Archive for html404

Demise of Guys Because of Technology?

Posted by html404 on January 29, 2013
in Books, Parenting, Technology/Electronics

Gregg over at My Job Chart shared an article about the book The Demise of Guys and the alarming trends about guys and technology. It’s quite sobering when you think about it. Like Gregg, we have four boys to raise and we want to raise them to be responsible adults, not game junkies.

We’ve used media to motivate our boys to work, they seem to need more motivation than our girls ever did. Either that or else our memories are very poor! But we limit the amount of time we give them on the computer, games and watching movies.

One of the many reasons we moved to the country was to create more work for our children…say what?! I can hear some of you screaming, but it’s true. We want our children to know how to work hard, be responsible and be high functioning adults. Not lazy, not gamers etc. but able to provide for a future family. After all God made work and regardless of what many may think work is good. Just look at where He put Adam and Eve after he created the, in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it.

Take a good look at this infographic…

What does it reveal to you? Do you see a problem trending towards the demise of guys because of technology and other unhealthy internet use? (Do not want to even use the term for fear of who it will bring to my website!) Leave my your thoughtful comments!

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Dear Neighbors

Posted by html404 on January 29, 2013
in Animals, Family Stuff, Farm Stuff

I think I have mentioned that we live on a busy rural road about four miles out of town, but the North side high school is basically in our backyard only a few fields over. I also believe I mentioned the fact that we have had Animal Control come out to visit us twice. Or maybe I neglected to share the last visit. The first visit was last June about our chickens. The last visit came due to an anonymous call to Animal Control saying our dog was neglected. Cough….eh-hem….there are eight children who live here and love Padfoot, how on earth could he possibly be neglected? Just because he’s tied by a roadside where everybody and their mother can see him?

The result of that visit ended in the Animal Control officer saying he could see our dog wasn’t neglected and that Padfoot was happy, but if we wanted to keep him outside… fix his house. We have a very old dog house for him that was given to us by our landlords and we are temporarily using it until Padfoot finishes growing. He knocked out the back wall by going through his house like a tunnel – silly dog! Robert finally braced it up against an old silo so the dog couldn’t do that anymore, so that worked.

The officer also told us to dig a hole and put a five gallon bucket of water in there so he had access to water 24/7. We had only been using his water dish which he frequently played with, emptied and tossed around. We knew that the bucket in the hole was not going to work as Padfoot is very strong. He is part Newfie and they are bred to be working, water rescue dogs. Think pulling people out of the water to save them from drowning and hypothermia. He can pull three of our older children on a cart! We were right, within a day he’d lifted that five gallon bucket, water and all, emptied it and was playing with that around the yard. We have a goofball of a dog!

Then one day a friend was over helping us see what needed to be done around the pasture and barn to make it horse-ready, as we are trying to bring Blaze our horse “home” to save on paying for board. She suggested using a bungee cord to hold the the bucket to the fence post to prevent him from spilling it or playing with the bucket. It worked!

The Animal Control officer never did come back within the ten days to make sure we complied to his requests, but perhaps he did a drive by to save on disturbing us. Thinking positive thoughts….

Icing on the cake was a few weeks ago a lady stopping by asking if she could adopt our dog because she never sees anyone outside with him.

Us: Cough…eh-hem…we are always outside, don’t you see people outside?

Her: Oh yes, but never with the dog.

Us: Well, every time someone goes out to feed or check on the chickens we stop and pet him. And he’s tied because our children would be devastated if he got run over by a car and our chickens need to be protected He’s killed two chickens this month when he’s been let loose to run :(. Now granted it may only be 5-10 minutes sometimes but over the course of day with all of us stopping and petting him, throwing his ball, rubbing his belly…that adds up to be a lot of time.

That conversation ended in the lady being close to tears because she felt so bad for suggesting adoption when we so clearly loved and truly did take care of our dog. I actually gave her a hug…my children couldn’t believe I hugged someone who wanted to take their dog away! Needless to say they were not feeling so solicitous.

The last straw was over the weekend a farmer, who has farmed for 40 years, stopped by to tell us to get our dog in the house. My husband thankfully was home to deal with this particular neighbor. My husband told him Padfoot was a Newfie. The farmer said, “I know what kind of dog he is….blah…blah…blah….” My husband also told the farmer that he cannot make the dog go in his dog house.

Do you dear readers know anything about Newfoundland dogs? As I said they are bred to work, to do water rescues, to go in cold water…this dog has three layers of water protective coat – meaning it is water resistant and does not penetrate his skin – and Newfies have extra padded paws too. Padfoot was born on a farm. He’s been outside since birth. The only time his previous owners brought him inside was to potty train him for his next home. Padfoot plays out in the rain, even when he has access to his dog house. He loves water and snow for that matter! My husband finds Padfoot sitting on top of his dog house ALL THE TIME. Padfoot sleeps out in the cold, even though he has access to his dog house. My husband went out the other morning and Padfoot had frost on head and raindrops frozen on the ends of his fur. Was he shivering? NO. Was he unhappy? NO. He was happy and jumping all over the place to greet his master, my husband, and get his tummy rubbed. That dog loves Robert more than all of us put together and has chosen him as his master. Good thing the feelings are mutual or it could be very annoying! lol!

When this farmer found out we could not have animals in our house, per our landlords request, he said, “Well at least put some hay on the ground in his dog house. You don’t want Animal Control coming around and ticketing you, do you?” Ah-ha! I think we know who’s called Animal Control….

We did what the farmer said to appease him. My husband said before we even put the hay in the house that Padfoot was going to have it strewn all over the yard….guess what Padfoot did within minutes of the hay being placed in his house? He threw it all over the place! Goof. Ball. Dog. But HAPPY.

Dear Neighbors,

We love our animals. We honestly do take care of them and if you were driving by every waking minute of the day you would be able to see that for yourself, rather than relying on random minutes when you are zipping by at 50 mph. So please stop meddling and find someone who is truly neglecting and abusing their animals to pick on for we think you have far too much time on your hands and need someone else to terrorize with your concerns. And by the way, we are getting very familiar with Animal Control. We hope they come to know us so well that they start to ignore anonymous calls about our animals and us, knowing our location puts us in a fish bowl for all to see or think they can see all but really don’t. You really know nothing at all about us or our animals. For if you did, you would see that our animals are very happy where they are and are joyful when they see us coming.

Oh the joys of living in the country…where no one minds their own business like they do in the suburbs! 😉

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The Tutor’s Daughter

Posted by html404 on January 28, 2013
in Books, Products for Mom, Reviews

The Tutor’s Daughter by Julie Klassen is a historical romance mystery novel. I was grateful that it was centered more around the mystery aspect, along with the heroine’s jumbled feelings over two men with whom she spent part of her younger years growing up.

It’s about the daughter of a professor who travels with her father as he goes to a baronet’s home to tutor his two younger sons, who are spoiled beyond belief.

I liked that The Tutor’s Daughter had a Downton Abbey feel to it. All the social niceties that Britain during that time period was known for, where the socialites looked down their noses at the working class and the working class desired to make life better for the poor. The book write up said that Julie Klassen loves Jane Eyre and Jane Austen, thus the reason her novel is set in England and why I made the association with Downton Abbey since it is a more recent English show I have watched.

This book pretty much kept me guessing throughout the whole book as who the so-called “prankster” was, pulling not-so- friendly pranks on poor Emma.

It seems that characters with a past often have to overcome it or prove themselves in spite of the shadows darkening its path. Henry Weston was that character. He was more gallant than his childhood character ever revealed. I loved how nobly he stuck up for one individual in particular.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Tutor’s Daughter and have already been thinking about reading it again, which is always a good sign.

Two thumbs up from me.

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

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Nike Dual Fusion Running Shoes

Posted by html404 on January 28, 2013
in Products for Dad, Reviews

Feet need proper care, at least mine do and I know my husband’s do too. Part of how we care for our feet is to wear comfy shoes that offer great support. My husband desperately needed new shoes. I think we must have already thrown out his old, hole-y running shoes because we cannot find them. I wanted to show you a photo of them…oh well…if we find them I will try to post a photo of the decrepit things!

It’s hard to buy Robert shoes because of his high arch. He has to wear arch supports and prefers running shoes or basketball shoes over walking or cross trainers.

So when I saw these Nike Dual Fusion Running Shoes I thought I’d surprise him and see if XLS Medical would be willing to let us do a review of them. Thankfully they said yes!

Here’s what the product description says about the shoes:

“The Nike Dual Fusion Mens Running Shoes feature Dual Fusion cushioning to the heel for fantastic shock absorption along with a durable rubber outsole featuring a waffle traction pattern with natural flex grooves for enhanced movement in your stride. These Nike running shoes benefit from breathable mesh panels to the upper coupled with mesh ventilation panels to the sides for outstanding comfort when on the run, finally the Nike Swoosh sweeping down the sides finishes the look.”

Nike Dual Fusion Running Shoes Review

Robert found the Nike Dual Fusion Running Shoes very comfortable, felt good and had good support. They looked good on too, especially with his zebra pants. 😉 He’s on his feet a lot during the day when orders come in at work so if these passed the “standing all day” test that says A LOT!

He’s only had these running shoes for a short time so we cannot say how well they hold up over the long haul but we can say that his feet are thanking them for a comfy stride.

P.S. Still working on our photograhpy shots….my oldest has a much better eye than I do for it!

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Facebook Party 1/31 and “Downton Abbey” Kindle Prize Pack

Posted by html404 on January 25, 2013
in Books, Contests, Giveaways, Uncategorized

Julie is celebrating by giving away one of the new Paperwhite Kindles, Downton Abbey (season 3) and hosting a fun Author Chat Party on Facebook. (January 31st)

One fortunate winner will receive:

A Kindle Paperwhite
Downton Abbey, Season 3
A Julie Klassen library (The Tutor’s Daughter, The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, The Girl in the Gatehouse, and The Silent Governess)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on January 30th. Winner will be announced at “The Tutor’s Daughter Author Chat Party on January 31st. Connect with Julie, get a sneak peek of her next book, try your hand at the trivia contest, and chat with readers just like you. There will also be great giveaways – gift certificates, books and season 3 of Downton Abbey!

So grab your copy of The Tutor’s Daughter and join Julie on the evening of the January 31st for a chance to connect with Julie and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book – don’t let that stop you from coming!)

Don’t miss a moment of the fun, RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 31st!

Look for my book review of The Tutor’s Daughter on Monday!

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Five Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

Posted by html404 on January 24, 2013
in Food and Treats, Gift Ideas, Uncategorized

Valentine’s Day is less than a month away. I’ve always loved Valentine’s Day. Guess it’s because my parents were romantic enough to get married over 40 years ago on Valentine’s Day. They never had elaborate or fancy ways of celebrating their anniversary but my dad almost always got my mom at least a card. He was very good about stuff like that – thoughtful and giving.

Have you thought about what you will give yourself, your “honey” or children to? We don’t always buy gifts for Valentine’s Day, but I want to share 5 Valentine’s Day gift ideas that we love.

1. Full Half Dozen Hand-Dipped Sugar Free Strawberries
My mother-in-law is a diabetic and this is what we treated her to this year…a little early. She loved them and said they were the best sugar free chocolate treat she’s tasted. She also said that she’s never had chocolate covered strawberries before. I didn’t clarify with her to see if she meant sugar free chocolate dipped strawberries or regular. Regardless she was surprised and loved the treat!

2. Homemade Baked Goods. We usually bake a special Valentine’s Day treat, like heart shaped sugar cookies and let the children decorate them with icing and sprinkles. The cookies are generally part of a themed tea party the children and I host for ourselves on February 14th.

3. Heart Shaped Boxes of Chocolate. In past years my husband’s mom has given the children a heart shaped box of chocolates (with 3-5 chocolates each) and a heart shaped balloon. They love it!

4. Dinner for Two. Dinner could be at home or going out to eat with your sweetie.

5. Two Full Dozen Hand-Dipped Milk and Dark Strawberries. This year a little earlier than normal we treated ourselves to a couple dozen chocolate dipped strawberries. There were nut, chocolate chips and coconut covering the strawberries too. They were huge and very good. Not as sweet as some smaller berries but still a tasty treat we all enjoyed. These and the hand-dipped sugar free chocolate strawberries are from Berries.com

Shari’s Berries had numerous Valentine’s Day gift ideas from sugar free treats to fruit baskets. It is an easy to use website but when calculating your total be sure to take into consideration taxes and delivery charges, which can add up. I was anticipating the cost but was still surprised at what I ended up spending for a little treat for my mother-in-law.

What are some of your favorite Valentine’s Day gift ideas? Are your children passing out Valentines this year?

“I was given the chance to review a complimentary product from Berries.com.”

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My Word of the Year #InspiringMoms

Posted by html404 on January 23, 2013
in Articles, Blog Stuff, Encouragement for Moms

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to join a group called Inspiring Moms Network. One of the first emails from the network founder challenged me to participate in choosing a word of the year. The more I thought about it the more I wanted it to be a word that really defined my 2013 year.

I’ve been thinking that while I thought life was harder once I became an adult, compared to my teen years, my life since November 29, 2004 has been even harder still. In moments of weakness I pray, “Lord, when will it let up. It seems we have been on a downward spiral since 2004.” The downward spiral started with the loss of our son, Matthew in utero, accompanied by Robert’s long time boss selling the business, new boss, husband unhappy with job for the first time EVER, exhausting sixth pregnancy, loss of job, 19 months of unemployment, rough eighth pregnancy, and the seemingly awful struggle to survive financially.

If I were to go back and choose a word for 2012 it would be TIRED. Yes it’s uninspiring, but it’s the truth. 2012 was tiring. Yet it had pockets of hope filled moments.

Words I considered for my Word of the Year:

BETTER.

CHANGE.

IMPROVEMENT.

RESTORE.

JOY.

CONTENTMENT.

GRATITUDE.

Image courtesy of [Stuart Miles] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Then after all those things passed through the endless web of thoughts in my brain, I finally decided that MOTIVATED is my 2013 word of the year. MOTIVATED encompasses being motivated to be BETTER, to be MOTIVATED to CHANGE and IMPROVEMENT, to be MOTIVATED to restore what the locusts have eaten, to be MOTIVATED to be full of JOY, CONTENTMENT and GRATITUDE for what I have now, for what I will have and for what I have experienced in the past.

MOTIVATED

a motivating force, stimulus, or influence : incentive, drive ~ Merriam Webster Dictionary

How about you, are you MOTIVATED to choose a word of the year for 2013?

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The Official LEGO® Channel #LEGOChannel

Posted by html404 on January 21, 2013
in Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Kids Stuff, Kids Toys

Do your kids like watching videos? Do you use videos to keep your child entertained so you can get housework or other work done? Yeah, I admit I do too. Not matter how much I try to limit my use of it, I still find myself turning to it in times when I desperately need peace and quiet or just to occupy them for a couple of uninterrupted hours of work. For the most part our children are really good at keeping themselves busy, it’s the quiet that is elusive. Maybe you can relate.
LEGO® is a popular kids toy and can keep children busy building and creating for hours. We have a couple of smaller kits and our boys have asked for more. Playing with a LEGO® set is a fun activity for the whole family. Just as watching TV or videos is something our family enjoys.

The Official LEGO® Channel is another way to entertain and keep you and your child busy. There are over 500 videos and more are being added each day. You can watch LEGO® Star Wars™, LEGO® Hero Factory, LEGO® The Hobbit™, LEGO® DC Universe™ Super Hereos and so many more favorite LEGO® characters. There are also videos that take you behind the scenes.

These LEGO® videos can be added to a LEGO® playlist and be accessed anywhere when you are at home, on the go, in the car etc. to keep your child(ren) entertained and inspired for the next time they play with their LEGO® toys.

If you do not know how to create a playlist, it’s easy to do. After you sign into your YouTube account and find The Official LEGO® Channel. Browse the videos and when you find one you or your child really likes simply click the “Add to” button beneath the video. There will be a blank space to create a new playlist and you can name it “LEGO® Videos” or whatever you like. The videos will be saved there and accessible again the next time you log onto your account.

Gotta love fun at your fingertips, especially on a cold winter day like today! Brrrr……it’s only 10 degrees here in Chicagoland!

There is a lot of content on web; creating a playlist on the Official LEGO® Channel is a great way to ensure your kids are entertained and watching videos you can feel good about.

Visit the Official LEGO® Channel to build your own playlist to watch with your kids and then reply below for a chance to win one (1) $1,000 gift card to buy your family’s favorite LEGO® products!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of LEGO. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.

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Connect 2 Happiness with GaiamTV #sp #Connect2Happy

Posted by html404 on January 20, 2013
in Education, Health, Health and Nutrition

Many new year resolutions are made in hopes of resolving or at least improving health, weight or financial issues. All worthy goals but how many people actually succeed in accomplishing what they set out to do for the whole year? Wouldn’t it be better to start with a shorter time frame? Say…30 days. Like a 30-day challenge. Wouldn’t it be more fulfilling to take one month at a time rather than attacking the whole year in one shot?

If health, nutrition or weight loss were on your new year’s resolution, one way you can start living a healthy, happy lifestyle is to take advantage of all the great health, nutrition and food shows and documentaries at GaiamTV. I came across quite a few things I have never seen before, it’s definitely geared towards the health conscious.

I don’t know what I was expecting from GaiamTV but it was completely different to my expectations. Much more education than entertainment.

Gaiam TV is like Netflix for the mind, body and spirit and contains over 2,000 titles! Like other streaming networks, GaiamTV is available 24/7. Its service capabilities include personal computers, iPads and smartphones. GaiamTV is subscription based $9.95 per month, with unlimited access to content, not strings attached, no commitment and cancel at anytime. For convenience, GaiamTV offers a free 10-day trial.

Connect 2 Happiness with GaiamTV

What if your goal is just to not only work on your health but also work on your happiness? Gaiam also has their Connect 2 Happiness 30-day challenge that will inspire you to take a deep look inside to figure out what truly makes you happy. Below you will find Day 1 challenge:

STOP. LOOK. LISTEN.

When we take a moment to listen to our inner guide, we get clues that can lead us down the path toward true happiness. Choosing what makes us feel happy over what makes us feel safe can take us out of our comfort zone; yet when we connect our passions with our actions, we stop seeking and start living. Find your joy: listen to yourself, and take action.

Start a conversation with your inner guide. Ask yourself these three questions, and listen closely to the answers.

1) What makes you happy?
2) What are you passionate about?
3) How can you bring more of that into your life?

I thought these were very good questions. Definitely made me think about things I haven’t thought about in a long time. I think a little self-reflection is good for the soul. More spiritual people might attribute it to letting a Higher Power guide them rather than their inner self. Either way I think it’s a positive exercise.

I like doing things like this and find it motivating.

What about you what makes you happy? How do you think GaiamTV and the Connect 2 Happiness 30-Day Challenge could help you? Remember to visit the Connect 2 Happiness promotion and check out GaiamTV, if you haven’t already.

This is a paid post for GaiamTV.

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Ivy Bridge College

Posted by html404 on January 19, 2013
in Education, Saving Money, School

It is a known fact that education is important. Many put a lot of stock in a college education and getting a degree. In my family my grandmother really talked up a college education. It was impressed upon me at a young age that I should become a nurse because we have a long line of nurses in our family; a couple of my great aunts are nurses and then two of my dad’s sisters are as well. So my cousin, whose mom is a nurse, for the longest time was set on becoming a doctor and I was going to be a nurse…that was until we got old enough to decide for ourselves that wasn’t our career choice. I think grandmother was disappointed but was a good sport to accept our decision not to go her way. Perhaps some of you can relate and often think about your career choice or lack thereof. Maybe you have even made it your new year’s resolution to go back to school to further your education.

Though I have a college level education from a 3 year program, plus my midwifery studies, I do not have a degree. Shocking? Maybe. Getting a degree wasn’t a priority for me when I was younger and even now it’s not something that is a major goal, even though it has always been at the back of my mind “Should I or shouldn’t I?” But as a mom my children have always been my first priority, after my marriage. When I had to go back to work, which is why I put my midwifery studies on hold, earning an income to help pay bills became another very high priority for our survival. However, due to the nature of my VA business and the opportunities I have seen available, I have contemplated taking courses in accounting, bookkeeping, business etc.

As busy as I am, in order to help take my VA business to the next level, I’ve decided to go back to school. Right now I am leaning towards an Associate’s Degree in Accounting, so we’ll see how the application process plays out and if that is indeed what I end up taking.

The college I am applying to is Ivy Bridge College because it is a great option for moms seeking a college degree. It provides great support services. Each student has their own personal admissions and financial aid advisor, and yes you even receive their direct contact information. They even offer free tutoring and career coaching is available. Ivy Bridge offers flexible scheduling, the ability to earn an associate’s degree in as little as 18-24 months, and the ability to seamlessly transfer to 4-year schools to earn a bachelor’s.

I love that I will be able to continue to stay at home with my children and tailor my course schedule to our family life. Since it is an online program and classes are available 24/7, it is perfect for moms like me.

Ivy Bridge College $1000 Tuition Discount Giveaway

The great news is Ivy Bridge is giving away $1,000 tuition discount on classes at Ivy Bridge College to one of YOU!

All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me why you want to go back to school! Enter the giveaway below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

“To be eligible for the $1,000 discount off tuition at Ivy Bridge College (IBC), the qualifying individuals will need to be degree seeking, enrolled in IBC a minimum of part-time, and new to IBC (specifically, not someone who has already applied to, enrolled in, or requested information from IBC). Classes at Ivy Bridge College Extension are not eligible for the discount. Limit one per person.The tuition discount is valid through September 1, 2013.”

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Ivy Bridge College. I received a promotional item as a thank-you for participating and a discount on classes at Ivy Bridge College.”

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