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Fitness Friday – Featured Post

April 30, 2009 By 6 Comments

This has been a long journey for me and I have backtracked. I was making progress and I got lazy. The Spring has brought some very crazy weather with lots of rain, hail and the longest snow season I have ever seen in the state of Washington. My kids were sick every other week and that kept me inside. But you ask, don’t you have a Wii Fit. Yes I do, it has been a coloring table for my babies. ;-) and a dust board. I’m sure that if I got it out every morning I would do better. I even have some really fun dancing DVD to exercise too, but I have been too lazy to find them and put them in the DVD player.There is also the blog, it keeps me on my butt and writing too much. My posts were every week for the first six weeks. Then I just stated to do one once a month, more if I felt extra motivated to write about my non-successful week.

That is all over now.

Excuses be gone!!

With Spring almost gone and Summer about here, I’m ready to be outdoors. I have had an excellent week and am going to try extremely hard to be positive about my weight loss. I’m going to share my weight with everyone so that you can see my progress. Hopefully that will keep me honest and accountable.

I am at 152 and my goal is to get down to 135. I don’t have a time frame I just want to be healthy. I’m slightly overweight for my height and body type. But I’m ready to get it in gear. This past week,

Monday – My kids and I walked to the Mailbox and back

Tuesday – we went to a puppet show and then to have a healthy lunch at subway (no fast food)

Wednesday – We walked.

Thursday – we ran and played at the park

Friday – We are going to a play group so there will be lots of running around

This isn’t just about me, it’s about getting my entire family back into shape. Yes my babies are only babies but teaching them healthy habits now is very important.

My Goals for Next week –

My family is going to be in town so we’re going to the zoo and the park as often as the sun is out. I know we will stay very active. Remember that the forum is there for you whenever you need a pick me up. Julie is so AWESOME!!!

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Aloha Friday – Do you Read Me?

April 30, 2009 By 33 Comments

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Kailani says “In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that they take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response”. You should go to Kailani’s site and link up with Mr. Linky, but don’t be rude, be sure and answer her question

My Question:

Do you read me? And Thank you for all your answers so far. The Newsletter answers were mind opening. Made me re-think my stance.

Yes this is a very selfish question, but I’m trying to find out if people are just coming by for the giveaway or memes. I haven’t had time this past week to write any real articles because I’m getting ready for family to visit and at the end of every month I have to write the Newsletter for my MOMS club. I’m never on time.

I have been trying really hard to comment on all of you and I’m also trying to visit blogs just to read them and leave comments. What do you guys do?

Filed Under: aloha Friday Tagged With: ,

Things Remembered Story Charms Mother’s Day

April 30, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Here is another one that I wish I had a giveaway for you guys, but if you look around the blogosphere you will find a few bloggers giving them away for Mother’s Day. I was however, chosen for a review and I’m purchasing two more.

charm: Starter Star CharmThings Remembered specializes in engraving. I have something from them from when I was in High School. I don’t wear it anymore but I still have it because it is special. When I got that though we got it in a store. I haven’t seen one of their stores around WA but I haven’t exactly been looking either.

 

I might now

Girl's May Birthstone Angel Necklace with FREE Keepsake Box

 This is what I’m going to order for my Mom and StepMom. I’m getting this one because my birthday is in May and I’m going to make it say “Zoe & Miles”. It also comes with a free Keepsake Box. This is 25.00 but they have tons and tons of charms that are only 20.00 each.

What is extra special is getting the customization done. Now we all have necklaces that have my children their grandchildren’s names on it. I’m very excited.

The Story Charm

Give the gift that tells her story! Our exclusive silver-plated charms are the perfect gift to celebrate her life. Choose the charms that give voice to her love for family and friends, her special achievements, her hobbies, her passions–everything that make her the woman she is. Personalize each charm with memorable names and dates, favorite quotes–all the words of her unique story. Our charms look fabulous on our special bracelet with toggle clasp or on our diamond-cut ball chain necklace.

 

Their jewelry is sterling silver and they do make a few gold pieces as well. Gifts can be customized for any event, engagement, wedding, birthday, graduation, the sky is the limit here. It comes out beautiful and easy to read. It doesn’t fade over time, it’s engraved. It’s my Mother’s Day Gift so I do recommend it.

Things Remembered

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Jonathan Sprout American Heroes # 3

April 29, 2009 By 30 Comments

AMERICAN HEROES #3

am3 1. Chocolate King
2. Come Back Home
3. Doctor
4. He Will Not Give Up
5. The Least I Could Do
6. Peanut Man

7. Can’t Stop Running
8. What He Wrote
9. Pocahontas
10. Si Se Puede! (Yes We Can!)
11. Good For Me
12. Compassion

Buy the CD at KidzMusic.com

JSP

Johnathon Sprout has been making music since 1972. He teaches songwriting workshops and performs concerts throughout the United States. Some of his CD’s have even been reproduced for international releases. He currently lives in Philadelphia, PA and continues to perform for elementary schools. He was won numerous awards for his music. Both the Association of Parenting Publications and Parent’s Choice recognized him for grown breaking work in the field of educational children’s music.  His newest CD was released in January and I have one to give away.

I have three favorites on this CD, I like Si Se Puede, Peanut Man and Chocolate King. This CD was a little difficult to enjoy at first but it’s that way with any CD for me that’s new. I like to know the words so  I listen to something until I know it. I know it now. I listen to children’s music all day. His music is meant to not only entertain but to teach. This CD offers information on Thomas Jefferson, John Muir, Pocahontas and Jane Adams to name a few. Learning and dancing. I love it.

Win It:

Visit Jonathon Sprout and tell me something about him

Extra Entries:

Subscribe to my blog
Follow me on twitter tell me your twitter ID
Blog about the giveaway include a link to me and a link to the sponsor for three extra entries Tweet the giveaway (every time you tweet you get an entry)
Add my button to your blog/blog roll
Add my Father’s Day Fling Button to your blog or website.
Leave a comment for every entry and the giveaway ends May 19th

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Edible Gifts Plus Review & Giveaway

April 29, 2009 By 360 Comments

 

Being a blogger has it’s ups and downs. I feel lately I’ve had way too many reviews and not enough personal content. I include personal content in all of my reviews but I think my husband is the only person that reads all of them. He likes how I personalize each one.

So, Edible Gifts contacted me or I contacted them, I can’t quite remember. However, they chose to send me a sample. They asked me what I wanted and I said a box of chocolate covered strawberries. Then I said, ummm, don’t spend that much on me, just send me whatever.

They sent me the sample box. I looked in the box and thought, wow this is pretty stuff. The cookies look like artwork. It contained two sugar cookies, a fortune cookie, a white chocolate covered marshmallow and a chocolate covered oreo.

I hate chocolate covered Oreo’s made by Nabisco. So I was afraid to try this one. To my surprise it was delicious. So I hoarded the entire box of samples that they sent me. I didn’t share any of it. The only item I didn’t like was the marshmallow. I don’t like marshmallows and I don’t like white chocolate.

About the Creator

Margo Rappel started her confectionary empire about 1 1/2 years ago.  In that time she has managed to grow her business to $250K in sales in the first year and it’s on track to double that in 2009.  Margo is a single mother with three children and single handedly runs all aspects of Edible Gifts Plus including product buying, website production, order processing and customer service.  Margo credits the success of Edible Gifts Plus to her "above and beyond" customer service philosophy and offering customers many delicious ways to make an impact with a personalized gift without breaking the bank

 

About the Company

Quoted from Margo: Edible Gifts PLUS is the result of years of party planning, research, and lots of delicious sampling!!  It is this experience and lifestyle that has enabled me to arrive at this business.  My enthusiasm for this special collection of cookies, chocolates, dipped fruits, pretzels, popcorn, and so much more is evident with each and every customer.    I have put together a great selection of Gift Ideas.  AND… since the "Wedding Season" is upon us, please look at our Wedding Gift Selections – there are so many terrific options for our brides and grooms.  Be sure to visit our dedicated wedding gift and favor resource guide!

Chocolate Covered Birthday BiscottiSo, I would love a whole box of chocolate covered oreo’s for my birthday and you can use the 30.00 gift card that I am giving away on Edible Gifts Plus behalf or the biscotti please.

 

 

 

To Enter:

Visit Edible Gifts Plus and tell me what you would order with it. There is a ton to choose from.

Extra Entries:

Subscribe to my blog
Follow me on twitter tell me your twitter ID
Blog about the giveaway include a link to me and a link to the sponsor for three extra entries Tweet the giveaway (every time you tweet you get an entry)
Add my button to your blog/blog roll
Add my Father’s Day Fling Button to your blog or website.
Leave a comment for every entry and the giveaway ends May 18th

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Funky Kidz CD giveaway.

April 29, 2009 By 63 Comments

fk FUNKY KIDZ was created by Lauren and her 12 year old son.  The album features 12 of New Orleans’ finest artists (Nevilles, The Radiators, George Porter Jr., Theresa Andersson and more)doing funked up covers of classic kids songs we all know and love like Zip a Dee Doo Dah, Yellow Submarine and the funkiest rendition of Hokey Pokey you ever heard. Listening to this CD with my daughter has been quite a treat.

I love the Hokey Pokey, I have been doing it with her since she was 6 months old. In her swimming class when she was six months old we would do it in the pool. Now she’s getting balance and learning how to pick her feet up. It’s just great dancing to this song. It’s so fun.

We also love You’ve got a friend in me. She bounces and sways as we sing together. My son, he bounces and squeals. I love it it’s so cute.

A portion of proceeds for CD sales goes toward fostering music education in New Orleans. Check out www.funkykidzmusic.com

Track Listing:

  1. You’ve Got A Friend In Me - Bonerama (2:57)
  2. Hokey Pokey – Big Sam’s Funky Nation (3:31)
  3. Zip A Dee Doo Dah –Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk (3:10)
  4. Yellow Submarine – Papa Grows Funk (2:56)
  5. If I Only Had A Brain – Paul Sanchez (2:57)
  6. He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands – George Porter Jr. (3:23)
  7. Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Theresa Andersson (2:31)
  8. Froggy Went A Courtin – The Radiators (5:11)
  9. This Land is Your Land – Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters (4:17)
  10. When I See An Elephant Fly – Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes (2:13)
  11. This Little Light of Mine – Ingrid Lucia ( 3:01)
  12. Garden Song – Amanda Shaw and the Cute Guys (3:53)

    Enter to Win one:

    Visit: Funky Kids and tell me something  unique.

    Extra Entries:

    Subscribe to my blog
    Follow me on twitter tell me your twitter ID
    Blog about the giveaway include a link to me and a link to the sponsor for three extra entries Tweet the giveaway (every time you tweet you get an entry)
    Add my button to your blog/blog roll
    Add my Father’s Day Fling Button to your blog or website.
    Leave a comment for every entry and the giveaway ends May 19th

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Obesity in children in on the rise

April 28, 2009 By 1 Comment

This is a difficult topic for me because I have always felt that I had issues with weight. In reality, I was never fat, I was more on the anorexic side of things, but I always thought I was fat. With my children, I want to make sure they feel beautiful the way they are. I don’t want them to have the issues that I had, but I still want them to be healthy. I want to feed them healthy foods and give them a large variety. I also feel that exercise is important for a healthy lifestyle. So we go outside and play whenever the sun is out. (we live in WA, Seattle is called the Emerald City for a reason.)

CHIQ-814 PR5 5625 Cinnamon UPCChiquita is challenging families to take part in a nationwide effort to make healthy choices. They are encouraging families to make changes at home and in schools. It’s Up 2 U is the premier destination in encouraging and raising awareness in childhood obesity. I was checking out their site and didn’t have any clue about the calories that are in school lunches. It would be much healthier to pack a lunch from home or encourage your school to make changes.

 

clip_image00112.5 million American children are overweight.  Obesity isn’t just a “weight problem”, it causes depression, anxiety, increases risks of diabetes and cancer.   Check out the

Chiquita Challenge for your family complete with menus, activity charts, kid-friendly recipes from Chef Robert Rainford and lifestyle tips from Dr. Oz’s HealthCorps. See how incorporating Chiquita Apple Bites and new Pineapple Coconut Bites into your meals and snacks can serve as a healthier option for the whole family.

Join the Fit Kids Act today! Sign the petition

Filed Under: announcements Tagged With: , ,

Wordless Wednesday

April 28, 2009 By 33 Comments

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Filed Under: Wordless Wednesday

Jump Start children’s learning Giveaway

April 28, 2009 By 20 Comments

I know that Jump Start has been around for a while. I remember it when I was in college. I’m not that old so a long time to me might not be a long time to you. I’m still shocked by how long I’ve been out of school though.

About the Company:

For more than 15 years, Knowledge Adventure has set the standard in kid’s software by creating the finest educational products for use in the home and the classroom. In addition to our CD games, we’ve launched a beta version of our first browser-based virtual world at www.JumpStart.com (see attachment for details). Kids can create avatars called Jumpeez for themselves and explore magical worlds, discovering and unlocking games, videos, and storybooks that teach everything from math to reading. Over the next year, we will continue to add more features, portals and learning games to this site. I encourage you to check it out at www.JumpStart.com

Jump Start contacted me and asked me to do a review of their software and website. They have also offered a giveaway.

Jumpstart.com is now live and reaches children ages 3 to 10. Through the games and activities that they offer children can learn math, reading, colors and shapes. Along with these, they can work on cognitive learning and logical development. They also sent me a CD in addition to the on-line game play.

jsYou must have a high speed internet connection to even install the game Trouble in town. This is an unusual installation but it still processed quickly and relatively painless. You have to create a log in. This log in will allow you to keep tabs on your child’s progress. I found the puzzles to be addicting and the graphics to be right on target for the audience. I had to force myself to put the game down to write the review.

The problems are simple enough and will encourage learning. I forget sometimes how much a child wants to learn and that learning can be fun. I feel, if your children are going to have screen time, TV or computer it should be semi-educational and lots of fun. All learning through is going to take re-enforcement from parents. That’s just my opinion.

 

On-line:

The on-line version is available anywhere on anyone’s computer. You can play all kinds of games and they will be adding new things all the time. It’s all a learning experience. There are the following things to do:

ranking and economy

rankingChildren earn rewards as they finish each mission. Players can visit the Hall of Fame to see how they rank against the top JumpStart players worldwide. As kids progress through the JumpStart games and pass major learning milestones, the will see their status change.
In addition, players are rewarded for completing learning games with coins. These coins allow kids to purchase limited edition virtual items like avatar clothing or house decorations to customize their world. Not only does this new coin-based economy encourage kids to succeed at learning games, it also teaches valuable lessons about money. The list of items available for purchase will soon expand to include pets, accessories and other exciting extras.

news stand

economy With the brand-new JumpStart News Stand open for business, players at JumpStart.com will now have access to exciting information about the latest happenings in the online world at their fingertips. A quick visit with Eddie Mulligan, the trusty tortoise who is on duty at the stand, will give kids insight into exciting events, new games, upcoming releases and areas of the world that are waiting to be discovered.

secret surprises

secret Secret surprises have been stashed all around the JumpStart Virtual World for the most adventurous of players to find. As kids play games and explore the vibrant 3D landscape, they will find swirling teleport holes, piles of coins and hidden treasure chests. These exciting extras will allow kids to access hidden places and purchase limited-edition extras for their avatars. The hidden prizes will not stay in the same spots for long, so kids will always have something new to explore!

Win an on-line Experience.

Visit JumpStart and tell me about the Fun For Parents section.

Extra Entries:

Subscribe to my blog
Follow me on twitter tell me your twitter ID
Blog about the giveaway include a link to me and a link to the sponsor for three extra entries Tweet the giveaway (every time you tweet you get an entry)
Add my button to your blog/blog roll
Add my Father’s Day Fling Button to your blog or website.
Leave a comment for every entry and the giveaway ends May 17th

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Should I travel with my 1 & 2 year old?

April 27, 2009 By 1 Comment

 

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These two beauties, I’m just not sure I can sit on a plane with both of them. My son, does not sit still. Does not liked to be held in my arms. I do love to fly though, I just hate gawking passengers. Last time I flew my daughter was two months old. This old lady next to me was so rude because my daughter cried. Grrr.

Cheapflights.com, an online travel deals search engine, just introduced its 2009 Kid’s Airport Diversion Guide(now this guide will not get rid of evil passengers) – perfect families expecting layovers, or during unexpected delays. In this guide they describe the airports that have activities for children, places for families to go and let kids get some playtime in, or museums to view.

In this guide they also list the top ten airports when traveling with children. So if you have a choice of where that layover is going to be choose on of these.

  1. Chicago O’Hare
  2. Portland, OR International
  3. San Francisco International
  4. Dallas-Ft. Worth International
  5. Orlando International
  6. Boston Logan International
  7. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne Country
  8. Las Vegas McCarran International
  9. Salt Lake City International
  10. Nashville international

Download the guide yourself. You can find it at CheapFlights.com

Filed Under: Uncategorized
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