Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Don't Steal from Your Kids by Giving Them

You know it really does suck to be a parent sometimes. <sigh>

Children nowadays tend to have the gimme gimme disease or entitlement wart.

I hope I have not raised my children to have those afflictions.

I am very proud of my kids and while I think they have mild forms of these diseases, we really try to keep them in check.

Just ask them, they will tell you that they do not get everything they want. Life is hard isn't it. Wah!

Good luck raising your kiddo's. I am still waiting for the manual on that topic.

ºoº D

Don't Steal from Your Kids by Giving Them
too Much!
Weekly Tip from the Love and Logic^® Experts

Dear Friend,

I know a loving mom who does just about everything to make sure her kids are happy every second of the day. If there isn't the type of food they like in the fridge, she runs to the store to buy it. Whenever the newest electronic device comes out, she makes sure they're the first to own it.

Of course, she refrains from requiring any chores out of them, because she knows they work hard at school. Besides, it upsets them when she asks them to help.

Unfortunately, and unintentionally, mom is stealing from her children. They are two of the most miserable human beings on earth. They walk around; actually they sit around most of the time, with scowls on their faces. Because mom has stolen their self-esteem and gotten them hooked on stuff, nothing seems to bring happiness or contentment. Everything is "stupid" or "boring."

When we train our kids to believe that getting stuff is the key to happiness, might we be stealing their lifelong joy and sense of fulfillment? In our book, From Innocence to Entitlement, we teach that true contentment comes from earning things rather than being showered with them.

To protect your children from this type of insidious theft, experiment with the following:

The next time your child wants something, ask, "How do you think you might earn that?"
Instead of taking on the problem of affording the item, say, "You may have that as soon as you can afford it."
Give them some ideas about how they might earn the required cash, and give yourself a pat on the back for not giving in.
Notice how proud they are when they earn things through good old-fashioned perspiration.

Thanks for reading! Our goal is to help as many families as possible. If this is a benefit, forward it to a friend.

Jim Fay

©2011 Love and Logic Institute, Inc. All copyright infringement laws apply. Permission granted for forwarding and/or for a single photocopy or electronic reproduction of one email tip only. Please do not alter or modify. For more information, call the Love and Logic Institute, Inc. at 800-338-4065.

"All of your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them." - ºoº Walt Disney ºoº

Marshmallows (Blog:She Scribes)

Scouring the blogs for info for you, so you don't have to.

This is another must have for those S'more lovers out there. She even has 3 bags to giveaway.

YUM YUM!

Kraft Jet Puffed StackerMallows – A 'Smores Lovers Dream! (Giveaway)

Posted: 24 May 2011 09:02 AM PDT

Who doesn't love a 'smore? It has something for everyone…ooey, gooey marshmallow, sweet & crunchy graham cracker and luscious chocolate. Mmm… I could go for one right now.

I think everyone knows how to make a 'smore. If not it's super easy to do. You take a graham cracker, top it with a marshmallow and some chocolate, and then add another graham cracker on top.

When you are making 'smores around the campfire it's part of the experience to get sticky and covered in marshmallow and chocolate. For the perfect 'smore you need to have a warmed marshmallow to mash between the graham crackers and chocolate.

Making 'smores at home using the microwave is not the same as a campfire. Marshmallows tend to blow up when they are "nuked" in the microwave, where as campfire marshmallows simply get brown and soft.

Trying to mash a bit marshmallow between two graham crackers not only is messy but often causes the graham crackers to crack and break, making even more of a mess.

Kraft came up with the perfect solution – Kraft Jet Puffed StackerMallows. StackerMallows are flat and rectangular shaped, perfect for on top of a graham cracker. It's as if they were made especially with graham crackers in mind.

I could not wait to make a 'smore when I received a package of the StackerMallows. Since I didn't have a Hershey bar handy I used the next best thing – Hershey's Kisses.

FYI… StackerMallows blow up in the microwave just like regular marshmallows. If you have Kisses on top the roll off as the marshmallow plumps up. It's best to warm up the kisses to the side, and then put them on top of the marshmallow before topping it off with another graham cracker.

The StackerMallows taste exactly like regular Kraft Jet Puffed Marshmallows, only their shape is different.

I can't wait to try one of these out in a cup of hot cocoa. Because of it's shape you can even dip the marshmallow in the hot chocolate too.

I'm trying to think of other cookies I can sandwich one of the StackerMallows in between. It doesn't even have to be melted.

Look for Kraft Jet Puffed StackerMallows on a store shelf near you.

I have three bags of Kraft Jet Puffed StackerMallows I can give away to three winners (one bag per winner).

To enter simply comment on what you would you do with the StackerMallows? Would you use them in a recipe or eat them right out of the bag?

For extra entries you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done. Extra entries are optional.

- Subscribe to She Scribes and/or Connect with Google Friend Connect. Both options are found on the right side bar.

- "Like" She Scribes on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/SheScribes.

- "Like" Kraft on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/KraftFoods.

- Follow She Scribes on Twitter (www.Twitter.com/She_Scribes) and tweet about this review/giveaway. Be sure to include @She_Scribes in the tweet so I may see it too. This is limited to three tweets per day.

- Follow Kraft on Twitter, www.Twitter.com/KraftFoods.

- Share this review/giveaway with others (Facebook, Digg, Technorati…). Be sure to tell me what you did and provide a name and/or e-mail so I can verify.

This giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on June 1, 2011 at 11:59 PM (EST). The winners will be chosen at random using a random number generator from all eligible entries. The winners will be notified via e-mail and will have three days to reply with a name and mailing address (no PO Box) or a new winner will be chosen in their place.

Other great giveaways can be found on the right side bar under "Win It".

Kimberly

*I received a free product sample in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opininons expressed are my own.

Daily word

I've been receiving these in perfect time after crying out for help. It's like he is listening. Which, he always is. The scripture can put into words what I can not verbalize.

Sent from my iMickey! 8(; - )
⁰●⁰. ⁰●⁰.⁰●⁰.⁰●⁰.⁰●⁰.⁰●⁰.⁰●⁰.⁰●⁰.⁰●⁰

Begin forwarded message:

A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the LORD delivers him from them all;
  ( Psalms 34:19 *NIV )

  We all face troubling times in our lives. Times that we
wish that we could escape from troubles like the pain of
sorrow, grief or failure to just name a few. Even perhaps
the small daily frustrations that constantly bother us as well.

  When you find yourself experiencing problems like that
remember that; The LORD is close to the broken-
hearted and saves those who are crushed in
spirit. ( Psalms 34:18 ) For after all; The eyes of
the LORD are on the righteous and his ears
are attentive to their cry; (Psalms 34:15 )
For when; The righteous cry out, and the LORD
hears them; He delivers them from all their
troubles.                         ( Psalms 34:17 )

Now you may be thinking, how does that apply to me for
I do not feel very righteous.   Well through Jesus Christ we
become righteous, for it is written; God made Him who had
no sin to be sins for us, so that in Him we might
become the righteousness of God. Therefore
if we repent of our sins they are cleansed from "The Book of
Life," and we become righteous once again!

So, remember the Words of our Savior Jesus
Christ; "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust
in God; trust also in Me. and let GOD deliver
you from all of your troubles! Amen. ( John 14:1 )

All My Love & Prayers,
      Pastor Allen

Letting them fall

Photo by: Will Merydith

Letting Them Fall

May 25, 2011

by Erin Beth Liles of "Coloring Outside the Lines"

When we arrived at the skating rink that April day, I was excited. "This is going to be fun!" I said, full of memories of myself gliding around the neighborhood on my skates. I was eager to teach my daughter Maya, then seven, how to skate the way I had as a kid. It turned out to be much harder than I thought – mostly for me.

We laced up our skates and headed toward the rink, our faces taking on the rainbow hue of the lights. As Maya wobbled out onto the slick surface, I, mother, giver of assistance, was ready to help. "We'll do it together," I said. "I'll help you." But when I tried to hold her hand, she wobbled even more. When I skated next to her, she skated into my feet. "Let me go mom, I got this," she said as she precariously inched forward. My stomach took a sick turn as I watched her skate out onto what looked like a speedway full of race cars. The other skaters zoomed around the rink-drivers in the Indy 500. I panicked. "Hold onto the wall," I instructed, hoping I could at least help her by telling her what to do. But she didn't want to be told what to do. She wanted to do it herself. Without me.

I took a lap around the rink and came back to skate just a bit ahead of her. I watched helplessly as she fell. She fell skating near the wall, in the middle, from one end of the rink to the other. Each time I tried to help her she shooed me away like I was a fly. And each time she fell, I heard a faint crack. Of course I was terrified that it was bones I heard breaking, but then I realized that it was the sound of my heart breaking, just a little, with each of her falls. And in that moment, I was going against the most important rule of motherhood I knew. You protect your children. You keep them safe. I was letting her fall. But after about an hour, she was cruising along and singing to the music, sweaty and bruised, but happy. I saw that she was proud. I saw how confident she was. "Look mom!" she shouted. "I'm doing it!"

In the days following our trip to the roller rink, I thought a lot about the idea of letting my child fall. After all, I often tell her, "It's ok to make mistakes because you always learn from them." But I was beginning to wonder, how often do I let her make mistakes? How often do I just do things for her because it's hard to watch her fall?

A few weeks ago, I let Maya (now eight) walk to the mailbox, less than half a block away. When it was taking longer than expected, I went to see what the hold-up was. She had jammed the key so that it was bent and wouldn't fit in the keyhole. "Wait right here," I said, "I'll go get the spare key." When I returned, Maya said, "Some lady asked me if I was ok." A streak of fear flashed through me. Did this stranger think I was putting my child at risk by letting her walk down the street on her own? With visions of Child Protective Services showing up at my door, we walked the short distance home – me second-guessing my decision to let my child engage in an independent activity – my child, well, she was quite happy.

In her blog, "Free-range Kids," Lenore Skenanzy has created a movement that encourages parents to let children take just such risks. She writes, "A Free-Range Kid is a kid who gets treated as a smart, young, capable individual, not an invalid who needs constant attention and help." However, knowing when to help and when not to, is not always so easy. Most of us remember our childhoods as having a fair amount of freedom and independence, unlike today's children, whose lives are much more contained and protected. With access to 24-hour news and all its horrifying stories about injuries and abductions, we modern parents worry more than parents did in past generations. Maybe it was this fear that made watching her fall so difficult. Maybe it was what made that well-meaning stranger worry about my child. But my child was telling me she needed me to let her go a little, to let her fall, so that she could learn how to get up on her own. I needed to listen. I needed to give her some room to grow, away from the tightened gaze of parental eyes.

As Skenanzy says, "Children, like chickens, deserve a life outside the cage. The overprotected life is stunting and stifling…" It's not easy. Fear is a powerful motivator. But sometimes, when we decide it's right, we have to look that fear in the eyes and tell it to get lost, so that our children can find themselves. And so, on that day at the roller rink, I chose to open the cage. And now, Maya knows the joy of gliding around the neighborhood in her own pair of spiffy new skates.

Oh, she still falls down, and not just on her skates. Only now, I don't feel like I've fallen down as a parent when she does.

Erin Beth Liles is a stay at home mom and freelance writer.

http://www.mamapedia.com/voices/letting-them-fall

Sent from my iMickey! 8(; - )
⁰●⁰. ⁰●⁰.⁰●⁰.⁰●⁰.⁰●⁰.⁰●⁰.⁰●⁰.⁰●⁰.⁰●⁰

Sunday, May 22, 2011

STORE-M's MATRYOSHKA NESTING CONTAINERS

Adorable. Another must have. ARGH!

Urban Dictionary

Freakin' hilarious.

RETRO GAME CONTROLLER iPHONE 4G COVER / RE-COVER

Very cool and different. Love it.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Finished reading...

So very sad. Prayers to the families of these little girls.

Happy Saturday

Oh my. These had me cracking up.
Enjoy,
D



Begin forwarded message:

The righteous man leads a blameless life;
blessed are his children after him.
( Proverbs 20:7 *NIV )
   we will again take a look at what children say, and see the World
through the eyes of a six year old. After all, Children's children
are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride
of their children.                   ( Proverbs 17:6 )

   Now the following was sent to me by one of our subscribers,
and it teaches us the following lesson,

DON'T EVER TRY TO ARGUE WITH CHILDREN...

1) A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales. The teacher
said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human
because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very
small. The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.
Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a
human; it was physically impossible.
The little girl said, "When I get to Heaven I will ask Jonah".
The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to hell?"
The little girl replied, "Then you ask him".

2) A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children
while they drew. She would occasionally walk around to see each
child's work. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently,
she asked what the drawing was? The girl replied, "I'm drawing
God." The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God
looks like." Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing,
the girl replied, "They will in a minute."

3) A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments
with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to
"honor" thy Father and thy Mother," she asked, "is there a
commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?"
Without hesitating one little boy (the oldest in his family) answered,
"Thou shall not kill."

4) One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the
dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had
several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette
head. She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Why are
some of your hairs white, Mom?" Her mother replied, "Well, every
time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one
of my hairs turns white." The little girl thought about this revelation
for a while and then said, "Momma, how come ALL of grandma's hairs
are white then?"

5) The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was
trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture.
"Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up
and say, 'There's Jennifer; she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael. He's
a doctor.'" A small voice at the back of the room rang out, "And
there's the teacher, She's dead."
I hope that you enjoyed these as much as I!
Have a great weekend! Amen

All My Love & Prayers,
      Pastor Allen

Friday, May 20, 2011

Currently reading...

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Toy With Me

I Have No Intention of Getting Knocked Up!

Posted: 17 May 2011 06:37 AM PDT

PRELUDE TO THE DELUDE: This is my post Mother's Day article about babies and shiz.

The Fairytale goes: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, wed the beautiful Catherine and turned her into a Duchess and they lived happily ever after. The End. Finally they were able to chill out at Buckingham Palace and do whatever it is do indoors, which is where they probably spend a lot of time hiding out from paparazzi. RANDOM THOUGHT: I wonder if they call each other "babe" in the privacy of their own castle space. Imagine Kate saying to Prince Will, "Hey babe, could you please pass the strawberry jam?"

Kind of messes with the ideology of aristocratic convention when you infuse modern day slang. Meh, more than likely there won't be any time for talking since the Duke may be a little too busy buttering the Duchess's scone, if ya know what I mean. Not just because they're newlyweds, but because GET THIS: Will has nine months to zap Kate's royal egg and produce an heir for the second-in-line to the throne if he plans to uphold 200 years of tradition. Apparently the British kingdom is paranoid about a break in the line to succession so they expect immediate results (COURTESY Yahoo News).

Wow. That's a lot of FUCKING pressure. And if you look at history, every time someone messes with tradition or royal rule, bad things happen. Like someone gets beheaded or there's a curse over the land, hence the plague and the potato famine. If Kate doesn't have that baby within eighteen months, in modern day language that probably means the death of Facebook or Google. Or the internet altogether. My God, how will we communicate without the internet?! My generation is not used to talking. This is the type and text era.

Say WHAT?! FOLLOWED BY: Fuck Me. Into procreation.

Superstition and sarcasm aside, I mean that's what people do, right? They fall in love, get married and have a BABY. It's a completely normal natural process. Unless…you're me. You see, I have these baby fears. ALL the time. And it's not just one fear — it's every zygotic, embryonic, fetal fear imaginable locked inside the darkest enclave of the part of my mind that controls my uterus. The truth is babies scare me more than (insert worst fear).

For instance, I'm afraid I'm going to fall pregnant to the wrong guy at the wrong time and then he'll leave me for a supermodel. Oh wait. That actually happened to Bridget Moynahan with Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen. See. It's not just in my head. OR: I'm scared that I'll finally be ready to have a baby and it won't happen. Like my fallopian tubes will fail or my ovaries will be like, "Sorry. We're out of commission. When we were willing to participate you couldn't get your shit together and find some sperm. We're over it." Nooo, please grant me a child. I need to prove my mother wrong! Or in Kate Middleton's case, the monarchy (and possibly the internet, if my prediction proves correct) is at stake.

SIDE NOTE: Don't underestimate the value of your vagina. It's the gateway to the future. You could be giving birth to the next King…or Copernicus (I was trying to be original there and not say Einstein)…or worst case scenario – Hitler (there's no point in trying to be original if you're looking for a bad guy). I suppose that's where abortion comes in handy. Ooh Crude. But really, it's hard to be nice when it comes to Hitler.

MOVING ON…

And of course then there are the logistics of pushing a small human out of your holy shrine. It's not the head that freaks me out, but the shoulders. I gotta be honest guys, I am not looking forward to that kind of pain. Or the permanent damage to my body. MESSAGE TO FUTURE CHILD: If you're leaving me with stretch marks, then I am imposing my Smurf obsession on you. Don't worry, Smurfs are Awesome! Mama will be sipping her cocktail while you drink your milk.

What? I'll have to make up for not drinking for over a year – nine months plus breast feeding stage. I have no idea how I'm going to get through that. But maybe it'll be okay because I'll have a bigger goal to focus on, as in GIVING LIFE. Hey check it: I made a person. Try to compare your highest non human forming accomplishment to that. You can't. Mothers rock!

It still weirds me out that sex leads to baby making. I understand the science, but it's a bit of a contradiction, particularly if you associate sex with fun. As the equation goes: Sexual freedom plus fertility equals a little bundle of responsibility, which brings me to my next fear: What if I'm an irresponsible mother? Or I just suck at motherhood. Or I get bored and decide I don't want to do it full-time, like that writer – Rahna Reiko Rizzuto, who converted to part time mom after she realized motherhood wasn't her thing (chronicled in her memoir – Hiroshima in the Morning).

I don't want to be a deserter. I want to be a good mom – selfless, loving and not obsessed with beige (I still plan on being trendy). If motherhood comes my way, I hope I'm like Keri Russell. Babies totally suit her. If you think the girl can't get any cuter, hand her a baby and you'll see. Or just rent 'We Were Soldiers.' She also suits being pregnant. Think of her in 'Waitress.' She's like my ultimate baby mama inspiration. Visually, that is.

For now I have no intention of getting knocked up, even if I meet the perfect baby daddy tomorrow. This is where contraceptives come in handy. Besides, I have to fulfill my pre-baby travel fantasy of going to Turkey, Morocco, Egypt and Greece. After that I suppose we'll see, but hopefully the whole baby thing (if and when it happens) will be a pleasant surprise and not my greatest fear coming to life. As for the Duchess, well I guess we'll find out if she meets the baby deadline through the tabloids…or if the internet suddenly stops working.

Post from: Toy With Me

Monday, May 9, 2011

The "Mickey Hidden Message" Engraved Women's Three Band Ring

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Mothers Day

My breakfast....Yum!

So adorable...

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Daily Scripture

"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake
you."
             ( Hebrews 13:5 *NIV )

That is a promise from our Heavenly Father! After all He is always
with us no matter what may happen!

   After all when you face adversity; God is our refuge
and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
( Psalms 46:1 )

   When you are afraid, why not do what King David did, for he
stated; I sought the Lord, and He answered me;
He delivered me from all my fears.
( Psalms 34:4 )

   When you mourn it is written; Blessed are those who
mourn, for they will be comforted.
( Matthew 5:4 )

   When you are worried why not; Cast all your anxiety
on Him because He cares for you.
( 1 Peter 5:7 )

   When you are feeling low; Humble yourselves before
the Lord, and He will lift you up.
( James 4:10 )

   Also always remember, it is written; I can
do everything through Him who gives me strength.
( Philippians 4:13 ) Because; You, dear children,
are from God and have overcome them, because
the One who is in you is greater than the one who
is in the world ( 1 John 4:4 )

   So, Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged,
for the Lord your God will be with you wherever
you go."   Amen! ( Joshua 1:9 )

Monday, May 2, 2011

7-things-you-should-say-in-an-interview: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance

Monday, April 25, 2011

Special Report – Expired Condiments

Good Article to have on hand.


Feel free to forward and share this email with your friends and family. Special Report - Expired Condiments by Leanne Ely, C.N.C Dear Friends, Ladies, are you suffering from OCS? Old Condiment Syndrome? You know what I'm talking about. Crusty ketchup bottles, icky, old Ranch dressing and ancient mustard? We all have as many condiments as we do cleaning supplies. FlyLady says she knows what's lurking under your sinks (more cleaning supplies than a janitorial service needs). Well, I know what you have in your refrigerator doors. Fossilized condiments! And more than a busy hotdog stand in New York City needs, too! Did you know the refrigerated shelf life for mayonnaise is two months? It is! So guess what? Today is the day you get to toss that stuff and get a new one. Listen, if you don't use it often enough, buy a smaller jar. Even though it costs more money, it really is the cheaper way to go. You don't need nasty old mayo in your fridge! Here are some more items you probably have languishing in the doors of your fridge or way in the back: 1-Mustard. Not just the yellow kind, but Dijon, honey mustard, brown mustard and that teeny, tiny jar of gourmet mustard from the gift basket you received over the holidays with the funky taste. No one likes it, but instead of throwing it out, you put it in the fridge. Why? Toss it! Shelf life: 6-8 months in the fridge; 2 years unopened in a pantry. 2-Jams and Jellies. The other day, I pulled out a raspberry jam that had a "best used by" date of 4/5/09. YIKES! I bet you have some of those too! Time to chuck them as well! Shelf life: 1 year in the fridge; 1 year unopened in the pantry. 3-Salad Dressings. A lot of commercial salad dressings have enough preservatives in them to embalm you. However, nothing lasts forever. If they've been opened for more than 3 months in the fridge, they've gotta go too. Unopened, they'll last a year in your pantry. 4-Pickles. I think I've had the same jar of pickles in my fridge since I've had the raspberry jam. The issue for pickles is they don't last as long as jam in the fridge! Only 1-2 months opened and in the fridge. For the pantry shelf? One year unopened. Time to boogie your pickles! 5-Ketchup. I don't even want to know how old my ketchup is. Let's just say probably from the same era as the pickles and the raspberry jam. Truth is, it's only good for about 2 months in the fridge. Unopened and on the pantry shelf, it can last a year before it needs tossing. 6-Salsa and Hot Sauce. Guess what? Once your hot sauce or salsa is opened, it's good for just a month in the fridge! Don't wait for it to mold; throw it OUT! Unopened, it's good for a year on your pantry shelf. 7-Olives. Oh yes, I confess. My olives are refrigerator pals with the jam, ketchup and pickles! Out they go today...they only last a month opened in the fridge. They'll last a year unopened in your pantry though! Well, that's quite a condemning list, isn't it? The question is how to know how old everything is? One rule of thumb if there is no date on the jar or package and if you don't remember when you opened it, it's probably a good idea to toss it. How can you avoid Old Condiment Syndrome? By marking your condiments on the label with a Sharpie (it will hold up to the refrigeration without smudging or smearing) with the date so you know. You might want to keep this list handy too in your Control Journal so you know how long to keep these items. Last thoughts on this and then you can go cure the OCS in your fridge: unless you have a huge family or you're an overly zealous condiment using family, it's probably best to stick with supermarket sized condiments as opposed to the jumbo sized stuff that they sell in those warehouse stores. Bigger isn't always better. Have fun tossing! Love, Leanne

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Babiekins Magazine | For the Trendsetting Child

I found this from CoolMomsBlog, she mentioned that this online magazine reminded her of Cookie magazine. I really miss that mag. I tore out so many articles because they had so much interesting information.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Recycling Meds

Medication Recycling is the way to go if you have expired OTC meds or prescriptions. We rarely finish a bottle of pain reliever.

Make sure you dispose of them in a safe manner.

Do not flush them down the toilet. It goes directly back to our water supply. We have enough chemicals to worry about.

Anyway that is my Earth Day tip of the day. Which I just realized I missed by a couple of hours. lol

Such is life.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Info - How Massive data breach affects you

Massive data breach affects you

4/22/2011

Q. I read your Privacy Tip about the recent massive Epsilon data breach. I also got email notifications from companies I deal with online. Now, however, I received an email directly from Epsilon asking me to download a program. Is this a legitimate email?
-David from Uniontown, PA, listens to my national radio show on WPGB 104.7 FM
A. This data breach reported by a company by the name of Epsilon keeps getting more and more interesting. Epsilon handled the email marketing campaigns for major companies like Chase, Best Buy, Target and others. More than 2,500 companies use Epsilon to manage their client email lists.
If you bought anything from any of these companies or registered your email address with them, your name and email address could have been compromised. Millions of people have been affected.
Until recently, the main result of this breach was increased spam. Some people also received basic phishing email from online swindlers. That isn't very surprising.
Now, Epsilon says if you registered your name and email address at a GlaxoSmithKline Website for certain prescription and nonprescription drugs, watch out. The bad guys have your name, email address, and they also know what drugs you might be taking.
So, if you registered at the Beano Web site, some criminal is having a gas at your expense.
Things get worse. Hackers recently released a devious new scam. It is an email claiming to be from Epsilon. The email has a link to something called the "Epsilon Secure Connect Tool."
Clicking the link takes you to a very professional-looking Website. You are given the option of downloading the tool. It is supposed to confirm whether your email address was stolen.
However, the program is actually a virus that will infect your computer. It can steal personal information or install other malware. You don't want to download it.
Scams like this are going to become more common. Fortunately, you can protect yourself. You just have to follow some simple rules.
You'll want to make sure your computer has security software installed. It also needs to be up-to-date. Grab some great free security software at my Security Center.
You need to be wary when dealing with email. Don't click on email links to visit a company's site. Open your browser and type in the address manually.
Be sure to verify that the address is to a legitimate company site. You can do this with a quick Google search. Search for the company listed in the email and verify its Website address.
Never respond to an email with personal information. No company will ask you for personal information that way. Everything you need to do can be done on the company site. Of course, you can always call the company and talk to a representative.
Don't download email attachments. Again, companies never send unsolicited attachments to customers. It is most likely a scam or malicious program.
Hackers move fast when situations like this occur. You want as much warning and information as possible. If you don't receive my weekly newsletter email, you can sign up here. It's free and has lots of excellent and timely security information.
Email is still a vital form of communication. Here are some tricks for getting the most out of it:

Giving out your email address online can be dangerous. Learn how to easily create email aliases to thwart scammers and spammers.
There are a lot of Webmail providers online. Most are free, so you don't have to stick with just one. Find out which Webmail provider is best.
Email isn't always as private as you'd like. Learn how to communicate privately with family members and friends.

"All of your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them." - ºoº Walt Disney ºoº

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Prayer for today

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, thank You for completing what You started in my life. I trust that no matter how dark things may seem, You are my shining light of hope. I thank You for working behind the scenes to carry me through to the place of victory in every area of my life! In Jesus' Name.Amen.

— Joel & Victoria Osteen

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Just finished reading....

Ehh it was ok. Glad I only paid a dollar.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Design Blogs

Interior Designer Holly Becker's - book Decorate

http://www.decor8blog.com

HSN - Nate Berkus and Jonathan Adler collections at low prices
http://www.home-decor.hsn.com

Three Potato Four - unique vintage furniture - online flea market
http://www.threepotatofourshop.com

Curiosity Shoppe - Find statement pieces and fun gifts
http://www.curiosityshoppeonline.com

Spruce Home - Re-covers old furniture at nice prices
http://www.spruceaustin.com

Etsy - Rustic and industrial accents at Little Byrd Vintage's and Hindsvik's virtual stores
http://www.littlebyrdvintage.etsy.com
http://www.hindsvik.etsy.com

Websites found in Good Housekeeping (May 2011) magazine that I am currently reading. I love this magazine. I have been subscribing to it for years.

Have fun shopping.