Dean Martin crooning Christmas carols from hidden speakers in the trees was right up her alley.

Hey pallies, you're never too young to fall in love with our Dino and to have our Dino makes your spirits bright... Here is a great article from the Bluffton Today Newspaper (South Carolina) written by a lady tagged Miranda York 'bout her two month old "miracle" babe who has already become smitten with our Dino...Ms. York writes about viewin' a light display..."She may be only 2 months old, but the lights and motion definitely caught her eye and Dean Martin crooning Christmas carols from hidden speakers in the trees was right up her alley." Ain't that just the Dinocoolest...a two month year old who has already caught Dinofever....just goin' to prove that there never was, never will be anyone as cool as the King of Cool. This wee one will make sure that Dino will never ever be forgotten. You can read the whole Dinostory below, or to view it in it's original format, likes just click on the tagg of this Dinopost. Dinoaddictedly, DMP


[How to make your love life flourish while being a savvy local tourist]
By MIRANDA YORK
Santa on a shoestring and Ridgeland full of lights

“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times,” wrote Dickens, and he was spot on. This year is such a blessing — MySports Nut and Ihave a love for the ages and we have our health, a roof over our heads and food on the table.

We have our families and our friends and we have good jobs.

And as if that wasn’t enough to ask for, we were given the biggest miracle of all — our little baby girl. These truly are the best of times.

But today is also ascary time. We, along with countless other families, are holding on by not much, weathering this economic storm that we hope will pass before we run out of resources. Good people are losing jobs, homes –and the stress is causing some to lose families, too. In our home this year you won’t find a Christmas tree. There are decorations, yes, and we plan to spend the actual holiday up North with family where we presume a big tree awaits.

But trees are rather expensive, and it was cut from our budget last week. We are fortunate that our Little Miracle isn’t yet old enough to know the difference in these, the worst of times.

After church last week we went to Savannah to get the only Christmas gift Iwant this year –our Little Miracle’s pictures with Santa.

She did such a great job –she didn’t even cry. There was no one else in line at the time, and so we spoke briefly with Santa while he bounced our Little Miracle on his big, red knee. You wouldn’t believe what the kids are asking for this year. Or maybe you would. Not toys or cars or cell phones — but money for mom and a job for dad. Be careful what you put out there in your living rooms — your kids are absorbing everything.

Between the collection plate at church and prints of our Little Miracle’s pictures with Santa, we had tapped out our date budget for the week so we headed home to rustle up some dinner from our own fridge. By the way, the real Santa is at the Oglethorpe Mall — no Santa’s helpers with bad fake beards here — and the most economical package is to spend $10.99 on adisk and print you own pictures from home. This also makes it easy to share them via e-mail and Facebook.

We dined at home in front of the fireplace. Claymation Rudolph was on the television and the laptop was open nearby for us to send our Santa pictures to friends and family. We were feeling quite Christmassy and it was early yet. We had no money, but it was a mild night — and Isuddenly had a fantastic idea. We fixed a large thermos of hot chocolate, packed everyone into the car and headed to Ridgeland to see the Christmas lights. Each year, the town of Ridgeland puts together a Christmas light exhibit around the lake at the Blue Heron Nature Trail just off of I-95’s Exit 21. It had been about four years since Ihad gone but I distinctly remembered two things — itis free and it is beautiful. Lighted and animated Christmas scenes and figures dot the lake, the lawn and the trail. Each scene is sponsored by a local business or organization.

We saw exhibits from the Jasper County Chamber of Commerce and Ridgeland firefighters as well as local businesses and individuals. It’s a true community display that they should be very proud of. We navigated the trail with our Little Miracle bundled up in her stroller. She may be only 2 months old, but the lights and motion definitely caught her eye and Dean Martin crooning Christmas carols from hidden speakers in the trees was right up her alley.

About halfway through the trail — on the boardwalk part — there is a cute little covered gazebo adorned with icicle lights and benches. We paused there — loitering shamelessly under the “No Loitering” sign — and enjoyed some hot chocolate. I had even packed a small Ziploc bag of mini marshmallows as an extra treat. We snuggled and sipped hot chocolate while the Rat Pack wished us a Merry Christmas and lighted toy soldiers marched in the distance. We had one of those movie kisses that made us forget — for the tiniest, briefest of moments — that we weren’t alone. But just then our Little Miracle cooed and gurgled as if to say “Hey, what about me?” in her little baby language.

And we laughed, and smothered her with kisses before packing up the hot chocolate and heading home. In this, to borrow once again from Dickens, “the spring of hope … the winter of despair.