Why? I mean really. Are Viagra sales so low, someone takes time out of their day to find a blog entry from a year ago to 'advertise' it? Really?
For the benefit of my readers I've put commenting on moderation. I do apologize for having to do this, but I gather most, if not all, of you would rather skip the silly comments advertising Viagra. If you want to comment on Viagra, please find another blog on which to do it! I'm sure there are blogs out there that welcome that type of solicitation. IT IS NOT WELCOME HERE!! Thank you and have a great day!
Chastising spammers, sadly, is also all in a day's work! :-{
Until next time,
Carmen
Monday, August 16, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
Loving the beach
I should have been a beach bum! I love the beach, but for the oddest reasons.
When I go to the beach with my friends or family, I'm not interested in going in the water at all! I just want to bask in the sunlight and listen to the waves and whatever is playing on my iPod. I'm glad my kids are old enough to body board and play without me having to pay too much attention to them. They're strong swimmers, but the current is often stronger so every now and again I have to remind them they're too far out.
Other than that, I'm good just soaking up the rays and occasionally walking the beach to collect seashells. We'll usually pack a cooler full of drinks and sandwiches and snacks. That's really all I need. REALLY! I could go every weekend, everyday actually.
We bought one of those tent things that help shield you from the sun from BJ's. It was only about $15. I loved it and it worked perfectly. Actually it could have been a little bigger so I could keep the coolers inside and thus the food cooler. But for the money it was perfect for just the two of us. The boys are always in the water so they really don't need it. I bought my mom a beach chair that had an umbrella with it and she loved it. She's 84 years old and loves going even though walking in the sand with her cane is like a triathlon to her!
Now that I'm planning on going to the beach more often I really need to find another bathing suit to wear. UGH!! That won't be fun but it's all in a day's work!
Until next time!
Carmen
When I go to the beach with my friends or family, I'm not interested in going in the water at all! I just want to bask in the sunlight and listen to the waves and whatever is playing on my iPod. I'm glad my kids are old enough to body board and play without me having to pay too much attention to them. They're strong swimmers, but the current is often stronger so every now and again I have to remind them they're too far out.
Other than that, I'm good just soaking up the rays and occasionally walking the beach to collect seashells. We'll usually pack a cooler full of drinks and sandwiches and snacks. That's really all I need. REALLY! I could go every weekend, everyday actually.
We bought one of those tent things that help shield you from the sun from BJ's. It was only about $15. I loved it and it worked perfectly. Actually it could have been a little bigger so I could keep the coolers inside and thus the food cooler. But for the money it was perfect for just the two of us. The boys are always in the water so they really don't need it. I bought my mom a beach chair that had an umbrella with it and she loved it. She's 84 years old and loves going even though walking in the sand with her cane is like a triathlon to her!
Now that I'm planning on going to the beach more often I really need to find another bathing suit to wear. UGH!! That won't be fun but it's all in a day's work!
Until next time!
Carmen
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Music pt.2
Fast forward to having kids...I didn't get them a piano at an early age, but I did expose them to good music. They listened to good music from the womb. Good music doesn't always mean classical music either, though that is how I was trained when I took lessons. My dad didn't let us listen to the radio back in the day. We listened to recordings of Sarah Vaughn, Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie and the like. In fact, I remember telling the kids at school about who we saw on The Lawrence Welk show the night before the way kids talk about American Idol today. My friends however were not at all excited about my music. (I only talked about Mr. Welk once, I learn fast!) We listened to classical music often, and my dad was a big fan of Barbra Streisand. I tried to instill the same things in my kids, exposing them to the best of whatever music was out there. We liked all kinds of music, from Hard Rock to R&B to Country and everything in between, but we just listened to the best of each genre. At the time I didn't think it had much of an affect on my sons.
Boy was I wrong to think that! It started with my oldest son. My husband would sing to him at bedtime to rock him to sleep. At some point in time, he would sing the song "I Swear" by the group All-4-One. My son must have been about 9 months old when we were in the car and the song came on. I was talking to my mom and would arbitrarily changed the channel. My son cried and screamed. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. Nothing else was on the radio so I ended up turning it back to that song and he abruptly stopped complaining! Then I realized it was my changing the song that made him upset. I changed it again just to test my hypothesis and low and behold he started up again. When I changed back, he stopped. A music lover was born and had 9 months old he had a preference! He continues to love music and has taught himself to play the guitar! My youngest sou has taught himself to play the piano and guitar and both of them want to play the violin. They love all different types of music. Good music.
One of our favorite activities is to go to Sam Ash Music Store and pick out sheet music and play all the instruments. We can literally stay there (and have) for hours! Even though I wasn't able to pursue my goal of becoming a music therapist, I'm glad I was able to share my love of music with my children the way my dad shared it with me! It's more than a day's work, it's a life's work!
Until next time!
Carmen
Boy was I wrong to think that! It started with my oldest son. My husband would sing to him at bedtime to rock him to sleep. At some point in time, he would sing the song "I Swear" by the group All-4-One. My son must have been about 9 months old when we were in the car and the song came on. I was talking to my mom and would arbitrarily changed the channel. My son cried and screamed. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. Nothing else was on the radio so I ended up turning it back to that song and he abruptly stopped complaining! Then I realized it was my changing the song that made him upset. I changed it again just to test my hypothesis and low and behold he started up again. When I changed back, he stopped. A music lover was born and had 9 months old he had a preference! He continues to love music and has taught himself to play the guitar! My youngest sou has taught himself to play the piano and guitar and both of them want to play the violin. They love all different types of music. Good music.
One of our favorite activities is to go to Sam Ash Music Store and pick out sheet music and play all the instruments. We can literally stay there (and have) for hours! Even though I wasn't able to pursue my goal of becoming a music therapist, I'm glad I was able to share my love of music with my children the way my dad shared it with me! It's more than a day's work, it's a life's work!
Until next time!
Carmen
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Music pt.1
I started taking piano lessons when I was 5 years old. My father was a musician. I remember thinking, no... knowing, the powerful effect music can have on people. I remember my dad being brought to tears by hauntingly beautiful pieces of music. At other times, they lifted his spirits. Without ever really saying alot about it, he taught me the value of music. It's always been a part of my life and because it has the ability to move, uplift, and inspired, and I wonder what makes people tick, I naturally felt that music therapy would be the field for me to go into. Years later, that never happened for me. Nonetheless, I used music to soothe myself, help me release emotions I would generally wouldn't, and at times feel joy.
That was until I got married. My husband loves music also, but not like me. I lived for it. I tended to put music on the back burner. I was a wife now. Spending all day consumed with music was not to be and I really was consumed. For example, by the time I graduated high school I played the piano, trumpet, flute, violin, guitar and sang. I spent my summers taking classes in a Fame type school, we're I learned to master my instrument (at the time the violin) learned another instrument (cello), took a class in conducting (which I loved, naturally!!), and then played in the orchestra at the end of the day to practice a piece that we would perform at the end of the summer. At the end of the summer in the middle of playing, I had to stop and listen to all the instruments around me. It was phenomanal! I couldnt' believe I was a part of it. We were playing at our best at that moment, every note pefectly played, perfectly in tune, just plain perfect! I was stunned! It was like a flurry of notes all around that suddenly came together in harmony. (As you can tell I'm having a moment!) I really don't know how to explain it. My husband rolls his eyes sometimes when I go back to those days. I keep telling him, it was truly was an experience that words can't contain. Have you ever had an experience like that? Maybe it wasn't musical in nature, but have you experience a feeling so intense, words can't describe it? For me that's what music is like.
Stay tuned for part two!
Until next time!
Carmen
Friday, July 2, 2010
Chores of Duty
Hey all,
I’m back and ready to go to work. There are so many chores I need to do today and I’ve decided that blogging about it might be the way to get me back to…well…blogging. First off I’m using a new format with which to blog. I have a Dell computer which had Dell Dock and that made blogging so much easier. I could put links in without having to know HTML. Without Dell Dock, I found blogging a bit tedious. (Which is probably why I should learn HTML so I wouldn’t have to be limited by certain programs, right?! You would think wouldn’t you?) Anyway, I have Microsoft Office which supposedly has a blogger template, so I’ll be using that. I’ll let you know if I think it works well.
On to chores. I need to print about 5,000 invitations, update my blog, try to finish my husband’s website, fill out the boy’s new patient information for their new dentist and make sure it’s dropped off by 2PM, and of course attempt the multitudes of chores around the house. Friday usually the day I try to spend going out and basically being by myself. But, because that day is also the day my husband works his business, I’ll send out invoices on that day and make deposits. So instead of finding everything to do outside of the house, I’ll try and stay in and make it a desk day. I’ll find another day of the week to be by myself.
Well I guess it’s off to do my chores of duty. It’s all in a day’s work!
Until next time,
Carmen
I’m back and ready to go to work. There are so many chores I need to do today and I’ve decided that blogging about it might be the way to get me back to…well…blogging. First off I’m using a new format with which to blog. I have a Dell computer which had Dell Dock and that made blogging so much easier. I could put links in without having to know HTML. Without Dell Dock, I found blogging a bit tedious. (Which is probably why I should learn HTML so I wouldn’t have to be limited by certain programs, right?! You would think wouldn’t you?) Anyway, I have Microsoft Office which supposedly has a blogger template, so I’ll be using that. I’ll let you know if I think it works well.
On to chores. I need to print about 5,000 invitations, update my blog, try to finish my husband’s website, fill out the boy’s new patient information for their new dentist and make sure it’s dropped off by 2PM, and of course attempt the multitudes of chores around the house. Friday usually the day I try to spend going out and basically being by myself. But, because that day is also the day my husband works his business, I’ll send out invoices on that day and make deposits. So instead of finding everything to do outside of the house, I’ll try and stay in and make it a desk day. I’ll find another day of the week to be by myself.
Well I guess it’s off to do my chores of duty. It’s all in a day’s work!
Until next time,
Carmen
New Layout
So.....What do you think of my new layout! I'm sure I'll change it a few more times until I get it just the way I want it. But for now this will do. I'm glad to be back and will have plenty to blog about!
Until next time,
Carmen
Until next time,
Carmen
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Follett Educational Services
I just had to ordered some TE books for my son. I have to say the best place all around for textbooks is http://www.fes.follet.com. I really like this company. They've changed their website a little but for the most part, I can find what I need at the right price. The particular book I was looking for cost between $70-$125 everywhere I looked. It only cost $51 at Fes Follett. I just ordered it on Wednesday and I'm expected to get it Friday. I'm so excited! My son on the other hand is not so excited. It is Algebra after all.
If you're a homeschooler and need to pickup textbooks, I would highly recommend this company. If you have any questions about them, be sure to drop me a line! Oh, and another thing, when you're finished with the books, you can sell it back to them! How great is that?!
Finding bargains is all in a day's work but it's also rewarding!
Until next time,
Carmen
Friday, February 19, 2010
Friday Favorites!
So this dessert is a new favorite of mine. It's based on the yogurt parfait at McDonald's. While spending a buck for it is not really a big deal, it's so much better when you can make it yourself! Here's how I did it.
Penny Pincher's Parfait
I started off trying to find the perfect yogurt, which for me was Dannon's Vanilla Yogurt. I followed that with some simple frozen mixed berries. I'm partial to strawberries at berries go. That's the beauty of making it yourself. You can make it just the way you want. You could use low fat yogurt or sugar free if they have it. (I like sugar and fat so that won't work for me!) The hardest thing to find was the granola. I wanted the kind that looked like the one at McDonald's but could never find it, or it was more than I was willing to pay. Then, I came across a recipe for granola that was so easy that even I could do it. It made enough granola to fill a gallon size storage bag and we also use it as cereal so we cut down on buying cereal! I like having a one, two punch to boot! To make the parfait you just add the yogurt to your serving dish top with the berries, add more yogurt, then more berries and so on until you get to the top. Let your last layer be yogourt with just a garnish of berries and then had the granola. Here's the recipe for the granola.
Easy Granola
Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oil (canola is fine)
1/2 cup of honey
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla
7 cups oats (I've used quick cooking and old fashioned and old fashioned is better)
1. Mix brown sugar, oil, and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to a low boil.
2. Remove from heat. Stir in cinnamon and vanilla.
3. Pour over oats in a large bowl. Stir until well coated.
4. Spread oats in a 9x13 pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.
5. Take out and stir.
6. Return pan to oven. Turn oven off.
7. You can either leave it overnight or go back to it after 45 minutes to an hour and enjoy!
It's so good y'all! (An ode to Paula Deen!) This doesn't last very long in our house. You can add roasted pecans or other nuts, dried fruit for a trail mix or anything else you can come up with. I just came across a recipe for making your own yogurt in a crock pot! I'll let you know how that comes out when I try it. Just because cooking is all in a day's work, doesn't mean it can't be your favorite activity! Just keep it fun and tasty! Everyone loves a parfait!
Until next time,
Carmen
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Body Wash Alert
I got a sample from Wal-mart a few weeks back from Caress. It's the Evenly Gorgeous Exfoliating Body Wash. It smells sooooo good! It reminds me of coffee and cinnamon rolls. My husband says he likes it and even my kids liked it.
Well, while I was out and about yesterday my sister told me that someone blogged about this particular body wash. I, of course, forgot all about the sample I had! The blogger stated that it cost only about $6. Imagine my surprise when I found it for $3.87! Whoohoo! 18oz for $3.87! Of course, it's going to go up in price if it gets really popular so I get I better stock up, huh?!
Once I give it a try I'll let you know how it goes. My skin has been really dry this winter. I've been taking more baths and I'll admit they're usually in hot water since I'm always freezing. I'll stop doing that (hot water baths not bathing altogether!). I really need to find a good moisturizer for my skin also. Anyone have a recommendation? I'd love to hear it!
Until next time,
Carmen
Well, while I was out and about yesterday my sister told me that someone blogged about this particular body wash. I, of course, forgot all about the sample I had! The blogger stated that it cost only about $6. Imagine my surprise when I found it for $3.87! Whoohoo! 18oz for $3.87! Of course, it's going to go up in price if it gets really popular so I get I better stock up, huh?!
Once I give it a try I'll let you know how it goes. My skin has been really dry this winter. I've been taking more baths and I'll admit they're usually in hot water since I'm always freezing. I'll stop doing that (hot water baths not bathing altogether!). I really need to find a good moisturizer for my skin also. Anyone have a recommendation? I'd love to hear it!
Until next time,
Carmen
Hi all!
Good morning, afternoon or evening wherever you are! How are things going for everyone? For me, so far so good. I wanted to start doing the Master Cleanse but when I went to the store, they were completely out! I guess I wasn't the only wanting to start.
I spent most of the day yesterday trying to recover from back spasms. I don't know where I got that from since I've never had problems with it before. Anyway, this morning I felt much better and so I headed to the store in 28 degree weather. Anyone who knows me knows that's not like me at all since I hate cold weather. I just felt like I had to get out of the house though. The cold air certainly woke me up. I just wished I had a hot cup of coffee to keep me warm. I usually don't wear a jacket when I'm driving because it feels restrictive, but you better believe I had one on this morning!! (With gloves to boot!)
After I got home, the nurse from home health (for my mom) was already here. Fortunately they've discharged her which means she's doing significantly better. They packed up all their equipment and said goodbye. If you ever find that you need that service, make sure you look into it. It was well worth it!
Then I started scheduling school work. I really tried to let them do it on their own, but at some point you got get in there and handle it before it gets too overwhelming for them and me! Of course they balked and complained, but like my husband likes to say, "Just take a deep breath...and then get over it!" I don't even have to say it to them now. I just take a deep breath and they usually desist from the whining!
So now I'm blogging and trying to spend some time organizing, and scheduling myself. It's all in a day's work!
Until next time,
Carmen
I spent most of the day yesterday trying to recover from back spasms. I don't know where I got that from since I've never had problems with it before. Anyway, this morning I felt much better and so I headed to the store in 28 degree weather. Anyone who knows me knows that's not like me at all since I hate cold weather. I just felt like I had to get out of the house though. The cold air certainly woke me up. I just wished I had a hot cup of coffee to keep me warm. I usually don't wear a jacket when I'm driving because it feels restrictive, but you better believe I had one on this morning!! (With gloves to boot!)
After I got home, the nurse from home health (for my mom) was already here. Fortunately they've discharged her which means she's doing significantly better. They packed up all their equipment and said goodbye. If you ever find that you need that service, make sure you look into it. It was well worth it!
Then I started scheduling school work. I really tried to let them do it on their own, but at some point you got get in there and handle it before it gets too overwhelming for them and me! Of course they balked and complained, but like my husband likes to say, "Just take a deep breath...and then get over it!" I don't even have to say it to them now. I just take a deep breath and they usually desist from the whining!
So now I'm blogging and trying to spend some time organizing, and scheduling myself. It's all in a day's work!
Until next time,
Carmen
Friday, February 12, 2010
We have normality!
Thanks for sticking with me guys. Things have been pretty rough for the last couple of months, but I think times are changing. Winter is the worst time of year for me. I practically go into hibernation, but now I feel the days getting longer and I'm starting to come back to life. I just wished the threat of snow would go away.
Don't get me wrong, I love watching the snow from inside. In fact, once in a while I'll even go out in it and play! But if I had my way, I'd be near a beach somewhere melting. I'd rather drip in sweat than to be slightly chilled! That's just me. :-)
I just wanted to stop in and let you know I'm still here. I have a tendency to believe that I have to write something lengthy or nothing at all. Just to make sure I'm contributing more, I will have more frequent blogs but not as long.
Until next time,
Carmen
Don't get me wrong, I love watching the snow from inside. In fact, once in a while I'll even go out in it and play! But if I had my way, I'd be near a beach somewhere melting. I'd rather drip in sweat than to be slightly chilled! That's just me. :-)
I just wanted to stop in and let you know I'm still here. I have a tendency to believe that I have to write something lengthy or nothing at all. Just to make sure I'm contributing more, I will have more frequent blogs but not as long.
Until next time,
Carmen
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