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See if you can figure out, which movie goes with each lesson. Answers at the bottom (no peeking).

1. If you stick your tongue to a pole during winter, it will stick.

2. January snow tastes better than December Snow.

3. Candy, candy canes, candy corn and maple syrup are all part of a balanced diet.

4. If you scare an old tight wad enough, he’ll buy presents for everyone.

5.  Never feel you don’t matter, random angels will appear!

6. It’s perfectly normal to gain 100 pounds in a few weeks.

7. Don’t let your in-laws dump raw sewage down your storm drain.

8. There’s nothing wrong with believing in Santa Claus.

9. If you send a letter to the New York Sun asking if there is a Santa Clause, you’ll get a response in the paper.

10. Regardless of how bad things get. Christmas miracles do happen.

Answers: (did ya peek?)

1. A Christmas Story, 2. Merry Christmas Charlie Brown, 3. Elf, 4. A Christmas Carol, 5. It’s a Wonderful Life, 6. The Santa Claus, 7. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, 8. Miracle on 34th Street, 9. Yes. Virgina There Is A Santa Claus,  10. All Christmas Movies

Remember it’s not too late to send a Gift Card to someone you love!

Tiffany another Central Kentucky blogger, posted up her Christmas Survey. I thought I would post and complete the same survey as well. You may learn some things about me you could have lived without knowing. Na, not that creepy. It’s Christmas, and there’s nothing scary about Christmas. If you complete the same survey post back a link to yours in my comments.

1. Have you started your Christmas shopping?
We’re finished. Heather and I, plus friends battled Fayette Mall Saturday and got it all finished!

2. Tell me about one of your special traditions.
My wife and I collect Hallmark Ornaments. Each year we buy each other two. Read about two of my favorites.

3. When do you put up your tree?
We put up the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. Turkey Day weekend is usually with our families.

4. Are you a Black Friday shopper?
I did it once, only to learn: I’d never do it again. The story involves a Wal-mart and people nearly getting into a shuffle over a car stereo. It ends well. But lessons were learned.

5. Do you travel at Christmas or stay home?
We do travel. We rotate Thanksgiving/Christmas between families.

6. What is your funniest Christmas memory?
Sitting and watching old family movies at Christmas. Realizing how big of a geek I was as a kid. My wife says I’m still a geek.

7. What is your favorite Christmas movie of all time?
It’s a toss up between National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story. We watch both each year, at least once.

8. Do you do your own Christmas baking and what’s your favorite treat?
Each year my wife, my brother and I make Bourbon Balls. We generally only use Kentucky Bourbon. Jim Beam, Makers Mark, Wild Turkey to name a few. You could say we’re “Kentucky Proud.”

9. Fake or real tree?
Fake. Hopefully when we get a house, we’ll get a real tree.

10. What day does the actual panic set in to get it all done?
No need to panic! The tree will get put up, the presents will get wrapped and the kids will get feed. Yea, I know. I got that from a 80’s Anti Christmas Anxiety Public Service Announcement. I try not to panic if all possible.

11. Are you still wrapping presents on Christmas Eve?
If I’m that late, it’s not a good sign. But yes, I have before.

12. What is your favorite family fun time at Christmas?
Watching Christmas specials and movies with family. Opening presents is nice too.

13. What Christmas craft do you like the best?
Are bourbon balls considered a craft? When I was a kid, we did glitter covered pine cones. Usually ended up with glitter and glue on my hands and clothes. But I don’t think I’ve made any since then.

14. Christmas music, yes or no? If yes, what is your favorite song?
Yes. Too many to choose from. But if I had to, it would be. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”. James Taylor does a great job of it.

15. When do you plan on finishing your shopping?
Last weekend.

Back when I lived in Lexington Kentucky, I had digital cable. With digital cable, I had access to thousands of video clips through Starz On Demand. It was pretty neat. They had a ton of movies and content for no extra charge. I remember a series of clips available through the service called “30 Second Bunnies.” 30 Second Bunnies is an animated series of shorts featuring bunnies (duh). Most of the shows were 30 second parodies of popular movies. While surfing around today, I found a clip where they re-enacted one of my Christmas favorites “A Christmas Story.” You know the one: “You’ll shoot your eye out!”

There is also a parody of one of my other favorite holiday movies: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Creator of 30 Second Bunnies: http://www.angryalien.com

More 30 Second Bunnies Clips On YouTube

Today, I thought I would share with you something on my desk at work. While everyone else in my office, has pictures and coffee mugs. I have toys. No secret. If you’ve read my blog, you know I’m a big kid at heart. One toy I keep on my desk is a Cube World Cube set. I received them as a Christmas gift a few years ago. They’re little electronic cubes with small LCD screens. When activated the screen comes to life with little fictional stick-figure characters.

Each cube has a different personality. Apart the cubes have lives of their own. But when put together they interact with each other. If more than two cubes are put together a full block party will occur. There are over 100 animations per cube. The cubes are joined together by magnets. I’ve had my set for a few years and haven’t replaced the batteries.

The two cubes, I have are Sparky (the fireman) and Toner (the office guy). Ever so often I’ll reach over and press the button on Toner. He’ll wake up and photo-copy his little stick figure butt. Then I’ll wake up Sparky, who sometimes passes gas. Then the pair will see each other and start their little game. Sometimes they play baseball. Sometimes they just wave at each other. If you’re lucky, you’ll see the one open up a door and join the other.

They do make for a interesting conversation piece. Most people who have seen them, have ask what they are. The last office I was in, people would ask “What’s Toner and Sparky up too?” I would just reply with “Why don’t ya see for yourself.” I don’t play with them often. But I would like to get more, just to see what all they do together. I think they make a great office gift.

I’m a big fan of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. We watch that movie at least once, every holiday season. One of my favorite parts of the movie is the scene where Clark finally gets the Christmas lights working. The whole family is gathered out on the front lawn and lined up. Clark is hugging everyone and nearly crying. Snuck in, at the end of the line is his redneck brother in-law’s family, The Johnson’s. Clark completely unaware of their presence, hugs Eddie (the brother in-law) and goes into shock.

Eddie introduces the family and has the dog “Snots” run out of the RV. There it is the RV. The Johnson Family RV. Not sure of the year, make and model. I wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t something built by Wagon Queen. The infamous fictional maker of the Family Truckster used in the first vacation movie. But it makes me laugh every-time I see it. The RV is featured several times in the film. You gotta love Eddie’s explanation of the how he got the RV.

Clark: So, when did you get the tenament on wheels?
Eddie: Oh, that uh, that there’s an RV. Yeah, yeah, I borrowed it off a buddy of mine. He took my house, I took the RV. It’s a good looking vehicle, ain’t it?
Clark: Yeah, it looks so nice parked in the driveway.
[Raises class to his mouth]
Eddie: Yeah, it sure does. But, don’t you go falling in love with it now, because, we’re taking it with us when we leave here next month.
[Clark nearly chokes on his drink]

I’ve decided in honor of the 20th anniversary of the film, that I would try to recreate Eddie’s RV in Lego blocks. Using the DesignByMe software provided by Lego, I did just that! I didn’t go into huge detail. But I tried to stick as closely to the color scheme as possible. You can check out how my project turned out. I also have attached a link to where you can download the DesignByMe project file. I’ve also uploaded it to my Lego profile. However it is still pending approval from Lego at this time. Happy Holidays

Download: DesignByMe - Eddie's RV (108)

IMDB Quotes: Christmas Vacation

Last year my wife Heather and I started a new tradition. We bought some Lego pull back cars to play on the kitchen floor at my grandmother’s house. My brother also got in on the action. The three of us sat in the living room floor at first and assembled our kits. We kept taunting each other as to who was going to win the first race. You would have thought we were all three and four years old (we’re in our 20s and 30s).

We completed our kits. Now it was time to prove who had the fastest cars. We lined them all up near the stove and let them fly into the dinning room. Then someone crashed and gave us another idea. We then lined up on opposite sides of the room and proceeded to crash into them into each other. Parts went everywhere.

Everyone dashed to get their parts back and rebuilt their cars. For hours we built and rebuilt our cars, crash after crash. We even got to where we would swap parts for custom builds. Each build lead to a new name for the car.

This year we decided to repeat this event with new cars. We found them under the Lego Racers: Power Racers Series (gallery below). Ordered them all from Amazon. We also ordered a Lego City Advent calendar to help count down to race/crash day, I mean Christmas! Each day you build a new holiday themed City mini-model. As we build them we’ll post up pictures if we can.

Are you looking for a direct way to contact Santa? Would you like Santa to know what you’re wanting for Christmas? Well look no further than http://www.directlytosanta.com! Just go to the previous link and click ‘Send Santa A Letter’ and fill out the form to send Santa your Christmas wishes. Santa will send you a letter back as soon as he can. If you would like your letter to be visible on the website just check the box before you submit your letter. You can also stay up to date on the status of the north pole,  Santa’s workshop, Santa’s reindeer team and more on Santa’s Place blog! Spread the word! Santa is coming to your email box!

Special edition holiday Lego kits are starting to pop-up. The Brothers Brick Blog featured Lego’s new Winter Toy Shop kit. Kit #10199 features a mini-fig scaled winter wonderland toy shop with victorian style architecture. Inside the shop is filled with toys and tools. The building extras, include a town Christmas tree, snow man, gas lights and different mini-figures to complete the scene. The kit also includes rare/hard to find bricks such as the tan tiles, light fx, and 1×2x3x windows. I think it would look perfect under the tree with a Lego holiday train.

Lego Fans, If you’re looking for a neat way to count down the holidays then Lego has the solution! 2009 Lego Advent Calendars are available for City and Pirates themes. As with regular advent calendars, each day between December 1st – 24th you revel a treat. The treats in this case are Lego mini-kits! You can check out all the stuff mentioned in today’s article from the links below.

Winter Toy Shop
http://shop.lego.com/ByTheme/Product.aspx?p=10199

City Theme Advent Calendar
http://shop.lego.com/Product/?p=7687

Pirates Theme Advent Calendar
http://shop.lego.com/product/?p=6299