Monthly Archives: February 2011

Creative Multimedia Software

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Our daughter works with Multimedia Software at her new job. She is so creatively gifted, and enjoys being able to use her creative talents where she works. Several years ago, while she was in college, we purchased Photoshop for her computer since it was very useful for her major. Nowadays, she uses some type of Digital Picture Editor for her graphic artist’s responsibilities in her new position as a multimedia producer.

It’s amazing to me what all can be done and created online using the software that’s available today. With an image editing program, a person can be as creative as they want to be, in designing and implementing whatever they have envisioned for their project.  And with the emphasis on technology in today’s world, it’s important to have the technological tools needed to accomplish set goals. Having the right software can make all the difference in meeting those goals in a creative way.

Note: This is a sponsored post.

Low-Carb, Fat-Free Chocolate Bliss Cookies

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These cookies sound so good.  I think I’ve had the crispy version before, and they were delicious!  Let me know if you make them and which you prefer, the soft & chewy ones or the crispy ones.  Here’s the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar, divided
  • 3 large egg whites
  • 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar)

DIRECTIONS:  Line 2 baking sheets with foil.  Sift together cocoa, salt, and 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl.  In a large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar at medium-low speed until soft peaks form.  Beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 tablespoon at a time until the meringue is glossy and stiff peaks form.  Fold in cocoa mixture and vanilla extract.  Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls one inch apart onto foil-lined baking sheets.  Bake for 25 minutes at 300 degrees (preheated oven).  This will make soft & chewy cookies.  If you prefer crisp cookies, bake for 40 minutes.  After they have cooled, dust cookies with powdered sugar.

Makes 24 cookies.  Each cookie has 25 calories, 1 gr protein, 6 gr carbs, 0 gr fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0.5 gr fiber, 13 mg sodium.

Friendly Friday 2/11/11

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Welcome to Friendly Friday!

Remember, YOU can host the link list on your blog, too! Just get the InLinkz code and copy it directly into your post. The code is different every week, so be sure to get the new code when hosting Friendly Friday on your blog. Hosting the list is a great way to get even more traffic to your blog and make Friendly Friday more beneficial for everyone.

Thanks for joining the Friendly Friday celebration hosted by Christi at Frugal Novice, Xenia at Thanks, Mail Carrier and Charla at Healthy Home Blog! We invite you to join us every Friday to make more friends in blogville, get more blog followers and follow other great blogs out there.

To join in the Friendly Friday celebration, include your family-friendly link in our list, follow the hostesses in the first 3 spots and then start blog hopping! Visit other blogs on the list and comment to give them some blog love. Then take a minute to follow them through Google Friend Connect – this is a good way to keep up with other blogs, but also lets us show support to each other! Please DO NOT list your giveaways here, links must be to either your homepage or your Friday posting with your blog title. All others will be deleted.

When people comment on your blog and let you know they’re a part of Friendly Friday, return the favor and follow them back. This way everyone gets traffic and followers out of participating, and it’s a win-win situation. We would love for you to also grab our Friendly Friday button and post it on your blog and/or in a post – the more bloggers that find out about Friendly Friday and participate, the better!

Spotlight on Friendly Friday Followers! We love your participation and want to show it! In addition to gaining followers, each week we’ll select three blogs at random and will feature links and a write-up for those blogs in the content of next week’s Friendly Friday post. There are so many seriously wonderful blogs out there, and this will be a great way to highlight some of those each week. Say hello to the lucky chosen 3 for this week (and feel free to stop by and give them a little extra love):
Extreme Personal Measures is where Denise chronicles her life in Florida as a wife and mom who works outside the home, and she offers many other topics such as being pregnant, etc.  She offers giveaways and reviews as well as “How To’s” and DIY projects.  Denise shows how to make Valentine Sugar Cookie Pops which would make great Valentine Day gifts or treats for school!


Susan at Charm of the Carolines tells about her blessings in middle Tennessee and shares recipes, pictures, and things that inspire her.   She shares Southern wit, history, cherished family traditions and even grandma’s recipes for Sunday dinners.  Reading Susan’s blog is like taking a trip to the south and sitting on a front porch swing, listening to stories about the past and present.


Mommy Katie tells about “life and where life can take you.”  The Texas Panhandle is home to Katie, the wife of a former Marine, and their two kids, one of which has CCAM (cysts on his lungs). Their family has been affected by the economy, and so Katie stays at home with their beautiful kids during the day and then works in the evenings.  She shares reviews and giveaways as well as their life.

 

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Product Review: Desk Chair from CSN Stores

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What did I choose to review from CSN Stores?  This time, I chose a desk chair for our son who’s in college.  He was thrilled when we brought this chair out to him.  It’s very comfortable, has padded arm rests, a padded seat, and is stylish to look good in a dorm room, home office, or even a business.

Again, I’m impressed how quickly the chair arrived!  Every time we receive something from CSN, it arrives in just a few days after ordering it.  And what’s great about CSN is that they have a lot of products with free shipping.  That makes for an even greater value for the money!

By the way, CSN Online Stores is such an easy way to shop! I never had shopped online until the past couple of years. I’ve found CSN so easy and convenient plus I don’t have to go around to a lot of different stores trying to find a good deal.  I recommend CSN for your online shopping, however, use “Sort by: View by price: Low-High” and find those with free shipping for the best deals. They have 200+ online stores from which to shop.

* CSN provided me with the chair for this review. However, I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review. This is my honest opinion of their product.


Menu Plan Monday 2/7/11

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Woops!  Last week, I wrote and published my Menu Plan Monday on Sunday night, but I was so busy Monday morning getting ready for work that I forgot to bring it up on the computer so my husband could submit it to Organizing Junkie.  So it was published that evening. For those of you who might have missed my Salmon Patties recipe and you happen to really like them, here’s my Salmon Patties recipe again.  This is one of our favorite recipes that I fix two or three times a month.

Monday:  Rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes, salad

Tuesday:  Leftover rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes, broccoli florets

Wednesday:  Cream of chicken & veggie soup made with the rest of the rotisserie chicken (I never made it last week)

Thursday:  Salmon patties, green beans, carrots

Friday:  DiGiorno “Crispy Flatbread Tuscan Style Chicken Pizza” (with spinach on it)

M.

Friendly Friday 2/4/11

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Welcome to Friendly Friday!

Remember, YOU can host the link list on your blog too! Just click “Get the code here…” at the bottom of the list. The code is different every week, so be sure to get the new code when hosting Friendly Friday on your blog. Hosting the list is a great way for everyone to get even more traffic to their blog.

Thanks for joining the Friendly Friday celebration hosted by Christi at Frugal Novice, Xenia at Thanks, Mail Carrier and Charla at Healthy Home Blog! We invite you to join us every Friday to make more friends in blogville, get more blog followers and follow other great blogs out there.

To join in the Friendly Friday celebration, include your family-friendly link in our list, follow the hostesses in the first 3 spots and then start blog hopping! Visit other blogs on the list and comment to give them some blog love. Then take a minute to follow them through Google Friend Connect – this is a good way to keep up with other blogs, but also lets us show support to each other! Please DO NOT list your giveaways here, links must be to either your homepage or your Friday posting with your blog title. All others will be deleted.

When people comment on your blog and let you know they’re a part of Friendly Friday, return the favor and follow them back. This way everyone gets traffic and followers out of participating, and it’s a win-win situation. We would love for you to also grab our Friendly Friday button and post it on your blog and/or in a post – the more bloggers that find out about Friendly Friday and participate, the better!

Spotlight on Friendly Friday Followers! We love your participation and want to show it! In addition to gaining followers, each week we’ll select three blogs at random and will feature links and a write-up for those blogs in the content of next week’s Friendly Friday post. There are so many seriously wonderful blogs out there, and this will be a great way to highlight some of those each week. Say hello to the lucky chosen 3 for this week (and feel free to stop by and give them a little extra love):

Kim at Shop With Me Mama is a stay-at-home mom to two adorable kids. Her blog is filled with giveaways and reviews; right now she has a great Valentine’s Day gift guide that can help you out if you’re stuck on what to get your loved one this year. Kim says she loves to laugh, and her personality shines through her writing. She’s even kind of famous, having been in a Proactiv Solutions commercial recently!

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Judy of Judy’s Handmade Creations is one talented lady! She crochets, makes jewelry, and also makes papercrafts, which she shares on her blog. If you ever need inspiration for a project, just check out her sidebar for ideas on birthday cards, embossing, Cricut creations and more!

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Donnelle at Sew Me Mine is another crafty blogger. She loves to sew and was inspired by her mom. She’s a stay-at-home mom and is new to the blogging world, but is already off to a great start. You’ll find giveaways, Blogger tutorials, freebies and other resources when you visit.

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Now that you know about these 3 wonderful blogs, it’s time for you to join in! Add your family-friendly link below and we’ll see you back here every Friday! And don’t forget, you can grab the code to share the link list on your blog too. All three hostesses appreciate followers through GFC and Twitter, and we’ll follow you back – just leave a comment with your URL for GFC. I haven’t been able to follow everyone back because of not having the URL. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Engaging Students Online With Discussion Platform

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This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Collaborize Classroom. All opinions are 100% mine.

Collaborize Classroom: How would you like a free online learning platform for your students that is secure and safe?  Collaborize Classroom offers just that!  Teachers can extend classroom discussions in a private online community of students.  The online platform is safely structured to continue discussions, facilitate online learning groups, and allow students to share resources and engage in collaborative learning.

This online collaborative learning provides deeper participation inside and outside the classroom as students are engaged in online discussions, activities, and assignments.  Students can share resources and engage in discussions that will result in a richer educational experience.

What’s great is that teachers can set up their Collaborize Classroom site in just minutes.  They just need an email address to utilize this free online learning platform that complements classroom discussions and encourages discussion, participation, and engagement.  Teachers can also create online lesson plans using free resources.  Here are some of the free resources available:

  • Do’s and Don’ts for Student Forums
  • Rethinking Your Role
  • Art of Asking Questions
  • 5 Activities with Collaborize Classroom

The platform is not meant to replace traditional instruction but helps to facilitate learning groups in a safe environment.  All of the sites are secure and have a password protected process.  The password is known only by teachers, students, and those who are invited to join the site.  All information and data is protected and safe!

Collaborize Classroom is free, allowing teachers to accomplish more than they could otherwise, and the free resources are a valuable addition to using this online learning tool.  The web-based technology provides endless possibilities for student learning.  In my opinion, this is a great way to encourage student engagement, especially those who are shy and don’t talk in class.  Most students are online at home anyway using social networking.  This platform fits right in with the way they communicate online socially.  And with the current economic crisis, the fact that this is free enables any teacher to use this platform.

Shopping for Clothes

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Now that I’m teaching full time, there is not the time nor do I have the energy for much shopping.  My husband helps with the grocery shopping and that helps a lot!  I did manage to squeeze in an hour of shopping recently so I could use a gift card that I received for Christmas.  It was fun shopping for a short time.  I didn’t look for women’s singlets but looked for pants and jeans.

One thing that I don’t like about shopping anymore is the part where I have to try on clothes and then go get a different size. I must have tried on a dozen pair of khaki pants and jeans before I finally found a pair of jeans that fit the way I want them to, and so I got those. There are some khaki pants that I might get in the future. But I don’t want to try on clothes at the store anytime soon. How about you?

Recipe Variations for “S’mores”

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Since there’s wintry weather in many areas of the country, I thought this would be a fun recipe for kids who are at home due to school closings.  Like S’mores?  Here are more variations I found in a Walmart ad one time:

  • Basic S’mores – Put square of a Hershey’s Chocolate Bar (or other chocolate) on top of a graham cracker.  Top with marshmallows.  Put in microwave for 10 seconds or so, until marshmallow doubles in size. Top with another graham cracker.  (or put in regular oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees)
  • Peanut Butter Chocolate S’mores – Fix basic S’mores.  Spread peanut butter on the graham crackers that go on top, then place on top of S’mores.
  • Strawberry S’mores – Heat marshmallows on graham crackers.  Spread strawberry preserves on the top graham crackers and then place on top of S’mores.
  • Chocolate Chip Cookie S’mores – Substitute chocolate chip cookies for graham crackers and then fix like basic S’mores.
  • Rolled-Up S’mores – Place marshmallow on a skewer and heat it.  Next, roll the marshmallow in melted chocolate.  Finally, roll it in dessert sprinkles or peanuts to suit your taste.

Easy Recipe for Pumpkin Custard

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I love this recipe because it’s so quick and easy, and I don’t have to use canned milk which I rarely have in my pantry.  It’s like a crustless pumpkin pie, and so it has a lot less calories and fat…just the healthy pumpkin which is loaded with Vitamin A and Carotene.  I wish I had a can of pumpkin on hand (I usually do) so I could make this today.  It’s a cold, icy day here in the Metroplex area of North Texas, and warm pumpkin custard would be soooo good!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 can pumpkin
  • 1 cup milk (I use 3/4 cup)
  • 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 3/4 cup sugar (I use 1/4 cup sugar & Stevia equivalent for nearly 1/2 cup sugar – 7 KAL spoonfuls)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix ingredients together.  Pour in a greased baking dish (or pie plate).  Bake in a preheated oven at 450 degrees for 20 minutes and then at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  Let cool for 10-20 minutes and then eat while it’s warm.

Optional: serve with frozen vanilla yogurt, vanilla ice cream, or canned whipped cream

Home Lighting

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Some day I would like to update our hall bathroom.  I was looking at Murray Feiss lighting and found some home lighting that I really like.  The lighting that’s in our hall bathroom is swag lighting, one light on each end of a long vanity counter top.  Our daughter, Christi, had a great idea that I may decide to do.  She suggested taking the fixture down and spray painting it with a bronze color and then getting different glass globes.  That sounds like a great, inexpensive idea for updating the lighting!