Yearly Archives: 2011

Branson, Missouri

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Have any of y’all been to Branson?  We’ve been but only briefly while stopping over at Springfield.  We just wanted to see what the area looked like, and it was really pretty.  I imagine people who live in the surrounding areas such as Table Rock lake homes enjoy the scenery.  The area with all the shows wasn’t how I had pictured it.   Each show is in its own separate building, and the buildings are built close to each other throughout several blocks.  We didn’t take time to go see a show but did take time to walk along the riverwalk and the downtown area a little bit.  That was enjoyable!

Menu Plan Monday 4/25/11

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Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter yesterday! After church, we went out to eat and then had a nice afternoon before our son had to leave to go back to college. I had an Easter basket waiting on the dining table for our son, who’s a sophomore and still enjoys getting the candy!  I’ll probably continue having one for him for several more more years.  (I had an Easter basket for Christi & Brian until they had children of their own.)

Before I go on to our menu, I want to remind anyone who’s interested that today is the last day to enter my giveaway for a WordWorld T-shirt of your choice.

I also have a new giveaway for a WordWorld DVD.

 

 

 

Now, on to our menu:

Monday:  Rotisserie Chicken, corn, salad

Tuesday: Leftover Rotisserie Chicken, salad, lima beans

Wednesday:  Homemade Chicken Vegetable Soup

Thursday:  Salmon Patties, Vegetable Medley

Friday:  Leftover Salmon Patties & veggies

Friendly Friday 4/22/11

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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):

After leaving the corporate world behind, Jeannette is now the CEO of her household at The Adventures of J-Man and MillerBug. Chronicling her daily life with her two adorable boys and wonderful husband, you’ll find the cutest pictures showing the highs, the lows and everything in between (and even a fun review and giveaway thrown in as well).

If you like bows, tutus, dresses, family, giveaways, and more, then Honey Pie Accessories one blog you’re not going to want to miss! Elaine is a creative, crafty mom of an adorable little girl with another due in just over a month. Don’t miss her amazing creations and check out her shop and Facebook page for details on putting in your own order!

 

A heartwarming blog about Thor’s journey to get an Autism Service Dog, Erin’s writing at Paws 4 Thor will move you from the first sentence you read. Visit to learn about all of the amazing benefits that a well-trained service dog can provide for children with Autism and all of their unique needs… as well as to cheer on Thor as he continues to move forward with the 4 Paws 4 Ability program!

 

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 get the InLinkz 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. Linky opens at 10:00 CST.


WordWorld DVD “Get Up and Move” Giveaway

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Are you familiar with WordWorld? If not, check it out and see if you agree with me that it is one of the best educational TV shows available for children. There are also WordWorld DVDs available, and I’m giving away their new one, “Get Up and Move,” which encourages children to exercise while also teaching them reading skills in a fun way.

WordWorld was the only show that our grandson would watch when he was a year old. As a teacher who has taught many children how to read in first grade, I immediately fell in love with the characters and the influence I knew they must be having on young children learning their alphabet letters and sounds plus teaching them how to read words.

WIN IT:
WordWorld is providing one DVD for giveaway. This contest is open to all U.S. residents. Entries will be accepted until midnight CST Wednesday, May 4, 2011. Please leave a separate comment for each entry:

MANDATORY ENTRY:

Visit WordWorld – “Where Words Come Alive” and leave a comment telling me who is your favorite character.
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BONUS ENTRIES:

Must complete mandatory entry first! Leave a comment if you already follow or subscribe.

  • Blog about this giveaway and link it back here (3 extra entries)
  • “Like” Healthy Home Blog on Facebook (1 extra entry)
  • Click the Facebook “Share” button below this post to share it on your FB wall (2 extra entries)
  • Follow me on Twitter (1 extra entry) (leave a comment if you already follow me)
  • Click the “Tweet” button below this post to share it on your Twitter feed (1 entry per day)
  • Subscribe to Healthy Home Blog’s email updates- see sidebar. (2 entries)
  • Follow me through Google Friend Connect in my sidebar. (1 entry)

* WordWorld is supplying a DVD for this giveaway. I was not compensated monetarily for this article. This is my honest opinion.

Menu Plan Monday 4/18/11

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We are still eating salads several times a week. Not just because we’re trying to lose a little weight (which is not going very well due to dark chocolate somehow finding its way into our house), but mainly because salads are so healthy. There are many advocates of a half raw food diet, in other words, half of our diet should be fresh, uncooked fruits and veggies. One thing I know, I feel better when I’m on that type of diet but it’s hard to do during the cold months of winter. Now that warm weather has arrived, it will be much easier to do! So our menu this week will incorporate as many raw foods as possible:

Monday:  Chef Salad made with

  • Organic Spring Mix Salad Greens
  • Hormel Natural Choice Smoked Deli Turkey, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • Tomato
  • Chopped organic baby carrots
  • Fresh avocado
  • Cucumber
  • Green Olives
  • Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle on top of veggies
  • Fresh ground black pepper and sea salt

Tuesday:  Chef Salad

Wednesday:  Chicken Pasta, green salad

Thursday:  Left-over Chicken Pasta, green salad

Friday:  Chick-Fil-A?

There’s one week left in my WordWorld T-shirt giveaway, your choice of your child’s favorite WordWorld character.

Also, watch for a WordWorld DVD giveaway coming soon.

Emailing Large Files

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A lot of people who do work on the computer need to share files from time to time.  Sometimes the files can be quite large and there can be a problem when they need to send large files through email.  I know that happened to my husband one time, and the email bounced back.  It was frustrating because then he had to go back and redo his file, I think he had to separate it into different sections, so that it could be emailed.  Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to send big files without any hassle?

There is a way to do this so that emails do not bounce back and so that files do not have to be separated into smaller components so they can be emailed.  It is possible to send large files in one email.  This makes work easier and makes for a more efficient use of time.

IT Degrees

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We definitely live in the “information age” or “computer age” as some people call it.  There’s a great need for people with computer related degrees.  That’s why our son is majoring in Information Technology with a focus in Web Enabled Technologies, plus he really enjoys working with computers.   Some people choose to get their information technology degree online so they will have the flexibility to fit their studies into their schedule.  With the great use of computers in nearly every kind of work, that type of degree is valuable.

Friendly Friday 4/15/11

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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):

.Caroline from TURKNOY is 100% Pinay, and her husband is 100% Turkish.  They have two children, and she writes about celebrating tiny details of their adventures.  They love to celebrate their family life!  Caroline shares about their travels in Qatar, Turkey, and the Philippines, and she also shares recipes for Turkish dishes.  Her husband loves to cook, by the way!
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Mrs. Marine & the Tiny Troops is where Mrs. Marine blogs about daily life with two children and anything else that comes to mind.  She offers giveaways and blogging tips as well as other info.  Mrs. Marine considers herself a married single parent since her husband is deployed so much.  I must say that I appreciate her husband and all those who sacrifice for our country!

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Andrea is The Momma who writes Momma in Flip flops 2.   She and her husband have three children plus “a little angel in heaven.”   She was a registered nurse before their first baby, and then she and her husband decided her vocation was to be a stay at home mom.   Andrea started blogging as a hobby and as another way to reach other moms,  and she also does reviews and giveaways.

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 get the InLinkz 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. Linky opens at 10:00 CST.



Insurance

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Have you ever added up how much you spend every month just on insurance alone?  I did one time by adding up our health insurance, insurance on three vehicles, homeowners insurance, and life insurance.  It really adds up!  I imagine it makes some people look up auto insurance reviews, homeowners insurance reviews, health insurance reviews, etc.  If we save on each of these insurance types, then it can really add up in a positive way!

Menu Plan Monday 4/11/11

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Today was an absolutely beautiful 80° weather day, maybe a little on the windy side, but the sun was warm and the air had a bit of coolness to it.  It reminded me of Hawaii’s weather. Wish it would stay like this all week..

I just want to mention that I’m having a Giveaway for a WordWorld T-Shirt the next couple of weeks. If you have a child who likes WordWorld then stop by and enter.
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Now on to thinking about a menu.  This one is super easy:
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Monday:  Chef Salad made with Rotisserie Chicken

Tuesday:  Repeat of Monday’s salad.  (I really want to lose 5 pounds!!!)

Wednesday:   Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli -Low-fat!  You may wonder why I’d fix this since I’m wanting to lose 5 pounds.  It’s low-fat plus it was my husband’s request.  🙂

Thursday:  Leftover Chicken Alfredo

Friday:  Low-fat pizza, Culinary Circle’s Rising Crust Spinach and Mushroom Pizza

WordWorld T-Shirt Giveaway

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How would you like to win one of these adorable T-Shirts for your child? PopFunk is providing a WordWorld T-Shirt, shipping included, to the winner of this giveaway.

Our daughter and s-i-l first introduced us to WordWorld when it was the only show that our grandson would watch when he was around a year old. Forget the other educational shows for babies and toddlers, WordWorld was the one that captured his attention. After watching it, I could see why. As an educator, I immediately fell in love with the characters on WordWorld and the impact I knew they must be having on young children learning their alphabet letters, sounds, and actually learning to sound out words and read.

So with that said, let me get on with the giveaway:
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HOW TO WIN IT:
PopFunk is providing one WordWorld T-Shirt for giveaway. This contest is open to all U.S. residents. Entries will be accepted until midnight CST Monday, April 25, 2011. Please leave a separate comment for each entry:

MANDATORY ENTRY:

Follow “Mr. P,” PopFunk, on Facebook &/or Twitter. (Each one counts as a separate entry.  Remember to leave a separate comment for each.)
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BONUS ENTRIES: Must complete mandatory entry first!  Leave a comment if you already follow or subscribe.

  • Blog about this giveaway and link it back here (3 extra entries)
  • Click the Facebook “Share” button below this post to share it on your FB wall (2 extra entries)
  • Follow me on Twitter (1 extra entry) (leave a comment if you already follow me)
  • Click the “Tweet” button below this post to share it on your Twitter feed  (1 entry per day)
  • Subscribe to my RRS Feed.  (2 entries)
  • Subscribe to Healthy Home Blog’s email updates- see sidebar. (2 entries)

* PopFunk supplied one of their T-Shirts for a giveaway. However, I was not compensated monetarily for this article. This is my honest opinion.

Russian Nesting Dolls

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When I was growing up, I thought Russian nesting dolls were fascinating, and I still think they are intriguing.  They are also called Matryoshka dolls, with the literal meaning of “Matryoshka” being “little matron.”  Sets consist of a wooden figure which has a smaller figure nested inside of it, and that figure has an even smaller figure inside of it, and so on.  The traditional number of figures in a set is usually five, and the innermost doll is sometimes a baby.  The dolls often follow a certain theme which can be  Christmas or holiday dolls.

I think it’s interesting that the very first nesting doll set was carved in Russia in 1890.  These dolls have been popular for over one hundred and twenty years.  Maybe it’s the element of surprise that makes them fascinating by opening up each doll to see what is nested inside of it.