Mommy Time Plus

Have any sportsfans on your shopping list?

2009-10-20T14:34:00.000-07:00

The Holidays are approaching quickly, and if you're like me you have a few sports fans to shop for. Check out my new affiliates section in the right side bar for some great deals!

Big Announcement

2009-06-15T17:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I wasn't one of the winners of the NDIDDS contest at Designs in Digital. A big congrats to the ladies that did win, though!!

I have been accepted to sell my designs at two stores - ScrapBird.com and Digital Paper Hearts. Yippee!!! Since I am going to be selling my designs now, I have decided to revert this blog back to it's original purpose, to be more of a personal views and opinions type thing, and move my designs to a new blog. Here is where you can find MY NEW DESIGN BLOG. I hope that you all will continue to follow along with my designs at the new blog, as well as my personal rantings here :)

A new coupon for this week

2009-06-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

Here is a new coupon to receive 30% off of your purchase of $4 or more on the NDIDDS kits. Just enter code 30forNDIDDS at checkout.

The paper packs are still available and the element packs are on sale today. You can pick them up for $2 each.
Here's a preview of my paper and element packs. (images are linked)

Just so you don't miss out!

2009-06-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

I didn't want anyone to miss out on a freebie this week, so I've made this quick page for you using my In A Lifetime kit. Click the image to go and download this.

Enjoy!!

A Coupon Offer

2009-06-02T09:51:00.000-07:00

Here's a way you can get more of the wonderful mega kits available at DID from the design challenge contestants. We have a coupon for you to receive $2 off your purchase of $6 or more of the NDIDDS kits. Just enter this code: NDIDDS_B2G1 at checkout to get the discount. So basically, it's buy two paper packs, get the third FREE!

Here's my paper pack for "In A Lifetime" (images are linked)

Here's a couple more you may want to check out:

"Grungy Peacock"

"Land That I Love"

It's Time for the Half Baked Girls' June Blog Train!

2009-06-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

This month we have a Father's Day themed kit for you. The Half Baked Girls having been hard at work to bring you this month's blog train kit "#1 Dad." We hope you enjoy it! Here is my portion:

DOWNLOAD HERE

And be sure to check out the other blogs to pick up all the pieces to this kit.

FlutterbyeFaery Designs
Remember ME Digitals <--- You are here
Ohana Designs
Wyld Web Designs
Snuggle Berry Pie Designs
Design by Sonja
JewelScraps
JayaPrem's Hangout
MrsJayBob Designs
MissTrishs Digi Designs
Mariposa Designs
Digi Dandy Designs
Mad Genius Designs
Paper Ma Chez Designs

A Surprise for the Contestants of the NDIDDS

2009-05-29T09:04:00.000-07:00

Well we are to the final weeks of the NDIDDS. Our challenge for weeks 4 &5 is to create a HUGE kit with at least 20 papers and 40 elements. Our paper packs are up first this week, with the element pack to follow next Friday. Today, a surprise was announced to us just before the kits went live. These final kits will be for sale! So for only $2 you can get the paper pack for my In A Lifetime kit. And remember the elements are coming next week for the same low price! This means you get a HUGE MEGA kit for only $4!!! Take a closer look here

Sweet Tooth Freebie - Week 3 of NDIDDS

2009-05-22T05:51:00.000-07:00

Thoruoghly filled with sugary sweetness, this kit is sure to satisfy even the biggest sweeth tooth. Lollipops, peppermints, and much more! Perfect for pictures of kids (and adults) enjoying those sweet treats, and the adorable messy faces that tend to follow. Kit include 7 papers, 17 elements and 1 uppercase alpha with numbers and some punctuation.

Download FREE Here

One for the ladies!

2009-05-15T10:59:00.001-07:00

Here's my new freebie, made for week two of the NDIDDS challenge.

**Link Expired** If you missed it, this will be available for sale in July. Check back for updates. Thanks!

A new freebie for you.

2009-05-08T06:58:00.000-07:00

Week 1 kits for the NDIDDS are up and free for you to download. Here's my preview:

**Link Expired** If you missed it, this will be available for sale in July. Check back for updates. Thanks!

National Scrapbooking Day

2009-05-01T07:02:00.000-07:00

It's National Scrapbooking Day so all this weekend some of my favorite sites will be hosting lots of fun challenges, giving away coupons and freebies, and have huge sales in their stores. So here are some links to forums and blogs where you can find more info about each site's happenings.

Brownie Scraps: Forum Challenges; Blog (blog train going on NOW)

Digital Candy: Forum Challenges

Elemental Scraps: Forum Challenges

Scrap Matters: Forum Challenges

Hope you enjoy all the fun today! Happy Scrapping!!

Mother's Day Blog Train

2009-05-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

The Half-Baked girls are back this month with a new blog train kit for you. Of course, with Mother's Day only a few days away we decided on a Mother's Day theme. Here is the preview of my portion:

Download Here

I am also hosting the portion of this kit brought to you by Marni Designs. Here is her preview:
Download Marni Designs' portion here.

And don't forget to pick up the other parts of this great kit and leave some love for each of these very talented ladies.

Flutterbye Faery Designs
Designs By Ramona
Wyld Web Designs
Remember ME Digitals <----you are here
MrsJayBob Designs
JayaPrem's Hangout
Tinkay Designs
Scraps By Helen
Merchi Makes It
Get Designs
Elises Pieces Designs
Mad Genius Designs
Inspiredbyd ominic Designs

A Little Girl's Magic Freebie

2009-04-30T13:50:00.000-07:00

I joined another design challenge at DID. While we were anxiously awaiting the start of the challenge, our hosts gave us a warm up challenge. So here is the preview of my free mini kit for the NDIDDS Warm Up challenge. Hope you all enjoy it!

**Link Expired** If you missed it, this will be available for sale in July. Check back for updates. Thanks!

Fun Weekend at Digital Candy

2009-04-28T10:55:00.000-07:00

There's lots of fun going on at Digital Candy this weekend! Come on over and check it out!!

(Click on the image to get a better look)

Brandy Designs Quick Page Blog Train

2009-04-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

A few members of Brandy’s Creative Team have come together and created quick pages using Brandy’s Designs as a way to say thank you to those of you whom have purchased from her and for those of you have not yet purchased, but would like to sample her products.

To make sure you have visited everyone’s blog you can visit Brandy’s blog for the complete list of creative team members participating.

You have just arrived from Bobbie's bloghttp://bbsbluebutton.wordpress.com/ & http://claysmommy.blogspot.com/ .

Here is a preview of the quickpage I created for you.

You may download it here.

Your next stop is azrood's blog - http://www.azroodscrappin.blogspot.com .

Thank you for playing!

Beach freebie

2009-04-17T06:41:00.000-07:00

I have a new mini kit freebie for you. This is from week 1 of the new brownie scraps designer challenge. Here's the preview.

**Link Expired**

Ice Cream Shoppe Blog Train

2009-03-31T11:29:00.000-07:00

I am participating in my first blog train. From the 3rd round of the Brownie Scraps designer challenge came the "Half Baked Girls." We have created an adorable summer kit called Ice Cream Shoppe. Here is my portion.

**LINK EXPIRED**

Be sure to stop by the other blogs to pick up all the other pieces of the kit.

Jennifer http://girlfrienddesignz.blogspot.com/
Merchi http://www.merchimakesit.blogspot.com
Christina www.savascraps.blogspot.com
Groovygranny www.groovygranny'splace.blogspot.com
JayaPrem www.scraps-by-jayaprem.blogspot.com/
ScrapperGirl http://scrappergirldesigns.blogspot.com
Jewelthe Queen http://bothmadandgenius.blogspot.com/
Mrsjaybob http://www.mrsjaybob.blogspot.com
flutterbyefaery www.flutterbyefaery.blogspot.com
Ramona www.browniescraps.com/blog
Elise http:// elisespiecesdesigns.blogspot.com
Sheila http://www.mommytimeplus.blogspot.com <--- You Are Here Juliawww.jewelscraps.blogspot.com
Inspiredbydominic www.inspiredbydominicdesigns.blogspot.com
Ginny ginnytallent.blogspot.com
Tinkay2 http://tinkay2.blogspot.com

Wanna know how to get this mini kit for free?

2009-03-24T14:14:00.001-07:00

All you need to do is sign up for Brandy Designs' newsletter, and you'll get this mini kit for free!! The newsletter only comes out 3-4 times per month so you're not going to get spammed. What you will get is info on Brandy's latest designs and sales, and maybe even a coupon or freebie. :) Click the image to go to her blog to sign up.

Snap Scrap Create CT Layouts

2009-03-10T07:14:00.000-07:00

So here's the newest kit From Snap Scrap Create. It's called Antiquity and can be found at the SSC store for only $3.00. Click the preview image to see more details.

Here's a LO I did with it.

Some CT Layouts for Brandy Designs

2009-03-09T22:49:00.000-07:00

These are some great kits I'm getting to work with from Brandy Designs. The first one is Sticks and Stones for sale at Digital Candy for only $3.99. Here's kit preview:

My LO:

And here is Early Birds. A collab kit by Brandy Designs and Trixie Scraps.

Preview:

My LO:

Free Kit

2009-03-09T22:39:00.000-07:00

This is another one of the Brownie Scraps challenge kits. It's called Backyard Spring.

**LINK EXPIRED**

New Creative Team

2009-03-07T08:16:00.000-08:00

Ok, how excited was I to get an email last night saying the I was accepted to a new creative team!!! Wahoo!!! I have joined the CT for Brandy Designs. You can check out her designs at Digital Candy.

New free kit

2009-03-02T06:03:00.000-08:00

Part of the brownie scraps challenge.**LINK EXPIRED**

Blog Award!!!

2009-02-25T08:03:00.000-08:00

I just got my first blog award ever!!! WaHoo!!!

This award was given to me by Miss Erin's Scraps. Thanks so much Erin!!

The Premio Dardos award acknowledges the values that every blogger shows in their effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values every day.

Here are the rules:

1. Accept the award and post it on your blog together with the name of the person that has granted the award and his or her blog link.

2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that are worthy of this acknowledgment. Remember to contact each of them to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

I am presenting this award to:

1. Bev's Blog
2. Damsel Designs
3. Musings of a craft addict
4. Simply Beautiful Creations
5. Tabby Scraps
6. ScrapperGirl
7. Snap Scrap Create
8. Bluedream Designs
9. A Scrap to Remember
10. FlutterbyeFaery Designs
11. Priddy Sweet Scraps
12. Statements by Jodi
13. Please Sit Down!
14. Thoughts by Rachel
15. Lisa Marie Designs

Snap Scrap Create

2009-02-17T08:18:00.000-08:00

Come join us over at the Snap Scrap Create Forum. We have weekly and monthly challenges as well as speed scraps. Speed scraps are held every Wednesday at 3 pm and every Friday at 9 pm. We'd love to have you join us for all the fun.

Unbaked brownie challenge

2009-02-17T08:12:00.001-08:00

I entered a designer challenge at Brownies Scraps. I'm hoping to learn more about design. Here's the kit from week one.

Click here to DOWNLOAD. **LINK EXPIRED**

My first template

2009-02-04T07:26:00.001-08:00

I created a template for a challenge over at cafe mom, and here it is as a freebie download. **Link Expired**

Lot's of fun!

2009-01-19T11:31:00.000-08:00

Snap Scrap Create has a new forum! Join us for speed scraps and other challenges.

More layouts for my CT plus a freebie

2008-12-17T14:09:00.000-08:00

Well I've been busy, busy, busy with getting ready for Christmas. But, I've gotten all my shopping done beside gifts from "You know who." I'm so excited. Christmas is one of my favorite holidays and has been since I was little. I would always try to wake my parents up well before 5 am! Well, getting presents from Santa is a BIG deal! I'm even looking forward to the 4 am Christmas wake up calls when my son gets just a little older.

I've also been working on several layouts for my CT. Here's some that I've done.
Using Snap Scrap Create's "Kiss Me" Kit.
Using "Let it Snow" by Snap Scrap Create.

And here's a free quick page freebie also using the "Let it Snow" kit. You can buy the full kit here.
**Link Expired**

I am so excited!!!!

2008-12-07T21:54:00.000-08:00

My hobby of digital scrapbooking is really progressing along. I'm still working on learning more about designing and I just got accepted to my first CT!!!! I am now part of the creative team for Snap Scrap Create. Here are some layouts I've done so far.

"Gingerbread"

"Love Song"
"Kiss Me"
"Spooky Halloween"
"Leather"

Icee Alpha

2008-11-12T18:26:00.000-08:00

Remember those yummy cherry or coke slushies? I use to love them. I guess that's why I just had to create this alpha. Two full alphas - uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and punctuation. Comes in two flavors - Cherri and Cola. Here's the preview:

Click here to download. Enjoy! **Link Expired**

My Very First Scrapbooking Freebie!

2008-11-08T12:00:00.001-08:00

Ok, so I've really been getting into the whole scrapbooking thing. Making layouts and entering challenges and contests and all. Well, I decided to try out designing my own stuff. I just created my very first kit. I named it "Tough Guy." I'm going to post it here as a freebie and I hope you all enjoy it! Here's a preview:

**LINK EXPIRED**, and don't forget to leave some love either here or on 4shared.

Trick-or-Treat

2008-10-18T21:44:00.000-07:00

So who's geared up for trick-or-treat day? I'm excited about it. Halloween is doubly fun for us because it's my son's birthday. This year, he's going to have his first trick-or-treat party. We've invited the girls that I babysit for to come and go out begging for candy with us and then we'll come back and have cupcakes. (Like the 10 lbs of candy per kid isn't enough sugar!)

Who Needs a Computer Tech?

2008-10-08T18:17:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had to call a tech support help line to have someone talk you through fixing your computer, only to end up figuring out how to correct the problem on your own? I have - several times. Generally, I sarcastically tell them "Thanks for the expert help! I just fixed it myself." Yes, I know it's not very nice but shouldn't these people know a little bit about computers in order to have a job in a tech support call center? Well, next time I have a computer problem, I'm calling this guy!

Pop Quiz for Monday

2008-09-29T12:38:00.001-07:00

Ok, so maybe I chose this quiz for today because of nostalgia but doesn't anyone else remember Nintendo? I remember wanting one forever and finally get one for christmas. I loved it! Heck, I'd want to play a plain old Nintendo over of these big fancy game systems that are out now. So for all of you who remember this now ancient game console...

Which Nintendo Character Are You

You are :

Peach

The beautiful Princess with not a bad bone in your body. Somehow awful things happen to you but someone who loves you always bails you out.

Which Nintendo Character Are You Find out at Quizopolis.com

Here's Another Monday Pop Quiz!

2008-09-22T08:37:00.001-07:00

I haven't been doing the Monday Pop Quiz lately and I'm trying to get back in the swing of things. So I found this one for you. What's your theme song? Bad thing is AC/DC is slightly before me. Or at least before I started getting into music really. So I'm not sure that I've even heard this one before, but I'm off to go download it to see if my results can be considered accurate. Ha Ha! Have fun taking this one.

**Ok, I downloaded it and heard the first few notes of the song and remembered it. I do at least like the song so that's good, right?

Your Theme Song is Back in Black by AC/DC

"Back in black, I hit the sack,

I've been too long, I'm glad to be back"

Things tend to get really crazy for you, and sometimes you have to get away from all the chaos.

But each time you stage your comeback, it's even better than the last!

What's Your Theme Song?

Scrappin' Away the Days

2008-09-20T05:26:00.000-07:00

So I know I haven’t really been writing much lately, but here’s why. I’ve been rediscovering how much I love, love, love this little program called Paint Shop Pro. I have the X2 version and it’s so much fun to play with. I’ve had this project in mind to do a digital scrapbook of my son’s first year and after several days of setting out one or more layouts a day, I am nearly done. YAY! I should get done just in time for Christmas. So to any of my family that reads my blog – the cat’s out of the bag! You know what you’re getting. :)

To get some inspiration, I joined a couple of digital scrap booking groups on Café Mom. I’ve mentioned CM before. It’s an amazing group where moms can get together to discuss anything and everything. You should check it out.

So one of the digi scrap groups I joined does layout challenges. They pick a theme and you make a scrapbook page using that theme and then submit it to be voted on. I’ve had a lot of doing participating already and I’ve only entered 3 challenges so far. The deadline for the ones I’ve entered isn’t up yet so they haven’t been voted on, but there are definitely some good scrappers in this group.

The one I just submitted a layout for is a Halloween layout. This one was really fun for me because I have always loved Halloween and now I have even more reason to love it because my son was born on Halloween. J Anyhow, for the challenge we were told to make an empty layout (so we could add the pictures in later) using a great Halloween kit from Bluedreams Designs that you can find here. This is the layout I made. What do you think?

Do any of you do digital scrap booking? Had fun entering contests or challenges? Share your stories with me.

Too cute!

2008-09-19T18:25:00.001-07:00

Christmas is Quickly Approaching

2008-08-29T19:49:00.001-07:00

Yes, I know that we are only just about to enter September but Christmas still has a way of sneaking up on us doesn't it? I for one always get caught a week, sometimes a few days, before realizing that I have forgotten something or someone on my list.

I love the Christmas season. The whole process of shopping for just the right gift for each person on my "nice list" is really fun to me. The one thing I hate (and most of you do to, I'm sure) is fighting the crowds during a big sale. It's so horrible how people will forget all about the Christmas spirit and gauge you in the eye just to get to that last video game or action figure on the shelf.

Well, last year I avoided the wonderful hospitality of my fellow shoppers (sarcasm intended) and simply shopped the biggest sale of the year online. Yes, that sale would be Black Friday. I found Wal-Mart's black friday sale items and planned my shopping accordingly. I did get up early, just not at 5 am to stand in line and fight a mob of people to get what I wanted. I leisurely sorted through online, selected my gifts, and completed my purchases all while sitting in my pj's drinking a cup of coffee. Jealous??

I plan to do the same this year too. Only this year I'm starting my planning now. Did you know that even though it's not quite September yet, many of your favorite stores already have at least partial lists available of the items they will have on their black friday sale?

I just signed up at blackfriday.biz to get email alerts of all the new ads as they come out. Everything from your circuit city ad to your wal-mart ad will be listed. I've already started making lists of what to get for my son and for other family members, and I'm going to keep an eye out for more things to be added on to the sale. Now it's just a matter of saving up the $$ for everything. HA HA!

The Kindness of Strangers

2008-08-16T20:50:00.001-07:00

Ever since I was six years old, whenever someone said "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I always said that I wanted to own my own day care. All through high school, I geared my elective classes towards ones that would help prepare me for this. Once out of high school, I quickly enrolled in jr. college for early childhood education. While waiting for classes to start, I volunteered in a local day care center to gain experience. Well that was a huge mistake! I hated working in this place. It was nothing like what I had thought a day care would be. My childhood dream was crushed and abandoned.

Looking back on it, I think more than anything I just hated the way this particular center was run. There was little one-on-one interaction, kids were mostly plopped in front of the television to watch the same two or three videos repeatedly, or put outside with only 1-2 adults supervising 15-20 kids. I even saw one child fall and get his knees skinned up pretty badly, but was told not to take him inside to get cleaned up because I'd have to fill out an accident report. Appalling!!

It's amazing how you can come full circle in life, because now I am caring for 2 kids part time in my home. I am also not contemplating getting a license to have my very own home day care thanks to a complete stranger.

If any of you have heard of craigslist, you know it's a site post advertisements for items/services you are selling. One of the categories is childcare. This week someone had been posting information trying to warn parents about the dangers of choosing unlicensed caregivers for their kids. Now, the way this started out was not pretty. This person pretty much implied that anyone that cares for a child and does not have a license would harm or even kill that child. Are you kidding me??!! I took that very offensively. I don't see where a license matters. If you're a bad person, you're just a bad person - license or no license. This person and I had words and a few others told her what they thought of her accusations as well. She quickly changed her wording of things and said that she only wanted to encourage more home day cares to get licensed because she feels that they are better for children since they offer more one-on-one care. She said she wanted to change the way things worked in child care.

After she posted her new and improved view, I spoke with her further about her change of tune. I told her that I had looked into getting licensed but at this point could not afford the cost of certification classes, cpr training, and whatever fee is charged for the actual license. I also mentioned that I have, in fact, passed a DCF background check while trying to foster a child. I wanted her to know that I was serious and wasn't just making up excuses not to move forward.

To my amazement, this perfect stranger offered to pay 1/2 the cost of my classes. I told her that I was very grateful for her offer and would contact the
proper people to get the ball rolling and try to work out finances for
the remaining 1/2.

In a world where people will walk the other way if they see someone in serious trouble, are there really people out there who are still willing to help another human being?

Bathroom Story - Too Funny

2008-08-12T08:24:00.001-07:00

I found this story and had to share it with all of you. This is just too cute! What's the most embarrassing moment you've had with your little talker?

A 3-year-old tells all from his mother's restroom stall.

My little guy, Cade, is quite a talker. He loves to communicate and
does it quite well. He talks to people constantly, whether we're in
the library, the grocery store or at a drive-thru window.

People often comment on how clearly he speaks for a just-turned-3-
year-old. And you never have to ask him to turn up the volume. It's
always fully cranked. There've been several embarrassing times that
I've wished the meaning of his words would have been masked by a not-
so-audible voice, but never have I wished this more than last week
at Costco.

Halfway, through our shopping trip, nature called, so I took Cade
with me into the restroom. If you'd been one of the ladies in the
restroom that evening, this is what you would have heard coming from
the second to the last stall:

"Mommy, are you gonna go potty? Oh! Why are you putting toiwet paper
on the potty, Mommy? Oh! You gonna sit down on da toiwet paper now?
Mommy, what are you doing? Mommy, are you gonna go stinkies on the
potty?"

At this point I started mentally counting how many women had been in
the bathroom when I walked in. Several stalls were full ... 4? 5?
Maybe we could wait until they all left before I had to make my
debut out of this stall and reveal my identity.

Cade continued, "Mommy, you ARE going stinkies aren't you? Oh, dats
a good girl, Mommy! Are you gonna get some candy for going stinkies
on the potty? Let me see doze stinkies, Mommy! Oh ... Mommy! I'm
trying to see in dere. Oh! I see dem. Dat is a very good girl,
Mommy. You are gonna get some candy!"

I heard a few faint chuckles coming from the stalls on either side
of me. Where is a screaming newborn when you need her? Good grief.
This was really getting embarrassing. I was definitely waiting a
long time before exiting. Trying to divert him, I said, "Why don't
you look in Mommy's purse and see if you can find some candy. We'll
both have some!"

"No, I'm trying to see doze more stinkies. Oh! Mommy!" He started to
gag at this point. "Uh oh, Mommy. I fink I'm gonna frow up. Mommy,
doze stinkies are making me frow up!! Dat is so gross!!" As the gags
became louder, so did the chuckles outside my stall. I quickly
flushed the toilet in hopes of changing the subject. I began to
reason with myself: OK. There are four other toilets. If I count
four flushes, I can be reasonably assured that those who overheard
this embarrassing monologue will be long gone.

"Mommy! Would you get off the potty, now? I want you to be done
going stinkies! Get up! Get up!" He grunted as he tried to pull me
off. Now I could hear full-blown laughter. I bent down to count the
feet outside my door.

"Oh, are you wooking under dere, Mommy? You wooking under da door?
What were you wooking at, Mommy? You wooking at the wady's feet?"
More laughter. I stood inside the locked door and tried to assess
the situation.

"Mommy, it's time to wash our hands, now. We have to go out now,
Mommy." He started pounding on the door. "Mommy, don't you want to
wash your hands? I want to go out!!"

I saw that my "wait 'em out" plan was unraveling. As I sheepishly
opened the door, and found an open sink, I thought, Where's the fine
print on the 'motherhood contract' where I signed away every bit of
my privacy?

But as my little boy gave me a big, cheeky grin while he rubbed
bubbly soap between his chubby little hands, I thought, I'd sign it
all away again, just to be known as Mommy to this little fellow.

(Written by Shannon Popkin, who is a freelance writer, and mother of
three. She lives with her family in Grand Rapids , Michigan , where
she no longer uses public restrooms.

Alzheimer's Memory Walk - Help Raise Awareness

2008-08-12T06:39:00.000-07:00

Raising awareness about Alzheimer's disease is something that is very important to me. Many of us have been heartbroken by a loved one suffering from this disease. I know I have. To see someone we love have their personality stolen away, through no fault of their own, is difficult to say the least.

But advancements are being made in Alzheimer's research, and the Alzheimer's Memory Walk can help to do more. One weekend morning in the fall a 2-3 mile walk is held in more than 600 communities. This is the nation's largest event to raise awareness and money for Alzheimer's care, support, and research.

Have you signed up for the Memory walk in your community? We all need to get more active - exercise more. Why not walk with a purpose? Working together we can move closer to a cure for Alzheimer's disease. So go sign up today. "Together. we can MOVE a nation."

Potty Training Update

2008-08-11T11:01:00.001-07:00

Last week I posted about the 3 day method and said I was going to try it out. Well, my son is still fighting off a cold so we decided to hold off on any heavy duty potty training for now. But, we have been taking him regularly and he's been doing so well with that that we may not have to use the 3 day. We may end up just continuing what we're doing and just add in some of their techniques. Who knows I might just come up with my very own method of potty training, write an e-book, and sell it just like Lora Jensen did.

Monday's Pop Quiz!

2008-08-11T10:53:00.001-07:00

I just had to go with this one for the quiz today. Sesame Street is my son's favorite show. It's so fun to watch him dance and try to sing along with Elmo (he's almost 2). If only life were as simple as it seems to be on Sesame Street.

You Are Cookie Monster

Misunderstood as a primal monster, you're a true hedonist with a huge sweet tooth.

You are usually feeling: Hungry. Cookies are preferred, but you'll eat anything if cookies aren't around.

You are famous for: Your slightly crazy eyes and usual way of speaking

How you life your life: In the moment. "Me want COOKIE!"

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

Now There's One Way to Get a Prize.

2008-08-07T19:05:00.001-07:00

Kitchen Upgrade

2008-08-07T18:17:00.001-07:00

I really love to cook and so does my boyfriend. We have constant arguments over who is the better cook. Well since we both love to cook we want to upgrade our kitchen, both with new foods/ingredients to work with and cookware/appliances to make everything easier.

Now I am a HUGE Rachael Ray fan so I have already started on the cookware by getting a set of her non-stick pots and pans( thanks for the Christmas gift mom and dad). These are amazing! It's the first time I've ever had non-stick cookware that really was non-stick. Next on my R.R. shopping list will be her set of knives.

On occasion I like to bake so I've been looking into getting some fun shaped pans to keep things interesting. I even found this really cute silicone heart muffin pan. How cute is that?!

I've been working on some gadgets too like slicers and choppers, etc. We want to add some small appliances to our collection. A food processor would be nice, but they can get kind of pricey. I'm thinking that since it's just us and our son, we can just get a cheaper small capacity food processor. And in an attempt to be healthier, I want to get a juicer too.

We plan to go slow, building up our cook's kitchen just the way we want it. Once we get all the cookware, small appliances, and what not we'll move on to the bigger stuff like the larger appliances and new decor. One thing that I'm dreaming of is a huge pantry, fully stocked, and with good clean organization.

Any other cooks out there have any suggestions? I want some more ideas of what to get for my dream kitchen. What's the one thing in your kitchen that you just can not live without?

The Hardest Challenge a Mom Will Face

2008-08-07T10:20:00.001-07:00

When you bring your little bundle of joy home from the hospital, you think of all the wonderful things ahead. Their first words, their first steps, and their first day of school. All these major accomplishments and you get to teach it all to them. Now the first two are the easiest. To teach them to talk, you simply talk to them. To teach them to walk, you show them how it's done. Preparing them for their first day of school is easy and fun as well. Who among us hasn't sung the alphabet song and 1, 2, buckle my shoe about a hundred times a day.

What no one tells you, is that somewhere between the first steps and the first day of school comes the hardest lesson of all to teach your sweet child - How to use the potty.

Now, no matter how many books you read, training guides you buy, or advice you get you will not be prepared for this. Even when we tell ourselves that we know this will not be done overnight, we still think that our child is going to be a child prodigy. We are going to sit them down on that potty and they're going to just know what to do, when to do it, and no more diapers ever.

WRONG!!!!

What you are most likely to have on your hands is a child who is confused as to why on earth you want them to stop playing to go sit on a potty to pee/poop when they've got a perfectly good diaper for that without even having to get up. Are you crazy!!

So what do you do to get them through this milestone? The truth is, I don't know. I don't think anyone has the right answer. Everyone gives advice about what worked for them and their kids. No one is right, no one is wrong, and no one's child is exactly the same.

That said I can tell you a couple of things that are working for us. First off, In my opinion pull ups are a waste of money. They're too much like a diaper and even the cool alert didn't phase my son a bit. We started using cloth training pants and taking him to the potty every 15-30 minutes depending on when the last time was that he had peed. That has worked ok, but we're still lucky if he pees in the potty more than twice a day. Yesterday was a miracle when he went 4 times and stayed dry for 8 hours or so. They will go back and forth between using the potty and not using it as my son has gone through 4 pairs of training pants so far today.

What I plan to try now to help him learn this whole potty thing easier(and quicker hopefully) is the 3 day potty training method. You can learn more about it here. We are planning to get everything we need over the weekend and start on Monday. Provided we are able start( My son has a cold so we may postpone for a couple of days), I will post our progress each day. I will be your guinea pig and test out the method in this e-book by Lora Jenson.

Wish me luck!

Monday's Pop Quiz!

2008-08-04T19:17:00.001-07:00

Better late than never, right? It's been a really hectic day so this is my first chance to actually sit down and relax. So without further ado....

What Kind of Cake Are You?

You Are an Ice Cream Cake

Surprising, unique, and high maintenance.

You're one of a kind, and you don't want anyone to forget it.

You're fun in small doses, but it's easy for people to overdose on you!

What Kind of Cake Are You?

Cafe Mom

2008-07-31T18:31:00.001-07:00

I joined cafe mom this week. It has been a great help to me, especially the group "potty training just for boys." My son is now 21 months old and we have begun potty training. If you've already been there or are working on it now, you know how frustrating it can be. It's so good to talk to other moms who know exactly what I'm going through. For every problem I have with my son, several other moms are dealing with, or have dealt with, the same issue. Plus you have an even bigger cheering section for successes and people to listen if you need to vent. I'm really having fun on cafe mom.

Seafood is Definitly "Good Eats"

2008-07-31T13:49:00.001-07:00

You can probably tell by this title that I really like Alton Brown from the food network. I love how he give you new ideas for all different types of food. This morning I watched his show on frozen crab (I had tivo'd it) where he changed the traditional crab cakes recipe into crab fritters. Boy did these look good. Here's the recipe:

Crab Fritters
Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown

1 cup lump or backfin crabmeat

1 cup special crabmeat (small pieces white crabmeat)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs

Vegetable oil, for frying

If using a deep fryer, heat vegetable oil to 375 degrees F.

In a bowl combine the crabmeat, mayonnaise, and pepper. Form into
either 1-ounce balls for fritters or into 3-ounce cakes. Roll in the
panko to evenly coat. Deep-fry the fritters in until golden brown,
about 5 to 7 minutes or pan-fry the cakes in 1 to 2 inches of 375
degree F vegetable oil until golden brown and flip to brown on the
other side about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Drain both on a tray lined
with paper towels. Serve immediately.

Now as good as this sounds, I think I would change it up a bit. Put my own touches to it, you know?

For starters, I would make my own bread crumbs by just slowly baking sliced bread until it's golden brown all over then using my mini food processor to grind it up along with some grill seasoning. I think the seasoned bread crumbs would be great on these fritters.

For me, I would have to add little bit of veggies into the mix. Not too much, I don't want to over power the crab meat. I'm thinking just a little finely chopped broccoli and carrots would do just nicely.

Of course, I'd want to use domestic seafood. With so many recalls on foods lately I think it's pretty important to know where your foods come from and that the foods you eat, especially seafood, are local and fresh.

I think that this dish and my additions would make a great contender for a cook off. The Great American Seafood cook off is coming up on August 2-3 in New Orleans. I can hardly wait to see what these 14 chefs can do. One of their challenges is to create a dish that would be easy for an everyday person to recreate at home. They also stress the importance about knowing the source of your seafood.

Quote: “We want people to really think about their seafood,” said
Louisiana Chef John Besh, “about where it comes from. Events like this
raise their awareness.”

So tell me your suggestions and recipes for seafood dishes. I'd love to hear them.

*This post is sponsored by the great American cook off.

It's Monday - Pop Quiz!

2008-07-28T10:52:00.001-07:00

I am such a coffee person, I had to take this quiz. They definitely pegged me - "
You're addicted to caffeine. There's no denying it." Yep! I sure am. I even had to get my own espresso/cappuccino maker so I can save some money - Sorry Starbucks. So if your morning latte keeps you going during the day, take this quiz to see what your latte says about you.

What Your Latte Says About You

You are very decadent in all aspects of your life. You never scale back, and you always live large.

You can be quite silly at times, but you know when to buckle down and be serious.

Intense and energetic, you aren't completely happy unless you are bouncing off the walls.

You're addicted to caffeine. There's no denying it.

You are responsible, mature, and truly an adult. You're occasionally playful, but you find it hard to be carefree.

You are deep and thoughtful, but you are never withdrawn.

What Does Your Latte Say About You?

Cheeseburger Pizza

2008-07-27T12:13:00.001-07:00

Here’s a quick dinner for any night of the week. Now, I
don’t measure out seasonings very often so all that are mentioned here are to
be added to your taste.

Here’s What You Need:

Approx. 1 pound Ground Beef (you may have some left over)
Approx. 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese- maybe ¼
Garlic salt
Montreal Steak seasoning
Dried Basil
Pillsbury roll out pizza dough – thin crust
1 jar pizza sauce

Here’s What to Do:

Brown
your ground beef, drain, and cool. (to cut down the fat - rinse the
meat) Lightly grease a baking sheet for your pizza dough. Roll out your
dough onto the pan. Grate the Parmesan cheese over the dough. Grate
just enough to lightly cover the pizza. Next, add garlic salt and basil
evenly over the dough. Now that your ground beef is cool enough to
handle, crumble that over the whole pizza. Now you’ll add the Montreal
steak seasoning evenly over the crumbled meat. Top with the shredded
cheddar cheese and cook according to the pizza crust directions.

Allow
your pizza to cool and cut into squares. Heat your pizza sauce in the
microwave and serve in individual dipping bowls. As you eat, dip your
pizza in the sauce.

This was a great and quick meal. It also
goes over really well with kids/picky eaters. Everything tastes better
when you get to dip it!

Safety First for Your Hubby.

2008-07-27T11:11:00.001-07:00

Does your hubby work in construction? Or maybe you? More women are beginning to go to work in this predominately male industry.
Well, either way you need to think about safety first. One way of staying safe on the job site is by wearing steel toe boots. I know you're thinking that they'd be so uncomfortable - but they won't be. Steel toe boots are being made more sturdy than ever, and more comfortable than ever before.
At Work Boots USA, you can find a large variety of name brand steel toe boots all at great prices. Timberland, Wolverine, and many others. Plus, you can get free shipping on orders over $50. Now how's that for saving some money?

*This post sponsored by: Work Boots USA

Cooking Experiment Gone GOOD!

2008-07-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

I was cooking dinner a couple of nights ago and had decided to cook green beans as my side dish. I had some canned mushrooms leftover in the fridge from the night before that I needed to use soon, so I figured I’d make kind of a make-shift green bean casserole on the stove. My wheels were turning as I got out butter and flour to make a roux. I used about a tablespoon of each and then added some milk to make the sauce. I was trying to make my own cream of mushroom soup.

Once the sauce had thickened and reduced a little, I stirred in some frozen green beans. * Keep in mind that I don’t usually measure anything out. I just go with an amount that looks right for what I’m trying to accomplish – in this case just 2 servings.

I let my concoction bubble away on medium low heat for a few minutes – to cook the green beans. Next, I added some fresh grated Parmesan cheese and stirred that in until the cheese had melted. At that point my cream of mushroom soup seemed a little more like an Alfredo sauce, but I liked where this was headed so I kept going. I figured, as long as I like all the ingredients I’m putting in here then I’ll be happy with the end result.

Boy was I! I added salt and pepper to taste and served up my creation with a healthy sized topping of more grated Parmesan cheese. It was a success! This stove top casserole was really great, and I am definitely making again very soon.

Monday- Pop Quiz!

2008-07-21T04:38:00.001-07:00

What Kind of Candy Are You?

Butterfinger

They call you sticky fingers for a reason!

What Kind of Candy Are You?

What Won't They Do To Get Attention?

2008-07-20T21:03:00.001-07:00

So I've been babysitting lately to earn some extra money, and this has been such an enlightening experience. It has shown me that kids will do anything for attention! It's actually comical when you think about it(most of the time at least).

Tonight one of the girls that I keep (she's 3) says that she is throwing up. Now I'm looking right at her and of course there's no puke in sight, she has perfect color in her cheeks, and doesn't look the slightest bit sick.

"You're throwing up?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm throwing up." she answers.

"Where?" I ask her and she points to her belly.

So I say," Oh! Your tummy feels bad. You feel sick!?"

She says,"Yes. Yes. I'm sick." So I tell her that if she's sick, she needs to lie down to sleep. Boy that did it! She jumped up (she had been sitting in a chair) and said she wasn't sick and didn't want to go to sleep.

Amazing! Fake being sick to get attention. The problem was, that when she's here she shares my attention with two others that are younger than her(my son and her sister). Isn't that always the way? If they think someone else is getting attention that they want, they do something - anything - to get the focus back on them. It's just too cute! I guess it normal though. Every child goes through this egocentric stage around this age where they think they're the only person on the planet. They almost always grow out of it by adulthood, and we get some good laughs out of it from their attention getting tactics.

What has you're child done just to get attention?

The Healing Powers of Honey and Cinnamon

2008-07-17T14:06:00.001-07:00

Besides being really yummy when added to almost anything, would you have ever thought that honey and cinnamon could be used to cure a lot of different ailments? This is pretty neat. I'm going to be trying a few of these out.

Bladder Infections: Take two tablespoons of cinnamon and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of luke warm water and drink it. It destroys the germs of the bladder.
Cholesterol: Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of cinnamon mixed in 16 ounces of tea water, if given to a cholesterol patient, it reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10% within 2 hours. If taken 3 times a day any chronic cholesterol is cured.
Cold and Cough: Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon daily for 3 days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold and clear the sinuses.
Heart Diseases: Make a paste of honey and cinnamon, apply on bread instead of jelly and jam and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also those who have already had an attack, if they do this process daily, are kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heart beat.
Acne: Three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it next morning with warm water. If done daily for two weeks, it removes pimples completely.
Weight Loss: Daily in the morning, 1/2 hour before breakfast on an empty stomach and at night before sleeping, drink 2 tablespoons of honey with 1teaspoon of cinnamon boiled in one cup water. If taken regularly it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. The honey and cinnamon aids in digestion and rids body of stomach related disorders. Take care that you also eat sensibly a balance nutritional diet. % small meals are better than 3 large ones and soups are a great substitute.
Bad Breath: People of South America, first thing in the morning gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon mixed in hot water. So their breath stays fresh throughout the day.
Toothache: Make a paste of one teaspoon of cinnamon and five teaspoons of honey and apply on the aching tooth. This may be done 3 times a day daily till such time that the tooth has stopped aching.
Arthritis: Take one part honey to two parts of lukewarm water and add a small teaspoon of cinnamon, make a paste and massage it on the itching part of the body slowly. It is noticed that the pain recedes within a minute or two. Or arthritis patients may daily, morning and night take one cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon. If drunk regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured.
Hair Loss: Those suffering from hair loss or baldness, may apply a paste of hot olive oil, one tablespoon of honey, one teaspoon of cinnamon before bath and keep it for approx. 15 min. and then wash the hair. It was found to be very effective.

Rainy Day Reading

2008-07-16T07:34:00.001-07:00

Looking for something to read on a rainy day, but haven't made it to the library this week? Me too. I have this problem quite a bit. It rains almost everyday during July and August here and with gas prices going up, up,up, I don't make those extra outings -like going to the library- as much. What I do is just make my own book.

There are so many sites with free e-books out there that I can make any kind of book I want. I can put a few short stories together to print out or even print out a full length novel. I can also just read the stories/books right from my computer. That sure does save on my paper and ink. I've got a whole folder on my internet favorites for free e-book websites. They're great! Now all I have to do on a rainy day is just log on to the internet and there they are - all the books I could possibly want. Kids, fiction, non-fiction, self help, education - I can read anything I want. The kid's stories keep my son very well occupied for a while. If you want to find some of these sites too, just type "free e-books" in the search bar and take your pick. Or, you can try one of the ones listed below.

Kids:

Fables & Fairy Tales
Story Book Castle
International Children's Digital Library
Children's Books Online

Other:

Digital Book Index
Free Online Novels
Free-eBooks.net
Full Books.com

Happy reading everyone!

For my California Friends

2008-07-15T18:42:00.001-07:00

Need to find cheap car, home, or renter's insurance? Check out Cost-U-Less. You can get a quick quote online by filling out their web form with your basic info or you can chat with an agent online to answer all your questions.

They're located in Northern California and are expanding across the state quickly. Any money saved is a good thing these days, so check out this Fresno car insurance company.

*Sponsored by: Cost U Less insurance*

Two Dollar Bill

2008-07-14T18:59:00.001-07:00

I am STILL laughing!! I think we need to quit saving our $2 bills and bring them out in public. The younger generation doesn't know they exist.

On my way home from work, I stopped at Taco Bell for a quick bite to eat. In my billfold are a $50 bill and a $2 bill. I figure that with a $2 bill, I can get something
to eat and not have to worry about anyone getting irritated at me for trying to break a $50 bill.

Me: "Hi, I'd like one seven-layer burrito please, to go."

Server: "That'll be $1.04. Eat in?"

Me: "No, it's to go." At this point, I open my billfold and hand him the $2 bill. He looks at it kind of funny.

Server: "Uh, hang on a sec, I'll be right back."

He goes to talk to his manager, who is still within my earshot. The following conversation occurs between the two of them:

Server: "Hey, you ever see a $2 bill?"

Manager: "No. A what?"

Server: "A $2 bill. This guy just gave it to me."

Manager: "Ask for something else. There's no such thing as a $2 bill."

Server: "Yeah, thought so."

He comes back to me and says, "We don't take these Do you have anything else?"

Me: "Just this fifty. You don't take $2 bills? Why?"

Server: "I don't know."

Me: "See here where it says legal tender?"

Server: "Yeah."

Me: "So, why won't you take it?"

Server: "Well, hang on a sec."

He goes back to his manager, who has been watching me like I'm a shoplifter, and says to him, "He says I have to take it."

Manager: "Doesn't he have anything else?"

Server: "Yeah, a fifty. I'll get it and you can open the safe and get change "

Manager: "I'm not opening the safe with him in here."
Server: "What should I do?"

Manager: "Tell him to come back later when he has real money."

Server: "I can't tell him that! You tell him."

Manager: "Just tell him."

Server: "No way! This is weird. I'm going in back."

The manager approaches me and says, "I'm sorry, but we don't take big bills this time of night."

Me: "It's only seven o'clock! Well then, here's a two dollar bill."

Manager: "We don't take those, either."

Me: "Why not?"

Manager: "I think you know why."

Me: "No really, tell me why."

Manager: "Please leave before I call mall security."

Me: "Excuse me?"

Manager: "Please leave before I call mall security."

Me: "What on earth for?"

Manager: "Please, sir."

Me: "Uh, go ahead, call them."

Manager: "Would you please just leave?"

Me: "No."

Manager: "Fine -- have it your way
then."

Me: "Hey, that's Burger King, isn't it?"

At this point, he backs away from me and calls mall security on the phone around the corner. I have two people staring at me from the dining area, and I begin laughing out loud, just for effect. A few minutes later this 45-year-oldish guy Comes in.

Guard: "Yeah, Mike, what's up?"

Manager (whispering): "This guy is trying to give me some (pause) funny money."

Guard: "No kidding! What?"

Manager: "Get this .. A two dollar bill."

Guard (incredulous): "Why would a guy fake a two dollar bill?"

Manager: "I don't know. He's kinda weird. He says the only other thing he has is a fifty."

Guard: "Oh, so the fifty's fake!"

Manager: "No, the two dollar bill is."

Guard: "Why would he fake a two dollar bill?"

Manager: "I don't know! Can you talk to him, and get him out of here?"

Guard: "Yeah."

Security Guard walks over to me and......

Guard: "Mike here tells me you have some fake bills you're trying to use."

Me: "Uh, no."

Guard: "Lemme see 'em."

Me: "Why?"

Guard: "Do you want me to get the cops in here?"

At this point I am ready to say, "Sure, please!" but I want to eat, so I say "I'm just trying to buy a burrito and pay for it with this two dollar bill.

I put the bill up near his face, and he flinches like I'm taking a swing at him. He takes the bill, turns it over a few times in his hands, and says, "Hey, Mike, what's wrong with this bill?"

Manager: "It's fake."

Guard: "It doesn't look fake to me."

Manager: "But it's a two dollar bill."

Guard: "Yeah?"

Manager: "Well, there's no such thing, is there?"

The security guard and I both look at him like he's an idiot, and it dawns on the guy that he has no clue.

So, it turns out that my burrito was free, and he threw in a small drink and some of those cinnamon thingies, too.

Made me want to get a whole stack of two dollar bills just to see what happens when I try to buy stuff. If I got the right group of people, I could probably end up in jail. You get free food there,too.

The Answers We Give to Our Kid's Questions

2008-07-14T18:34:00.000-07:00

It's amazing the things we will tell our kids when we don't know the answers to their questions.

Haven't We All Done This

2008-07-13T22:30:00.001-07:00

If you find that the photos are piling up, try visiting my online store Remember ME where you can have a custom made digital scrapbook CD or DVD. All unique designs and amazing prices.

Something For My Fellow Bloggers

2008-07-13T18:49:00.001-07:00

Times are getting hard folks, and money stays tight. I have found a way to make a little extra cash while doing something I love - Blogging! I signed up for Pay per Post, a great site that hooks advertisers up with bloggers. We lend out our writing talents for a short write up about various products and services and get paid for our time. What could be better? You also get the freedom to choose which companies you want to post for. There is no compromising your morals or backing a product that you don't believe in.

There is also a network of other "postees" to connect with, form online friendships, and get tips and ideas from. It certainly doesn't hurt to have others who are not bias to bounce ideas off of.

My favorite thing about Pay per Post, would have to be the learning experience that I am getting. There are products and services out there that I was not aware of before signing up with Pay per Post. I think this is great - I like getting to familiarize myself with new companies. You never know what new product you might benefit from knowing about. I have found several products that I will be purchasing in the very near future thanks to Pay per Post.

So for my fellow bloggers, if you'd like to earn a little extra cash while blogging, please do. It will surely be worth your time.

What Really Matters

2008-07-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

Cost of Glasses Emptying Your Wallet?

2008-07-11T14:05:00.001-07:00

It doesn't have to. Zenni Optical offers a wide range of frames for half, or less, than the prices you'd pay buying them right from your doctor's office. They keep their prices low because they cut out the middle man. You ask your eye doctor for your prescription, and then pick your frames from Zenni Optical and plug in your prescription information.

After my next eye exam, I'm definately ordering my glasses from Zenni Optical. If you have kids, you may not find this to be a good option for the younger kids. This is mostly because of the younger ones not being able to tell you if the glasses fit properly. You can take a look at the Fox News: Deal or Dud story to find out more.

*Post sponsored by: Zenni Optical*

How's This for Teaching Kids the Alphabet

2008-07-09T10:49:00.001-07:00

Words of Wisdom

2008-07-09T10:43:00.001-07:00

Listen to the MUSTN'Ts, child,
Listen to the DON'Ts
Listen to the SHOULDN'Ts
The IMPOSSIBLEs, the WON'Ts
Listen to the NEVER HAVES
Then listen close to me--
Anything can happen, child,
ANYTHING can be.

--Shel Silverstein

Take Control of Your Health

2008-07-08T20:55:00.001-07:00

I know stem cell research is really controversial but I wanted to take a minute to share what I found on this website for C'elle. On this website, you can get a kit to collect vital stem cells painlessly during that "special" time of month. These stem cells could be used sometime in the future as they key to treating a very serious disease that you, a parent, a sibling, or even a child may face. Osteoporosis, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease could be treated because you used this kit from C'elle to harvest stem cells from your own menstrual blood.

Yes the thought may just seem icky and no one really wants to think about what may happen if they, or a loved one, were diagnosed with a life threatening illness. However, we really should take control of our futures. Even the busiest woman can benefit from the technology of C'elle.

It's simple, you just go to their website and order your kit. They'll instruct you on exactly how to harvest the cells and it can be done on your own time and in the privacy of your own home. Who would have thought something that most of us curse once a month could actually be used to save our lives. I guess that's just another wonderful gift of being a woman.

Here's the press release so you can get more info:

Press Release:

Taking Control: Future Therapies for a Host of Serious Diseases May Be Found in Women's Menstrual Blood

July 07, 2008: 01:28 PM EST

OLDSMAR, Fla., July 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With today’s hectic lifestyle, where most women are juggling careers, family, relationships, and a host of activities, the idea of possibly facing a serious illness in the future is not something that readily comes to mind -- especially when a woman is in the prime of her life. But what most women don’t know, is that the key to treating a number of possibly life-threatening diseases that she, a parent, a sibling or even her children may face in later years, such as osteoporosis, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, may be found within her own body -- in vital stem cells, which can now be harvested from her own menstrual blood.

Now, thanks to the revolutionary research and technology of C’elle, a service dedicated to providing women with a safe and easy method of collecting and preserving stem cells found in her menstrual fluid each month, even the busiest woman can take control of her future, right in the privacy of her own home. With C’elle’s non-invasive collection process, menstrual cells are processed and cryo-preserved (stored at a very low temperature) for potential cellular therapies that may be used in the future. These self-renewing cells one day may even be used for sports medicine or cosmeceutical treatments, such as anti-aging therapies.

"C’elle enables and empowers a woman to take control of her future health, and possibly of those genetically closest to her, in a fast, painless and stress free way," said Michelle Kay, Marketing and Sales Manager for C’elle. "We live in exciting times, as science and technology are discovering how extremely valuable menstrual blood stem cells really are, and the enormous treatment potential they represent for future therapies. C’elle’s ongoing research is supporting these promising findings."

For more information about C’elle, please call 1-877-892-3553 or visit www.celle.com.

Shopwiki Sports

2008-07-07T11:49:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I know other moms are up against this too - My boyfriend is completely set on our son playing football (never mind the fact that he's not even two yet). So we look online for different things to peak our son's interest in football and found team sports on SHOPwiki. Anybody else seen this? SHOPwiki shows you online stores from everywhere, even the small privately owned stores not just big stores that pay for advertising.

So, they have sections for all different sports: Baseball, Basketball, etc. and of course, Football.
They had some great stuff! There was even a short description of the sport and the players. All the sub-categories also had a buying guide with it to give you tip what to buy based on age, league, etc. For our son we searched the buying guide for footballs and opted for a 7" foam football and some foam football theme stickers for his room. Best thing is, we don't have to pay some outrageous amount for this stuff. Since SHOPwiki team sports lets you shop from a wide range of stores both big and small, you can comparison shop much easier and get the best price.

These things will do for now, but when the time comes, we'll use this site again for good deals on sports equipment. For now it's just fun watching them play together and my boyfriend trying to teach our son how to throw and catch the football.

True Random Facts

2008-07-05T19:16:00.001-07:00

The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV were Fred and Wilma Flintstone.

Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the US Treasury

Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better.

Coca-Cola was originally green.

It is impossible to lick your elbow.

The state with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska

The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% ( now get this...) The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%

The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $6,400

The average number of people airborne over the US any given hour: 61,000

Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.

The world's youngest parents were 8 and 9 and lived in China in 1910.

The youngest pope was 11 years old.

The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.

Those San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321.

Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:Spades - King David, Hearts - Charlemagne, Clubs -Alexander theGreat, Diamonds - Julius Caesar.

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in The air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in The air the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the Horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July4th, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on
August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.

"I am." is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.

Q. What occurs more often in December than any other month?
A. Conception.

Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?
A. Their birthplace

Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested?
A. Obsession

Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go
until you would find the letter "A"?
A. One thousand

Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers,
and laser printers all have in common?
A. All invented by women.

Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?
A. Honey

Q. There are more collect calls on this day than any other day of the year?
A. Father's Day

Q. What trivia fact about Mel Blanc (voice of Bugs Bunny) is the most ironic?
A. He was allergic to carrots.

Q. What is an activity performed by 40% of all people at a party?
A. Snoop in your medicine cabinet.

In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase "goodnight,
sleep tight".

It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in- law with All the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey
beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month we know today as the honeymoon.

In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them mind their own pints and quarts and settle down. It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's"

In Scotland, a new game was invented. It was entitled Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden.... and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.

Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the Rim or handle of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. "Wet yourwhistle" is the phrase Inspired by this practice.

AND FINALLY At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick
their elbow!

Mean Moms

2008-07-04T09:25:00.001-07:00

Someday when my children are old enough to

understand the logic that motivates a parent, I will

tell them, as my Mean Mom told me:

I loved you enough . . . to ask where you were going, with whom,and what time you would be home.

I loved you enough to be silent and let you discover that your new best friend was a creep.

I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours

while you cleaned your room, a job that should have taken 15 minutes.

I loved you enough to let you see anger,

disappointment, and tears in my eyes.

Children must

learn that their parents aren't perfect.

I loved you enough to let you assume the

responsibility for your actions even when the

penalties were so harsh they almost broke my heart.

But most of all, I loved you enough . . . to say

NO when I knew you would hate me for it.

Those were the most difficult battles of all. I'm

glad I won them, because in the end you won, too.

And someday when your children are old enough to

understand the logic that motivates parents, you will tell them.

Was your Mom mean?

I know mine was.

We had the meanest mother in the whole world!

While other kids

ate candy for breakfast, we had to have cereal, eggs, and toast.

When others had a Pepsi and a Twinkie for lunch, we had to eat sandwiches.

And you can guess our mother fixed us a dinner that was

different from what other kids had, too.

Mother insisted on knowing where we were at all

times. You'd think we were convicts in a prison. She

had to know who our friends were, and what we were

doing with them. She insisted that if we said we

would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less.

We were ashamed to admit it, but she had the nerve

to break the Child Labor Laws by making us work.

We had to wash the dishes, make the beds, learn to cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry,

empty the trash and all sorts of cruel jobs.

I think she would lie awake at night thinking of more things for us to do.

She always insisted on us telling the truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth. By the time we were teenagers, she could read
our minds and had eyes in the back of her head. Then, life was really
tough!

Mother wouldn't let our friends just honk the horn

when they drove up. They had to come up to the door so she could meet
them. While everyone else could date when they were 12 or 13, we had to
wait until we were 16.

Because of our mother we missed out on lots of

things other kids experienced. None of us have ever

been caught shoplifting, vandalizing other's property or ever arrested for any crime.

It was all her fault. Now that we have left home, we are all educated,

honest adults.We are doing our best to be mean

parents just like Mom was.

I think that is what's wrong with the world today.

It just doesn't have enough mean moms!

Healthier Eating Habits for Our Kids

2008-07-02T10:43:00.001-07:00

Anyone seen the "Little King" Burger King commercial? Burger King is joining in on the challenge of getting kids to eat healthier by introducing apple fries - fresh apples cut into the shape of french fries. I think this is great. Just because you have that occasional, time- saving fast food meal doesn't mean you and your kids can't choose healthier foods.

Eating healthy is something we all want our kids to value, but sometimes it's hard to do. Sometimes giving in to the tantrum for a hot dog and fries is easier and less time consuming than preparing a healthy meal that your kids turn up their noses at.

So, what do we do?

Try Burger King's idea with the apple fries - a healthy food cut into a fun shape might just do the trick.
For fresh veggies try cutting different, bright colored veggies into sticks(ie: carrots;celery; peppers-red,green,oryellow;etc.) and set up an assembly of different dips to try- ranch, cheese,etc.
Use sauces or casseroles to camouflage vegetables. It might sound sneaky, but all's fair when you're trying to get your kids to eat healthy. Plus, you can gradually cut back on the sauce or add more veggies to the casserole as they get used to eating them.
Let your kids help cook. They can stir or mix things, shred lettuce for salads, assemble kabobs,the list goes on. Depending on your child's age, they can even help chop veggies for the meal. There are lots of kid safe cooking utensils you can buy to help teach your child the proper way to prepare healthy foods.

Here's a couple of sites you can take a look at for more info:

YUM-O!
This one is my favorite. It's founded by Rachael Ray and gives recipes - some submitted by moms and kids, new ideas to get kids excited about eating healthy, and even a link to shop for those kid friendly cooking utensils.

Kids Health
This one gives advice on nutrition, fitness, and lots more regarding kids' health. They even have a section giving tips about cooking with kids that is divided by age group (preschooler and school age).

Will We See History Made?

2008-06-30T08:52:00.001-07:00

In the beginning, I was 100% a Hillary supporter. I think I got caught up in the whole solidarity, women sticking together thing. Girl Power!! But as the days past, and Hillary talked more, I quickly changed the direction of my support. Does she have good ideas about what to do to help the country? Yes, and anything she thought of that Obama did not will force him to take a look at those issues too. So we would get the best of both's ideas.

What changed my mind about Hillary is feeling like she has ruined things for any other woman who ever wants to run for president I feel like she played into every stereotype about women. Changing our minds every other day, mudslinging, and flat out lying - I'm sorry but saying that you were shot at when you weren't is NOT misspeaking, it is not a simple mistake, IT'S A FLAT OUT LIE!!!

I'm disappointed in how she ran her campaign, and I hope she realizes just what that has done to dissuade America from taking another woman serious who wants to run for president.

I am now supporting Obama and am proud of that. I am very proud that we have come so far as to accept even the possibility of a black president. I think he will bring about many good changes to our country. He cares about the struggles of us normal people too, not just the woes of the rich. He has good, reasonable ideas of what to change and how to do it. These are the things that are important, not the color of someone's skin. I am just so happy that we have learned to see people without using our eyes.

Be Safe for the 4th

2008-06-26T19:30:00.001-07:00

We all like watching fireworks displays on the Fourth of July. Some of us enjoy creating our own shows. If you're going to do your own fireworks this year, follow these safety tips to keep your fun evening from turning into a disaster.

Fireworks and sparklers should be used under the close control of sober adults.

Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks.

Read and follow all instructions and warnings.

Be sure other people are out of range before lighting fireworks.

Only light fireworks on a smooth, flat surface - never in your hand.

Keep away from buildings, dry leaves and other flammable materials.

Never throw a firework or sparkler at a person or into a crowd.

Do not stand over or near fireworks when lighting them; the sparks, the
flight path and the timing of the explosion are all unpredictable.

Have a metal trash can handy to dispose of sparklers.

Do NOT relight duds. If you have a dud, leave it alone for several minutes, then immerse it in water and throw it away.

Have fun on the 4th, and STAY SAFE!

Smaller Size for the Same Price

2008-06-25T11:34:00.001-07:00

Have you noticed that your box of cereal isn't lasting as long as it used to? Running out of things just a few days sooner that you did a few months ago? Wanna know why?

Companies are now putting less in the package while charging the same price. This is a result of the same problems we're all having - rising gas prices. As transportation costs rise, so do the costs of everything else. Companies are paying more money to make and deliver products, and are being left with two choices: raise prices or put less in packages to offset their cost. If gas prices continue to rise, however, they will inevitably have to raise the prices for us.

It's a no win situation for all of us. We can only hope that a solution is found soon before things get worse.

This Guy is Crazy!

2008-06-23T16:03:00.001-07:00

Not in his theory of growing technology causing us to change the way we
think and read, that is true. But, I think that not sitting still to
read books for hours has more to do with age and the fact that as we
get older there are so many other things that need to be done - things
that are more important than reading a novel. For example, everyday
chores - cooking, cleaning, etc. and spending time with loved ones. True,
I don't read books anywhere near the way I used to. 10 yrs ago, if I
liked the plot, I could read a book in a day - depending on length.
Now, it's been months since I've sat down to read anything more than a
2-4 page magazine article and even, then the book was left unfinished.
My attention span has shortened dramatically as I've gotten older. Not
because of technology, but because of life and a flat out lack of
desire to sit and read a book all the way through.

The reason I think this guy is crazy is because of this : If he gets
bored reading books or lengthy articles and he knows the rest
of us feel the same way, then why didn't he write a shorter article?!

If you can sit still long enough, and would like to read the full article click here.

Interested in Drawing?

2008-06-23T11:58:00.001-07:00

I found this website that gives drawing lessons. Easy to read and understand lessons from beginner to advanced make this site great for everyone who is interested in drawing or learning to draw. I found it to be a good stress reliever, to just sit back read and draw along with the lessons. You can check it out here.

*Note*: You do have to register to access the lessons, but it's free and a quick sign up form.

I never noticed this before

2008-06-20T08:10:00.001-07:00

When you go to the grocery store to buy bread, do you ever squeeze the loaves to find the softest, freshest bread? Of course, we all do. But did you know that bread is delivered to stores fresh 5 days a week - Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri., & Sat.? Even better is that each day has it's own color coded twist tie.

They are:

Monday=Blue
Tuesday=Green
Thursday=Red
Friday=White
Saturday=Yellow

So just pick the color tie for that day and you'll have the freshest bread. This works with those plastic clips too. The color code is easy to remember because they go in alphabetical order. Remember this tip on your next shopping trip and enjoy your fresh bread.

Attitude is Everything

2008-06-19T13:50:00.001-07:00

100 Acre Wood Personality Test

2008-06-19T10:25:00.001-07:00

Take the 100 Acre Personality Quiz!

This is true

2008-06-18T13:24:00.001-07:00

I found this online and wanted to share it.

Ten Rules for Being Human

By Cherie Carter-Scott

1.	You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it's yours to keep for the entire period.
2.	You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called, "life."
3.	There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error, and experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately "work."
4.	Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.
5.	Learning lessons does not end. There's no part of life that doesn't contain its lessons. If you're alive, that means there are still lessons to be learned.
6.	"There" is no better a place than "here." When your "there" has become a "here", you will simply obtain another "there" that will again look better than "here."
7.	Other people are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.
8.	What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.
9.	Your answers lie within you. The answers to life's questions lie within you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.
10.	You will forget all this.

Get 'Em Off the Street!

2008-06-18T12:12:00.001-07:00

A new bill was signed into law regarding child molesters who are repeat offenders. Effective July 1st, child molesters (over the age of 18) will receive a life sentence in prison if convicted more than once of molesting a child under the age of 12. More children will stay safe because of this new law. Good job and much thanks to those who signed it! Details of law HB 85 found here.

Movies for the kiddies this summer!

2008-06-18T10:22:00.001-07:00

Wondering what to do to get the kids to sit still for awhile this summer? Try one of these great new movies.

1. Kung Fu Panda- In theaters now. Po, a clumsy yet enthusiastic fan of kung fu is chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy. He realizes his dream when he studies the art alongside his idols. A great one by Dreamworks. Watch the trailer.

2. Wall-E - Starts June,27. Set in the year 2700, Wall-E goes out to chase his dream across the galaxy. Sure to be yet another great animated comedy from Pixar. Watch the trailer.

3. Space Chimps - Starts July,18. A computer animated comedy following the descendants of the first chimps in space as they blast off for a dangerous mission on a far away planet. They're off to make the universe a safer place for all. These little monkeys are just too cute! Watch the trailer here.

*If you're worried about the cost (ticket prices are getting kinda high) try going to a matinée, inquire about discounted tickets for younger kids and/or groups, and some areas have drive-ins left which give lower priced tickets.

Creative Kids

2008-01-14T19:08:00.000-08:00

Want to bring out the fun, creative side of your child but aren't sure where to start? Here's some sites I like. They give you full instructions and materials lists. Great indoor and outdoor ideas for all ages (even toddlers!).

DLTK's Holiday Crafts - This one is my favorite because they give recommended ages for each craft/activity.

Toddler Toddler - This one gives crafts and activities geared toward toddlers/preschoolers. A lot of the activities are educational as well as fun.

No Peeking!

2007-12-22T10:16:00.000-08:00

Remember when you were a kid and you tried to sneak and find out what you were getting for Christmas early? Well, in Rock Springs, WY a man learned the hard way that there's no peeking allowed when his wife allegedly stabbed him with a kitchen knife after an argument where she accused him of trying to open a present early. I can't believe that there are people who get that crazy this time of year.

Mad Dash for Gas

2007-12-08T12:17:00.000-08:00

Even though it was dishonest, how many of us really wouldn't have stopped for this too?

In Minocqua, WI a gas station employee made a mistake when changing the per gallon price on the station's sign that cost the owner more than $1700. Instead of making the sign read $3.29, the employee mistakenly put $.329 up on the sign before leaving at closing time. People could still use their credit cards to pay for the gas, and many did take advantage of the 33 cents per gallon gas. About 42 people racked up a whopping 586 gallons of gas in less than 2 hours.

The local police saw the mob of people and called the gas station owner to come and hit the emergency stop.

Yes this was dishonest to do. It took mere common sense to know that 33 cents per gallon was wrong. But, if you are completely honest with yourself, how many of you would have really kept driving?

Save an endangered species - Buy Poop?!

2007-12-08T10:21:00.000-08:00

I found this on ebay and couldn't believe it. In Yulee, FL the International Rhino Foundation is auctioning off 4 pieces of rhino poop. Yes, Poop. Each piece is dried and mounted in a clear trophy case, then marked with the type of rhino that produced it. The proceeds will go to fund the conservation efforts. The auction ends Sunday.

Here are the stats so far:

Sumatran Rhino poop - $670
Black Rhino poop - $620
Indian Rhino poop - $650
White Rhino poop - $743

Click the link below to bid for your piece of poop. :)

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=rhino+poop&category0=

Home Made Gifts for Anytime of Year

2007-12-04T12:52:00.000-08:00

Finding it hard to buy gifts for Christmas, birthdays, etc. without spending way too much money? Why not try making some gifts. I've found a few ideas that will make any occasion special.

Sweet Treats: Candy, cookies, breads, and cakes all make great gifts especially near the holidays. Dig through those recipe books an find some that are easy to make. Just make enough for your gifts. For example: If your making cookies, you'd probably want to make about 2 dozen for each person. Then just buy a few cookie tins to put them in. You can find cookies tins at the dollar store or wal-mart and they're very inexpensive. Decorate the top of the tin by tying a wide ribbon around it or even just sticking a store bought bow on top and you're done.

Bath Salts: Who doesn't like to relax in a nice, soothing perfume scented bath. Bath salts are great and easy to make. Here's what you need.

2 and 1/2 lbs. Epsom Salts
food coloring
perfume or scented oil

Combine all ingredients well so the color is even. Put the mixture in jars and let them stand for 4-6 weeks before using. This allows the odor to bled with the salts.

Recipe Jar: I really love this one. Choose any recipe you like such as cookies, cake, tea, cocoa, or even soup. Then just combine all the dry ingredients for the recipe in a jar. Dress up the lid with fabric, lace, or ribbon and attach a recipe card with instructions for how to complete the recipe. Here's an example.

Winter Coffee Mix

Materials: 1 quart jar, card for making tags, ribbon

Ingredients:
2 cups Non dairy creamer
1 and 1/2 cups hot cocoa mix
1 and 1/2 cups instant coffee
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well.

Write these instructions on the tag: To make 1 cup - Spoon 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of mix in a coffee mug. Add 1 cup boiling water. Stir until well blended.

How easy is that?! I love the idea of making gifts for people. It definitely saves money, it's easy to do, and the recipient will know that you put that little extra effort in to give them something special.

News for Fellow Bloggers

2007-11-30T10:56:00.000-08:00

If you're already blogging for fun and would like make a little extra money with it, try bloggerwave . Make a few posts on your blog, just short little blurbs, and get paid for your time. You choose which assignments to accept so you certainly don't have to endorse any product or idea that you don't believe in. Check it out.

Happy Blogging!

This Stuff is Getting EXPENSIVE!

2007-11-29T07:18:00.000-08:00

Tons of doctors appointments all through the first two years of our kids' lives and then we get to add dentist visits too. It costs too much to pay for dental checkups out of pocket. I'm signing up for a discount dental plan instead of adding to my health insurance plan. I'll actually save money that way. I found Dental Plans online and was very happy with them.

I had lots of plans to choose from. I just entered my zip code and it pulled up a list of available plans for my area. They outline each plan individually or you can put them side by side and comparison shop to find the right one for you. With any of Dental Plans' options I would be able to save half or nearly half on everything from routine checkups to dentures.

They even have a Dental Plans 101 class right on their website. It explains the differences between discount dental plans and regular dental insurance. Discount plans are less of a hassle and much less expensive. They help you to choose the right plan for you and your family. They offer individual and family plans as well as plans for companies. Lots of options and less money - overall, I was very happy with what I found here.

Toy Recalls Scaring You Away From the Toy Isle?

2007-11-28T10:46:00.001-08:00

I don't blame you a bit if they are. It seems like every time you turn on the news or check out Internet news, there's another recall on toys. Everything from choking hazards to lead paint, it makes you wonder what these toy manufacturing companies are thinking! If you're making a product for a child, why on earth would you not consider such major safety issues?
If you think about it, we all know the answer to that question - MONEY. Let's turn a blind eye to the fact that these toy might not be getting properly tested as long as it saves money. It's truly ridiculous. Personally, even if buying toys mad solely in the USA meant paying more for them, I'd gladly pay the extra money to ensure my child's safety. I think we just need to boycott products made in these countries to show them how we feel. Maybe if they take a hit in their wallets, they'll decide to pay more attention to safety.
If you're worried about gifts you've bought or are planning to buy, or if you'd like some tips on shopping for safe gifts go to the CPSC website. You'll find recall and safety information, a place to report an unsafe product, plus lots more. The information on this site stays current. Shop Safe!

How to Obtain Some Peace of Mind.

2007-11-26T11:31:00.000-08:00

We all care about our family's future, how our kids will pay for college, whether or not they will keep a roof over their heads, and if they will fall when we are no longer there to catch them. We can all get a little piece of mind, some reassurance that they will be OK, with two words - Life Insurance.

I came across Advantage Term Life and wanted to share it with you. They help you to explore your insurance options to find the best policy for you. You can enter your basic information into their form and get instant quotes from several well know companies, including Chase and Prudential Financial.

Have other questions? Advantage Term Life gives you descriptions of the types of policies you can purchase - term, universal, whole, etc. They give the pros and cons of each policy type and tips on how to save money on your policy as well. My choice would most likely be a cash back term life insurance policy. With this policy, if you do not have reason to cash in the policy when it expires, you can get your money back that you've paid in premiums over the years. With other term policies, you lose everything you've paid in at the expiration of the policy.

If you'd like to get some peace of mind too, check out their website today at http://www.advantagetermlife.com/ .

Let the Shopping Begin!

2007-11-23T14:40:00.000-08:00

For those of us who haven't finished (or started) our Christmas shopping, the hunt is on. The hunt, that is, for the perfect gift(s) for everyone on our lists. Good luck to everyone on this quest. Here's a few tips and thing to help you out.

Shop sales:
Of course, most of us do this already but if you don't then it's definitely a way to save a few bucks.

Set limits:
If you're buying gifts for people you know are buying for you too, get together with them and set a spending limit for gifts. This will keep anyone from going overboard and making others feel bad for making less expensive purchases.

Shop online:
Save the gas and the headache of fighting the crowds by doing some shopping online. You may also luck out and find some awesome deals online. For example, I just found the vtech baby vsmile on walmart.com for $29.92 with $0.97 shipping charge. In the store it is still just under $40. Might not sound like a ton of savings, but every extra dollar helps.

Stay calm:
No matter how or where you shop, stay calm and be nice. Remind yourself what we're really celebrating here and hold that thought with you as you shop.

Good luck to everyone! Enjoy yourselves, and have a very Merry Christmas!

Are We Ready??

2007-11-16T11:22:00.000-08:00

We can diffuse arguments and squabbles between our kids, us and our spouse, and other family members. We are able to listen to all sides,bring everyone together, and figure out a suitable compromise. We form budgets and stick to them. We set rules and make everyone in our house follow them - if they don't we are firm but fair. We even find ways to generate extra income when necessary. We run our households day in and day out. Are we ready to run the country? Is this the year we help make history and vote to elect our first female president? I for one, feel that this milestone in history is long overdue. Hillary Clinton handles herself well in debates and has some good plans for our country. Making sure everyone has adequate health care is truly important. There are too many people out there who are suffering, being undiagnosed and untreated because they can't afford to go to a doctor. With all of the medical advancements we have made, why should this happen to anyone? Everyone should have access to the best medical care. This is just one of the issues that is helping to lock in my vote for Hillary Clinton.

$$ Money, Money, Money $$

2007-11-16T10:21:00.000-08:00

It's really hard sometimes to handle the budgeting for our families. Needs vs. Wants, Saving vs. Spending. Money woes. We all have them - unless you're fortunate enough to win the lottery, that is. Wether your household has one income coming in or two, we could all use some extra cash from time to time. Especially around the holidays. I've tried a lot of diferent things to make money online. Some work pretty well, some are scams, and some just aren't worth the effort. Here's a few that I've tried and I think they work pretty well. With some of these you will earn faster than you would with others, but I'm happy with them.

MyLot - You get to talk with other people about anything that interests you. Start discussions, respond to others and you get paid for it. How much you earn and how quickly depends on how you combine quality and quantity in your discussions/responses.

Agloco mails - Get paid to read emails. Free membership and a $50 sign up bonus. My account balance has gone the highest on this site so far.

Earn PTR - Free membership. Get paid for reading emails.

**Note: Paid email sites listed are free to join, but do offer a paid member upgrade to access even more money making features. Fully worth the upgrade if you chose it.

Digital Scrapbooking

2007-11-14T10:08:00.000-08:00

I love digital scrabooking. It's much less expensive than paper scrapbooks. Think about it - you buy a scrapbook album, tons of papers and embelishments, and have your pictures developed - you're going to pay a lot of $$ for all that. You can go a little cheaper with it and buy a scrapbook kit, but then you're limited to using only what is included in the kit unless you spend more money to buy a lot of "extras." When you do digital scrapbooks, you pay maybe $10 for a pack of ten data cds and you find a computer program where you can edit and embelish your photos - there are lots of free trials and free versions of software out there you can use - and then find digital scrapkits - lots of freebie and low cost sites out there - and ther you go! With a little time, you've got 10 scrapbooks to enjoy or give as a gift for a minimum of $1 each. Now if time, or even knowhow, is your issue you can always have someone else do the work for you. Some of these sites are pricier than others, but some are reasonably priced. This one is my favorite.

Remember Me: You send in your digital photos, tell what you like - fave colors, etc.- and they do all the work for you. Everything is put together for you on cds or dvds - you're own movie - and you can even have music added to it. It's pretty cool. Check it out.

Welcome

2007-11-14T05:40:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my blog. Mommy Time Plus is a place to share other interests with the world. We are not just mommies, we are still women too. All of us love our children very much, but we also have other interests, other hobbies, other likes and dislikes. So I am here to share some of mine with you. I am hoping we will have lots of common interests. So please feel free to share your thoughts with me as I post, and thanks for visiting my blog.