The Porch Light copyright by Revka (2006-2010). All rights reserved.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

My downfall


At first, I thought that Phentermine was a pain medication or perhaps a medication similar to the one in this story. After doing my research, I found out that it is an appetite suppressant.

I'm happy to say that, although I do have weight issues, having a big appetite and overeating are not my problems. Honestly, I can skip meals simply because it never occurs to me that I am hungry. If I am not careful, I will forget to feed both myself and the girls lunch. They certainly don't need to be skipping meals! My downfall is that I absolutely love sweets. I always have. There are very few sweet foods that I dislike, and I lack self-control whenever something sweet is in the house. So I won't be buying an appetite suppressant unless they can come up with one that suppress my appetite for sweets!

clip art courtesy of fotosearch.com

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Luxury accommodations

Previous luxury accommodation assignments have dictated that I write about pool homes in Orlando, Florida, luxury condos in Las Vegas, Nevada, and villas in the Tuscany region of Italy. If someone were to offer to send me on a vacation to one of the three locations, I already know which place I would choose - the Tuscany villas.

How about you? Would you prefer the Las Vegas, Tuscany, or Orlando villas?

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Tall ships came to town


Did any of you hear about the Tall Ships Festival (Pepsi America's Sail) in Beaufort, NC last year? While Mr. Incredible and I would have loved to have seen the tall ships, we knew that Festival attendee projections reached into the tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people. Beaufort is a small town. No way were we going endure those crowds just to see some amazing ships! Besides, PBS had already stated their intentions of airing a program about the event. After all the exposure, I bet there are some Beaufort NC real estate agents getting a lot of calls!

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Yacht charter

I've talked about yacht charters before. I know I would enjoy going out on one. If you ever plan to go to the Virgin Islands, you should research Virgin Island yacht charters to compare prices and see what is available. I would love to charter a yacht and pretend that it was mine; I would only want to pretend because I don't think I would ever have the desire to spend the enormous amount of money that goes into owning a yacht.

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New venture update


I'm happy to report that my 25 free custom headers have dwindled to 14. I have been having fun working on the very diverse requests I have received, and I am learning a lot and becoming more comfortable with creating these headers. I am working on getting my business blog set up. I have found it quite useful to conduct my own market research. I checked the competition's prices, abilities, terms of service, and overall setup. That one step has been invaluable in determining how I will run this business. While it is still a work in progress, RS Designs is now open to the public. If you do take a look, please let me know what you think.

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Sorry to keep you hanging


You know, I forgot to give you the answer to the riddle I asked a long time ago.


The answer is "my hair." As in: "My hair looks awful today." "Oh, my hair is such a pain!" "My hair looks good today." "I need to wash my hair." "I have more gray in my hair?! I would love to get a hair transplant right now!"

When I heard this riddle, I started noticing how often even I, definitely a low-maintenance gal, say this phrase.

clip art courtesy of fotosearch.com

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Be prepared

I think most people keep a kit of emergency supplies in their house. In case you hadn't thought about it, emergency kits are not just for the home. Since accidents are not predictable, you should keep emergency supplies in your vehicle. Reflective warning triangles, rope, a toolbox, a jack, jumper cables, a quart of oil, some water, and basic medical supplies are all good items for a car emergency kit.

Do you keep any emergency supplies in your vehicle?

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Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Getting rid of our telephone woes


Like a large portion of the people in America, we own a cell phone. Once upon a time, we only had our land line. At that time, we had a long distance package for which we paid a set price monthly, whether or not we used all the minutes purchased, Looking back, that wasn't the best deal because we invariably failed to use the maximum plan minutes. Finally, our telephone company increased the package price without informing us.

Enraged, I told Mr. Incredible what had happened. We decided that we would cancel our long distance package and keep only basic local service and Caller ID on our home phone. After asking around, we discovered that our phone company offered a long distance plan that included 30 free minutes per month without a monthly fee. The catch (there is always a catch, don't you know?) was that, after the 30 free minutes, long distance calls cost $.15 per minute Monday through Friday and $.10 per minute on the weekend - not great rates.

Not wanting to lose our money business, the telephone company completed a cursory telecom audit but, as we expected, failed to find any way they could save us money. We signed a cell phone contract and have enjoyed the best of both worlds ever since, the convenience of a cell phone and the security of a land line, all for the same price we had been paying for just our home phone.

What, you may ask, is the moral to this rambling story? If you are not satisfied with the service you are receiving, check to see what other options are open to you. You never know what you can end up getting just because you asked.

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Finally catching up on my sleep

After my rant about lost sleep, I am happy to report that I have been able to get some good sleep for three nights now. Mr mother kept all three girls overnight on Saturday, and I slept more peacefully than a baby! Both Sunday night and last night saw me sleeping in uninterrupted peace. Hurrah! Now I'm feeling more like myself, even without taking a energy supplement.

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My hope for my children's future

I look at my girls and consider the world in which they are growing and learning. I shudder at the evil I see in the world around us, knowing that their world will be worse than ours. I want to protect them and teach them right from wrong, but, while we, their parents, are the greatest influence in their lives, they are, and will continue to be, assaulted with wretched examples of Christianity and humanity. Seemingly every day, the news headlines scream that another professing Christian has fallen and disgraced the name of Christ or that yet another celebrity is in rehab for their alcohol or prescription drug addiction. Murders, thefts, and worse are normal fare on the evening news. What hope is there for my children?

Praise the Lord, eternal hope rests in our righteous, holy God!

  • Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
  • Psalm 78:6-7 "That the generation to come might know them {the testimony and law of God}, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: [7] That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments."

While my girls' future is certain to be more vile than today, I place my hope for that future in the hands of our omniscient God.

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Prevent logo pen theft

I know that business cards are a necessity for my business. While not a necessity, logo pens can mutely present an enduring reminder of your business. Take, for instance, the pen I recently saw. Big, bold font proclaimed, "This pen has been stolen..." while smaller font declared, "from [name and address of business]!" That made me laugh, but I don't think I will choose that design for my logo pens!

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Monday, March 26, 2007

RFI shielding

This assignment makes me think of something from Star Trek. When I read the assignment notes, I pictured a giant electromagnetic pulse assaulting the good ship Enterprise, effectively disabling all electronic devices, including the transporter, and endangering the lives of all crew aboard the vessel.

While that is a sensational picture, the reality is nothing so exotic. RFI shielding is a material that prevents the interruption of electronic devices or components by electromagnetic interference (EMI) or radio frequency interference (RFI). The website showed related brochures for such items as conductive fabric over foam, microwave absorbers, vent panels, and air filters.

Does anyone know anything more about this than I do?

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A faithful servant

With three children, you would rightly assume that we own a minivan. There is no way that we could fit all three car seats into the back seat of most cars, and, besides, we want two or three more children. Our minivan gives us room for expansion.

Minivans, however, are not ideal for hauling furniture or other items. For that, we use Mr. Incredible's little pickup. Though it's just a small short-bed pickup, it has faithfully served him/us for many years. (Mr. Incredible was able to buy it new in 1994.) While it sometimes gets in the way, the truck toolbox is a feature we would not want to do without. Mr. incredible stores tarps, rope, tools, bungee cords, and emergency items there, ensuring that we always have the supplies we need for moving large items or in case of an emergency.

This truck is getting old and will eventually have to be replaced. We just hope the next one gives us as good of service as this one has.

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Saving on gifts


I am finally getting the hang of saving money on presents. I have discovered that, as with so much of life, the secret lies in not waiting until the last minute. Every time I wait, I end up spending more money than I want to spend. This year, I have started creating a stash of presents from which to pull. Everything has been bought at ridiculously low clearance prices.

Right now, I have a couple of makeup mirrors; a matching baby cap, socks, mittens, and hooded towel; two alphabet puzzles; 3 packs of girls' hair clips; a carton of play food items; a silicon kitchen utensil set; a book; and a documentary (that's a running gag from the Dirty Santa game Mr. Incredible's family plays). At the thrift store the other day, I found a brand new with tags 2-piece baby girl outfit by BT Kids for $.25. If I keep this up, I'll be able to significantly lower our gift budget next year.

How do you handle gift-giving?

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Connections matter

Mr. Incredible works for the local power company. He is the man who turns off the power when people "forget" to pay their bill for months on end. He also turns the power on or off when people move so he's not always the bad guy. The girls know that he works for the power company but don't really understand what he does.

One day our power flickered twice before finally cutting out and plunging us into semi-darkness. Pookie Bear frantically told me, "Mom! The power's all gone! We have to call Daddy to fix it!"

I explained that Daddy couldn't fix it but that his friends could.

"Mommy, tell Daddy his friends have to fix it!" was the rejoinder.

I did exactly that, and our power was restored in less than half an hour. It's nice to have friends in high places when it's time for a power supply repair!

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Sunday, March 25, 2007

All the zzzz's are passing me by

After a week of interrupted sleep, I am ready to try almost anything to get a good night's rest. I am not the one having trouble sleeping; no, it's the girls. Between Pookie Bear coughing so hard one night that she threw up and Miss Muffet screaming bloody murder in her sleep another night, I just don't stand a chance! Even Baby Bear got in on the act and came trotting into my room around 3:00 a.m. one morning. I'm thinking that maybe these $99 sound machines would help them sleep all night again. I hope they get back to sleeping through the night on their own soon; I'm tired!

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Start from scratch or buy into a franchise?

I like working at home. I enjoy both teaching piano and getting paid to blog. I look forward to having piano students come to my house; that small occurrence helps me keep the days of the week straight. Without my students, I tend to forget what day it is. I also love the extra income generated by my blogging assignments, and I enjoy the creativity that these assignments draw from me.

While I enjoy working for myself, I know that not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur. Some people need a boss to provide motivation and direction while others simply can't afford to take the risks involved with being an entrepreneur. However, if you are one who longs to work for yourself and you enjoy painting homes, you might be interested in becoming part of a painting franchise. When you buy into a franchise, you generally get a name that is already established, rules and regulations for running your business, start-up support, and more freedom than working for a regular employer.

If you were to start your own business, what do you think would be the ideal situation for you?

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Layne Daniel update

The good news is that he was able to go home on Friday. However, I just learned today that his was the most aggressive form of cancer, and, barring a miracle, the chemo is just buying him some more time with his family. The doctors haven't given any timetable, but if nothing changes, he is dying.

Mr. Incredible and I are aching to be back "home" where we could be close and help them. Pastor Daniel was Mr. Incredible's youth pastor and was like a father to him. Pastor Daniel started a church of his own a couple of months before Mr. Incredible and I got married, and that had been our church since we got married (until we moved away). Thank you to all who have let me know that they are praying. It is comforting to know that you are petitioning God on his behalf.

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Friday, March 23, 2007

In need of prayer

You may have noticed a new button on my left sidebar. Layne Daniel is our former pastor. As I told you previously, he suffered a seizure last Saturday and ended up in Chapel Hill with a diagnosis of bleeding on the brain, and the doctors suspected that he had a tumor on the frontal lobe of his brain. In a heart-breaking turn of events, that suspicion was found to be fact. Surgery was performed on Monday, and the tumor was found to be malignant. The doctors estimated that it had only been there for about a month, but it was already the size of a golf ball. This particular kind of tumor grows back after surgery more often than not. Pastor Daniel received his first chemo treatment as soon after surgery as the doctors deemed safe. The doctors hope that he will be able to return home today or tomorrow.

This photo is of Pastor Daniel and his family. His kids are now 13 and 15 so this was definitely taken a few years ago! His dear wife has been by his side during this whole ordeal, and I know that has impacted his children as well.

Please pray for this family. The future does not look hopeful, but we know that God controls the future. If you would like to grab the button for your blog, please do so and link it to this post. Thanks for your prayers. I'll keep you updated as I hear more news.

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Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Blogsvertise

Thanks to Jeff of Community Thought, I discovered Blogsvertise, a paid blogging company that seems similar to payu2blog. Like payu2blog, Blogsvertise brings helps advertisers connect with bloggers who are willing to provide links to the advertiser's site. Unlike payu2blog, Blogsvertise does require that you discuss the product to which you are linking; however, you are allowed to discuss it however you would like, even if you wish to say something negative. The pay rate is said to be between $4-$25 with $5-1$15 being the norm.

If you are interested in seeing what Blogsvertise has to offer you as a blogger or as an advertiser, take a look at their Blogger FAQ and Advertiser FAQ.

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What makes a Bible Catholic?

I knew that Catholics have their own bible, but I never wondered what made a Bible Catholic until I received this assignment. I found my answer through Wikipedia, where else? Aside from differences of translation, the catholic bible differs from our Protestant Bible in that the catholic Old Testament contains seven more books than the Protestant Bible. These additional books are Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and 1 and 2 Maccabees. These books are what we Protestants refer to as the Apocrypha. Catholics consider these books to be just as inspired as the rest of Scripture. For an in-depth explanation of the catholic reasoning (from a catholic point of view), visit StayCatholic.com. We should be aware of other's beliefs, for it is that knowledge which enables us to have a ready answer when others question us regarding our faith.

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Tuesday, March 20, 2007

I dream of Europe


One of my dreams is to travel across Europe. I want to see the emerald green grass of Ireland and the stolid castles on the misty moors of Scotland. I want to hear Big Ben chime and witness the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. I want to walk under the Eiffel Tower and visit the couture shops of Paris. I want to tour the famous vineyards of Italy and admire the beautiful Tuscany Villas. Ah, well! I reckon the closest I’ll ever come to experiencing Italy is when Mr. Incredible and I eat at Olive Garden.

clip art courtesy of fotoserach.com

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Doctor doesn’t always know best


Prescription drug addiction is on the rise, and the ones succumbing to addiction are not necessarily doing so intentionally. I personally know a person who became addicted to prescription drugs because her physician neglected to follow prescription protocol. When my friend discovered her addiction, her doctor prescribed a powerful narcotic most often used to help heroine addicts overcome their addiction. Because of its highly addictive properties, that drug was supposed to have been administered by medical personnel at a clinic. Unfortunately, the doctor neglected to tell that to my friend and gave the prescription directly to her. In the end, my friend had to kick two addictions and endure 5 years of addiction meetings, all because her trusted physician failed her. If something doesn’t feel right about a doctor’s advice, trust your gut and get a second opinion.

clip art courtesy of fotosearch.com

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Completely uninspired

I have been trying to come up with a creative way to complete my four remaining assignments, but I am out of inspiration today! I think my lack of sleep has finally impacted my brain. First I ended up sleeping with my sick girls on both Saturday and Sunday night – that’s definitely not the way to get a good night’s rest - then I ate something that didn’t agree with me yesterday and kept waking up last night. Now I feel like I’m walking around in a slow-motion fog. It’s a good thing I’m not negotiating a contract for Raleigh North Carolina real estate; the one with whom I were negotiating would certainly triumph in that skirmish! (See, I told you I was out of inspiration.)

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Monday, March 19, 2007

Priceless

Two engraved comfort fit gold wedding bands from Reeds Jewelers - $130
Wedding expenses - $1,500
Honeymoon tour of the Blue Ridge Mountains - $750
Getting to spend the rest of your life with the woman you love - priceless

While my husband didn't say these precise words, he did convey this sentiment to me recently. That certainly turned what had been a gloomy day into one of sunshine!

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Do any of you golf?


Mr. Incredible enjoys being active, though he doesn't have the opportunities that he once had. He has mentioned several times that he would like to try his hand at golf. However, to golf he needs the basic equipment - say, golf clubs, for instance. Someone offered an old set on FreeCycle one time, but I responded too late.

I know nothing about golf. Do any of y'all know if ranges offer club rentals and, if so, how much that might be? What other options are out there?

clip art courtesy of fotosearch.com

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Neatness is relaxing


I love my house. If we lived in Las Vegas, it certainly wouldn't be found anywhere near the vicinity of the posh Las Vegas Luxury Condos, but I'm not interested in Vegas or in posh. I try to decorate it to create a peaceful welcoming haven; however, serene decorations are not all that is necessary to achieve a peaceful atmosphere.

Through almost eight years of marriage, I have come to realize how important it is to keep our home picked up. Some days that is a well-nigh impossible task! However, when the girls' toys are scattered everywhere and there are piles of (clean) laundry and (dirty) dishes, I start to feel tense and uptight, my patience is noticeably limited, and the smallest inconveniences become overwhelming irritants. I am frequently amazed by how rapidly that tension disappears once I pick up the messes! Because I tend to be an inconsistent housekeeper, I am setting goals that I hope will help get me into a cleaning routine. My goal for this week is to wash all dishes after every meal.

Have any of you noticed the correlation between disorderly surroundings and increased tension in your house?

clip art courtesy of fotosearch.com

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Our weekend

We had a profitable day Saturday. My. Incredible actually did the bulk of the work, bless his sweet heart. I washed and washed dishes, finally getting them all done, while Mr. Incredible picked up and vacuumed our living room and my piano room. He also deep-cleaned and rearranged my counters, creating more counter room on which I can work. I love the new arrangement!

I was just thinking how blessed I am to be married to such an incredibly kind man. I know there are men whose wives would thank God if he were to die because the death insurance payout would be the one good thing she had ever received from him. My heart goes out to women in unhappy and abusive marriages, and I have the utmost respect for those who have chosen to remain faithful to their wedding vows in less-than-ideal circumstances. Thinking of what might have been always makes me more thankful for what is.

We had planned to go to the Anniversary Sunday service at our old church, but Pookie Bear and Miss Muffet both came down with the high fever that Baby Bear had on Thursday. They are doing much better now, but we missed out on the special service. As I was leaving for church on Sunday night, I found out that our old pastor, Layne Daniel, had had seizures on Saturday and was taken to the local hospital. They found bleeding in his brain and had him transferred to the hospital at UNC Chapel Hill. They suspect that, in addition to the bleeding, he has a tumor on the frontal lobe of his brain. Please pray for him and his family. They lost his father to cancer about a year ago.

Sunday night was a happy occasion at our church. Our pastor, Bill Wingard, was honored for his 50th anniversary of being a preacher. He has pastored our church for 45 of those 50 years - simply incredible! We are certainly thankful to be under his preaching and have been blessed by his ministry.

How was your weekend?

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Saturday, March 17, 2007

My latest blog tricks

As you can tell, I'm always tweaking my template as I learn more about HTML. I found instructions for creating a 3 column template and couldn't resist trying this in an effort to shorten my sidebar. (Let me know what you think of my having 2 sidebars.)

I also plan to put my labels into a dropdown box. That should certainly shorten the sidebar length considerably!

I just learned how to install headers in Blogger - that has come in handy and was actually the impetus for my learning how to design headers.

I'm definitely having fun, and I hope my latest tricks are a help to you.

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Friday, March 16, 2007

A new venture and an offer

I'm starting yet another venture. This time, I'm creating custom blog headers. I created the header for this blog as well as my other blog, and I have also created headers for a couple of other blogs. You can see those headers at the Completed Projects page of my design blog, RS Designs. Below are portfolio samples that I have created.

These are four three of my favorite samples thus far (click thumbnail to see full-size image):

Beside Still Waters Beside Still Waters


The Friendship GardenThe Friendship Garden


Simple PleasuresSimple Pleasures


I like what I have created and would like to turn this new hobby into a profitable business, but I feel like I could use more experience before turning this into a paying venture.

Here's my offer
: if you would like a custom blog header, just contact me. I will create a custom header for the first 25 responders for free. (I do reserve the right to refuse to create a header for objectionable blogs.) Updated: 4/8/07 - There are no more free headers available, but watch for the announcement of the grand opening of RS Designs. I will be running a special where it will be possible to receive a free header. The standard headers are 800x200 pixels (width/height), but that can be customized to your specifications as well. If you already have an image or clip art that you would like to use, I can use that, or I can find/create something for you. I will work hard to make sure that you are satisfied with the end result. I can even install your new header if your blog is on the Blogger, Wordpress, or Homeschool Blogger platforms. I can also install headers in other platforms provided I can access the template code.

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Explaining my absence

First, on Wednesday Mr. Incredible thought I had been spending too much time on the computer and asked me not to get back on the Internet that day. (In all honesty, he was right.)

Yesterday, I had an eye exam. No problem. Baby Bear had suddenly spiked a fever on Wednesday night, but I needed to get her more medicine anyway and felt justified in keeping my appointment with all the kids in tow. I walked in and told the receptionist I was there for my appointment. I had just given my name when Baby Bear heaved.

"Oh, no!" I exclaimed as I covered her mouth with my hand and rushed outside, leaving my other two girls inside (!). I held Baby Bear on my lap, trying desperately to contain the damage from her continuing heaving and silently thanking the foresight that dictates that my diaper bag always contain an extra change of clothing for each girl.

As soon as Baby Bear quit vomiting, I hurried back inside to retrieve my patiently waiting girls and inform the receptionist that I would have to reschedule the appointment.

We picked up more medicine and went home, where Baby Bear spent most of the day snuggled in my arms. I'm happy to report that she did not throw up again and that her fever, while not altogether gone, is not as high today. I hope she'll be all better soon.

So that's where I've been. Did you miss me? *smile*

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Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Fruit of my labor

If you read here regularly, you know that I get paid to post blog assignments received from payu2blog.com. After hearing about this job for umpteen million times, you can tell that I love what I am doing. Since I do not write traditional reviews unless I actually like the website or product, the assignments often challenge my creativity. (If you haven't already seen it, read this humorous short story I recently posted. It's a great example of the creativity inspired by necessity.)

Through checking referrals at my stat counter, I found out that my efforts have not gone unnoticed. Take a look at this post over at payu2blog.com's blog.

Is that not incredible? I am honored and flattered to be the first in this series, and I am even more thrilled that they like my work!

In other paid blogging news, I was glad to see that payu2blog now has a FAQ page link on their home page. It answers a lot of questions that many of you have asked me. While this job is not for everyone or for every blog, I definitely enjoy it and recommend it to everyone who asks me about it.

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Monday, March 12, 2007

Tumble dry on low

This was just another mundane afternoon slipping routinely by. Transferring yet another large load of laundry from the washer to the dryer, I mentally sighed upon seeing the remaining piles of soiled laundry which dominated my laundry room. I loaded the washer once more before realizing that I had neglected to shut the dryer door and begin the cycle. I absent-mindedly closed the door, set the cycle length, and pressed the "start" button. As I exited the room, the perplexing sound of repeated thuds emanated from the dryer.

"Ah, well, the clothes are probably just wadded into a lump. I'll ignore that sound. I'm sure it will stop eventually, " I silently decided.

Upon further reflection, I decided to opt for the prudent course and retraced my steps to the dryer where I pulled open the door. To my utter amazement, what should greet my eyes but the sight of our tortoise-shell cat tumbling out of the dryer!

While I dissolved into disbelieving laughter, Sami shook her head a couple of times before hissing at me as she stalked past in search of a more stable resting place.

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Free shipping on Powell Furniture

If you like Powell Furniture, you'll be happy to hear that Home and Living.com is currently offering free shipping on the Powell Furniture brand. Mr. Incredible and I have been casually seeking an old-fashioned wardrobe armoire, hoping to supplement our currently meager wardrobe storage space in our master bedroom. Powell Furniture doesn't offer anything like that, but I did find one by a different brand. I enjoyed browsing this website and looking at all the beautiful furniture.

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Keep track of your business finances with ease

I don’t know how many business owners or executives stop by here. Maybe none, but I have a sneaking suspicion that some of you probably fall into one of those categories. If you do, do you use software to track your financial data? What kind of software? Are you happy with it?

If you have no software to help you with the financial end of the business or if you are not happy with your current software, you might want to take a look at this financial reporting software. Created for business use, it appears to have many useful features. If you regard my opinion (and it's okay if you don't), you should at least take a look at this program.

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I’m singin’ the diaper blues

Okay, I admit it: I’m frugal downright cheap. When it came time to buy diapers, shelling out a small fortune for name-brand diapers never crossed my mind. I buy either Target or Wal-Mart store brand diapers, depending on which store has the lowest price. Usually, the diapers work fine with no leaks, but occasionally, before she goes to bed, my baby will have had a little more to drink than is normal. That is when I curse my thriftiness, for I am apt to find that the kids bedding needs to be changed in the morning. It is ever so unpleasant to lift your child out of bed only to realize that your hands are now wet with something other than water! Fleeting thoughts of purchasing “better” diapers momentarily cross my mind, but I always resolve to limit fluid intake at bedtime instead!

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Definitely not Aleve

The following story is completely fictional. Any personal or locational resemblance is strictly coincidental.

“Martha, isn’t supper ready yet?”

The querulously complaining voice belonged to long-suffering Martha’s husband, Frank. Crotchety and chronically dissatisfied, Frank had spent his life whining about his circumstances, causing his voice to assume a perpetually complaining timbre. Sweet-tempered Martha had learned to silently endure his endless criticisms and demands.

“It’ll be ready in a minute,” she quietly replied.

After listening to more than the usual amount of negative chatter, Martha inquired if something was wrong.

“Wrong? What on earth could possibly be wrong?” Frank snapped. “My supper is not ready, and my head is pounding. I’m just fine, thank you!”

“Oh, Frank, if your head is hurting, go take an Aleve! I promise supper will be on the table by the time you return.” Frank had finally exhausted Martha’s nearly endless supply of patience, causing her to reply in a slightly tart manner.

Frank went off to take the medicine and returned to see supper on the table as Martha had promised.

After eating two helpings of everything and grudgingly complimenting Martha on the food, Frank retired to the living room where he turned on the TV and aimlessly flipped through the channels. After washing up the supper dishes, Martha joined him and soon became completely immersed in the trials and misadventures of Anne of Green Gables. She had only read a couple of chapters before she began to feel as though someone were watching at her. She looked up to find Frank staring at her, an odd look in his eyes.

“Did you need something, Frank?” Martha sweetly inquired.

“You sure are looking good tonight,” came the unexpected reply.

“Why, thank you, dear!” Martha was pleased with the unusual response and returned to her reading. A few blissfully quiet moments passed.

“Did you do something different to your hair?”

This time it was Frank’s voice that pulled her back to reality. Martha replied that her hairstyle was the same it had been for the past 20 years. Puzzled by Frank’s out-of-character remarks, Martha solicitously inquired about his headache.

“Oh, my head still hurts some, but it’s not too bad now,” Frank replied.

“I knew that Aleve would be just the thing for your headache,” Martha commented, preparing to return to her book.

Aleve?” Frank questioned. “I thought you said to take some Levitra!”

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Saturday, March 10, 2007

Carnival of the Recipes - Company Dinner edition

Hi! It's so good to see you. We've been looking forward to your visit. Come on in, sit down, and make yourself comfortable. Can I take your coat or purse? Would you like something to drink? I know how much you enjoy good food. I have had a lot of fun putting together a menu of special treats for your visit.

To start the day, your choices include this tasty Banana Split French Toast courtesy of triticale - the wheat/rye guy. What a divinely decadent way to start your morning with friends! I am positive that if you try this, you will count it among your favorite dishes and will request it often.

If you are in the mood for pancakes, instead, I have just the thing for you. Now, these are no ordinary pancakes. No, indeed! These are Kathee's special Walnut-Buttermilk Pancakes from her Pancake Recipes blog. Topped with toasted walnuts and warm maple syrup, you are bound to end up feeling stuffed because you ate too many of these pancakes.

. . .

How time does fly! Are you ready for lunch yet or are you still full from breakfast? If you're in the mood for a light lunchtime snack, Scott of The Scott English Show offers us Scott's Bacon and Egg Salad Recipe: A Fast Lunch Snack You'll Enjoy Wolfing Down. Featuring lettuce, bacon, egg, sunflower seeds, and cheese, I can throw this salad together in no time. Just let me know when you're ready to eat.

For a refreshingly different salad, try Stephanie's Summer Fruit Salad posted at Make Healthy Meals. I love this recipe because you can alter it to suit your fruit cravings.

If you decide you would like a hot lunch, I can offer you Lenten Polenta from Cehwiedel of Kneadle Work. This is a cornmeal-based recipe which also features cheese, garlic, onion, and cayenne flavorings. If you are unsure about this dish, perhaps her photo will convince you to give it a try.

. . .

I don't know about you, but I think a snack would be great. Let's try these Chocolate Chews from KeeWee's Corner. These bars look irresistible with their coconut and oatmeal inside and chocolate-covered outside. Yum!

For some old-fashioned goodness, I offer you these Oatmeal Cookies from The Common Room where Deputy Headmistress presents a favorite recipe in which sweetness pairs nicely with spice.

Hey, take a look at this old recipe I found! It was filed neatly away at Recipes at World Famous Recipes. Bill kindly shared this 1832 recipe for Cherry Bounce. I bet guests, especially men, loved to be given this strong cherry-flavored drink!

. . .

Dinner time already? Well, if you don't get full tonight, it certainly won't be from lack of food! Why don't you choose from the side dishes first and then make your way through the entrees?

What is that dish? Oh, that is a uniquely tangy side dish from Rebecca Hartman. I came across the recipe for these pickled lemons at The Herbwife's Kitchen. Not only are these pickles outside the realm of the ordinary but also, having been made from organic citrus, are healthy for you as well. Uncommon and healthy - that sounds like a winning combination to me!

Gerry of DiseaseProof generously gave me the recipes for three different dishes: Apple Stuffed Peppers (a delicious sounding variation of stuffed pepper), Broccoli fra Diablo (a combination of tomato and broccoli which sounds intriguing), and Colcannon ( a healthier version of an Irish dish consisting of mashed potatoes and cabbage). I think the Colcannon would be great with the cube steak you'll see once you get to the entrees.

If you like ethnic foods, Mama Kelly graciously shared her family's traditional recipe for Mizeria - Polish Cucumbers in Sour Cream. It was so good that Mama Kelly's Italian mother requested the recipe from her Polish husband and made this side dish often. I think it would pair nicely with Lionel's entree.

Speaking of Lionel from Lookin At Cookin, he gave me this recipe for a wonderfully exotic dish: Ceviche De Salmón. This exciting dish differs from sushi in that the fish is "cooked" in a citrus marinade, causing people to feel that it offers less of a health risk than sushi.

Since you appear tempted by the seafood theme, I can also offer you some wonderful Manhattan Style Seafood Stew. This come from Stephanie of Adventures in the 100 Acre Wood. When you taste this, you will know I have pulled out all the stops for this meal!

If you are in the mood for down-home cooking, you will enjoy Thrifty Mommy's Easy Cube Steak Recipe. Karen suggests eating mashed potatoes, a vegetable, and a bread with this entree. Now that sounds like good country cookin' to me!

Do you like Italian-style food? Then you will love my husband's favorite Chicken Parmesan. Dipping the chicken in evaporated milk before breading it means that it obtains a faintly sweet flavor. The breading itself, featuring a mixture of grated Parmesan Cheese and crushed saltine crackers, adds flavor and cheesy goodness to the chicken breast it encloses. The sauce adds the crowning touch to this flavorful dish, and, because this dinner entree is baked instead of fried, you will have fewer worries about your cholesterol.

By the way, you might be interested in these facts from Wenchypoo (of Wisdom from Wenchypoo's Mental Wastebasket). It turns out that The Cholesterol Shuffle is the result of both misinformation and plain old misunderstanding. Increased fiber intake and a lower consumption of saturated fats and cholesterol are key to maintaining the efficient performance of your "cholesterol filter."

. . .

Are you done with your dinner? I hope you saved room for dessert because I don't see how you could possibly resist these mouth-watering confections!

That concoction comes from Riannan of In the Headlights. Her Dome Cake filled with Chocolate and Nut Cream features ingredients including pound cake, chocolate, and whipping cream. I think this recipe seems universally appealing.

Oh, you really like pound cake? Then try this one over here. Shawn Lea contributed this Honey Vanilla Pound Cake; in the March 2007 edition of House Beautiful magazine, this cake was dubbed "the perfect 'Company's Coming' cake" by the Barefoot Contessa. Because this cake can remain in the freezer up to 6 months, forward-thinking hostesses (like me) can make a batch and have it on hand for unexpected guests! Make sure I give you the recipe before you go home.

(Since I was unsure how long to store food in the freezer, I hopped Al Nye the Lawyer Guy's useful link to The National Center for Home Food Preservation where I found the answer to my question.)

If you are in the mood for coconut, Michelle of Scribbit contributes her mouth-watering (especially when you see the photo!) recipe for Coconut Triple-Layer Cake. Her guests loved it, even after her bare-handed catch!

As a special treat, I made some home made ice cream for you. I know how much you like peaches so I borrowed Lisa Knight's recipe for Crockpot Spoon Peaches (which you can find at Lisa's Cookbook). Doesn't that add just the right touch to the ice cream?

Cheesecake paired with apricots: what could be a more perfect (or more impressive) ending to a delicious meal with friends? When Deborah of Eat Your History gave me this recipe, she shared that this was her very first experience with making a cheesecake and declared that, if you have been afraid to try making a cheesecake, this Apricot Cheesecake is the place to start.

. . .

It has been so nice sharing this day and all this good food with you. I know you have some fabulous recipes of your own. Why don't you submit them for next week's food fest? You have until 12 p.m. CST on Saturday to submit your recipes for inclusion in the Irish-themed event hosted by Sun Comprehending Glass. Did you know that you can host your own recipe extravaganza? If you are interested in hosting sometime, just send an e-mail and put Host in the Subject line. Thanks again for coming to visit, and I hope to see you again soon.

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Friday, March 09, 2007

Just like dominoes toppling

Mr. Incredible loves electronics; the higher the quality and the more advanced the technology, the happier he is. For several years he has been drooling over the HDTV’s that are now available. For the past two years, he has been intending to purchase one with a portion of our tax return money. So far, we have had to use the money for other needs, but next year is the year. I am determined that he will finally get the widescreen HDTV for which he has so patiently waited.

Regrettably, he cannot purchase only the TV. On the contrary, this one purchase dictates that we must make many more purchases. For example: to receive optimal signal, we must purchase enormous quantities of HDMI cable. Housing the new TV requires a new entertainment center, for our current one is simply too small. Even had our current stereo system not been failing, we would have had to buy a new system so that Mr. Incredible could enjoy the increased wattage and higher quality of the new 5.1 surround sound systems. Additionally, since he is upgrading to the latest and greatest, he must have the new HD DVD player/recorder.

See how it goes? Just like dominoes that are lined up in a row, once that chain reaction starts, there is no stopping it! What does this chain reaction look like in your house?

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Need…more………me...mo...ry!

Yesterday, Pookie Bear wanted to make cookies. We decided to make Nestle’s Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies (from scratch, of course) but planned to leave out the chocolate chips and nuts since we didn’t have either ingredient. DeeDee decided that we didn’t need to gather our ingredients first so we began measuring and combining ingredients. We had almost completed the recipe when it called for two eggs.

“Oh, no,” I muttered to myself, “I used all of the eggs for breakfast! Thanks a lot, DeeDee! Now Pookie Bear is expecting cookies, and we’ve already mixed together most of the ingredients. There’s no way I’m wasting them! What now?”

I thought for a moment. “I know! We’ll go ahead and make them anyway. If the worst happens, they’ll just crumble, and then we can eat the crumbs.”

We baked the cookies. They actually turned out fairly decent, though nothing like chocolate chip cookies. They were more like spritz or butter cookies, possibly even like shortbread cookies. (Mr. Incredible called them starch cookies and said they were too salty.)

I wish that I could somehow purchase additional memory for my brain; ideally, it would work something like a computer memory upgrade. Unfortunately, I don’t foresee that invention being created in the near future. Oh, well; I reckon I’ll just have to share my brain with DeeDee for awhile longer.


clip art of mother/daughter baking courtesy of fotosearch.com

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Sailing, sailing over the ocean blue


Endless seas beckon, calling my name.
To miss all that beauty? Boy, what a shame!

I’ll find a yacht charter and rent me a boat;
Away ‘cross the ocean I’ll drift and I’ll float.

I’ll see some sea creatures, maybe a whale.
Look over there! Spy a pirate’s black sail.

“Shiver me timbers and bring me some loot!
I want some gold bars and a new navy suit.”

“Mama!” cry loudly my girls in my ear.
I gaze at my children and smile with good cheer.

I may never sail or charter a boat
Except in my dream as I mend a torn coat.

-by Revka

clip art of yacht courtesy of fotosearch.com

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Thursday, March 08, 2007

When will one be mine?

I love my girls; they are my precious gifts from God. However, they have not inherited my looks. (Boy, that sure does sound vain and uncomplimentary!)

Mind you, my daughters are beautiful, but they most definitely resemble their father and/or his side of the family. If I didn’t know better, I might be tempted to request DNA Testing to verify that they are my children. Of course, having given birth to them, I have no doubt that they are certainly (and most painfully) my own children. Maybe one of the next ones will take after me.

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Supplies everywhere I look

Baking supplies, sewing supplies,
School supplies, and church supplies.

Piano supplies, work supplies,
Movie supplies, and music supplies.

Baby supplies, cat supplies,
Cleaning supplies, and dog supplies.

Supplies for play, supplies for fun,
Supplies to help me get my work done.

Supplies for every need or desire;
Supplies enough to create a house fire.

Supplies, supplies wherever I look.
Supplies enough to fill a book.

What do you think? Have I enough?
Do I need a supply of supplies for my stuff?

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Purify the water you drink – anywhere!

Both of our homes have had wells. I love my well water, primarily because I do not have to pay a water bill each month. Running short of water during the summer? Not so much fun. I'm so glad we don’t have to worry about that at this house!

One of my brothers-in-law worked with a water company and consequently refuses to drink well water because he has seen the results of too many samples. I really don’t want to know what he has seen. ("Just let me drink my contaminated water in blissful ignorance," she laughed.)

If you are like my brother-in-law, you might want to take a look at these Portable Water Filters. Now you can fill your sports bottle anywhere and not have to worry about water quality.

Of course, I can see it now: you are at a dinner with friends when you ask your host to please allow you to use your own cup and proceed to whip out your water-filtering sports bottle.

Hm, maybe this shouldn't be used everywhere!

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Scotch Guard – the answer to the revolving door

When we got married, we were blessed to be given almost everything we needed for our home. I believe our only purchases were a washer and a dryer. Everything else was either a previous possession, a wedding gift, was handed down from family, or was a garage sale find (by someone else). Most of the furniture we were given is still being used, but we have gone through several couches.

Prior to our becoming parents, our cat would claw the back corners of the sofa until they were in shreds – very unsightly! After we had the girls, accidents quickly became an unwelcome part of our routine, making our home a revolving door for couches.

Our current sofa and matching recliner were given to us by Mr. Incredible’s grandparents. They are decades old but were in incredibly good condition when we received them – no spots, stains, or tears marred their surfaces and all joints were solidly immovable. Were, I say, because being in a home with three little girls and one crazy cat constitutes the recipe for sofa disaster.

After surveying the spotted couch recently, Mr. Incredible declared that, when this couch is no longer serviceable, he would like to get one of those sectional sofas; whereupon, I mentally added that we would Scotch Guard said sofa! I hope our next sofa will be our last.

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Prepare to be overwhelmed

Alright, guys, I'm just letting you know that I received 12(!) paid blogging assignments. (As a side note, at $5 per assignment, that means that this one round of assignments will bring in more money than one student pays for a month of piano lessons. I am thrilled!)

That means that there will be at least 12 new posts over the next couple of days. I really hope you don't feel overwhelmed by all the blogging and decide to contact me via Video Conferencing instead!

I must admit to loving that concept. As I commented at another blog, in fifth grade, my teacher gave us an assignment requiring that we write about an invention we would like to see. My invention of choice was a telephone that included a built-in screen so that you could see the other person as well as hear his voice. I guess the future has become the present. I can only imagine what a boon this type of technology has been for companies with international offices and employees. Personally, I think I'll stick with blogging for a while longer. *grin*

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Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Changing of the guard for the Carnival of Beauty


I love the Carnival of Beauty and thought I would let you know that Sallie has now turned the reins over to Amanda. If you are interested either in reading past editions of the Carnival or in viewing upcoming topics, visit the Carnival info page at Following an Unknown Path. While you're there, why not check out Amanda's party and say hey?

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Monday, March 05, 2007

Pizza hut - literally?

To the surfer who came here via a search for "how to make a homemade hut":

I apologize that the search engine of your choice thought that my homemade pizza that is "better than Pizza Hut pizza" would be a good match for your query. If you do construct a pizza hut, please send me a photograph of the results. Best wishes in your endeavor, and thanks for the laugh. *grin*

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Our favorite Chicken Parmesan

Baked in the oven, this Chicken Parmesan has less fat than the traditional fried dish, yet the taste is fabulous!

Chicken
Servings: 8-10

Ingredients:
2 c. crushed saltines
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. pepper
8-10 chicken breasts
1 1/3 c. evaporated milk
1 c. butter, melted

In large, resealable bag or a shallow container, combine saltines, cheese, paprika, and pepper. Dip chicken in evaporated milk, then shake or dredge in saltine mixture. Pour butter into bottom of two 13x9 baking pans to coat. Arrange chicken, skin side down (if you left the skin on). Bake at 350F for 60-70 minutes or until chicken juices run clear, turning after 30 minutes. (I usually don't turn the chicken.) Top with sauce (recipe follows) and Parmesan cheese.

Sauce

Ingredients:
2 cans Italian-style stewed or diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. Italian seasonings
2 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients in a pot and heat through.

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Post those recipes!

If you have a favorite recipe you would like to share, now is the time to post it. (Hey, you can even post your significant other's favorite recipe if you don't cook. *smile*) If you work it right, your post could bring you exposure from two great sources:

  • I am hosting Sunday's edition of Carnival of the Recipes - the theme is Company's Coming. Just post a recipe(s) that you would serve company. Then e-mail the link(s) to your post(s) or go to the submission page and fill out the form. It's that simple! If you would like to see a past carnival, two of my favorites have been the Run for the Border Edition and the Slow Cooking Edition.
  • You can also check into submitting your recipe in the Mom's Niche Recipe Challenge. Here are the remaining deadlines. Entrees: March 5, 2007 - 11:59pm EST
    Desserts: March 12, 2007 - 11:59pm EST So you have until 11:59pm tonight to post your entree recipe and submit it for the contest.
What are you waiting for? Let's get those recipes posted! I'm headed off to write up one of Mr. Incredible's favorite dinners - Chicken Parmesan.

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Sunday, March 04, 2007

Can I change my name for a couple of days?

This was written last Wednesday, but with the party going on (man, is that crazy!), I haven't had a chance to post it until now.

I had told you that Pookie Bear is good at running cons, and one of hers favorite cons is to say that her head or tummy hurts or that her head is too hot. She says those things in hopes of being given some “purple medicine.” (Children’s Tylenol)

Monday afternoon, she was complaining about both her head and tummy hurting. I chalked her complaints up to her desire for medicine and instructed her to lie down on the couch for awhile. She ended up falling asleep.

Since I had to pick up Mr. Incredible from work, I got the other girls ready and put them in their car sears before waking up Pookie and carrying her to her car seat. We had gone less than 5 miles when I heard a sound. I asked Pookie if she was okay. She replied by crying and frantically saying that she had thrown up. Then the stench hit my nostrils. Mama mia! What a stench! Mr. Incredible called just then so I let him know we wouldn’t be able to pick him up after all and then turned around at the first place I could find. Apparently, Pookie wasn’t running a con that time!

As if that weren’t bad enough, yesterday (Tuesday) we had to make a 2 hour trip for our 6-month dental visit and to get our taxes prepared. (Yes, there are much closer alternatives, but we are willing to travel for free services!) Although I had cleaned the van, it still reeked, making the trip rather unpleasant. We had a nice day; we even got to see my new nephew. (He is so cute!) We headed home and were only about 5 minutes from our house when Miss Muffet, who was fast asleep, made a noise. I didn’t get there fast enough. She threw up all over herself, her car seat, the van seat, and the floor. I found it ironic that Mr. Incredible had just washed and vacuumed the van on Saturday. How do children instinctively know the worst time to make a mess?

As bad as the vomit was, I think the worst incident of all happened today (Wednesday). Pookie Bear and Baby Bear were playing in the toy room, and somehow Baby Bear got her clothes off and then took off her diaper as well. Of course I knew nothing about it. The next thing I knew, Pookie was urgently calling for me to come quickly because Baby Bear had made a mess. When I got to the toy room, I was assaulted by the smell of poop! Baby Bear had pooped on the floor and on some Mega Blocks with which she had been playing!

Guess who cleaned up all the messes? I tell you; sometimes it’s just no fun being called Mommy!

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Saturday, March 03, 2007

Delirious Ditz strikes again


DeeDee (a play on D.D. - abbreviation for "Delirious Ditz" - my new nickname for the less-than-brilliant side of me) has struck yet once again. After last time, I tried really hard to pay attention to details. At least this time I only embarrassed myself in front of my own family. Well, now that I'm telling on myself, I guess I've embarrassed myself in front of the whole blogging world.

Mr. Incredible suggested that we make homemade ice cream after supper tonight. (Here is a link to our favorite recipe.) The girls were all excited and wanted to help me mix all the ingredients together. We poured the mixture into the ice cream canister, put on the top, and started the motor. Two hours later, the motor was still going and showed no signs of quitting. What on earth? The ice cream should take a maximum of 45 minutes to make! We peeked inside; absolutely nothing had happened. We checked to make sure everything was connected properly. Everything seemed okay so we plugged it back in. Thirty minutes passed; still no signs of ice cream. Completely, baffled, we re-checked everything and STILL could not figure out what was wrong.

Then Mr. Incredible asked me, "You did put in all the ingredients, didn't you?"

"Of course I did!" I indignantly sputtered, coming to an abrupt halt as I realized that, in fact, I had NOT put in all the ingredients. I burst out laughing.

Mr. Incredible got that particular look on his face - the one that wonders what silly thing I've done this time. (I see it rather often, particularly lately.)

"What did you do?" he asked.

I reached into the refrigerator.

"You forgot the milk?!" he exclaimed in disbelief.

Doubled over with laughter and embarrassment, I admitted that I had neglected to add the milk to the mixture.

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Friday, March 02, 2007

It's party time!

That's right: we have finally reached the week of The Ultimate Blog Party; so break out the chips and soft drinks and get into that party spirit! If you want to qualify for door prizes (and who wouldn't after viewing the prize listings page), simply write your own Ultimate Blog Party post, link to 5 Minutes for Moms (otherwise known as Party Headquarters), and sign the Mr. Linky the bottom of their post.

Having disposed of the necessary announcements, I'd like to say that I am so glad you decided to visit my little corner of the blogosphere. My name is Revka, and I'm a happily married work-at-home mom of three children. I teach piano and also get paid to blog.

In addition to this blog, The Porch Light, I also created Little Fun, Little Learning where you will find fun activities and educational ideas for children ages 0-5. Here at The Porch Light, I talk about whatever pops into my head: current events, humorous events from our house, favorite recipes, blogging tips, faith, and everyday life are probably the topics about which I most frequently post.

I hope that you enjoy this party, and I greatly appreciate your taking the time to drop by here. Do stop in at Party Headquarters where you will find a HUGE list of other party participants to visit.

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Thursday, March 01, 2007

Everyone loves Orlando

No, I’m not talking about Orlando Bloom, although I must say that he is quite handsome and I do enjoy watching him, particularly in the three Lord of the Rings movies. Is that horrible?

Getting back to the topic at hand, I am talking about Orlando, FL – home of Disney World and Mickey Mouse. Every year, tourists flock to Orlando by the thousands, pumping their money into the thriving economy. Of course the real estate industry wants a piece of the action, and they entice you to part with your money for the privilege of staying in one of their lovely Orlando pool homes. (They really do look lovely, and, if we were vacationing in Orlando, I would certainly consider renting one for our stay.) During high school, I followed the exploits of Houston Astros baseball team whose spring training camp is held in nearby Kissimmee. Many other attractions are located nearby as well. So whatever your interests, you are sure to find something to suit your taste in or near Orlando.

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Vacation recommendations

I guess I know why everyone vacations during the summer: the kids are out of school. Since our children are too young for school, our favorite time to use Mr. Incredible’s vacation days is in the fall. Prices, including gas prices, are generally lower after Labor Day, and the weather is usually not so oppressively hot.

One of our favorite trips is to visit the mountains of North Carolina. We haven’t yet made the trip during the peak of the leaf season, but I hear that the colors are brilliant and gorgeous beyond belief. A partial listing of attractions we have seen must include Linville Caverns, Linville Falls (breathtakingly beautiful!), Grandfather Mountain and the Mile-High Swinging Bridge, Biltmore Estate, Chimney Rock, and Tweetsie Railroad. During the winter, we like to go skiing at Sugar Mountain or Ski Beech, both located near Boone, NC. Lodges are available to rent or to buy (look through the listings for North Carolina mountain real estate), and lovely bed-and-breakfasts are strategically situated throughout the mountains. If you are looking for both natural and man-made attractions, you need look no further than the mountains of NC.

One last piece of advice: when you map out your vacation, don’t neglect to plan a trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway. You won’t regret it!

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Another post about a weight loss aid

Apparently Hoodia is the “latest and greatest” of the weight loss miracle pills. Reports state that it has even been featured in Oprah's O Magazine! My goodness, what further convincing could we need if the Queen of Talk Shows has given this product her stamp of approval?

My questions for you are these: have any of you, my fabulous and discerning readers, tried this wonder pill, and did it actually fulfill its promises?

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This is a great deal!

Since both I land my girls love milk, you can imagine how much milk we consume. Prices here are not great; Wal-Mart sells their Great Value whole milk for $3.79 per gallon. This week, Food Lion is having a sale on their milk: $2.49 per gallon! Taking into consideration the amount of space I have in my chest freezer right now, I might need a transfer tank to transport all the milk I plan to buy!

Have you found any great deals lately? (They don’t have to be for food.)

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Purchasing furniture

Furniture is often a big investment for a family, and once the children come along, kids bedroom furniture is added to the list. No matter what kind of furniture is purchased, it should be of the highest quality that you can afford.

Here are some questions to consider before making your purchase:

  • Is the item made out of solid wood or is particle board used?
  • How are the joints connected: glue, nails/screws, dovetail, or overlapped?
  • Is the piece solid or fragile overall?
  • If purchasing children’s furniture, is it intended for long-term use or will its usefulness be short-lived? (changing table, non-convertible crib, etc.)

No matter your need, do your homework before you make a purchase.

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