HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE GIVEAWAY - YOU COULD WIN OVER $2,000 WORTH OF ITEMS.

The holiday season is right around the corner and you may be looking for the perfect gift to give your friends or family. The Blogmania Dream Team 2011 is sponsoring a great Holiday Open House. There are over $2000 worth of prizes that will be given to one lucky winner.

There will be hundreds of $$ in Visa GCs and prizes – from companies such as Hefty, Waverly, Calgon, Challenge Butter, Hello Hanna, The Two Savvy Sisters, Webkinz JR, Scentsy, Mabel’s Labels, COLORCRAZED, CP Dock and an Oreck Edge Vacuum worth $799.99. I know that the vacuum would be great in my house.

So now how do you enter? I will tell you all about it, after I have shared some great gift ideas with you, and it involves a cookie cutter. How easy is that.

TEN COOL THINGS TO DO WITH A COOKIE CUTTER.

A simple cookie cutter doesn't seem like it would have many uses other than to cut out a cookie, but if you have a basket or drawer full of wonderfully shaped cookie cutters, don''t keep them stashed away for a day of baking. Break them out and use them for anything from decorating to childrens craft projects. We've put together several great ways to put your cookie cutters to good use all year round.

1. Use your favorite cookie cutters to decorate your kitchen. You can display them on a plate rail or mount them directly to the wall in a pattern for a bit of rustic, down-home charm. You might also consider suspending one or two in each window from a thin strand of wire or twine. If you have curtains in your kitchen, slip a cookie cutter onto each tie back. If you''re handy with tools, you can even use several cookie cutters to replace the current knobs on your kitchen cabinets.


2. Create a shadow box for your favorite cook and include a favorite recipe written in beautiful script, a cookie cutter, a few miniature utensils and whatever else strikes your fancy. This makes a wonderful house warming gift for someone who loves to bake.


3. The holidays give you lots of options for using cookie cutters creatively. Tie a single cookie cutter onto each present in place of a gift tag. Choose cookie cutters that represent the person receiving the gift. For example, try an apple cookie cutter for your child''s teacher, a megaphone for your cheerleader daughter and a cartoon favorite for your son.


If you're giving a plate of cookies to someone this holiday season, add a finishing touch that will make it truly unique. Wrap the cookies in cellophane and tie it with a bright bow. String a cookie cutter along with a card containing the recipe for the cookies so they can make more any time they like.


4. Don't just use your cookie cutters for cookies. Lie out some cookie cutters upside down on a cookie sheet and then pack them with fudge or Rice Krispy treats and allow to harden. When the candy is set just pop the cookie cutter full of yummy goodness into a bag and finish up with a ribbon. These are great party favors for a childrens party.


5. Decorate a holiday wreath with candy canes, cinnamon sticks, small measuring spoons and a few Christmas cookie cutters and then finish it off with a gingham bow for a sweet wreath that your friends will love.


6. You can use your cookie cutters in lots of way to entertain children. Simply stringing a few plastic cookie cutters on a length of soft ribbon gives you a cheerful rattle babies will love. As they grow older, teach them what each shape is as a learning tool. You can also keep a box or drawer filled with plastic cookie cutters for little fingers to play with while you''re cooking dinner.


7. Cookie cutters are wonderful for creative Play-Doh activities. Let your kids cut out their own set of animals, shapes and letters for hours of fun.


8. Cookie cutters are great for budding artists. Show your kids how to carefully trace around the outside edge of a cookie cutter and then fill in the details and color themselves.


9. Take cookie cutters to the beach. A stretch of wet sand is the perfect location to create sand art with an assortment of cookie cutters.


10. Make your kids extra-special pancakes for their birthday, Christmas or just because. When you have the pancake batter ready, pour it into a metal cookie cutter that''s been placed on the hot griddle. To prevent sticking, spray the edge and inside of the cookie cutter with a non-stick vegetable spray. Keep the cutter on just until the pancake batter is set but not completely cooked. Lift off the cookie cutter and flip the pancake. Your kids will love a plateful of Santa, kitten or dinosaur pancakes!Shop for unique cookies cutters at cheapcookiecutters.com. The site offers hard to find cutters for any occasion

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See what you can do with all the cookie cutters that are hidden in your kitchen drawers.



Starting 11/1/10 all members of the Dream team will publish a post on Holiday entertaining as it pertains to their blog’s niche. At the bottom of each of those posts, you will have the opportunity to join us and enter yourself in the giveaway to win over $2,000 in prizes. You could be selected to assist one blogger in being the Holiday Hostess with the MOSTESS this year!



The Rules-

1.  Write a holiday entertaining post and make sure that you include the button below in your post-

<a border="0" href="http://www.booksrusonline.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/jacquiblogger/ginaparkerblinky.gif" /> </a>

2. Please enter the Direct URL** to the post in the LINKY below.  You can enter once per day so you will have 10 chances to win. Contest ends on 11/10/10 at 12MN Eastern


** For all the rules click here.

HAVE FUN AND THANK YOU!!