Monthly Archives: March 2008

Our Crazy Chicago Vacation

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A few years ago, we took my mother-in-law with our family to visit and do some sightseeing in downtown Chicago. My m-i-l had a new car, and she wanted us to go in it. We gladly agreed. There were so many things to do in Chicago. My husband parked the car on a downtown street, put lots of change in the parking meter, and even asked a policeman if it was OK to park there. The policeman said “Yes” and didn’t offer any other information. Well, to make a long story short, when we were through with our sight seeing (and shopping), my husband went to get the car….only it was gone. “Oh, no!” we thought, “Mom’s brand new car has been stolen, plus it has our laptop and the garage door opener in it.” We felt sick. After talking to a policeman, we found out that for two hours during rush hour, the street where we had parked turned into a “No Parking” zone. They had impounded our car! We walked all over downtown trying to find the place where it was impounded, but to no avail. We were exhausted but finally were able to get a taxi. The driver knew where to take us, but it was really a strange way to get there. We had to go down a couple of levels to a lower area that was creepy. (I felt like I was in the “Adventures in Babysitting” movie when they went to downtown Chicago.) Finally, we got the car back after paying over one hundred dollars. That was definitely a crazy vacation!
Trusted Tours & Attractions would be a great way to avoid something like that from happening on a vacation. You can sign up for the Trusted Travels eNewsletter and enter to win an IPOD Nano! Offer ends Monday, March 31st, 2008. The newsletter will give you family vacation ideas, whether it’s Key West Snorkeling or wherever you would like to vacation.

Contest at A Cowboy’s Wife

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Lori over at A Cowboy’s Wife is having a contest. The contest is a $25 Giveaway to Sudz N Bubbles where “soap is a form of art.”  It’s interesting to read the story about how this mom, Cindy, started making this soap because her son had eczema. 

The contest ends tomorrow on Friday, March 21. Sorry this is such late notice! I meant to post this days ago and completely forgot. But there’s still time! 🙂

Are They Happy?

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When I look at some of the movie stars and people in the entertainment business, I wonder if they’re truly happy. Some of them seem to have so many problems in their lives. Hopefully, they’ll get the help they need through drug rehab or whatever it is they need. I think that just goes to show that having money and/or fame doesn’t mean that a person will be happy. To me, being truly loved is what really makes me happy, and then also being able to give love in return.

Sweet Potato “Easter Eggs”

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I have not tried this recipe, but it sounds fun for Easter dinner:

  • 2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes – warm
  • 1/4 cup pineapple juice
  • crushed corn flakes
  • shredded lettuce

Mix potatoes and juice with a mixer until smooth. Shape into small eggs and roll in corn flakes. Place on a greased shallow baking dish and bake @ 325 degrees for 25 minutes. Serve on a bed of shredded lettuce so it will look like eggs in the grass.

See the Stars at the Dark Sky Festival

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Dark Sky Festival at Harmony’s Town Square, in Harmony, Florida, is scheduled for Saturday, April 5, 2008 and will start at 7 pm. Started as an event to introduce the public to astronomy and related issues such as promoting the benefits of a night-sky free from the effects of excessive artificial lighting, the festival has become as much a community picnic as well. And the festival was given an Honorable Mention from Sky & Telescope Magazine in their national 2004 Astronomy Day awards. Over 3,500 people are expected to attend the festival this year.

These are some of the fun aspects of the festival:

  • Telescopes for viewing the stars
  • Playing in the Cosmic Kids Zone
  • Viewing nocturnal creatures
  • A speaker in the kids zone talking about Myths in the Night
  • Meeting astronomers and other scientists
  • Speakers talking about light pollution
  • Visiting numerous specialty booths
  • Performance of the Silver Clouds Orchestra, a local favorite, at 7:00 pm
  • A free concert at 8 pm by legendary recording artists, Rare Earth, who will be performing their greatest hits including “Get Ready” and “I Just Want to Celebrate”

The aspects the festival is providing include:

  • The value of keeping dark skies to protect wildlife activities
  • Encouraging the development of scientific interest in Florida youth
  • To educate people about lighting fixtures that can help reduce light pollution by focusing light downward instead of upward into the sky
  • Introducing environmentally intelligent lifestyle habits

Press Release:

Get Ready! This Year’s Dark Sky Festival is Out-of-this-World

HARMONY, FL – March 15, 2008 – The 5th Annual Dark Sky Festival at Harmony will be held on Saturday, April 5, 2008. Sponsored by the Harmony Institute, the Kissimmee Convention and Visitors Bureau, several astronomy clubs, the Osceola News Gazette and Florida Travel & Life Magazine, the event will kick off at 7pm in Harmony’s Town Square.

“The Dark Sky Festival is intended to celebrate and promote the benefits of a night-sky free from the effects of excessive artificial lighting,” said Greg Golgowski, Harmony’s Conservation Director and a key member of the Dark Sky Festival Planning Committee. “Poor outdoor lighting not only washes out the splendor of the heavens, but also reduces visibility at night, wastes energy, and disturbs wildlife.”

As with the past four Dark Sky Festivals, attendees will be able to enjoy viewing the night skies through a variety of telescopes. There also be lots of music and food, numerous specialty booths, an educational zone with presentations from astronomers and other scientists, nocturnal creatures, a Cosmic Kids Zone and so much more.”

Local favorite, the Silver Clouds Orchestra, will start the entertainment portion of the evening at 7:00pm. This will be followed by a free concert by legendary recording artists, Rare Earth.

Rare Earth will take to Harmony’s outdoor amphitheatre stage at 8:00pm for a live concert chock full of their greatest hits including “Get Ready” and “I Just Want to Celebrate.”

“We are ecstatic to have Rare Earth performing at this year’s Festival,” said Shad Tome, president of Harmony Development Group. “We are encouraging everyone to wear comfortable shoes because Rare Earth is known for getting the whole audience up and dancing.”

The festival will be emceed by Magic 107.7’s afternoon drive on-air personality and program director Ken Payne.

The Festival is open to the general public. Over 3,500 people are expected to attend the event this year. The event will conclude around 11:00pm.

This date was selected because it falls on the heels of National Dark Sky week (March 29 – April 4); where people in the United States are encouraged to turn out their unnecessary outdoor lights in order to temporarily reduce light pollution.

For more information, please visit www.DarkSkyFestival.com or call 407-891-8358.

Rankings of Fruits & Veggies’ Pesticide Levels

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This list comes from the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit environmental research organization based in Washington, DC. There are 43 items on the list, but I’m just listing the top few. To see the entire list, click here. #1 is the worst, and it gets better as you go down the list.

  • RANK / SCORE
  1. Peaches – 100 (worst)
  2. Apples – 96
  3. Bell Peppers – 86
  4. Celery – 85
  5. Nectarines – 84
  6. Strawberries – 83
  7. Cherries – 75
  8. Lettuce – 69
  9. Imported Grapes – 68
  10. Pears – 65

I’m trying to buy organic when I can. Sometimes it’s too expensive, but I’m finding more and more brands producing organic choices at affordable prices now.

Proverbs 1

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“The proverbs of Solomon…

for attaining wisdom and discipline;

for understanding words of insight;

for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,

doing what is right and just and fair;

for giving prudence to the simple

knowledge and discretion to the young-

let the wise listen and add to their learning,

and let the discerning get guidance-

for understanding proverbs and parables,

the sayings and riddles of the wise.”

(NIV) Proverbs 1:1-6

One Bowl Banana Nut Muffins

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I just came across a healthy sounding recipe for One Bowl Banana Nut Muffins with added wheat germ.  I think it’s so important to try to get nutrition into our diets, and it takes added effort to get it into our kid’s diets.  But if we make changes here and there and incorporate extra servings of healthy foods several times a week, it will make a difference in the long run.

One thing I might try different in this recipe is to use 1 cup flour & 1/2 cup spelt flour instead of all white flour.   Spelt flour is so much healthier than white flour!  And if your kids don’t like nuts, just leave them out.

Cherry-Banana Bread (Low-fat)

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This delicious, low-fat banana bread is now a favorite of mine:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup Spelt flour (or whole-wheat flour)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 eggs (or 1 egg & 2 egg whites)
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 cup mashed bananas
  • 1/2 cup dried cherries
  • 1 tablespoon flour to mix with cherries

Mix first seven dry ingredients in a bowl. In a larger bowl, mix the eggs, oil, and applesauce. Add bananas and stir until mixed well. Add the flour mixture until all ingredients are moistened. Mix cherries with 1 tablespoon flour and add to mixture. Pour into greased 9″x 5″ loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in the middle of the bread comes out clean. Let cool.

After the bread has completely cooled, wrap tightly in plastic wrap for freshness. Store at room temperature for up to a week. Flavor is best at room temperature.

Mega Brands Recalls 2.4 Million Toys

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Mega Brands has recalled around 2.4 million Chinese-made toys.  They are recalling 1.1 million Magtastik and Magnetix Jr. preschool toys and around 1.3 million MagnaMan magnetic action figures. Some of the stores where the toys were sold are Wal-Mart, Target, Toys “R” Us and Kmart between January 2005 and December 2007.  Tiny magnets could fall out and be swallowed by children and possibly kill them.  For details on how to return the toys and receive a free replacement, call 800-779-7122. Information is also available at http://www.megabrands.com or http://www.cpsc.gov.

Walk-in Bathtubs

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A&R Wholesale carries walk in bathtubs, and they even have whirlpool options. I wish my mother had had one of these. After she broke her hip, it was really hard for her to take a bath. One of these would have been great for her. These safety tubs would be great not only for elderly people but for anyone with a handicap. And it’s good to know that Safety Tubs are guaranteed for life with their patented door system which provides a watertight, leak proof seal.

Holiday Sweet Potatoes

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This delicious recipe is from Michelle who is very dear to us.

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INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 cup margarine
  • 6 sweet potatoes, cooked
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

TOPPING INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup melted margarine

Add margarine to hot potatoes. Combine with vanilla, eggs, sugar, and cinnamon with mixer. Pour into baking dish.

For the topping, blend the pecans, brown sugar, flour, and margarine together. Add topping to top of potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately one hour.