Hello Kitty House

hellokittyhouseA little off topic, but if you have little girls, you understand. They would probably love to take a tour, but unfortunately, it’s a bit of a trip….it’s in Shanghai.

I’m really not sure why anyone would do this to their house, unless they are the creators of the Hello Kitty brand, but this house is just a little over the top. However, think of how much fun it probably was for the designer to be paid to do something like this. I’m pretty sure it was built for commercial reasons, since the only information I could find on the house was that a Hello Kitty THEME park is in the works just a few hours away from it’s Shanghai location.

hello-kitty-house-backyard


Bringing Ladies’ Groups Together With Twitter?

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OK, before you think I’ve totally lost my mind, hear me out. The more I thought about it, the more I realized what an incredible tool this could be for any group that requires good communication. When was the last time you got a prayer request from the prayer chain, but didn’t hear the results until a week or two later?  Or you found out that a story about your benign trip to the ER had gone around (in love and concern, of course!) and the story turned up as a tragic brush with death? And one simple change in a plan requires a dozen or more calls to let everyone know?

If you’re not familiar with Twitter, it’s like a fast food version of Facebook. It takes about 3 minutes to sign up (if that!) and you are allowed ONLY 140 characters to say what you have to say. That ALONE has been really good for me since I have a tendency to use way too many words to say something. In short, the biggest advantage is it’s simplicity and efficiency. Even those that claim to be “tech challenged” will find it super simple and quick to use.

When I first heard of Twitter, I honestly thought it was ridiculous, and for some, it still is. However, I think there are some possibilities for using Twitter, like what I’m about to try to describe-that could be extremely good!

Let’s start with the process: Each woman would sign up with a separate account on Twitter. This would be an account that would be only for the group in question. For instance, if your church’s name is First Community Christian, you could start the ID’s with, FCC, then your name, like FCC-Debbie. I’m thinking that these accounts would need to be protected, so you didn’t have outsiders randomly adding you. When  you saw the code for your church, you would add that lady. Then, when the conversations are only the group you want, you can twitter significant information, and even not-so-significant information!

Think about it. If you have a lunch/Bible study, and everyone is bringing something, you can Twitter it, and it’s there for everyone to see, so everyone knows what others are bringing. You can check it at any time of day or night, without calling this person, then that person and so on. You could also Twitter things that you would never email or call someone about, but would be nice to know. For instance, in our church we share everything….especially germs. It’s always nice to know if something like Strep is going around, so if your child has a sore throat, you might pay closer attention to it. And vice versa.  You could ask for solutions to little things, or a recipe, (you’d have to then email the recipe, of course) and other mom to mom things. I think this could bring groups together in a new way. The amount of phone time saved could be monumental!

but the best part would be….

The ability to be more sensitive to other’s needs, to encourage each other in the little things, and the precious time that you actually see each other doesn’t need to spent on just catching up on the details. I think women could get to know each other on a new level. Without spending inordinate time away from their homes and responsibilities OR on the phone. Just think of all you could share– Quickly.

I don’t know, what do you think? Any system is dependant on the people using it, of course. It was just an idea I had in response to a new ‘email’ program our church is trying…. and I get the shakes thinking about MORE emails….


Have You Seen MomTV?

MomTV.com is like YouTube for moms. You can watch or share videos on almost any subject that moms might be interested in. You can choose from channels like  WAHM, SAHM, Special Needs, Family, Fashion, Fitness, Beauty, Home & Garden, Review, Saving Money, and more. No sign up needed to watch any of the videos, but if you want to upload your own video, sign up is quick or you can use your Facebook account info.  I have a feeling this is going to be a big hit! (Duh!)

http://www.momtv.com/

Are YOU a Mompreneur?

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If you’re a mompreneur, then you know the value of managing your time AND networking with other mompreneurs. This morning I spent some time on The Mogul Mom’s “Link Love Fridays”. Using something called Mr. Linky, (which I REALLY need to look into), you can post a link to your website or blog in exchange for a comment about one of the links already posted.

Well, as you can imagine, like potato chips, I couldn’t just look at just ONE link! I found several new sites that I either want to network with or buy something from. Here are some of my favorite finds (so far):

Diaper Daisy- I haven’t priced around yet, but I love these diapers. OK, I know I don’t have any babies, but I have twin grandsons that are still in diapers and know how much disposible diapers cost. In addition, with the move towards going green, disposables are becoming an endangered species. My daughter is as efficient as she is frugal, and in the tug of war between frugal and efficient, disposables have won hands down. However, with prices only going up, finding a diaper that is as convenient as it’s disposable counterpart, this could be a good alternative. The best part of Diaper Daisy is their offering of a trial package that lets you sample several different types for a $9.95 rental fee, along with great pricing if you keep the package. I love that idea! Check out all the details here..

Flourish Enrichment is another site that shows a lot of promise. Most homeschooling families have trouble incorporating two main elements into their curriculum: Art and Science (experiments). When you are buying for a large group, the cost of all the supplies isn’t an issue, but for one or two students it’s a different story. Flourish offers really unique art projects with everything you need for around $5. Finally!

Peanut Butter and Pickles Reviews is a must go-to if you are a mompreneur. Offering reviews for the cost of a sample product, this is a great site. If you’re NOT a mompreneur, it’s still a great site to go to for winning samples of products simply for giving  your opinion. This site is growing fast, but it’s still at that stage that you have a REALLY good chance of winning some cool stuff.

Foundation Studio caught my eye with a great blog design that I LOVE! I know, am I going to change my blog design AGAIN? Some women like shoes, some like clothes, some like furniture…well, I like blog design shopping! I really like that Foundation Studio… 1) is run my a mom just like us (ok, maybe she’s a little more creative…) and 2) she lists her prices. Think about it, as an online entrepreneur we don’t have to spend as much on our personal appearance (in theory) as someone working an outside job, but our blog appearance is our calling card…so we should look good, don’t you think?

There’s more, but that’s all for today. Check it out for yourself at:  The Mom Mogul, Friday Link Love

You can’t lose taking some time posting your link and finding some new ‘link-love’ in your life!

Free E-book- “Parent Like Jesus”

Quick to download as a PDF onto your computer, this is an excerpt from the book by the same author, Alan Melton. Founder of Disciple Like Jesus Ministry, he writes to parents AND grandparents to encourage the integration of biblical principles into our everyday lives.

Here is a part of the introduction:

As a theologian, pastor, and law enforcement offi cer I have had the unique opportunity to see the
fruit of modern Christianity. What many parents are doing today is not something that deserves
any encomium. Instead it deserves a funeral dirge for the spiritual death of their children.
Alan Melton has written this with a passionate heart that has an absolute conviction that Scripture is
the answer to solve many of the ailing and failing homes that are producing children who neither love
God nor man! As he has shown through mathematical numbers, the children who are being lost due to
the world is staggering and stunning.
Alan has made it clear, almost as if issuing a clarion call from heaven, that each parent must take
responsibility for the spiritual growth of their children lest those children become “spiritual orphans.”
It is these spiritual orphans that weigh heavy on every area of society. As a theologian it is these
orphans who are so biblically illiterate that they cannot and do not understand the basics of the gospel
because the parents have failed to train them in the word which is Christ in written form.
As a pastor it is these orphans who are rebellious, stubborn, and full of enough sin and spiritual stains
that they oft en erode not only their life but the lives of others around them.
As a law enforcement offi cer it is these orphans who are led to the jails and justice system whereby they
are disciplined for sins that could have been more eff ectively handled by their parents’ biblical counsel
while the child was in the home.
What is the answer to these spiritual orphans? Th e answer rests with following these basic patterns that
Alan has set forth in this work. Millions of Christians each week obey various patterns that are taught
from the Bible. People obey the pattern to attend church, people obey the pattern to give off erings,
people obey the pattern to have the Bible taught, people obey the pattern to be immersed in baptism,
and people obey the pattern of participating in the Lord’s Supper. Jesus provided a pattern for how to
disciple.

Here’s where you can download this ebook, you don’t even have to offer up your email address! There’s other free ebooks available as well.

http://www.disciplelikejesus.com/free-ebooks.html


Free Interactive Landscape Design Tool

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You are going to love this. It’s free, so we love it already, right? The download is quick and safe, because it’s from Download.com. If you’re not familiar with Download.com or Cnet.com, it’s a clearinghouse for all the best downloads, and is hands down the safest place to download ANYTHING from. Download.com actually deserves it’s own post as a highly recommended site to find all sorts of fun stuff that’s safe to download - but that’s another day.

Show Off.com is an easy place to virtually create the landscape of your dreams. You can use your own photo of your home, or use one of theirs that fits your home’s basic shape and terrain. Try different plants, watch them grow, or see what others have done with similar yards. It’s surprisingly easy, and once finished you can upload your design and let others see it, or get bids from local landscapers to have it done! The community section is great to ask questions, get ideas, solve problems, and more.

The best part is all the real life examples that others have uploaded that will give you more ideas than you can imagine. I love gardening and making my yard look nice, but more than once I’ve planted things that just didn’t work. They either grew WAY too big or didn’t grow at all after an entire season of nurturing them.

I have purchased three of the top landscaping programs over the years AND tried several of the online landscaping design programs, and this one is my favorite so far. . . And it’s free!

ShowOff.com


Freebies, Free Samples . . . All Free!


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I’m really not trying to be funny when I say these freebies are free . . . I’m sure you’ve encountered the ‘free’ trap, only to discover it’s really not free. Postage and handling is charged, sometimes to the tune of $15-$20! Well, hopefully, these websites hold to their promises of free freebies and samples! It’s worth checking out.

Expo TV is a video review site that makes it easy to upload your videos like You Tube does. So if you are a Flip-video nut, or have one in your house, you can join ExpoTV (free) and apply to their Tryology Program.

Read more about it at: http://www.expotv.com/make/tryology

If you aren’t wired for video, here’s a couple of sites to find all the free samples and freebies you have time for:

http://www.shop4freebies.com/

http://www.freestuff4free.com/


Free Grocery List Tool You Will Love



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Several years ago, when finding what you needed online was next to impossible, I actually paid for a download of a template advertised to make creating a grocery list just a little easier. It wasn’t much, under $3 I think, but it was a waste of money AND time. It was terribly difficult to set up, and I spent way too much time on it…all in the name of ’saving time’!

Now there are so many great applications it’s hard to choose which one to use. I received this link from Kim Komando and I love it. Nothing to download, completely free, and you don’t even have to set up an account just to have another user ID and password to forget. There is an option for setting up an account if you want to save your list so you can pull it up on your phone at the store. If you’re really tech-savvy (which I define as anyone that uses their cell phone for anything more than phone calls….) I could see how it could be really handy (no pun intended) to have your list on your phone. Just think, if you forget your list, there it is on your phone-providing you didn’t forget your phone!

There’s also printable coupons on site, and my favorite feature. . . (drum roll, please) the Sunday ads for virtually ANY store you could imagine! If you are a comp shopper at Walmart (you know who you are!) this could save you 100’s of dollars every month alone.

The only downside I encountered was it was a  little slow to load. If you have a slow connection to start with, I’m not sure how long it could take. I haven’t really used it yet, but intend to start this week. I’m always making notes to myself to remember certain items, but don’t always have a master list to keep it all together. Those of us that are organizationally-challenged, it’s definitely one of those items that has promising potential!

Let us know how it works for you!

http://www.grocerywiz.com


A Sweet Treat That’s Good For Your Teeth!

I read a great article from Real Age telling about the benefits of eating dates. I’ve never cooked much with them, but I will be looking for recipes with dates in them now! It appears that dates are naturally rich in the element fluorine, which is a component of fluoride, and not only strengthens tooth enamel, but helps reverse early tooth decay. It’s also high in fiber, as well as many vitamins and minerals.

Substituting date sugar for regular sugar:

Dates still have sugar in them, so it doesn’t affect the need to brush your teeth regularly. Using date sugar in recipes, is a healthy alternative, but how much should you use? Most places say it’s a 1:1 ratio for both white and brown sugar substitution, but several moms have said date sugar is much sweeter, and they prefer 2/3 cup of date sugar to substitute for 1 cup of white or brown sugar. Keep in mind that date sugar doesn’t dissolve well in liquids.

Where to find date sugar:

Most large grocery stores carry dates and date sugar. If you want organic, you may need seek out a Whole Foods or your local coop. One place most people don’t think to look is Amazon. While their prices usually run just a little higher than stores like Walmart or Kroger’s, it’s worth your while to check their grocery sales and specials. For instance, this month Kashi is offering 25% off select products with the coupon code KASHNTRL.  If you sign up for regular delivery from Amazon, they’ll take another 15% off. You can cancel the regular delivery at any time, or set it up for any time interval you like. I love getting delivery to my front door, and you won’t pay sales tax, either. (Our tax is 9.25%!) Buying items with 40% off and no tax works out to be a great deal. I’m a big herbal tea drinker, and I get my Celestial Seasonings Teas and my favorite, Good Earth Sweet & Spicy Red Tea this way and save big.

Check out the amazing selection of food at Amazon, and see their sales and specials here>




Win a $40 Gift Certificate For Mineral Makeup

Mere Mineral Makeup is a company owned and run by a homeschool mom and it shows. No, I don’t mean that in a bad way, but in the best way possible. Yannah Cormier puts a lot of herself into her business, including her integrity. She sells the highest quality mineral makeup without fillers, and offers the most affordable prices you’ll find.  Finding mineral makeup without fillers is more difficult than you realize, read your labels! Yannah also offers exemplary customer service and will help you make the right choices. You can read her entire story in a  write up in  Homeschool-Entrepreneur.com in their Bizy Homeschoolers section.

This summer, Homeschool Entrepreneur is running a “Summer Blog Contest” to spotlight blogs of other homeschooling families and to encourage youth to start an ‘Edu-blog’. One of the top prizes is a $40 gift certificate from Mere Minerals, along with several other great prizes. Pro-Blogger, Darren Rowse has agreed to judge the contest so send in your entry NOW! Deadline is Aug 20th.

Read more details at:  http://homeschool-entrepreneur.com/summer_blog_contest.html