Welcome to Debbie's Domain

http://www.wpclipart.com/ There are a lot of people these days that are having a hard time making ends meet. Factories are closing down putting a lot of people out of work. Parents with children often have to take jobs with low pay and often go over the guidelines for foodstamp assistance by only a few dollars. After paying bills, they often don't have much money for groceries. http://www.wpclipart.com/ Elderly and disabled people often receive foodstamps, but don't really receive enough to afford the extras for a dinner in what is considered a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. That's where your donations help. A gift of the traditional Thanksgiving fare is what most people are hoping for when they go to their local food pantry. The need is so great right now, that they often stand in long lines, outside in the weather, for hours at a time. When you donate food items, think about what you and your family are having for your Thanksgiving dinner. The best donation of all...

http://www.clipartpal.com/ There are many reasons why retailers should not open and offer sales on Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving was meant to be a holy day to give thanks to God, our Creator, for all of the blessings he has provided us with throughout the year. Most people celebrate it with a big dinner for extended family and friends. Some of these people may only be able to see each other once or twice a year. Family members may have to travel long distances to be there. People that must work on Thanksgiving often have to miss their family dinner, and not be able to see their loved ones. www.clipartpal.com/ Working parents have so little time to spend with their children. They should be able to have a little extra time during the holidays to spend with their children. Parents need as much quality time with their children as possible. How else are they supposed to teach them values and show their love? www.clipartpal.com/ It takes a lot of preparation to get ready for a Thanksg...

This is something I made up for E and M this year. I sing it to the tune "The Ants Go Marching". Trick-or-Treat The pumpkins go rolling one by one, Hurrah! Hurrah! The pumpkins go rolling one by one, Hurrah! Hurrah! The pumpkins go rolling one by one, The little one stops, to look for the sun, And they all go rolling, Down the street, To go trick-or-treat. The witches go flying two by two, Hurrah! Hurrah! The witches go flying two by two, Hurrah! Hurrah! The witches go flying two by two, The little one stops, She lost her shoe. And they all go flying, Down the street, To go trick-or-treat. The skeletons go rattling three by three, Hurrah! Hurrah! The skeletons go rattling three by three, Hurrah! Hurrah! The skeletons go rattling three by three, The little one stops, He lost his knee, And they all go rattling, Down the street, To go trick-or-treat. The zombies go shuffling four by four, Hurrah! Hurrah! The zombies go shuffling four by fo...

Halloween is a good time to watch scary movies. There are so many movies for kids, it's hard to know where to start. I couldn't possibly name them all. There are several that made a hit with my family, so I will name a few of the favorites. "When Good Ghouls Go Bad" is just a little scary, but mostly funny. Danny Walker (Joe Pichler) and his dad (Tom Amandes) move back to their hometown of Walker Falls. His dad plans to reopen the family business, Walker Chocolates. They move in with Danny's grandfather, who acts more like a kid than an adult. Everyone calls him Uncle Fred (Christopher Lloyd). All of the town's people are unfriendly and seem a little weird. Nobody celebrates Halloween anymore due to a mysterious death of an 8th grader, Curtis Danko, and a curse on the town if they ever celebrated Halloween again. Uncle Fred gets killed when a tower of pumpkins fall on him. After his funeral, he comes back as a zombie to save Halloween. That's when the...

When taking a baby Trick or Treating, be prepared. Naturally you have to have bottles, wet wipes, diapers, all the things you would normally carry. If you live in a cool or cold climate, you have to also be prepared for the weather. It could be warm, cool, cold, raining, or snowing. It is a very unpredictable time of year. Usually Trick or Treating is done in the evening when it is cooler anyway. It is best to layer the baby's clothing. If buying a costume, many Halloween costumes for infants are warm and fit over clothing. If baby is too warm, you can take part of the clothing off. If it is too cold, you can add more clothing. Always take along an extra outfit in case of accidents. Making a costume can sometimes be better. It doesn't have to be complicated or hard. Winter pajamas with cartoon characters make good costumes for babies. So do a set of sweat shirts and sweat pants. A black set can become a black cat, a red one could be a little devil, a brown set a little puppy...

Halloween is a delightful holiday for children, widely celebrated in the United States. Children dress up in colorful costumes, and go door to door chanting "trick or treat", and are usually rewarded with candy. Homes are decorated with pumpkin jack-o-lanterns, witches, skeletons, and ghosts. Nobody really knows exactly how Halloween and it's various traditions began. Some people believe that Druids from Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales used October 31st as a night to honor their gods and make sacrifices. It is a common belief that human sacrifices were made, as well as crops, and animals. The Celts of that time period did not write, so they left behind no records of their beliefs or activities. Most information about the Druids, Celts, and their traditions came from their enemies, the Romans. The Romans also wrote that Christians sacrificed their own babies. They don't seem to be a very reliable source. The Celts of England, Ireland, and northern Franc...

School has started and Labor Day is past. Time to get ready for the holidays. You don't want them to sneak up on you. It's time to prepare, so you'll be ready. Fall festivals and street fairs are starting everywhere. Most of them are free. I don't know about all of them, but many have contests you and your children can enter. There are contests for canned foods, baked goods, homegrown fruits and vegetables, needlework, art, costumes, just to name a few. S is entering a pet parade with her german shepherd pup as Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. A plans to enter it with his grown german shepherd as Batman and Robin. M plans to enter her zucchini, and maybe a loaf of zucchini bread. If that is not your cup of tea, some people will be entering horse pulls, tractor pulls, or demolition derbys. Some places even have kiddie tractor pulls. Some of these may be free to watch, but some may charge a fee. To keep down costs if you have children, make sure to pack...

This is such an easy craft, even a two year old will enjoy helping. E and I made these last year. There are so many ways to make them. Start by collecting toilet tissue rolls. We glued construction paper around the rolls; black and white for the pilgrim, and brown for the Indian. I drew the faces on with markers. This year we added two more. E loves to paint. She painted one roll black and one brown. E glued the construction paper faces, hats, collars, and hair on. I poked holes on each side. We pushed pipe cleaners through the holes for arms. And they're done. Older kids may use fabric for the clothing. If you have them, real feathers would be a nice touch. Of course, these work well for other holidays, as well. Bunnies, leprechauns, and Uncle Sam are all fun ideas. We are going to try making a Nativity scene next month.

Things you will need: Scrap paper, Brown paper bag or construction paper, Several different colored sheets of tissue paper, Elmer's glue, Water, Small bowl or cup, Small paint brush, Wax paper, Scraps of colored papers, markers, or paint for details, Tissue paper sun catchers are easy to make and cost very little. They are also a great hit with your little crafters. I help my granddaughter, E, make a craft almost everyday. It's also a good way to recycle scrap paper, paper bags, and torn or crumpled tissue paper from gift bags. (I also reuse my gift bags.) E and I are making a turkey. Start out by making a pattern on scrap paper. If you are not an artist, trace your turkey from a book or print a couple of copies off the computer. I did. You may need to improvise some to get the pattern just the way you want it. Don't worry if it's not perfect. I've seen a lot of turkeys, and believe me, they are anything but perfect. Now ladies, I'm not talki...

Indoor Thanksgiving decorating ideas are as easy as a walk in the country. In Autumn, the red sumac berries and the orange and yellow bittersweet berries are bright and beautiful. They can be cut and put in a vase alone or in combination with some twigs of brightly colored leaves. The berries also look nice in wreaths. Another easy decoration I like to use is an arrangement of dried grasses and different kinds of dried weeds that often can be found out along a country road, while you are out hunting for your berries. Cut them fairly long and you can trim them later when you arrange them in a vase. They, of course, need no water. They can also be used for making wreaths. While you are out hunting, be sure to look for some grape vines. You will want them to be as thin and long as possible. Take them home and soak them in some water overnight to make it easier to shape. Then you just start weaving it around in the approximate size you want it to be. Tuck the ends in, an...