The Village at Squaw Valley USA to host a powerful line-up of blues and jazz musicians during the 8th Annual Brews, Jazz and Funk Fest
Former Lenny Kravitz Sax-man and Two of The Neville Brothers Among the Featured Artists
Olympic Valley, CA. (June 30, 2009) – Some of the country’s most popular jazz and blues artists will get their groove on at The 8th Annual Brews, Jazz and Funk Fest at The Village at Squaw Valley USA on Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 16 from 2 to 8 p.m. This year’s line-up features some of the most powerful bands ever to play at the festival along with a large selection of microbrews in a spectacular setting at the base of the mountain.
Music fans will gather to appreciate two days of free concerts by top-notch artists playing against a backdrop of majestic scenery. While listening to the entertainment from well known national musicians as well as local and regional favorites, attendees can enjoy the offerings from breweries such as Full Sail, New Belgium, Deschutes, Rogue, Lagunitas, Mammoth, Lake Tahoe Brewing, Fat Tire, Fox Barrel, Samuel Adams, Stone, Primator —more than 20 selections in all, including some hard-to-find micro- and macrobrews. Kids also are welcome at the event, which will feature Sky Jump Bungee Trampolines, 18 holes of Miniature Golf, a Climbing Wall and Ropes course.
On Saturday, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe will perform two sets on the main stage from 4 to 8 p.m. A highly energized funk machine, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe has been expanding listeners’ minds and making them move to animated grooves since 1998. Led by former Lenny Kravitz sax-man Karl Denson, the band brings a dynamic sound that defies categorization and has earned them a reputation as kings of the unstoppable all-night show.
Audiences can also look forward to a 2 p.m. Saturday performance by Big Organ Trio. Jambands.com once wrote, “This isn’t your standard jazz trio.” B.O.T.’s groundbreaking approach to the organ trio format has drawn the attention of Keyboard Magazine, who featured the band in 2006, along with many of the world’s greatest Hammond players. Their debut album became the top selling Hammond Organ album on CDbaby.com.
On the second stage, Dave Stein’s Bubhub will weave their sultry tapestry of colors and tones during a Saturday performance. The group’s music is a smoky mélange of funk, rock, soul and jam. DSB is a band of seasoned players, playing non-stop sets of groove-driven funk creating a passionate and playful party atmosphere encouraging their audience to move and dance while imparting a socially and environmentally conscious message.
Monophonics kicks off the Sunday lineup, getting the joint jumping beginning at 2 p.m. Formed in 2005, Bay Area groovers Monophonics have quickly become a buzz band on the local and national music scene. While a typical Monophonics set can range from heady jazz-funk to dirty Stax/Volt soul, their original songs redefine “retro” as they meld funk, afrobeat, and jazz to create a unique sound that is truly their own. In 2007, they were awarded SF Weekly’s “Best of the Bay” award for “Best Funk/Soul/R&B Band.”
Eric Krasno’s Chapter 2, from “Soulive,” will entertain Sunday afternoon crowds at the Brews, Jazz and Funk Festival when the band appears on stage at 4 p.m. Soulive has toured the US and globe, playing in Africa, Japan, Russia, Brazil and has opened for the Rolling Stones and Dave Matthews Band. Since forming in 1999, Soulive has developed a reputation as one of the most sought after instrumental soul-funk trios around.
Reno favorites Jelly Bread will perform on a second stage during the afternoon. They bring what has been called “a unique blended melody that remains stuck in your head for days” to the stage, combining funky yet ethereal guitar with powerful vocals.
On Sunday, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk will bring a taste of New Orleans’ entertainment to the festival at 6 p.m. Each band member brings his own flavor to the show. Band member Tony Hall has performed with Jewel, Harry Connick Jr and Dave Matthews and Friends. Nick Daniels has played with the Neville Brothers, Etta James and Boz Scaggs. Raymond Weber has shared the stage with Trey Anastasio, Harry Connick JR and Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Ian and Ivan Neville of The Neville Brothers are also featured in the band. Ian has performed with Lettuce and Soulive and Ivan has played with Bonnie Raitt, The Rolling Stones and John Mayer.
Beers are available for $4. Festival goers are encouraged to bring their BJF glassware from years past, as this year’s brews will be poured into corn compostable cups. The money from the beer tasting goes to benefit the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe. The musical performances are free. For more information, visit www.thevillageatsquaw.com or call 530-584-6266.
Whether you want cold drinks at home or to take on the go, the Hamilton Beach Thermal Cooler plus Blender is the perfect appliance for summertime and any time. Mix your drinks directly into the thermal cooler, lift off the base, and take it with you to sporting events, the beach, the park, or even just to the back yard. Your drinks will stay cool for up to EIGHT HOURS and the easy-pour spout makes serving simple.
In addition, you get a regular glass blender jar to use in your kitchen to whip up smoothies, slushies, blended coffee drinks, even pancake and french toast batter. You can even use a blender to mix eggs, cheese and milk before pouring into a skillet for the perfect omelette!
To learn more about the Hamilton Beach Thermal Cooler Plus Blender,other great appliances from Hamilton Beach, and find recipes, visit www.hamiltonbeach.com/blenderreview. You can also find the Thermal Cooler Plus Blender at K-mart.
My favorite recipe to use with my Thermal Cooler is a big batch of healthy fruit smoothies, like this Hamilton Beach Fruit Smoothie with Heart:
* 1 cup nonfat milk
* ½ cup low fat flavored or plain yogurt
* ¼ cup honey
* 2 cups frozen fruit – mixture of choice,
* 1 banana
* ¼ cup ice
Place ingredients in blender jar in order listed.*
Cover and blend on high speed until smooth.
*Always place liquid ingredients in blender first.
Serves: 2-4
Note: This recipe was developed by Hamilton Beach Brands, Inc.
I give this product two big thumbs up and would like to thank Hamilton Beach for sending me the Thermal Cooler plus Blender for this review!
Submitted by Mom Reviews Blog I was thrilled to be asked to review the New York Times book Obama: The Historic Journey: Young Reader’s Edition . This wonderful book combines beautiful photographs and in-depth coverage of Obama’s voyage from “a skinny kid with a funny name” to the 44th President of the United States. Readers learn about the Primaries, the Electoral College, as well as personal information about Mrs. Obama and the First Daughters Sasha and Malia.
I think this is a terrific book for kids and parents alike. Amazon.com recommends it for readers ages 9-12, younger kids may not be able to understand the text, but they will surely enjoy looking at the pictures. To purchase it from Amazon using my affiliate link (which earns me a few cents, thank you!), click the link at the beginning of the post.
Sorry, folks, I have had a few different beer reviews to post for some time but haven’t been able to do so yet. I was able to take a summer class after all so I can finish my engineering degree in three more semesters, and class started when I was still in France, so I came back and jumped right back into the work and school thing.
While I’m studying this weekend for my first fluid mechanics test Monday, I’m sure I’ll need a break and will do my best to post at least one review. I’m hoping, too, to receive a package soon from Buckbean Brewing, so there will be another new review to be posted.
How would you like to win an Xbox 360 Elite with the Rock Band 2 bundle? A trip for two to New York for New Year’s? A trip for two to Lollapalooza in Chicago? A trip to the Winter X Games in Aspen? Or two tickets to the Richard Petty Rookie Driving Experience? Each of these prizes represents a different “experience” that you could have if you win the It’s A Blu World contest. Told you the prizes were awesome!
Thanks to BluFrog, the healthy energy drink, you could be the lucky winner of one of the grand prizes in their It’s A Blu World contest. You must be a legal U.S. resident and at least 18 to enter, and each person can enter three different ways:
Blog Comment:
Leave a comment on the It’s A Blu World contest page telling them which experience you want to win and why.
Twitter Tweet:
Spread the word about the contest on Twitter. Tell your friends why you entered to win and which experience you would choose if you won. Be sure to include #bluworld and http://bit.ly/UiiJy in your tweet.
Blog Post:
Write a blog post about the contest and which experience you would choose if you won. Be sure to leave a comment on the It’s a Blu World contest page with the URL.
I’m entering and if I win, I’m picking the trip for two to New York!
I am a card person. I always will be. I think cards are one way to tell someone you care. So when I find new and different cards I can send, I get excited.
Like Snapily. On the site, ou can basically create a card where 2 to 5 photos are brought to motion. How cool is that?
Aside from Snapily just being a cool new gift idea, it has a strong eco-friendly value. Over 7 billion greeting cards end up in the trash every year – something tells me, you’re less likely to throw out photos let alone ones that come to life.
These high-quality, plastic-coated lenticular photographs, or “living prints, start at just $3.50. With Snapily you can:
- Literally blow your mom a kiss from a card
- Morph an old photo of your children as babies into a photo of them grown up
- Wave “hi” to a grandparent all the way across the country
With customized text and background and life-like photos of loved ones, high-quality Snapily cards are meant to be saved and displayed, an earth-friendly alternative to dime a dozen pharmacy cards.
And make sure you check out the customized printed gifts for Father’s Day. I am sure they would be a hit!
I admit it. All the toothpastes my kids have used prior to trying this toothpaste had some sort of character on it. Were they really working? I guess, Ashley has yet to have a cavity (although she is going to the dentist next week), and Audrey seems okay.
But dental woes are prominent in my family. My husband has no enamel on his teeth, and he will eventually need veneers at a cost of $15,000 or more. I have an extra row of teeth behind my two front teeth (go ahead, call me a shark) that make a space where food continually gets caught.
So brushing the girls teeth and making sure they understand that dental care is important is something we stress everyday.
SensodyneProNamel for Children is the first children’s toothpaste scientifically proven to re-harden tooth enamel, helping to protect against acid erosion as well as cavities. This toothpaste is for kids age 3 - 12 and kids should brush their teeth for two minutes twice a day.
We know what tooth enamel does for a tooth. My husband is living proof that erosion happens. So how do we as parents protect children’s teeth?
Know which foods and drinks are high in acid and my contribute to enamel wear. These include foods and drinks such as soda, fruit juice, ketchup (ack!), raisins, citrus fruit and yogurt.
Encourage children to drink acidic drinks through a straw and avoid holding them in the the mouth to help minimize contact with teeth.
Have children brush their teeth before eating or have them wait at least 1 hour. Brushing right after you eat or drink is when teeth are most susceptible to further damage because the enamel may have been softened.
Talk to your dentist about your child’s teeth and specifically ask about acidic erosion.
Check out their website for more information. And as far as using a toothpaste with no characters on it? Honestly, my kids didn’t really notice. I told them we were going to try and new and improved toothpaste, and they were fine. No complaints, the two minute rule of brushing was followed. I will definitely continue purchasing this toothpaste in the future.
With exactly 5 weeks to go until I leave for BlogHer, I’m starting to panic a bit about this extra 20 pounds I’m carrying around my already ample waist. I started the 30 day challenge on EA Sports Active today in hopes of burning off some flab!
I’m also trying really hard to eat less sugar and white flour, but my weakness? Cookies. I LOVE COOKIES. Chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, I’m not picky! So you can imagine how much I drooled when I reviewed the website Eat Your Cookie, because they make and ship huge, fresh baked cookies! Their cookies are $2.00 each or $18.95 a dozen, and if you live in the Washington D.C. area, you can get them delivered the same day you order.
Fresh cookies would be a terrific gift for a new Mom, as a housewarming or birthday gift, or to treat yourself because you’ve been good Click the “Free Cookies” link on the site, fill out the form, and you could be picked to receive two dozen cookies FREE! They pick a winner every month!
What I like best about the EatYourCookie site is that it is simple and straightforward. It tells you what they sell, who they are, how to contact them, and it’s easy to navigate. Check them out and treat yourself or someone you love to delicious fresh cookies!
disclaimer: I was compensated by EatYourCookie.com for this post.
The two randomly chosen winners of a copy of “Your Spacious Self” are:
1. SweetSue, who said her biggest clutter challenge is her kitchen cupboards
2. Samantha from Back to Me who said her biggest clutter challenge is paperwork.
Congratulations!
The two winners of the Crayola Outdoor Challenge prize packs are:
1. Abby from Steals and Deals who said her favorite Crayola product is Color Wonder markers (mine too!)
2. Bekki who is @davidsgirl81 on Twitter, her fave Crayola product is the Window Markers.
Congratulations! You will all be contacted by me via email for your mailing info. Didn’t win this time? Check the Current Giveaways section at the top left of the page to see my other giveaways!
You know we love Build-A-Bear Workshop. We have been lucky enough to sponsor their giveaways a few times.
And now, just in time for summer, we have another giveaway! How would you like to receive a $25 giftcard as well as a $20 giftcard to redeem online at buildabearville.com (not valid for store merchandise)?
And just in time for summer, they have a cute Patriotic Pup - a huggable red, white & blue furry friend and an exclusive Endless Summer of Hugs beach towel. My girls received both of these, and Ashley promptly named the bear 4th of July. Very fitting! Just leave a comment by Friday, June 26th at midnight to be entered to win!
We have talked about TripFlix before. We have told you to go check out their site for their blogs and forums.
We told you that TripFlix is an interactive DVD that takes you on an adventure like no other DVD can. You get a custom adventure based on your selections.
Want to try it? I have one DVD valued at $19.99 ready to be shipped to you! Just leave a comment by Friday, June 26th at midnight to be entered to win. Good luck!
Does your husband have a “man cave”? My husband spends his time in his office, attached to his computer, but that’s just him. I know plenty of neighbors who have husbands who spend time in the garage, attic, or whereever to escape us! Starting June 14 (through June 20), Walmart is helping families find savings to add something more to man caves in the game room, living room, home office, garage and backyard.
The Game Room/Living Room Cave:
· $128 Magnavox Blu-ray Disc player (NB500MGX)*
· Two for $20 Blu-ray movie bundles of dads’ favorites such as Shooter/ The Italian Job and Face Off / Next
· $59.96 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 All-Play Wii bundle with Wii Motion Plus Accessory and protective sleeve
· $399 PS3 (80GB) Bundle including Quantum of Solace on Blu-ray Disc and the MLB ’09: The Show
· Five for $20 select DVDs – More than 50 favorites including FlyBoys, iRobot, and We Are Marshall
· HDTV savings – $398 Sanyo 37-inch LCD (720p – model DP37649), $697 Vizio 42-inch LCD (1080p – model VO420E), and $1,788 Sony Bravia 52-inch (1080p- model KDL-52S5100)
The Home Office Cave:
· $398 Dell Inspiron Black Notebook Computer* or $848 Dell Studio One 19 All-in-one Touch Desktop Computer – both exclusively at Walmart
· $69 Canon Pixma Ink Jet Photo Printer with Fax
· $69 Seagate Free Agent Go 250GB Portable Hard Drive
Mobile Man Cave:
· $199 Palm Pre smart phone (with qualifying contract, no mail-in rebate) – select stores
· $128 Garmin nuvi 250, 3.5 inch touch screen GPS - voice guidance and loaded with more than 5 million points of interest*
· $10 Glove Box Tool Kit (52-piece) for the car
· $46 iPod-Compatible FM Transmitter and Car Charger, available online only at Walmart.com
The “Deck” Cave: · $17 Grill Care Co. four-piece stainless steel barbecue tool set
· $20 Weber’s Way to Grill guide
· $149 Royal Oak 30-inch Deluxe Charcoal Grill or $198 Brinkman 4-Burner Gas Grill
· $50 Classic Cotton Rope Hammock, available online at Walmart.com
The Garage Cave:
· $15 Black & Decker 75-piece drill accessory kit or $15 Black & Decker cordless screwdriver
· $15 Carrand Power Jet Wash Wand, $25 Torin Blackjack floor jack, $30 5-gallon ShopVac
· $100 Karcher 1,550 PSI Pressure Washer
My girls love printing stuff from the internet, and cards for family members is no exception.
So here is a printable we can all share, from the Wii game Punch-Out!!. And yes, this is the game based on the classic we all remember. It’s boxing a new way with intuitive motion controls using the Wii. And now you can use the new multiplayer mode that lets Dads and their families step into the ring together. The same characters - Little Mac, King Hippo, Glass Joe and the mighty Mr. Sandman - are there and keep the thrills coming round after round.
This custom Father’s Day card will soon be available for download at PunchOut.Nintendo.com but feel free to print it out here. Punchout!! is available now from retailers nationwide.
With the new line of dinner kits inspired by the chefs at Romano’s Macaroni Grill, you can now easily make four classic Italian meals at home. With quick and easy preparation, a Romano’s Macaroni Grill Restaurant Favorites meal is ready to eat in about 20 minutes.
The dinner kits include everything needed to create a high-quality meal in one box including premium ingredients such as such as vine-ripened tomatoes, select cooking wines, specialty herbs and 100% semolina pasta. All you have to do is add one pound of chicken or your choice of proteins such as shrimp or Italian sausage. Varieties of Romano’s Macaroni Grill Restaurant Favorites dinner kits include Garlic & Herb Chicken Penne, Creamy Basil Parmesan Chicken & Pasta, Chicken Alfredo with Linguine and Chicken Marsala with Linguine.
WIN IT: Thanks to Coyne PR and Romano’s Macaroni Grill, I have three prize packs to give away! Each winner will get a colander, a cheese grater, a serving spoon, and four boxes of Romano’s Macaroni Grill Restaurant Favorites.
MAIN ENTRY: Visit the Romano’s Macaroni Grill Restaurant Favorites site, then come back here and tell me in a comment which variety you would most like to try. Enter by Tuesday, June 23rd at 11:59 PM EST. Open to U.S. only.
EXTRA ENTRIES: Each of the following that you do or have done will count towards extra entries provided you have posted your main entry first. Leave a separate comment for each, if it’s worth two entries, leave two comments, etc.
ONE EXTRA ENTRY- Subscribe to my feed in a reader or for email updates, the link is in the top right corner of the page
TWO EXTRA ENTRIES-Follow me on Twitter @Table4Five (the link is in the top right corner of page) and tweet this: RT @Table4Five Enter to win a Romano’s Macaroni Grill prize pack on my blog MomReviews! http://bit.ly/RBXmy
THREE EXTRA ENTRIES- Submit the link to this giveaway to Digg, Reddit, Kirtsy, post it in your Facebook status update, or any other social bookmarking site that will help drive traffic. Caution-I’ve read that StumbleUpon is freezing the accounts of users who stumble giveaways.
FOUR EXTRA ENTRIES- Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post and please mention it ends next Tuesday at 11:59 PM EST.
FIVE EXTRA ENTRIES- Enter my GoodNites Special Bedtime Moments Giveaway on Table for Five. You’ll be entering both a contest for a $2500 Bedroom Makeover AND a giveaway for a totebag stuffed full of bedtime goodies. The contest requires you to come up with a SHORT (200 words or less) entry explaining what your special bedtime routine is with your child. Takes just a minute!
Yes, that really is SIXTEEN entries total if you do all of them! And yes, I really do want you to leave 16 comments, or however many you want to earn. It would especially mean a lot to me if you would enter the Special Bedtime Moments contest since they reached out to me to be a special blogger for them. I know having to enter a contest on another site and come up with a short entry is a lot more work than usual, but it’s for a good cause- I’m competing against the other bloggers who are doing this, and if I win, I get $1000 in bedtime books to donate to my library!!!!!
Sometimes all it takes to shift the direction of your life is to start the one day differently. You set the tone for your day first thing in the morning. Each of the actions that follow is an a.m. lucky charm to help you to a totally glorious day. Put a string of days like this together, and you’ve got yourself a charmed life.
Set your clock for 15 minutes earlier than usual. This will put extra room in your morning so there’s a bit more time for tending to your own needs before the world starts putting demands on you.
Start with a little quiet. Instead of blasting into your day like being shot from a cannon, take five or ten of those extra minutes to be still with yourself and compose your day. You can use this time for prayer, meditation, journal writing, or just being and breathing and deciding that, for the next twenty-four hours, you’re going to seize opportunities, shine like the dickens, and make a difference in the world.
Have a keynote thought, one positive idea to set the tone for your day. You might try. “It’s wonderful to be alive,” or “I fully intend to make this a great day.” This thought is independent of circumstances. It isn’t wonderful to be alive because you just got the raise or the last 38-C on the sale table, but because you’ve been given a day which is, by definition, filled with possibility.
Get to the gym. “No matter who you are or how much money you have, you can’t buy muscle,” says New York City trainer Sasha Lodi. “The only way to get it is to build it yourself.” And knowing you’ve done it, you’ll feel terrific about yourself.
Wear something you love. It may not be new (it may very well be old) and it probably won’t be the most expensive thing you own, but choose today to wear something that makes you feel like a million bucks.
Have some fresh juice in the morning. Whether you like breakfast light or substantial, try starting with fresh juice (apple, kale, and lemon is yummy). This gives your body an infusion of vitality since you’re ingesting vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals in their most easily assimilable form.
Cut today’s to-do list in half. And trust that it won’t cause the world to end. Prioritize the thousand things you “ought” to do so that you get the important tasks for work, family, and yourself taken care of. Everything else can take a number.
Tend to the intimidating assignments first. When you’ve tackled what’s scary or overwhelming first, you’re won out over procrastination. And you’ve already succeeded today, even if it’s only 9 a.m.
Be completely, utterly yourself. From the moment you open your eyes. Nobody can do “you” the way you can. All sorts of great stuff is heading your way, but it can’t find you when you’re impersonating someone else. Cherish your individuality and relish your authenticity.
Make a point that today you’ll remember your own worth. Nothing will give you a better shot at having your best day ever than remembering your own innate worth. Choose a common action (like looking in a mirror or walking through a door), and every time you do it today, remind yourself that you are worthy. Because that’s the truth.
Hey new moms and moms-to-be, are you ready to get your workout on? Well here’s your chance to win a brand new Stroller Strides Fitness Stroller that’s going to get you rolling and encourage your health and wellness goals, big or small! Based on the BOB Revolution, this stroller comes with a Stroller Strides Fitness Kit and is a perfect companion for Stroller Strides class.
To enter, go to the BOBgear Contest page and fill out the order form, including a link to a photo of you in your super sweet workout duds. The most creative submission will win! So, are you a spandex queen? Do you and baby match outfits? Show BOB your funky fashion, custom creation, or silly stylings when you’re getting fit!
If Russell Brand looks familiar, it’s because he co-starred in Forgetting Sarah Marshall as singer Aldous Snow, and hosted the MTV Movie Awards in 2008. Personally, I’m fascinated by him, because he’s so striking to look at and then he opens his mouth and what comes out is so clever, so sharp and biting and witty, and so freaking funny.
In this DVD, Brand performs in New York in his debut for Comedy Central. You’ll crack up listening to him talk about the A-listers he meets at award shows and parties and how odd they are. What I like about Russell Brand is that he doesn’t seem to take himself too seriously, despite his flamboyant appearance. It might just be part of his schtick, but he seems genuinely baffled by all the attention he’s getting considering how many things there are right here in America that we could be laughing at instead.
My husband and I fight over the pillows on our bed. It is a constant battle as our pillows get worse and worse over time and when we do shell out the big bucks for a “really good” pillow, we realize it’s too stiff, too big, or too something.
Well, now I have a pillow that he cannot ever have as I built it just for me at Select Comfort.
You can custom build your ultimate pillow - you start with the outer comfort. The choices are Down, Down Alternative, Memory Foam, or Silver. Yes, Silver. It’s a high quality Down Alternative fill with 5% Silver.
See? The choices are endless. From there you move onto to choose your Inner Core Support with even more options, and then you choose what was my favorite - The Protector. Why was this my favorite?
I chose the protector that has temperature balancing technology. It stays cool constantly, which is AWESOME for me. I love it.
So, if you want no more pillow fights in your house? Make sure you check out their site - you can build your pillow right on line.
Vegetable Oil Original purpose: Frying up a tasty batter. Aha! use: Shining leather shoes. Use a damp cloth to wipe away dirt, then apply a small drop of oil to a soft cloth and rub the surface to remove scuff marks. Reward: A polished look from heel to toe.
Lemonade Kool-Aid Original purpose: Quenching your thirst. Aha! use: Cleaning lime deposits and iron stains inside the dishwasher. Pour a packet of lemonade Kool-Aid (the only flavor that works) into the detergent cup and run the (empty) dishwasher. Reward: Citric acid in the mix wipes out stains; you don’t have to.
Mesh Vegetable Bag Original purpose: Toting home potatoes, onions, and tomatoes on the vine. Aha! use: Scrubbing up after dinner. Cut ends open, scrunch, and add soap and water. Reward: After a gooey mac-and-cheese cleanup, you can throw this freebie sponge away guilt-free.
Lint Roller Original purpose: Restoring your black turtleneck to its fuzz-free glory. Aha! use: Dusting a lamp shade. Run the roller up and down the outside to get rid of small particles that shouldn’t be there. Reward: The satisfaction of knowing that every surface in your living room will pass the white-glove test.
Lemon Original purpose: Adding zing to soups or salad dressings. Aha! use: Removing tough food stains from light wood and plastic cutting boards. Slice a lemon in half, squeeze onto the soiled surface, rub, and let sit for 20 minutes before rinsing. Reward: A house that smells like a lemon grove rather than chemicals.
Baking Soda as Silver-Polisher Original purpose: Making cakes rise. Aha! use: Polishing silver. Wash items, then place on aluminum foil in the bottom of a pot. Add a baking-soda solution (1/4 cup soda, a few teaspoons salt, 1 quart boiling water) to cover for a few seconds. Reward: A chemical reaction that gets the black off the gravy boat.
Salt Original purpose: Unlocking flavor in your favorite dishes. Aha! use: Cleaning up a spilled egg. Heap a handful of salt on the mess, leave for two minutes or so, then wipe up. Reward: The egg sticks to one paper towel instead of sliding off five or six.
Coasters Original purpose: Keeping wet glasses from making rings on Mom’s mahogany coffee table. Aha! use: Catching escaping drips of sticky stuff from bottles and jars in cupboards. Reward: Shelves that don’t require a full wipe-down after every spoonful of honey, slather of jam, or glug of olive oil.
Cooking Oil Original purpose: A hot bath for fried foods. Aha! use: Removing adhesive from glasses. Apply cooking oil to the sticker using a paper towel or a soft cloth, rub firmly, then rinse with warm, soapy water. (If the adhesive is stubborn, use a dab of toothpaste along with the oil.) Reward: Goo Gone be gone—one less cleaning product to buy.
Car Wax Original purpose: Shining up the sedan. Aha! use: Polishing faucets, sinks, tile, even shower doors. Turtle Wax leaves behind a protective barrier against water and soap buildup, so your hard-earned sparkle will last past the next tooth-brushing. Reward: A gleaming bathroom all week long.
Newspaper as Food-Container Deodorizer Original purpose: Daily source for information. Aha! use: Food-container deodorizer. Stuff a balled-up piece of newspaper into a plastic container, seal it, and let sit overnight. By morning the paper will have absorbed food smells. Reward: That lingering curry scent is yesterday’s news.
I worry. Alot. Probably more than the average person. I worry about everything with my kids, and I know its not healthy, and that I should just let some things go, but I can’t. Its who I am.
And I am afraid that I am passing this trait onto my daughters. Ashley, my oldest, seems to have this the most. She worries where her stuff is, she worries she is missing out, she worries about school.
And her and I had a new worry as we heading into camp season here in North Carolina. Ashley attends a year round school, and it out the whole month of June. She is in a different camp every week (YMCA, Girl Scouts, Vacation Bible School…).
So when I was asked to review the Tool Kits for Kids - Elementary Edition to Outsmart Your Worry, I thought it was PERFECT.
Each kit comes with 20 colorful cards contained in a portable case. Ashley really thought it was a game. Each card had a skill to beat out worry.
We took it on vacation with us last week, after the stress of her last day of kindergarten and between the start of camps. We took a couple of evenings when it was quiet and went over these.
And camp today? Dropoff was a success, and my husband just picked up Ashley and she had a blast. No worries here…
Tropicana teamed up with The Carbon Trust to calculate the carbon footprint of their 64-oz carton of pure premium orange juice from grove to grocery store to consumers’ homes, so they could take steps in reducing it. In doing this, they estimated the carbon footprint for a 64-ounce carton of Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice is 1.7 kilograms.
Check out this video from Consumer Queen:
I think this is a great start to making this Earth a happier place for our families. Check out PepsiCo for more information.
Word-of-mouth marketing has been around for ages but in the last decade it’s taken on a new form, one this very website embodies. Consumer generated media refers to content created online by consumers voicing their opinions and personal experiences regarding products, companies, brands, and even service professionals (think doctors, plumbers, etc.). Search for any company, brand, or product and you’re bound to find something written by…you guessed it, a consumer.
As a result, the common consumer versus company dispute is no longer a prototypal David and Goliath struggle. Anyone can post virtually anything online on a wide range of forums including blogs, Q&A sites, and more. Consumers can make their grievances or praise visible to just about anyone, giving consumers an edge they’ve never had before.
While online consumer reviews may not always be advantageous for companies (a single negative review can have a bigger influence than dozens of positive ones), they can be a gold mine for any consumer. Want to find a natural house cleaner that actually works? Looking for a place to stay in Oregon? How about a beer review? Online consumer reviews allow you to get honest and candid opinions on practically anything you can spend money on. They give you all the information, details, and pros and cons you need to make a good, informed decision before spending your hard-earned cash. And in these tough times, isn’t that what we all want?
From the mind of “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane comes Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy-Uncensored, the hilarious collection of cartoon shorts, available on both DVD and Blu-Ray. Featuring 50 shorts in total, the DVD highlights all-new classic characters, “Family Guy” voice talent and hilarious pop culture parodies of Jesus Christ, Bob Dylan, Ted Nugent, Quentin Tarantino, Super Mario, Jeff Goldbum and more.
The irreverent animated shorts that originally aired on YouTube and SethComedy.com are also included but now completely unedited and uncensored. Some of the shorts that I found the funniest include a frog convincing Princesses to kiss him, and Wile E. Coyote finally catching the Roadrunner and then having no life.
You should be cautious about having kids in the room when watching this. There’s a disappointing lack of bonus features, though. You get
Crayola is challenging kids to spend more time outside by creating fun new products that give them a way to express their creative sides while enjoying being outdoors! For this giveaway, I’ve got two Crayola Outdoor prize packs to give away, and I also got a set to keep.
When the package arrived I took it out to the front lawn to open it up, and next thing I knew, the two kids who live across the street and the two grandkids of my next door neighbor had pulled up on their bikes to watch me pull everything out of the box. Inside was new Crayola Sidewalk Crayons, a chalk Rainbow Rake, and the new 3D Jungle Safari Activity Set which has paint, stencils and 3D glasses.
What I wasn’t able to do was go back inside and get the camera since I was surrounded by six kids ages 3 to 10. Just imagine my daughter running up and down the sidewalk dragging the chalk rake while the older girls drew hopscotch squares and the boys set to work painting my driveway. Yes, I missed an awesome photo opp, and I promise next time we get everything out to play with, I’ll bring the camera
Here’s what each of the two winners of this giveaway will get:
• Sidewalk Crayons offer kids more than pretty pastels to create
outdoor masterpieces. Once reserved for bringing coloring books to life,
this new technology offers the richest, brightest, boldest colors for
creating extraordinary outdoor artwork. The difference is striking, as the smooth, creamy colors lay down on driveways and sidewalks with unmatched brightness. For children 4 and up, suggested retail price is $4.99 for a set of 15 colors.
• The Rainbow Rake is a fun new way to create chalk messages and designs! Kids can adjust the arms for close lines or far-apart lines; use the rake to write giant messages and draw swirling, swooping lines! For children 4 and up, suggested retail price is $11.99 for one rake and 5 pieces of chalk.
• Kids can watch their art come to life with the 3D Jungle Safari
Activity Set. Create a jungle safari, put on the 3D glasses and kids will
feel like they are in the jungle! The set includes 1 bottle of sidewalk
paint (7 fl. oz.), a paint brush, 1 pair of 3D glasses, 8 dual-ended
sidewalk chalk sticks, 4 giant stencils and 1 how-to book. For children 6 and up, the suggested retail price is $13.99.
WIN IT: I’ve got two Crayola Outdoor Challenge prize packs to give away. For your main entry, leave a comment on this post telling me what your other favorite Crayola product is. You must do this before any extra entries will be counted.
RULES: Open to U.S. only. Enter by Wednesday, June 10th 2009. When filling out the comment field, be sure you enter your correct email address. I will contact the two randomly chosen winners, collect their mailing information, and forward it to the sponsor for shipping. Please note that actual packaging or colors may vary from what is shown.
EXTRA ENTRIES: I’ll give you one extra entry for each of the following that you do or have done. Leave a separate comment for each.
Follow me on Twitter (link is in the top right of header) and tweet the giveaway, leave the link to your tweet
Subscribe to my feed or email updates (links are in the top right of header), leave a comment telling me which you did
Mention the giveaway in a blog post with a link back to this post, leave your URL in your comment
Add my link to your blogroll or post my button, leave your URL
Stumble the post or add my blog to your Technorati favorites
Larkspur Landing, a group of eleven hotels in California, Oregon and Washington State, asked me to review their site and spread the word to my readers about their all-suite hotels and extended stay hotels, which would be perfect for both family vacations and corporate travel.
I’ve stayed in a lot of hotels over the past three years, and I’ve come to realize that amenities make a big difference in how relaxed I feel during the trip and even how well I sleep while I’m there. Larkspur Landing Hotels feature feather beds, complimentary in-room high speed Internet, a fully-equipped kitchen right in the room, and a complimentary Healthy Start Breakfast. And when they say fully-equipped kitchen, they mean stove, sink, dishes, flatware, cookware, everything.
Both the one and two bedroom suites at Larkspur Landing hotels have large business size desks, two-line phones with voicemail plus a cordless phone, direct printing to the business center, separate chair and ottoman, even a CD player and DVD player, with free DVDs available at the front desk!
So, where can you find a Larkspur Landing hotel? In California, locations are in Pleasanton, San Francisco, Campbell, Milpitas, Sunnyvale, Folsom, Roseville, and Sacramento. In the Portland, Oregon area, visit Larkspur Landing Hillsboro, and in the Seattle, Washington area, Larkspur Landing hotels are in Bellevue and Seattle/Renton.
The Pleasanton Hotel is located near both the Oakland and San Francisco airports, and is close to the corporate headquarters of many businesses. Larkspur Landing’s Sacramento Hotel is near Cal State Sacramento and is just three miles from downtown Sacramento. Need to travel to the corporate offices of Hewlett Packard, NEC, or Oracle? The Larkspur Landing Roseville Hotel is just minutes away from them, and there are restaurants, theaters and a shopping mall nearby as well.
Looking at all of the websites for these hotels is making me wish I had a reason to travel to California, Oregon or Washington so I could stay in one of the beautiful Larkspur Landing Hotels! Hope you’ll click the links and check them out for yourself.
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I was thrilled to be asked to review the New York Times book 
I’m also trying really hard to eat less sugar and white flour, but my weakness? Cookies. I LOVE COOKIES. Chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, I’m not picky! So you can imagine how much I drooled when I reviewed the website 
Click the “Free Cookies” link on the site, fill out the form, and you could be picked to receive two dozen cookies FREE! They pick a winner every month!
Just leave a comment by Friday, June 26th at midnight to be entered to win!
From the mind of “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane comes 
