Top Resolutions

This morning we had callers guess the top three New Years Resolutions according to Women's Day Magazine. They were -

• Losing Weight
• Getting Organized
• Saving Money or Getting Out of Debt

Congratulations to Lydia from Oak Forest for guessing correctly!!

New Year's Traditions Around the World

NEW YEAR TRADITIONS
This morning Justin and I mentioned some New Year's Traditions from around the globe. However you celebrate your New Year, please be safe and have fun!!

United States -- Probably the most famous tradition in the U.S. States is the dropping of the New Year ball in Times Square, New York City, at 11:59pm. The tradition first began in 1907. The original ball was made of iron and wood; the current ball is made of Waterford Crystal, weighs 1,070 pounds, and is six feet in diameter.

Spain -- The Spanish ritual on New Year's Eve is to eat twelve grapes at midnight. The tradition is meant to secure twelve happy months in the coming year.

The Netherlands -- The Dutch burn bonfires of Christmas trees on the street and launch fireworks. The fires are meant to purge the old and welcome the new.

Greece -- In Greece, New Year's day is also the Festival of St. Basil, one of the founders of the Greek Orthodox Church. One of the traditional foods served is Vassilopitta, or St Basil's cake. A silver or gold coin is baked inside the cake. Whoever finds the coin in their piece of cake will be especially lucky during the coming year.

Winter Wonderland @ Faith Church

Producer Adam, DJ E and I hung out at Faith Church in Dyer, IN on Wednesday night for their Winter Wonderland. We had a great time broadcasting live and giving away CDs and t-shirts to the HUGE crowd!!

Faith Church hosted the event as a community outreach - there was face painting, cookie decorating (as you can see below), bounce houses, and so much more. For more info about Faith church visit their website - www.faithchurchonline.org

Thanks to my friend Lisa (and fellow avid reader) for the great pictures!!

Oreo Visits

This morning Oreo, the official mascot of the Rise and Shine Morning Show, stopped by to see us. Not only is she adorable, but very friendly as well. She got all dolled up for the occasion - with Christmas bows in her hair and a t-shirt declaring her the "official mascot of the Rise & Shine Morning Show."

River Valley Pregnancy Resource Center

This morning Rhonda and Janet from the River Valley Pregnancy Resource Center joined us as we continued our book club discussion. Tina Zahn, the author of Why I Jumped experieinced two abortions in college, which was one of the contributors to her postpartum depression.

The Resource Center provides help for young mothers and fathers, free pregnancy testing, as well as post abortion counseling. You can reach them at:

815-802-9917
www.rivervalleyprc.org

They are located at:

200 N Washington Ave
Suite 120
Bradley, IL 60915

Micheal Weiss, Figure Skater

Johnny and I talked to professional figure skater Michael Weiss this morning. He will be part of the Capital One Holiday Celebration on Ice, which will be airing on NBC 5 at 1:30 on Christmas Day.

He was the first guy to do the "Tornado," which is a backflip with a full twist.

He gave me some skating advice (considering I am a TERRIBLE ice skater). I spend most of the time on the ice - on my face!! He said to keep my knees bent with my hands out because when I fall (not if I fall, but when I fall) my hands can catch me (if you fall back, your head can catch you!! ouch!!)

New Years Resolutions w/ Women's Health

Today Johnny and I talked with Deanna Michaelopolis, editor of Women's Health Magazine about New Year's Resolutions. Deanna believes we shouldn't wait until New Year's Day to begin a diet, she suggests checking out some books now. One of those book is:

THE SONOMA DIET
By Connie Guttersen, R.D., Ph.D.

This diet (and all the other ones listed on their website), include a list of pros and cons.

A complete list of books is available at:
www.womenshealthmag.com

And Johnny suggested another diet:
THE SOUTH BEACH DIET
which says your plate should be:
1/3 Lean Protien
1/3 Veggies
1/3 Whole Grains

The Rise & Shine Morning Show w/ Charlie Brown???

I've always heard that when something continually reoccurs in your life it's because God is trying to tell you something. What he's trying to say to Johnny, I don't know - but there has been a reoccurring theme on the Morning Show.

Every morning Johnny does use the Charlie Brown theme as a music bed while we talk, but that's just the beginning! Early this week we got a Christmas card with a personal note to Johnny. It said they saw that card (a Charlie Brown theme) and thought of him!!

Then we were doing the Early Morning Name that tune and someone called in and said it was the Charlie Brown Theme - it wasn't. It got weirder when I drew a card for the 12 Days of Christmas. It had Snoopy on the front. The craziness reached "truly bizarre" status when that person didn't call in and I had to draw another one - guess who was on the front of that one?? LUCY!!!

So, maybe you can tell us what's going on!! Until then, I thought we'd change our Morning Show Logo to this:

A Tribute to Producer Adam

Roses are Red,

Violets are Blue,

You answer our phones,

And make us laugh, too!!!

Bizzare Family Traditions

I love my extended family! We like to have lots of fun - and take nothing seriously. That's probably why we have some odd family traditions. My wonderful Grandma, who tries so hard to make holidays special - she bakes up a storm.

Well, folklore says that my uncle, the big jokester, changed the name of one of my Grandma's famous holiday treats. Their real name is "Chocolate Covered Logs," but that's not what my family calls them! Maybe you can guess - here's my daughter eating one...

I thought you may like the recipe, so you can share this yummy treat with your family:

Chocolate Covered Logs ("Turds")
1 C Dates (cut them finely, the pre-cut ones are chewier)
1 C Powdered Sugar
2 Tbsp Melted Butter
1 C Peanut Butter
1 C Rice Krispies

Mix all ingredients with hands. Shape into balls or logs. Dip in 1 bag of melted Chocolate Chips. (You can add up to one square paraffin to make shinier).

Johnny Plays Joseph

My family and I went with Johnny's wife to see their churches Christmas Musical. It was really a great experience - it reminded me of a cantata. They sang, we sang, we all laughed at the little kids that preformed!

One of the highlights was Johnny playing Joseph for a duet. According to his wife, he thinks it's kind of silly to see people dressed in bathrobes playing bible characters - so what did he do - dressed like a bible character. He didn't have a bathrobe on, but you can see the homemade outfit...

Wrigleyville Fire House

Johnny and I have a special place in our hearts for Wrigleyville - Johnny being a die-hard Cubs fan and me having gone to Cubs game as a kid. Actually, my great-grandma Marian is a HUGE Cubs fan (maybe bigger than Johnny). She had a big screen TV before they were cool - so she could see her Cubbies!!!

On that note...

This morning Johnny and I chatted with Karen Kruse, author of A Chicago Fire House: Stories of Wrigleyville's Engine 78. Her father was a Chicago Fireman for 30 years and this book was written in his honor.

Check out her website:
www.achicagofirehouse.com

She will autograph your copy of the book - especially if you are a fireman!!

Last Night at Coldstone

So, it has nothing to do with this morning' show, but I just have to share the picture of my bible study's Christmas Party last night at Coldstone Creamery. It's kind of an unwritten rule that at least every couple of months we visit our favorite ice cream shop!

Last night I enjoyed their Candy Cane Ice Cream with Oreos, Walnuts, and Whipped Cream. It was awesome - I highly recommend it!! Karla tried something besides cake batter (we were really proud of her) Johhny's wife - Natalie tried the Pumpkin - kind of interesting!! Lori (our choc-a-holic) created a new mix of dark chocolate ice cream with fudge and chocolate pieces and whipped topping!

Front (Left to Right): Lori, Becca, Amie, Lauren

Back (Left to Right): Ketly, Natalie, Ryanne, Karla, & me

Abbie's Favorite Guest Returns

Today we talked (again) to Catherine Cassidy from the Taste of Home Magazine and Cookbook. I have enjoyed cooking from this cookbook since I got it in November! Natalie (Johnny's wife) has been cooking like crazy from it, too. Some of my favorite recipies are the Custard Pie and Shredded Beef French Dip - among many others!!

We gave away a copy of the cookbook to Lori from Bourbonnais. She told us about their favorite Christmas recipie - an orange yeast bread (that they decorate and give to friends).

KC-CASA

Today Johnny and I talked to Holly from the Kankakee County Center Against Sexual Assult. She gave us some great information about the resources available to women and men who have been abused or their loved ones. I was surprised to find out that 1 in 4 kids are sexaully abused. The one predictor she mentioned was that it is often a step parent that will abuse.

For more information, you can contact KC-CASA:

657 East Court St
Kankakee, IL
815-932-7273
815-932-3322 (24 hour crisis hotline)

kccasa@keynet.net
http://www.kenet.net/~kccasa/

What Women Really Want for Christmas

The long awaited list has finally been posted!! This is the list Johnny and I compiled from your nomination of the things women want for Christmas - so guys take note! You may even want to print it off and have your wife highlight off of it!

Whatever you do PLEASE take note of number 26, it's the most important one on there!!!

1. Anything With Jewelry
2. Tickets To See “Wicked”
3. Hour Long Massage (no strings attatched!!)
4. Mother’s Ring
5. Tickets to Michael W. Smith at Star Plaza
6. Exercise Video-“only if she asks for it”
7. Perfume for date night
8. Shopping in right mind set
9. Motel night alone
10. fuzzy slippers flannel PJs
11. Pedometer
12. Watch
13. Camera Lens
14. Waffle Iron
15. Spa Certificate
16. Palm Pilot
17. Sheets of Egyptian Cotton (twin)
18. Elliptical Trainer
19. Gift Certificate for Makeup
20. Automatic Car Starter
21. Asian Box Turtle (well, I do anyway)
22. Jeremy Camp and Hawk Nelson “House of Blues” Tickets
23. A Husband
24. New Cabinets
25. Workout Equipment
26. ****APPLIANCES WOMEN DON’T WANT (Irons, Blenders, Kitchen appliances in general)
27. Son Home For Christmas
28. betablast

Top 3 Most Stolen Items

Johnny and I asked for the top 3 most stolen items. We got some interesting guesses (which lead to a short tirade over-priced razors), but the real answers are:

3. Clothing

2. Athletic Shoes

and finally - the item we said is not edible, but some parents will make their kids eat it (or a by-product of it) as a punishment,

1. Cigarettes - YUCK!!

Producer Matt Visits

My favorite producer stopped by today - woohoo - it's Producer Matt!!

He stopped by with Breakfast Burritos from McDonalds! That's only half the reason we love having him stop by. Currently, he's managing Papa John's in Ottawa (Johnny's home town).

This is his favorite picture of himself: :)

Christmas Music Guide

The Big Hurt told Johnny and I a few gift ideas for the music lovers in your life - especially if they request secular music.

They request: Justin Timberlake
You can Buy: jontez, Brian Littrell

They Request: Eminem
You can Buy: Manafest, Lyracist

They Request: Green Day
You can Buy: Hawk Nelson, Stellar Kart, Eleventy Seven

Man Baby Bag???

Okay, just when I thought Johnny couldn't find anything weirder, he surprised me again!! This time it's a diaper bag for guys made out of tires!! Yes, tires! What's up with that? As if guys don't spend enough time with their cars, now they are taking a little piece of their car with them!!

For $119, I think it's a little steep (and ugly), but I'll let you decide for yourself:

http://www.passchal.com/

Cutest Kids in the Play

My 3 beautiful (or as my 4-year old would say "Pretty" and "Boy Pretty") kids starred in their church musical this weekend.



It began with Hunter in Miracle on Main Street. He had a solo:

On Sunday night Ryan was recognized with the other newborns for celebrating his 1st Christmas:

Andi (in the pink dress) finished it off with her joyous addition to the 1, 2, and 3-year-old choir (who gave these kids bells??):

And what would church Christmas programs be if mom didn't take pictures of the kids under the Christmas tree!!

Associates In Family Care

Yesterday, we talked w/ Dr. Doug McKinley of Associates in Family Care of Naperville after our interview with Book Club Author Tina Zahn. Dr. McKinley gave us insight into postpartum depression and when to seek help. We appreciate his insight.

Associates in Family Care can be reached at:

1811 W Diehl Rd, Suite 700
Naperville, IL 60563
(630) 983-0600

www.AFC3.com

(Tell them Abbie sent you!!) :)

Christmas Tips

It doesn't happen often, but this morning Johnny gave me some advice to become a more cultured citizen. Being from Northeast Iowa, I admitted that I wasn't sure who to tip (we only tip cows there). I was a server at Applebee's for a while - so I tip my server well, but who knows who else to tip.

A report from CBA 11 in Dallas listed some of the other people you should tip (specifically at Christmas time) as well as how much you should give them.

• Baby-sitter: One evening's pay plus a small gift from you child (or in my case - herd)
• Child's Teacher: Give a gift, not cash
• Dog Walker: On week's pay and/or a gift
• Housekeeper: One day's pay
• Mail Carrier: Gift up to $20 (no cash)
• Handyman: $15 - $40
• Trash Collector: $10 - $30 (for private service); check local regulations for municipal service (some cannot accept cash, etc)
• Morning Show DJ: all gifts accepted :) (okay that wasn't in the report)

Morning Trivia

Today's Morning Trivia was "42% of husbands never consult their wife when...considering as JOB SWITCH!!" I guess that's not as bad a coming home and saying, "Guess what, honey? I bought a house today!!"

I also want to send a big shout out to Moon Monkey Coffee Company in Bourbonnais for the yummy Vanilla Latte (1 shot with skim milk) :)

Dec Book

Today I announced December's Book club book Why I Jumped by Tina Zahn. We will be speaking with her on Dec 7th at 7:20 - be listening. We will also be speaking with Dr. Doug McKinley from Associates in Family Care in Naperville about Post Partum Depression.

The following week we will talk to Holly from Kankakee County Center Against Sexual Assault about the effects of sexual assult. Finally, we will wrap up the book club the 3rd week of December as we talk to Rhonda and Janet from the River Valley Pregnancy Resource Center about Post - abortion counseling.

Check out the description of the book on the Rise and Shine Webpage. Happy reading - and don't forget Thursday Dec 7th at 7:20 am.

Women's Health

Today Johnny and I talked to Deanna Michalopoulos, the editor of Women's Health Magazine about staying healthy this winter. She had some great advice - some very surprising!

• Drink more milk (especially fat free if you are health conscious) - milk has Vitamin D added, something we usually get from the sun, but since we are inside more in the winter we don't get enough of the immune system booster. So how much milk do you need - one whopping 8 oz glass!!
• Oatmeal isn't just great for your heart, but can help beat the winter blues. Eating a bowl in the afternoon will increase your serotonin levels - so even though it's getting dark outside, you'll feel cheerier. It's also a healthy snack to curb the late afternoon munchies (but we won't mention that I just a 4 Girl Scout Pecan Clusters!!!)

You can hear other great advice from Deanna next Wednesday on the show!!

November Book Club comes to a close

Today Johnny and I gave away the last copy of the November book club book. Congratulations to Mary from Aurora calling in and winning! Of course, it's not too late to pick it up - you can pick it up at your local bookstore.

Bad Connection by Melody Carlson is about Samantha McGregor, a teenager with great faith. She also has a special gift - dreams and visions - that she is struggling to understand. A troubled home life tries her faith, but the support of a friend and new-found mentor help her through.

Recently, an acquaintance of Samantha's goes missing - suspected to have ran off with her new Internet boyfriend. But Samantha begins to have dreams, nightmares really, indicating the young girl is in trouble. Samantha turns to Detective Ebony Hamilton to solve the mystery.

I have to tell you, this was a page turner from page one! I know you'll enjoy it at much as I did!

The Taste of Home Cookbook

Once again this morning we had Katherine Cassidy, the editor of Taste of Home Magazine on to talk about their new cookbook. She gave us great advice about turkey preparation and leftovers!

Her best advice: sit your turkey out WELL IN ADVANCE - you don't want to cook a partially frozen turkey!! Also, Katherine recommends roasting bags.

Check out the new cookbook for great ideas for the leftovers. (She also said you can freeze the meat for up to two months!!)

Abbie & Mallory???

Wow! What a morning - Mallory joined me on the Rise and Shine Morning Show - she bought McDonald's!! It was lots of fun chatting with her - since she is on the afternoon show, our paths rarely cross.

We talked with our music corespondent Todd Hertz from Ignite your Faith Magazine about new albums coming out this week. Of course, this is Mallory's expertise since she doubles as our Music Director.

Thanks for listening - and if you want to hear more of Abbie & Mallory - give Johnny a call on Monday!!

National Dog Show Interview

This morning Justin and I interviewed David Frei, co-host for the National Dog Show. He gave us great insight into what the judges are looking for in the dogs as well as told us about his two dogs!!

The National Dog Show will be on NBC Thanksgiving Day following Macey's Thanksgiving Day Parade. This will cause a dilemma for me - I'll have to flip between the dogs and football!!

Bowling Winners

Congratulations to Sharon & Tammy from Crown Point! They were the winners of the Rise and Shine Bowling Champion Prize Pack, which includes:

• Free Bowling Passes to Super Bowl in Crown Point
• CDs
  Bowling Trophies
• Winter Wonderslam Tickets

Thanks to everyone who came out to support the Ross Township Food Pantry. A special thanks to Genesis Church in Merrillville for hosting the event!!

Here we are with Pastor Tammy:

Just for the record - Johnny and I got a combined score for 2 games of 439 - I won't mention who got the better score!!

Welcome to my Blog

I've put this day off for quite some time, but I guess I'm over due for having a blog!

This is where you can check to see what we talked about on the Rise and Shine Morning Show every day - of course it will be from MY perspective! :) I will also do my best to list books we discuss as well as famous people we interview. My hope is this will be one-stop shopping for all your Rise and Shine content questions.

Thanks for listening!