Candle Scents for the Whole Family

My wife is nuts about candles. We have candles in every room of the house and in our doghouse. "They add ambience and give off a lovely scent" is her explanation for her fixation. Well, so do I, but you don't have to light me to get the effect. And some of these candles are so pricey, I'm going to need a second job to pay for them!

I do agree with her about the aromas. Have you ever wandered about the candle shops at the mall and marveled at the variety? The combination of all the scents from all those candles must be what Heaven smells like, or some old lady's closet.

Who can resist the delightful "Black Cherries and Buttermilk" scent? Or my favorite, "Cinnamon and Black Forest Watermelon"? Whoever thinks up these flavors has got one fine tuned nose. Who would have thought of "MacIntosh apple pie and Cilantro"? Not Me!

No, if I were running one of these Hoi Polloi candle companies, the scents would be more manly, like "Leather wallet on a hot humid Day", "This is the laundry detergent that gives you a rash on your butt", or my personal favorite, "Running over Dog Poo with the Lawnmower".

In the kitchen, you would find a whole row of candles with names like "This is roast beef, not Hamburger Helper" or "This candle, like your coffee, smells better than it tastes". Less popular scents might be "Burnt Pizza Cheese in your oven" or "Nasty Garbage Disposal".

You know about teenagers. Their rooms can stink. Simply light a "Spilled soda and soggy Doritos" candle to cover that odor right up! I understand that the popular "Skittles and Iced Tea" candles have been discontinued. I can remember several instances where a "This is incense, not Mary Jane you are smelling" would have come in handy for the boys.

My trio of cats would just adore a "Little Friskies and Bologna" candle near their litter box. They have been complaining about cat box odor of late, and that would shut them up. I just know the dog is lying there dreaming about "Kibble and Cat Crap", two of his favorite foods.

The point is, the scented candle market is big business these days, with a scent to fill every wish. I just wish I didn't need to get a paper route before work to pay for them all.

longwoodmarkets.com is an online store that specializes in items that bring back memories of days gone by. Aside from a large selection of candles and lanterns for both indoors and outdoors, we have birdhouses, planters, hammocks and whimsical figurines to decorate your patio and garden. Visit us at http://longwoodmarkets.com/

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Awesomely Fun Backyard Games For The Whole Family

As summer approaches, everyone in the family wants to get outside and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. It's time to grab everyone up and head out to the fresh air where the sun is shining and there's no television. There are a lot of fun backyard games that can be enjoyed for the whole family. Research shows that kids are more likely to be active when the parents are active. This means you need to get out there with your kids and show them how to have a ridiculously good time.

When the weather gets especially hot, there is always the swimming pool. Regardless of whether you've got an in-ground pool or an above-ground pool, there are tons of fun games that are a blast to play in the pool. This includes such things as:

- Diving sticks
- Marco polo

Water balloons are also a guaranteed way for everyone to have a lot of fun outside. Whether it's an out and out battle of tag or a friendly balloon toss, everything can be more fun with water balloons. Fill up dozens of them, run around and try to stay dry.

Slip and slides are some of the most fun backyard games you could possibly ask for. These don't require a lot of space in the yard and a simple garden hose attached to it will provide all the necessary water. With a strong running start, flop down on your belly and see who can get down the path the furthest. Everyone will have a blast seeing who can make it the farthest.

Not a lot of props are needed and water isn't even necessary to have a good time. Sometimes it is just about being together and being a little athletic. With a hop ball for everyone and a good amount of space in the backyard, more games can be made up as well. With a little imagination, a variety of games can be implemented including:

- Hop races
- Human checkers

All it takes is a few props and a strong imagination to make some fun backyard games for the whole family to participate in. Whether everyone's jumping into the pool or hopping around on a ball, the important thing is that everyone is outside together, enjoying each other's company. With some liquid chalk or streamers, you can create boundaries, tic tac toe boards and lots of other things to create some competitions and other fun games. Add a little water and you can have fun and stay cool at the same time, too.

Bianca Bowman found great beach and outdoor kid's toys and games that turned their backyard into a magical playground. Lillian Vernon has a variety of personalized toys and gifts including kids flip flops, water bottles and much more.

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