with the wholesome-looking kid with a football and the caption, "I'm savin' up for some good weed! Touchdowns are for losers! The only thing I want to score is some good drugs."


Or the cute little "1,000 Drinking Games" game you sell...


or some of the other lovely merchandise in the same vein.


Your employee told me that you don't put this kind of merchandise in stores such as the new one you are opening in Salt Lake City. But you do think it is okay to put this kind of sleaze in stores in my neighborhood. Perhaps I should take up a collection to buy some of those "good cum" t-shirts for the young sons and daughters of Urban Outfitter executives as a way of saying thank you.

On second thought, I'm too busy raising kids to fund-raise just now, but I'd like to personally thank you, Urban Outfitter executives, for contributing to a world in which sex means less and less to younger and younger children, in which getting high is portrayed as better than having the grit, hard-work and discipline to excel in sports and a society which young people are encouraged to drink to excess for sport. Thank you, dear Urban Outfitter execs, for making our world just a little bit more crass and sleazy a place so that you can make a few bucks.

I can only hope that all of you Urban Outfitter executives who are making money selling this sleaze to my children will have the joy of seeing your own children embrace the philosophies espoused by your merchandise beginning in their early teens...or whatever young age they happen upon one of your stores. On second thought, I don't wish that upon you or your kids.

I just hope that in some moment of quiet reflection, you will realize that your children are going to live in the world you are helping to create.

Sincerely,

Patti*,
A Very Disappointed Mom

* - entire name withheld from website.

Contact Info:
Urban Outfitters Direct
30 Industrial Park Blvd. Trenton, SC 29847

Customer Service (800) 959-8794
Open from 8am - 8pm, Monday - Friday

Fax (800) 959-8795"