Another Giveaway Already!? Yes!!

This one is much more of a fun one. Provided by Crayola through MyBlogSpark, this prize pack is for the very creative and artsy types. You know who you are.

These little items are a new product by Crayola, and are pretty neat little kits. Here are the kits you will receive if you win the prize pack:

Glass Pendant, Stationary Box, Water Bottle, Color Glow Lamp, Wind Chimes, Shadow Box, Glass Plates. Seven kits in all!

Visit Pop Art Pixies for more information on each kit.


Meet Skye! She’s sweet, thoughtful, and always thinking of others and how she can help save the environment. She loves the outdoors, playing soccer, friends, wildlife and hiking.
Skye’s Pop Art Pixies craft kits include: Create a Water Bottle, Wooden Charm Bracelets, Skye’s Herb Garden and Wind Chime kit.

Meet Maya! A free-spirited young lady, Maya lets her inner creativity show and encourages everyone to express themselves without judgment.
Maya’s Pop Art Pixies craft kits include: Create a Glass Pendant, Shadow Box Kit, Create a Water Color Frame and Create a Sun Catcher kit.

Meet Naomi! She is big into technology and music, and can mix music with the best of the best. Music is her life and her DJ spirit inspires her desire to communicate more through actions and sounds than words.
Naomi’s Pop Art Pixies craft kits include: Create a Stationery Box and Create a Color Glow Lamp.

Meet Tatum! The bubbly, social butterfly of the Pixies and famous for her cupcakes, Tatum is fun-loving, outgoing and likes to host parties for her friends because everyday is worth celebrating.
Tatum’s Pop Art Pixies craft kits include: Create a Decoupage Glass Plate, Party Lights kit, and Create a Mosaic Picture Frame.


You can also follow this link for a $2.00 off coupon for any Pop Art Pixies kit.

The contest will go through December 31st, and winners will be announced on January 1st, 2011. To enter, just tell me which kit you think your daughter would have the most fun with. If you don't have a daughter, then you can just pretend and pick a kit you like. Or something your boys would like. Or your niece, or your best friend's cousin's aunt's daughter. I'm flexible like that.

Good luck!

And The Winner Is....

Debbie! Congratulations, you have won a $75 gift code for use in any of the 200 CSN Stores! Have a very merry Christmas!!! Please contact me with your email and I will send you the code.

Who's Ready For A Chrismas Giveaway?

What are you looking for this Christmas? Flat screen tv stands? A new toaster oven (that's us)? Or maybe some monkey slippers?? Whatever you are looking for, you can enter to win a $75 gift code to use at any of CSN's 200 stores. Who wouldn't want something so awesome?

So here's the deal. Take a look around their sites, and come back and tell me what you would buy for $75. What's on your wishlist this Christmas? What do you need to buy for that person who already has everything? What would you splurge on if you could?

The deadline to enter is Friday, December 10, at noon. Winners will be drawn at random using the Random.org generator (that thing is so cool!). So hurry up and enter. Tell your friends too! This contest is only open to US and Canadian residents.

The Cake Is A Lie

After watching hubby play the Portal game, which is hysterically funny, and not something I'm coordinated enough to play myself, I knew I had to eventually make a Portal cake. Well, yesterday was my birthday, so I made one. I haven't eaten it yet, but I plan on digging in right after dinner tonight.


For those of you who are gamers, or have gamer husbands, you'll probably get this. If not, then you'll have to content yourself with a web search on what on earth the Portal cake is all about.

Look at me still talking when there's science to do.

Review: DeLonghi Deep Fryer

So, after quite a bit of consideration, drooling, and debating what to review, I finally decided on a deep fryer. I like frying things, but feel like I waste so much money throwing out the oil every time I use it, because I don't want to store it in my pot on my stovetop for several weeks. So, I thought a deep fryer would fix that to a degree.


We decided to go with the DeLonghi, mostly because I have been happy with their products in the past, and felt that I would be happy with this setup as well. It seemed to have everything I was looking for, so it made a good choice for us.

Firstly, let me review the customer service with CSN. It is really great. I ordered this late in the afternoon last week, and had it on my table the next day. I was very impressed with that, because I was sure I had ordered it too late in the day for it to have arrived that quickly. But arrive it did, and I got to work digging out my recipes.

First up, of course, were wontons. Wontons are something I have been making for nearly 20 years. That's how much I love this recipe. I found it the recipe in an old, yellow, Chinese cookbook when I was 13 and doing a project for our Social Studies class. It is a family favorite, and something that I don't make nearly often enough. I do try to make it once a year at least, maybe twice if I'm in the mood for it. And I was definitely ready to make a batch or two to test out the new fryer. I will include my recipe at the bottom of the review, in case you were wondering.

Now, onto the fryer. I am fairly happy with the overall performance of the fryer, except for one thing... It comes with a sensor to tell you when the oil is hot enough once you've turned the unit on. However, I found with several different tries at making fried items (we found a few goodies at the grocery store just to test it out in various situations as well)... I found that the initial few batches seemed like the oil wasn't hot enough. Eventually it seemed to warm up to the right temperature, but it took a little longer than the sensor seemed to indicate. But, nothing I can't work around just by being a little more patient. And we all could use a little more patience, right?

Overall, I am happy with the performance of the unit. I intend to drain it and filter the oil within the next few days, but that looks pretty easy so I'm not too worried about it. Now the only trick will be finding space in my miniscule kitchen to store it. But I'm sure we can find a home for it easily enough.

Now, for the recipe! As a side note, I don't bother measuring any of these things anymore, and usually add more than called for. I would start with this as a base, and increase ingredients as desired. Personally, I like quite a bit more ginger and scallions, and also a little more sugar and soy sauce. Be careful with the liquids though, it's easy to overdo it and then you have a liquidy mess that leaks out of the wontons. Which, as I found out, will affect the taste of other things fried in the oil. I got a little carried away this time. But, they were still good. I also usually make a double batch, but that disappeared so quickly this time that I will probably quadruple it next time, especially now that I have convinced my daughter to help me out. She enjoyed it, and it was an easy task for her to fill the wonton wrappers and seal them up. If you try these, please comment and let me know what you think! I have loved this recipe for so long, and whenever I serve it to friends they are always amazed by the flavors and beg for more. It will be a hit at parties everywhere.

Happy frying!


Shana's Wontons

1 whole boneless chicken breast, cooked

2 scallions

1 thin slice ginger root

¼ cup fresh parsley

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons soy sauce

½ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon oil

1 pkg. wonton wrappers or egg roll wrappers cut into 4ths.

1 egg, lightly beaten

Oil for frying

Mince and mix the first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. In a small bowl mix the remaining ingredients (excluding the wrappers and the egg). Combine both mixtures and allow to stand for 30 minutes. Place a teaspoon of mixture in the center of a wonton wrapper. Using a chopstick or the back of a spoon, place a small amount of egg around two edges of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half, touching the sides with egg to the sides without egg, forming a triangle. The egg will seal the edges shut. Deep fry in oil until a deep golden brown. Serve warm or chilled.

Another Reveiw On The Way

Once again, I have been asked to do a review of a product by CSN Stores. They really are a great company, with a wide range of products available. And when I'm doing comparison shopping, more often than not, they have the best prices and products available. From barstools to beds, cookware, home improvement, children's toys, etc., they've got just about all the bases covered. The hubby and I are looking at getting a new mattress eventually, and so far, their prices are great, and even include free shipping! So we will definitely be taking a look over the next few months before we decide.

So, in the coming weeks, I will be offering a review of one of CSN's products, along with a recipe for something tasty ;)

And The Winner Is....

Michele! Thanks to the www.random.org number generator, your number was chosen!

I will be contacting you shortly :)

I'm back!

And what better way to make a comeback than with a giveaway!

Once again, CSN Stores is allowing me to do a great giveaway for you all, so go check out their sites! They have so many great things, and really, they have some great prices too. I'm an admitted cheapskate, and even I can find deals with them. On one site, if you're ever in need of a twin bed set, you can find all sorts of really cute goodies! If my daughter is ever in need of a new bed, I'd love to drool over these options. My boys on the other hand, will need something forged out of steel to last them a while ;)

So, for this giveaway, you can enter to win a $100 gift card, to be used at any of the CSN Stores websites. You can look for baby gear, cookware, shoes and accessories, toys for your children, and all sorts of other goodies.

This contest is open to all U.S. and Canadian residents. Please take a look through the various websites, and in your comments, let me know what your favorite items are.

You may post on Facebook for an extra entry, but please do not tag CSN directly, it violates their company's Facebook policy. But feel free to link to my blog and then leave a comment for that entry :)

Good luck everyone! Winners will be chosen on Friday, September 24th and announced sometime that day.

A Review, Followed By A Hiatus

As promised, I have a review for you from my experiences with the cookware site I mentioned previously. I chose this time to review an item, and chose a pressure cooker/canner, as the needs of our family are growing, and this seemed a good way to meet some of those needs. So I chose this little number, a 23 Quart Pressure Cooker/Canner from Presto. First of all, the price is really good, at least in my opinion. I haven't checked it against other sites yet, but I know that these are not inexpensive. And with free shipping, you really can't go wrong. Second, the customer service is very good. Great communication through emails, frequent updates, and fast service. I was notified immediately of my order, and it shipped within maybe a day, possibly less, though I'd have to go back and check. In any case, I had it within less than a week, which included the weekend, which was really fast.

Now, onto the pressure canner. I tried that out this weekend. Let me tell you though, that baby is really big! The pictures really don't do it justice to the real size of it. Now, as far as pressure canners go, I'm sure it's a normal size, but I just didn't really grasp the size of this thing until I got it home and opened up the box. But, it has tons of room for lots of cans, so it's perfect for our family. I took it for a test spin on some homemade chicken soup, made from homemade veggie stock and a simple chicken soup recipe fit for canning. The pressure cooker worked great on the first try, though I was a little nervous never having used a pressure canner before. It was a really interesting process, but the canner worked great and all the little instructions that were included with it kept me pretty well informed about what to expect. The only thing not included was how long it would take to get up to pressure, but it wasn't so bad that I couldn't figure it out as I went, and I'm sure a lot depends on what's in there and such too.

Overall, I was very pleased with the results, and can't wait to try it out again. Which brings me to my hiatus... I will not be around for some time, how long I'm not sure, but probably a while. I am having surgery this Thursday to repair a compressed nerve in my elbow. Lucky me fell in the shower 5 years ago and it finally caught up with me. So, my exploits in canning will have to wait for a little bit. I will be looking over some canning books for recipes though, so hopefully I will have a good idea once I'm back of what I want to make, and will try to share those ideas as much as I can.

Have a great rest of summer!

Another site worth checking out

Remember back in March I did a giveaway thanks to a great site promotion? Well they have contacted me again with a request to review their websites and a product again, so I am very excited to share with you.

CSN Stores have quite a few websites designed to help you find what you need and want, and pretty reasonable prices. For instance, if you want a really neat bathroom sink, check out the vanities at their website called Just Vanities. There are some pretty artsy ones, and some fairly basic as well as old fashioned sinks in there. I think the prices look pretty good too, although I can't remember the last time I shopped for a bathroom sink ;) I think this one is really pretty though.

There are also sites for toys, modern furniture, shoes and accessories, and cookware.

So go check out the sites, and see what you think. Maybe you'll find something you like. Stay tuned for an upcoming review of a product from one of their sites.

And The Winner Is....

Debbie! Thanks to Random.org, you are the lucky winner! Please contact me so that I can get your information to the sponsor and you can receive your prize pack.

Shrek-Tastic!

General Mills is celebrating the May 21st release of Shrek Forever After, the final chapter of the Shrek films. Look for Shrek-tacular savings in the grocery store on your favorite General Mills brands like Go-GURT, Pillsbury, Fruit Roll-Ups, Bisquick, Green Giant and more. Also, be sure to keep an eye out for specially-marked packages of Big G cereals, in which you can find collectible water squirters and markers, which are shaped like your favorite Shrek characters.

To save even more green, visit www.everydaysaver.com/events/shrek to download coupons today. While you’re there you and your little prince or princess can get in the mood to see Shrek Forever After by taking a peek at the movie trailer.

Through MyBlogSpark, General Mills is being kind enough to provide a great prize pack to one lucky winner. If your name is chosen by the random generator here is what you will receive:

Shrek-tacular tote bag filled with participating products including Big G cereals, Fruit Roll-Ups Minis snacks and Betty Crocker Brownie Mix or Muffin Mix. The prize pack will also include a $10 Shrek-tacular Savings coupon book with fun Shrek trivia, a Shrek water squirter, a Shrek highlighter and a $25 gift card that you can use to purchase tickets to see the new Shrek Forever After film.

Please leave a comment for an entry. I will be using the Random.org random number generator to pick a winner. All submissions must be in by Monday, May 17th by 12 noon to qualify.

And just for fun, please answer this question in the comments section (will qualify as your entry):

• Who is your favorite Shrek character?

Winners will be announced sometime Monday afternoon.

After America, There Is No Place To Go

This is an incredible article about a woman's experience in Nazi Austria.

Only in America are the people too lazy to be free, 1938 Austria

• By Norman Adams

The following story was sent to me in an e-mail:

"After America, There is No Place to Go"

The author of this article lives in South Dakota and appears to be very active in attempting to maintain our freedom. I encourage everybody to read this article and pass it along. I see so many parallels in this country– are we going to sit by and watch it happen? Spread the word; also contact your congressional reps; vote them out if they don’t do what they should. If you don’t want to be bothered, then you’re part of the problem! Google Kitty Werthmann and you will see articles and videos.

America truly is the greatest country in the world.

Don't Let Freedom Slip Away By: Kitty Werthmann

What I am about to tell you is something you've probably never heard or will ever read in history books.

I believe that I am an eyewitness to history. I cannot tell you that Hitler took Austria by tanks and guns; it would distort history. We elected him by a landslide - 98% of the vote. I've never read that in any American publications. Everyone thinks that Hitler just rolled in with his tanks and took Austria by force.

In 1938, Austria was in deep Depression. Nearly one-third of our workforce was unemployed. We had 25% inflation and 25% bank loan interest rates.

Farmers and business people were declaring bankruptcy daily. Young people were going from house to house begging for food. Not that they didn't want to work; there simply weren't any jobs. My mother was a Christian woman and believed in helping people in need. Every day we cooked a big kettle of soup and baked bread to feed those poor, hungry people - about 30 daily.

The Communist Party and the National Socialist Party were fighting each other. Blocks and blocks of cities like Vienna, Linz, and Graz were destroyed. The people became desperate and petitioned the government to let them decide what kind of government they wanted.

We looked to our neighbor on the north, Germany, where Hitler had been in power since 1933. We had been told that they didn't have unemployment or crime, and they had a high standard of living. Nothing was ever said about persecution of any group -- Jewish or otherwise. We were led to believe that everyone was happy. We wanted the same way of life in Austria. We were promised that a vote for Hitler would mean the end of unemployment and help for the family. Hitler also said that businesses would be assisted, and farmers would get their farms back. Ninety-eight percent of the population voted to annex Austria to Germany and have Hitler for our ruler.

We were overjoyed, and for three days we danced in the streets and had candlelight parades. The new government opened up big field kitchens and everyone was fed.

After the election, German officials were appointed, and like a miracle, we suddenly had law and order. Three or four weeks later, everyone was employed. The government made sure that a lot of work was created through the Public Work Service. Hitler decided we should have equal rights for women. Before this, it was a custom that married Austrian women did not work outside the home. An able-bodied husband would be looked down on if he couldn't support his family. Many women in the teaching profession were elated that they could retain the jobs they previously had been required to give up for marriage.

Hitler Targets Education - Eliminates Religious Instruction for Children:
Our education was nationalized. I attended a very good public school. The population was predominantly Catholic, so we had religion in our schools. The day we elected Hitler (March 13, 1938), I walked into my schoolroom to find the crucifix replaced by Hitler's picture hanging next to a Nazi flag. Our teacher, a very devout woman, stood up and told the class we wouldn't pray or have religion anymore. Instead, we sang "Deutschland, Deutschland, Uber Alles," and had physical education. Sunday became National Youth Day with compulsory attendance. Parents were not pleased about the sudden change in curriculum. They were told that if they did not send us, they would receive a stiff letter of warning the first time. The second time they would be fined the equivalent of $300, and the third time they would be subject to jail. The first two hours consisted of political indoctrination. The rest of the day we had sports. As time went along, we loved it. Oh, we had so much fun and got our sports equipment free. We would go home and gleefully tell our parents about the wonderful time we had. My mother was very unhappy. When the next term started, she took me out of public school and put me in a convent. I told her she couldn't do that and she told me that someday when I grew up, I would be grateful. There was a very good curriculum, but hardly any fun - no sports, and no political indoctrination. I hated it at first but felt I could tolerate it. Every once in a while, on holidays, I went home. I would go back to my old friends and ask what was going on and what they were doing. Their loose lifestyle was very alarming to me. They lived without religion. By that time unwed mothers were glorified for having a baby for Hitler. It seemed strange to me that our society changed so suddenly. As time went along, I realized what a great deed my mother did so that I wasn't exposed to that kind of humanistic philosophy.

Equal Rights Hits Home:
In 1939, the war started and a food bank was established. All food was rationed and could only be purchased using food stamps. At the same time, a full-employment law was passed which meant if you didn't work, you didn't get a ration card, and if you didn't have a card, you starved to death. Women who stayed home to raise their families didn't have any marketable skills and often had to take jobs more suited for men. Soon after this, the draft was implemented. It was compulsory for young people, male and female, to give one year to the labor corps. During the day, the girls worked on the farms, and at night they returned to their barracks for military training just like the boys. They were trained to be anti-aircraft gunners and participated in the signal corps. After the labor corps, they were not discharged but were used in the front lines. When I go back to Austria to visit my family and friends, most of these women are emotional cripples because they just were not equipped to handle the horrors of combat. Three months before I turned 18, I was severely injured in an air raid attack. I nearly had a leg amputated, so I was spared having to go into the labor corps and into military service.

Hitler Restructured the Family Through Daycare:
When the mothers had to go out into the work force, the government immediately established child care centers. You could take your children ages 4 weeks to school age and leave them there around-the-clock, 7 days a week, under the total care of the government. The state raised a whole generation of children.. There were no motherly women to take care of the children, just people highly trained in child psychology. By this time, no one talked about equal rights. We knew we had been had.

Health Care and Small Business Suffer Under Government Controls:
Before Hitler, we had very good medical care. Many American doctors trained at the University of Vienna . After Hitler, health care was socialized, free for everyone. Doctors were salaried by the government. The problem was, since it was free, the people were going to the doctors for everything. When the good doctor arrived at his office at 8 a.m., 40 people were already waiting and, at the same time, the hospitals were full. If you needed elective surgery, you had to wait a year or two for your turn. There was no money for research as it was poured into socialized medicine. Research at the medical schools literally stopped, so the best doctors left Austria and emigrated to other countries. As for healthcare, our tax rates went up to 80% of our income. Newlyweds immediately received a $1,000 loan from the government to establish a household. We had big programs for families. All day care and education were free. High schools were taken over by the government and college tuition was subsidized. Everyone was entitled to free handouts, such as food stamps, clothing, and housing.

We had another agency designed to monitor business. My brother-in-law owned a restaurant that had square tables. Government officials told him he had to replace them with round tables because people might bump themselves on the corners. Then they said he had to have additional bathroom facilities. It was just a small dairy business with a snack bar. He couldn't meet all the demands. Soon, he went out of business. If the government owned the large businesses and not many small ones existed, it could be in control. We had consumer protection. We were told how to shop and what to buy. Free enterprise was essentially abolished. We had a planning agency specially designed for farmers. The agents would go to the farms, count the live-stock, then tell the farmers what to produce, and how to produce it.

"Mercy Killing" Redefined:
In 1944, I was a student teacher in a small village in the Alps . The villagers were surrounded by mountain passes which, in the winter, were closed off with snow, causing people to be isolated. So people intermarried and offspring were sometimes retarded. When I arrived, I was told there were 15 mentally retarded adults, but they were all useful and did good manual work. I knew one, named Vincent, very well. He was a janitor of the school. One day I looked out the window and saw Vincent and others getting into a van. I asked my superior where they were going. She said to an institution where the State Health Department would teach them a trade, and to read and write. The families were required to sign papers with a little clause that they could not visit for 6 months. They were told visits would interfere with the program and might cause homesickness. As time passed, letters started to dribble back saying these people died a natural, merciful death. The villagers were not fooled. We suspected what was happening. Those people left in excellent physical health and all died within 6 months. We called this euthanasia.

The Final Steps - Gun Laws:
Next came gun registration. People were getting injured by guns. Hitler said that the real way to catch criminals (we still had a few) was by matching serial numbers on guns. Most citizens were law abiding and dutifully marched to the police station to register their firearms. Not long after-wards, the police said that it was best for everyone to turn in their guns. The authorities already knew who had them, so it was futile not to comply voluntarily. No more freedom of speech. Anyone who said something against the government was taken away. We knew many people who were arrested, not only Jews, but also priests and ministers who spoke up.

Totalitarianism didn't come quickly, it took 5 years from 1938 until 1943, to realize full dictatorship in Austria. Had it happened overnight, my countrymen would have fought to the last breath. Instead, we had creeping gradualism. Now, our only weapons were broom handles. The whole idea sounds almost unbelievable that the state, little by little eroded our freedom. After World War II, Russian troops occupied Austria . Women were raped, preteen to elderly. The press never wrote about this either. When the Soviets left in 1955, they took everything that they could, dismantling whole factories in the process. They sawed down whole orchards of fruit, and what they couldn't destroy, they burned. We called it The Burned Earth. Most of the population barricaded themselves in their houses. Women hid in their cellars for 6 weeks as the troops mobilized. Those who couldn't, paid the price. There is a monument in Vienna today, dedicated to those women who were massacred by the Russians. This is an eye witness account. "It's true...those of us who sailed past the Statue of Liberty came to a country of unbelievable freedom and opportunity. America Truly is the Greatest Country in the World. Don't Let Freedom Slip Away

"After America , There is No Place to Go"

Review: The Hows and Whys of Science Kit

Well, we finally opened our box, almost a week after we got it. And a busy week it has been, but I won't go into that right now.

I ended up working on the kit with my 3 year old and 5 year old, as the others were outside enjoying the unseasonably warm weather we were having. They loved it! There is a neat little telescope, a hand-crank flashlight (they loved that one), and some magnets, among other things. There are a lot of activities in the book as well that really look like a lot of fun, and once the weather warms back up a bit, we are going to go do some of them.

I really wish I had been able to take some pictures, but my camera decided it didn't feel like cooperating this week, so I will have to wait for a bit to get some pictures. I am very much looking forward to trying many of the experiments out though, and will be adding some activities to my kids' work boxes for school. I'm sure they'll love that idea.

My overall opinion of the kit is that it's fairly straightforward and very simply covers a wide range of topics. There were bits about magnets, soil, bugs, rocks, and a few other things. We haven't gone through everything in the book, but most of it seems very easy to do without a lot of extra work.

And the winner is.....

Marcie! Marcie you have won the Hows and Whys of Science kit! Please contact me by email and we can work out the details :)

Worth Checking Out

I was recently contacted by someone from the Promotions Team of a rather interesting site for kids furniture, among other things. I was allowed the option of choosing something for myself to review and tell all of you about, or to host a giveaway. After spending two days looking through their site, and finding not only a ton of great furniture, I also found lots of games and activities that I know my children would absolutely love.

I found all sorts of really neat science kits, which was fun for me because I love science. I love getting into the whys and hows of how things work. Take this Genetics Kit for example.
Seriously? How cool is that? And it's only $24.99 on the website.

There are tons of other kits like it too. Physics, Chemistry, Solar Systems, not to mention some really nice furniture. But for the giveaway, I think we will be going with this little number.
Again, because I love science, and it's the one area we haven't gotten into as much with the kids schooling. I would love to be able to share this with one of you lucky readers :) So here are the rules. Because of course, there are always rules.

1. Go to the website and poke around. Take a few hours, or days, or however long it takes to look through all the really cool stuff.

2. Come back here when you're good and ready, and tell me what you liked most.

3. Do it by March 10th, which is my oldest child's 10th birthday. He's quite excited since it's his golden birthday this year. Deadline for signing up will be March 10th, 2010 at 10:10 AM central time.

So I guess it's not when you're good and ready, but I'm giving you plenty of time to look through the site at least. For extra entries, share the link back to this contest with your friends, and post again telling me you did so in the comments section.

So again, you are entering for the Hows and Whys of Science, you're entering by March 10, 2010, 10:10 AM, and you're telling your friends :)

Wow, it's been a while

So yeah, it's been busy here lately. Not much time for blog updates, and since I really hate how my pictures turn out with the lack of appropriate lighting, I've not wanted to do much food blogging.

So quick update, we've been working on using workboxes for the kids for homeschool, which has been working out quite nicely. They are getting tons of work done in less time than before. Using a timer helps tremendously as well. I am hoping to upgrade from paper covered cereal boxes to nice little drawers before long, but those cost money, so it might be a while :) They do work nice though, so that's a good thing.

Zachary, our youngest, turned 2 on Sunday. Well, technically not quite, as his birthday is officially the 29th of February, which only comes every 4 years. But we use the 28th for his alternate birthday, since we have plenty of March birthdays already, and that fits in with our goal of having one baby in every month.

Our oldest, Ben, will be TEN YEARS OLD!!! Oh Lordy, where has the time gone? He's gotten so big, and grown so much since he was just the tiny little squirt I held so long ago. I know in a few years he will be driving, and then getting all grown up and moving away.

I do hope to start updating again before long. At least a little more often than once every 4 months, hopefully.