Jeff Presley from E-911 Dispatch sent these tips for driving in our little winter wonderland this weekend. Be safe!

Use slower acceleration and slower speeds. Avoid heavy steering and braking. Allow extra time to reach your destination during inclement weather. It is not worth putting your own life or the lives of others in danger to save time.

Drive with your headlights on.
Don’t get overconfident with four-wheel drive. It won’t help you stop any faster.
Winter road conditions often result in longer stopping distances. Give yourself room. If you have anti-lock brakes, press the pedal down firmly and hold it. If you don’t have anti-lock brakes, gently pump the pedal.
Slow down when approaching intersections, off-ramps, bridges or shady spots. These all have potential to develop black ice.
Avoid abrupt actions while steering, braking or accelerating to lessen your chance of losing control.
Look farther ahead in traffic. Actions by other drivers will alert you to problems and give you extra reaction time.
Trucks take longer to stop. Don’t cut in front of them.
Avoid using cruise control or overdrive. Don’t let your car make a bad decision for you.
What to Pack…
Jumper cables to restart engine
Cat litter or sand for tire traction on snow and ice
Shovel to scrape snow away from tires
Ice scraper to clear windshield
Warm clothes gloves, a hat, sturdy boots, warm jacket and even a change of clothes
Blankets to keep warm inside the vehicle
Flashlights and extra batteries for increased visibility
First aid kit also pack necessary medications incase you are stuck on the road
Food pack items containing protein such as nuts and energy bars, also canned fruit and a portable can opener are good additions
Water bring enough for each person in your car and any pets
AM/FM radio to listen to traffic reports and emergency messages
Also consider…

Bring a cell phone if you have one with a list of emergency numbers.
Fill your gas tank
Baby formula and diapers if you have a small child.
If you find yourself stranded, be safe and stay in your car, put on your flashers, call for help and wait until it arrives.

This is one of the kindest things you may ever see. It is not known who replied, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter office of the US postal service. My friend Anna passed this along to me. She knew we had lost our beloved Petie a few months ago and thought it would bring me comfort. It did. If you have lost a pet, I hope you find that same comfort.

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey.. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:

Dear God,
Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.
I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.
Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, ‘To Meredith’ in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, ‘When a Pet Dies..’ Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey &Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. Abbey isn’t sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don’t need our bodies in heaven, I don’t have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by. Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I’m easy to find, I am wherever there is love.

Love,
God

Today would have been Elvis’ 75th birthday. We’re celebrating it all weekend on The Mix by playing your favorite Elvis tunes. Text the initials TCB and your request to 77000 and then listen all weekend. ( Standard Messaging Rates Apply)

The newly engaged Carrie Underwood is trying her hand at acting!
The country singer –who became engaged to NHL player Mike Fisher over the holidays — will be appearing on the CBS show How I Met Your Mother, playing a mysterious pharmaceutical sales rep named Tiffany who becomes a love interest for Ted (Josh Radnor), People.com reports. The episode is scheduled to air in March.

Tonight is the season premiere of THE BACHELOR: ON THE WINGS OF LOVE (7p on ABC) — Airline pilot Jake Pavelka, who was rejected by Bachelorette Jillian Harris, gets a chance to hand out the roses himself. In the 2-hour premiere, Jake meets the 25 bachelorettes and Jillian and Ed help Jake eliminate 10 women.

Shania Twain made a triumphant homecoming to her hometown of Timmins, Ontario, Canada on New Years Day where she carried the Olympic torch and then lit the community cauldron. It’s said it was so cold at -35 C with the windchill that a giant screen set up for the event wouldn’t work.

Carrie Underwood — soon to be Carrie Underwood Fisher — was spotted Monday sporting her new engagement ring, as she watched her fiancé, Mike Fisher of the NHL’s Ottowa Senators, take on the Boston Bruins. Mike, the country star’s beau of more than a year, popped the question over the weekend.

Oh man, the suits involved in the upcoming ’Valentine’s Day’ movie aren’t going to be one bit happy about this.

According to Us Magazine Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner are no longer Taylor squared or Taylor x2 or TayTay or any of those other cutesie names all us bloggers liked coming up with and have reportedly went their separate ways.

“It wasn’t really developing into anything, and wasn’t going to, so they decided they were better as friends,” a source close to Swift, 20, tells US. “There was no chemistry, and it felt contrived.”

Darn, super sad face.

So what could have done in the too-cute pair? Apparently the puppy love was a little stronger on the werewolf side of things.

However, the relationship officially fizzled when Lautner, 17, flew to Nashville for Swift’s birthday party on Dec. 13, a friend of the singer reveals.

“He liked her more than she liked him,” the source tells Us. “He went everywhere he could to see her, but she didn’t travel much to see him.”

So if the Swift-half of the duo did the breaking up does that mean that no good songs will be coming out of this relationship?

It’s the final week of 2009 and everyone is talking about their New Years Resolutions going into 2010. I am no different. However, this year, I’m not calling my list one of “resolutions”, I’m calling it my lists of “Hopes” for 2010. I’d love to hear yours so feel free to leave your comments below. Happy New Year!

In 2010 I hope to:

1) Learn to shut my kid’s bedroom doors instead of complaining about it being messy.

2) Stop rushing through life and enjoy the ride.

3) Learn to say the word NO and stick to it!

4) Be a positive influence on my children.

5) Be a cheerleader for my teammates at work.

6) Pray more.

7) Eat healthier.

Save money for vacation.

9) Make as many people smile as possible.

10) Go on a trip with my high school girl friends.

Chocolate Crackers

Ingredients:
Saltine Crackers ( 2 sleeves)
2 sticks Butter
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
Chocolate Chips
Take a cookie sheet…line with foil…spray with non-stick spray…I like the butter flavor. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Lay one sleeve of crackers flat on cookie sheet. Mix together 1/2 cup brown sugar and 2 sticks of butter… melt in the microwave about a minute. Stir and pour over crackers. Bake @ 350 degrees for 5 minutes…don’t let them go longer than 5 min. or it ruins them

( Only use half of the butter and brown sugar mixture) use the other half on another batch. )

Take out and pour about a half a bag of chocolate chips on and spread with a fork Refridgerate until hard… take out and break like toffee in pieces..very yummy!!! My family likes pecans so I sprinkle chopped pecans on them as well.