You've spent hours getting your favorite music into iTunes, your iPod is synched up and ready to rock your world. Yet, when you get in your car, you still listen to top 40 radio. Aacckk! You can change that scenario by finding out how to use your iPod with your car's stereo. Here's the scoop, with a little reward at the end.

I learned something really important this week about blogging and I'm going to share this knowledge with you. Ready... Just because you have a lot to say about something doesn't mean the blog post will be easy to write. Having a lot to say about something can make it pretty darn difficult to blog. My difficult topic of the day: Christmas stockings. That's right. I'm having one heck of a time writing a post about the Christmas stockings I've known and loved. I have too much to say and not enough time or space. Forgive me if I muddle it all up and let me just start at the beginning.

It's almost that time of year again--"The Holidays"--and whether you celebrate Christmas (the cultural or the religious variety), Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, Pancha Ganapati, or any other lovely holiday that I've neglected to mention, gifts are probably involved. In my opinion friends, it's time to get your craft on!Crafting gifts expresses care, makes a smaller impact on our world and our wallets, and just generally makes a person feel hygge. How does crafting promote soulcare?

My family is German. My grandmother always made holiday stollen, which is bread filled with raisins, jellied fruits, cinnamon and other spices.

When I was a little girl, my mother faithfully included my brother and me in the holiday giving by having us make something for our grandparents. Often, these gifts were handmade Christmas ornaments. Some years, they were lovely. Some years, they were hideous. Every year, they seemed to involve glitter (was my mother a glutton for punishment?) But it demonstrated an important lesson to me--kids are part of the family, too. And, more importantly, Christmas giving is more important that just Christmas getting. It's easy for kids to lose sight of that.

I turned my clocks back Saturday night, resigning myself to the too-soon-dark evenings that are a daily reminder that winter is here. With these darker nights come more time snuggled on the couch knitting, crocheting or embroidering. And the perfect item to work on at the beginning of winter? HATS. Hats can dress up a dreary winter outfit, change the look of a too-often worn coat, and keep your head warm and dry. A pretty hand-made hat is also a great way to show one's crafty skills. So lets take a look at winter hats: Making a great winter hat

With a modicum of luck, the 2008 election season will end tomorrow. That said, I've been wondering what on earth I will do to fill the time formerly consumed by election obsessing, and now I have the answer: I can obsess over the holidays. Whether there's a certain special conservative feminist or liberal feminist in you life, what are the perfect gifts in these economically challenging times?

Virginia recently posted a comment on Nordette's post about collections that said something like "what about things people collect FOR you"... and I could relate to that. People have always collected things for me, usually because I make the mistake of telling them that I like "something". I am somewhat afraid that this is what is about to happen to me and pumpkins.

There's something strange about a holiday where the craft projects center on the animal that you're about to consume to show your thankfulness. It seems a little cruel, no? Big fat dead turkey in the center of the table surrounded by preschool-versions of happy turkeys, oblivious to their fate, created out of handprints and construction paper. I think it's sort of time to get beyond the hand turkey.

For those of us who will peddle push our way to the polls it is an exciting time. Many people want to take their daughters, sons and grandchildren to witness the most dramatic and unpredictable election in recent American history. Before I begin, I need to give an ancestral shout out to Mrs. Ida B. Wells-Barnett. Ida's career included being an homemaker, teacher, writer, pamphleteer (pre-Internet print based blogger) and journalist.

Liz and Rehabber's Rehab writes about their decision to replace their old windows. Always a controversial topic among DIY bloggers. Christine at Front Porch Indiana shows off her fabulously organized craft room.

How are your plans coming along for this year's Halloween festivities? Last year I did a roundup of great ideas for celebrating Halloween, and good Halloween ideas certainly never go out of style. But people who love Halloween also love trying new things for Halloween, so here are some more fantastic Halloween ideas I've spotted.