i heart google

i have shown my love on here before about google apps and what not... here is a preview of the new iGoogle homepage... i am also trying it out and love it!!
http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2008/07/googles-services-converge-in-new.html

New Blogger - Go Visit!

http://www.petra-thewisespot.blogspot.com/

Showing some love to a friend and fellow blogger... go visit her new blog !!

Petra is on a quest for knowledge:
"Herein lies my quest for knowledge. I want to know how things work. I want to know about things that I never had any interest in before, but should know..."

http://www.petra-thewisespot.blogspot.com/

dedicated to my husband...

holy crap i just went outside for two minutes with a customer and felt like passing out, it's about 90 degrees and 100% humidity....

My husband works outdoors and/or underground every day... this past week he worked 56.5 hours... today he is working a 10 hour day, 50' underground in a hole. he also told me they figured out how many times a day he has to lift a 65lb bar --- 240 times... he is amazing! he works for a pile driving company, drilling into the ground and making concrete columns to support things like bridges and buildings.

he comes home daily covered in dirt, diesel, concrete, bruises and burns... the first thing out of his mouth... where are my kisses!?! lips are the only clean part of him as he walks through the door.

also: the only semi-work related, productive thing i have done at work (in the a.c.) today, was make him and his co-workers stickers!! btw, he asked me for them about a month ago and i forgot... he had to remind me again last night....

Crockpot Chicken: Part 2

As i sit here eating lunch - crunching on a bone... i thought i might just revisit the Crockpot chicken!
It was delicious and soft .... before leaving to shop, my husband asked me to turn his into chicken salad so he could eat upon his return...
I guessed wrong as to which side was the breast of the chicken -- why can i never tell which end is up?? i had removed the insides, but i think i forgot the neck, i think that is separate from the insides. I realized all this while I separated the veggies from the chicken/the chicken from the bones... today i have the veggies and a little chicken over leftover plain spaghetti. not too bad to have already gotten 3 different meals out of it. Our newest goal is to get a meal plan going and me to get better at cooking.... step one: journal all meals, i have been making note on my calendar as not to bore you with all our meals, just the fun ones!

Twitter -- how i missed you so !

I have been going nuts canceling unused profiles, managing my google reader subscriptions, and making things online a bit more simple for myself. Well, it's been a few weeks and i am really missing twitter... so i am back! I am off to seek out those that i miss so and twitter best !

I had to change my user name so you can follow me @

https://twitter.com/mdblog

a VERY risky crockpot meal

Ok - so the only risk involves "the dog". I realized this morning i would never have time to run the grocery store and cook a whole chicken to be ready for any reasonable dinner time. I took the chicken out Thursday night to thaw and figured i must cook it today! silly -- but i left it in the Crockpot today, for the first time - with tedy at home - all day long... everyone here at work figures if he can reach it, we will not be eating chicken dinner tonight... my hope is that if he does attempt to get at it he burns himself, keeping him away... so while my stomach is in knots, lets hope all is well at home!
i threw in a bag of frozen veggies, it was a stir fry mix of broccoli, mushrooms, onions and some other veggies. i rubbed the chicken down with the Tuscany Bread Dipper mix, from Wildtree. I was hoping to just get the soy sauce on the veggies only but Nik covered the whole thing with soy sauce... so we will see what we have when we get home... i did not add any liquid, as that is my typical mistake and its all too watery.
fingers crossed we have a wonderful untouched dinner when we arrive home.


* Evening Update: All was intact when we returned home after work! although tedy had a guilty look on his face, he did not tamper with our dinner at all! and since rushing home from work and skipping shopping dad headed out after returning home and cleaning up, not yet enjoying his dinner... Nik thought it was great, gobbling up the soft veggies and chicken falling off the bone!

Wildtree: Alfredo Scrambled Eggs

We made scrambled eggs this morning - nik was very excited when i pulled out the "new cheese" ! He loves to help me cook, he started by cracking the eggs and added the milk then sprinkled on the cheese. It made it so easy to add flavor! Also we did not use any processed cheese, salt or pepper!

Save Money @ Local Events !

We very recently dumped our Chevy Trailblazer for a Chrysler Pacifica, right away we saw an increase in our mileage per gallon. Now instead of $75 I average about $55 per weekly fill up! Although we have made the commuting cost better we are still keeping our travels local this summer. At local events and fairs the fun is usually the same! Not only do you save on gas but the admission rates are typically lower or free.The past weekend we visited an annual fair and parade in our town. Here are my attempts at spending as little as possible.

The Rides: Upon arriving at the fair we first checked out our "i have to" rides. i bought 6 tickets - as many as we needed for those couple rides, not splurging on the 20 ticket pack... with nik being so little i did not have to give tickets for me. We got lucky because for whatever reason none of the ticket-takers were taking tickets! We ended up going on about 7 rides using only 4 tickets, instead of over 20 tickets!
The Food: we chose to eat at the event run tent, not the fair kiosks, we spent $1 for ea hot dog, $2.00 for fries --- i had brought lots to drink, but we still got one lemonade after lunch to share, gotta have my Del's !
The Games: what a ripoff!! but i made a deal with nik when we rode all the rides we would play ONE game... so i found the balloon darts, right by the exit... for $5 he got to throw 2 darts, plus a bonus shot and win a stuffed monkey... very happy!

I spent about $24. (That's less than most admission fees!)

Dinner and Wildtree : Spicin' up my blog !

On our last grocery shop the frozen diced onions were no where to be found. In comes Wildtree... Tonight I cooked sausage. I covered the sausage with the Onion & Chive blend along with diced frozen red and green peppers... pop them in the oven at 450 degrees. Not sure how long the sausage cooked, but took the temp to know it was done. Made up some potato flakes and frozen mixed veggies for sides. Dad really enjoyed and had some good comments on the sausage! I used the leftover Dill Dip Blend on my potatoes. Nik tried the Roasted Bell Pepper & Garlic dip on his. (that one was leftover from Tuesday night, which was the first thing we made up.) He really enjoyed the dip and after dinner we finished it up using some chips!
In an effort to "spice up" my blog i am going to try to write about wildtree... see my next post! I may have said this before -- i am not a great cook, i am ok... dad is much better, he has taught me a lot. Luckily he cooks often! I would much rather do the dishes/laundry or even vacuum than cook or think about dinner. ( i actually did each one of those in an effort to procrastinate some tonight, but he was still not home from work ;)

Cookout - in about an hour!

So while driving home from work yesterday my sister in law called, saying "I'm in - the cookout is on, right?!" i said... "ahhh, yea, sure ok..." She continues on to say "Just don't want you to forget that I am a vegetarian, I am sure my brother thinks that burgers and dogs are ok, but I just can't" We decieded she, along with my mother in law and 2 nieces would bring large fresh grown garden salad and veggie burgers... worked for me... So i stop and get some wine, she is a wine drinker and we had no red on hand, let us not forget i am prego and can not drink.... hmmm.... ( BTW: my SIL and niece are visiting from FL, so we do not get to see them often! ) I try to get a hold of my husband, no go ... he is showering... but his message to them got through, "Cookout is On!" Nik and i get home, i say "yes they are coming... in about an hour!" He immediatly inventories everything we have and need, i got beer and wine and scored points for that one! We come up with a short list of chips, soda, juice, milk and bread.
He starts by making linguica baked beans, prepping the burgers/dogs. Nik and i run to the store... he reminds me it is 5:53, they are arriving at 6:30. We run briskly through the store, nik in the back of the cart, holding on to both sides as if he is flying! get to the register "I gotta pee..." is what i hear... "no way, no really... you need to hold it" "Ok" he says while bouncing around. Nik then began to talk to the girls checking and bagging, helping the bag girl by handing her everything... telling her about the little things we bought. then out of nowhere and very loud "MY MOM CAN DO EVERYTHING, MY MOM CAN DO!" i pause and smile smuggly... "You are so right... thanks nik, yes i can!" that had everyone around us giggling... ok, let's fly... oh yeah, the pee thing... thank goodness he is a boy, and we have perfected the "parking lot pee". get into the driveway at 622.... dad waiting... "why do you not have your phone?" oh crap... "they can't bring the veggie burgers" We then switch, he takes off in the car, nik and i unpack the groceries.... a few minutes later our 4 guests arrive... no biggy right, they are family.The real reason behind this story: WILDTREE HERBS, live saver! I recently had a home party and my $70 worth of free stuff showed up the day before!
We started with the Tuscany Dipper mixed it up with some Portuguese olive oil, had bought a french bread for dipping... first thing on the table. From there i start some noodle side dish for the kids, unrelated to the wildtree... stir the beans. Next i mix up some Dill Dip Blend with sour cream and mayo. Serve with Lays American Dill chips we had on hand, and the bread. It really should sit before serving but there was no time for sitting.
Dad returns home with the biggest piece of salmon i have ever seen! He remembered and referred to the recipe in my new Wildtree book from our reading the night before... luckliy i picked the dill dip to make up... again some points! He rubbed the salmon down with the Hickory Smoked Grilling Oil and applied the already made up Dill Dip Blend. He grilled up the burgers/dogs... i served the kids while he began cooking the salmon. It was amazing, melt in your mouth... we were eating dinner by 720 or so... it was super easy and delicious! We were a bit stuffed from the bread dipper and dill dip with chips! So we did not eat all the salmon, i could have it today for lunch at work!
All in all i love the Wildtree products, so happy with everything so far... if not for my husband's unpredictable work schedule i would have already signed on as a consultant. i am going to journal all our wildtree uses, for when and if the time is ever right!

I'm Playing Tag Again : Six Random Things

Here are the rules for Six Random Things:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. Write six random things about yourself
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs
5. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website
6. Let your tagger know when your entry is up

I was tagged by:
Calley, The EcoChic. She is most likely more green than I could ever image being, although as a wanna-be green girl, I try. I love it when her green posts pop up on my reader!

So six random things:

1. I love newly paved roads...
2. My husband changed all the first yucky black diapers of our son...
   
3. I am simplifying my online world in an effort to stay focused on my blog and my sons' TotSpot. I have canceled a lot of unused extras like - profiles i do not maintain or have gone stale... affiliate programs, yahoo groups, twitter, zazzle...
   
4. I love my iGoggle homepage @ work and home: my google reader, my email, my calendar, to do list, Gmarks and real friends on MySpace.
5. I hate it when the dog eats our vertical blind slats...
6. I need a haircut...

Six blogs that rock:

1. Tea and Trinkets, my mom
   
2. Suburban Bliss:: Birth Control Via The Written Word
3. simple mom
4. Rookie Moms
5. Frugal Hacks
6. Mommies Think Too

Sugar Cookie Day - Today!

http://www.pillsbury.com

Prego Drinks : Mocktails

I recently saw a post on some mocktails... ooh and could i use a drink. I have come to the realization that i am not really "craving" alcohol, i just want a drink. My first pregnancy was through the winter, no thought of alcohol really... this one not so much.... i think about it a lot, i am going to blame it on the summer !!

Here are my favorite Mocktail Recipes and links to more:

Cherry Fizz
INGREDIENTS
* 1/2 cup frozen cherry juice concentrate, thawed
* 1/2 cup ginger ale
DIRECTIONS
1. Place cherry concentrate in a glass. Slowly stir in ginger ale.

Cool Watermelon Slushes
INGREDIENTS
* 6 ice cubes
* 2 cups cubed seeded watermelon
* 1 teaspoon honey
DIRECTIONS
1. Place the ice cubes into a blender. Cover, and pulse until crushed. Add the watermelon and blend for about 1 minute, until slushy. Add the honey, and blend for about 10 seconds.

Italian Cream Soda
INGREDIENTS
* 8 fluid ounces carbonated water
* 3/4 fluid ounce passion fruit flavored syrup
* 3/4 fluid ounce watermelon flavored syrup
* 1 fluid ounce half-and-half cream
DIRECTIONS
1. Fill a tall glass half full with ice. Fill to 2/3 with carbonated water. Pour in watermelon and passion fruit flavored syrups, then float the half-and-half cream on top. Stir when ready to drink.

Link to more of the best mocktail recipes on AllRecipes.com

TV Talk

I have not been following my daily topics much at all this summer... but here is a good one for tube tuesday!
i discovered a new favorite show: USA's In Plain Sight. It is rather funny, and edgy. It's also very fast paced which i like. Mary McCormack is excellent playing a US Marshall placing witness' into the program. It has also allowed me to re-discover Law & Order: CI, which is a great show as well... both of these shows are all new episodes so far this summer. Now watching so much USA i am interested in catching the new season of Burn Notice. I recently caught a few episodes during any all day marathon and got a bit into it. Army Wives is a new season - but competes with In Plain Sight...
Again it's all thanks to either the live episodes online and my DVR that i can even think about catching a show. Without either of those two options i would not even begin to think about catching a tv at its regularly scheduled time! another cool feature of my directv dvr is programming it to record online... so while "working" i can make sure my shows are going to be recorded!!

Upcoming

I have been contacted lately by a few vendors hopefully they will turn into some great giveaways... cool baby blanket maker, the reading materials below, homemade dog treat maker, just to name a few... I am getting some samples in the mail this week of the Einsteins milk and other goodies! Look forward to sharing all these products and giveaways with you all soon!

THE SUMMER OF LEARNING

SUMMER 2008 DECLARED “THE SUMMER OF LEARNING”
Educational companies encourage learning during the summer

GRAND HAVEN, MI– July 8, 2008—School Zone Publishing Company and Your Baby Can Read! LLC, join forces to declare summer 2008 “The Summer of Learning.” Summer is in full swing and students are filling their time with fun and relaxing activities. When school resumes in the fall, teachers assume that their students have retained everything they learned the previous year. Unfortunately there is a lot of backsliding that happens during a long break from school.

“The Summer of Learning” encourages parents to spend 30-minutes, three times a week on reading, vocabulary, spelling and math with their child during the summer. “Summer is a time for kids to relax, travel and have new experiences,” says Jonathan Hoffman, CEO of School Zone. “We are committed to creating fun and interactive learning experiences to keep children engaged and continue the learning process even when school is out of session.”

The babies and toddlers in the family might not be in school yet, but their brains are ready for knowledge. Created by Dr. Robert Titzer, the groundbreaking Your Baby Can Read! program teaches children to read from the age of three months old. Dr. Titzer’s research proves that the natural learning window for a child is ages 0-4. Why wait until kindergarten to begin the learning process? “Starting baby off on the right educational foot is so important,” says Dr. Robert Titzer, creator of Your Baby Can Read!, “Summer is a relaxing time for most of us and a great opportunity to begin teaching baby to read.”

School Zone and Your Baby Can Read! suggest a host of activities to give the brain a workout during the lazy days of summer.

Baby and Toddler:

Your Baby Can Read! is a simple and integrated program that teaches babies to start recognizing words as early as three months old. This learning process leverages baby’s natural curiosity and opens the door to a whole new world of learning.

Reading to a child is one of the greatest gifts. Make it interactive with School Zone’s Peek-a-Boo Puppy book. Baby will love to make puppy cover his eyes with magnetic paws before guessing what gifts puppy’s friends have brought him. Discover the surprises on magnetic lift-the-flap cards.

Preschool and Kindergarten:

Keep your young ones busy while on long trips with a fun and educational game of Go Fish and Old Maid. School Zone’s specially designed playing cards allow kids to match up lower and upper case letters during a game of Go Fish and counting from one to nine with Old Maid.

3D Think & Blink Alphabet Flash Cards are fun and flashy! Watch and learn as these 26 amazing alphabet flash cards magically blink between letters and pictures to help children recognize the letters of the alphabet, identify beginning sounds and practice alphabetical order.

First and Second Grade:

First Grade Scholar Deluxe Edition sharpens skills by engaging a child’s natural love of learning. The full-color workbook uses a fun zoo theme to introduce a lively selection of first grade language arts, math, science and social studies. The First Grade Scholar can travel anywhere for use on the road!

The Big Science Workbook contains weather, seeds & plants, insects & spiders, reptiles & amphibians, birds, ocean life, mammals, dot-to-dots and other activities. The Big Science Workbook is a great learning addition to those summer outdoor excursions and trips to the zoo.

Third and Fourth Grade:

Take a trip across the United States with the interesting activities in the Travel the Great States workbook. Challenging puzzles, map quizzes and intriguing facts about each state helps children learn geography and develop map reading skills. Use the fantastic workbook from School Zone to prepare kids for a summer road trip and involve the entire family in planning.

Multiplication and Division are an important foundation for math skills. The Multiplication and Division Flash Action Software makes learning fast and easy. Children practice problems against the clock, challenge another player to a game of fast facts or test themselves for speed and accuracy. Making math fun, interactive and easy offers children an interactive opportunity to keep up on math during summer break.

Fifth and Sixth Grade:

Make the journey as much fun as the destination with Games & Puzzles Deluxe Activity workbook. Travelers will enjoy time together while playing games, solving puzzles, laughing at riddles and much more.

Math War: Multiplication is an exciting card game that helps children learn and practice multiplication facts while having fun. Take the math war on the road, having fun while keeping up those math skills.

Create your own Summer of Learning! Visit www.schoolzone.com and www.yourbabycanread.com. Kids and parents alike will enjoy the educational time together and breathe a sigh of relief when there is no re-learning to be done in the fall!

ABOUT SCHOOL ZONE PUBLISHING COMPANY: School Zone Publishing Company (www.schoolzone.com) is a leading publisher of children’s educational products and a privately held family company located in Grand Haven, Michigan. In 1979, School Zone debuted their original children’s workbook, an industry first. In 1996, they were also the first to combine interactive software and their prestigious workbook line. Today, they add the unique 3D Animal Alphabet Flash Cards to their 600+ educational products for children. School Zone has garnered over 120 prestigious industry awards to date including: Teacher’s Choice, Parent’s Choice, EDDIE, and Bessie awards.

ABOUT YOUR BABY CAN READ! LLC (www.yourbabycanread.com) The Your Baby Can Read! mission is to give babies and toddlers the tools they need to begin reading and learning language skills early in their lives. This provides them with a head-start to achieving the confidence and success that early literacy can bring. Working closely with expert doctors and researchers, products include the popular “Your Baby Can Read!” early language development system, which has taught thousands of babies and toddlers to read worldwide.

FoodNetwork.com

I just recently read an article in our local hometown paper... it was about a Rhode Island woman on the The Next Food Network Star reality show... i had not been watching it until right now... after a very quick investigation i see she has been eliminated, i think last week.... anyways my congratulations to Jennifer for making it on the show and lasting 5 episodes! She is the executive chef in the best pizza place around... Briggs Corner Pizzeria.

Today as much as we wanted to travel to get some good steaks we went to Outback, which was delicious! I chose the Blooming Onion Burger, which was the best app and perfect burger in one! loved it...

Also thanks to food tv... our restaurant wish list - we love food...
Sunset Grill and Tap
Hilltop Steak House
Casa Portugal

What Utensil are You?

Mrs. Chicken is a Spork... I had to take the test!

You are a Knife

You are precise, determined, and detail oriented. You mean what you say, and you say what you mean. You enjoy taking risks and living on the edge. You are a controversial person. You opinions tend to be divisive.

What Utensil Are You?

More TotSpot

Here is a great article about TotSpot... read on...

http://www.realtechmom.com/2008/07/social-networ-2.html

Let's Play Tag !

I have been Tagged !

The rules of the game: Each player answers the questions themselves. At the end of the post the player tags 4 people and posts their names, and goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answers.

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Ten years ago: I was working full time at the same place I am currently, babysitting lots and having fun being 19 !

Today's to do list (5 things): today is a good day! told to go back to bed, dad made breakfast and lunch now it's about one... we've cleaned the car, picked up toys, laundry, dishes, ate lunch, packed niks' school bag for tomorrow... (this game was on my list!) dad is working outside stuff, all that's left for me is to run to the grocery store and continue work on a new website (to be unveiled soon!)... Tomorrow is a new list!

Snacks I enjoy: freezepops, chocolate milk with ice, chips

Things I would do if I was a millionaire: if we were instant millionaires we take care of our family, extended family, invest and travel.

Places I have lived in: Massachusetts my whole life.

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I was tagged by my mom @ TeaandTrinkets.com

I have tagged:
Michelle @ http://quickcountfootball.blogspot.com/
Dawn @ http://belleoftheblog.blogspot.com/
Michelle @ http://scribbit.blogspot.com/
Christina @ http://tacangelchristina.blogspot.com/