According to Yahoo! Year in Review, there are definite trends in search engine activities over certain periods of time (i.e. weekly, monthly, and yearly).  I find it interesting to see what searches are most popular and what searches have suddenly spiked.  Since 2012 is nearly upon us, I thought I would share what Yahoo! has reported to be the most popular searches of 2011 and in past years.


Top 10 Searches on Yahoo! in 2011 . . .

1.  iPhone
2.  Casey Anthony
3.  Kim Kardashian
4.  Katy Perry
5.  Jennifer Lopez
6.  Lindsay Lohan
7.  American Idol
8.  Jennifer Aniston
9.  Japan earthquake
10. Osama bin Laden


Top Searches on Yahoo! for the past 10 years . . .

2011: iPhone
2010: BP Oil Spill
2009: Michael Jackson
2008: Britney Spears
2007: Britney Spears
2006: Britney Spears
2005: Britney Spears
2004: American Idol
2003: KaZaA
2002: PlayStation 2

Thank you to Yahoo! for providing the information shared in this article.  No compensation was received for sharing this information with my readers.

On the evening following Christmas Day, our family had the special treat of attending the show Disney On Ice:  Treasure Trove at the TD Garden in Boston.  Although we did have the pleasure of attending Smucker's Stars On Ice earlier this year, this was our first Disney On Ice experience.  The whole family found it to be extremely enjoyable, so I wanted to be sure to share our favorite parts of the show.  I wish I had known that it was permitted to take photos during the performance because I would have brought my D-SLR.  Alas, I had to make due with the camera in my phone.  To see all my Disney On Ice photos, visit 3G2S on Facebook.

Our children will be 5, 5, and 8 in January.  The show was very age-appropriate for them, even the parts that depicted danger.  One aspect I really liked is that a key scene from each Disney film was shown in every segment, such as the death of Mufasa in The Lion King, the frying pan scene in Tangled, when Aladdin made his entrance as Prince Ali, the March of the Cards in Alice in Wonderland, and so forth.

As far as skating goes, I had no idea what to expect because many of the performers were dressed in costumes, some of which were very elaborate.  The solo performance that stood out to me the most was the one by Peter Pan.  There were also many moving couples performances, such as those by Simba and Nala, Aladdin and Jasmine, Snow White and Prince Charming, and Rapunzel and Flynn Rider.


Lighting, special effects, and scenery played a large part in making this show a magical experience for children.  My husband and I both agree that the wildebeest stampede during The Lion King segment was very well done.  Our nearly 5 year old daughter's favorite part of the whole show was the enormous crocodile that ate up Captain Hook.  Other cool effects were the costumes and lighting at the beginning of The Little Mermaid segment and the releasing of the lanterns in the Tangled segment.


Since our daughter received an 18" Belle doll from Santa this year, she asked me before the show whether this particular Disney Princess would be in the show.  I did not know the answer at the time, but now I am happy to report that the characters who were not part of the main show did make an appearance during the finale.  Not only did we see Belle from Beauty and the Beast, we also saw Cinderella, Mulan, and Aurora of Sleeping Beauty.


To view the show schedule for Disney On Ice: Treasure Trove, visit Ticketmaster.com.  Visit Disney on Ice on Facebook to learn more about this show and the upcoming Toy Story 3 show.


Thank you to Feld Entertainment for providing complimentary show tickets to facilitate this review.

After being a parent for 8 years and a cat owner for nearly 15 years, I cannot help but notice the many similarities there are in regards to behavior between cats and young children about 2 to 5 years old.  Even if you have never had any children or have never owned a cat, the following behaviors will likely sound all too familiar to you.

If you have more to add to the list, please feel free to leave them in a comment below.  I bet there could be at least twenty more things to add.




Similarities between cats and young children . . . 

1.  They want your attention when they want it and do not expect to wait for it.

2.  Regardless of what you are doing in the bathroom, they are coming in.

3.  No matter how many times you tell them not to play with their food, they will still do it.

4.  They accidentally urinate in the wrong places sometimes.

5.  When they eat too much food too quickly without chewing, it usually comes back up.

6.  When they are tired, they can pretty much take a catnap anywhere.

7.  If something small is mysteriously missing suddenly, they probably took it.

8.  If there is a glass of water sitting out on the table, they cannot resist sticking their hand in it.

9.  They cannot suppress their curiosity and get themselves into some hairy situations because of it.

10.  They have no qualms about waking you up just because.

On the ride home from the Disney on Ice show at the TD Garden, the family had the greatest conversation in the car led by my nearly 5 years old son Luke. The conversation started with what they were going to be when they grew up and was quickly taken over by Luke, who would like to own a restaurant so he can eat for free. But when questioned about his restaurant, hilarity ensued:





Me: What will you serve?
Him: Anything people want to eat, brownies, mac and cheese, anything
Me: Broccoli?
Him: Yes, but I don’t want to eat that.
Me: What if it was covered with chocolate?
Him: NO!
Me: How much will you charge people? $8? (He is fixated with the number 8 in regards to money)
Him: $1 for mac and cheese, $1 for pizza, $1 brownies, $1000 for a hamburger.
Me: How much for shrimp?
Him: 1 fish.
Me: 1 Fish for shrimp?
Him: Yup
Me: What will you name the restaurant?
Him: Choccoli!  (Chocolate and Broccoli combined)

And on and on. I must admit, to let him run with this conversation was a great deal of fun for all of us. It is amazing how clever a little kid can be when given the room.

If you have a Silly Monkey Story to share, sign Mr. Linky below with the link to your blog post (not the link to your main blog page). Please do not forget to visit the other participants and leave them comments to let them know you stopped by!

It's Christmas Day and I wanted to take the time to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!  I know a "Merry Christmas" means different things to different people.  Here is what our family loves about Christmas and what we wish for each of you and your families . . .

1.  We wish you a day spent with loved ones (human or not), whether in person, by phone, online, or by memory.

2.  We wish you will have the chance to enjoy one of your favorite foods, whether it's a spiral ham or a pepperoni pizza.

3.  We wish you the chance to experience the joy of giving.

4.  We wish you a relaxing day that is pleasant, stress-free, and full of joy (and maybe a nap).

Since we spent our first Christmas living together five years before we were married, my husband and I would add new ornaments to the tree every year.  Some were personalized ornaments marked with the year and some were just ornaments that we really loved.  Needless to say, sixteen years later, our tree is quite full.  That does not stop us from adding new ornaments every year, especially since our first child came into our life and then the twins thereafter.

Every year when we trim the tree as a family, we all reminisce as we hang certain ornaments on the tree.  Even our not yet 5 year old twins will find delight in recognizing the ornaments bearing their names from past years.

My son Jake and I had the opportunity to try out the HOT WHEELS® RC NITRO SPEEDERS™ Ford Mustang. Nitro Speeders are tiny little remote control cars that fit into your pocket, controller and all!

The car itself is stored in the controller/charger for easy portability. The controls are simple enough and my 8 year old was up and running in moments. Charging the car takes about 20 minutes and is not hard to do. Once the car is charged up you are ready to play.

The Nitro Speeder Mustang is FAST. I mean really, really fast. We learned very quickly how small our living room was playing with this car. The steering is incremental and takes some getting used to, but after some practice time, we could do it. The car is just so fast that steering is difficult until you get the hang of it. Did I mention the Nitro Speeder Mustang is fast? FAST!


Overall HOT WHEELS® RC NITRO SPEEDERS™ Ford Mustang is a lot of fun and we very much enjoyed it. I will warn you that younger kids may get frustrated learning to control the car due to its amazing speed and incremental steering scheme. Conversely those traits will also make the car that much more desirable for older kids. At the very least the car is very fun to watch and everybody was having fun…even the cat!

Each Nitro Speeder retails for $25.99 and up.  You can purchase them at the Mattel Shop, Amazon.com, Toys"R"Us, and other major toy retailers.  Find out more about these mini RC cars at NitroSpeeders.com.


Thank you to Mattel for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

In an effort to teach children to help those who are less fortunate at an early age, a local preschool has chosen to partner with the Happy Birthday Baby program, which benefits needy families, single mothers, and underage mothers in the MetroWest area who are expecting to add a new bundle of joy to their households.  This program, which stemmed from the Welcome Baby program that benefits Boston-area families, is headed by the First Baptist Church in Framingham.  What the Happy Birthday Baby program does is make up baskets filled with items for newborns and gifts them to local families who cannot afford to purchase things many take for granted, like bibs, diaper rash cream, and other basic infant items.  To date, this wonderful program has gifted over 180 baskets to MetroWest families from Natick to Sudbury to Worcester and many towns in between.

Local retailers who have contributed to the Happy Birthday Baby program are TJX Companies (the parent company of TJMaxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods) and The Christmas Tree Shoppes.  Our local preschool has made it their goal to put together five complete baskets to help with this worthy cause, asking families of the students to contribute one or two items if they can to just one of the baskets.  Since I feel very strongly that children should have books available to them from the very beginning and that books are a luxury many families cannot afford, I reached out to Candlewick Press for a small donation of board books for one or more of the gift baskets.  When the box of books arrived to my home, I was surprised to find that Candlewick Press had generously provided two board books for each of the five baskets.  This was far more than I could afford to contribute on my own, so I must thank Candlewick Press again on behalf of myself and the director of the preschool.


These are the two board books each baby will be receiving . . .

Bears on Chairs by Shirley Parenteau is available in a hardcover or a board book format.  This rhyming children's book would be fun for even the youngest child to listen to.  The soft-colored illustrations by David Walker are extremely charming and would be at-home in any nursery.

Flip, Flap, Fly!:  A Book For Babies Everywhere by Phyllis Root is a cheerful rhyming board book.  Also illustrated by David Walker, this book is sweet and full of baby animals that will charm young readers.  This book is also available in hardcover.



Thank you to Candlewick Press for donating books to this worthy cause.  No compensation was received for sharing this information with my readers.

It's crunch time guys!  If you still have not completed your holiday shopping and are trying to avoid heading to the overcrowded mall, here are some ideas of thoughtful gifts that you can purchase at your local drugstore.  You might even be able to find a few of these products at your neighborhood supermarket.  For most women, young or old, beauty and self-care is an investment.  Here are 8 holiday gift ideas for the women in your life to help her with that investment . . .

1.  CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lip Color - This is just about the best lipstick I have tried (and I have tried many from mainstream brands to department store brands).  Lip Perfection lipstick would make a perfect stocking stuffer.  The color actually stays put so well, that I actually had to scrub to get it off at the end of the day.  It is currently available in 44 different shades and retails for just $6.50 each.  I put several shades on my wishlist for Santa this year.

2.  Oral-B ProfessionalCare 1000 Electric Toothbrush - This gift would actually be perfect for a man or a woman.  Once you go electric, you will not go back to a manual toothbrush because the difference is very apparent.  Without looking in the mirror, you know that your teeth and gums are cleaner just by the way they feel.  This powered toothbrush is rechargeable and retails for $74.99.  Through December 26th, 2011 you can take advantage of a $20 mail-in-rebate on select Oral-B electric toothbrushes.

3.  CoverGirl SmokyShadowBlast Eyeshadow and LashBlast Fusion Mascara Value Pack - This set retails for $9.98 and would be perfect as a stocking stuffer or a small gift for a teenage girl, who would be thrilled to receive some of the products they have seen on America's Next Top Model.

4.  Braun Satin Hair Active Ion Brush - This is no ordinary hairbrush.  It is actually powered and makes hair shiny, while removing any static and frizziness.  The active ions released by the brush protects the hair similarly to how a conditioner would.  This brush retails for $75 and is a unique gift that any woman would likely love to receive because she may not splurge to get it for herself.

5.  Crest 3D White 2-Hour Express Whitestrips - Having white teeth can be quite costly, so whitening kits would be a much-appreciated gift.  This new Crest Whitestrips product retails for $54.99 and gets the job done in two hours.  A box or two would make the perfect gift for a man or a woman who is busy and does not have a lot of time to spend on beauty regimens.

6.  Olay Pro-X Anti-Aging Starter Protocol - My own mother has requested anti-aging beauty products in the past for Christmas, her birthday, and on Mother's Day.  Retailing for $62, this is a gift that will remind the woman in your life that she is important and should take care of herself as much as she does her family.

7.  Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System - If she already has a smartphone and an iPad (and everything in between), this is a gadget she may not have.  It is a facial cleansing brush that would be great paired with any Olay anti-aging moisturizer.  This product retails for $29.99 and comes with the Olay Exfoliating Renewal Cleanser.

8.  Pampering Gift Sets - There are many gift sets offered at your local drugstore with products from her favorite brands, such as Olay.  These gift sets start at $9.99 and have everything she needs to pamper herself a bit.  Some specially marked boxes even include a one-year subscription to 1 of 6 beauty and fashion magazines.



Thank you to Procter & Gamble for providing complimentary product samples of select items featured in this article.