Send a Call From Santa

Know someone who could use a call from Santa? Then you need to check out SendACallFromSanta.com. This site lets you personalize and send a call from Santa to a loved one or friend. It's all free too! I just tried it out for my wife, and it is pretty cool! Go send a call from Santa to someone and brighten their day!

Stash Hotel Rewards - stay independent

Would you like the benefits of a hotel rewards program without the restrictions of having to use a specific hotel chain? Or maybe you just prefer staying at independent hotels because of the more meaningful experience they can offer. Whatever the reason, Stash Hotel Rewards offers a great new hotel rewards program for independent hotels. With their program, you can earn reward points to be redeemed at their independent hotels, from historic hotels to landmark hotels, all across the U.S.

Holiday Joy - free in-flight wifi

If you are flying home for the holidays, make sure you bring your laptop along, as you'll now be able to get free in-flight wifi on Delta, Airtran, and Virgin America airlines! From November 20th, 2010 through January 2nd, 2011 you'll get free internet on every single domestic flight with these three airlines. Who do we have to thank for this? Well, the all mighty Google! Check out the details here - FreeHolidayWiFi.com.

Calcmoolator - calculate anything financial

Wondering how the numbers would work out if you stay on unemployment versus get that part time job? Or want to calculate if it's worth buying that more expensive, yet much more efficient car? Well, you can calculate those as well as tons of other things with the Calcmoolator! So, as they put it, "Math is Hard, Calcmoolator is Easy!" So, if your parents or spouse won't let you get a dog because they think it's too expensive, now you can calculate it out and show them exactly what it will cost! Start calculating!

Squirrel Paperclips - yes, really...

Want to put a smile on your coworker's face? Then hand them your next report with one of these paperclips attached to it. Yep, I donno, people come up with and sell some of the craziest products. Who would have thought we needed a paperclip shaped like a squirrel. Apparently we do! If you are so inclined to buy, you can do so here!

Little Librarian - encourage your little reader

Does your child love going to the library and reading books? Well, now she can take it to the next level. With the Little Librarian kit, she can become her own librarian in her own library! What a great way to encourage reading, and the skills of organizing, sharing, borrowing, and returning. So, if you've got a budding librarian or reading enthusiast in your midst, you need to check this out (and you don't even have to return it or deal with late fees!).

Own an Island - your piece of the world

Ever thought about owning your own island? Well, Private Islands Online allows you to search and view private islands for sale across the world. And if your pockets aren't yet deep enough to purchase an island, you can search for island rentals as well. Hey, and if you're pockets still aren't deep enough (like mine!), you can check out the site and just have some fun daydreaming!

Cousins Camp - fostering family ties

Here's a pretty cool idea that I ran across. As many families live far away from each other, cousins don't often get to know each other very well. To foster family ties, work with your family members to create a Cousins Camp. Send your kids (cousins) to one of the family member's house for a few days, have structured activities, and let the kids bond. It also works well to send them to Cousins Camp at the grandparents house. This is a three way win - the cousins get to bond, the grandparents get to bond with their grandchildren, and the parents get much needed time to focus on their relationship with each other. However you do it, this is a great way to keep families close when they live far away!

Corn Maze - How they do it

Okay, I've received a few requests to find out and post how corn mazes are created, so here you go. After a little research, the mystery is solved. A maze is cut into the corn by a tractor with a GPS! No, it's not as simple as taking your GPS out of your car, throwing it on a tractor and heading off into the fields, but it's not that far off from it.

Basically, you plant your corn throughout the acreage you plan to use for the maze; usually doing it in double rows, so it's thicker for the maze. Then you use the special software program to design your maze and plug it into your GPS. Once the corn is a foot or two high, you can hook your GPS up to your tractor and have at it!

Prior to GPS, they would use a grid system in the field to create the maze. Yes, think back to those high school math classes. Glad we have GPS now! In case you feel like starting your own maze someday, you can check out these guys at Corn Mazes America. Thanks to them for helping me solve the mystery!

Pumpkin Patches And More - find one near you

Whether you're looking for a pumpkin patch, corn maze, hay ride, or any other type of Halloween fun, pumpkinpatchesandmore.org is your place to find it. It's not the prettiest looking site, but it has tons of listing all across the US, and 6 other countries (in case you're traveling?). Anyway, take your family on a hayride, enjoy some hot chocolate, and take a pumpkin home to carve. What better way to spend a day with the family!

LEGO Ice Tray - fun for snack time

Everybody knows LEGOs. And if you have a young child, he/she probably has bunches of them strewn all over the house. Well, to make it more fun, you can add this LEGO Ice Tray to your repertoire. It's a creative way to add more fun to snack time drinks, or you could even use it as a candy mold if you want to spice it up a bit. LEGOs aren't just for playtime anymore! 

VRBO - vacation rentals by owner

You may have noticed that I missed a couple of posts (Friday and Monday); that's because we needed some R&R, and we took off to Destin, FL. Every now and then we all need to unplug and get away. And that brings me to today's "Oh, Cool!" It's VRBO.com; a great site where you can book vacation rentals all over the world. And these vacation rentals aren't hotels or inns, these are folks 2nd homes/vacation homes that they are renting out to you. So, often for the same price or less of a hotel room, you can book a sweet house at the beach, or maybe a cozy cabin in the mountains. Whatever your preference, just be sure to take some time to get away and recharge every once in a while. 

And as a plug, if you're looking to go to Destin anytime soon, I know of a great house you can rent, and I may even be able to get you a deal! Check out this house - http://www.vrbo.com/161555. If you're interested, let me know!

Beer Garden - grow your own beer

I saw this and have to write about it, as my brother-in-law brews his own beer. This product, brought to you by the folks at ThinkGeek, allows you to grow your own hops/wheat/barley to use in your own beer brewing. So now, not only can people do all the brewing and fermenting, they can even grow the ingredients to put in the brew. This is perfect for my brother-in-law! And hey, I think he has a birthday coming up fairly soon! Do you know any beer brewing enthusiasts? If so, this might be a fun option for them too!

BlogTalkRadio - let yourself be heard!

Have you ever listened to the radio in the morning and thought, "I would love to be on the radio!"? Well, now with the help of BlogTalkRadio you actually can! Their website allows anyone and everyone the ability to host a live, internet radio show by simply using their telephone. So, whether you want to rant about college sports or talk politics, you can broadcast yourself to the world. Hey, or maybe you're tired of your local radio stations and want a change. BlogTalkRadio has preserved millions of conversations on their site for you to listen to. Their site even integrates with your social networks, so you can quickly tell the world what you're up to! Now get out there and start talking!

CrowdedInk - social media coffee mugs

Do you find yourself constantly hanging out on Facebook or tweeting with your friends on Twitter? If you just can't get enough of your friends online, now you can take them offline too! CrowdedInk has popped up to offer social media mugs. Basically, they'll take the profile pics of up to 184 of your friends and plaster them onto a coffee mug. That's a pretty cheery way to start your morning! They even have keychains, so you can take your friends with you wherever you go.

Red Box - $1 movie rentals

Are you still paying $5 or more for a movie rental? I've been a loyal Red Box fan for a couple years now, but I broke down and went to Blockbuster a couple weeks ago. It cost me $5.30 to rent ONE movie! I could rent 5 movies from Red Box for the price of one from Blockbuster! Now, that's a big potential savings. Haven't heard of Red Box? Well, they are basically a vending machine for DVD movie rentals. You'll find them outside drug stores and grocery stores typically. It's really easy, you simply search for the DVD you want on the screen, insert your credit card, and for just $1 it will give you DVD rental for one night. This is a great and cheap family or date night idea.

SendaBall - for every occasion

If you're looking for a cool gift idea that's a bit different, look no further. SendaBall will mail a fully-inflated 10" vinyl bouncy ball with your special message inscribed on it. And nope, there is no packaging; it is mailed "as is," so it's a site to see when it comes in the mail. My son actually received one a few months back from his aunt and uncle, and he loves playing with it! So, next time you need to cheer someone up with a fun gift mail them a ball and put a smile on their face when it comes in their mail.

FIKI Sports - tabletop games like never before

Remember the days of folding a sheet of paper into a triangle and flicking it through your buddy's outstretched fingers to score a field goal? I sure do, and that's why FIKI Sports caught my attention! FIKI - Flick It & Kick It - has taken table top games to a new level, with genunine leather game pieces and a replica playing surface. They have tabletop games for football, hockey, basketball, golf, baseball, and soccer. These games are great for adults and kids alike, especially when they are only about $9-10.

meetup - get involved with people nearby

Whether you're new to your area or you just want some more local social interaction, meetup is the way to make it happen. This site allows you to organize or join a local "meetup group" of people who meet face-to-face on a regular basis. It could be moms looking for playdate friends, ladies looking to discuss their latest romance book, or dog-lovers wanting to meet others who spoil their dogs. As they say, "life is short," so get out there and "do something, learn something, share something, change something!"

OpenTable - easy online restaurant reservations

Many of you have probably heard of OpenTable, but here's a little refresher because they are a really great resource for online restaurant reservations. My wife and I used it for the first time last weekend, and it was great. On their site, you can read reviews about local restaurants, make reservations at the one you like, and even earn reward points toward future meals! So, if you and your spouse need a nice meal out, check out OpenTable, and enjoy the no wait restaurant experience.