more stuff

Well this is just more stuff for me to whine about, but some things really bug me. Like people tracking snow all over the house and then when it melts there are puddles all over the floor. Not a very fun thing to find all over your house. But that's life when you have a house full of people and some are still kids and you have lots of snow outside to play in. So I guess I shouldn't let it bug me so much. Yet, who is the one who almost always ends up cleaning it up? I wonder... Well some things don't bug me that really bug other people, so I guess I can have this one thing that I will let bug me. After all, we are only human and we will be bugged, right?

Freezing Cookies and Cookie Dough Article

via allrecipes.com

The ability to freeze cookies is a way to get yourself out of a bind. For example, one day you could freeze a whole truckload (well, almost) of cookies and then when you have company drop in unexpectedly (UNEXPECTEDLY!), you can get out some cookies and make hot chocolate or herb tea. Voila! You are a hero.

For the Ferret Enthusiasts | Pets In Touch: Celebrity & News shares your Hollywood pet stars news, pet fashion and pet information.

Ferrets

Do you know that a non-profit organization called International Ferret Congress exists? They are actually a continuation of the International Ferret Symposium Committee, who organized the first Ferret Symposium in LasVegas back in 2002 and brought together more than 135 ferret owners, shelters across the country, club members, ferret breeders and veterinarians to learn about these wonderful animals and share the love for these small mammals.

The main objective of the IFC is to sponsor educational symposiums and forums related to ferrets. The IFC has just announced the next big event for all ferret lovers. It will take place in Phoenix, Arizona and will be held from June 3^rd to June 5^th of 2011. Save the dates.

Information on accommodations, cost of the event and featured speakers will be available soon at the IFC website. www.ferretcongress.com.

Written by: Antonio Muniz

Courtesy of: www.petsintouch.com

 

via petsintouch.com

This picture is a little bit squished up, but I was able to view it in high definition and in the right format and it is absolutely adorable.

fresh content for your blog

Blog owners know just how important fresh content is. Fresh content is something you have written and post regularly to your blog for your visitors to see. Make sure you don't use PLR on your blog; that's just tacky. Your visitors will catch on quick and won't be back to visit your blog. Some black-hat sites will stoop so low as to steal content off other blogs and post it on theirs. Stay as far away from this practice as possible.

So, where do you get ideas for fresh content? Well, it really depends upon what your blog is all about. One thing you could do is to read the news and then give a review or opinion about something in the news.

If you like to read and review books, then choose something off the bestseller list or go to your local library and find something interesting or strange. People like to read about unusual things, too. Then do a book review on what you have read. If you are monetizing your blog, then you could also put a link there for your reader to buy that book. Maybe your review will interest them so much that they want to immediately click on the button and buy that book. You have just created another satisfied customer.

If you really think about it, there are 4 things available on the internet, and they are information, products, advertising and services. Some are at no cost and some you have to pay for. A blog offers its readers some great information usually at no monetary cost. The only investment is the time it took to read it. If they like what they've read then they will keep coming back for more. If they offer a great service such as search engine optimization from Lethbridge SEO, then the customer will always come back. Some people have great success by selling physical products on their blog. Then there's the advertising component. Some businesses use internet advertising to send customers to their website or to their local business location. On the other end of that stick are people looking for something in particular and they look at the advertising in order to find it.

When building and marketing your website take into consideration the type of customer you think you are looking for. Then you will have a better idea of how to structure your website and what kind of advertising to use.

some musings

Today I was thinking about how much I love to read. Reading can open up so many doors for you. It can bring you so much joy to just be able to curl up with a good book.
Books will never go out of style, I hope. Yes I do love trees and I do love the thought of not having to use natural resources to make books, but the look, feel and smell of paper cannot be compared. My daughter has an ereader and I think I would love one too, but I would have a hard time giving up my paper books. Maybe it's old fashioned. Yet I still see lots of books being published in paper; I wonder if it will ever really go out of style?

7 Architectural Wonders of the Natural World : WebEcoist

via webecoist.com

Okay, I am not scared of spiders and never have been. However, I must tell you right now that looking at that giant spider web has me totally creeped out. It is both disgusting and amazing all at once.

I don't think I would be wandering into that web...

Hinterland Who's Who - Blue Jay

via hww.ca

The bluejay is a beautiful and remarkable bird. Their ancestors have been discovered in fossils dating back more than 25 million years.

The blue jay is mostly vegetarian but carries a reputation of stealing other bird's eggs from their nests.

The blue jay is not a large bird, being only a little larger than a common Robin. Even though it's feathers appear to be a vivid blue color, it is actually a trick of the light that makes them appear to be that way.

I have only ever seen 1 bluejay in my life, and they really look blue and really are beautiful. The bluejay loves to chatter, and is a quick, sometimes aggressive bird.

It is an animal that is very interesting to read about, and I recommend following further.

This made me cry with laughter... So cute!!

via sodahead.com

This cute tiny turtle is trying her hardest to eat this tiny cherry tomato. Poor girl tries so many times until finally someone hangs on to the tomato so it won't scoot across the table.

It is amazing that turtles come in huge sizes, as in the size of five full-grown men put together, and they also come in tiny sizes, where you can fit 4 or 5 of them in the palm of your hand.

I don't know if any other species has such a wide variety of size within the species set. Well, maybe snakes...

Local News Articles

For your next pet blog, try a local news site. How fun could that be?

You could write about your opinion of local news, what is happening in your community, and have spotlights of local businesses as well.

This is a good way to get a load of local readership. Think what you could do with that :-)

You could use a self-hosted blog or start out with a free platform like Blogger for your local news, or even Tumblr, Wordpress.com or Posterous.

You could really have a lot of fun with this project.

Just Bento | a healthy meal in a box: great bento recipes, tips, and more

via justbento.com

If this doesn't look yummy, then I don't know what does. In fact, I can almost scrape it off my computer screen and eat it right now.
If you want yummy Japanese bento box recipes, you need to visit this site.
You will just flip out at the awesome recipes you will find here.
Happy bento eating!

internet marketing thoughts

I don't know how many of you have tried internet marketing, and how far those efforts have gone.

We all want to be able to make a viable income from home, but few of those who have tried have ever made enough to quit their day job.

Sometimes it can be very frustrating to get work done with family at home and so many other things distracting us.

And yet, part of the reason to have the flexibility to work from home is to be able to enjoy our family and take time for the distractions.

It's not always easy, that's for sure.

In case you don't have time for the little joys in life, here are some website snippets for you to peruse.

The first one is about health issues.

The second one is about airport safety, which we can all appreciate.

Now time for a vietnamese recipe for delicious soup to warm up with.

Another vietnamese recipe, this time for avocado shake. Yummy.

Some computer lingo now; capistrano for restarting apache. Good luck.

Now a trashed fashion snippet for you to enjoy.

Last but not least is a cooking blog cooking contest. How fun is that?

Wow. Making all those links was sure fun. Not. But it was worth it and I think you will enjoy the variety.

Bella Coola Valley, BC Canada

via bellacoola.ca

The Bella Coola Valley is a beautiful expanse located on the Central Coast of British Columbia in Canada.

This website offers gorgeous pictures and helpful information to learn all about this beautiful natural refuge.

The website uses an appealing color background and interesting graphics.

Overall I recommend this website for learning all about this great natural resource.

Mountains: Face of the Earth

via edu.pe.ca

This beautiful website boasts breathtaking pictures and excellent writing.

Normally I avoid reading white on a black background; I do not enjoy it at all. However it was very effective on this site because it makes you feel like you are on top of a mountain looking out into deep dark outer space.

The information is valuable and relevant and is written in an interesting way.

Marketing Madness

I am calling this Marketing Madness because I think that sometimes website owners go mad trying to stay abreast of all the SEO changes.

Here is an interesting article about Lethbridge SEO and Lethbridge Marketing for Business that goes over some of the points about why it's important to keep your website optimized for your desired keywords.

A higher rank for your website means more traffic, and more traffic means more profit. That's what every business needs to thrive-- traffic and profits. Of course, there are more factors that influence traffic and profits than just SEO for your website. But to capture the potential of free, organic online traffic, good SEO is #1.

The home of Parenting and Babytalk

via parenting.com

Parenting tips...sounds like something I could use once in awhile. Actually, maybe more often than once in awhile :) But don't tell my kids I said that.

I had this great idea when my first child was born. Since she didn't come with a user's manual, and I couldn't find anywhere to order one (and I didn't like the user's manual my mom used...), I decided that I would write my own. So, I made careful notes about what worked and what didn't, what to do and not to do, etc.

Boy, I was so smart! Why hadn't anyone else thought of this before?

Then came my second child. Of course, I knew everything (from my first child).

You can guess what I am going to say next. It didn't take me long at all to figure out I wasn't as smart as I thought.

Why? Well, a user's manual for a Ford doesn't tell you how a GM works. Oh, I get it now! I wasn't so smart after all, was I? Of course not!

So, I won't tell anyone else about my great "user's manual" idea.

Anyway, all joking aside, polishing up on your parenting skills is a great idea, and remember to throw into the mix that all kids are different and that nobody knows your own kid better than you. :-)

All About Online Tutoring

The subject of Online Tutoring has intrigued me for a long time. I have often thought of two of my school-teacher friends who cannot find permanent work in their field. They are limited to whatever subbing they can do, and they never know until the morning of, whether or not they are going to get work that day.

It makes me wonder if they could get enough hours tutoring online to pay them adequately. Many online tutoring sites claim you can charge up to $75 an hour for tutoring, but I have a hard time believing that you would get enough business.

A tutor I know makes $25 an hour and gets as much tutoring as she can possibly accommodate.

Well, at any rate, it does make for an interesting article on tutoring online.

Google Adsense Privacy Policy Generator - Create a Privacy Policy Adsense

via serprank.com

We all want high search engine results page rankings (SERP rankings). Of course, the top 10 sites for any one search term occupy the entire first page. Most people don't click on anything lower than the #3 spot. The ultimate reward of course is spot #1.

Olympic Games Medals, Results, Sports : Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

• Bilingual Experience
• Media Centre
• Web Linking Policy
• Brand and Logo Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Contact Us
• Site Map
• RSS

© 2010 The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
Olympic and Paralympic Games photography © Getty Images, unless otherwise stated.

via vancouver2010.com

The 2010 Vancouver Olympics Website is quite amazing. To get the full impact you would have to visit there. But the website at http://www.vancouver2010.com/ is the next best thing.
There is lots to see and read about and has latest news and latest videos.

Cold Season

With cold season upon us in my corner of the world, it's time to watch out for viruses.

I rarely get sick. Even when my kids come home sick, I usually avoid getting it.

Part of it is positive attitude, and part of it is watching where I put my hands. I don't share cups.

Stay healthy. It's important.

Magnets for Therapy

I have sciatica and have for a long time. It is especially bad at night and the worst in my left leg.

Last night I put a shoe insert that is a magnet into my pajamas on the left side.

I slept all night with no pain. I am going to do it again tonight.

It has worked for other things for me as well. It healed my plantar's fasciitis a few years ago.

(That's why I have magnetic shoe inserts.)

Buying your first Domain

Have you done it yet? Have you purchased your own piece of virtual real estate?

Owning a domain has a feeling all its own. There are so many domain directories, and some are really skimpy on the help and resources.

The best place to buy a domain, in my opinion and through my experience, is Godaddy.com

That is not an affiliate link, by the way, just a gift of my knowledge given freely to you.

So, if you are in the market for buying a domain name of your own, that is the place I highly recommend.

Toodles for now!

Outdoor Fitness

There are so many things you can do to maintain your fitness levels without having to pay the huge price of a gym membership.

Outdoor fitness could be a fitness topic all of its own, but I doubt it's as popular as gym memberships.

Well, here goes:

Try some new outdoor sports. If plain old traditional walking isn't your thing, how about a team sport?

Enjoy the health benefits of natural sunshine while shedding those unwanted pounds and firming up those muscles you've always known were hiding in there somewhere...

So, today is the day.

Today make your commitment to yourself to spend some time outside in the fresh air. You can do it!

Making Enough Moolah to Work From Home

Here's a lady who has written an article on what you need to do to make enough money that you can work from home.

That's exactly what I am trying to do. Yes it's hard. Yes it takes a lot of work. Yes I haven't accomplished it yet.

Yes I am going to keep trying.

It's hard when you need the money NOW, but if you went out and got a dumb job just to get money, you would have no time to work on your stay-at-home-job.

It's kind of a catch-22.

Well, I will keep working. I think I will make it if I don't give up.

My Hair Color Went Wrong

Yesterday I dyed my hair. You know, to get rid of those pesky strands of gray. They just don't suit me.

I used the same hair color by the same company that I have used previously (I'm pretty sure), but this time my hair turned out black instead of medium ash brown.

My girls are trying to convince me that it doesn't look black but to me it seriously looks dark bluish black, and with my very fair skin color, it doesn't look so good.

At least I don't have this lady's bad hair day!

When I was little I always dreamed of having long black hair. I still think it looks gorgeous. Just not on me...

Make Sure You Do The Allergy Test

I dyed my hair this morning. Only because my gray hair shows just at my temples and the rest of my hair is dark brown. So, without dying my hair I look like that guy on Fantastic Four. Not what I really want at my age.

This poor little girl either didn't do the strand test for allergies or something went wrong.

Luckily I have never had an allergic reaction to anything other than seasonal pollen blowing around. And I know how darn miserable that can be!

This little girl is lucky to have not suffered permanent eye damage or anything like that!

I still think 13 is too young to be worrying about hair color. Just use the color you were born with, and then when your hair starts turning gray, then you can worry about whether or not to put chemicals on your head.

That's just my 2 cents worth.

Typhoons

Do you live in an area in the world which is subject to typhoons? In Wiktionary.com you can get a definition of what a typhoon is.

I'm lucky where I live: no earthquakes, no typhoons, no tornadoes...but we do get blizzards, chinook winds, and rapidly plummeting temperatures.

I do love it that we have virtually no poisonous spiders, few poisonous snakes (we do have rattle snakes), no lions, no tigers. But we do have bears.

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

Sorry, I just had to throw that in there (from the Wizard of Oz).

The reason I started this post is because a friend of mine lives in an area which was just hit by a typhoon and while his house has no damage, the flu has rapidly spread through the population partly because of contaminated drinking water.

Oh,,,how blessed I am, and I do really appreciate it.

Hamster Home

We choose to have hamsters in our home...lots of hamsters. We love them! Hamsters are one of the best pets you can imagine. None of our hamsters bite, and they are so cuddly, warm and soft. We don't use hamster cages, but instead they each make their home in the bottom of a high-walled plastic bin.

That way, they never stink, we can easily get them in and out quickly, and we can see what they're doing and have lots of interaction with them.

I love it and so do my kids.

Hamsters make a great pet. Try one out today. They are small, cheap to maintain, easy to clean up after, and are the cutest ever.

One helpful pointer I can give you, is do some reading up about hamsters. When do they sleep? How much running in a ball or wheel do they need every day? What kinds of foods do they eat?

Did you know they are omnivores? They need lots of grains and seeds which come in hamster food but they also need some fresh veggies once in awhile and a little protein too.

They are allergic to almonds and tomatoes and citrus fruits.

Find some good websites and start reading up or go to your local library and check out some books. No need to spend any money when there's so much free information!

Purrrrr!

Did you know that cats purr when they're happy? I bet everyone knows that.

But, did you know that guinea pigs also purr when they're happy? They do, and I love it! I have had guinea pigs for a few years now, and they are so much fun. They are the next best thing to having a cat.

Guinea pigs are soft, sweet, cuddly and cute. What more could you ask for?

Here is a little video on a great You Tube Channel to show you an example of a guinea pig purring.

Guinea pigs can make very, very nice pets. Their mess stays in one place (the cage, bin, or whatever you're using)

What more could you ask for?

Fire Engine Toddler Bed

What a sweet bed for a little boy! This Fire Engine Toddler Bed is the cutest ever. These little toddler beds were just starting to come out when my babies were ready to move from the crib to a bed, but my babies were so big, it didn't make sense to me to move them into a bed that was the same size as the crib mattress. So, I got guard rails for a regular twin bed and that's what they moved into.

However, I think these little toddler beds would be ideal for most people, and it allows the young child to transition a little easier. And no, the link above is not an affiliate link for me. I just linked it to a great lens I found on Squidoo that I think deserves to be blogged about.

Joel Comm 2.0

If you don't know Joel Comm from Adsense fame, then have a look at his blog here at JoelComm.com

Here is an internet marketer who has been around since the internet was a baby, and he's always run a very open and honest marketing campaign.

He told a story today on his radio broadcast about once promoting an affiliate product which he later found out was not-so-desirable and how he felt like he had given away a part of his integrity. He warned that we should be very careful in what we promote so that we never have regrets.

He had much to say about honesty and transparency and that we should try to identify and fulfull our purpose in life.

We all have something incredible to offer. Even though it's nice to have money and life is easier with it and we all need it, life isn't just about money. It's about so much more.

If you want to read some good stuff, go see his blog.

Blogger Websites

Have you ever made your own blog in Blogger?

It's free, easy and fun. Even for someone like me, who started out knowing absolutely NOTHING about web building or anything else.

The interface is so easy to understand, and there are so many things you can do with Blogger. In fact, they keep adding new features.

Now you can even make static pages on your blog, and if you have any questions about anything, just find the answer on the website, or else Google your question and see what comes up. There's never been anything that I couldn't get answered on Google.

You can ad some advertising for revenue on your Blogger, or you can put Amazon links on there, and much more.

Plus there are some really appealing and interesting templates available now, for any genre of blog.

Be adventurous and try it out. There's no better place to learn.

Chilean Miner in Marathon

Although two African runners, 1 male and 1 female, won the NYC Marathon, the limelight really fell on one of the freed Chilean miners, who was recently freed after spending 2 months underground trapped in a mine.

You can read the incredible news here.

It is a very motivational story. This man became known among the group of the Chilean runners as "the runner".

He said he completed the marathon as a symbol of bravery and struggle against the pain he feels.

It is a very heart-wrenching thought to be 2 months underground trapped. Were they in the dark? What did the air smell like? Don't you feel awful cozy right now knowing you're safe?

pr 8 Article Directory

Have you ever checked out Technorati.com?

This article directory packs a whopping Google page rank of 8!

This means that an article you publish there will give pr8 link juice back to your website through your link.

Also, you can check out this list of top article directories by page rank and traffic.

Whether you want your articles to appear to draw traffic to your website or simply to get your writing out there and seen by many people, it is worth signing up a free membership to a dozen or more of these directories.

Remember, though, not to submit the same article to more than one directory. You will be penalized for that.

Make sure every article submission to every directory is unique! This is important.

Well, have fun with your article marketing efforts and remember both quality and quantity count.

Finding Ideas for Articles

If you want to find ideas for what to write your articles about, then go to an article directory.

Yes, that's correct. You can go to an article directory like Ezine Articles, and browse their categories.

If you aren't hit with a brick load of ideas from the categories menu, then type something into the search box, and see how many articles come up.

Looking at the titles of the articles is sure to spawn some ideas for you.

Something else you can do for article ideas is talk to people. Ask someone in your family or a friend some questions like:

What do you like to do for a hobby?

What did your grandfather do for a living?

What would be your favorite country to visit and why?

What animal or insect are you the most scared of and why?

Anything you can think of can spur a new article idea. There is no limit. Go for it!

How Much Sleep do you Really Need?

Have you ever wondered how much sleep you should get for your age.

Of course, sleep requirements are different for different ages.

Not all people are the same, so someone else my age may need a little more or a little less than me. It also depends on what time you go to bed, what your activity level is, and other factors.

However, to get an idea of what the suggested sleep times are for you across your lifespan, it is helpful to consult a sleep chart for that information.

Try this site: http://www.helpguide.org/life/sleeping.htm

If you are getting much less than the recommended amount, try working more sleep time into your schedule. You may feel a lot better.

If you find yourself saying that you don't have time to get more sleep, then consider this: if more sleep makes you feel better, then you will be more productive and more efficient in your working time, so you will get more done in less time. Plus the bonus is you feel better. Sounds like it's worth it to me!

Find a new hobby

Are you sometimes bored and looking for something to do?

Have you thought of searching for a new hobby?

Follow the link for some great ideas on what you could choose as your new hobby.

A hobby that you become talented at doing can also become a new income stream for you. Think about that. Sounds appealing, doesn't it?

Hobbies also help you to be happier, healthier, reduce stress, and live longer. Those are all good side effects, too.

If you run out of things to do one day and are feeling bored with life, take up a new hobby, or revitalize an old one that you have been neglecting.

oatmeal yeast bread

You just have to try this oatmeal bread recipe! It is so good.

Oatmeal Bread

Just imagine the smell in your house. Just imagine the compliments when everyone tastes it. You will be so popular.

Adapt the recipe for your bread machine and you could wake up to fresh oatmeal bread every morning.

Can you imagine that! Fresh oatmeal bread made and ready for you to serve your family? It doesn't get much better than that.

Even if your baking skills aren't the tops, or you have never tried bread before, this is a great one to start out on.

You will be so popular with your family that you will want to find more secret recipes like this. Have fun...

A clean house

Do you need help keeping your house clean and organized?

This place is a great site to visit to learn more about organizing your home:  http://www.flylady.net/

I learned a few keepers from her, which I try to practice daily.

I can't say I do everything the way she suggests. We need to find our own method that works sometimes.

But I love getting help and suggestions from other people.

Now to get my kids organized and doing their share...Wish me luck!

Chopsticks are Fun

Aren't chopsticks so much fun to use? I love getting free ones at restaurants, buying them, using them and reusing them. They have lots more uses, too. Like stirring sticks, reaching hard to clean spots at the bottom of long tall drinking glasses, etc.

And its fun to watch someone who doesn't know how to use them. I won't laugh at you, though, if you want to try.

Here is a link to watch to learn how to use chopsticks.

I hope that your videos load faster than they do on my computer.

Good luck!

saving money

Do you like to save money? I love saving money.
I love saving money on food, cars, living accommodations.
I love saving money on clothing, school supplies, pet supplies.
I love saving money and I love saving time.

I am saving time today by making this a short entry.

Here is a link to save you money.
I hope that it saves you time too!

http://www.healthyfinancialhabits.com

Be A Tutor

via squidoo.com

I know you are thinking that it's funny I should pick a picture of ducks to share on my blog today. And you're probably right.

Well the reason I chose them is that they are on my favorite squidoo lens at:
http://www.squidoo.com/be_a_tutor
and they remind me of 3 eager students waiting for their tutor to give them more instructions.

I must say, not all my students have been this eager. But I have had a few real sweethearts who really warmed up to the idea of tutoring even though they started out thinking it was such a pain that their parents were making them get help.

electric toothbrushes

You know that I blog a lot about taking good care of your teeth. Electric toothbrushes have been shown to do a great job of cleaning your teeth and lengthening the time between dental cleanings.

Everything that you can do to take care of your teeth is worth the time and investment. We are not talking a lot of money here, either. Many electric toothbrushes these days cost only a few dollars, and even some of the hand toothbrushes are getting expensive!

Here are some sites to browse so you can find an electric toothbrush that suits your needs:

http://www.consumersearch.com/electric-toothbrushes

http://www.oralb.com/

http://arthritis.about.com/od/assistivedevicesgadgets/tp/electoothbrush.htm

http://www.canadapost.ca/shopper/electric-toothbrushes/sc/721

http://www.bestbuyereviews.com/best-electric-toothbrush.html

Well that list should keep you busy for a few minutes. Did you know that a new electric toothbrush makes an incredibly good Christmas present for the right person? Hey, I would love to get one. Want to add me to your list?

rocking horse collections

Some years ago, a friend gave me a rocking horse ornament for Christmas. I did love it, but it wasn't any more or less special than any other ornament I owned. However, a few more were given to me in the period of the next few years.

My husband noticed that I was "collecting" rocking horse ornaments, so he started to give me a rocking horse every year.

Now I really love my rocking horse collections. Not all are Christmas decorations. Many are too big to be put on the tree. Some are moveable music box rocking horses. Some are wooden, some are ceramic, and some are snow globes.

It is a wonderful collection and I really love it. I have it on display year-round.

Here are some sites with wonderful rocking horses. Maybe you would like to start a collection?

http://theornamentfactory.com/

http://www.xomba.com/all_hallmark_rocking_horse_ornaments

http://www.ornament-shop.com/productList/Rocking-Horses/-s121.html

http://www.hookedonhallmark.com/Rocking-Horse-Miniature_c_260.html

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=Rocking+Horse+Ornament

Well, this should get you started. Good luck and have fun. You will notice there are some great Hallmark rocking horses, in regular and miniature sizes. The last link also gives you other options apart from Hallmark.

PROPER TOOTH BRUSHING TECHNIQUE from Dentist.net

via dentist.net

I wish I could have gotten all the instructions and pictures for proper tooth brushing technique to show up on this blog post, but since only the link came through, I hope you take the time to visit the site.

It is especially good for kids, because they can see the pictures and then practice proper tooth brushing techniques on themselves.

It's a good review for adults too.

All Best Muffin Recipes - 120 Muffin Dishes Recipes

via recipe4all.com

Muffins are the best! They are so quick and simple to make, and you can make them very nutritious and delicious.

This site that I have presented today has a large selection of very yummy and easy-to-follow muffin recipes.

I hope that you enjoy perusing the menu and choose a tasty recipe to make today.

Sour Cherry Jam

I saw a picture of it and now I just have to have it.

Sour Cherry Jam is about the yummiest thing you can imagine. Try it on fresh homemade bread or even better, on toast. It just can't be beat.

My grandma used to freeze the fresh cherries she brought home. Then when it was a hot summer day, she would get them out and let us pop one into our mouth. As it cooled us off and warmed up in our mouths, we would get that delightful cold cherry juice taste. Once completely thawed we would carefully bite into it; it was soft like a soft candy and so delicious. Carefully we would tease out the seed and spit it out, savoring the cherry for as long as humanly possible before finally giving in and chewing it up and swallowing it.

Then, of course, we would go back to see if she would give us another...

Cherries are so healthy and nutritious. To top it off, they're also delicious!

Getting a meal on the table

Sometimes the hardest job for a busy mother can be getting supper on the table. You may have a cook who does that for you (haha not me) or you may have a husband who takes care of that for you (double haha, also not me) but if you, like me, don't have either, then it is up to you to figure out a way to get that food on the table on time. And make it yummy, please. Oh, and don't forget, make it fit within the budget.

So I got out my crockpot this morning and decided to make potato soup, but I was too lazy to find a recipe so I made it up myself. I put in chicken broth, frozen corn, grated carrots, chopped onion fried in a little oil, and lots of peeled, diced potatoes. I added garlic, sea salt, thyme and marjoram. It smells heavenly and I hope it tastes as good as it smells.

This is a great article to find more quick easy cheap meals.

This website also has quick easy cheap meals.

Well I hope that will get you started.

My potato soup will end up costing me almost nothing and will be very filling. Someone gave me 20# of potatoes, my sister gave me some frozen corn, I bought the onion, carrots and chicken broth. The crock pot holds 6 quarts and it's full. Even if none of the ingredients are free, this will cost only pennies per bowl. I will serve with hot biscuits or muffins.

Crock Pot Venison and Game Recipes

Barbecued Venison
Burgundy Venison
Chuckwagon Venison
Crock Pot Venison
Crock Pot Venison Barbecue
Deer Stew
Hawaiian Venison
Kristen's Favorite Burger Soup
Peppered Venison Steak
Venison Stew
Rabbit or Pheasant Stew
Swiss Venison
Venison Pot Roast
Venison Meat Balls

More Crockpot Recipes:

Appetizer Recipes
Barbecue
Beans
Beef/Lamb
Beef, Ground
Slow Cooker Chili
Chicken
Turkey
Pork/Sausage
Fish/Seafood
Soup
Stew Recipes
Vegetables
Desserts/Fruit
Venison/Game
Miscellaneous
Top 30 Crockpot Recipes
Top Crockpot Chicken Recipes
Weekly Crockpot Recipe
Crockpot Index Page

via southernfood.about.com

For those of you with a hunter in the family, it's time to start gathering both old and new recipes for cooking the wild meat. I didn't used to enjoy deer meat but awhile back someone gave us some deer pepperoni that was absolutely delicious.

Now that I only have 2 or 3 rings of it left, I wish I had more so that I would not run out.

Venison is delicious when killed, prepared and cooked properly. It doesn't have a strong wild taste at all and is very lean and luscious.

You have to boil it or add oil to try deer meat because it is so lean it will just stick to the pan.

Try out a new recipe, the list above includes crock pot recipes as well as some rabbit/pheasant recipes.

Have fun cooking and enjoy.

Crockpot Recipes - More than 1400 Crockpot Recipes for the Crock Pot or Slow Cooker

The big index of crockpot recipes and resources for crockpot or slow cooker

More Popular Recipes Ground Beef Favorites Chicken Recipe Index Casserole Recipes Cake Mix Desserts Rainy Day BBQ Pot Roast Meatloaf Casserole Index Macaroni & Cheese Chicken Breast Recipes Pork Tenderloin Breakfast Gallery With Recipes Compare Prices All-Clad 6.5-qt Review Your Slow Cooker Cuisinart 6.5-qt Cuisinart 4-qt Kitchenaid 7-qt Hamilton Beach Set 'n Forget Hamilton Beach 3-in-1 Hamilton Beach 5-qt Hamilton Beach 4-qt Rival 6-qt Rival Stay or Go Rival 3.5-qt Rival 2.5-qt Rival 1.5-qt Deni 3-qt Slow Cook/Fryer Crockpot Cookbooks

Crockpot Recipes Index
Appetizers and Snacks

Barbecue Recipes
Beans and Peas
Beef and Lamb
Ground Beef
Chicken
Turkey Recipes
Crockpot Chili
Dessert and Fruit
Fish and Seafood
Pork/Sausage
Crockpot Soups
Crockpot Stews
Vegetables and Side Dishes
Venison and Wild Game
Miscellaneous
Stuffing, rice, eggs, etc.
Crockpot Chicken Favorites
Top 30 Crockpot Recipes
Weekly Crockpot Recipe in E-Mail
Video Recipe: Crockpot Pot Roast

Slow Cooker Cookbooks
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6 Items or Less

More Slow Cooker Resources
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via southernfood.about.com

With the cold chill of winter on the way, it's about time to get out the slow cookers and dust them off.

I use my crock pots (or slow cookers) all year round, but more so in the winter time. I have several, so that I can cook more than one dish at a time.

A couple weeks ago when I was expecting company, I put some chicken in one crock pot and a lentil-rice dish in another. In a third pot I put a vegetable mixture. I had timed them to all be ready at about the same time. That means putting the crock pots on to cook at different times, but because it only takes a few minutes to put in the ingredients and turn it on, that's not a big deal at all.

When company came, I already had the table set and all we had to do was dish up the hot food. No stress, very little mess. It is cooked in the slow cooker and then I just lift the inner crock out and serve the food in the original crock instead of using a serving bowl.

It looks nice and is less to wash up after. All my inner crocks and lids can go in the dishwasher. After cleaning I just return the inner crock into the base, put on the lid and put away until next time.

In fact, I think I will go put something into the crock-pot right now...then about 2 hours before my meal I will put some bread dough into the bread machine. We will have fresh hot chili and homemade bread for supper! A cheap, filling, satisfying home cooked meal.

Flaky Potato Biscuits

This is the best, tenderest, and flakiest biscuit recipe you will ever taste.

This recipe for Tender Potato Biscuits is the best you could ever make, and it is guaranteed to become a family favorite, just like it has for my family. In fact, my kids talk me into making mashed potatoes just to make this recipe with.

I found the recipe a few years ago, and we enjoy the biscuits with butter and honey or butter and jam. However, the biscuits are so moist and flaky and tasty that you seriously don't need anything at all on them.

They are delicious just eaten plain.

So, I encourage you to try the recipe and see what you think.

News snippets

Did you know that a hospital in Haiti, St. Nicholas Hospital, is over-run with cholera patients? They are setting up triage areas outside using wooden benches. While there are aid organizations assisting with this crisis, the hospital is over-flowing, literally, and hoping that the cholera outbreak will reach its final wave soon. Mostly children and the elderly are stricken, and many are severely dehydrated because of this problem. You can read more about it here: CNN News.

In other news, scientists are attempting to solve the prematurity puzzle. What other conditions besides the associated symptoms of prematurity, are these infants susceptible to? Conditions like cerebral palsy or autism. This is a question that many parents of premature infants are asking. There is still room for a lot of research in this area. Hopefully some answers will help in the understanding of what we can do to prevent some of these conditions that affect the child for life.

These little bits of news get me thinking that sometimes we just get wrapped around what is happening in our own little world. Are we oblivious to what ever else is going on around us in the world? So many people are suffering. What can we do to help? If not elsewhere in the world, what can we do to help the neighbors in our own community, in our own family? It is time to reach out and use our skills and talents to help others.

I Need More Patience...NOW!

Come on patience, hurry up and come!

That's how I felt today when my daughter just wouldn't listen to me. She asked for my help and advice for a sewing project and she went ahead and did whatever she wanted to with it anyway, not heeding any of my advice (which she asked for by the way!)

Then, when it wasn't working out so well she came and showed me what was going wrong. That's when I asked her if she had tried it on before pinning it, and she proceeded to yell at me that I was just saying I could do it better than her, and I never help her, and so on. Maybe you've heard it before. So I just listened to her rant and she stomped away mad at me, not at the sewing project.

You see, somehow it was my fault she didn't listen to me, my fault her project didn't work out, and then my fault again that (I can't remember now). So, it makes sense she should be mad at me, right? Not mad at herself and not mad at the project.

Here's a good article about 5 Ways to Develop More Patience With Children.

I'm going to study it and hopefully find out some things I can do so that I will have loads more patience.

Do you think it will work?

The Best Re-fried Beans

For the best re-fried beans, cook them yourself instead of buying a can. The taste is amazing!

You will need 1 cup of dry pinto beans. Rinse them.
Fill pressure cooker to 1/3 full, adding 2 tsp oil.
Follow directions and cook until done, adding onions and garlic before cooking if desired.

Strain and put beans in fridge overnight.

The next day, mash and fry beans in olive oil, adding salt as needed.

These are very delicious, and you can eat them plain or in a tortilla with other ingredients.

Click here for more fabulous bean recipes.

Enjoy!

Be a tutor to make extra money

Have you ever considered using your experience to be a tutor?

Becoming a tutor is a great way to both make money and help someone else.

Tutoring can be done in many subject areas. I had a friend who was a volleyball coach. Every summer he ran volleyball camps. These camps filled up quickly and he made good money. The camps would be from 9-5 every day, and he would charge $200 per student per week, taking about 16 students maximum. His wife helped him run the camps, and part of the time would be spent in theory, part in planning, part in playing games and doing drills. There would be some swimming thrown in on some days, some exercises specific to strengthening muscles needed for volleyball, and whatever else he thought would be helpful and fun.

The camps appeal to youth age 10-18, and are a good way for parents to provide something different for their children to do over the summer holidays. Each child was required to bring their own lunch every day, and a lunch break of 1 hour was part of the daily schedule. My friend was able to cheaply rent the gym of a church building for the volleyball practice.

This is a great idea to adapt to other subjects. You could run a math camp over the summer, and sprinkle in some other fun things like swimming, playing at the park, etc.

The only limiting factor is your imagination.

Writing

Writing is something that comes naturally to some people and not to others. You don't have to have a gift to love writing. I have known some people who were great writers but worked very hard at it; it didn't come naturally.

My daughter, on the other hand, both loves writing and has a gift for writing, especially for writing fantasy.

If writing is something you have been thinking about, then consider finding out your writing style.

Every day, give yourself some time to write freely. Don't stress about what you are going to write about, or how it's going to be organized, or anything like that. Just write freely, not worrying about details like spelling, sentence structure, or flow. Just write. You need the practice, even if you are already an accomplished writer. You just never know what is going to flow out of your fingers.

Keep these random writings. They are a good basis for something in the future. You may be the next famous blogger. Just keep writing.

Cell Phones for Seniors

I never thought of this until my dad started having problems figuring out which keys to use on his cell phone. I noticed two things: number one, his fingers are big. I mean they are very big. Also, his eyesight is not as sharp as it used to be. I got to thinking that they should make cell phones with big numbers. You know, like the large pad calculators with big numbers?

Well, surprise of surprises, they do!

Look here at Cell phones for seniors,

It's amazing. I am starting to think that I want one, too.

It's hard to think of my dad as a senior, but I need to start thinking that way so I can help him more.

My mom has already moved into a senior's lodge, and she is only 69. She's been there for two years, because of poor health. My dad on the other hand is 79 but in quite good health. He deserves the security of a cell phone that is easier for him to use. By the way, the link above is not an affiliate link. I am just sharing a site with you in case you are looking for the same thing that I am for that special Senior in your life.

Halloween Stinks

That's just my opinion. I know a lot of you will think I am a party-pooper. Oh well. I happen to think that halloween candy and costumes is a colossal waste of good money. Most of the candy is junk and the kids are hyper for a week. The costumes are mostly all the same every year, unless someone does something really unique and makes their own. You can too:

http://www.coolest-homemade-costumes.com/#

I think homemade is definitely the way to go. If I have to tolerate looking at them, then I want them to look unique. Not just the same thing off the rack that everyone else is wearing.

Or, if you're not too creative, then combine two costumes into one. For example, a baby-vampire. Or a hulk-ballerina. How about Obama with a grass skirt?

Can't wait til halloween is over again for another year. Don't give me any candy. I don't like it. (But you can sneak me chocolate...)

I will never go back to a j-o-b again!

I have been self-employed for almost 30 years now, since I was a youth. I was always dreaming up things to do to make money. I used to decorate writing paper and then package it with some envelopes and sell these little sets of writing paper to relatives and friends. Then I went to packaging dry beans and spices together and selling it in a package with a recipe at farmer's markets. I have also done tutoring, sewing, cleaning, running a hamster hotel, writing fantasy books, and a myriad of other things. I love it. I am my own boss. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Self-employment packs many benefits, including deciding your own schedule, being picky and choosy about which clients you want and which you don't, and tax benefits, of course. If you're not making enough money to warrant hiring your own accountant, I suggest you become very educated about the tax guidelines in your area: what can you claim as expenses? This is one of the big perks of self-employment. Even if you also hold down a j-o-b, you can enjoy running a little business on the side. Your business can absorb the cost of some of the things you want to have, like new technology or equipment, as long as you can show that it was purchased for and is being used by, the business.

Start brainstorming...what kinds of things would be fun for you to do and would make you extra money? Homemade dog food? Custom-made halloween costumes? Unique bridal accessories? The sky's the limit, so start writing down everything that comes into your mind. Next, brainstorm a business plan. How will you advertise your goods or services? Be careful with initial investments. Keep them small until the income from your business can support further investments.

Good luck and have fun!

I finally got texting

It was inevitable. I thought at first it was silly, just something that teenagers wandered all over doing all day...texting. Then when I upgraded my phone I decided to get a texting phone so my teenagers could send me a message telling me where they are...or I could send them a message telling them to come home. Hahaha. Little did I know how much I would enjoy this new piece of technology.

I certainly don't text all day, like they seem to, but I sure love it for keeping in touch with my kids. Who says an old dog can't learn new tricks?