Saturday, March 6, 2010

Shushybye Book Review & Giveaway

I recently reviewed Shushybye Sleepover Surprise book, and Close Your Eyes CD, by The Shushybye Dream Band. I received this with no other compensation.

About Shushybye

Established in January 2004, the Shushybye Company is proud to present shushybye, the original child-parent interactive sleeptime multi-media and bedtime product entertainment and lifestyle brand. The Shushybye Company developed and launched shushybye to inspire children to look forward to sleep time during the day, and to help parents prepare their preschoolers for sleep at night.

Shushybye is an interactive television show, book and music ritual for parents as they prepare their preschoolers for sleep. The books offer colorful characters and charming stories, while the accompanying catchy and spirited original shushybye rock and pop songs help inspire children to look forward to sleep-time.


Book Description

SHUSHYBYE is the land way above the clouds where the Shushies (led by SNOOZLES, DOZIE AND ZEEZ) make dreams for children, then place them in SHUSHYBYE Dream Boxes, which are sent to sleeping children via the SHUSHYBYE Train driven by CONDUCTOR MCCLOUD. In order to get their SHUSHYBYEdreams each night, children have to go to sleep on time for the arrival of the SHUSHYBYE Train.


Our Review -
Up until this point we had never heard of Shushybye but the girls love music so I thought it wwould be a perfect product for us to review. The girls love the bright pictures although I thought it was a mouthful to read. My 3yr old said "Again Mommy!" She loved the rythm and the silly name. My 5yr old said she liked it but enjoyed the music even better. The C.D offers a fun- filled musical journey across many diverse music forms. Everything from Country, rock, jazz, and more. It was a lot of fun!

Buy it: Visit the SHUSHYBYE Shoppe to see all the great products and make a purchase.

Win it: 1 Taking Time for Mommy reader will win their own copy of Shushybye Sleepover Surprise & C.D!

Mandatory Entry: Visit Shushybye and tell me another product you like or something you learned.

Please make sure if your email address is not visible in your blogger profile you leave one in your initial entry!

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; leave a separate comment for each entry)

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5 Extra Entries - Signing up for our weekly Newsletter (form to the right)

This giveaway will end on March 21, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST. The winner will be drawn via random.org. The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond. Open to US residents only


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Disclaimer: I received a copy of Shushybye Sleepover Surprise for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. All views expressed are my own opinions. I learned about this opportunity from The Product Review Place.








Friday, March 5, 2010

Jamaican Chicken Burgers



Jamaican Chicken Burgers
Prep Time: 24 minutes
Other Time: 30 minutes
Yield: Makes 4 servings


Ingredients
1 pound ground chicken*
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 1/2 teaspoons Jamaican jerk seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 hamburger buns
Toppings: fresh mango slices, lettuce leaves, sweet-hot pickles
Preparation
1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Shape into 4 (3-inch) patties. Cover and chill 30 minutes.

2. Cook patties in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 7 to 8 minutes on each side or until done. Serve on buns with desired toppings.

*Ground pork may be substituted.

Southern Living, MARCH 2010
You can order the Southern Living Magazine from
Becky Grimm, visit her personal website Here

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Sixty Uses for Salt


Although you may not realize it, simple table salt has a great
number of uses other than simply seasoning your food. The
following list will give you sixty uses of salt, many of which
you probably didn't realize:


1. Soak stained hankies in salt water before washing.

2. Sprinkle salt on your shelves to keep ants away.

3. Soak fish in salt water before descaling; the scales will
come off easier.

4. Put a few grains of rice in your salt shaker for easier
pouring.

5. Add salt to green salads to prevent wilting.

6. Test the freshness of eggs in a cup of salt water; fresh
eggs sink; bad ones float.

7. Add a little salt to your boiling water when cooking eggs;
a cracked egg will stay in its shell this way.

8. A tiny pinch of salt with egg whites makes them beat up
fluffier.

9. Soak wrinkled apples in a mildly salted water solution to
perk them up.

10. Rub salt on your pancake griddle and your flapjacks won't
stick.

11. Soak toothbrushes in salt water before you first use them;
they will last longer.

12. Use salt to clean your discolored coffee pot.

13. Mix salt with turpentine to whiten you bathtub and toilet
bowl.

14. Soak your nuts in salt brine overnight and they will crack
out of their shells whole. Just tap the end of the shell with a
hammer to break it open easily.

15. Boil clothespins in salt water before using them and they
will last longer.

16. Clean brass, copper and pewter with paste made of salt and
vinegar, thickened with flour

17. Add a little salt to the water your cut flowers will stand
in for a longer life.

18. Pour a mound of salt on an ink spot on your carpet; let
the salt soak up the stain.

19. Clean you iron by rubbing some salt on the damp cloth on
the ironing surface.

20. Adding a little salt to the water when cooking foods in a
double boiler will make the food cook faster.

21. Use a mixture of salt and lemon juice to clean piano keys.

22. To fill plaster holes in your walls, use equal parts of
salt and starch, with just enough water to make a stiff putty.

23. Rinse a sore eye with a little salt water.

24. Mildly salted water makes an effective mouthwash. Use it
hot for a sore throat gargle.

25. Dry salt sprinkled on your toothbrush makes a good tooth
polisher.

26. Use salt for killing weeds in your lawn.

27. Eliminate excess suds with a sprinkle of salt.

28. A dash of salt in warm milk makes a more relaxing beverage.

29. Before using new glasses, soak them in warm salty water for
awhile.

30. A dash of salt enhances the taste of tea.

31. Salt improves the taste of cooking apples.

32. Soak your clothes line in salt water to prevent your
clothes from freezing to the line; likewise, use salt in your
final rinse to prevent the clothes from freezing.

33. Rub any wicker furniture you may have with salt water to
prevent yellowing.

34. Freshen sponges by soaking them in salt water.

35. Add raw potatoes to stews and soups that are too salty.

36. Soak enamel pans in salt water overnight and boil salt
water in them next day to remove burned-on stains.

37. Clean your greens in salt water for easier removal of dirt.

38. Gelatin sets more quickly when a dash of salt is added.

39. Fruits put in mildly salted water after peeling will not
discolor.

40. Fabric colors hold fast in salty water wash.

41. Milk stays fresh longer when a little salt is added.

42. Use equal parts of salt and soda for brushing your teeth.

43. Sprinkle salt in your oven before scrubbing clean.

44. Soaked discolored glass in a salt and vinegar solution to
remove stains.

45. Clean greasy pans with a paper towel and salt.

46. Salty water boils faster when cooking eggs.

47. Add a pinch of salt to whipping cream to make it whip more
quickly.

48. Sprinkle salt in milk-scorched pans to remove odour.

49. A dash of salt improves the taste of coffee.

50. Boil mismatched hose in salty water and they will come out
matched.

51. Salt and soda will sweeten the odor of your refrigerator.

52. Cover wine-stained fabric with salt; rinse in cool water
later.

53. Remove offensive odors from stove with salt and cinnamon.

54. A pinch of salt improves the flavor of cocoa.

55. To remove grease stains in clothing, mix one part salt to
four parts alcohol.

56. Salt and lemon juice removes mildew.

57. Sprinkle salt between sidewalk bricks where you don't want
grass growing.

58. Polish your old kerosene lamp with salt for a brighter look.

59. Remove odors from sink drainpipes with a strong, hot
solution of salt water.

60. If a pie bubbles over in your oven, put a handful of salt
on top of the spilled juice. The mess won't smell and will bake
into a dry, light crust which will wipe off easily when the oven
has cooled.
Author - Unknown


Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Homeschooling.Part 4

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Homeschooling. . .

. . .But Were Afraid to Ask. . .
Part 4: Am I Out Here on My Own?



As I said a few articles back, when we began our homeschooling journey, by and large we were on our own. We knew of a few other families who were educating their kids at home or who had done so in the past. But there really wasn’t anyone to show us the way or give advice. For quite a while, I felt as though we were out on our own.

I had read one older, somewhat dated book about a homeschooling family. It made me feel a little better, but it didn’t give me any ideas about how to begin, how to explain what we were doing to others or how to deal with hard days.

The Internet was around at that time, but we weren’t using it the way we do now. It took me a few years to find our nearest homechool support group, and even then, it covered such a large geographical area that frequently their activities were too far away for us. Our area also suffered from a frequent homeschool group malaise: we had one very conservative Christian group, and we had one strictly secular group. The former was exclusive to believers; the other billed itself as inclusive, but actually was not very tolerant of anyone who disagreed with its fairly liberal view.

Fortunately for us, homeschooling can sometimes be like the chicken pox: it tends to spread between families. Before too long, several families whom we knew had decided to begin homeschooling, too, and we had an informal homeschool social group.

Beyond that, I discovered that most larger curriculums were developing online support groups. When I begin to post on those boards, I met incredible homeschooling moms from around the world. . .some of whom became my closest friends.

Since moving to Florida, we’ve become part of several local homeschooling groups. Some of them are more socially oriented, while others exist to organize field trips and learning co-ops.

So what’s the benefit of being involved in a homeschooling support group? First of all, there’s the dreaded “s” word: socialization—not only for the child but for the parents. It’s good for kids to spend time around other children who are being homeschooled, who understand the unique benefits and keep roughly the same hours. And it’s a relief for moms and dads to be able to talk with other parents who share the passion for home education.

It’s also helpful to have a group that can act as a sounding board. Everyone is going to have questions or decisions to make at one point or another, and getting some input from parents who have already been through that process is enormously important. Homeschool groups are wonderful places to get curriculum ideas, as well as links to valuable Internet sites. Of course, most groups also have all the local legal requirements and can give heads-ups on upcoming legislation that pertains to homeschoolers.

And on those days when we’re ready to toss in the towel and send the kids back to public school, or when we’ve heard one too many snide comment from the cashier at the grocery store (“Oh, you homeschool? I think children who aren’t in school turn out weird.”), or when our husband has come home, looked at the messy house and asked archly, “What do you do all day?”, homeschool groups are a precious resource. Sometimes just venting about what has happened to other people who understand is a relief.

I love homeschooling. I don’t know that I’ve found anything about it I don’t like. But by its very nature, it can be a lonely adventure. Why should we be out here on our own when we don’t have to be? Find a homeschool group. If you can’t find any local groups with whom you are comfortable, try some of the national or international groups.

You don’t have to go it alone!
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Monday, March 1, 2010

Giveaways Galore!



I love Giveaways! As a matter of fact I have won 4 this past week alone!
Great way to stock up for Christmas and find out about new products.
I'm asking other Bloggers to put there Giveaways here for my readers.
I'll be signing up them all of them, I hope you will too!

Giving up on Perfection


At age 41, I’m a proud mother of two fantastic kids. Married to an amazing husband and trying my best to keep fit and healthy while trying to help others do the same.

After my amazing results with P90X, I thought I was as close to perfect as I was going to get. Seeing that this was at age 40, I thought that was pretty darned good. But, life gets in the way and my fitness took a few steps back. I spent too much time on the computer (a bad thing) and more time with my family (a VERY good thing).

I was concerned that this “slip” in fitness focus would make me less credible. It’s not like I’ve gained all my weight back. In fact, I’ve probably only gained back about 10 pounds, but being a perfectionist, I could not accept this slip. I tried to keep it hidden from my readers, fans, followers, etc. NO MORE! I’m out of the closet with my fitness failures and back on track to be better each and every day. Not perfect, just better.

Practically all of my life, I have been a perfectionist. Nothing is ever good enough; I am always striving to do better. Of course, there are both good and bad things about this characteristic. I decided to do a little research about what others think about being perfect as well. I happened to stumble upon a comment from a Father Michael of Liveholiness.com. He said,

I think perfection is a great goal, but it can lead to great frustration. I experience that frustration every day when I see how imperfect I am! A friend of mine always likes to remind me that it’s about “progress, not perfection.” Even though I’m imperfect each day, I can at least try to make some progress in some area each day as well.Ah, with a sigh of some relief, I realized THIS is me. THIS is what I am aiming for. I am not striving to be perfect, but to better myself, even if just a little, each and every day. I never thought I’d have this in common with a priest, but hey, you can’t argue with divine intervention, huh? I was obviously meant to stumble upon this exact blog and this exact comment.

Another blogger, Belinda Munoz, wrote a great piece about perfectionism. She states:

Here’s the reason why perfectionism is exactly what we need: because in the chase of it, we will find under no uncertain terms that flaws are here to stay. They’re not going anywhere. Our flaws and other people’s flaws. And these flaws that you and I share appeal to the best of us because through our flaws, we have amazing opportunities to bond in very real and meaningful ways. No big mystery. Just another proven, timeless, simple truth.Once again, I could not have said it better myself. Thanks Belinda! So, let’s rejoice in our imperfections, but try to improve them. We’ll work together to be stronger, more fit, flexible, health and happy. I’m here for you and so many of you are here for me as well. On with the journey!

All the best in health and fitness.
- Coach Jenn of PersonalFitCoach.com and Team Beachbody



Sunday, February 28, 2010

Free Kim Harrison's The Hollows SeriesDownload!



Kim Harrison's Newest Book - Black Magic Sanction
the lastest book from the Rachel Morgan The Hollows series is finally out!
I can't tell you how excited I am!
Haven't read any of the Rachel Morgan series?
Amazon has the first book in the series available for a Kindle download for FREE!
Don't have a Kindle that's fine, you can also get the pc download, blackberry app, or iphone/ipad app Here
Go HERE for the first book in the Rachel Morgan The Hollows Series. It's FREE!

 

2010-02-28

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