Breakfast Is So Important

I know a lot of women that do not eat breakfast for one reason or another and for a very long time I was one of them. I would usually not eat anything until lunch time. This had nothing to do with weight loss, but simply I was too tired to fix me anything and I am not able, due to imbalances, able to eat cereal for breakfast, so it was just to much effort to eat. But then I noticed that I also had no energy and really did not accomplish anything until late afternoon.

Having talked to my doctor I learned that not eating breakfast caused an "energy low". My body was missing the important ingredients to produce energy. Sugars and Protein or muscle milk are the important factors in creating the energy that I needed to kick start my day. I had always ragged on my brothers for "juicing" with their protein shakes. Now I find myself drinking a protein shake every morning to kick start my morning.

Now I use straight protein powder, without extra additives that I get from a health food store. The taste of the protein powder is not great but it can be masked by the fruit I use. However, there are products on the market that are so good at masking the flavor of the protein that you can not even taste it.

Just remember that protein shake or full meal, it does not really matter. The important thing is making sure you get your energy in the morning!

Fun Back to School Craft

Here is a great craft to allow you to spend some time with your children and help to kick the school year off right with the right organization.

You'll Need:

An Unfinished Wooden Peg Shelf
Paint
Brushes
Stencils
Nails and Hammer to hang

Using Your paint, brushes and stencils, Have each child decorate a section of the peg shelf. Then paint their name over their peg area. Hang this near your entrance door. Then each child will have the perfect place to put their backpack and anything they need to take to school the next day. There will be no rushing to find school supplies, backpacks or notes at the last minute.

Cute Back to School Stuff

One of the funnest things I have ever bought my kids for back to school, I bought for my daughter last year. It was a backpack with her name embroidered on the front with a matching pencil case with her name on it and personalized pencils. She loved them so much she took them to school with her every day and was so proud of them.

The only complaint I had was the company I had ordered them from was very, very slow and had a limited selection. I wish I had know about Identity Direct and the huge selection of over 400 items that they have available. I love their licenced selections too. After all what is better than having your name on your stuff? Having your name on your Disney stuff of course!

Yummy Dessert Pizza Recipe

My kids love this easy to make, yummy recipe.

1 pkg. Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough
1 12oz tub Cool Whip
Your Favorite Sliced Fruit

Spread cookie dough onto cookie sheet and cook according to package directions. Allow to cool. Once cool, spread with Cool Whip and top with fruit slices. Cut into Pizza Slices. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Getting Rid of Ants

Every year, about this time I begin to have a problem with ants, right at my front door. The problem is that I have stucco and they crawl up and live underneath the stucco where I cannot get at them to kill them. I have resorted to methods, often times very messy methods, just to keep them out of my home. The best of which has been a thin line of salt along the doorway. I am not sure exactly why but this works as a great barrier to keep them from entering my home. However, with children and adults alike entering and exiting the house through the front door, salt was inevitably drug into my house.

Here are some great ideas to deal with fireants in your home. Ways to get rid of them and why they are there. Mine, luckily enough, are not fire ants, but instead the little black sugar ants. They are not dangerous, just a nuisance, but fire ants could be very dangerous to small children!

Discussion: How do you deal with a sick child?

Being in the middle of raising 5 children I wonder if I haven't gotten a little immune to my children's illnesses. I am wondering how often most people take their children to the doctor's office or give them medication. Please weigh in by sending a comment and letting me know what you think.

It's Camera Talk Time

I wanted to add my two cents to the camera craze. I have a perfectly lovely Nikon 360 35mm camera that I have been shooting with for nearly 4 years now and to be honest, I love it. However, I spend most of my time shooting in auto instead of playing with the aperture, shutter speed and such which I would really like to get more familiar with. So now I am looking into getting me a digital camera, something I can play with and not have to worry about how much it will cost to develop pictures that I completely mess up.

So I have always been a Canon fan. I love the Cannon D-10 and would even take the Cannon Digital Rebel. Both of which would set me back at least a grand. But then I got looking at the Canon Powershot. The A550 seems to be a nice little camera with 7.1 megapixel resolution and 4x Optical zoom. I worry that it won't have the capability to change your settings, I know you cannot upgrade the lens and I have never been a huge fan of the SanDisk memory cards (they are way more expensive than they should be and I have found them to be pretty unreliable), but all in all I am really starting to like this camera.

There are lots of fun activities throughout the Wasatch Front this Week. Here is a quick overview of activities, events and firework shows in Weber, Davis and Saltlake Counties.

Davis County

Layton
Tuesday, July 24th 4pm - 7pm: Taste of The Town in Layton Commons Park, 465 N. Wasatch Drive, which offers food sampling from 24 of the city's best resturants offering their signature dishes followed by a free concert by Riders in the Sky at 8pm an the Kenley Amphitheater. Tickets can be purchased for Taste of the Town at Layton Hills Mall for $6


Weber County

Ogden
July 19th - 21st, 23rd and 24th: pre-rodeo at 6:30pm and Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo, at 7:30pm with skydivers & mutton busting every night. Ogden Pioneer Stadium, 668 17th St.
July 21st 9 am, Miss Rodeo Utah Speeches at Eccles Conference,
July 22nd, 9 am, Slack, free, Ogden Pioneer Stadium.
July 23rd, 10:30 am, Miss Rodeo Utah reception and fashion show, $35, David Eccles Conference Center
6:30 pm, Miss Rodeo Utah freestyle,
7:30 pm, rodeo, Ogden Pioneer Stadium.
July 24th 9 am, Ogden Pioneer Days Parade, begining on 31st Street and heading north on Washington Boulevard ending on 20th Street;
12pm, Open House at Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, DUP Museum at 2148 Grant Ave.
11 am - 4 pm, Ft. Buena Ventura, pioneer skills and craft fair, the cost is $2 per person or $10 per family.
For more information go to www.ogdenpioneerdays.com or call 801-629-8217.

Salt Lake County

Cottonwood Heights -Butlerville Days,
July 24th, 4 pm, Parade, beginning at 2700 East and ending at Guthrie Skate Park on Bengal;
4:30 pm to 9pm, Rides, games, food, booths, climbing wall;
5 pm, Skateboard exhibition;
7 pm, Pie-eating contest,
8 to 9:30 pm, Teen dance, Guthrie Skate Park,
9:30 pm, Patriotic event, main stage;
Dusk, fireworks, Butler Park, 7500 S. 2700 East

Liberty Park
July 24th, Deseret Morning News race and parade ending at the park;
7 a.m. to dark, Native American celebration, A community cultural festival, food, arts & crafts booths, entertainment and free powwow. Tracy Aviary free admission, pool will be closed, fireworks at dusk.

Salt Lake City
July 18th-24th, 7 pm nightly, Days of '47 Rodeo at the Energy Solutions Arena, Exceptions: begins at noon on Saturday and 6 p.m. on Sunday and 4 p.m. on Tuesday Tickets available through ticketmaster.com, 325-7328.
July 21st - 23rd, 11am to 9pm, Preview the 2007 Days of '47 parade floats at the South Towne Expo center, admission is free. 801-254-4656;
July 24th, 7 am to 8:30 am, Sunrise Service, Tabernacle on Temple Square, free, no tickets required, 572-8201;
5:30 am, Deseret Morning News Marathon, top of Big Mountain above Emigration Canyon
6 am, 10K race, Research Park, 500 S. Wakara Way;
7 am, 5K walk, EnergySolutions Arena, 301 W. Temple, 333-7473;
9 am to noon, Days of '47 KSL 5 Parade, beginning at South Temple and Main Street and ending at Liberty Park, 254-4656;
Noon-5 pm, Pioneer Day at The Pioneer Memorial Museum, 300 N. Main St., 1 pm, Games, stories and music. 532-6479.

This Is the Place Heritage Park
July 23rd 9 am to 9 pm and July 24th, 9 am to 5 pm; Residents of Heritage Village celebrate with a two-day festival. Live music, lots to do and see, a pioneer parade (kids can march in it, too) and fun for everyone, 2601 E. Sunnyside Ave. 582-1847.

West Valley City
July 23rd - 28th, Samoan Heritage Festival of Utah (Flag Day Celebration) with Polynesian music, entertainment, cultural and art exhibitions and activities, rugby, volleyball, basketball and cricket at Centennial Park, West Valley City, 3100 S. 5600 West, 604-2153.

There are plenty of fun activities to keep you busy all week long. I hope you can find lots of fun things to do with your kids.

Great Gifts For The Men In Your Life

Here is a great idea for gifts for the special men in your life. Rather than getting Dad yet another tie he won't use or another drill gun to add to his already looming collection, check out BuyAutoTruckAccessories.com for a huge selection of truck accessories for the interior of his truck, the exterior, for towing and cargo and so much more! They have everything you could ever want! Check it out!

Are You Making Money This Summer?

Sometimes I wonder how many people waste their Summers away waiting for the kids to go back to school so they can get back into the swing of things. Sometimes I swear I am the only one that absolutely loves having my children home with me all the time. We do tons of fun stuff together. One of my favorite things to do is work with them to make us some extra play money. There are lots and lots of great summer jobs you can do to earn money with your kids. Some of the ones we like to do are delivering phone books, buying small cheap toys and running booths at fairs and mowing lawns and weeding gardens. We have plenty of fun together and the kids learn some very valuable lessons about work ethics and hard work paying off. Not to mention all the quality time we get to spend together. I hope you are not missing out!

Where Are You Going On Vacation?

Where are you going to go on your next family vacation? Have you been considering Orlando? If you spend alot of time in Orlando or like to take your family vacations there, you might want to consider looking into an Orlando vacation home. It might be better than renting a hotel and you can rent it out when you are not using it. I can see it as being a good idea for anyone that really enjoys spending time in Orlando Florida.

Have You Tried

Have you tried the Knifty Knitter by Provo Craft yet? I got me a set and I absolutely love them! I have made scarves and mittens, ponchos, hats, belts, Christmas stockings and even blankets! If you haven't had a chance yet, give it a try with different mediums. I have used leather lacing to make a belt and that worked very, very well. Fabric strips are a little hard to work with unless you get them thin enough, but they make a really pretty finished project. I have even used ribbon, which made a really pretty hat for a newborn baby girl. Even my little 8 year old loves to use them, they are so easy to use!

If you are looking to move...

If you are looking to move from Utah, while we will miss having you as a part of our wonderful community, I thought I would share this website I came across that might help you out just a little. It's a site for realestate in the Blue Ridge, Ellijay, Blairsville, GA Murphy, Haysville, NC Copperhill, Ducktown Tn and surrounding areas. They have plenty of ellijay real estate and more for you to find the perfect home.

Tonight's The Harry Potter Night

The seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series will be released at midnight tonight and you can bet that I will be right there in line to get it! I am so excited for the Treehouse's Harry Potter Party. It starts at 9pm tonight and goes until 1am. Right at midnight, they will release the books. I would love to hear about the Harry Potter parties you all attend. Please leave me a comment telling me about them!

Got Life Insurance?

I was amazed the other day when I was surfing the Internet and I came across some frightening statistics. The low down on it was that most Americans do not have nearly the amount of life insurance they need. By need, I am referring to, the amount of money that would be needed to replace what you bring in and the expenses you leave behind. While this will change as your circumstances change, you need to take the time to make sure you have enough. You need to decide how much enough is. Will you pay off your house for your family? Will you leave them with enough to spend some time off work to mourn? How about College for your kids? At the very least, it needs to be enough to cover your funeral expenses. There are lots of companies out there that you can get affordable insurance through, like globe life insurance, they have plans starting at $1. The point is, don't wait. Take some time and evaluate your life insurance situation now.

Quick Garlic-Parmesan Breadsticks

I just tried a recipe that I found well worth sharing from Razzle Dazzle Recipes called
Stir and Bake Italian Garlic Breadsticks

1 package dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water (110 degrees)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup lukewarm water (110 degrees)
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1 egg, beaten

Soften yeast in 1/2 cup water and sugar until yeast starts to foam; if it does not foam, it is inactive and should be discarded. To the bowl, add the 1 cup water, 3 cups flour, 1 tbl. sugar and salt. Beat for about 3 minutes until dough is very smooth (this takes the place of kneading). Now slowly beat in the remaining 1 cup of flour until blended. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and shape into a smooth ball.

Divide the dough into 24 pieces. Roll each piece of dough between your palms to form a 1/4" thick rope, and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Brush top with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse grind garlic powder, and/or grated Parmesan cheese. Bake in a 400ºF oven for about 15-18 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned. Makes 24 bread sticks.

It worked really well, my only change would be to use "garlic salt" instead of "garlic powder" but then I am a salt freak! But I hope you try it and enjoy!

Getting Kids to Eat Their Veggies

Do you have a tough time getting your kids to eat all the veggies that are required for a balanced daily diet? I can tell you that I, for one, have a terrible time getting my kids to eat everything they are supposed to! Now don't get me wrong, my kids actually eat very well, most of the time but every once in awhile we get the inevitable "I do not like Broccoli" or "I do not want to eat Green Beans". Most of the time I can get them to eat them anyway with a little ranch dressing on the side or some funny little story about eating trees or having a contest to see who can eat the most "Baby Green Beans". But there are nights that I would just rather not have the hassle so when I saw that there is a new product that would allow me to Drink My Daily Veggies in an no hassle, easy to use, mix and go pouch, I was really excited! I can just imagine all the possibilities something like this can hold. You could take it camping or hiking, a natural way to help keep your energy up. I am not sure how good it tastes but I think I might just try it. After all, they have a free sample offer. All you pay is $1 for the shipping and handling and they send you a free sample to try for yourself. How great is that?

Hope's Baptism Invitations

I have been looking for some easy and inexpensive Baptism Invitations for Hope's up coming Baptism and I have not thus far had much luck. However, I did find a site that has plenty of ideas to help me out. It's called The Idea Door and they have lots of ideas for Baptism Invitations, Thank-you cards and even stationary. I think it will end up being a huge help to me, not only for Hope's Baptism Invitations but lots of other stuff as well!

Ladybug & Lillypads Kids Store

Check out this super cute kids clothing store called Ladybugs and Lilypads. This is by far, one of the most darling stores I have seen in a long time! They offer the most adorable little, hand-painted shoes for girls and boys. Look at these little cow shoes!
And are these not the cutest little ladybug dress shoes you have ever seen?!?






And not quite as great as their shoes, because as far as I am concerned, there is just nothing in the world cuter, except my own children of corse, they have "to die for" bedding for cribs and bedrooms. They have totally functional and super trendy diaper bags like my favorite, The Kitchen Sink Diaper Bag with Pink Bows which as they say "will hold everything but the kitchen sink". And just as outstandingly adorable are their clothes. I just can not say enough about how cute this store is!

Great Kitchen Supplies and Advice

I just wanted to share my "Hidden Gem" store. One of my very favorite stores around. They carry tons of great kitchen supplies and gadgets and the owners have a wonderful knowledge of everything associated with healthy living and cooking. It's called Kitchen Kneads and it is located in Riverdale Utah, but soon to be Ogden, Utah. They have lots of great classes on cooking and storing food and living healthy.

If you ever need any kitchen gadget or specialty cooking product, give them a call. They are wonderful people and they have an awesome store!

Beautiful Gift

I saw these and thought they would make a beautiful gift for any Mother or Grandmother! It is a pendant made from a picture of your child. They take your photo and engrave a beautiful pendant into your child's face. They use high quality precious metals to create a lasting keepsake that any Mother or Grandmother would cherish for years and years.

And for the pet lover, they can even do a beautiful pendant of your furry friend. Imagine, being able to wear a pendant of your precious child or favorite pet, keeping them near and dear to your heart at all times. www.BabyFaces.com can make you an instant heirloom to treasure for years.

Saving for Your Child

Saving for my kids was a very difficult thing for me. I was a newly wed, we didn't have alot of money and we were struggling. Then a friend of mine told me how she does it. Anytime she gets any change she sorts through it quickly, takes out any change with her child's birth year on it and puts it into a special bank for him.

I thought that was such a cute idea that I started doing it. Well my son is now 11 years old and it was time, yet again to empty his bank so I decided to count it up. He has nearly $1000, just in change. It was a great feeling. No, it's not alot of money, but it is enough for him to have a down payment on a car or buy his book when he get to college. And it will continue to grow as he does.

Great Video Site

Here is a great music video site for you. KOVideo.com is a new and innovative music video site with Song Charts, Music Videos, lyrics and more. They have tons of great features and free services such as music polls, top 20 lists and more. It's great! Read the Press Release all about it below:

With the advent of Internet, life seems to have just got better for music enthusiasts. All you want to know about music, your favourite artists, songs, finding your favourite singles charts, free music videos, US Top 20 list, music videos, free lyrics of your favourite songs is all just a click away. There are a number of websites which provide all these and more to music lovers.
Finding your favourite music video was never so easy. You can watch music videos by visiting these sites.

Unlike television these sites give you the freedom to watch music videos of your choice at your convenience. There are many sites to which you can subscribe to get the latest music videos and make a collection of your own. One even has the option to rate music videos there and get song lyrics for you to sing along with your favourite stars. One can choose the site best suited for them by taking into account their subscription rates and their song collection. In the case of television music channels they do not necessarily play the music videos of your choice and getting the lyrics is not possible. But thanks to the Internet all this is not a problem anymore.

After selecting a music site you are free to choose the videos of your choice and even create your own playlist. This playlist would include only the songs of your choice and absolutely without any sort of interruptions. There are no commercial breaks like on television which get you out of the mood when you are watching a song. Here it is absolutely without any breaks or interruptions. You can even create your own US Top 20 for your viewing and play it over and over again. The controls are entirely in your hands. You can download all the songs that you want and make your very own collection of your favorite artistes.

All this definitely comes at a price but is absolutely legal, so one does not have to fear about that. Music companies and artists are also benefited to a large extent due to which they also prefer making these videos available to the various websites. Since it reaches the true music lovers it is a very effective tool for marketing their product and they are assured of getting a feedback to their music almost instantaneously. These websites give the option to rate music videos which is very useful as far as artistes and music companies are concerned. Online music websites are very popular with music buffs as their advantages far outweigh television channels. So do make sure that you find a site that suits all your requirements i.e. your taste in music, they have a good collection of music videos of your choice , free lyrics of songs and a whole lot more. Once you have hit upon the right website then the world of music opens up to you and you can enjoy yourself to the fullest by listening to all the music of your choice.

Buying Safe Toys

I found a great site today dedicated to helping mothers buy safe toys for their children.

Online Library

I just got two great cookbooks in the mail today. I don't get to keep them, I have to return them as I am only borrowing them. Fortunately for me they came with a self addressed stamped envelope for me to return them in because I am not one of the most organized people and I am not sure I could find my stamps if I needed them.

However, I wanted to tell everyone about this website called Booksfree.com. They are an online library of sorts. There is a small fee of $9.99 per month and you can get as many books as you would like, two at a time. You can get regular books and books on tape or audiobooks. And they are delivered right to your door with a prepaid return envelope. I loved the feature they offer that allows you to choose as many books as you would like and they will send them to you two at a time until your list is empty. I think I have 25 books or so on my list and the great thing is, when I send these books back, they will automatically send me the next two books on my list! I don't have to do a thing!

As much as I love to cook, I inherently got cook books. One is 101 more things to do with a Slow Cooker, in which I have already found a yummy sounding recipe for Potato-Bacon Soup and the other is "fuss-free entertaining with just 4 ingredients." Boy can I use that one, what with a baptism coming up and all, it'll be just great! I really like this idea of having cookbooks show up at my door for me to read and return. Then I never have to worry about the expense of having to buy them! I think this just might save me some serious money!

Warning Signs of a Stroke

"Act in Time
The American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute have launched a new "Act in Time" campaign to increase people's awareness of heart attack and the importance of calling 9-1-1 immediately at the onset of heart attack symptoms." And I thought it worth sharing.

For a couple of years now I have been having unexplained, acute, severe and momentarily debilitating headaches. I have always thought them strange as after the headache was gone, my eye or part of my face or even all the way down into my arm would be numb for some time afterwards. Of course I didn't think this was normal and I even mentioned it to my doctor who brushed it off as something unimportant. Well then I read the Stroke Warning Signs and it discribed my headaches perfectly! Well at this time it is alittle too late to call the doctor and make another appointment but you betcha I will in the morning. The really funny thing is I have always thought that I am way to young to be having Strokes, I am not even 30 yet! But boy was I wrong! Not only am I old enough it is alot more common that I had ever thought.

So here are some links to sites that I felt were worth reading:
Heart Attack, Stroke and Cardiac Arrest Warning Signs
Act in Time

Your Child, The Star of The Book!

What better way is there to get a child interested in reading than to make him or her into the "Star of the Book"? Imagine, your little Princess, the Princess in a storybook land of dreams. Or your little Ninja, saving the world in a story all about him! Identity Direct offers parents the ability to personalize anything for their child from clocks and place mats to poems and even books! Any of their products would make a great baby shower or welcome to the world gift for a newborn. Or give a three year old her own Princess story! The possibilities are endless, but the excitement will last much, much longer!

Free Movie Wednesdays

Just a reminder, next weeks FREE Movie at AMC Theaters in Layton will be Flushed Away. Admission is free and a kids pack which includes a small popcorn, a small drink and a package of goldfish crackers is only $3 and for $1 more you can trade the goldfish crackers for a regular sized candy.

There are only 4 weeks left. Here is the schedule again:

July 25: Flushed Away
August 1: Charlotte’s Web
August 8: Open Season
August 15: Over the Hedge

Be Cool! Control Your Cash!

Getting in control and staying in control of your finances is not ever going to be an easy thing, I promise. Especially in this day and age where the latest and greatest cell phone is going to cost you $500, a new laptop, nearly a good two grand and homes, cars, game systems and PDA's are a way of life. It's getting harder and harder to distinguish wants from needs.

Do you need a cell phone for instance or is it a luxury? It can be justified in so many ways. What if you get stranded by the side of the road? What if your kids need to get a hold of you while you are away? All very good and valid questions, but these do not qualify the cell phone as a need. Many, many people have survived for many, many years without a cell phone and many do even today. So chalk that up to a want.

Now I am not saying that you cannot have a cell phone or cable or a home computer or the new Nintendo Wii. But your first priority is a need list. This would include such things as clothing, food, water, electricity and gas, a vehicle and shelter. Then, once you know where your needs lie, add up their costs. What you have left over is the amount of money you have to spend on wants such as a cell phone, going out to dinner or getting your nails done.

I think you will really be surprised to find out how much money you actually spend on wants and whims. I personally was amazed to find out that if I were able to follow our budget I would have $100 each month to spend on myself and an extra $500 each month to put into savings. And that included alot of wants such as cable Internet service and a cell phone for myself and my husband.

There are lots of resources for budget planning advice and suggestions, financial calculators and retirement planning on the Internet and alot of it is really great information. Just don't overwhelm yourself. Take it one step at a time and before you know it you will have yourself into a routine of financial freedom and self-reliance.

How About Real Estate Investing?

I want to know what people think about Real Estate Investing. I got on this subject the other day when I found out that some of the property near my recreation property is owned by a lady that never plans on using it. She is just going to sit on it and wait for it to increase in price and then sell it.

Now my first thought was "Why in the world would you spend some $90,000 and buy some of the most beautiful property I have ever seen and then never use it?" Then the answer hit me! We spent $90,000 six years ago to buy this property which I now know is worth well over $230,000. Okay, Now it makes more sense to me! And as my father so rightly pointed out, "God is not making anymore land. We, however, are quickly making more people."

So, who knows, investing in Land and Real Estate might not be such a bad idea.

Are Rentals The Way To Go?

Are Rentals The Way To Go? What do you think? I know alot of people that own homes simply as income earners. To rent out their homes, to pay the mortgage and earn equity. I even know a few that have their retirement wrapped up in rental property. Is this a wise idea? Do you think that the industry will hold and rentals will be able to provide the income necessary for a comfortable retirement?

Well, I have asked a couple of the people I know that are using rentals as a form of income, either for retirement or as an investment to supplement their current income. One lady I know owns a home in what used to be an upscale neighborhood, now it is more of a college town. I asked her if this hurt her situation in being able to rent out her home. Her response was, even college kids need a place to live. While she did agree that the quality of renters did diminish slightly the quantity of renters jumped drastically and through the sheer quantity she was able to find quality renters that have been there for quite some time now and she is quite happy with the situation. When asked if she thought that the market would be enough to sustain her through her retirement she replied "I have taken out a second mortgage on this home and put it towards the purchase of another rental. The rent from this home alone is enough to pay the first and second mortgages on a 15 year loan. So yes, I do think that this will greatly sustain me and even if the rental market falls through then I will have the equity in the property to sustain me."

Another Gentleman I know is in the early stages of retirement and owns some rental property that he is currently trying to sell. When asked about his situation he replied "My rentals are sustaining my retirement, but I am getting too old to do the upkeep on the property. To try and hire out the work I would have to raise the prices on my rentals substantially and that would cause more vacancies and it is hard enough as it is to find good renters anymore. To try and hire people on what I charge now, it would bankrupt me."

So there are two side to every story, but I think that my opinion stands at, "If you have the means and ability to buy a rental property it would be a great way to supplement your retirement." As for finding good renters, Rentals.com and other agencies are a good way to go.

Even my suggestion for new couples looking to purchase a new home would be, look into a duplex, where you can live in one side and rent out the other to help with the new mortgage. It would be a great way to start and a good thing to be able to fall back on in the years to come.

A Great Work at Home Opportunity

I have worked for Alpine Access for nearly two years now and I love it! They have a great rate of pay and great health and dental benefits. But the benefits of working from home make Alpine Access a no brainer for any mother! There were alot of commitments that I had to make such as unlimited long distance, dsl or cable Internet service, a corded telephone headset and the ability to have six hours a day of complete silence from my children. Some of those were very scary to me. I wasn't completely sure that I could do it! Especially the quiet kids. But I found out really quickly how to use the mute button and the kids were just fine to watch TV or play quietly while I worked and I got plenty of breaks so as to settle them down regularly and make lunches, snacks and tend to anything they needed.

I did have to make some sacrifices, like the hours were not exactly what I would have liked. But after time with the program, I became on of the "oldies" and there for was able to get exactly the shifts I wanted which allowed me to work early in the morning when the kids were asleep and a couple of hours at night when my husband was home to make dinner and keep an eye on the kids. It was a great decision that I made and one that I have still not regretted. And they are a great company to work for, I just love them!

Start Your Own Online Store

I am a huge supporter of women in business. It is a huge leap and a giant stepping stone for women everywhere. Too many women I know are afraid to make the commitments and sacrifices necessary to start a business. It takes dedication, it takes sacrifice, it takes time and it takes lots of heart. But the rewards are super great both for your kids and your family.

There are a great many women that have taken the steps, made the sacrifices and are now reaping the generous rewards. And through the efforts of a lot of great people, there are many, many opportunities that will make it much easier for women to achieve their goals and dreams of being their own boss. The small business administration is a great resource for help and you can find lots of grants available to women only. A great new web site called StoresOnlineHelp.com is also there to help with great information, innovating preview sessions and workshops around the world and tons of other opportunities for advancing your dreams.

There is no reason not to go for it and reach for your goal. Do it today, do it now!

Freezing Strawberries

If you have ever wondered just how many Strawberries are in four flats, let me be the first to tell you there are alot! I know this from experience. I have just finished coring and slicing four full flats of Strawberries. Okay, maybe not four full flats, I am sure my children ate at least one quarter of a flat. However, it was alot of strawberries. But the point of this is to give you some insight on freezing strawberries.

The first thing I do is rinse them off very well and drain them. Then I pour them out of their container on to a flour sack kitchen rag. Either with a knife or a corer, I take off the stems and leaves and then slice them. A good quality egg slicer works amazingly well for slicing strawberries. Then I lay them out, in a single layer on a cookie sheet and place it, uncovered, in the freezer for at least one hour. After an hour I will remove the cookie sheet from the freezer and scrape the strawberries off the cookie sheet with a spatula or turner and into a plastic freezer bag. This prevents the strawberries from freezing together and becoming inseparable. Then I will return the strawberries, in their bag, to the freezer. There they will keep for up to a year.

Frozen Strawberries are great in smoothies, milkshakes or any frozen beverage. Thawed they will make yummy strawberry puree or strawberry syrup and are great in pancakes, muffins and bread. However, once frozen, strawberries cannot be thawed and expected to retain their shape or consistency and once thawed cannot be re-frozen.

Teen Credit

Too many teens today go out into the world with no idea how to manage money. Their parents give them everything they ever could want, iPhones, MP3 players, Nintendo Wii's anything and everything. Well fortunately there is a new way to help teens learn to manage money while under the safety of their parents wing. It called PAYjr Visa Buxx and they allow a teen to carry a prepaid credit card, without the risk of huge insufficient funds fees which also allows parents full access to monitor on what and where their child is spending money. Parents can fill the card with the teens allowance or chore money and then monitor how quickly they spend it.


They even allow your teen to customize their own card. A picture of themselves with friends, a graduation picture or a picture of the car they are trying to save for. That just might help them to save a little! They are even having a card design contest! This is a great opportunity to help your teen before they learn the hard way on their own.

Cheap Web Hosting

I was looking for a good, inexpensive web hosting site because I needed my own domain. Well I ran across WebHostingBuzz.com and I was very impressed! Not only are they inexpensive, $3 per month is nearly unheard of, but they also genuinely seem to care how their company preforms. They really want to be the best. I am so impressed that I am sure I will use them myself.

It was just such a great find that I really felt I needed to share it with all my reader friends!

Bump The Pump

Gas prices are soaring and anyone that has a family is surely feeling the pinch. I know we are. My husband has started riding his bicycle to work to save on gas and I have definitely cut down on the running around I do. I thought I would list some great alternatives to driving around town in the huge Gas Guzzlers we drive nowadays.

• Bicycles are a great option if your destination is close enough and you do not need to take the kids or you children are old enough to ride with you.
  
• Walking to the corner store instead of driving will save you tons, not to mention it is healthy and fun!
• Motor scooters are a great alternative to driving a vehicle as their gas consumption is significantly less than a full sized automobile and they are lots of fun. They come in all sorts of bright colors, I have even recently seen ones with pink and white stripes!
  
• Golf Carts are a great option for running around town. They are making more and more that are "street legal" with safety belts and they run on battery power. They even have six and nine seaters. They are not as expensive as you would think either.
  
• Motorcycles are a great option and if you have just a few kids a side car makes for a really fun ride. Just make sure you have helmets for everyone!
  

These are just some of my opinions and the options that I think are viable. You can make of them what you will but my favorites are still the bicycle as my kids love going on bike rides with me, even if it is just up to the corner store for a gallon of milk. And of course, walking! Walking is not only efficient, it is healthy, fun and perfect to bring along the kids. We love packing a picnic and walking to the park on a sunny afternoon.

Summer Fun

Park Days

As a neighborhood we have weekly park days. Every Wednesday at 10am we meet at a park to talk, let the kids play and just in general, get together. It is great for getting the kids out of the house and running and playing with other kids. Anyone is welcome and we would love to have you join us. I will add the schedule by the end of this week.

Fun and Easy Money

I have been working with a number of different companies lately doing blog advertising and making good money doing it. It's not been enough for me to consider quiting my job, not a full time income, but a pretty decent part time income. I have managed anywhere from $200 per month to nearly $600. My sister makes even more than that. She has managed nearly $1800 one month! It really has been a great way to earn some extra money! If you enjoy typing at all, this is a great opportunity for you and the best part is there is NO charge to you at all!

Summer Fun

AMC Theaters presents:
SUMMER MOVIE CAMP

Families, schools, and organizations alike are invited to see great kids’ movies -- for FREE -- during AMC Summer MovieCamp®. Available at select AMC Theatres, this fun-filled program brings you:

• FREE movies from June 27 – August 15*
• Shows starting at 10:00 a.m. every Wednesday
• Great field trip opportunities – groups can reserve FREE tickets one week in advance at the box office at participating theatres.

Movie Schedule*

June 27:

Happy Feet

July 4:

HOLIDAY, SEE YOU NEXT WEEK

July 11:

Ice Age: The Meltdown

July 18:

Barnyard: The Original Party Animals

July 25:

Flushed Away

August 1:

Charlotte’s Web

August 8:

Open Season

August 15:

Over the Hedge

They also offer Kids Packs at a special discounted price of only $3!

What is the world coming to??

What is the world coming to?? I just found a site where you can create and order your own customized peptide and have it shipped right to you! Biology now has online sharing resources just like YouTube? It just seems so strange to me to have something so carefully manipulated, so widely available to anyone. In all reality, what normal, non-biology interested person would decide to purchase their own customized peptide, but still! The internet is a wealth of information and knowledge, from which you can find anything you could ever imagine.

SEE The Children

S: Stop Before you start driving, whether moving from a stop sign or pulling out of your driveway, Stop and take a moment to make sure everything around you is clear for you to proceed.
E: Educate Take the time to educate yourself about the surrounding area. Instead of looking just for cars, check the sidewalks. Are there any children on bicycles coming? Before you ever back out of your driveway, please, please, please take the time to walk all the way around your car. Make sure there are no children or toys behind you that you may not see out your back window. I promise, if behind the back corner bumper has become a child's hiding place, you are NOT going to see them without walking around your vehicle. Take the time and make the effort!
E: Eliminate Eliminate your risks. Take the time to have someone walk and then crawl around your vehicle. Determine the points at which you can no longer see them. Then eliminate those blind areas as best you can. Use mirrors and/or cameras, there are many, many options on the market for just such a purpose. If you cannot eliminate the risk zone, then be aware of it so you can pay closer attention to it.

With summer in full swing there are So many more children playing outside in residential areas and we, as drivers, need to be much, much more aware of them and do everything we can to keep them all safe, so when operating a vehicle in a residential area, use common sense and employ the SEE The Children mode of driving.

Hypothyroid & Hyperthyroidism

It's funny to me that as common as this disease seems to be, it is not more widely discussed. In early 2002, I noticed a "ring" forming around my throat. I had just had my third child who, in retrospect, had been tested and showed that there was a problem with his thyroid the day he was born, and I was for once in my life staying at a nice, healthy weight. The Doctor had told me I needed to gain enough weight to be at 160 lbs. when I delivered so as to compensate for the rapid and significant weight loss I experience after child birth. I managed 155lbs. so 6 months after having my child, I saw it perfectly normal for me to still be at a healthy 125 lbs. I had done everything the Doctor had requested I do so as not to lose all my baby weight so quickly and drastically.

Well, when I noticed the "ring" forming, I made an appointment to see my Doctor and a few days later after an examination, blood work and an ultrasound of my throat, I found out that I had a Goiter. A Goiter is an enlargement of the Thyroid Gland. No explanation or cause was ever given to me as to what may have caused this. I was then told that I had Hypothyroidism which was the cause of my steady weight, my hair falling out, my inability to fall asleep, my fatigue and just about anything and everything else that ailed me at the time.

The Cure: Synthroid, which is exactly what is sounds like, a synthetic thyroid. So I started taking the medication and every three weeks I had to go and have my blood drawn and tested until we got the correct dose and got my TSH levels under control. So for two years I faithfully took my medication and kept getting tested. Well it seemed I would never get regulated and I was getting discouraged, especially since the doctor had told me that under no circumstances was I to even think of getting pregnant and here I was, just under a year after starting this process, pregnant with my forth child!

Well after having my beautiful daughter, I was still faithfully taking the medication and suddenly found myself without medical insurance. I had started sometime ago doing my own research into the causes of my disease. One of the things I ran across over and over was the reference of Iodine being linked to Thyroid Disease, but it always referred to a lack of Iodine as the cause and I was an avid salter, we are talking snowing salt on my food, until I was the only one that could possibly eat it. No Iodine deficiency here! Well, about this time I came across a reference that for the first time linked an excess of Iodine to Thyroid problems! Well, there you have it! I had found my culprit, I was sure of it, and without medical insurance I had to do something drastic. So I finished off the last of my Synthroid, threw out the bottle and the canister of salt! Wow, was that hard! No salt on my veggies, my meat, even potato chips and anything else with Iodine left the house and were not allowed in. So I gave my body time to cleanse itself, lots of water and regular fasting until I felt that my body had been cleansed thoroughly.

Without the Synthroid regulating my TSH levels, I felt instantly worse. my hair started to fall out worse, it never fully stopped, I could no longer sleep at nights and I could not tolerate any change in temperature. I could tell immediately that I was off the medication that my body had relied on for the last two years. But I had made a decision, my body was going to learn to regulate it's own TSH levels. So after the cleansing I slowly started feeling better, so slowly that I didn't notice it until one morning in the shower, I realized that I had washed and conditioned my hair and not a single piece had wound itself about my fingers. This was a huge accomplishment as in the beginning I was removing a full handful of hair from the drain after each shower.

So, now that my body was cleansed, I did realize my body's need for small amounts of Iodine. Salt has been allowed back into our home, however, it is sea salt and used very cautiously and scarcely. I have had my blood tested three times in the last three years and I am happy to announce that my TSH levels have regulated and I am living a happy, thyroid problem free life.

Now, when I said earlier that Thyroid Disease and Problems are common, when I started going through this whole ordeal I got with my Mother, Grandmother, Aunt and Close Friend, all women and requested that they, themselves go and get tested. Amazingly enough each and every one of them tested positive for Thyroid Problems and they are, to this day on the daily Synthroid medication. So this is a highly common problem and I am a very, very rare example of mind over body healing in this case. But below is a list of symptoms related to Hyper and Hypothyroidism. It never does hurt to get yourself tested.

*The following are symptoms for hypothyroidism:

• Fatigue
• Frequent, heavy menstrual periods
• Forgetfulness
• Weight gain
• Dry, coarse skin and hair
• Hoarse voice
• Intolerance to cold

*The following are symptoms for hyperthyroidism:

• Irritability/nervousness
• Muscle weakness/tremors
• Infrequent, scant menstrual periods
• Weight loss
• Sleep disturbances
• Enlarged thyroid gland
• Vision problems or eye irritation
• Heat sensitivity

*Taken from The Cleveland Clinic Health Information Center

Skin Care Products

It is so hard to find good skin care products at reasonable prices. Mary Kay has some good ones, but they are very, very expensive and Avon, well I like Avon but for skin care, I just feel they are lacking. I found a website that carries a full line of skin care products, but again, very expensive. If you ask me you don't need to spend a fortune to be beautiful. Use naturals, fruit masks and sugar scrubs. I am going to be throwing out some "natural" ideas for you to try. Stay tuned for the first to come, July 3nd, 2007.