The 2010 Holiday Barbie is a "Must Have" for Every Collector

I hate to admit it, but I'm actually older than Barbie. I got my first Barbie for my tenth birthday, and my mom sewed a wedding dress for her. (Mom wasn't really much for sewing, so it was a real labor of love.) My Barbie was a 1961 "Bubble Cut" model, much like this one, with the same red swimsuit and heels.

(Mine was a platinum blonde, though.)

I've never collected Barbies myself, although I certainly understand the appeal. And the 2010 is a beautiful girl.

If you're into Barbie, you might enjoy my Squidoo lens.

Mother's Birthstone Rings

Okay, gang, it's already September, and it will be Christmas before you know it. It's time to start planning, even if you don't actually do the shopping part yet.

One idea that I think is just great for Mom is a beautiful Mother's Birthstone Ring. It's even more special if all of you kids can go in together to get it for her, and, let's face it, that's going to take a little organization. Better start talking to your siblings now and see what they think.

For some ideas, take a look at my Squidoo lens, Mother's Birthstone Lens. (The pictured ring is available at Amazon.com

A Great Gift for That Serious Student

Have you got a serious student in your family? Or one that you wish was a little more serious? I think that this Common Sense mouse pad from Amazon.com is just the thing to keep that American History major right on track. 

For this and other gift ideas in the American History/Patriotic Americans category, you might enjoy some of the items on my Squidoo lens, Patriotic Quotes from Our Founding Fathers.

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

I've been wild about this book ever since I first read it. And I hear great things about it. Not being much of a cook, I can't say that I've actually tried it yet. But I will, I will. Probably. Eventually.

What's really holding me back is that I don't really have the proper equipment. Or room in the fridge to store the dough. Or, well, the ambition, actually.

But I love the IDEA of getting up every morning and popping a fresh batch of dough into the oven, and having fresh-baked, homemade rustic bread every day. I guess what I really want is to live with someone who bakes.

Nevertheless I think this book would make a great gift for someone who does bake, at least a little. The premise of the technique is that you mix a big batch of bread dough (only 4 ingredients for the basic model), right in the container that you're going to store it in. And then every day you chop off a chunk, let it rise for 20 minutes, and then slap it in the oven. (Rising and baking time doesn't count against your daily five minutes of active preparation.) The dough keeps for a good long while, and you don't even have to wash out the container between batches!

If you'd like to know more about this technique, I have a whole Squidoo lens dedicated to the book. There's even a little video by the authors where they demonstrate it.

I don't think there's a little girl alive who doesn't love unicorns. Some of us never quite get over it, either. I just love this pretty Winter Fairy on her Unicorn from Amazon.com.

Like unicorns? See more at my Squidoo lens, Unicorn Collectibles.